On July 1st, Jeremiah Fears decommitted from the hometown school, Illinois, and reopened his recruitment. When decommitting from Illinois, he released this statement: "First and foremost, I would like to thank the Illini nation for all the love and support they have given me and my family during my recruitment and after my commitment. I'd like to express my appreciation to Coach [Brad] Underwood and his staff for their open communication and trust in me as a prospective next great guard to perform at State Farm Center. Please trust my full intention was to enter Champaign in the class of 2025 and help contribute to the continued ascension in the [Big Ten conference]. With that being said, after further consideration and meaningful conversations with my family, I'll be reopening my recruitment and exploring other opportunities."

Oklahoma was one of the first schools to reach out to the highly touted guard, but they certainly were not the only ones, as Arkansas, Kentucky, Michigan, USC, UConn, and many others also inquired about Fears.

Oklahoma head coach Porter Moser recruited Fears' dad, Jeremy Fears, during his time at Illinois State. Additionally, assistant coach Armon Gates is good friends with the Fears family. Gates and Moser were able to use their existing relationships with the Fears family to their advantage, ultimately landing a commitment from Fears before he even took a visit.

"I feel like it is a great coaching staff," Fears stated. "I feel like there’s a lot of opportunity there for me to develop, come in and play my game, get stronger, and just be around the right people."

Fears becomes Oklahoma's second-highest rated recruit in the modern recruiting era, behind only Trae Young. Additionally, Fears will reclassify into the 2024 class and join Oklahoma's roster for their inaugural season in the SEC.

Fears is aware that he is the second-highest recruit Oklahoma has landed behind only Trae Young. He made a comparison to the Atlanta Hawks' star point guard, saying, "They’ll be getting another Trae Young." Fears added, "I think I play a little bit better defense than he did, and I think I am a little bit taller and stronger than he was. But basically, the same leader and playmaker that he was."

The Sooners were able to pitch potential playing time to Fears, offering him the opportunity to come onto campus immediately and contribute. Fears has always played at the highest level and has extensive experience competing against older players. He will get to continue doing both at Oklahoma.

"I think it’ll benefit me a lot just from playing up my whole life, and the experience will help me in the long run. I’ll be useful because I basically was playing up my whole life. I did it with my brother and against my brother, so it will definitely be a challenge overall the whole year, but I think I’ll be ready for it for sure."

Multiple NBA scouts and anonymous college coaches have dubbed Fears "the best and most dynamic guard in the country." Fears certainly backed up those claims with his performance at Peach Jam. In five games, Fears averaged 22.6 points, 5.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals. Fears' most impressive performance at Peach Jam was his 35-point outing against Brad Beal Elite. In addition to the 35 points, Fears recorded eight rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. In that game, he shot 12-17 from the field, 2-5 from behind the arc, and 9-10 from the free throw line.

Fears won a gold medal with the 2024 USA Men's U18 National Team at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup. He averaged 6.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and a team-high 3.0 steals in 12 minutes per game.

The 6'3" point guard has a natural gift for controlling the pace of the game. He never seems to get sped up and knows when to go for a bucket and when to find his teammates. An underrated aspect of Fears' game is his defensive ability; he excels at forcing turnovers.

With Fears' ability to force turnovers and Moser's ability to coach defense, it feels like a match made in heaven. "I think they will help me a lot. Before I even thought about committing, I spoke with him briefly about the school and the environment. He talked about how he is a big development guy, how he likes to develop his players, take them under his wing, and have a relationship with them. I think it’ll help me out in the long run."

He can score on all three levels and consistently makes highlight plays both at the rim and beyond the arc. Fears is also very consistent in getting to his spots and drawing fouls to get to the free-throw line. He's already been adding weight, and if he continues to do so, it's undeniable that he has all the pieces to be a first-round pick in the NBA Draft.

As for his goals in year one, Fears said, "Just coming in and doing what I do. Looking for the opportunity that is available, winning the SEC Tournament, making it to March Madness, and hopefully winning the NCAA Tournament."

For more on what Fears' role will look like in year one as well as premium notes on Fears, head over to the Lindsey Street Insider Board. 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!