Oklahoma Sooners in great position to land elite blue-chip defensive recruit out of top high school pipeline thanks to coaching staff

The Sooners are in prime position to secure his commitment, but they aren't the only major school after him. Kreul holds offers from Ohio State, Florida, Texas, Miami, Penn State, LSU, and Clemson as well. 

However, recruiting experts Steve Wiltfong and Chad Simmons both remain bullish on Oklahoma's chances to win out for Kruel. 

Simmons — Oklahoma: “Kreul is very familiar with Oklahoma; he has strong relationships with the staff in Norman, and they get the last official visit.”

Wiltfong — Oklahoma: “I like Oklahoma for Jake Kreul; no team is recruiting the IMG Academy standout harder than the Sooners right now. Brent Venables and the OU staff view him as a top priority, regardless of position. He’s had great experiences on campus in Norman and loves what the staff and program have done historically. I view Texas as the biggest challenger right now, while Ohio State is next up on the visit schedule this weekend.”

If the Sooners can beat out the competition, Kreul would be a major win for their pass rush. Only PJ Adebawore, Jalen Redmond, Ronnie Perkins, and Clayton Smith were higher-ranked recruits at EDGE over the last 15 years for Oklahoma. 

Given what Oklahoma has produced with non-blue-chip recruits at edge like R Mason Thomas, Nik Bonitto, Isaiah Thomas, and Obo Okoronkwo, it's intriguing to imagine what they could produce with elite talents here. Defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis has done a terrific job coaching up Thomas, as well as Ethan Downs and Trace Ford, as both pass rushers and run defenders. 

If they can pull it off, Kruel has the makings of a high-impact player for the Sooners right away.