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4-star DB commits to Oklahoma, does 'Horns down' on live TV

Sam Cooper
College football writer
Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley hoists the Big 12 Conference championship trophy after beating Texas 39-27 in the Big 12 Conference championship on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)
Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley hoists the Big 12 Conference championship trophy after beating Texas 39-27 in the Big 12 Conference championship on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter)

It did not take long for Jeremiah Criddell to get involved in the Oklahoma-Texas rivalry.

Right after Criddell, a four-star defensive back from California, announced his commitment to Oklahoma live on ESPN2, he flashed the “horns down” right to the camera.

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The “horns down” turns Texas’ signature “Hook ‘Em Horns” hand sign upside down. It’s something that Texas takes pretty seriously, and it has resulted in flags for UT opponents in recent years, including two West Virginia players this season. During the Big 12 title game, Oklahoma players waited until after the final whistle in order to avoid a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

But that obviously doesn’t apply to Criddell just yet, so he did not hesitate to let it fly on live television.

Before picking the Sooners, Criddell was verbally committed to Oregon, but he decided to back off that pledge late last month. Rivals.com’s Adam Gorney described how Criddell, the No. 133 overall prospect in 2019, can help the Oklahoma secondary:

Criddell has tremendous versatility in the secondary. There have been rumors that the four-star would prefer a shot at playing cornerback and Oklahoma would afford him that opportunity so that was a big selling point for the Sooners. Talk was that Oregon preferred him at safety and while that wasn’t a major issue for Criddell, he did prefer getting a chance at corner. Getting tested in the Big 12 was also something the four-star considered and it’s a big deal that the Sooners are headed back to the College Football Playoff.

Criddell adds to a top 10 class for Lincoln Riley at OU. Riley and his assistants were really excited about Criddell’s decision:

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