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OU Recruiting: 2025 TE Chase Loftin Reveals What He Likes About Oklahoma

Originally posted on FanNation All Sooners
By John E. Hoover | Last updated 3/19/24

BROKEN ARROW, OK — There’s a lot that Chase Loftin likes about Oklahoma.

“The first thing that sticks out to me is they’re my first offer,” Loftin said. “So taking a shot on me is a big deal.”

That was way back in June 2023, prior to his junior season at Omaha’s Millard South High School, when he caught 34 passes for 440 yards and six touchdowns — numbers similar to his sophomore season, when he caught 39 passes for 577 yards and five TDs. In his two varsity seasons so far, the 6-foot-6, 215-pound Loftin has 73 receptions for 1,017 yards (13.9 yards per catch) and has scored 11 touchdowns, according to MaxPreps.

But since that offer from the Sooners almost nine months ago, recruiting has picked up considerably for Loftin.

At a 7-on-7 tournament in Oklahoma last weekend, Loftin said his offer list had reached 21 before he dropped his top 10 recently.

The top 10 reads almost like a who’s who of NFL tight end prep: Oklahoma, Florida, Penn State, Kansas State, Miami, Missouri, Nebraska, Florida State, Oklahoma, Auburn and Texas A&M.

Where is ?? https://t.co/LJ4vw3Lpgw
— Chase Loftin (@ChaseLoftin8) March 14, 2024

Loftin’s dad Ryan played linebacker at Iowa and looks like he could still fill the A gap. His brother Brayden currently plays tight end at Kansas State. So Loftin knows a thing or two about college football recruiting.

“I look for three things through this recruitment process,” Loftin told AllSooners. “The first is academics. The second thing is the coaching staff — do I think they can develop me into an NFL guy and do I get along with them? And then the third thing, and probably the most important thing is, when I walk in, does it feel like home?”

He said Oklahoma filled those requirements during his visit for the Sooners’ victory over UCF last October. Now he’s putting together his official visits, and the Sooners remain high on his list.

“I really get along with the coaching staff,” Loftin said. “Coach Venables and Coach Finley are some of my favorite guys. So the atmosphere in that stadium is second to none for sure. But yeah, I love it there.”

Although it was just 7-on-7, Loftin stood out in a spectacular crowd of 2025 tight ends at the DR7 event last weekend. Among his competition at tight end were Sooner targets Nate Roberts (Washington, OK) and Da’Saahn Brame (Derby, KS). Brame is the nation’s No. 4 tight end, according to 247 Sports, while Roberts ranks No. 5. Loftin is No. 19, and is No. 15 nationally at the position according to both Rivals and On3.

“It was awesome to play against those guys and see where I compare to them,” he said. “It was fun.”

While 247 Sports rates him as a 3-star prospect, On3 and Rivals have him as a 4-star.

Loftin’s strength is his ability to glide through a route tree at top speed. Despite his length, he accelerates quickly, changes direction effortlessly and stops and starts suddenly. He’s obviously a physical mismatch for any defensive back, but moves with deceptive agility and creates separation with ease. He also combines a seemingly limitless catch radius with strong, supple hands.

His team, Warren Academy, came in as the No. 1 seed in the elite bracket but lost by a point in the finals. Still, Loftin found himself in the end zone all weekend.

“I’m mostly like a route-runner tight end,” he said. “I’m pretty good at separation on the DBs and stuff and I’m pretty good at the point of attack, catching the ball. My blocking game, it’s improving for sure. I would say that’s the weaker part of my game that I need to keep expanding on. I need to get better on all fronts. But I’m going to keep trying to become more dynamic.”

Loftin played soccer growing up, which explains his uncanny footwork. He also played basketball as a youth, which underscores his natural ability to find open space.

He said he liked OU’s use of the tight ends last year, although everyone is eager to see how co-coordinator Joe Jon Finley’s position evolves in 2024 under new offensive coordinator Seth Littrell.

On his unofficial visit last year, Loftin said he spent time getting to know Venables and the OU coaching staff (Jeff Lebby was the offensive coordinator at the time, while Littrell was an offensive analyst).

“The main part was me evaluating how they use their tight ends and how they use their play on the field,” he said.

He enjoyed seeing Sooner tight ends play “all over the place.”

Now Loftin is getting serious about the final stages of his recruiting process. He doesn’t have a specific timeline yet, but he’s eager to begin.

“I’m going through these spring practices and I’m gonna figure out which ones are my top ones to take the (official visits) to,” he said. “It’s probably gonna be a little stressful, but it’ll be fun.”