It's Early Signing Day, and the Sooners are ready to welcome eighteen new scholarship athletes to their football family. Signatures have already begun to roll in from Oklahoma's verbal commits, and they'll continue to roll in throughout the day.

For those who don't follow recruiting especially closely, or for those who simply want a glimpse at OU's class from a 30,000-foot view, here's a breakdown of Oklahoma's class and insight on how each commit wound up choosing to wear the crimson and cream as they continue their respective football careers.

The Story: In anticipation of a new opportunity at either Oklahoma or Utah, Ben Arbuckle had quietly been in contact with Niu for a couple of weeks leading up to signing day, per OUInsider.com sources. The Utah product has had a strong senior campaign, and obviously would have made sense as a flip target for either the Sooners or the Utes regardless of where Arbuckle landed. Arbuckle was announced as OU's next offensive coordinator Monday, then offered Niu on Tuesday. Despite the fact that Niu has never visited campus and had been committed to Oklahoma State for several months, the Sooners flipped him Wednesday morning and he officially signed with the program.

The Story: Blaylock has been one of the more coveted 2025 prospects in the Houston area since his freshman year. The son of former NFL running back Derrick Blaylock, he had offers from many of the top schools in the nation, including Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Ohio State and Oregon. But he settled on OU in early spring after a series of unofficial visits to Norman, and committed to the Sooners without a great deal of drama. Nine months later, he stands as the lone running back in the class for Oklahoma.

The Story: Thomas' recruitment was over very early in the process. The gifted Checotah (Okla.) native got his offer from Oklahoma during his sophomore year, and committed to the Sooners a few months later in July of 2023. There's been some discourse amongst the OU staff as to whether he'll play wide receiver or defensive back in college, but this is a battle Emmett Jones is going to win, and rightfully so. Thomas is one of the most complete wide receiver prospects that the state of Oklahoma has produced in recent memory.

The Story: This is an Emmett Jones special all the way. Choice had no offers to speak of, and hardly any collegiate interest at all, when Jones offered him in the spring of 2023. He would later add over 30 additional FBS offers, including Texas, Texas A&M, USC and Missouri. However, Choice never lost sight of the fact that Jones believed in him first. He put Oklahoma at the tail end of his official visit slate and committed to the Sooners while on campus. At 6-foot-4 and 202 pounds, he's the biggest-bodied wide receiver commit of the group for OU, and that was the case even before Marcus Harris and Gracen Harris decommitted. His size, speed and ball skills should make him a contender for early playing time, even amidst a deep Oklahoma receiving corps.

The Story: For the third straight cycle, Oklahoma will sign just one scholarship tight end. This year, it's Washington, a versatile two-way athlete who has made his presence felt at several different positions during his career at Midwest City (Okla.) Carl Albert High. At 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, he's a gifted pass-catcher and has turned in some impressive camp performances at tight end, so that's the spot at which he'll settle when he arrives at Oklahoma. Though he held several other Power 4 offers, OU jumped out to an early lead when Washington got his offer straight from Brent Venables in the spring of 2023. He committed later that year in a joint ceremony with fellow OU signee-to-be Marcus James.

The Story: Bill Bedenbaugh's highest-rated commit of his coaching career is the unquestioned crown jewel of Oklahoma's recruiting class. There is arguably no offensive lineman in the 2025 cycle that is more of a plug-and-play commodity than Fasusi, who chose Oklahoma over offers from Texas, Texas A&M, Oregon and a myriad of others. With elite footwork honed on the soccer field and a physique that's virtually picture-perfect for an offensive tackle, it's not hard to see why Fasusi is a consensus five-star prospect across the recruiting industry. He took late unofficials with the Longhorns and Aggies, so some signing-day shenanigans might not be completely out of the realm of possibility. But the expectation is that Fasusi will put pen to paper for the Sooners on Wednesday and become the program's lone five-star signee of the cycle.

The Story: Though he's not as highly regarded as Fasusi in the rankings department, Fodje has plenty of the same NFL traits that his counterpart in the class possesses. At 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds, Fodje is still quite raw but shows flashes of absolute dominance on tape. While Fasusi is the Sooners' left tackle of the future, Fodje plays right tackle in high school and is likely to do the same in college. In conjunction, he and Fasusi offer Oklahoma a pair of bookends for the years ahead that might be peerless in the 2025 cycle. Though he held a bevy of P4 offers, Fodje locked in his pledge to the Sooners all the way back in February and has never wavered.

The Story: This was one of the more surprising additions of the 2025 class for Oklahoma, as the Sooners were one of the very last schools to offer Afalava a scholarship. It wasn't until this April that Bill Bedenbaugh pulled the trigger on the No. 2 prospect in the state of Utah, but when Afalava visited for the spring game, he fell in love with everything OU had to offer. It became a two-horse race down the stretch between the Sooners and the hometown Utes, but in the end, Afalava decided to step out of his comfort zone and pick Oklahoma. He's the lone true guard in the class for the Sooners, although he has played tackle at the high school level. He is also the first Utah native to sign with OU in the Brent Venables era.

The Story: Hollenbeck is Oklahoma's longest-standing commitment from outside state lines, as Monday marked the one-year anniversary of his pledge. His older sister is on the OU rowing team and he was an early priority for Bill Bedenbaugh, so he had no qualms about shutting his recruitment down before the end of his junior season. A wide-framed interior line prospect with quick feet and superb strength, Hollenbeck seems to project most ideally to center for OU. He chose the Sooners over offers from Florida, Arkansas, SMU and Texas A&M.

The Story: There was a time that Wilson was one of three defensive tackle commits for the Sooners, but on signing day, he is the Lone Ranger. While Floyd Boucard and Ka'Mori Moore ended up leaving the class, Wilson has remained firmly committed ever since giving OU his verbal in April. He should easily carry 300-plus pounds at Oklahoma while maintaining his twitch and dexterity. OU beat out Ohio State, Penn State and Texas A&M for Wilson, who's got a jacked-up frame that's laden with sheer muscle. Expect him to see the field quickly for the Sooners. He may be the most college-ready member of the entire class.

The Story: A two-sport superstar out in western Oklahoma, Nickson will play both basketball and football for the Sooners. As Ethan Downs graduates, the town of Weatherford will maintain representation on OU's roster via Nickson, who at 6-foot-5 is an imposing defensive end prospect with loads of athleticism. Oklahoma had only to contend with Oklahoma State for Nickson's commitment by the end of the process, and as per usual, the Sooners won out over the Pokes. He's probably not a Day 1 contributor, especially given Oklahoma's depth on the edge, but Nickson will have the opportunity to make his impact felt on both the gridiron and the hardwood during his time at OU.

The Story: An Arkansas legacy who hails from the far-east region of Oklahoma, Shieldnight was an early addition to the 2025 class. He committed to Miguel Chavis and the Sooners in November of 2023, citing Oklahoma's family environment and intentionality throughout the recruiting process as the major factors in his decision. He's recovering from a broken fibula suffered in October, but he's expected to be back to 100 percent by the time the Sooners hit the field for spring ball. Shieldnight plays with an incredibly high motor and can win with brute force more often than not. His nasty style of play will be a welcome addition to Oklahoma's defensive end room.

The Story: James garnered plenty of early offers, but Oklahoma was always the top option for the 6-foot-4, 215-pound homegrown linebacker. He chose to lock in with the Sooners during his junior season, and he has remained OU's only linebacker commit in the 2025 cycle ever since. It'll be interesting to see where he fits positionally at the next level, as he may project best to a defensive end/edge rusher role. But that depends largely on OU's needs and James' own development. There won't be any need to rush him into action due to Oklahoma's existing depth.

The Story: Oklahoma had to fight tooth and nail to stave off Oregon and Arkansas for Robinson, a Little Rock native who's among the more natural safeties in the 2025 class. He's drawn Peyton Bowen comparisons with his instinctual play and his willingness to hit. Brandon Hall offered Robinson all the way back in January of 2023, and the recruitment came full-circle in July when Robinson committed to OU. He is the highest-rated defensive pledge of the 2025 cycle for the Sooners and should push for immediate playing time upon his arrival in Norman.

The Story: Wimberly is as locked in with Oklahoma as any member of the Sooners' 2025 class, as he wears his love for the crimson and cream on his sleeve. A small-town Arkansas kid with a thick country accent, he's an athletic freak who's got a 40-inch vertical jump and has clocked a laser-timed 40-yard dash of 4.48 seconds. Wimberly backed off a brief commitment to Arkansas lat December. Shortly thereafter, Oklahoma got involved, and Brandon Hall quickly convinced Wimberly that Norman was his collegiate home. The Sooners hadn't signed a player from the Natural State since the class of 2019 (Stacey Wilkins). Now, they've got two of Arkansas' top three players on board in Robinson and Wimberly.

The Story: It wasn't always smooth sailing for the Sooners in their recruitment of Haynes, as Notre Dame appeared poised to secure his commitment at one point. But eventually, he came around and realized he wanted to stay home. A dominant two-way player at the high school level, he had Power 4 offers to play wide receiver. But he'll start off on the defensive side for the Sooners, and though he'll need a little bit of technical seasoning under the tutelage of OU cornerbacks coach Jay Valai, he's got plenty of long-term potential due to his frame and speed.

The Story: Oklahoma pulled a bit of a stunner when they landed Guillory over Texas. The Longhorns had been recruiting the four-star Houstonian for much longer than OU, and they had the proximity advantage by a wide margin. But Guillory took three unofficial visits to OU in the span of ten weeks and committed to Brent Venables at the Sooners' spring game in April. Texas remained in pursuit and got Guillory on campus for an October unofficial, but he reaffirmed his commitment to OU shortly thereafter. At 6-foot-2, he's got great length for a corner and displays remarkable polish at the position. He's also capable of playing safety if asked to do so.

The Story: Hawkins is the son of former OU cornerback Mike Hawkins and the brother of current OU quarterback Michael Hawkins. He blazed his own trail throughout the recruiting process, and it was never a guarantee that he would follow in the footsteps of his dad and older brother. But when push came to shove, Jay Valai flexed his recruiting muscles and outgunned Texas in what became a heads-up battle between the two bitter rivals. Hawkins is a four-year varsity contributor at the high school level and will play multiple positions in the secondary upon arriving to Norman.

Not an OUInsider.com premium member? Sign up today to get loads of inside information on Oklahoma football, softball, basketball, and recruiting, all for just a few dollars a month. Click HERE to get started!

Follow us on Twitter @OUInsider and on Instagram @ouinsiderofficial!

Subscribe on YouTube by clicking here for daily video content on all things Oklahoma!