Oklahoma Lands Class of 2028 In-state Star

The Sooners added a second verbal commitment to their 2028 recruiting class on Tuesday evening.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables smiles on the sideline at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. | Carson Field, Sooners On SI

Oklahoma continued its efforts to keep the best in-state talent in Norman.

The Sooners landed a verbal commitment in their 2028 recruiting class from Bixby tight end Connor Arant, per Rivals' Hayes Fawcett.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound tight end picked the Sooners over Alabama, Ohio State and others.

Arant has stood out on both sides of the ball for the Oklahoma high school powerhouse.

Last year, he caught seven passes for 129 yards and six touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, he was credited with 23 tackles, including three tackles for loss and two sacks, as well as two pass breakups and a forced fumble on the defensive line.

As a tight end, he's rated as a 3-star recruit by Rivals, and he's rated as the No. 2 player in the state in the 2028 class. Arant is rated as a 4-star recruit and the No. 4 player in Oklahoma per 247Sports' Composite Ranking.

Arant joins 4-star quarterback Trey Tagliaferri in OU's 2028 recruiting class.

New Oklahoma tight ends coach Jason Witten has wasted no time getting after it on the recruiting trail.

He landed Class of 2027 prospect Seneca Driver, who continues to hold strong in recruiting rankings.

Driver, a 6-6, 234-pounder from Danville, Ky., is rated as a 5-star recruit by the 247Sports Composite Ranking. He's the No. 39-overall player in the class and the No. 4 tight end per the Composite Ranking. Rivals has Driver rated as a 4-star recruit, though he's listed as the No. 42-overall player in the class and the third-best tight end per Rivals.

Oklahoma's tight ends have already seen key usage under Witten.

Florida transfer Hayden Hansen, Colorado State transfer Rocky Beers, Tennessee transfer Jack Van Dorselaer and Trynae Washington all featured early in the Sooners' win over UTEP in the season opener.

Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle used fewer tight ends in last week's 17-10 loss at The Big House to Michigan, but Beers was still one of the most impactful players for the OU offense.

Beers led the team with six receptions for 94 yards, and his nine targets were second on the team behind receiver Isaiah Sategna.

Beers was the second-highest-rated player for Oklahoma's offense, per Pro Football Focus, trailing only receiver Mackenzie Alleyne, who caught the Sooners' only touchdown on one of his five offensive snaps.

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