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It has been a slow start to the class of 2026 for the Oklahoma Sooners, as they have only secured just five commitments so far in the class.
However, after landing three-star safety Niko Jandreau on Tuesday, the Sooners are looking to keep their momentum rolling by landing another talented defensive prospect later this month.
Three-star defensive tackle Brian Harris, a Florida native, has set his commitment date for May 23rd, and the Sooners feel good about their chances to bring Harris to Norman.
Oklahoma will have to fend off other top elite blue blood programs that are interested in Harris. Alabama, Michigan, and Penn State, as well as South Carolina, are all in hot pursuit of Harris. However, the Sooners have trended strongly as of late, and defensive line coach Todd Bates is one of the best in the business.
Harris told On3 about how he felt about the Sooners and why they have stood out so far in his recruitment.
"The vibe in Norman was absolutely electric. The energy in the facility and on the field was palpable, and it really felt like a place where hard work and passion come together every day. What continues to excite me about the opportunity to play for Brent Venables and the Sooners is his commitment to developing every aspect of a player’s game. Brent’s attention to detail and his innovative approach to coaching resonate with me, and I know that being part of this program will push me to elevate my game. The culture here at OU is all about accountability, relentless effort, and excellence on and off the field, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for as I work toward reaching my full potential."
The Sooners have built a strong defensive line with the likes of Gracen Halton, David Stone, Jayden Jackson, and Damonic Williams. However, those players won't be around forever, and the future of their defense up front needs those reinforcements.
If Oklahoma can pull off the win here, the Sooners can shake off their cold streak in the class of 2026 and continue working to build another top-ten class that they are accustomed to.
More must-reads:
- Notre Dame believed to be trending toward surprise choice at quarterback
- Oregon suspends former five-star WR recruit indefinitely
- The 'American League WAR leaders' quiz
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NFL legend Tom Brady unleashes on current climate in college sports
NFL legend Tom Brady isn't happy with the current climate in college sports. Fueled by money — specifically, revenue-sharing and name, image and likeness deals — along with the transfer portal's explosion and ongoing conference realignment, Brady says a reality check is needed in collegiate athletics. "But because we’re just talking about money, money, money, money … that’s the only value in college? Is that what we’re saying? To me, the priorities are a bit messed up," Brady said in a conversation with Fox Sports' Joel Klatt on the "Big Noon Conversations" podcast. College sports, in particular football and basketball, are a big business, and Brady recognizes that. At the same time, given NIL and other factors, there isn't a ton of loyalty in the college game, as players switch schools all the time. Plus, as Brady notes, these players are missing out on the college experience that he had while playing quarterback for Big Ten Conference powerhouse Michigan from 1995-1999, because they're competing for two or three schools. "I didn’t go to three different colleges," Brady, who won seven Super Bowls in the NFL, continued. "I didn’t leave college when it seemed like I wasn’t gonna play. I wasn’t at college to do anything other than have a great college experience, to go to school, to have camaraderie with my teammates and to compete at a high level. That’s really where the focus was. And at a young age, that’s where I think the focus needs to be." Brady doesn't blame the players. They're teenagers or in their early 20s when suiting up for college teams. He says that players' parents have to protect them. It's even more complicated these days (and tempting) because of the money being offered to top-ranked prospects, and some of these young men also have agents now. "It’s very intriguing to get that quick dollar," Brady said. "Look, we had a $400 scholarship check, and it seemed like I was rich. It really did. I’m sure most kids felt like that. We got pizza cards to go to dinner, and we had a training table, and it was an amazing experience. We didn’t think about the money." Brady says his time at Michigan prepared him for the pro ranks. He was in college for four years but didn't become the Wolverines' starter until his junior season. While Brady was a good college quarterback, he wasn't elite. He was selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft and used that as motivation to prove that he belonged in the pros. What then transpired was Brady evolving into the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL. He says young players today are too quick to move to a different school if they're not getting enough playing time. "The lessons I learned in college — and certainly about competition — those traits transformed my life as a professional. I was ready to compete against anybody, because the competition in college toughened me up so much that I had a self-belief and self-confidence that whatever I was faced with, I could overcome that," Brady said. Brady isn't saying that money isn't important. But he is saying what many others are thinking. The emphasis on money in college sports is concerning and problematic. "We’re valuing the wrong things," said Brady.
Jon Gruden 'looking forward to having the truth come out' amid lawsuit against NFL
Jon Gruden sent another warning shot toward the NFL after scoring a major win in court. On Tuesday, Gruden welcomed a ruling that will force the NFL to litigate the circumstances of his firing in court rather than closed-door arbitration. The former Las Vegas Raiders coach made it clear that he intends to continue his legal challenge to the NFL, ensuring that they are held accountable. “I’m looking forward to having the truth come out, and I want to make sure what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else,” Gruden said in a statement provided to ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr. “The league’s actions disrupted the whole season. We were leading the division at the time and they completely blindsided me and the team.” The Raiders were 3-1 in 2021 when Gruden was forced to resign after offensive emails he had sent between 2011 and 2018 were leaked. Gruden has alleged that the NFL leaked the emails to force him out of a job after obtaining them during an investigation into the Washington Commanders. The NFL is set to appeal Monday’s ruling, but if that appeal fails, the league may be forced into public discovery. One alternative would be to offer Gruden a settlement, but he has not said whether or not he would be interested in such a resolution. Gruden has not held an NFL coaching job since the Raiders forced him out. He has recently spoken about possibly making a return to coaching at the college level.
Dolphins Get Worrisome Chop Robinson Injury News on Wednesday
The Miami Dolphins may have sustained another major injury. Just days after RB Alexander Mattison fell with a season-ending neck injury, all eyes are set on Chop Robinson now. According to a report by Ari Meirov, the second-year linebacker sustained an apparent injury, and while the team has yet to disclose more information, he had to be carted off the field: Chop Robinson was carted off the field "Dolphins EDGE Chop Robinson was carted off at practice today after suffering an apparent injury during a scrimmage period," Meirov reported. Robinson, who was taken out of Penn State with the No. 21 pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, turned plenty of heads in his first year in the league: “I enjoyed it (his rookie season) a little bit,” Robinson told the Miami Herald, “but it’s Year 2, so whatever happened in the past, that doesn’t really matter anymore. I’m just focused on this year.” Robinson ranked second among rookies with six sacks and 14 quarterback hits, and he entered the season with an 11.0 sacks projection and +15000 odds of winning Defensive Player of the Year. Chop Robinson is excited about the Dolphins' defensive front He's also expected to make a big impact next to Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb, both of whom will be returning from major injuries of their own: “I’m super excited,” Robinson said. “Just imagining the three of us on the field at the same time, or just me and JP or JP and Chubb at the same time, it’s kind of hard for tackles to [say], ‘All right, you’ve got to study JP, you’ve got to study Chubb, you’ve got to study me.’ And if we’re all on the field at the same time, it [can] kind of mess up the offense’s mind because they wouldn’t know what to do.” Hopefully, this won't be too serious, and while the team may err on the side of caution and hold him out for the remainder of the preseason, he'll be back out there and ready to go in Week 1.
Ranking the top 5 Toronto Maple Leafs enforcers in franchise history
It was announced on Friday that Toronto Marlies and former Toronto Maple Leafs forward and enforcer, Kyle Clifford, would be retiring from the sport of hockey. It was later confirmed that he would be stepping into a player development role with the Leafs. While Clifford only played a total of 41 games with Toronto’s NHL club, he took part in nine fights during that brief span, making him an iconic enforcer for the team despite his limited games. With Clifford’s retirement and the trade that sent existing Leafs enforcer Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks, it seems like the lineage of Toronto enforcers may be at its end. But while we wait to see if GM Brad Treliving brings in someone new to slot into the enforcer role, let’s take a look back at the top five greatest enforcers that the Leafs have had in their franchise history. We will be looking at the total number of fights, the total penalty minutes, as well as the player’s overall notoriety within the Leafs franchise, in order to fairly rank this list. Let’s get to it. 5. Colton Orr (56 fights, 637 PIM) As will be the case with most of the players on this list, Orr by no means lit up the stat sheet during his career, but what he did do was step up to fight whenever his team needed him to. But during the dark ages of Leafs hockey before the team drafted Auston Matthews in 2016, Orr was the most iconic Leafs enforcer. Orr initially went undrafted before getting picked up by the Boston Bruins in 2003–04, but it was not until the 2009–10 season that Orr joined the Maple Leafs after signing with them in July of 2009. Orr immediately made the Leafs one of the more physical teams in the league when he came on board, and he even had a league-high 23 fights in his first season with the team. While there was only one team playoff appearance during Orr’s time with the Leafs–an appearance that resulted in a first-round exit–his physical play at least made the tough times more interesting. 4. Wade Belak (67 fights, 763 PIM) Belak had a long 15-year NHL career, and around six of those were spent as a Maple Leaf. And during that time with Toronto, Belak was an impeccable enforcer whenever he was called upon. During his Leafs tenure, Belak had an astonishing 67 fights, and in each of his seasons with the team, he never fought fewer than nine times per season. Unfortunately, Belak died in August of 2011, a victim of suicide. While he is no longer with us, his legacy definitely lives on through the grit and skill he brought to the Leafs and the rest of the NHL during the early 2000s. 3. Dave “Tiger” Williams (114 fights, 1,670 PIM) Williams was a second-round pick by the Leafs in 1974, and he immediately became a key piece of a Leafs team that made the playoffs every year he was on the team. Unlike the previous two players on this list, Williams was a fairly solid scorer with his best season with the Leafs coming in 1977–78 when he put up 31 assists and 50 points in 78 games. It was during the 1977–78 season that Williams took part in 36 fights, his most as a Leaf, and coincidentally, the Leafs also reached the conference final that season, a postseason that saw Williams fight five times. And adding even more to that season, Williams registered 351 penalty minutes, a career high during his years with the Leafs, and the 25th highest total in NHL history. 2. Wendel Clark (108 fights, 1,535 PIM) It was a toss-up between Clark and Williams for the No. 2 spot, but we are giving the edge to Clark for his overall notoriety among not just Leafs fans, but Toronto sports fans as a whole. Clark was one of the most iconic Leafs players of all time, and he put up solid point totals during his 12 seasons with Toronto, most notably during the 1993–94 season when he put up an impressive 46 goals and 76 points in just 64 games. Pure skill aside, Clarke was never afraid to drop the gloves with opponents. He had 108 career fights, and 30 of those took place during the 1986–87 regular season, a season in which he also scored 60 points. And Clark is the only player on this list who also served as the Leafs’ captain. 1. Tie Domi (188 fights, 2,265 PIM) Domi isn’t just the greatest Leafs enforcer of all time, but he is arguably one of the greatest enforcers in NHL history. Domi played nearly 11 seasons with the Leafs, and it is no coincidence that his time with the team also saw the team reach the conference final three times. Although his scoring was nothing to write home about, Domi’s physical presence made him an instant fan favourite in Toronto, and he was always willing to throw down with the opposition’s top enforcers. Excluding his final season in Toronto, Domi never took part in fewer than 13 fights during each of his seasons with the Leafs. There’s a reason why Domi is seen as one of the most iconic players in the Leafs’ franchise history.
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