3-star offensive lineman Joshua Aisosa’s journey to sign with the Sooners: “It’s life-changing”
EDMOND — Joshua Aisosa fought back tears as he reflected on the path that took him from playing basketball in Texas to playing football in Oklahoma. He gave thanks to God, his parents, and all of the high school coaches who supported him along the way. Signing with a dominant Division-I program like Oklahoma was an incredible experience for a player who didn’t play football until his sophomore season. “Last but not least, I want to thank the coaches at the University of Oklahoma. I want to thank them for believing in me and giving me this opportunity that I have. It’s life-changing. Boomer Sooner!”
Aisosa, surrounded by his family, coaches, and classmates, signed his National Letter of Intent with the Sooners at Edmond Santa Fe on Wednesday. During the early signing day period, his commitment becomes official with this decision.
Brent Venables, the head coach of Oklahoma, stated on Wednesday, “Looking again up front, offensive line, Josh Aisosa from Edmond Santa Fe, one of the best linemen in the state.” Simply an amazing player. He has great agility, size, and athletic ability. He has also put a lot of effort into improving himself.
Football wasn’t something Aisosa played until his sophomore year. Aisosa moved to Oklahoma with his family when he started his first year of high school, having originally moved from Texas. Prior to putting on some weight during the pandemic, his main focus was basketball. Since then, he has developed into one of the state’s top offensive linemen. He was named the Offensive Lineman of the Year by the Central Oklahoma Athletic Conference this season after guiding Edmond Santa Fe to a 7-4 record and a trip to the Class 6A-I state quarterfinals.
Aisosa, a three-star offensive lineman, is ranked No. 94 among 2024 recruits for interior offensive lines by 247Sports in their Top247 player rankings. He is Oklahoma’s fifteenth-ranked player. Aisosa intends to enroll ahead of schedule and begin classes in January.
Gaining more experience with the older guys is fantastic, in Aisosa’s opinion. “And I think this year I can get on the field.”
Aisosa gave a passionate response when asked why the Sooners were the better fit for him compared to other schools like Iowa State, Missouri, and Tulsa.
There’s truly nowhere else like Oklahoma,” Aisosa stated to 247Sports. They have treated me like family from the beginning, and I could tell right away that this was a place I needed and wanted to be. Coach B, also known as Bill Bedenbaugh, is an amazing man who gives everyone the best opportunity to be great.
It feels fantastic—almost shocking. I mean, initially, I had no idea that things like this would happen. It feels great to have it here now. One of the best schools in the nation is open to me. I could also be the next big
NORMAN — Oklahoma wrapped up a drama-free signing day by getting signatures by 11:05 a.m. on the first day of the early signing period from all 27 of their 2024 commitments.
Brent Venables isn’t going to sit back and relax, even though Oklahoma, based on the 247Sports Composite team rankings, decided on another top-10 recruiting class. He is aware that there is still work to be done in assembling the Sooners’ 2024 roster, particularly in light of the program’s impending switch to the competitive SEC this offseason.
“We’re constantly striving to improve,” Venables stated on Wednesday. “We compete, for sure. We’re craving more. And we’ll require additional.
Oklahoma may have reached its peak in terms of high school prospects, but the Sooners are not done exploring their options through the transfer portal in order to address gaps at specific positions. Five commits from Oklahoma have already been made through the portal, and by the end of this offseason, that number should have doubled.
Even though he is aware that Oklahoma will soon face new obstacles in its new league, both on the field and in recruiting, Venables is enthusiastic about the direction the program is heading as it embarks on a new chapter of its storied history given what the Sooners have already done to fortify themselves this cycle with the 27 signees and five transfer commits.
Regarding the SEC, Venables stated, “It’s all-encompassing.” “There is fierce competition. It never lets up. It is continuous. It’s difficult. There are knowledgeable coaches and numerous well-resourced programs, such as Oklahoma. There is a genuine competition. and one that will not simply vanish.
More so than the current 14-team conference, the 16-team SEC will be a formidable force. Looking at Oklahoma’s inaugural SEC schedule for the upcoming season—which features matches against six teams listed in the final College Football Playoff rankings—that much was clear. Two of those teams—Texas and Alabama—are in the four-team playoff; the other two—Missouri and Ole Miss—made bowl games for the New Year’s Six this year.
Look no further than the 247Sports Composite team recruiting rankings for this cycle to get a sense of the difficulties Oklahoma will encounter, not just with regard to the difficulty of its schedule. Thirteen of the top-25 recruiting classes nationwide, including three of the top four in No. 1 Georgia, No. 2 Alabama, and No.
Oklahoma’s class ranks fifth in the reorganized SEC, behind Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and Auburn, which had the eighth-best class in the nation. Oklahoma’s class is ranked in the top-10 nationally. Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn will host Oklahoma’s first road game of the 2024 season. The Tigers are another team on the Sooners’ inaugural SEC schedule.
In contrast, only three teams from the Big 12—which includes schools like Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State—finished higher than the SEC’s bottom-ranked class. Texas Tech had the best class out of all of them, coming in at number 22. In the SEC, that class would have been the 12th best.
Not only will Oklahoma face some of the best players in the country on the field, but it will also face off against numerous them for the top recruits and class rank standings.
Venables declared, “We’re going to win some and not win some (recruiting battles).” But you must have more victories than defeats. Hence, everyone involved in the program, including the president, the athletic director, and all other staff members, coaches, players’ families, and recruiting representatives. There is a sincere dedication to it. Nobody present, in my opinion, is blind to what is currently in front of us. It has always been competitive to hire. However, you’re scheduled to attend a conference now that the
