COMMIT: Nation’s Top Safety Chooses Oklahoma Over Georgia Tech, USC, Washington, and Missouri

In the world of college football recruiting, decisions are rarely made lightly. Families debate over dinner tables. Coaches pitch dreams with video clips, championship rings, and pro-day stats. Fans speculate endlessly, refreshing social media pages and forums with the hope that their team lands the next generational talent.

On a warm spring afternoon in Norman, Oklahoma, the Sooners landed just that: a generational talent.

JAYLEN WATTS, a five-star safety and the No. 1 defensive back in the class of 2026 according to 247Sports, officially committed to the University of Oklahoma on Tuesday. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound enforcer from Lincoln High School in St. Louis, Missouri, chose the Sooners over finalists Georgia Tech, USC, Washington, and Missouri. His announcement came during a live-streamed press conference in his high school gym, surrounded by teammates, family, and coaches.

Wearing a crimson Sooners cap and a wide grin, Watts made his decision clear.

“I’m taking my talents to Norman,” he said, sparking cheers from the crowd. “I believe in what Coach Venables is building. I believe in his vision for the defense. And I believe Oklahoma is where I need to be to become the best player—and man—I can be.”

Jaylen Watts is not your average high school safety. He’s not even your average five-star recruit.

Watts’ reputation has grown with every season. As a freshman, he played both sides of the ball but began specializing in the secondary during his sophomore year. That season, he recorded 73 tackles, 5 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, and returned two picks for touchdowns. He earned first-team All-State honors and received his first offer—from Missouri—before he turned 16.

By junior year, his film had gone viral. Clips of him delivering punishing hits, reading quarterback eyes with surgical precision, and locking down top receivers drew the attention of Power Five programs nationwide. His aggressive style of play earned him comparisons to former Alabama star and NFL Pro Bowler Landon Collins. But Jaylen prefers a different comparison.

“I model my game after Kam Chancellor,” he told reporters. “The attitude, the physicality, the violence he brought to every play. That’s how I see myself. I believe I’m quite combative. I enjoy striking. I enjoy hitting a lot. Extremely combative.”

That phrase—“extremely combative”—has become something of a mantra in the Watts household.

Watts’ recruitment drew attention early. Missouri had hoped to keep the homegrown star in-state and made him their top defensive target. USC offered the glamor of Los Angeles and a growing defensive culture under head coach Lincoln Riley. Washington, always known for elite defensive back play, offered a direct path to NFL stardom. Georgia Tech, meanwhile, presented a unique academic-athletic balance, with Watts reportedly intrigued by their engineering program.

But it was Oklahoma that sealed the deal—and did so with relentless effort.

Jaylen visited Norman four times over the past year, including a key unofficial visit last fall where he watched the Sooners defeat Texas in the Red River Rivalry. He later returned for Oklahoma’s spring game, where he spent time with coaches, sat in on film sessions, and bonded with 2026 fellow commits Jackson Cantwell and Calvin Russell.

“It was different,” Watts said. “You go to some schools and they tell you what you want to hear. At OU, it felt real. Coach Venables didn’t promise me anything except hard work. Coach Hall [safeties coach Brandon Hall] broke down my film like he already knew me. It wasn’t fluff—it was football.”

Head Coach Brent Venables, a former defensive coordinator at Clemson known for orchestrating some of the fiercest units in college football, has made it clear he wants to build a defense-first culture in Norman. Landing Jaylen Watts might be the biggest recruiting win of his tenure yet.

Venables addressed the commitment in a statement released Tuesday evening:

“Jaylen Watts is a program-changer. He plays the game the way it’s meant to be played—with passion, toughness, and intelligence. He embodies the type of young man we want in this program.”

Oklahoma’s 2026 class already features standout offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell and towering wide receiver Calvin Russell. Now, with Watts anchoring the back end of the defense, the Sooners are rapidly assembling one of the top recruiting classes in the country.

According to Rivals and 247Sports, Oklahoma’s class currently ranks No. 3 nationally, trailing only Georgia and Alabama.

Though he’s best known for bone-jarring hits and game-saving interceptions, those who know Jaylen best talk more about his leadership, maturity, and drive.

Lincoln High’s head coach, Maurice Thorne, has coached over a dozen Power Five prospects in his 15-year career. He calls Watts “the most complete player I’ve ever coached.”

“Jaylen makes everyone around him better,” Thorne said. “He stays after practice to mentor the freshmen. He studies film like he’s already in college. And when game day comes, he’s the loudest guy in the tunnel and the most focused one on the field.”

Off the field, Watts maintains a 3.8 GPA, volunteers at local youth camps, and mentors younger players through the St. Louis Elite 7v7 program. He plans to major in sports psychology at Oklahoma.

Watts represents the evolution of the safety position in modern football. He’s physical enough to play in the box and stuff the run, fast enough to cover slot receivers, and intelligent enough to quarterback the secondary. His closing speed, hips, and tackling angles are already being praised by NFL scouts.

At The Opening Regional in Dallas last month, Watts ran a 4.45 40-yard dash, recorded a 38-inch vertical, and posted elite shuttle times—all metrics that had scouts buzzing.

One anonymous SEC coach reportedly told 247Sports: “That kid could play in the SEC tomorrow.”

With his commitment locked in, Jaylen says he’s ready to focus on finishing high school strong—and recruiting for the Sooners.

“I’m locked in. 100 percent committed. Now I’m going to be recruiting others. Let’s build something great in Norman.”

Among his top targets? Fellow five-star linebacker Malik Anderson from Fort Worth, and top cornerback Ellis Freeman from Georgia.

Oklahoma fans are already dreaming of a future defensive core featuring Watts at safety, Anderson at linebacker, and Freeman at corner—an SEC-ready group that could define the next era of Sooner football.

Jaylen Watts’ commitment to Oklahoma is more than just a recruiting win. It’s a statement. A declaration that the Sooners, as they prepare for their second season in the SEC, intend to compete not just for conference titles, but for national championships.

And for Watts, it’s the next step in a journey that began on the grass fields of St. Louis and will now continue under the bright lights of Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.