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Oklahoma Loses Commitment from 2027 DE Zane Rowe

Rowe was the Sooners' first (and only) pledge from the current sophomore class when he committed to Brent Venables after the Spring Game.

John E. Hoover

Zane Rowe and Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables
Zane Rowe and Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables / Zane Rowe via Twitter/X
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The potential and promise of Oklahoma’s 2027 recruiting class just took an significant hit.

Defensive end Zane Rowe, who just completed his sophomore season at Denton Guyer, has reportedly decomitted from OU, according to a tweet Monday from On3’s Hayes Fawcett.

Rowe confirmed his decommitment to Sooners On SI, clarifying that he wants to be able to visit the schools that have offered him since making his verbal pledge, but didn't want to be "disrespectful" to the Oklahoma coaching staff by taking visits while being an official OU commit.

The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Rowe committed to OU in April shortly after the Spring Game. He was the only Sooner pledge in the ’27 class.

Being so young, Rowe still has plenty of time to make his decision, whether that's with Oklahoma or at another school.

Rowe was one of more than 100 prospects to attend the annual Red/White Game and told Sooners On SI he left Norman impressed with Brent Venables, Miguel Chavis and the rest of his experience.

“It was more of a heart-felt, really warm feeling,” Rowe said. “Like I found a new home.” 

Rowe’s dad, Dustin Rowe, told Sooners On SI that his son’s commitment to OU was a surprise at the time. Together they took unofficial visits to Texas, Texas A&M, Nebraska, Georgia, Baylor and others. He now holds more than 30 major offers, including Oklahoma State, Penn State, USC, Arizona State, Arkansas, Miami, Ole Miss, Oregon, SMU, TCU, Texas Tech, Washington State and others.

Rowe played one season at Guyer with quarterback and long-time OU pledge Kevin Sperry, who decommitted last fall and flipped to Florida State. At Guyer this past season, Rowe reported the following statistics: 75 total tackles, 19 tackles for loss, nine quarterback sacks, 19 QB hurries, eight passed defensed, four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery.

Rowe was a MaxPreps Freshman All-American who plays both football and baseball at Guyer.

Rowe also attended the Brent Venables Elite Camp last summer. He said his relationship with Chavis and Venables were huge factors in his pulling the trigger early on OU.

Chavis “is probably the most chill, laid back (of the coaches who have recruited him). But at the same time, he’s gonna expect intensity and greatness out of you.”

Rowe said he established a similar vibe with Venables, whether it was at the Spring Game, at the OU “Future Freaks” camp he attended in mid-March, or at the Brent Venables Elite Camp — as a tight end.

“I’ve always been cool with Coach Venables,” Rowe said. “He knew my name when I came to the Oklahoma camp. Just, they weren’t offering ‘27s at the time when I came to the Oklahoma camp, so I was just having fun. 

“Coach Venables, we have really the same mindset and similar backgrounds, so it was really cool to bond with him. We had a deep conversation when he accepted my commitment. He was just like, ‘You have a lot of determination in your voice,’ he told me about my decision. I was like, ‘Coach, I’m all the way in,’ and he was like, ‘All right,’ and he accepted my commitment.”

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John E. Hoover
JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.

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