Jenks (OK) linebacker Sam Stone and former Jenks defensive end Hudson Ball both committed to Tulsa just before Thanksgiving. Inside Tulsa Sports featured the two players last week as names to watch on the recruiting trail.
Despite TU firing head coach Kevin Wilson on Sunday, the pair of best friends still decided to pick the Golden Hurricane. Stone said the coaching change didn’t affect his choice.
“Not really to be honest,” he described. “Talking to the coaches, they said that the athletic department will honor everyone’s commitment and scholarship in my class.”
Playing major college football close to home was a big factor for both student-athletes.
“Being close to home really helped,” said Stone. “Also having Hudson come helped as well. We played two years together at Jenks. He’s one of my best friends still. Comes down to hang almost every weekend.”
Hudson Ball is spending his senior season at Springdale (AR) Shiloh Christian.
“Really just staying home and playing with my best friend Sam,” Ball said of choosing Tulsa. “I really like the coaches too.”
Ball, a 6-foot-2 and 235-pound edge rusher, had been committed to UNLV since August and also had offers from UCF, North Texas, Arkansas State and others. The 6-1 and 210-pound Stone had other offers from Utah State, North Texas, Air Force and several Ivy League schools. At one time, he was committed to Princeton.
Ball has helped Shiloh Christian to an 8-3 record this season while collecting 58 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and one sack. He’s also pitched in on offense in short-yardage situations, rushing 29 times for 69 yards and 7 touchdowns. As a junior at Jenks last season, Ball posted 89 tackles and 14 sacks.
Stone is having similar success for the 8-3 Trojans this season, as he trails only Rocky Calmus on Jenks’ career tackle list.
“I would say my speed gives me an advantage,” said Stone. “Also, my mind -- I love being in the meeting room and on the board and being a student of the game.”
Stone took an official visit to Tulsa in early November and came away impressed.
“It went great. Great people up there,” he described. “The campus is beautiful; facilities are top notch. There’s a lot to like about Tulsa for sure.”
Tulsa now has 14 commitments in the 2025 class, and the TU assistant coaches are working to turn those commitments into signatures during the early December signing period.
“We’re trying to convey to all the guys we have committed that we’re honoring their scholarships,” said TU interim head coach Ryan Switzer. “Our coaching staff is here. I am here. We’ve got a great class. The guys we have coming in add some different pieces, and we’re going to do our best to keep that core together.
“That’s the foundation of this program. That’s the future of what Tulsa football is. All of the position coaches have been getting on the phone and communicating with those individuals. We’re just reiterating that we have a strong foundation here. We’ve got a great 2025 class, and we’re trying to let them know how important they are to what we’re trying to build.”
Stay up to date on Tulsa recruiting and the Golden Hurricane coaching search in Hurricane Alley.
