Brent Venables hasn’t yet secured any commitments in Oklahoma’s 2028 recruiting class. While recruitment is going strong, the financial side of today’s college football in the NIL era is gradually becoming challenging.
Oklahoma Among Early Leaders as Kentucky’s No. 1 DL Navigates NIL and Recruitment Process
Four-star defensive lineman Kellan Hall says he has begun working with an agent as he enters the early stages of his recruitment process. The 2028 class prospect also said that discussions with top prospects have set a baseline around $500,000, while the upper range varies widely depending on the player.
“We got a pretty good number, especially today,” Hall said, via On3/Rivals. “This [camp] is where I was looking to get paid, and I definitely succeeded at that. So I feel like the bar was raised today, but I’m pretty high up there. My agent and I talked about where we stand, and it’s pretty high six-figures, maybe seven figures if we keep pushing.
“You saw in the last draft that they took a defensive lineman. That’s what they need. So they got to pay. First, you have to get the quarterback paid; after that is defensive line to get after the quarterback.”
As a 2028 class prospect, Hall is still early in his recruitment journey, but Oklahoma is already viewed as a top school to watch early for him. The Sooners’ defensive coordinator, Todd Bates, is actively recruiting Hall, and the Rivals Prediction Machine gives Oklahoma the best odds of securing his commitment, at 84.8%.
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However, the race won’t be easy, as several other schools are firmly in the mix for his commitment, including Louisville, Notre Dame, and Tennessee. He is expected to take several visits, including game-day and official visits, to identify his right fit.
Hall doesn’t have a list of his top schools right now, but he wants to play his senior year while remaining committed to a college program. He also doesn’t have a set timeline for his commitment, but he is sure about one thing: NIL will not have the final verdict in his college decision.
“I’m going to go to a place that develops me,” Hall told Rivals. “My parents work really great jobs, so I don’t need money. Money’s not huge, I’m not money-driven, but it’s definitely nice to feel rewarded. This is a job nowadays. College football is a business. It’s definitely an aspect to it, but it’s not the biggest thing on my mind.”
Hall is a rising junior at Christian Academy in Louisville, Kentucky. He is ranked as the No. 15 recruit in the nation, the No. 2 defensive lineman in the 2028 class, and the No. 1 recruit in Kentucky, according to the Rivals’ Industry Rankings.
If Hall ultimately commits to Oklahoma, it will be a big boost to the Sooners’ defense, which finished last season with a 94.8 score in the PFSN College Football DL Impact Metric.
