Breaking down and predicting how the Sooners' 2026 DE class finishes out
Oklahoma has two DE commits already in their 2026 class, but they are also trying to add to their class with targets like four-star Jake Kreul, four-star KJ Ford and three-star DeAnthony Lafayette. We have the latest on those three and I predict where the Sooners finish out with them in this full in-depth breakdown.
Four-star DE target Jake Kreul quotes, notes and predictions:
By now, everyone interested in recruiting and the Sooners’ 2026 class has seen the On3 | Rivals RPM for four-star DE Jake Kreul to Oklahoma. Steve Wiltfong made that pick, so it holds a lot of weight and merit.
But even with the RPM to OU, where do sources that we have spoken with feel Kreul is trending? What does the On3 | Rivals top-50 overall prospect have to say about his upcoming decision and where things stand with some of his top schools, like OU, Florida, Ole Miss, and Texas?
We fully dive into his recruitment and my take on things, along with some predictions, compounded with some interesting sourced information and quotes from Kreul himself.
Florida is Kreul’s father’s alma mater, but where do the Gators stand:
The Gators are his father’s alma mater. Even before Kreul was on their proverbial radar, Florida played a pivotal role in his recruiting process. Add that Kruel is from the Sunshine State and going to IMG Academy right down the road, and you can see why the Gators have made such a strong run for the elite 2026 edge rusher.
Kruel has visited the Gators numerous times, but the big official visit on June 6th is where Billy Napier and his staff took their biggest swing at Kruel. But did anything of note stand out to the four-star defensive end?
“I think what stood out there was kind of the development and the hype behind them heading into this season,” Kreul said of his official visit to Gainesville. “I think the way Coach [Billy] Napier has been building things, he is getting the people he wants in the building and the system he wants. He is starting to get to the final evolution of things, and it’s going to be showcased this year with DJ Lagway leading the charge.”
The bigger question is whether or not the official visit was strong enough to put the Gators within striking distance. I would say that isn’t the case, but I am not going to blow smoke up your, you know what, and pretend I have a firm conviction on that stance. I will add that some of those that I speak with from that area, and those with a strong sense of Kreul’s recruitment, feel that the Gators aren’t as high on the board as you’d think from a surface-level point of view.
Again, that’s coming from some sources that I trust. But I can also see why some hesitate to believe all of that when you look at the surface-level information of his dad’s connections to Florida (having played there) and Kreul not only being from Florida but going to school a short drive from the Gators’ campus.
For now, sources I speak with feel there is a school or two ahead of Florida
Texas in a better position than some believe? Can the Longhorns add another Top100 DL to their class?
Texas is one of the programs that I think is in a better spot than some want to believe. Much like Florida, I don’t know that I would put them at the top, but I think they are within striking distance — maybe even closer than Florida.
Much of that is due to Kreul’s relationship with Texas defensive end coach LaAllan Clark and the success of DE Collin Simmons during his freshman season at Texas. The Texas DE coach started his relationship with and recruitment of Kreul when he was a defensive line graduate assistant under the great Larry Johnson at Ohio State during the 2023-2024 seasons. So naturally, when Clark took over as DE coach for the Longhorns, it was an easy transition for Kreul to start liking Texas.
With Coach Clark’s success in helping Ohio State’s edge rushers and Freshman All-American Collin Simmons tearing it up in 2024, it’s easy to see why Kreul made it so apparent that UT was a major player for him so quickly once they showed interest.
“Yeah, I think Coach [LaAllan] Clark. Then I think of the success of Collin Simmons as a freshman. He is measurably basically the exact same person as I am,” the four-star edge rusher from IMG Academy said on why he likes Texas so much. “Like I said, I think the success (Simmons) had as a freshman is something I could replicate if I keep on the same path that I have been. So Coach Clark, with his development, and Coach Pete Kwiatkowski. He is a fronts guy. Coach PK runs the defense, and he wants the guys on the defensive line to be successful, so those are the things that I see that make Texas so appealing.”
Still, the biggest question is whether Texas is going to push hard enough for Kreul or if the Longhorns have a few other DE targets in mind. Some Texas sources feel there are a few DE targets that the Longhorns’ staff want to join newly committed edge Richard Wesley in their 2026 class. One of those targets is On3 | Rivals100 DE Jamarion Carlton from Temple (TX).
Again, if the Longhorns push for Kreul, they could be a problem for everyone in the field. Alas, that may not be how this one shakes out for either side in the end, but Texas is still a big enough player that if I were the other programs, I would always have one eye on them.
Did Kreul’s lone visit to Oxford (MS) make a big enough dent in his recruitment to cause the Rebel’s to now be a major player for the four-star DE?
You see the subheader there, and that question actually has some validity if you ask some sources with direct knowledge of Kreul’s recruiting.
“That visit was one that (OU) didn’t want to take place at all,” a source told OUInsider about Kreul’s visit to Oxford (MS). “Seems like Coach [Lane] Kiffin and his staff did a really good job of making him see how much they want him, but the biggest question you have to ask about Ole Miss is their lack of high school player development. They lean so heavily on transfers that it’s hard to put much value in their development of recruits out of high school — at least as of late.”
More than one source noted that the HS development narrative would be pushed, if necessary, regarding Ole Miss and their pursuit of Kreul. That said, I am starting to get a sense that Ole Miss may be up near the top, or at least in the top three, at this time. And that is with Kreul having only visited the Rebels once.
“They are doing a great job with me, and that visit opened my eyes up a lot with them,” Kreul said when asked about Ole Miss. “You can see where that program is headed, and they are so close to that next big step, so there is an opportunity for me there that I really like.”
Again, Ole Miss has made quite the jump with Kreul, and they are recruiting several of his friends to be on their defensive line. One in particular is Ole Miss legacy and four-star DT Deuce Geralds. Both talked to me at separate occasions about the Sooners, but they both also spoke about Ole Miss with me, and both hung around one another quite a bit at the Rivals 5-star Challenge about nine days ago in Indy.
Just keep Ole Miss in mind.
Are the Sooners the team to beat for Kreul and did the OV extend their lead?
The quick and easy answer is a resounding YES — at least at this time. Multiple sources with knowledge of this recruitment have been pretty clear that OU has been the team to beat for some time. Parker and I have reiterated that for nearly a year, but with Kreul still playing everything close to the vest, I have hesitated on a pick for him. That may be changing in the near future as far as picks go, but what did Kreul think of his visit to OU 10 days ago? I caught up with him on that very topic.
The first thing the four-star DE from IMG mentioned was how many times he has visited the Sooners. Kreul said he has visited the Sooners a lot over the last few years. Arguably more than any other place, he said when we spoke at the Rivals 5-star Challenge this past week.
“I have gotten to know (the Oklahoma players and staff) pretty well just because I have visited so many times over the last few years,” Kreul said of the Sooners and his many trips to Norman. “It’s the people there and how well I know them that makes them stick out in the recruiting process for me.”
Two of the people that stick out more than most are DE coach Miguel Chavis and All-Conference edge rusher R Mason Thomas. Both have their reasons for being such focal points for Kreul in his recruitment. Coach Chavis, the four-star edge rusher, says that he was the first coach at what he deemed a “big-time program” to offer and push for him, he said.
“Oklahoma was the first big-time school to offer me. I think they were my eighth total offer, but I may be off on that—just a ballpark. But like I said, they were the first really big school to offer me and the first school like that to really believe in me,” Kruel said of the Sooners’ early eval and offer. “So I think that gives them an edge in just knowing me as a person for the longest time. But Coach [Miguel] Chavis is a really cool dude. Just a great guy that I could see myself playing for if I was to go there.”
As for RMT and why he sticks out to Kreul when it comes to the Sooners, it isn’t hard to see similarities between their body build and playing style. That alone has been something the Sooners and Miguel Chavis have pushed, but the fact Oklahoma stuck with RMT through some injury-plagued seasons that also shows the Sooners’ true moral compass and family atmosphere to Kreul.
“They have R Mason [Thomas] and he is a lot like me in style and measurables as well. And R Mason is kind of the proof in the pudding when it comes to proving the family aspect they push (at OU), right? They have stuck with him for so long after he went through the hardships of the injuries and everything,” Kreul noted on the similarities between him and RMT and the Sooners’ DE journey at OU. “(RMT) is kind of seeing the fruits of his labor now. I am really excited to see what he does this year.”
As for the OV and how that went when Kreul visited for the Sooners’ ChampU BBQ? From all the sourced accounts we have talked with, it feels like it was a big weekend for him and Oklahoma to take another step closer to a potential final decision. It was also clear that Kreul looked and felt at home in Norman. The four-star echoed those sentiments as well.
“The one thing that sticks out about Oklahoma is the people. The people and the players there,” Kreul said.
Final thoughts on Kreul’s recruitment and prediction?
Kreul’s recruitment may not come to an end until August or September, but with no definitive date in mind, you also have to stay on your toes with Kreul. Especially with him saying the sooner a decision gets done, the better it will be for him. He also checked off some reasons for that line of thinking.
“The sooner the better. I think, yeah, but the sooner the better, right? I want to start making an impact at wherever I am going. I want to start building the best class that I can so we can win national championships, but I am not rushing this decision,” Kreul said of his commitment decision down the line. “That’s something I want, but the big thing is not rushing the decision and making sure I am going to the right place. Making sure I am with the right people and that I trust the place that I am at and the people around me.”
He used similar phrasing when discussing the Sooners and the ‘people’ within and around the program. That, of course, caught my eye and had me digging with some sources. All continue to lean toward the Sooners and Miguel Chavis right now, and all stated that they felt Kreul was at home at Oklahoma, with one source adding, “He just looks and feels more at home in Norman when you see and talk to him after he’s been to OU. Felt that way with Jake [Kreul] for a while now.”
A source said that he doesn’t think Kreul to OU is some foregone conclusion, but they do think Oklahoma will be difficult to beat and are in pole position for the four-star DE. It also doesn’t hurt the Sooners’ chances that they get to host Kreul on an unofficial visit once again when OU takes on Michigan on September 6th. That little tidbit alone is one that I find rather interesting.
Also, for those who were with us over at Rivals.com, you are keenly aware that Kreul told me that four-star DT Deuce Geralds and four-star DE KJ Ford were both slated to visit that weekend. Both also confirmed that the visits were still on their schedule as of this write-up. I’m just not sure I would hold my breath on either at this point, but with Kreul knowing their visit dates and also stating he wants to be at the forefront of building a championship class; you can’t help but wonder if he is doing some recruiting OU behind the scenes. But that’s just me thinking out loud here.
As for the rest of the field, Ole Miss is the team I would watch out for if I were an OU fan. They have made a strong push rather quickly. Texas is one that I would pay closer attention to if they miss on a target or two at DE. For now, the Sooners are in a pretty good spot, and I like them for Kreul as of July 1st.
Sooners’ chances with three-star DE DeAnthony Lafayette?
Our guy Parker Thune did a great write-up on the three-star DE’s visit to Oklahoma — for the Sooners’ ChampU BBQ weekend — on June 20-22nd. There, you will see that three-star DE offer DeAnthony Lafayette really took to the Sooners’ culture and that they need more edge rushers for 2026 and beyond.
“[I’m] a need, and they want me, and they want to pour into me as a player for the next four years. It’s great. It’s an elite program, and it’s an elite environment. I did enjoy it a lot,” Lafayette told OUInsider after his OV with the Sooners.
That was the first time Oklahoma could get Lafayette on campus. So, if you want to compare how Oklahoma made a jump with him, I suggest you look no further than Ole Miss’ jump up the metaphorical rungs with four-star DE Jake Kreul after his lone visit to Oxford this past June.
According to several sources, Lafayette is a bit ‘torn’ between OU and LSU. It now is a bit of a wait and see with his recruitment. From a strictly noninformation point of view, a kid with the last name Lafayette who chooses OU over LSU would be a bit of a shocker. Obviously, I say that in jest, but also with the understanding that Lafayette seemingly gave both programs reason to believe they were in the driver’s seat following their respective OVs. Even with that known, there is still a lot of confidence residing in the Switzer Center regarding the Sooners’ chances with Lafayette.
For now, that’s what we must go off of with that recruitment. We do know and have already stated, that Oklahoma feels they are in a good spot with the three-star DE. We also know that OU has three-star DE Matthew Nelson and four-star DE Daniel Norman already committed. And with Oklahoma also in good standing with Top100 target and DE Jake Kreul, does OU have enough sway to pull Lafayette away from the Bayou Bengals?
Remember, Lafayette knows he is a ‘need’ for the Sooners as they continue to build youthful depth in Norman at all positions—including DE. Still, I am admittedly fence-riding this one a bit until we gather some more information. I like the Sooners’ chances, but until I hear back from a few more sources on the LSU side, I will just say this one is more of a coin flip than initially thought.
Do the Sooners still have a chance with four-star DE KJ Ford and will he still OV in September?
With four-star DE Daniel Norman committed, three-star DE Matthew Nelson committed, the Sooners leading for four-star Jake Kreul, and OU in what I would call a good spot for three-star DeAnthony Lafayette, will there be room for four-star DE KJ Ford in the Sooners’ class?
Let’s deep-dive into numbers and OU’s chances with Ford, shall we?
First things first, I continue to hear that from a relationship standpoint, no one is more connected to Ford than Oklahoma DE coach Miguel Chavis. Ford has been open about their relationship over the last year or so and even told OUInsider at Rivals 5-star that he and his family have a strong relationship with Coach Chavis.
A source this past week reiterated that, saying, “There isn’t a coach that has done more legwork than Coach Chavis when it comes to KJ [Ford],” the source told OUInsider. “That’s why (OU) was considered the leader for a long time, and that’s why most recruiting KJ or that know his recruitment hasn’t quite written the Sooners off just yet.”
As the source made abundantly clear, it wasn’t too long ago that the Sooners were considered the leader for the Top 150 DE prospect. That has since changed, and I wouldn’t have OU as the top school. However, if the OV to Oklahoma on September 6th comes to fruition, one would have to surmise that Coach Chavis, Brent Venables, and the Sooners would be back within striking distance.
Currently, it feels like Alabama, Florida, Texas A&M and Ohio State are the teams that have at least caught the national pundits eye in Ford’s recruiting. You won’t get a lot of mention of the Sooners, and to be honest, it’s probably deservedly so until the OV in September actually comes to fruition. Again, that is an ‘if’ right now.
So what happens if the visit occurs, and the Sooners already have four DEs committed? From what we have been told, the defensive end numbers in the 2026 class will work itself out one way or another, but you can rest assured that Oklahoma won’t turn Ford away if they have a chance to land him.
Why am I confident in that fact? Well, a well-placed source said as much.
“He’s a dawg. You don’t turn away talents like that. (If you’re OU) you make it work. Hell, if you’re any program, you make it work,” the source told OUInsider. “And there’s still a chance with (OU) right now.”
I wouldn’t count on things with Ford for now, and I definitely wouldn’t hold my breath, but if things start to fall in the Sooners’ favor, we will have the latest for you here on OUInsider.
Until then, I surmise that OU will end up with three DEs in the 2026 class, which I am confident about at this time. Again, that is my guess at this time, but those DEs would, naturally, be four-star Jake Kreul, four-star Daniel Norman and three-star Matthew Nelson. If the Sooners can hold off LSU with Lafayette, I think he would be where I would lean for the fourth DE in the Sooners’ class. So, for now, Ford is a long shot, but even so, landing those three of those DEs would be quite the haul for Coach Chavis and company.