Why Oklahoma is the 'Perfect Fit' for 4-star DL Floyd Boucard

Sooners' defensive line pledge Floyd Boucard spoke with Sooners on SI to break down why OU was the right choice for the 4-star prospect.

2025 4-star DL Floyd Boucard / Floyd Boucard via Twitter/X

Coming into high school, 4-star Miami Central (FL) defensive lineman Floyd Boucard had never played football.

Growing up in Canada in Montreal, Quebec, Boucard was an active child who excelled at soccer and hockey before being introduced to football by his cousins after moving to the United States as a freshman in high school.

"My cousins, they were my role models and they were playing football," Boucard told Sooners on SI. "As a kid I was always outside, I was never on the electronics. I was trying to play soccer, then I played hockey. Football never came across my mind until my mom was like, 'You trying to play football?' and I was like, 'Yeah, I've seen my cousins doing it, so why not?' "

The skilled athlete quickly rose to prominence on the gridiron, tallying 85 tackles, 27 tackles for loss and 11 sacks as a junior at Mobile Christian (AL) en route to becoming a 4-star recruit and one of the top 20 defensive lineman in the nation, according to Rivals.

Boucard transferred to Miami Central (FL) ahead of his senior season and has his sights set on Florida's single-season sack record.

With impressive power at the point of attack and a quick first step off the ball, Boucard seems to be the perfect fit for Oklahoma defensive line coach Todd Bates, who seems to have a knack for building genuine relationships.

In addition to his playstyle being a perfect fit in Norman, Boucard' s personality seems to align with Bates and Brent Venables. Boucard credited his bond with the two coaches as a big factor in his recent commitment.

"In my opinion, (OU) was the perfect fit for me, so I was rocking with it," Boucard said. "Real close (with Bates and Venables), we're like a family now. Actually, we are a family."

Aside from Bates and Venables, freshman d-line duo David Stone and Jayden Jackson also played a big part in Boucard's recruitment. The former IMG Academy (FL) standouts took photos with Boucard during his official visit to Norman and advised him throughout the process.

Now that Boucard is a member of the Sooners' 2025 recruiting class, he will get to join Stone and Jackson on the defensive line in January when he arrives in Norman as an early enrollee. With a stable of talented young d-lineman on its roster, OU has started to build solid depth in the trenches as Venables' team prepares for life in the SEC.

"It helped me throughout the process just really see what (OU) is like from an inside perspective," Boucard said. "They told me the truth and they told me what to expect."

In the 2025 recruiting class, Boucard has built a strong connection with fellow 4-star defensive lineman and Oklahoma commit Trent Wilson. The two operating as a duo in the trenches should be a scary partnership for opposing offenses, as each player brings a different skill set that compliments the other and prevents offensive lineman from double teaming either of the talented defenders.

Alongside Wilson, Boucard said that he has also developed a good relationship with 4-star wide receiver and fellow Miami-area star Cortez Mills. Boucard and Mills visited Norman on the same weekend in June and are now both headed to Norman after their senior seasons in the Sunshine State.

"I was talking to Trent Wilson, we got an immediate bond," Boucard said. "We're just going to be dominant. Me and him off the ball is going to be crazy. Cortez Mills ... I knew him because he played on our school's 7-on-7 team and he's a big-time football player in Miami-Dade so I knew about him and now that he committed and being teammates with him, we're just going to create a bond."

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 315 pounds, Boucard's size, physicality and toughness make him an important addition to the Sooners' 2025 recruiting class.

The 4-star prospect joins Wilson, 4-star Weatherford (OK) edge rusher CJ Nickson, 3-star Lee's Summit North (MO) interior defensive lineman Ka'Mori Moore and 3-star Wagoner (OK) edge rusher Alexander Shieldnight in OU's 2025 class.

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