All Sooners

Sunday Offering: Oklahoma Adds Two Local Prospects to 2024 Class

The Sooners earned two pledges from Oklahoma City natives this week, continuing OU’s climb up the 2024 class rankings.

Randall Sweet

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Brent Venables and company may have pulled off their biggest victory on the recruiting trail since arriving in Norman.

On Saturday night, 5-star defensive lineman and former Del City (OK) standout David Stone committed to Oklahoma at halftime of IMG Academy’s game against St. Jospeh’s Prep (PA) in Philadelphia.

Stone is one of the top three defensive lineman and top 13 overall players in the nation according to ESPN, On3, 247Sports and Rivals. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, the talented defensive lineman was reportedly choosing between Miami and Oklahoma down the stretch.

While Oklahoma ended up earning a commitment from Stone, the Sooners were apparently almost left at the altar once again.

“Up until like three o’clock when (Todd) Bates called me, it was Miami,” Stone told 247Sports following his commitment. “I already had the edit made. My family was all for it. I had a conversation with my mom and I asked her, “Is it OK if I want to come back home?”

David Stone
David Stone :: DENNIS MAFFEZZOLI / HERALD-TRIBUNE-USA TODAY NETWORK

“She didn’t really want me to come back home and I was fine making the sacrifice for her, and if it’s not OK me coming home, I won’t do it,” Stone continued. “The conversation came down to she wanted me to be happy and make my own decision and this is a big choice for me and I took her words to heart and went with my gut. I feel like I made the right decision.”

After losing out on Williams Nwaneri and Xadavien Sims earlier in the cycle, not getting a commitment from Stone would have been a massive blow to OU’s 2024 class and the fan base’s confidence in the staff’s ability to close on the recruiting trail.

While Stone’s recriutment did come down to the wire, the local product said that he wants to be in Norman.

“Honestly, even at the table, I was going to reach for the Miami hat,” Stone told 247Sports. “I didn’t want to play any games with nobody. I am a genuine person and I try to express my feelings the best way I can. Honestly, I was going to pick up the Miami hat because I want my family to be happy, but I had to be selfish today. I wanted to go to OU.”

With Stone on board, Oklahoma’s recruiting class ranking jumped from No. 16 in the country to No. 10, according to Rivals. If the Sooners are able to earn pledges from a few of the other talented players they are still fighting for, Venables and company could see their second class in Norman raise even higher within the top 10.

On Thursday, the Sooners earned a commitment from 3-star Heritage Hall (OK) athlete Andy Bass.

A dual-threat quarterback for the Chargers, Bass is being recruited to fill a variety of roles in Jeff Lebby’s offense. While he would primarily play running back for OU, Bass’ speed and strength give him the ability to catch passes as a slot receiver and even play wildcat quarterback.

“I’d have an impact kind of all over the field,” Bass said after his commitment. “I feel like it would be a great place to showcase my entire skill set and really put everything on display.”

Bass, who is listed at 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, ran a 10.56 in the 100-meter dash last spring to take home the state title.

Getting a pledge from another talented in-state prospect continues Venables’ impressive stretch of local recruiting dominance. With nine players from Oklahoma committing to the Sooners over the summer, OU will continue to try and add a few more OK Preps standouts to its 2024 and 2025 classes.

Late in the day, 4-star 2024 cornerback Eli Bowen announced his commitment to Oklahoma. The 5-foot-9 defensive back is the younger brother of current Sooners' safety and former 5-star recruit Peyton Bowen.

Over the weekend, Bill Bedenbaugh and company also extended a scholarship offer to 2025 Bridgeland (TX) offensive tackle Ryan Fodje. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, Fodje is the teammate of fellow Sooners’ tackle offer Jonte Newman.

OU is the first program to offer Fodje, but it would not be surprising to see the Houston-area product pick up a handful of offers in the near future.

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Randall Sweet
RANDALL SWEET

Randall is a recruiting analyst and staff writer at AllSooners focusing primarily on OU Football and the recruiting trail. Working as a journalist, Randall has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, and high school sports across the state. A 2022 University of Oklahoma graduate, Randall hails from Lubbock, TX. While in college, Sweet wrote for the OU Daily in addition to working with Sooner Sports Pad and OU Nightly. Following his time at OU, Sweet served as the Communications Coordinator at Visit Oklahoma City before leaving to join the team at AllSooners. The West Texas native has bylines in the Norman Transcript and is a Staff Writer for Inside the Thunder. Randall holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma in Norman, OK. 

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