Penn State’s reset created an opening, and the Oklahoma football team pounced. After a three-game skid culminating in a Week 6 loss to Northwestern, the Nittany Lions fired head coach James Franklin, a move reported by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Franklin, who had been in charge since 2014, departed despite a strong overall record and a hefty buyout attached to his 2021 extension. Longtime assistant Terry Smith was named interim as the program recalibrates. That backdrop matters for recruiting momentum, and Sunday brought the first big flip.
Four-Star WR Jahsiear Rogers has flipped his commitment from Penn State to Oklahoma, he told Hayes Fawcett for Rivals. The 6’0”, 175-pound receiver from Bear, Delaware, had been pledged to the Nittany Lions since July, per Fawcett on X, formerly Twitter.
BREAKING: Four-Star WR Jahsiear Rogers has Flipped his Commitment from Penn State to Oklahoma, he tells me for @rivals
The 6’0 175 WR from Bear, DE had been Committed to the Nittany Lions since July
“Let’s do it s⭕️⭕️ner nation”https://t.co/6m1MrhFL7u pic.twitter.com/vAQ4w3lywF
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 27, 2025
For Brent Venables and the Oklahoma football team, the timing is significant. The Sooners have been reshuffling their offensive identity while navigating a bruising schedule, and wideout remains a premium need.
Rogers’ profile, quick-twitch separation, catch radius beyond his frame, and RAC juice fit what Oklahoma has been leaning into: creating mismatches with tempo and layered route concepts. Flips of this caliber also telegraph stability to other targets, especially when they come amid staff uncertainty elsewhere.
From Penn State’s angle, the loss underscores the recruiting turbulence that often trails an in-season coaching change. Even with an interim bridge and a national brand, keeping a summer class intact can be a sprint. Rogers had been a foundation piece; his exit shifts board priorities and forces contingency plans at the position.
The flip also lands during a week when the Sooners are trying to steady their own ranking narrative. After a 34-26 loss to Ole Miss, Oklahoma took the biggest tumble in the AP Top 25, dropping from No. 13 to No. 18.
Even so, they remain the third-highest-ranked two-loss team, behind Notre Dame (No. 12) and Tennessee (No. 14). The margin is thin, but roster wins like Rogers can echo quickly on the field and in future cycles.
Bottom line: Oklahoma added a blue-chip pass-catcher while a Big Ten power retools. In late October, that’s as big as a scoreboard swing.
