Open Post | Weekend, April 5th & 6th (UPDATE 12:47 pm, Sun.)

Image via @OU_CoachB

– We’re a week away from the big spring game! Obviously not being able to see Blake Bell in action is a bit of a disappointment and we wish him a speedy recovery, but there is still going to be a ton of a great things to watch for.

– A name we continue to hear from multiple folks is OLB, and potential pass rush extraordinaire, Devante Bond. He may still be in the process of learning the position, but the explosiveness everyone saw on his JUCO film seems to be undeniable. We’ve heard different things in terms of how complete he is at this point, and how he hasn’t quite picked up the totality of the position just yet, but everyone agrees the dude can come off the edge like a man. Hearing he had a great week of practice.

– Have also heard Jordan Smallwood had a great week as well and is looking really good. The names we’d heard previously at WR were Shepard, Neal, Bennett and Woods, but we’re hearing Smallwood’s name more and more. He’ll be someone we will be watching closely, because he’s a guy with some size on him that can bring a different element to the offense.

– We were probably the first site to report just how good Dimitri Flowers is in our practice reports. In fact, early on we said he’s a ‘plug and play’ guy.

– In general, the word we are getting is that the defense was dominant this past week. In fact someone was kind of enough to let us know the defense even had multiple INTs, and made it next to impossible for the offense to even pick up first downs while the team was working on 3rd down drills. Interestingly, Eric Striker even had an interception.

– In recruiting news, I chatted with Breiden Fehoko yesterday and his flight to the mainland had been delayed due to the weather. Haven’t confirmed if they were able to make it out on the evening flight, but he let me know that he still wants to make it Norman. But it’s not certain at this point if that will be feasible. He said he’ll update us once he’s confirmed either way, and when he does we’ll pass that info on to y’all.

I will say that whether he’s able to make it in or not will be due to factors completely unrelated to his interest in OU. His interest in Oklahoma is very real!

– Chatted a little with 2015 WR Ryan Newsome earlier this week. He was at Texas last weekend, and it sounds like he enjoyed it a lot. He says there are still other schools in play, including Oklahoma and Baylor, but something tells me Texas is standing out to him. We’ll see how things eventually play out, he’d be a great player in OU’s offense. And he’s got a record breaking first name.

– I  (K) talked to Kahlil Haughton as well and he’s trying to make it the spring game. Some Texas based OU fans out there need to start a recruit pick up for these kinds of events, because between Kahlil and PJ Mbanasor that’s already two top players from Texas that want to come to the spring game but haven’t confirmed a ride, haha. Relax, NCAA.

I was always unsure about where things stood with OU and Haughton, but he actually told me this week that when he visited OU a couple months back he “loved it!”

– I also talked to Ykili Ross and his father, and they said they’ll be taking one of their official visits to Oklahoma! I’m telling y’all, don’t be surprised if this CB class ends up being the best Oklahoma has had in a while. There are at least four top CBs that OU is in really good shape with right now and there are definitely others in the mix.

– Related to the note above, OU grad asst. Chip Viney is a name I continue to hear on the recruiting trail. As we cover recruiting, you get a real sense of who the good recruiters are out there. Coach Viney is a young guy that clearly is able to connect with recruits. But let me also add that coach Bobby Jack is also a name on the OU staff that we hear quite a bit as well. Viney and Wright are a nice combination for the Sooners.

– I talked to Torrance Gibson’s coach. I asked him if Torrance plans on taking an official to OU, and he said he wasn’t sure yet. The coach I spoke to is someone I’ve known and would shoot me straight. He’s also the coach that brought Torrance on all the trips.

I know folks want to count us out based on some of the recent comments Gibson has made, but I’m not ready to do that just yet. If we don’t get one of Gibson’s officials though, then that will obviously be the end of it. But I want to talk to a few more people around Torrance to get a real sense of our chances of getting one of his five official visits.

I’d love for Gibson to come out to the OU vs. Tennessee game. He’ll get to see the difference between the “we’re about to do it” coaches and the “we’ve already done it and that’s how you know we’re about to do it again” coaches. I expect Oklahoma to light  Tennessee up, and I’d love for Gibson to have a front row seat.

– A safety y’all should keep your eye on that we will talk about more later is Kylan Johnson out of Dallas Skyline. I’m personally hoping OU extends an offer. Very physical safety that closes fast from a school we’ve had some success recruiting. Kylan picked up his first offer this week from UCLA, and I expect his recruiting to really pick up. I’ve talked to Kylan and if OU got involved, I think we’d definitely be a major contender. For you Twitter folks, here’s his handle: https://twitter.com/shotime_kc

– A buddy of mine is out at a QB camp today, and told me that one of the top 2016 QBs told him that OU is his favorite school. I was somewhat distracted so I didn’t ask him the name of the player while we were on the phone, but I trust his eyes and he said the kid will be one of the top QBs in the country. I believe he said the player was from New Jersey. I can get the name from him later.

– One of our readers posted a comment from RB Tyreik Gray’s Twitter account yesterday and for those who missed it, Gray put out his top 5: University of Houston, Oklahoma, Baylor, Louisville, and Kansas. We’ll try to get more from Gray when we get a chance to speak to him.

– UPDATE (10:39 am): Fehoko evidently did make a flight and is currently in Texas.

He also tweeted another little interesting note regarding his recruitment.

– UPDATE (10:42 am): ESPN’s Gerry Hamilton is reporting that OU offer Bo Wallace has plans to visit Norman next weekend.

 

– UPDATE (11:01 am): It looks like 2015 WR and OU offer Alex Ofodile is in Norman for another visit and taking in today’s practice/scrimmage.

UPDATE (3:50 pm): At the NFTC today, PJ Mbanasor and Will Sunderland earned invites the The Opening! That’s two of the 6 players invited who are legitimate Oklahoma targets.

– UPDATE (9:32 am, Sun.): 2014 Sooners commit, Orlando Brown, probably in Norman already (this was from about 10 hours ago) for a visit.

 

– UPDATE (10:05 am, Sun.): Got a couple notes from yesterday’s practice/scrimmage, so we wanted to go ahead and share them with you. Expect to have a little more later today, but here’s what we have for now.

Want to preface it by saying there just doesn’t appear to be a ton going on at practices right now. It seems as though the coaches are holding back a bit. They were already missing some guys and now with Bell going down, and some other guys getting dinged up, they don’t seem very anxious to risk getting any more guys hurt.

We were told the defense won the day once again. Which is not at all uncommon this time of year, but is obviously in line with all of the excitement you keep hearing about from Coach Mike and what this D could do in 2014.

Also told the offense looked a little sloppy. There were several dropped passes and they struggled to move the ball on the ground against the defensive front. Was told the front seven really stood out on Saturday, borderline dominant at times.

As we’ve continued to hear, both Keith Ford and Alex Ross have excelled this spring. The competition at this point seems to be a pretty even one. OU having two backs as big as they both are, but also capable of taking one to the house at any time, it could be a nightmare for opponents.

To that point above as to why the coaches are holding back a bit, we were told Durron Neal went down with an injury during the practice. Believed to be his knee and/or ankle, though the severity (or lack thereof) of the injury is not known at this time.

– UPDATE (10:10 am, Sun.): Another update from Orlando Brown.

 

– UPDATE (12:30 pm, Sun.):  Okay, heard from another source and we have some more practice notes for y’all.

There was more about how good the defense has been, but more specifically how well Eric Striker has taken to the nickel position. He’s improving all the time and continuing to get better in coverage.

Much like you’ve heard from Bob Stoops since his arrival, more praise for true freshman Dimitri Flowers. He has done quite well as a receiver and had a couple big pass plays yesterday during Saturday’s practice. He and Trevor seem to have already developed a good feel for one another.

Was told the coaches held some of the more experienced guys out of practice, or at least parts of it, which is pretty common and gives them a chance to evaluate some of the younger guys.

As we mentioned previously, there were a number of drops from the receivers but they were also the ones making plays on Saturday. Derrick Woods had a really good day, even hauling in a long TD pass from Knight. Several nice catches for both KJ Young and Jordan Smallwood, both names you continue to hear as guys that are standing out.

Zack Sanchez had a good practice with a couple INTs, including one pick-six.

Was not able to get specifics as to who the individual players were, but the defense was consistently getting pressure regardless of which QB was under center.

– UPDATE (12:47 pm, Sun.): OU offer and one of the Sooners main priorities at running back in 2015, Ronald Jones, has committed to Oklahoma State per multiple reports. Which is a huge get for the Pokes as Jones is arguably one of the most talented backs in the country.

Oklahoma should still be good at RB in 2015 with guys like Soso Jamabo and Tyreik Gray, but this is a significant loss if for no other reason that (at least at this point) Jones headed to OU’s rival.

96 Comments

  • Doobie74OU says:

    Wow! A ton of great news. Glad Fehoko got to the states and I really hope he is at the Spring Game. Going to be a lot of great recruits there that weekend. Hope we come out of that weekend with 3 new Verbal Commitments! With all the great players there in that amped up atmosphere if we can get 1 or 2 guys to commit surely somebody will ride the wave of excitment and join the fold! Thanks for all your hard work!

    • EasTex says:

      I recall Perine committed right after he attended last year’s spring game, I hope you are right and we get some solid commits next weekend.

  • EasTex says:

    I recently went back and looked at Woods’ and Neal’s high school highlight videos. I had almost forgotten how excited we were to have them sign with OU and seeing them in action reminded me what fantastic athletes they are. After reviewing Woods’ video, I think he should be in contention for not only a WR spot, but for returning kicks, too.
    http://youtu.be/4aPLwhUpFpY

    I wonder what the cryptic nature of Fehoko’s tweet is?

    • OUknowitscomin says:

      I remember really liking Neal clips, he was pretty strong & thicker. That’s actually what I like about both Neal & Woods….along with Smallwood, is their physical presence/ability. Neal’s main knock on very limited opportunities has been staying on feet at times. But has still shown promise.
      I really think we have a solid group of receivers with ability to step up & believe we’ll get at least 2 that do….beyond Shep that is.

      • EasTex says:

        I agree, both are solidly built. I believe our WRs will be a strength this year, catching passes and blocking. The younger WRs will need to prove they can block and run good routes and I hope at least one of the taller receivers can contribute.

  • EasTex says:

    Reviewed the Central and East Texas recruiting page at Smoakey’s this morning.
    A number of the players mentioned here in recent weeks appear and of particular interest to me was how many that have OU offers are listed as TAMU commits.
    I believe much of TAMU’s recent success in ETexas recruiting is due to their DC, Phil Bennett. As I mentioned before, we grew up across the street from each other. I am a few years older. He was a Parade All-American LB in high school and Emory Bellard flew in on signing day for Phil’s LOI signing at the Longview airport. He always had that ‘ready to fight at the drop of a hat’ attitude so many LBs have. I think with his background, his brothers having been high school coaches in Texas since the 70’s including in East Texas and his success as a DC over the years(he helped in recruiting Roy Williams and Rocky Calmous for OU) have all created a great cache for him when he knocks on doors in ETexas.
    When Phil was fired at Pitt(Wanstedts staff) he had numerous offers. One of which was the DC job with the Philly Eagles, but he turned it down to return to Texas and be the Baylor DC.
    ETexas is littered with fantastic athletes, and their reputation for saltiness and speed precedes them. I would love to see OU dip in there more, I hate to see so many talented ball players there go anywhere else.

  • Jason Vos says:

    Fehoko is in Texas but is not visiting the longhorns. I believe he is there to visit his brother, who I believe plays for Texas Tech.

  • Dlee914 says:

    Ive followed Gibson ot Twitter and have had some debates with Tenn fans. Gibson has favored or retweeted the Tennessee fans but not commented on mine. Seems like hes a huge fan of Tennessee unforttunately.

    • Zack says:

      Even though to some this would sound petty especially the old school guys. This is somewhat telling a lot of these guys love that attention and if they show one school some love by retweeting and not others that is a sign to me that there’s a lack of interest.

    • Steve Cooke says:

      He’s favorited me a couple of times I tweeted #BoomerSooner to him.

    • Shelby is a Patriot says:

      Tennessee fans are showing him a lot of love (a ridiculous amount), so it wouldn’t surprise me.

  • Jordan Esco says:

    2015 QB Kevin Dillman (was formerly teammates w/ OU commit Dallis Todd’s), a guy I know I’ve seen a number of OU fans wonder if the Sooners would offer, has committed to Nebraska, fwiw.

  • Daryl says:

    I hope the turnout for spring game is huge. I think last year was 10k. What would it say if 25-50k showed out and added to recruiting excitement?

    Please tell me Fehoko is not going to Tech after all the work Monty has put in.

    • Jordan Esco says:

      He has a brother there

      • nathan parrish says:

        Two brothers

      • DCinAZ says:

        Well I’m sure he meant his brother and family are gonna be shocked by his recruitment when he chooses OU.

        • Jordan Esco says:

          Let’s hope so 😉

          • DCinAZ says:

            Deciding to join your brothers that you grew up with playing football at their current school wouldn’t be shocking. Signing with their arch nemesis to play against your bothers would be shocking.

            I’m gonna keep telling myself that.

            PS: Or he could decide to accept his offer from to Weber State. Now THAT would shock the world!

    • Big Higg says:

      They announced last years spring game attendance at like 24,000 or it might have been 29,000…can’t remember exactly but they did say it was a spring game record. I was there. Will be at this one too!

  • Stoops'Visor says:

    I think the QB your friend was talking about is Jarrett Guarantano.

  • Jordan Esco says:

    I’m not expecting a great crowd in Norman next Saturday (OU fans have just never put 70-80k in the stadium for a practice like some other fanbases), but compared to this?

    https://twitter.com/JimmieTramel/status/452516318600630272

    Ouch, bro.

  • Zack says:

    While I wouldn’t be disappointed with ofadile choosing ou I would like to see 2 slot receivers this year. And if they get one bigger guy I think dahu should be the guy. Lodge already ruled ou out basically and Kirk from what I’ve heard is a a&m lean even though I like ou’s ability to get guys out of Arizona. I personally think dahu will be as good if not better than ofadile and probably would be significantly easier to recruit.
    Not trying to hate on ofadile I think he’s got the measurables I just don’t see him really break away from guys and the routes don’t seem very complex.

  • Ed Cotter says:

    Hoping that Fehoko has a great time in Norman. Keep putting in work Coach Mont!

  • EasTex says:

    I sure hope the OU equipment folks get on this flexible helmet.
    I’ve wondered many times over the years why the original “flex helmet” never caught on, perhaps it was the cost.
    My senior year of high school ball I busted three traditional 60’s era Riddell helmets between two-a-days and the second game of the year(back then we were instructed to use the helmet as a weapon). When I got to the field house for practice after the 3rd busted helmet, one of our coaches greeted me with my new helmet. It was made of fiberglas with foam padding. It was remarkable in that I would grab the ear holes and stretch it to put it on. When I let go of the holes it squeezed down and was very comfortable. What was even better was you couldn’t “ring the bell.” The coaches took turns banging the helmet with rocks or any other hard object handy, and it was just a dull thud, no ringing. One coach explained to me that because I was busting so many helmets, it was cheaper to just buy that one. Wore it the rest of the year with only one problem. The face mask wasn’t designed for the helmet, it was designed for the hard shell models. In a game against perennial power St. Thomas of Houston, I collided with a blocker down field on a punt. I felt something snap, but had no idea what it was. The first down play revealed what had happened, the face mask had broken near the mounting point and a jagged broken face mask slid between my left eye and the helmet.
    This new helmet sounds very similar to the helmet I wore 46 years ago, with the advantage of modern materials and of course a face mask designed for the helmet. Bet they are pricey, too.

    • Sonny Schovanec says:

      They will have boat loads of Riddell Equipment too the newest specst. They use both Schutt and Riddell helmets. Its a good rule of thumb to use both because its hard to fit “all” kids with one brand. OU uses mostly Powers shoulder pads which are made by Riddell. There are only really two helmet manufacturers left because of Liability expense’s. Schutt and Riddell. the lack of competition has driven the price through the roof.

  • OU_Sooners says:

    unrelated: once Julian Wilson gets back, why not try him on the outside CB and put Ahmad Thomas as a nickel at certain spots. Thomas has the athletic ability for safety and toughness for a linebacker. We’re having a good problem with the amount of talent available on the defensive side of the ball.

    • captfoss says:

      I believe one of the looks they’re trying is Wilson at outside CB, and Striker as the nickle…

      • OU_Sooners says:

        I know that. Just wanting Striker to be able to stay at LB. Feel like putting Grissom at OLB is sacrificing speed on the edge.

        • Shifty says:

          Striker will play both positions…With Bond on the other edge we will be better off with Bond, Grissom, and Striker all on the field at the same time because the qb/oline won’t know where the pressure is coming from on passing downs….btw Striker will still be playing jack…Mike just likes the flexibility he has with these dif groupings depending on the down and distance…there will be a db at nickel during passing downs unless Striker has really excelled in coverage

        • Doobie74OU says:

          Against some teams they will be willing to sacrifice the speed. Against better running teams, on early downs, and especially on short yardage and goalline Grissom will give them a little better size. But in the Big 12 on passing downs Mike will definaltely be sending pressure from a multitude of different angles. WILL BE FUN TO WATCH!

          • OU_Sooners says:

            I mean, how do you fit Phillips, Wade, Walker, Chuka, Tap, Grissom, Bond, Shannon, Alexander, Striker, Hayes, Sanchez, Byrd, along with another CB? It’s a good problem to have. OU can definitely mix it up to 4-3 at times. If Striker excels in coverage, they could essentially stay in their base defense unless they opposing team goes with 4-5 WRs.

  • Bennie Owen says:

    man. if I lived within 100 miles i’d be making the trip. not to rag on diehard sooner season ticket fans, but it seems as tho the stadium needs some serious enthusiasm. just channel tech 08 and do that every game.

    the players owe us nothing…and more often thanb not they deliver…but at the end of the day they’re the ones getting it done. they deserve all the credit for alll the hard work the y put in.,
    ,

    I know its a;ll vanilla in these spring games, but these guys are competitive. i would kill to watch the spring game at Owen Field.,

    • Shelby is a Patriot says:

      Yup, I’d give anything to be at that spring game, not to mention actually go in Owen Field. All these fans who live so close and can go but don’t show up, screw ’em.

  • SoonerfanTU says:

    I’ve kind of fallen out of the loop on Brown. Is he qualified?

    • Jordan Esco says:

      Not yet that I’ve heard.

      • Stikboy says:

        It would seem to look good that he’s coming to Norman, etc and getting used to the place. And, he didn’t double-sign with a JC, did he? What exactly is he still lacking? Core GPA or ACT? It seems like everyone on other sites gives him no chance..

  • Shelby is a Patriot says:

    Oh my word, Orlando Brown is tall. Jeez.

    • Gary Robbins says:

      Listed at 6-8/338 pounds. Sure seems slim and trim for 338 pounds.

      • EasTex says:

        He does and to think he was 440 just a few years ago. Credit to him for transforming himself physically.
        Sure hope his academics are in order.

  • Will Narramore says:

    Is the plan to play Mark Andrews at WR or TE when he gets here?

    • Shelby is a Patriot says:

      Pretty sure they told him that they saw him as a WR, but obviously that could change. Just what I remember hearing, though.

    • Zack says:

      I think they sold him on the idea of playing wr he reminds me of samardzija who played wr for notre dame. I think he could be a solid wr

      • Alexander says:

        Andrews looked bad as a WR at the all star game. Couldn’t create any separation, and was by far the most over ranked prospect in this class. They will give him his shot at WR as promised, yet the move to TE is inevitable & all but complete in my mind

        • Zack says:

          I don’t disagree that the all star game was a bad showing but they only gave mixon 3 touches. But I think the coaches will give him 2 years at wr to see if he does show the speed to be successful there and will suggest a move to te after that if that’s what he will project to be in the nfl.

          • Alexander says:

            It was the week of practice prior to the all star game I was referring to. Yes, they’ll give him a legitimate shot. Outside of a physical rarity like Perine, these kids put on 10-20 pounds quickly. Looking forward to Saturday, even though its going to be watered down, it’ll be nice to see the progression of the players

    • Jordan Esco says:

      It’s definitely WR, unless he has a considerable change of heart re: his desire to play TE and/or the coaches can sell him on it once he’s on campus. But he’s been pretty adamant throughout his entire recruitment that he does not want to play TE.

  • pitbull17 says:

    Thanks for the practice updates, hope you guys don’t get slapped on the wrist for bringing us the info. I know it’s only spring practice but I am so excited for what this D is going to be able do this coming season. There were so many things to build off of last year and it seems like they have a chance to be dominant this year.

    • Shelby is a Patriot says:

      Excited for the defense! Hopefully no more 700+ yards put on our defense like that WVU game couple years ago.

  • Jason Vos says:

    Any news on the severity of Durron Neal’s injury?

    • Jordan Esco says:

      Unfortunately, no. Have been told he sent out what some OU fans have described as a somewhat ominous tweet, but I think ppl have a tendency to read too much into that type of stuff in these situations.

  • Shelby is a Patriot says:

    Jones committed to Okie St? Excuse me while my breakfast makes a reappearance.

    • Sooner Ray says:

      He must not feel like he’s as good as what we already have.

      • Shelby is a Patriot says:

        I was wondering about that but wasn’t sure where we stood with him. But hey, if he thinks he looks good in orange that’s his problem. Lol

      • Zack says:

        There is quite a log jam at running back at ou so I don’t blame a talented kid for wanting less competition but I do like a kid who says I’m better than who you’ve got already and I’ll prove that.

        • J.K. Abbott says:

          Look at OU’s back on campus and the two that OU just signed, that OSU’s facilities and past RB success and It’s not that big of surprise. I bet Robert Allen is happy.

        • J.K. Abbott says:

          Good Post Zach. And look at the backs on OU’s campus plus Mixon and Periene Sp. Look at OSU’s RB roster.

      • EasTex says:

        Dangit!
        And he already had a fan club here.
        /Stoolwater? Seriously?

        • Sooner Ray says:

          He will regret his decision when our D unleashes the fury.

          • EasTex says:

            He may regret it come Bedlam.
            By then it may be too late for the clue-bat to help him.

          • Sonny Schovanec says:

            We are Soso guys anyway East Texas.

          • EasTex says:

            I like Soso, too, but I really liked the Jones kid cuts and wiggles.
            I could see Soso putting some heft on that frame to about 225 and being an absolute beast.

          • Sonny Schovanec says:

            Kids are different now the 15 years ago.. It’s about being able to play right away now and less tradition.. He probably looked at Keith Ford, Alex Ross, Joe Mixon &Sam Periene (not attempting to spell) and it scared him off. I told East Texas I wanted Soso a couple weeks ago and I’m sticking to it.

          • Sooner Ray says:

            I like Soso also. Along with everything you said, I read somewhere that Jones had a sister already attending State so he was likely not an option anyway.

  • Jordan Esco says:

    I see the Neal injury is now being confirmed by others.

    I look forward to the “as first reported by *a site not named The Football Brainiacs that didn’t actually report it first*” articles in the coming days.

    #TrollSoHard

  • RIsh says:

    Not sure if this is news but Allen QB, kyler Murray listed OU as a possible school in an interview with esp

  • Alexander says:

    Becoming more concerned about the WR not named Shep. Also not hearing a single word on Trevor looking good. Know the D is strong and should have the upper hand regardless of personal, just getting a bad vibe. Assuming they wish they had brought in a JUCO WR

    • Zack says:

      I thought someone said Trevor had been sitting for the most part? Not sure if that’s still the case

      • DCinAZ says:

        Yup. It was my understanding too that with Bell moving to TE and Thompson transferring to Utah, that they’d spend the spring giving the bulk of the reps to the backups to find a #2 QB before fall camp.

    • CoachStauder says:

      No need to bring in a juco WR. Far too much talent with more experience in the system. No need for a juco kid. Lest we forget how long it took Bester to adjust and what happened with Gardner…

  • Ed Cotter says:

    Kyler Murray has OU in his final 5 with the likes of Oregon and TAMU. Says he is going to make a decision before summer. With OU having some other Allen guys in the fold, how are the Sooners chances for Murray, realistically?

  • Ed Cotter says:

    Bummer about Jones committing to the PUKES, if it is true.

  • DCinAZ says:

    Hard to believe out of all the big time offers Jones has from major programs, he chose OSU.

  • Adrian says:

    Orlando Brown looks like he is in good shape, lost a lot of weight!
    Also Durron isn’t severe but it sucks because he really wants to be a starter this year.
    Dimitri Flowers could be a huge find if he ends up being a good blocker

  • Stephon tiger says:

    Soso will be good!

    • Zack says:

      It would be nice to see him at ou. I guess it’s down to him or gray in my opinion which isn’t a bad thing.