2026 Softball Recruiting

[oufanforever]

Today I checked Patty's follows on twitter and found she has recently followed her first/only 2026 recruit:

Addison Rackley, @AddieRack48 on twitter. She is a RHP/Utility from Georgia and plays for Georgia Impact Taylor travel ball team. 7th Ranked overall player by ExtraInnings.

https://twitter.com/AddieRack48

[TropicalSooner]

Boy, she's getting around to a lot of places.

I'll have to go back to some of our old info and see if she has been to any of Patty's camps.

[OUBeliever56A]

Boy, she's getting around to a lot of places.

I'll have to go back to some of our old info and see if she has been to any of Patty's camps.

She has been to one of the last sessions of the Showcase Camps at OU.

The ranking for Addisen Rackley from EIS was a tie for the 7th best player in the Class of 2026. She was listed as a P/UT player. That made her in the top 14 players in the class and one of 7 pitchers in those top 14 players. She was also listed on the Watch List by Softball America in a look at the Class of 2026 players and then listed as the #16 player in the 2026 Class. My notes about Rackley indicate that she is not a hard thrower from what I have read. She is more of a spin/control pitcher than power. The Utility listing for Rackley may be the most valuable thing for Rackley.

In those 14 players, two other pitchers have also been to OU Showcases and has interest from OU. My notes and listings are below for the two in them.

SA-#3 and the Watch List -- #4 EIS (Top 8) -- EK Smith, P, Impact Gold – Jazz ---> One to watch, Katy, TX - Big Time Potential --> She has been to an OU Showcase.
SA-#2 and the Watch List -- #3 EIS (Top 6) -- Caroline Stanton, P/IF, Lady Dukes National – Lamar ---> Mid-to-Upper 60's RHP. Nasty change. (Young Kegan Rothrock) --> She has been to an OU Showcase.

[OUBeliever56A]

[1KCSoonerFan]

Rackley looks like a fine prospect - and getting many offers from some top notch programs means something about her quality as an athlete. IF OU offers, she must have something special.

As Believer indicates, I'd like to see interest from Smith and/or Stanton - they are in that Top Three Tier of Talent already....and there are reasons for that, too. Both are RHP's.

The 2026 Class will play in the Spring of 2027, correct? Bordi and Zache will be around (two potentially Great pitchers) I think. Can't have enough great pitching on staff.

I heard on NPR today that there are new rules/rulings around the payment of college athletes - namely, that they can get paid directly by their institution. The NIL is also still in effect and is a separate deal. A player can get paid by both.

Rackley's statement on X of, "Show me the money" is the first time I have read an athlete making a comment like this out loud. I know paying players has gone on since forever; it struck me as amazing a high school student is so out front with it. The times they are a' changin'.....(not necessarily for the worse - just a change).

[oufanforever]

Rackley looks like a fine prospect - and getting many offers from some top notch programs means something about her quality as an athlete. IF OU offers, she must have something special.

As Believer indicates, I'd like to see interest from Smith and/or Stanton - they are in that Top Three Tier of Talent already....and there are reasons for that, too. Both are RHP's.

The 2026 Class will play in the Spring of 2027, correct? Bordi and Zache will be around (two potentially Great pitchers) I think. Can't have enough great pitching on staff.

I heard on NPR today that there are new rules/rulings around the payment of college athletes - namely, that they can get paid directly by their institution. The NIL is also still in effect and is a separate deal. A player can get paid by both.

Rackley's statement on X of, "Show me the money" is the first time I have read an athlete making a comment like this out loud. I know paying players has gone on since forever; it struck me as amazing a high school student is so out front with it. The times they are a' changin'.....(not necessarily for the worse - just a change).

May I ask where you saw the "show me the money" statement and provide a link? Thanks!

Edit: Nevermind, I found it. That is referring to a travel ball tournament named "Show Me the Money".

[TropicalSooner]

Rackley looks like a fine prospect - and getting many offers from some top notch programs means something about her quality as an athlete. IF OU offers, she must have something special.

As Believer indicates, I'd like to see interest from Smith and/or Stanton - they are in that Top Three Tier of Talent already....and there are reasons for that, too. Both are RHP's.

The 2026 Class will play in the Spring of 2027, correct? Bordi and Zache will be around (two potentially Great pitchers) I think. Can't have enough great pitching on staff.

I heard on NPR today that there are new rules/rulings around the payment of college athletes - namely, that they can get paid directly by their institution. The NIL is also still in effect and is a separate deal. A player can get paid by both.

Rackley's statement on X of, "Show me the money" is the first time I have read an athlete making a comment like this out loud. I know paying players has gone on since forever; it struck me as amazing a high school student is so out front with it. The times they are a' changin'.....(not necessarily for the worse - just a change).

Man, I wish she hadn't done that.
I get that is the way kids are now, and yeah, these times they are a changin', but ugh. That is just too reminiscent of Johhny Manziel for me....but I'm old, so there's that.

[TropicalSooner]

Rackley looks like a fine prospect - and getting many offers from some top notch programs means something about her quality as an athlete. IF OU offers, she must have something special.

As Believer indicates, I'd like to see interest from Smith and/or Stanton - they are in that Top Three Tier of Talent already....and there are reasons for that, too. Both are RHP's.

The 2026 Class will play in the Spring of 2027, correct? Bordi and Zache will be around (two potentially Great pitchers) I think. Can't have enough great pitching on staff.

I heard on NPR today that there are new rules/rulings around the payment of college athletes - namely, that they can get paid directly by their institution. The NIL is also still in effect and is a separate deal. A player can get paid by both.

Rackley's statement on X of, "Show me the money" is the first time I have read an athlete making a comment like this out loud. I know paying players has gone on since forever; it struck me as amazing a high school student is so out front with it. The times they are a' changin'.....(not necessarily for the worse - just a change).

May I ask where you saw the "show me the money" statement and provide a link? Thanks!

Edit: Nevermind, I found it. That is referring to a travel ball tournament named "Show Me the Money".

thank you for finding this clarification. I'm glad it was in reference to something else and not her own belief.

I wish they would have come up with a better (or at least different) name for a softball tournament for 10th graders though.

[oufanforever]

[oufanforever]

Also, I appears OU was hosting a camp today at Marita Hynes

[1KCSoonerFan]

I evidently misread Rackley's Twix (Twitter now X). I apologize. I was honestly not putting down anything she was putting out there!

Rackley seems like a great prospect, and I hope OU is giving her every opportunity to join the team! What's not to like?

Thigpen looks the part of an All-American already. I need to look into her more!

[BudaSooner]

Sounds like it would be hard to go wrong with any of the 3 pitchers: Rackley, EK Smith or Stanton. Hope we get one of them.

I would ask the other members of SoonerSports board this question: Does the fact that OU is almost certainly due for a Non-championship year or two (while we retrench with the loss of the greatest senior class in memory) - - does that fact lend itself to a corresponding drop in our ability to sign the very best crop of recruits? Are we gonna miss out on the Jaydas, the Tiare athletes?

Whattaya think?

If there is one recruit that I am hoping that OU can land out of the 2026 class, it is EK Smith. This gal seems to have it all, similar to Jordy Bahl: great pitcher, great hitter!

Anyone have any inclinations as to which way she might be leaning?

[inconnu]

Addison Rackley looks a lot(at least in the picture of her wearing the Impact shirt and pointing) like a young fellow Georgian, famous pop singer Brenda Lee.(FWIW)

Yeah, that observation shows how old I am.

[OUBeliever56A]

Also, I appears OU was hosting a camp today at Marita Hynes

I saw this today as I drove by.

[TropicalSooner]

Still going at it. Nice.
Patty is efficient. Recruiting this week for our current needs with transfer portal possibles...and also recruiting for team needs for 2-3-4 years down the road from now.