Oklahoma fortified its future lineups last year by reeling in a pair of blue-chip prospects to slot into the middle and back end of its order. 

On Tuesday, the Sooners secured a linchpin to go at the top of their order when prized California lightweight Joey Cruz announced his commitment to Oklahoma. 

Cruz picked the Sooners after also considering Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Little Rock. The nation’s third-ranked 120-pounder has a resume that includes a pair of top three finishes at the California state tournament (third as a freshman in 2019, second as a sophomore), a 2020 Grappler Fall Classic title, a runner-up performance last fall at the USA Wrestling Preseason Nationals, a third-place showing at the 2019 Cadet World Team Trials and a title in 2019 at FloNationals, where he knocked off Richard Figueroa in the finals. 

The Cruz commitment comes on the heels of a strong 2021 recruiting class for the Sooners, who signed a pair of #1 prospects — 152-pounder Alejandro Herrera Rondon and 195-pounder Tate Picklo. 

“This is a day that me and my dad worked for our entire life," Cruz wrote on Instagram. "His dream was for me to always make it to a school that will help me win a NCAA title. I would like to announce that I will be (continuing) my academic and athletic career at OU!! I felt a strong connection with Coach Rosselli and I feel that he can take me to the next level.

“A lot of people have helped me get this far in my career. I want to say thank you to my family for always being my support system. I would like to thank Harold Zinkin and the Zinkin family for always helping me and guiding me. Thank you to Izzy Silva for helping me reach new levels. As well as all the coaches I’ve had. So many people to thank, just know I will not let this opportunity slip and I will work hard to make the Central Valley Proud!!”

Congratulations to Joey Cruz on his commitment to the University of Oklahoma pic.twitter.com/dRYBHjlhQI

— Bullard Sports (@BullardSports) August 24, 2021