Weekend Open Post | February 20th – 22nd
Posted on: February 20, 2026
Big Board | Linebacker | 2027
– Charlie S – Posted on: February 17, 2026
Continuing with rolling out the class of ’27 Big Boards.
We will move to the Linebacker Board.
You can find the previous Big Boards for 2027 by clicking the links below:
Interior Defensive Line Big Board
The Sooners have extended a solid number of Linebacker offers to the ’27 class:
Linebacker Offers:
Taven Epps – Tustin (Tustin, CA) – 6’4 226 – Oklahoma Commit
Cooper Witten – Liberty Christian (Argyle, TX) – 6’2 220
Kaden Henderson – Jesuit (Tampa, FL) – 6’2 213
Toa Satele – Mililani (Mililani, HI) – 6’3 200
Roman Igwebuike – Mount Carmel (Chicago, IL) – 6’3 220
Colton McKibben – Carlsbad (Carlsbad, NM) – 6’3 215
Kobe Rhymes – North Kansas City (Kansas City, MO) – 6’1 220
Colton McComb – Edmond Memorial (Edmond, OK) – 6’2 200
Liufau Loumoli – IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) – 6’1 210
Ellis McGaskin – Williamson (Mobile, AL) – 6’1 190
Case Alexander – Washington High (Washington, OK) – 6’2 195
Braylon Williams – Arlington Lamar (Arlington, TX) – 6’2 220
Jake Godfree – North Gwinnett (Suwanee, GA) – 5’11 218
Isaiah Leilua – Servite (Anaheim, CA) – 6’0 220
Marshaun Ivy – Cardinal Ritter College Prep (St. Louis, MO) – 6’3 215
Michael Griffin Jr. – West Charlotte (Charlotte, NC) – 5’11 205
Trey Stewart – Little Rock Central (Little Rock, AR) – 6’0 205
Noah Renes – Niceville (Niceville, FL) – 6’2 225
Commits at this time: 1
Taven Epps
Number of commits OU is looking to take out of high school: 2 maybe 3
Nate Dreiling and Brent Venables may pull off an all-timer of a linebacker class, on paper, this cycle.
On paper is a key phrase there, as this is the University of Oklahoma and the Linebacker history is deep and rich, so I am not trying to sell you cans of air, I am just trying to convey that this class could be one of the better one’s of all-time in the ranking era for OU football.
Oklahoma already holds the commit of Taven Epps, who is a highly coveted prospect out of California who was at one time committed to the Texas Longhorns. At around 6-4 and 220 pounds, Epps brings excellent length, range, and versatility, showing the ability to play off the ball, cover in space, and rush the passer from the second level. He’s a fluid mover for his frame, closes ground quickly, and has produced as both a tackler and disruptive blitzer, making him a high-ceiling defender who fits multiple linebacker roles in today’s college defenses.
Then you have Cooper Witten, who many consider to be the number one linebacker prospect in the class. Witten is an instinctive, physical linebacker with advanced football IQ and natural leadership traits. At around 6-2 and 210 pounds, he plays downhill with confidence, diagnoses plays quickly, and takes efficient angles to the ball. He’s a fundamentally sound tackler who consistently finishes through contact, shows strong awareness in run fits, and brings a high-motor, competitive edge that projects well to an inside linebacker role at the college level. Oh, and his dad just took the Tight End Coaching job at OU. I expect Witten to be part of the class.
After that, the Sooners will still chase Case Alexander, but I find it difficult to envision all three of these backers in the same class at this time, and Alexander may very well be the one who is most likely to get away (Penn State).
I am sure OU will continue to kick the tires on multiple other linebackers aside from Epps and Witten, but if you hold/get both of those guys, you have one of the best linebacking classes of the modern era for Oklahoma.
Sourced Notes on the McCullough Hire
– Charlie S – Posted on: February 18, 2026
Couple quick notes to wrap this one up…
***This hire, and every hire, is strictly a BV hire (with backing from the administration). When it came to this hire, in particular, it was a BV/Arbuckle hire. As we have continually mentioned, Jim Nagy does not have any say in staffing hires, and he only gives his input when it is requested.
***McCullough showed up to the party late (his fate with the Raiders was just hanging in the air till the last couple of days) and from that point on, it was a no-brainer and I was told OU actually stopped their pursuit of Curtis Luper at the point McCullough became available.
***This would explain why we had started hearing McCullough’s name early in the day yesterday and picked up the Luper noise later that afternoon, as the sources we corroborated with and vetted out information with were also getting the full picture in real time.
***Source said Kevin Wilson highly recommended McCullough, but BV and Arbuckle needed no selling.
***BV knows Deland very, very well from the time he spent recruiting and coaching his sons and when he became available, both BV and Arbuckle were ready to jump in with both feet.
***I’m told Miami was trying to get into McCullough’s ear and Tennessee was checking around behind the scenes as well (Tennessee may very well lose their RB coach to Miami now, we will see), so there was a lot of immediate interest in McCullough when it became clear he would not be returning to the Raiders.
***One of the more interesting aspects of this hire to me is the influence that a combo of McCullough and Wilson will have on helping to develop Arbuckle as an OC. Those are two guys who have done it for a long time with proven track records.
***Great hire, in my opinion. Absolutely fantastic.
The Task for the new RB Coach
– Super K – Posted on: February 19, 2026
Is pretty straightforward. Develop NFL running backs. For whatever reason, that has not been done in a while.
The Sooners used to be known for scary backs. And not all of them were straight five-star guys. But for the past few years that has not happened irrespective of the high school profile.
The most perplexing part of the RB room has been the rotation. So difficult to make heads or tails of it and hard to get a straight answer from folks close to the program as to why it was happening.
I know a couple of folks who have worked with coach McCullough and as expected, folks say good things. But his record appears to be one of consistent development and that is what OU needed.
I think one of the biggest points of praise is that a guy we all know has seen some good backs up close and has worked with McCullough was pumped about landing him – namely Kevin Wilson.
Also should mention that you don’t get to coach in the NFL if you don’t know ball. Plenty of college RB coaches are big X’s and O’s guys. But the league demands that. So as I said in an earlier post, the Sooners were also looking for someone who could offer some game plan/strategy input.
The Sooners got a new TE coach and did a necessary portal upgrade of the room. The RB room is already stacked so I fully expect to see that room take a big step forward. If so, that should take pressure off of Mateer and help the OL.
Really nice offensive moves this offseason. Really nice.
Ranking the New Hires
– Charlie S – Posted on: February 19, 2026
Brent Venables and the Sooners have made three new position coach hires since the end of the season.
Jason Witten replaced the dismissed Joe Jon Finley in the Tight End room.
LaMar Morgan replaced Jay Valai, who moved on to the NFL, in the Cornerback room.
Deland McCullough replaced DeMarco Murray, who moved on to the NFL, in the Running Back room.
Here is how I would rank the hires for Oklahoma!
1* Deland McCullough is a strong hire for Oklahoma at running backs coach. He brings extensive experience from both the college and NFL levels, including a Super Bowl ring with the Kansas City Chiefs, and has a long track record of developing productive backs at places like Indiana, USC, and Notre Dame. His groups have consistently produced 1,000-yard rushers and efficient run games, which is something Oklahoma has been trying to reestablish. He may not carry the same recruiting buzz as DeMarco Murray, but McCullough’s résumé suggests he’s a proven developer who can raise the baseline of the Sooners’ running back room.
2* Jason Witten at Tight ends coach is a high-upside, culture-driven hire for the Oklahoma Sooners. Witten brings elite credibility to the position after a Hall of Fame–caliber NFL career and immediate success as a high school head coach, where he won back-to-back state titles. His leadership, reputation, and name recognition should resonate with recruits and players alike. The main question is experience, as this is his first job at the college level, but if he adjusts quickly, the ceiling is high for both recruiting impact and tight end development.
3* LaMar Morgan looks like a strong, forward-looking hire for Oklahoma. Morgan arrives with Power-4 experience from Michigan, along with previous stops at Louisiana, Vanderbilt, Houston, and ULM, and he’s built a reputation as a rising defensive backs coach and solid recruiter. His units have generally been productive, and his background as a defensive coordinator gives him a broader understanding of the scheme. The main questions center on name recognition and track record at the highest level, as he’s not as established or as splashy as some other DB coaches OU could have grabbed and his secondaries have tended to be solid rather than elite. Still, it’s a dependable, upward-trending hire with the potential to grow into one of the SEC’s better position coaches.
So in conclusion…I love everything about the McCullough hire. I really think the Witten hire provides OU with nothing but upside. I feel like the Morgan hire is a solid and steady hire.
How would you rank the hires?
