Brent Venables and his staff are still on the recruiting trail as Oklahoma’s current team prepares to meet Arizona in the Alamo Bowl later this month. The Sooners have secured two pledges in the previous seven days and are in the running for another great high school prospect. OU also issued two preferred walk-on invitations to two local high school football talents. Even though Oklahoma’s current team is not in action, the Sooners’ staff has been hard at work on the recruiting road.
TRANSFER PORTAL
Tennesse-Martin running back transfer Samuel Franklin revealed on Wednesday that he will transfer to Norman after three years with the Skyhawks.
Franklin rushed for 1,386 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023, averaging 6.2 yards per carry. In September, the Little Rock, Arkansas, native rushed for 259 yards and three touchdowns against Missouri State.
Franklin, who is listed as 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, will have the opportunity to gain carries in the OU backfield right away, since Tawee Walker, Daylan Smothers, and Marcus Major have all stated their intention to enter the transfer portal. Franklin will compete for the position of primary tailback with Gavin Sawchuk, who rushed for 610 yards and eight touchdowns in the 2023 regular season. OU also issued an offer to former Oregon State defensive back Jermod McCoy, in addition to Franklin.
This season, as a rookie, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound corner has 31 tackles, two interceptions, and seven pass breakups.
McCoy has had offers from Tennessee, Florida, USC, and others since entering the transfer portal.
HIGH SCHOOL RECRUITING
Oklahoma received a commitment from 4-star inside offensive lineman Eddy Pierre-Louis on Friday afternoon.
Originating from Tampa Catholic in Florida, where Sooners’ freshman linebacker Lewis Carter also attended, Pierre-Louis holds the position of the 28th ranked player nationally and is recognized as the top interior offensive lineman by Rivals. This 4-star prospect opted for OU over Texas A&M, UCF, Miami, and Oregon. Pierre-Louis becomes the fifth offensive line commitment in Bill Bedenbaugh’s 2024 class, joining Isaiah Autry, Eugene Brooks, Joshua Aisosa, and Daniel Akinkunmi. Additionally, the Sooners secured a spot in the top 11 choices of 2025 4-star defensive lineman Julian Marks, who recently unveiled his list. Standing at 6 feet 7 inches and weighing 275 pounds, Marks considered OU among Michigan, Kansas, Alabama, USC, Oregon, Kansas State, Missouri, Tennessee, Notre Dame, and Miami. According to On3, Marks is ranked as the 108th overall player and the 12th defensive lineman in the 2025 class. Oklahoma also presented preferred walk-on offers to two promising in-state prospects.
Recently, Zavier Freeman from Heritage Hall in Oklahoma announced on social media that he had received a preferred walk-on offer from the Sooners. Freeman, the younger sibling of Sooners’ wide receiver Gavin Freeman and the son of former OU tight end Jason Freeman, stands at 6 feet 1 inch and weighs 250 pounds. If he joins his older brother in Norman, it seems probable that he would play on the defensive line. Just before Freeman disclosed his offer, Evan McClure, an offensive lineman from Bixby, Oklahoma, shared on social media that he, too, received a preferred walk-on offer from the Sooners. At 6 feet 4 inches and 270 pounds, McClure has Division I scholarship offers from Akron, Air Force, and South Dakota.
The three-time state champion is the son of Don Key Award winner and former Oklahoma offensive lineman Bruce McClure.
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