Jean Delance, a highly touted offensive lineman from Mesquite, Texas, in the 2016 recruiting class, has rescinded his commitment to Oklahoma, apparently because of a racist video made by an Oklahoma fraternity.
He announced on his Twitter account that he was decommitting, but did not specify why. Others have filled in the blanks.
Delance, who had committed to Oklahoma in November, later tweeted that he officially received an offer from Alabama.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma players chose not to practice Monday as a form of protest over the video, which featured members of the school's Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter participating in a racist chant.
An OU spokesman told The Associated Press that coach Bob Stoops and the team agreed to protest instead of practicing. Athletic director Joe Castiglione joined in the protest, and the AP noted that Sooners basketball coach Lon Kruger has condemned the video.
It's hard to fathom a video like this being produced in 2015, but it's not hard to imagine that OU's recruiting could suffer in all sports because of the video. Stoops, Kruger and the rest of the Sooners' coaches will be asked about race relations on campus, and Delance probably won't be the only athlete to decide not to attend OU because of it.
The fraternity was kicked off campus by Oklahoma president David Boren, who called the fraternity members "disgraceful" and labeled their behavior "reprehensible." He also said the university was looking into a range of punishments, including expulsion. The SAE national office said it was embarrassed by the "unacceptable and racist" behavior and ordered the OU chapter closed.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
