The Oklahoma Sooners have sent a seismic shockwave through college football, flipping the commitment of the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit, five-star edge rusher David Stone Jr., from the Texas Longhorns. This monumental recruiting victory represents the most significant flip of the 2026 cycle and solidifies Oklahoma’s resurgence as a defensive powerhouse under head coach Brent Venables.
Stone, a 6-foot-4, 250-pound phenom from IMG Academy in Florida, had been a longtime Texas pledge before making a surprise visit to Norman last weekend[reference:0]. Sources indicate that Oklahoma’s defensive staff, led by Todd Bates and Miguel Chavis, along with Venables’ reputation for developing elite defensive talent, were the key factors in the flip.
“Ultimately, it came down to development and winning,” Stone told ESPN. “Coach Venables is a defensive mastermind, and I want to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft. I believe he’s the best person to get me there.”
The flip of Stone, who is ranked as a five-star prospect by 247Sports and ESPN, is a devastating blow to Texas and a massive statement for Oklahoma[reference:1]. He is the crown jewel of a 2026 class that is rapidly ascending the national rankings.
This move follows a pattern of aggressive flipping by the Sooners. Earlier in the cycle, Oklahoma successfully flipped four-star running back Jonathan Hatton Jr. from Texas A&M and four-star wide receiver Jayden Petit from Wisconsin, among others[reference:2][reference:3]. With Stone now in the fold, the Sooners’ 2026 class has vaulted into the top 10 nationally, challenging the usual SEC blue bloods for recruiting supremacy.
Stone joins a star-studded Oklahoma class that already includes five-star defensive end Jake Kreul, four-star quarterback Bowe Bentley, and four-star running back Jonathan Hatton Jr.[reference:4][reference:5]. The addition of Stone addresses a critical need for a defense that has been rebuilding under Venables.
“Oklahoma has the opportunity to steal a massively overlooked defender,” one report noted, highlighting the program’s ability to identify and flip elite talent[reference:6]. Stone, however, is anything but overlooked. He is the type of transcendent talent that can single-handedly alter the trajectory of a program.
Stone is expected to enroll early in January and compete for immediate playing time as a true freshman. The Sooners have scheduled a press conference for later this week to officially introduce their newest star. This is a program-defining moment for Brent Venables, proving that Oklahoma can go toe-to-toe with any program in the nation for the country’s best players.
