Deacon Schmitt didn't commit while on his official visit to Oklahoma.

He left Norman pretty certain that he wanted to be a Sooner, but hadn't made the decision with finality. So he slept on it, and ultimately decided that Nebraska, USC and Tennessee weren't going to be able to change his mind.

Thus, Schmitt called Bill Bedenbaugh and let him know he was committing to the crimson and cream, then cancelled his remaining officials with the Huskers, Trojans and Volunteers. Just over one year after he first picked up the Oklahoma offer during a camp session in Norman, Schmitt is now publicly pledged to the Sooners and becomes the second offensive line commit of the cycle for OU. He's eager to get to Oklahoma and learn under Bedenbaugh, about whom Schmitt has constantly raved over the course of his recruitment.

“He’s my kind of coach," said Schmitt of Bedenbaugh in a previous interview. "I feel like he’s always on their a**, but when they do good, he’ll tell you. He’s not going to go out of his way to tell you how good you’re doing; he’ll get on your a**. And that’s the kind of coach I need.”

On his official visit to Oklahoma over the weekend of June 6-8, Schmitt got the chance to spend time around such luminaries as Brian Bosworth and John Mateer. But one of the major highlights was his time in the film room with Bedenbaugh, which helped reinforce his belief that he needed the coaching Bedenbaugh could offer.

“Coach B’s obviously one of the best developers in college football," Schmitt had told OUInsider following the visit. "We watched a bunch of film and went through the playbook, that kind of thing. And after that meeting, I went with just my parents, my sister and my agent... and we went into his office and watched some of my film and broke it down a little bit. So you know, Bedenbaugh knows the mental side of the game. He’s been coaching offensive line forever, and he’s been coaching at OU for thirteen seasons. He just knows the game, and that’s just kind of the biggest piece for me. He reads everything, and I need that. I need someone that can teach me how to do that kind of thing. So I love Coach B, and the whole vibe there is awesome.”

Schmitt is the only offensive tackle that took an official visit with Oklahoma during the month of June, which speaks to the reality that the Sooners wanted him badly. He joins four-star IOL Noah Best in OU's class of offensive line pledges, and becomes the fourteenth overall commit in the 2026 cycle for Oklahoma. In picking up Schmitt, Oklahoma rises into the national top 30 of the team recruiting rankings.

Schmitt's commitment also likely puts the final touches on a memorable month for Oklahoma, as eight of the Sooners' fourteen verbal commits announced their respective decisions in June. According to Rivals, Schmitt is the No. 37 offensive tackle in the nation and the No. 2 overall prospect in the state of Colorado.

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