"Felt like that was home for me": Four-star WR Cortez Mills hypes up his Oklahoma commitment decision

By Maliha

Modified Jul 02, 2024 12:04 GMT

Cortez Mills, a four-star wide receiver from Homestead, Florida, announced his commitment to the Oklahoma Sooners on Monday. The blue-chip prospect received nearly three dozen offers, choosing the Sooners over finalists the Clemson Tigers, Florida Gators, LSU Tigers and Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Despite early leanings toward Clemson throughout his recruitment journey, Oklahoma entered the picture relatively late, extending an offer to the 6-foot-1, 180 lb WR in January. However, a visit to Norman for the Sooners' spring game in April brought a change of mind for Mills.

Cortez Mills felt a strong connection with the campus atmosphere and the coaching staff, opting to return for an official visit on June 14 before visiting LSU on June 21. The relationship he formed with Oklahoma wide receivers coach Emmett Jones was crucial in developing a connection that won the hearts of him and his family.

The prospect revealed that he had already informed the program's coaching staff of his decision before the official announcement.

“Before I left my official visit, I told coach Venables and coach Emmett Jones that I was committing,” Mills said via On3. “On June 16, I committed to Oklahoma. I knew it. I felt comfortable, my family felt comfortable and I knew Oklahoma was home.”

"Me and the coach, Coach Emmett Jones, we had a great relationship," Cortez Mills said during his announcement on On3's YouTube channel. "We had a strong bond, and I just felt like my family felt like that was home for me, and I just felt comfortable."

Head coach Brent Venables and WRs coach Jones made sure to make him feel like a priority throughout his recruitment journey.

“From the day they offered me, coach Venables and coach Jones were in touch with me," Mills said. "We built strong relationships, we built trust and those connections were big for me and my family. We all felt great about Oklahoma.”

What does Cortez Mills' pledge bring to the Sooners?

Cortez Mills is ranked as the No. 109 overall player in the nation, the No. 15 edge wide receiver in the 2025 class, and the No. 17 player in Florida, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. 247Sports places him as the No. 196 overall prospect, the No. 20 wide receiver, and the No. 25 prospect in the state.

Josh McCuistion of On3 also drew comparisons between Mills and former Washington star Jalen McMillan. He accumulated 79 receptions, 1,640 yards and an impressive 18 touchdowns this past season.

Mills' commitment expands Oklahoma's 2025 recruiting class to 20 commits, elevating it to the fifth-ranked class in the nation per 247Sports. This move comes as the Sooners transition to the Southeastern Conference, a huge shift after dominating the Big 12 for years.

Cortez Mills joins an incredible cohort of wide receiver commits for Oklahoma in the class of 2025, which includes Emmanuel Choice, Marcus Harris, Elijah Thomas and Gracen Harris.

His commitment marks Oklahoma's first pledge since officially joining the SEC, following its departure from the Big 12, where the Sooners enjoyed years of conference dominance. This commitment also follows a trend for the program, which secured commitments from five receivers in consecutive years.