Elite 2026 defensive end sets Oklahoma official visit

USA Today

02-05-2025

Elite 2026 defensive end sets Oklahoma official visit
The Oklahoma Sooners haven't earned a commitment from a defensive player in the 2026 recruiting class yet, but they've made significant strides on the recruiting trail.
One of the players they're well positioned with is 2026 defensive end Jake Kreul. Kreul is a four-star prospect out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. He's the No. 60 player overall according to 247Sports and the No. 7 edge player in the class. Rivals consider Kreul the No. 2 player at his position in the 2026 class.
As spring ball leads to summer recruiting, Kreul has set his official visits with five schools, including the Oklahoma Sooners.
Kreul will visit Colorado on Friday, May 2, and then will go to Ohio State on May 30. He'll follow that up with a visit to Florida on June 7 before heading to Texas on June 13. The final visit he has scheduled comes with the Oklahoma Sooners on June 30.
Kreul has an elite set of offers from across the country, including 13 of the 16 SEC teams. In addition to Oklahoma and Texas, Kreul holds offers from Georgia, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Missouri, Florida, LSU, Tennessee, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and South Carolina.
Even with some of the heavy hitters in college football in pursuit, the Oklahoma Sooners have put themselves in a strong position to land a commitment from Kreul. Cody Carpentier, who covers Texas Longhorns recruiting for Orangebloods at Rivals, issued a Futurecast favoring the Sooners on April 15, shortly after Kreul was in Norman for a visit.
Though there's no decision date set, the upcoming official visits will play a huge part in his recruitment.
Jake Kreul Recruiting Profile
Jake Kreul plays with tenacity off the edge. He wins with physicality and a variety of pass-rush moves. Kreul displays really good athleticism and flexibility. He can win inside quickly or bend around the edge to get underneath offensive tackles to attack the quarterback. He has a nice spin move to win inside and has the length to deploy an effective long arm on the rush to keep offensive tackles from getting their hands on him. Kreul has really good play strength and sets the edge well. He's disciplined against the run and doesn't get caught cheating in the read-option or RPO game. He's got all the tools to be an elite pass rusher at the collegiate level.
Highlights
Watch Jake Kreul's Highlights on Hudl
Vitals
Projected Position EDGE Height 6-foot-3 Weight 230 pounds Hometown Bradenton, Fla.
Ratings
Site Stars Overall Position State Rivals 4 27 2 2 ESPN 4 21 4 4 247Sports 4 60 7 7 247Sports Composite 4 31 4 3 On3 4 80 13 9 On3 Industry 4 36 6 3
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