Oklahoma lands in-state four-star CB over numerous top schools

If you've heard it once you've heard it a million times around recruiting circles, but it doesn't make the saying any less true.

In-state recruiting really is the lifeblood of any upper-echelon college football program. Getting the top recruits in your own backyard to stay within the state lines (and away from your in-state rivals) is a massive leg-up on the recruiting trail.

As such, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables and his staff have to be extremely excited about their latest recruiting win. Trystan Haynes, a four-star cornerback out of Oklahoma City, has committed to the Sooners.

“I ended up choosing Oklahoma at the end of my process,” Haynes told On3 . “It was the atmosphere and the fans. Every time I went up there they showed tons of love.

Texas A&M, Georgia, Notre Dame, Miami and Alabama were all also in the running for Haynes' commitment, but ultimately, OU's staff played a big role in getting the four-star to stay in-state.

Haynes spoke highly about Venables and cornerback's coach Jay Valai.

“The coaches played a huge part as well. I had a really good relationship with Coach Valai And Coach V and trust their ability to develop me as a player and as a person as throughout they have both been helping in terms of skill at their camps and just talking randomly with me checking in on me letting me know that I was a key piece to the plans they had coming into the SEC," Haynes said.

Haynes will go down as a big commitment for the Sooners. According to 247Sports, he's the No. 12 cornerback recruit in the 2025 class.
Venables' 2025 class is currently ranked No. 4 nationally behind only Notre Dame, Ohio State and LSU.