*** I reside just north of The Motor City, so on Friday, I made my way to Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech to see Rivals100 2026 athlete and Oklahoma target CJ Sadler. OU offered the junior in February of last year.
*** Rivals ranks Sadler as the No. 1 recruit in the state of Michigan next cycle, as well as the No. 30 overall prospect and No. 4 wide receiver nationally. Rivals also lists Sadler the highest across the four primary recruiting services. Only one service doesn't have Sadler in the Top 100. At 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds, Sadler's size might be a reason for the difference in rankings. But it's tough to argue against him being the top player in Michigan.
*** Let's begin with Sadler as a potential multi-positional athlete at the next level. His goal is to become the next Travis Hunter. For his high school, Sadler is the X receiver, boundary cornerback, return specialist, and occasionally plays Wildcat quarterback. He scored a touchdown in the first quarter of Friday's playoff win and had a 45-yard punt return. Offensively, Sadler is a smooth route-runner and has soft hands. Yards after the catch is Sadler's wheelhouse because of his elusiveness and vision in the open field. Defensively, Sadler is primarily in press man. So, combining his versatility with his moxie, visualizing the next Travis Hunter to come out of the Detroit area isn't that difficult. If Sadler continues to grow, comparison considerations could be made to Deebo Samuel because of their similar Swiss Army Knife roles.
*** Sadler is one of two Michigan natives possessing Oklahoma offers alongside Rivals250 Portage (Mich.) Northern offensive tackle Greg Patrick. Only Patrick, who's visited Norman twice, has made the trip south. There's interest from both sides, so it's a matter of Sadler traveling to campus. Sadler mentioned checking out the facilities and seeing how the coaching staff interacts with the players would be a strong focus should he be able to visit. Sadler also went in-depth about CeeDee Lamb and how the former watched Lamb growing up. Seeing the culture of OU was talked about by Sadler as well.
*** I think if Oklahoma works to get Sadler on a visit, moves could be made to garner momentum. Sadler keeps his recruitment process close to the chest, and he's been relatively selective about where he visits. Michigan, LSU, Colorado, and others have recently hosted Sadler. A significant factor for him will be opportunities to remain multi-faceted, and he said OU likes him as a two-way contributor.
*** I like the idea for the Sooners to plant their footing in the state of Michigan, especially when it comes to Sadler, who yields a high floor and ceiling, and Patrick, who's already been to campus twice. When looking at the 2027 recruiting class, four recruits in The Mitten State are listed in the Rivals100 – EDGE Ricarder Kitchen, wide receiver Dakota Guerrant, tight end Holden Niemi, and athlete Anthony Cartwright. It's not uncommon for prospects in Michigan to leave the state for college, so maybe there's an opportunity for OU to swoop in.
