‘Always been a dream’: Why Norman's Dax Noles joined growing group of OU football walk-ons

NORMAN — Growing up in Norman, Dax Noles rarely missed a football game at OU.

He nostalgically reminisces on the years of his early childhood when Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford led the team at quarterback. These days, Noles enjoys sharing his Sooner fandom with his three younger brothers: Crew, Luke and 3-year-old Cal.

So, when the time arrived for Noles to choose where to play college football, he didn’t have to look far.

Noles, a 6-foot senior safety at Norman High, committed Sunday to OU as a preferred walk-on.

“All IN!” the announcement read, and Noles has been “all in” with the Sooners since his toddler years.

“I knew I wanted to stay close to home, and OU is obviously a great option for that,” Noles told The Oklahoman. “And I just believe in the program so much. It’s such a great program, I just know I wouldn’t be able to miss out, even if it was a preferred-walk on. I have some confidence in myself that I can eventually end up earning a scholarship.”

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Noles’ PWO status means the Sooners expressed recruiting interest in him without offering a scholarship. Although he held scholarship offers from Dartmouth and Navy, he opted to stay in Norman instead, seeing how other walk-ons have earned their spots.

During a February team meeting, OU coach Brent Venables surprised walk-ons Gavin Freeman, Pierce Hudgens, Major Melson, Josh Plaster and Zach Schmit with “prizes” that turned out to be scholarships.

Noles, who had 142 tackles and three interceptions as a junior, finds inspiration in those stories.

“If you can ball, you’re gonna play,” Noles said.

Noles joins a line of local recruits who have recently decided to play for the Sooners as PWOs, including Noble receiver Brandon Harper, Casady lineman Ace Hodges and Moore kicker Liam Evans.

Some PWOs, such as Andy Bass of Heritage Hall and Bergin Kysar of Edmond Santa Fe, have alluded to name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities that could cover school expenses. Noles didn’t mention any specific NIL deals, but he’s aware of the potential.

“I haven’t thought about that too much,” Noles said. “But obviously, NIL is huge nowadays, so that’s definitely a good option. It doesn’t weigh quite a (financial) toll as it used to for walk-ons.”

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A close friend of Sooner commit Mykel Patterson-McDonald, Noles said OU started paying attention to him during his junior year. But the turning point happened after a strong showing at a summer camp, and he received the PWO opportunity July 2.

Noles balances many roles for Norman, from safety to receiver to running back, and he showcases his speed on punt returns. At OU, he anticipates playing defense – Noles said he will likely continue to be a safety but will step in wherever the Sooners need him.

His family members won’t have to leave their hometown to see it happen. After making his decision, Noles said he first shared the news with his parents, who were “pumped.” Then they all told his brothers, and that’s when the celebration kicked into high gear.

“It feels awesome,” Noles said. “It just relieves so much stress on my shoulders. It’s always been a dream to play at OU, too, so it’s pretty cool.”

Hallie Hart covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Hallie? She can be reached at hhart@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @halliehart. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Hallie's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football recruiting: Dax Noles explains why he picked Sooners