Published Aug 8, 2023
In-state 3-star athlete Elijah Green commits to Tulsa
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Chris Harmon  •  InsideTulsaSports
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Another day, another 3-star football commitment for Tulsa. On Monday, it was Crandall (TX) receiver Joshua Smith, who chose TU over offers from Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Mississippi. On Tuesday, Oklahoma City (OK) Classen athlete Elijah Green committed to the Hurricane over offers from Missouri, Texas Tech, UTSA, Navy and others.

"To be honest, they made me feel like more of a priority than any other school," Green said of Tulsa.

Green, a 6-foot-2 and 184-pound safety and wide receiver, is ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 8 player in Oklahoma and the nation’s No. 61 overall athlete. He received a scholarship offer from Tulsa in April, and by early July, he had cut his list to five choices, including TU, Missouri, Texas Tech, UTSA and Sam Houston State.

Green, who said TU was recruiting him as a safety, made a visit to the Tulsa campus on July 26 and enjoyed the new TU coaches.

“They are very interesting and very connectable,” he told Inside Tulsa Sports. “I love what they are doing by recruiting (Oklahoma City) schools. It went extremely well, and they made me feel very good. Everything was nice, and it looked like everything you would need to excel there.

“I love the (coaching) staff. They are all family, and they all are very experienced, so I know I can learn a lot.”

Green opened the eyes of college coaches with a breakout performance on both sides of the ball as a sophomore in 2021. On defense, he totaled 45 tackles and four interceptions. Offensively, he caught 16 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing for 261 yards and a score. Green also averaged 26.3 yards per kickoff return that season.

As a junior, Green continued to progress. He caught 36 passes for 673 yards and 10 touchdowns on offense, and snatched up three Interceptions on defense.

“At wide receiver, for me, there’s no such thing as a bad ball. I go get everything,” he explained. “And at safety, it’s pretty much the same. I’m a ballhawk who attacks the ball when it’s in the air.”

Green is also a star on the track for Classen, competing in the 200 and 400 meter races. This year, he was the 400 meter state champion with a time of 48.7 seconds.

Tulsa now has nine commitments in the 2024 class, including three from the state of Oklahoma. Green is the fifth 3-star prospect to commit to TU in this recruiting cycle. Tulsa beat out numerous Power Five offers for seven of its nine commitments.

Verbal pledges are non-binding, and prospective student athletes can sign letters of intent during the early December signing period.