Offensive Line Prospect Declan Heying 'Honored' After Receiving Oklahoma Offer

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NORMAN – Declan Heying's first trip to Norman more than met his expectations.

Heying, an offensive lineman from the Class of 2028,competed at Tuesday'sBrent Venables Football Camp. After participating in the morning session, Heying had a conversation with OU offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh and earned an offer from the Sooners.

Even with two years of high school football remaining, Heying has already caught the attention of coaches across the country. But adding Oklahoma to his list of offers felt memorable for the rising high school junior.

"It meant a lot," Heying said. "I worked very hard, and hard work sure pays off. Oklahoma is also firmly one of the biggest names in college football and has an amazing history. It's an honor."

Listed at 6-5 and 270 pounds, Heying is graded as a 4-star prospect by Rivals. The Des Moines, IA, native is ranked as the No. 218 overall prospect, the No. 14 interior offensive lineman and the No. 4 recruit from Iowa, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

At Tuesday's camp, Heying competed against other offensive and defensive linemen hoping to play at Oklahoma or elsewhere at the Power Four level.

Heying believes that his performance led to his offer.

"I thought I dominated for the most part," Heying said. "I may have lost a few reps, but win or lose, I learned a ton, which is the most important part."

Tuesday was also Heying's first chance to meet Bedenbaugh in person. Bedenbaugh has coached at Oklahoma since 2013, overseeing the development of future NFL offensive linemen like Creed Humphrey, Tyler Guyton and Orlando Brown Jr.

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Program culture is what Heying sees as most important for his recruitment, and he believes that Bedenbaugh's leadership could help him reach his full potential.

"He pushes everyone to give their best every rep," Heying said. "And he is very big on the little details like eye contact. I want to play in the NFL and you need the right coach to do so."

As an Iowa native, Heying hails from deep in Big Ten country. He has already collected offers from 10 schools – Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin, Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, UCLA, Oregon, Nebraska and Minnesota – in the conference.

But Heying is keeping his options open. In addition to Oklahoma, Heying has received SEC offers from Missouri, Auburn, Tennessee and Arkansas.

While most of the Big Ten schools are closer in proximity to Heying, he has long admired the SEC's style and competitive nature.

"Every SEC school is very focused on the little details," Heying said. "They want their guys to be technically sound in every aspect."

Heying said that his natural athleticism and footwork are his strongest attributes. But he sees his hand placement as an area in which he can dramatically improve.

The offensive lineman has two years to clean up his technique and become the best version of himself before jumping to the collegiate ranks.

And in the meantime, he expects to be back in Norman soon.

"I am hoping to catch a game this year," Heying said. "Oklahoma has an amazing fan base, and I can't wait to see it in person."

This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/oklahoma as Offensive Line Prospect Declan Heying 'Honored' After Receiving Oklahoma Offer.

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