In-state star Xavier Okwufulueze commits to Oklahoma after receiving coveted offer

Xavier Okwufulueze had been waiting for an offer from Oklahoma throughout his recruiting process, and it came on Monday from Sooners wide receivers coach Emmett Jones.

A day later, the 6-foot-4, 200-pound athlete has committed to OU, choosing the local program over Tulsa, Oklahoma State, TCU, Arkansas and a handful of other offers. He was one of a handful of visitors for Saturday’s game against Illinois State and now joins a class that ranks No. 20 nationally in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings — and was very much in search of another wide receiver.

Okwufulueze plays on both sides of the ball at the high school level, but is being recruited as a big-bodied wideout to pair alongside four-star commit Daniel Odom in this class.

OU’s pursuit of him has been a whirlwind, with Jones inviting him to the game less than a week ago to receiving an offer Monday and now committing.

“Coach [Emmett] Jones sent me [the invite] on Wednesday and he just said to make sure I sign up and he hopes I can make it,” Okwufulueze told SoonerScoop last week. “A few weeks ago he was complimenting my game and saying my game will take off when I get to college.

Sooners adding a dynamic weapon in the passing game

Playing for Owasso’s Rejoice Christian, he helped the Eagles to a 13-1 record and the Oklahoma A-I state championship last fall as a junior. On offense, he hauled in 46 passes for 901 yards and nine TDs on 19.6 yards per reception.

Playing cornerback on the other side of the ball, he also recorded 31 tackles and four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. Prior to that, he was primarily focused on basketball and actually didn’t football his sophomore year to focus on the hardwood.

According to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services, Okwufulueze is the No. 1208 prospect and No. 62 athlete in the 2026 class. He also checks in as the No. 21 player in the Sooner State.

But Rivals is much higher on him than the other two services, tabbing him as a borderline four-star recruit and the country’s No. 25 athlete.

His commitment is the 19th for Brent Venables and Co. in the 2026 class, and he joins a group headlined by Odom, top-50 prospect Jake Kreul, and Rivals’ No. 4-ranked quarterback Bowe Bentley.

For more on OU’s recruiting class, check out SoonerScoop and OUInsider.