Oklahoma Sooners commit earns 5-star status in Rivals Industry Ranking

Oklahoma saw a budding star in Bixby (Okla.) offensive tackle Kaeden Penny back when the Sooners extended an offer in October 2024.

Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has been among the nation’s best developers at that position for some time and has also shown a penchant for finding hidden gems before other programs do. Penny proved him right again, as the local standout is now a five-star prospect, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.

His move comes after the latest Rivals300 update and the expansion of the industry ranking to include 32 players as five-stars — matching the first round of the NFL Draft. The massive 6-foot-4, 270-pounder now checks in as the No. 32 recruit in the country, No. 4 offensive tackle and No. 2 player in the Sooner State.

OU was the fifth Power 4 school to offer him back in October 2024, joining Boston College, Kansas, Texas Tech and Arkansas. That early identification and recruiting push paid off when he committed last September. His decision came the same day as the Sooners flipped fellow five-star offensive tackle Cooper Hackett away from Texas Tech.

The duo didn’t plan their decisions together, but now have the best offensive line pair in the country heading to Norman.

“No, it was kind of crazy,” Hackett told OUInsider at the time. “We were talking at the [Auburn] game. He said, ‘Yeah, I think I’m planning on committing soon.’ He didn’t tell me where, but I was like, ‘He’s gonna commit soon. I kind of want to commit soon too.’ It just happened to line up on the same day. I was about to text him ‘come home,’ and he texted me and committed like five minutes after me. It was pretty crazy.”

Penny is one of the Sooners’ 14 early blue-chip commitments in a class that already has 20 pledges. OU also has four players in total — Penny, Hackett, tight end Seneca Driver and linebacker Cooper Witten — who rank among the top 40 prospects in the updated Rivals300 rankings.

Scouting Kaeden Penny

Rivals National Scout Cody Bellaire writes this about Penny as a prospect:

“Coordinated and twitchy tackle with excellent footwork and body control as a pass protector. Two-way high school player who doubles along the defensive line. High-quality mover with athletic ability that translates when moving in space and climbing to the second level. Very balanced and under control in pass protection, plays with great center of gravity. Understands body positioning and leverage in the run game. Walls off defenders and creates clear pathways. Need to see more violence at the point of attack in the run game, which can develop as he gets bigger and stronger. Has the athletic ability and technical skills to thrive in pass protection early at the next level. Will need to develop and transform his body in order to be a big factor in the run game, but has the physical build and technique to be a people mover after he fills out his frame.”