Four-star OL Darius Afalava commits to the Sooners: "You can't beat OU"
Ten weeks ago, Darius Afalava didn't even have an offer from Oklahoma.
He had Michigan, Oregon and USC chasing his pledge. Tennessee, Texas A&M and LSU wanted him. And by his own admission, the blue-chip lineman didn't have terribly high expectations when he made the decision to visit Norman for the Sooners' spring game.
But he showed up to OU, walked away with an offer, and saw something unique in Brent Venables' program. From that point onward, the entire tone of Afalava's recruitment changed.
That was April 20.
Now, on June 28, he's a Sooner.
Afalava sandwiched a June 7 official visit to Oklahoma in between OV's to UCLA, Michigan State, Utah and Washington. And though the Utes made a valiant run at the top player in the Beehive State, it's Bill Bedenbaugh and the Sooners that have secured Afalava's pledge.
In an exclusive interview with OUInsider prior to his announcement, the 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive lineman dished on why he chose Oklahoma over Utah in the end.
“Just taking the OV there and seeing what it’s all about," Afalava explained, "just looking at what they want as a whole team and everything — the whole family aspect and the culture, everything about it is everything I wanted. And I see they’re building something special, and I wanted to be a part of it. So that’s the reason why.”
Culture was the keystone factor in the Sooners' pursuit of Afalava, but what sealed the deal was the elite development Oklahoma can offer to an offensive lineman like himself.
“Just seeing the way they develop, that's the fuel to the fire of why I’m so excited to be there," he remarked. "There are a lot of coaches that can say they can develop, and a lot of coaches say that they’ve done this. But Coach Bedenbaugh, his record speaks for itself.”
Throughout the Brent Venables era, Oklahoma had struggled to break into the state of Utah, as the Sooners lost a down-to-the-wire battle with Texas for Tausili Akana and watched Easton Baker pick Illinois in a surprising twist of fate. And in this case, Kyle Whittingham and the in-state Utes came very, very close to keeping Afalava home. The coveted lineman deliberated between Oklahoma and Utah until the final hours of the recruitment, and admitted it was difficult to inform the Ute staff that he'd be taking his talents elsewhere.
“Man, it was basically like breaking up with a girlfriend," he observed. "Basically like that; that’s the best way I can put it. It was very emotional, taking that phone call and letting them know beforehand that they weren’t the choice. Just because, man — [they were my] second offer. They’ve been with me since my sophomore year. Hometown and obviously the school I’ve visited the most. I know all the players there. So that was the definitely the hardest one. It really is sad to see Utah and say no. But I just have to come in with the mindset that is really is a business now.”
And the business decision for Afalava and his family is Oklahoma, which won his parents over with their comprehensive development plan — which encompasses both on-field and off-field growth.
“The S.O.U.L. Mission, it’s a thing where they send their players off to different places — and it could be like foreign countries, too — and they do service for them," said Afalava. "And that really is what caught my parents’ eye. A lot of coaches say they care about academics and everything, but Coach Venables, his main thing as coach and their number-one goal is to graduate. And for my parents, that was the main thing. And also, for them viewing it from my perspective, the development part — that was a big part on why my parents wanted to go to OU as well.”
It took barely two months for Afalava to go from jaded skeptic to full-fledged believer in Oklahoma's vision under Venables. And now that he's on board as the nineteenth verbal commit of the Sooners' 2025 class, he's got a message for other prospect that has half a mind to continue his football career in Norman.
“You can’t beat OU," Afalava declared. "Every coach says the same thing: we have the best academics, the best football, the best so-and-so. But the thing about Oklahoma that makes them different is, they have everything plus more. A lot of schools don’t have a whole family aspect. A lot of schools have a family within the position group, but I just think Oklahoma’s all a family in general. And they’re looking to build something other than football, looking to build something for the whole world. Helping a whole better cause other than just football. So I’d say OU’s the spot if you want to help more than just yourself.”
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