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Sunday Offering: Oklahoma Recruits React to Jeff Lebby's Departure

Following the Sooners' 2023 regular season finale, offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby has agreed to become Mississippi State’s next head coach.

Randall Sweet

Sunday Offering: Oklahoma Recruits React to Jeff Lebby's Departure
Sunday Offering: Oklahoma Recruits React to Jeff Lebby's Departure /
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On Saturday night, reports began to circulate claiming that Mississippi State is targeting Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby to be the Bulldogs' next head coach. 

While many Sooner fans on social media may have seemed optimistic about Lebby's departure, another segment of the OU fan base began to worry how the team's offensive recruits would handle the former Mississippi OC heading to Starkville.

With MSU formally announcing the hire on Sunday evening, it appears that Brent Venables, Joe Castiglione and Oklahoma's athletic department will be looking for a new play caller.

On Saturday evening, Jackson Arnold's father, Todd, told the OU Daily that despite Lebby's potential departure, the former 5-star signal caller will remain a Sooner. 

"It doesn't affect Jackson. He plays for OU," Todd Arnold told OU Daily reporters.

Here is how OU recruits have reacted to the news. 

5-star 2024 DL commit David Stone

4-star 2024 QB commit Michael Hawkins 

4-star 2024 DL commit Danny Okoye

4-star 2024 TE commit Davon Mitchell

4-star 2024 WR commit Zion Kearney 

3-star 2024 RB commit Xavier Robinson

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3-star 2024 OL commit Isaiah Autry

“It doesn’t affect my recruitment,” Autry told AllSooners. “I’m still committed to OU.”

3-star 2024 ATH commit Andy Bass

"I’m going to miss not having Coach Lebby next year, but I fully trust Coach Littrell and Coach Finley to take over and I’m super excited to be playing for them," Bass told AllSooners. "I was pretty close with Coach Lebby and he was a big reason why I chose OU in the first place, but I’ve fallen in love with the program since. I’m still fully committed to OU!"

3-star 2024 OL commit Daniel Akinkunmi

4-star 2025 WR commit Elijah Thomas

"Coach Lebby leaving doesn’t effect my recruitment as far as staying where I’m committed at," Thomas told AllSooners. "I have no intentions on flipping anywhere."

3-star 2025 WR/TE commit Trynae Washington

"Our relationship was good," Washington told AllSooners. "But him leaving doesn't affect my decision at all."

3-star 2025 LB commit Marcus James

4-star 2025 TE target Chase Loftin

"(Lebby) is definitely one of my favorite coaches in recruiting so far," Loftin told AllSooners. "I’m not sure how much it would affect my decision because I understand coaches have to do what’s best for them and their family. I will have to see who comes in to fill that role to see if it would alter my decision."

2026 WR target Brock Boyd

"My dad has known Coach Lebby for awhile now," Boyd told AllSooners. "He definitely plays a big role with my recruiting. He’s one of the most productive Offensive Coordinators in the Country. Coach Lebby has always made me feel welcome at OU. If he were to leave I’d definitely want to keep the connection with me and him."

2026 WR target Mason James

“I’ve started to build a relationship with Lebby but his decision doesn’t affect my recruitment at this time,” James told AllSooners.

2026 WR target Mike Brown

"I've heard about the possibility of Coach Lebby leaving; that is great for him — I wish him the best of luck," Brown told AllSooners. "As far as my interest in OU, it remains the same. It's one of my top choices. I will choose a school based on what I can bring to the team and the opportunities the university has for my growth; coaches will leave, but the school will remain the same."

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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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