Elija Harmon had never been to an SEC game before so his weekend trip to Oklahoma not only exceeded expectations, it was one of those memorable moments that could have a major impact on his recruitment.
“It was great,” Harmon said. “I felt like they definitely opened my eyes to how much they really can provide. They can only text me and call me so much but I was able to finally see what they do and I really liked it. I really appreciated how much love they showed me.
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“The game atmosphere was lit. They striped the stadium and everything so I definitely liked the atmosphere.
“The trip was definitely worth it. I’ve never been in an SEC atmosphere before so for the first time it was definitely something to remember.”
During his weekend in Norman, the 2027 four-star defensive lineman from Inglewood, Calif., talked extensively with coach Brent Venables, position coach Todd Bates especially and general manager Jim Nagy.
Their message resonated with Harmon, who also has USC and Oregon among his frontrunners at this point.
“Their message to me was whenever I’m ready to commit, when I’m ready to come there, the door is always open,” Harmon said. “Just really that I’m a top priority in this class. They were telling me a little bit about the school and then I talked to coach Bates more about how they’d use me on the d-line.
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“They’re going to use me to my strengths. My strength is my athleticism so they’d play me to my strengths which I liked.”
Harmon loved the environment. What also made a massive impression on the Inglewood standout was how the Sooners’ defensive line dominated and frustrated Michigan’s five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood.
For Harmon, the message was put into action.
“It was great watching them, especially the d-line,” Harmon said. “The d-line was eating the whole night so that was definitely something cool to see. What they’re telling me is what they’re actually doing because the d-line is successful.”
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Three favorites have emerged for Harmon, who lives close enough to the USC campus that he can walk there. But the Sooners left a super strong impression on him over the weekend and then Nebraska is trying to get him on campus soon. Ohio State offered in recent days so a trip there could happen by the end of the season.
