Lincoln Riley and the Sooners are ahead of schedule in 2020 recruiting class

With the new recruiting calendar, OU coach Lincoln Riley is putting more effort in courting rising juniors earlier than in previous years. [PHOTO BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN]

NORMAN — Oklahoma fans didn't have to wait for the sky to darken to see fireworks Wednesday night.

Early in the evening, elite defensive back Darion Green-Warren, a member of the 2020 class, announced his verbal commitment to the Sooners in a video, one that fittingly culminated with an OU logo in fireworks.

“I just knew that everybody was going to be on their phones for the holiday,” Green-Warren said. “The fireworks, that was my main thing. I wanted to give everybody a show for the Fourth of July.”

For Green-Warren, who was born in Edmond and lived there until he was 7, committing to OU was a no-brainer — even if it was early in his recruiting process.