Four-Star 2026 Elite Athlete Gets Brutally Honest on Family Ties to Oklahoma: ‘I know what it means to be a Sooner’
Four-star 2026 athlete Davian Groce talks family ties to Oklahoma and how his fandom of the Sooners has helped shape his recruitment
It’s been a long journey for Davian Groce.
Now ranked as the No. 27 overall recruit in the 2026 class by 247Sports, Groce is also considered one of the top three athletes nationally in his class. However, before receiving this recognition, he was just a young player from a football-enthusiastic family with aspirations of playing at the next level.
He currently holds 24 offers, with more likely to come, but there are a few programs he’s always admired, with Oklahoma being one of the standout schools.
“I’ve been following Oklahoma for a long time,” Groce shared. “My mom’s side of the family, they’re all big OU fans.”
Groce’s mother hails from Guthrie, Oklahoma, and most of her family still resides in the state. On the other hand, his father’s side is largely made up of Texas A&M supporters.
The Aggies extended an offer to Groce in the spring of 2024, around April, but Oklahoma took a bit longer, waiting until September to make their move. Groce had wondered why the offer took so long but later realized that Oklahoma wanted to make sure their offer was tied to a special moment for him.
“I thought I was going to get the OU offer a lot sooner,” Groce said. “My coach, Travis Wilson, who was at OU, talked about it all the time. I remember being in the hallway, thinking I was ready to head home after school. My head coach, Jeff Rayburn, a big OU fan, called me into his office like it was no big deal. Then he told me that a school wanted to offer me… After a while, he hinted it was OU. I tried not to act like a fanboy, but I was really excited.”
“I called my mom, and she went crazy,” Groce continued. “She was so happy for me, and we called the rest of my family. My phone was blowing up. It meant a lot to me, and honestly, it was a huge honor.”
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