Oklahoma's struggles could have Alabama positioned to steal state's top 2028 recruit

It hasn't been the start to the season that Oklahoma fans were hoping for. Coming off last year's College Football Playoff berth and entering the season with a Top 10 ranking and a brand new contract for head coach Brent Venables, expectations were high in Norman.

But after four weeks, Oklahoma is just 2-2 and has tumbled out of the Top 25 following a beatdown at the hands of Georgia this past weekend. With an inept offense led by a mediocre QB in John Mateer, things don't look like they're going to get much better for the Sooners in 2026.

Following a bye week, five of their next six opponents are currently ranked, including No. 1 Texas in the Red River Rivalry on 10/10. Bowl eligibility might even be in question at this point.

That could be beneficial for Kalen DeBoer and Alabama.

No, the Sooners aren't on the Crimson Tide's schedule this season. But Alabama has the top player in the state of Oklahoma for the 2028 class - 4-star athlete Kamieon Compton-Nero - high on their board for the next recruiting cycle.

Compton-Nero was just in Tuscaloosa for a visit for the South Carolina game and announced a trimmed-down list of five schools remaining in the running for his signature: Alabama, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, and SMU:

Alabama can take advantage of Oklahoma's struggles by stealing away 4-star Kamieon Compton-Nero

Compton-Nero is just shy of 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds. He plays both ways for Owasso High School in Oklahoma. He's the No. 45 overall player and the No. 1 athlete in the 2028 class, per the 247 composite rankings.

Compton-Nero could play either side of the ball at the next level, but most project that he'll be a defensive back. He's the type of long, rangy athlete who Kane Wommack could make great use of in his secondary.

Pulling highly ranked players out of the state of Oklahoma is never easy. The Sooners tend to lock up their state. You can find a hidden gem from time to time that they overlook, much like Alabama did with Josh Jacobs a decade ago, but they rarely lose the battle for the higher-ranked guys.

Alabama just went through that in the 2027 cycle with 5-star CB Gabriel Osborne Jr., who at one time looked like a Crimson Tide lean before he committed to the home state Sooners.

But this could be a different scenario. Even after the contract extension, Venables could quickly find himself back on the hot seat in Norman, especially if Oklahoma bottoms out the rest of the year, which looks highly possible with the schedule that lies ahead.

That kind of staff volatility could cause Compton-Nero to look elsewhere when making his college choice. Alabama could benefit from that, and surely made a strong impression on the elite athlete when he was in Tuscaloosa this past weekend.

There is a long way to go between now and the signing period for the 2028 class, but things are shaping up nicely early on for the Crimson Tide.

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