In a stunning development that has sent shockwaves through the college football recruiting world, Kevin Sperry, a highly-touted four-star quarterback prospect in the class of 2025, has flipped his long-standing commitment from the Oklahoma Sooners to the Florida State Seminoles. The news broke Thursday night, catching many off guard and leaving Sooner fans reeling.
Sperry, ranked as the No. 132 overall prospect and No. 11 pocket passer in the 2025 cycle by ESPN, had been committed to Oklahoma since early in his high school career. He was the longest-tenured member of head coach Brent Venables’ incoming class before his sudden reversal.
The seismic shift in Sperry’s recruitment comes just four days after Florida State lost the commitment of another four-star quarterback, Tramell Jones, who pledged to in-state rival Florida. The Seminoles, mired in a disastrous 1-9 season and fresh off the dismissal of several assistant coaches including offensive coordinator Alex Atkins, now look to Sperry as a potential savior for their floundering program under embattled head coach Mike Norvell.
A Winding Path to Tallahassee
Sperry’s circuitous route to Florida State began in his home state of Texas, where he first made a name for himself at Rock Hill High School. Shortly after committing to Oklahoma, he transferred to the Sooner State, playing his junior season at Carl Albert High School. But Sperry returned to Texas for his senior campaign this fall, starring at Guyer High as the No. 4 ranked pledge in Oklahoma’s 2025 class.
While the 6-foot-1, 200-pound signal caller remained committed to Venables and Co. even through his move back to Texas, cracks began to show in the relationship this fall as the Sooners struggled to a 6-4 start. Meanwhile, Florida State mounted an aggressive pursuit of Sperry behind the scenes, even as its season cratered amid swirling uncertainty.
What They’re Saying
The Seminoles staff poured their souls into recruiting Kevin. They made it crystal clear that even with the turmoil and changes, he was their top priority and the future of FSU football. Ultimately, it was the relationship, vision and early opportunity that won out.
A source close to Sperry’s recruitment
Sperry becomes the sixth ESPN 300 commit in Florida State’s 2025 class, which now ranks 40th nationally after hemorrhaging seven pledges, including six four-stars, since the start of this dismal season. His flip is a desperately-needed boost for Norvell, who has come under immense pressure as the losses have mounted in Tallahassee.
Sooner Scramble
For Oklahoma, long accustomed to ruling the Big 12 recruiting landscape, losing a prospect of Sperry’s caliber to an out-of-state program in disarray is salt in the wound amid a surprisingly difficult first season under Venables. The Sooners’ 2025 class has slipped to a pedestrian No. 28 in the ESPN class rankings.
In the near term, Sperry’s defection leaves OU without a quarterback in the fold for 2025 and scrambling to find a replacement with the early signing period fast approaching. Prospects like California’s Adrian Santana and Missouri’s Brady Secker could become late targets for Venables’ staff as they attempt to salvage their class.
What’s Next?
For Sperry, the next step is signing with Florida State on Dec. 18, the first day of the early signing period. He plans to enroll in Tallahassee next summer, where he will immediately compete with incumbent quarterbacks J.J. Herrington and Jacob Warner for the starting job as Norvell looks to reboot after a season gone awry.
His decision serves as a reminder that in the cutthroat world of big-time college football, relationships and opportunity can often trump tradition and stability. If Sperry can lead a successful Seminole turnaround in the years to come, his stunning flip may be seen as a program-altering moment.
For now, one of the nation’s most promising young quarterbacks has rolled the dice on a fresh start in the Sunshine State, betting on himself to be the change agent Florida State so desperately needs. Only time will tell if Kevin Sperry made the right call.
