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Published May 7, 2024
Sooners complete Carl Albert sweep, land four-star 2025 CB Trystan Haynes
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Brandon Drumm  •  OUInsider
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Oklahoma picks up commitment number fifteen in the 2025 class after four-star and Rivals250 cornerback Trystan Haynes announced his commitment to the Sooners today via his social media accounts.

Haynes' commitment is the Sooners' third at the cornerback position in the 2025 class, and all of those pledges have come in the last four weeks. The Midwest City (Okla.) Carl Albert High product joins four-star corners Courtland Guillory (committed on April 28) and Maliek Hawkins (committed on April 10).

The OKPreps blue-chipper told OUInsider that he knew he was committing to OU before the Oklahoma spring game, and that he told the Sooners' staff that day.

"I talked to my mom and dad about [committing] the day before and knew we wanted to turn my chip in that day," Haynes explained. "But my mom was out of town, so we just turned the chip in [at the spring game]. But we really committed three days later with my mom on the call. It was pretty exciting for all of us — the family and everything."

Oklahoma seemed to be where most felt Haynes would eventually end up, but it wasn't without the theatrics of the four-star CB visiting the likes of Notre Dame, Georgia, Texas A&M, and several others. So what made the Sooners the choice for Haynes with all of those options for him? Haynes said that Oklahoma was ahead of everyone since the day they offered, but the other programs made him see the Sooners in a different light.

"Just going to all of those places and seeing what they were about, I saw it was different at OU," Haynes remarked. "The culture. The coaches. They just let me know they cared about me as a person just as much as they cared about me as a player. So that really stood out to me throughout the process."

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Haynes also said he was very excited to join his Carl Albert teammates as the fifth Titan to commit to OU in the last two recruiting cycles. All five of those Oklahoma commits and/or signees played on last season's 5A State Championship squad. That team also had 2024 three-star RB signee Xavier Robinson, 2025 four-star QB Kevin Sperry, 2025 four-star ATH Trynae Washington and 2025 three-star LB Marcus James.

Despite Haynes' addition to the Sooners' 2025 class, Oklahoma remains the number four overall class, according to the Rivals.com team rankings. However, Oklahoma is inching closer to LSU, which sits at No. 3 in the 2025 class, and Haynes’ commitment raises the average star ranking per commitment to 3.8 from 3.79.

"Haynes, at cornerback, is a player with a natural feel of the game, diagnosing and identifying plays quickly," said Rivals national recruiting analyst Marshall Levenson. "In the SEC, cornerbacks will need to crash down on the perimeter and defend the run, something Haynes has shown he is not only capable of, but willing [to do]. He is physical, can get off blocks, and puts his body in the action to bring down ball carriers. In the air, Haynes uses his length and superb ball skills to defend the pass. An added piece of Haynes’ addition is the potential in the return game. A monster in the return game for Carl Albert, Haynes returned four kickoffs and two punt returns for touchdowns in the past two seasons. In his junior season, he averaged 39.2 yards per kickoff return and 39.1 yards per punt return. Haynes is a major asset in the secondary, but a potential difference maker in the return game."

Haynes is the ninth four-star cornerback that has signed or committed to Oklahoma since cornerbacks coach/Co-DC Jay Valai was hired to help close out the Sooners' 2022 class.

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