Oklahoma Recruiting: Sooners inch closer to No. 1 class with elite LB Cooper Witten

Momentum has been building around Oklahoma‘s program after their first College Football Playoff appearance since 2019, particularly on the recruiting trail.

The Sooners picked up a massive commitment on Tuesday afternoon, securing the pledge of borderline five-star linebacker prospect Cooper Witten. The son of legendary NFL tight end Jason Witten — whom OU hired this offseason to replace Joe Jon Finley — Cooper chose the Sooners over Tennessee, Clemson, SMU, Ohio State and dozens of others.

He is the third Sooners commit this cycle to be ranked among the top 40 overall prospects nationally by Rivals, joining five-star offensive tackle Cooper Hackett (No. 6) and four-star Kaeden Penny (No. 20). Witten’s addition adds to what could be a seminal class for Brent Venables and Co. as they look to re-establish themselves as a recruiting factory.

Oklahoma now sits just two-hundredths of a point back from Ohio State for the No. 1 overall class in the Rivals Industry Rankings. Their 14 commitments are four more than any other school has at this stage in the cycle. Texas Tech is the only other school even in double-digits.

Witten is also the eighth commitment on the defensive side for the Sooners, who are loading up at all three levels.

“Coach Venables’ resume speaks for itself,” Witten told Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman. “The success on defense he has had over the years is an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.”

With three prospects who have a chance to finish as five-stars already in the fold — not to mention more elite targets out there — a special class is brewing in Norman. Should they be able to build out a top-10 class by Signing Day, it would mark the first time since 2024 that they did so. Their last top-5 finish, meanwhile, was all the way back in 2010.

Oklahoma Commitments by Position

Running Back
Four-star Keldrid Ben, No. 313 NATL. (No. 22 RB)
Three-star Jaxsen Stokes, No. 546 NATL. (No. 45 RB)

Wide Receiver
Four-star Demare Dezeurn, No. 88 NATL. (No. 18 WR)

Offensive Tackle
Five-star Cooper Hackett, No. 13 NATL. (No. 3 OT)
Four-star Kaeden Penny, No. 26 NATL. (No. 4 OT)
Three-star Luke Wilson, No. 496 NATL. (No. 33 OT)

Defensive Lineman
Four-star Elija Harmon, No. 164 NATL. (No. 18 DL)
Three-star Deven Robertson, No. 392 NATL. (No. 47 DL)

EDGE
Four-star Krew Jones, No. 137 NATL. (No. 16 EDGE)

Linebacker
Four-star Cooper Witten, No. 31 NATL. (No. 2 LB)
Four-star Taven Epps, No. 101 NATL. (No. 5 LB)

Cornerback
Four-star Mikhail McCreary, No. 317 NATL. (No. 33 CB)
Three-star Mikyal Davis, No. 480 NATL. (No. 49 CB)

Athlete
Three-star Tra’Von Hall, No. 601 NATL. (No. 27 ATH)