All Sooners

Sunday Offering: 4-Star Oklahoma Target Elijah Melendez Backs Off of Miami Pledge

The Sooners are in contention for one of the top linebackers in the 2025 recruiting class after the 4-star prospect decommitted from Miami.

Randall Sweet

4-star 2025 LB Elijah Melendez
4-star 2025 LB Elijah Melendez / Elijah Melendez via Instagram
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Oklahoma kicked off its 2024 season with a huge victory on Friday evening, demolishing the Temple Owls 51-3.

Playing on a Friday night, high school recruits were unable to come to the Sooners' game. Additionally, DeMarco Murray's one-game NCAA suspension for recruiting violations prevented OU from hosting unofficial visits in Week 1.

Prior to Friday evening, Brent Venables and company were preparing for their opener against the Owls and had a quiet stretch on the recruiting trail. Still, the Sooners received good news from a pair of high-profile prospects this week.

Decommitment

Despite a huge win over the Florida Gators on Saturday, Miamia suffered an important loss on the recruiting trail when 4-star Osceola (FL) linebacker Elijah Melendez announced his decommitment from the Hurricanes.

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Melendez is rated the No. 92 overall prospect and No. 4 linebacker in the nation, according to Rivals.

So far, the Sooners boast 3-star Carl Albert (OK) product Marcus James at linebacker in the 2025 recruiting class. After bringing in just one player at the position in the 2024 cycle, Zac Alley and company will need to bolster the depth in the position group and could do so with another addition in the 2025 class.

With Melendez now backing off of his pledge from Miami, the 4-star prospect is seemingly a very realistic target for Oklahoma. Melendez visited Norman in June and took photos with Alley, Todd Bates and other members of OU's coaching staff.

The Sooners have had plenty of success on the recruiting trail in central Florida under Venables and could continue this streak with a pledge from Melendez, who hails from the Orlando area. Jayden Gibson, Eddy Pierre-Louis, Lewis Carter and even Danny Stutsman, who arrived in Norman before Venables, come from Orlando and Tampa Bay.

The other linebacker OU is still heavily pursuing in the 2025 recruiting class is Christian Jones, a 4-star prospect from Omaha Westside (NE). Listed at 6-3 and 220 pounds, Jones is rated the No. 77 overall prospect in the country, according to Rivals.

With Nebraska also heavily in pursuit of Jones, Oklahoma could put all of its efforts into Melendez if Jones chooses the Cornhuskers.

Top schools

On the same day as Melendez's decommitment, elite 2027 wide receiver Ethan Feaster announced his first top schools list.

The rising sophomore from DeSoto (TX) holds more than 40 offers from schools around the nation, but trimmed his list to 18 schools on Saturday.

Oklahoma was included in Feaster's top schools list along with Nebraska, Mississippi, TCU, Texas Tech, Penn State, USC, Tennessee, Colorado, Texas A&M, Miami, Texas, SMU, Michigan, Georgia, Oregon, LSU and Baylor.

Listed at 6-2 and 180 pounds, Feaster is rated the No. 8 overall prospect and No. 2 wide receiver in the country, according to 247Sports. The high-level playmaker has visited Norman multiple times and would be a massive addition to OU's 2027 class which currently boasts a pledge from 4-star edge rusher Zane Rowe.

The Denton Guyer (TX) product is rated the No. 47 overall prospect and No. 3 defensive lineman in the nation, per 247Sports.

OU commits dominate in Week 1

While the Sooners were playing on Friday night, a number of Oklahoma pledges were playing the first game of their high school seasons.

15 players who are committed to OU picked up wins at the high school level this week, with multiple squads dominating their opponents.

In the Dallas-Fort Worth area; Lewisville (TX) and 5-star offensive lineman Michael Fasusi destroyed Mansfield Summit 51-7, Frisco Lone Star (TX) and 4-star tight end Ryder Mix defeated Argyle (TX) 24-17, Emerson (TX) and 4-star cornerback Maliek Hawkins took down McKinney (TX) 17-7, Little Rock Parkview (AR) and 4-star defensive back Omarion Robinson got past Melissa (TX) and 3-star center Owen Hollenbeck 27-20 and Rowe, 4-star quarterback Kevin Sperry and Denton Guyer (TX) secured a huge 35-30 victory over defending state champion Aledo (TX).

Mix had a solid game, tallying four catches for 89 yards and a touchdown. Robinson also had a solid outing, notching an interception return for a touchdown in Parkview's win over Melissa.

Elsewhere in Texas; Bridgland (TX) and 4-star offensive lineman Ryan Fodje annihilated Pearland Dawson (TX) 52-14, Atascocita (TX) and 4-star running back Tory Blaylock easily handled Houston Lamar 35-7 while Cibolo Steele (TX) and 4-star running back Jonathan Hatton Jr. beat Liberty Hill (TX) 49-26.

Blaylock scored three touchdowns against the Texans, notching scoring runs of 70 and 59 yards in addition to a 38-yard receiving touchdown.

Hatton Jr. notched 17 carries for 124 yards and scored in the Knights' contest against Panthers, punching the ball in from three yards out late in the third quarter.

Outside of the Lone Star State; Checotah (OK) and 4-star wide receiver Elijah Thomas blew out Okmulgee (OK) 48-0, Bauxite (AR) and 4-star defensive back Marcus Wimberly blanked Glen Rose (AR) 42-0, Lee's Summit North (MO) and 3-star defensive lineman Ka'Mori Moore shut out Raymore-Peculiar (MO) 35-0, Miami Central (FL) and 4-star defensive lineman Floyd Boucard dominated Miami Edison 54-7, Skyridge (UT) and 4-star guard Darius Afalava won a contest over Cherry Creek (CO) and Mater Dei (CA) and 4-star wide receiver Marcus Harris downed Corona Centennial (CA) 42-25.

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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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