Fact or Fiction: Oklahoma’s Bill Bedenbaugh is an elite recruiter
Rivals national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman is joined by OUInsider.com‘s Parker Thune, TheKnightReport.com‘s Richie O’Leary and national recruiting analyst Marshall Levenson to tackle three topics and determine whether they believe each statement is FACT or FICTION.
1. There are no five-star running backs yet in the 2026 class. The first will come from the state of Texas.
Levenson: FACT. I am operating under the idea that both traditional running backs and all-purpose backs qualify for this question, which adds a name to the mix. At this current time, I will give the nod to the Texas standouts of Tradarian Ball (No. 30), Davian Groce (No. 60) and Jonathan Hatton Jr. (No. 62) as being well within reach to reach five-star status first. Savion Hiter (No. 28) out of Virginia is a talent that cannot be overlooked but he has dipped in the rankings over the past few updates, so there is room for him to be jumped in the future. The trio of Ball, Groce and Hatton all have verified speed inside the 10-second mark in the 100m as freshmen or sophomores. They all have also shown big-time production in the top ranks of Texas competition. I also don’t want to leave the name KJ Edwards out of the mix, who just saw a massive rise and could continue to do so.
Ball is ranked highest of the Texas grouping, but I may lean toward Groce as the potential favorite for a big rise. He dealt with some rehabbing this offseason, so he did not have a full display, which led to a slight dip as others were seen more. But with a 10.90 100m as a freshman and elite production both out of the backfield and out wide as a sophomore (936 rushing, 860 receiving, 22 total touchdowns), he is a real deal weapon. A big junior season would do plenty of favors in determining where he falls in the upcoming rankings.
Spiegelman: FACT. I’m playing the odds here, and given the widespread talent at the running back position across the state of Texas, there are several prospects that should contend for this leading into or during their senior season evals. Tradarian Ball (Oregon), Jonathan Hatton (Oklahoma), KJ Edwards, Javian Osborne and Davian Groce have intriguing skillsets and all are on the radar entering their junior seasons.
Ball, Edwards and Groce each have high-end speed and a diverse skillset. Osborne and Hatton provide another level of burst and can be featured backs on Saturdays. I like these Texas-based prospects as much as any to contend for a five-star ranking.
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2. After losing a commitment from four-star DE Chase Linton over the weekend, Rutgers should be concerned about holding onto three-star DT Braxton Kyle.
O’Leary: FACT. Braxton Kyle originally only had two total Power Four offers when he committed to Rutgers, but that has changed in recent weeks as he added new scholarship offers from Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and Texas Tech. Even after adding those new offers, Kyle still seemed to be solidly committed as both he and his mother built strong bonds with the Scarlet Knights staff, plus they are very high on the academic side of things. However some things have changed recently, with the Georgia Bulldogs upping their pursuit a bit as they lost a DT commit in four-star Christian Garrett. Since his decommitment, Kyle has risen up the boards for the in-state program and they are heavily pitching the idea of staying close to home for college. As of now, Kyle still remains committed to Rutgers, but with him expected to visit Athens once again this September for a gameday visit, it might only be a matter of time until he trades in his scarlet red for bulldog red.
Spiegelman: FACT. Credit Rutgers for securing a pair of commitments from talented defensive linemen out of the Peach State this summer after a big official visit weekend in early June. That weekend yielded verbals from four-star defensive end Chase Linton and massive defensive tackle Braxton Kyle. After giving commitments, both Linton and Kyle worked out in Athens and left with offers from the Dawgs. Georgia has turned up the heat on both defensive linemen, and Linton has already reopened his recruitment and has a visit set to return to Athens. Kyle may not be far off from following suit as Tray Scott and Kirby Smart keep pushing for one of the state’s best defensive tackles
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3. After landing a commitment from five-star offensive tackle Michael Fasusi on Wednesday, Oklahoma offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh is an elite recruiter.
Thune: FACT. Bill Bedenbaugh has already compiled one of the more impressive hauls in the 2025 cycle; he’s picked up a trio of blue-chippers in Michael Fasusi, Ryan Fodje and Darius Afalava, as well as a rock-solid center prospect in Owen Hollenbeck. Only once in Bedenbaugh’s entire career at Oklahoma has he failed to reel in multiple blue-chip linemen within a given cycle, and he’s now picked up a top-100 prospect in each of the last three classes. If there was any question that Bedenbaugh is among the best in the realm of talent acquisition, the Sooners’ addition of Fasusi ought to settle the debate for good. It’s also worth noting here that Bedenbaugh is an elite developer, as Oklahoma has had multiple early draft entrants on the O-line in each of the last four offseasons. That will only continue to enhance Bedenbaugh’s reputation among recruits.
Spiegelman: FACT. Whether it was Bob Stoops, Lincoln Riley or now Brent Venables, Bill Bedenbaugh has been the right-hand man behind some excellent OU offensive lines.
Bedenbaugh‘s reputation on the recruiting trail is twofold, though: He’s an excellent talent evaluator and also thrives at building relationships. That was the catalyst for Fasusi on Wednesday picking the Sooners over the Longhorns, crediting his connection to Bedenbaugh, which has only strengthened over the past two-plus years. Offensive line play is a rich tradition in Norman and Bedenbaugh is a big reason why.
