The ChampU BBQ is upon us.
And as the Oklahoma staff prepares for their biggest recruiting weekend of the year, they'll have plenty of hands on deck to help out. Fourteen of the Sooners' sixteen verbal commits in the 2025 cycle will take their official visits this weekend, as the only exceptions are Trent Wilson and Marcus Harris (who both OV'd to Oklahoma on June 14).
Thus, OU's group of pledges collectively makes up over half of the two dozen official visitors expected in Norman on Friday. Nine more visitors remain uncommitted, and one visitor is currently committed to another SEC program. As the most important event on the Oklahoma recruiting calendar draws closer by the hour, here's a look at each of those ten official visitors that are not committed to the Sooners, as well as a glimpse at the current trends in their respective recruitments.
The Rundown: After a June 7 official visit to Oklahoma State, Nickson is back in Norman for what will be his final OV. He announced last week that he'd be staying within state lines as either a Sooner or a Cowboy, but there's long been a consensus across the industry that he'd eventually pick Oklahoma. There's a very good chance the four-star DE is the next commit for the Sooners, who already have sixteen verbal pledges (13 of which are blue-chippers) in the 2025 cycle.
The Rundown: Fresh off his decommitment from USC, Gibson is back on the open market, although it remains to be seen how long he waits to commit somewhere else. There's some optimism from the Oklahoma side that the Sooners can make a big impression on Gibson and emerge as a serious contender for his services, but Georgia and Auburn appear to be in better position at the moment. And with Nickson and Kade Pietrzak already fully expected in Oklahoma's class, hopes and expectations shouldn't soar too high here. If OU can make a serious surge with Gibson, that's great, but it's not a live-or-die situation by any means.
UPDATE (Fri 10:30am): Gibson is no longer expected at Oklahoma this weekend and will head to Georgia instead.
The Rundown: Oklahoma is battling Stanford, Missouri, Michigan and Auburn for Babalola, who hails from the west side of the Kansas City metro. The nationally elite offensive tackle prospect has never named a leader, nor has he set a timeline for his decision. There's some reason to believe in the Sooners' chances here; OU hosted him for an unofficial visit this spring, so he's not unfamiliar with the campus. And moreover, this will be his last OV, so the Sooners will get the benefit of some recency bias when it comes time for Babalola to make the final call. Bill Bedenbaugh's penchant for development will have to be the key aspect of OU's pitch to Babalola, but the odds are that it'll still be a while after the visit before anyone has a true grasp on where he's headed.
