Open Post | Weekend, February 15th – 17th
Posted on: February 15, 2019
2020 OLB Kourt Williams had a Good day
– Super K
The title should say, “Kourt Williams had two Good days”. It began with an impressive performance at the Opening in LA on Sunday and then continued into Monday as the 2020 DB/LB out of St. John Bosco picked up offers from OU and Florida State.
In my recent write up about Kourt, I said the following:
Kourt said that coach Manning sees him as the type of hybrid athlete they are looking for. I agree. I think this young man is easily an OU offer guy. Can be an every down nickel. Very rare size and skill set. You’re going to a get a true SAM in terms of linebacker size and skill and a true nickel in terms of coverage ability.
As you get to know Kourt, I think you’ll understand more and more why this offer is a good one beyond his obvious physical ability which, by the way, led him to putting up the highest SPARQ rating at the LA Opening.
He’s a very sharp young man and despite his super hero like build, he’s unassuming in his off-the-field presence. There is little to no pretension to him. When he got the OU offer, he literally wrote in a text, “Man o man”.
He’s self motivated, hard working and naturally gifted. He has the genetics of a former UCLA football player from his father. But as Kourt says it, his father didn’t force Kourt to play football. It came from within Kourt.
Sooner fans will especially appreciate the irony of Kourt now being a top OU defensive target because of the motivation behind him actually playing the game of football.
“I was eight years old,” Kourt recounts. “I was watching the Patriots versus the Eagles and I saw Darren Sproles run a touchdown. Right then I wanted to play football. I don’t know what it was but watching him run, it looked fun. I told my mom I wanted to play football. So, she told my dad and he said, ok. But I was actually too big to play flag so my first time every playing football was tackle at nine years old”.
For those of you who might not remember, as a running back for Kansas State, Sproles was, to put it mildly, an absolute thorn in the Sooners side. If Kourt ends up in a Sooners jersey then perhaps it was Sproles way of paying the OU faithful back!
Kourt went on to say that once he was given permission by his father to play, the family enrolled him in a tackling camp so that he could learn how to tackle properly and safely.
Sure tackling? I think that will be music to your ears.
You can see his clean head-up, wrap-up tackling style on film. At the Opening, despite his size, he was lined up in 1-on-1s versus inside and outside wide receivers. On films he’s playing that nickel/OLB role. In Grinch’s system this will be your field OLB charged with defending inside wide receivers, pressuring when called up and, of course, playing the run.
You’d be hard pressed to find a more perfect fit for that role. A little taller and Kourt probably loses the agility needed to be a legitimate man cover guy and a little shorter and he probably loses some of the length to keep himself clean against offensive linemen.
Recruiting
In terms of recruitment, OU and FSU certainly weren’t Kourt’s first offers and I suspect they won’t be the last. Kourt already holds offers from the likes of USC and Oregon out west. But he said that once Oklahoma and FSU offered and once his SPARQ times were posted, he was flooded with messages from coaches congratulating him.
No doubt, in my mind, a sign of offers to come.
Kourt says his likely course of action moving forward will be to take unofficial visits in the spring (an Oklahoma visit certainly a possibility) and then take official visits in the fall.
I will say though that Kourt did indicate that the process is still up in the air so things could change. Either way, I think Oklahoma has planted themselves firmly in the mix.
Update | 2020 Safety RJ Mickens
– Charlie S
Late last week, I was checking in with a few 2020 Texas kids and I came across something I found interesting at the safety position.
Way back in January of 2017, Southlake Carroll safety RJ Mickens, then a sophomore, attended a Junior Day in Norman and received an offer.
Obviously, the offer was extended under Bob Stoops and former secondary coach, Kerry Cooks. I have been in touch with RJ over the past year or so and there was never any real connection between him and OU and it had long appeared that the pair was going separate ways.
However, last week when I checked in to see how things were going with the 6’1″ 190 lb prospect and he let me know he and OU had picked up communication of late.
Mickens let me know coach Grinch and Manning had been by recently and the communication has been picking up. RJ also said the staff is looking to bring him up on a visit in the near future.
If the visit is set up, I am not sure if the visit will be an unofficial or official but I will continue to check in with Mickens to see how things are progressing. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see him on the list for next weekend’s (February 23rd) junior day.
2020 WR Gary Bryant to Visit Sooners + Lathan Ransom Note
– Charlie S
*** K made one final stop in Cali before heading out to the airport and that was to see 2020 WR Gary Bryant at Centennial High School in Corona, CA.
The trip sounds like it was worth the while as we have connected with a kid who had been flying under the Sooner fans radar yet he told K that he is very interested in OU, and the Sooners, Cale Gundy in particular, have been recruiting him very aggressively.
Super K will have more on him when he gets settled in back home, but Bryant is a highly rated kid who would fit perfectly in the Sooner offense as a slot.
Bryant also told K that he will be taking an official visit to Norman for the spring game. As I said, K will have more to follow, but we wanted to get his name out to you.
*** One other note unrelated to Bryant that K asked me to pass along…
2020 safety, Lathan Ransom (Tucson, AZ, Salpointe, Catholic), let him know that he will be visiting OU for the Spring game as well.
That’s two additional very important visitors lined up who are planning on heading to what is shaping up to be another massive recruiting even for Lincoln Riley and the Sooners.
Offensive Line Recruiting Notes
– Charlie S
*** Grad transfer RJ Proctor (UVA) let me know he will be officially visiting OU on March 8th. Proctor (6’4/335) saw the field for all 13 of UVA’s games during the 2018 season. He started five of those, three at right guard, two at left guard. The versatile lineman will be eligible to play immediately in 2019 as a graduate transfer.
He, along with Grad Transfer Jonah Jackson (Rutgers) have become increasingly important to the Sooners as the OL depth is a bit thin.
*** Speaking of Jonah Jackson, we were first to report his intentions to visit Norman this upcoming weekend (February 15th) back on January 31st. Since that time it has been difficult to connect with Jonah and right now, I have not been able to confirm the visit with him personally
*** Touched base with 2020 OL Roger Rosengarten (Littleton, CO) and he let me know he will unofficially visit in March. As we reported, the Sooners have visited him recently and his recruitment is really starting to take off nationally as he has picked up offers from Michigan and Notre Dame. It will be good for the Sooners to get him on Campus obviously.
*** Spoke to 2020 OL Turner Corcoran (Lawrence, KS) and he confirms he will head back to Norman for the February 23rd Junior Day. This will be Corcoran’s third unofficial visit to OU and the Sooners are firmly in his top group. Corcoran has taken a handful of recent trips which includes stops at Kansas and Kansas State and he has a busy spring schedule as he plans on getting to Nebraska and Notre Dame among others.
*** Exchanged a few messages with 2020 OL Sedrick Van Pran (New Orleans, LA) and he told me he is in the process of finalizing a visit to OU in April. I would suspect that would be for the Spring Game but once he confirms the date I will let you know.
*** Checked in with 2020 OL and Texas A&M Commit Akinola Ogunbiyi. Aki let me know that he will be taking a couple visits this spring as he plans on heading to Texas this weekend and potentially OU for the 23rd. At any rate, he does plan on getting back up to Norman and that is pretty significant as for a few minutes there, he seemed all locked up to the Aggies. However, with the change of the offensive line coach in College Station, it appears Ogunbiyi is more willing to explore some other options which is big because the last time he was in Norman, he really enjoyed the trip and we felt that he was a legitimate possibility to flip.
Justin Flowe | Update
– Super K
I know many of you have been asking, specifically, about Justin Flowe and his interest in Oklahoma. Some of those questions became more pressing when Greg Biggins of 247 quoted the 5-star linebacker saying he would
Here is what I can tell you.
***When I spoke to Flowe at the camp (and I spoke to him multiple times while at the camp) and I asked him specifically about OU he said, the new defensive coaches are cool but he’s still getting to know them. In fact a quote I recall him saying was, “I don’t know them like that yet”. I didn’t get enough substantively to keep pushing the OU questions. I’ve learned that if you do that, the player will start to tell you what they think you want to hear instead of the truth.
***When I asked about visits, he only mentioned Texas as an upcoming unofficial visit. I also happened to be standing near a 247 writer (not Greg Biggins) and the writer asked the same question and Justin only said, Texas.
***So if Oklahoma was added as a visit, it must have happened after the camp.
***I checked with a source on the OU side and they do not yet have him down for a visit yet. Meanwhile, Texas does.
***I asked Flowe directly, yesterday, and he said that the Oklahoma visit is a possibility while he’s out visiting Texas but didn’t say it was a certainty.
***I’ve reached out to Flowe’s family and am waiting to hear back.
Based on everything, it seems there is a possibility that Flowe will make it out for an unofficial visit but it’s not set up just yet. If it happens, it will happen in March on the same trip as the Texas unofficial visit.
I think if the Sooners can keep working on building that relationship over the next few weeks then they can get him on campus. Their biggest competition out west is, in my opinion, USC. And based on my conversations with him, they’re biggest competition elsewhere is Alabama. Flowe wears the same number as former Alabama linebacker, Reuben Foster who he says is his favorite player.
If you would like to read K’s note on 2020 QB Bryce Young, please click the Donor Board link.
Quick Hitter | Four Star DB Visiting
– Charlie S
*** K passed along a note about 2020 safety Bryson Washington out of Houston, TX (CE King).
Washington let K know that he will be visiting Norman for the upcoming Junior day on February 23rd.
Washington is a 6’2″195 lb safety who was at Mater Dei (California) prior to moving back to Houston when we initially brought his name to the board. His measurements certainly appear to fit the template that Oklahoma Defensive Coordinator Alex Grinch is looking for in his DBs.
Super K will be out to see Washington in the very near future.
Sourced Notes | Jalen Hurts
– Super K
Back on January 26th in one of my sourced team note write-ups I said the following.
Hurts has some leadership qualities that are off the charts (I’ll get into that later…have heard some really good stuff there).
Something I saw on twitter today reminded me that I owed you my notes on the Hurts’ leadership qualities that I previously alluded to.
At the time I spoke with a source about Hurts and his leadership qualities, it was around the same time as the black face incident. So some of what was said to me was about how Hurts has not only demonstrated his leadership qualities in conditioning but also in a situation like that.
“Never seen a guy take over a team so instantly”, is a quote I have in my notes.
Source talked about Hurts in the context of some of the recent quarterbacks OU has had and he type of leaders they were.
”You look at how the players are reacting to him already and it’s like they’re listening to an elder giving them wisdom; like a coach they like and not just another teammate”
Source went on, “he’s the best leader I’ve seen”. That caught me off guard considering OU had Baker Mayfield just a couple years ago.
“He’s a different leader than Baker. Hurts isn’t a ‘ra ra’ guy. He’s probably more like Trevor Knight but even Trevor wasn’t like this”.
I’m told that in team meetings or whatever it may be, the players naturally sit around Jalen. I’m told, he “speaks with precision. It’s powerful” (This was in reference to some of the things he said in regards to the blackface incident).
Source said that Jalen is not at Oklahoma to just make it back to the playoffs. He is at OU to win and he has articulated that very clearly to the team. Source said that Jalen told the team, “We have everything we need. I didn’t come here just to get there. There needs to be a standard. We aren’t talking about this (on social media). It’s a standard that needs to be met”.
In a way, it feels like Jalen brought a little bit of Nick Saban with him and I’m sure he brought a lot of his own upbringing and guidance that he received from his father who is a high school coach.
Whatever it is, the team is behind him and he’s using their trust to guide them in the right direction.
Something to add that a source mentioned to me which I felt was noteworthy, “The leadership in the younger group is way better (than previous classes at OU)”. In fact, I heard that some of the first guys to speak up in meetings are Ronnie Perkins, Jadon Haselwood, Theo Wease and Jamal Morris.
“They command attention”
Sooners Linebacker Offer Josh White in Focus
– Super K
Earlier this week the Sooners offered 2020 linebacker Josh White out Cy Creek (Cypress, TX).
I had a chance to speak with Josh earlier this week and I came away impressed.
Background
When you first meet Josh, you feel like you’re meeting a young man. He looks you in the eye, speaks clearly and shakes your hand.
As I take my own notes and make my own evaluation of a prospect, this is something I consider. It shows that the player knows, at a minimum, how to communicate with an elder and more specifically with the coaches at the next level.
What’s inspiring about Josh’s story is that his maturity as a young man is obvious immediately despite not having his father around. He was raised by a single mother who clearly did a great job of instilling among other things, a strong work ethic in him.
“She’s a hard worker”, Josh said about his mom. “It’s just me and her. My dad left at a young age. She works two jobs so I can be out here and do what I do right now. She means a lot. She teaches me what work ethic is. You see her coming home late, twelve at night, just from working two jobs and then she’s got to wake back up at six to go to the other job. She teaches me work ethic for real”.
When Josh first decided to play football it was his mother who not only encouraged him to play but told him that if he was going to play he would need to take it seriously.
“I played for the Cy Creek Cowboys. It’s like a little youth team around here. So, I’m coming in like I’m going to play just to see if I like it and my mom was like, no, if you’re going to play you’re going to do this. You put your mind to it and you go do it”.
By Josh’s own admission he wasn’t one of the best in youth football. As recent as eighth grade, Josh was playing center on the offensive line.
Coming out of eighth grade, Josh went to “Cy Camp” which is a camp held at the high school for incoming high school football players. That’s where he was discovered by his linebacker coach, coach Smith.
”I ran the shuttle out here and my shuttle was like a 4.35 and he (coach Smith) was like, yeah you can come play linebacker for me and I said, alright”.
“He taught me everything I know. Playing in the box, like, how to stay square playing in the box, how to turn your shoulders when you get out of the box and then get back square”.
Josh said coach Smith is like a mentor figure to him.
So, we spoke with coach Smith to find out what he sees in Josh.
“He’s the real deal. You won’t find one better that can read football plays, read offenses, he reads linemen and there’s not a lineman that can block him. He’s strong. He’s fast. He’s agile and he reads well. That’s everything you need”.
What coach Smith saw in Josh so early on was his ability to change direction, “Watching him run and change direction. It’s all about changing direction. As an incoming 9th grader he looked pretty good. So, we had an idea. Everything else is history”.
Coach Smith admits that he didn’t realize Josh would necessarily become the player he’d turn in to. He started to see it though, once Josh got into his freshman year.
”During his freshman season we had him on kickoff and he would almost beat the ball down the field. He’d make every tackle on kickoff and at that point, we knew he was going to be a ballplayer and then once we got him into his sophomore season and I got him at practice learning every day as the varsity coach and just seeing how fast he learned and picked up things. His willingness to learn. His hunger to be a smarter football player”.
Coach Smith finished the conversation by commenting on Josh’s speed just to clarify that he isn’t just an agile player, “He’s got flat out speed, too. There isn’t a running back who can beat him to the edge. Not one that we play. And he’s the biggest 200m runner you’ll ever see”.
Josh’s goal in track this year is to crack into the 22-second mark. That’s as a 6’1 210 lb linebacker.
So much about Josh reminds me of a Sooner currently on campus in linebacker, DaShaun White. Similar type of athleticism and similar demeanor. I always considered DaShaun a can’t miss player. I knew he’d have the requisite athleticism, maturity, work ethic, and intelligence to contribute at the next level.
Recruiting
While Josh’s offer list has exploded recently picking up offers from schools like Miami, OU, Auburn, Arkansas, and others, he’s not new to the recruiting game.
***First offer was from Baylor. He picked up last year. Baylor came into the gym to see a former teammate, Miles Battle. Or at least, that’s what Josh thought. The next day, Baylor offered Josh. “It felt good. I was just in the weight room working trying to get ready to be a D1 player, progressing every day. That’s when I knew I could really do this”.
***Visits so far have been to Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, Oklahoma State.
***Josh is hoping to visit schools like Miami and Oklahoma and make a return visit to Oklahoma State.
***He’ll be taking an official visit to Oklahoma State on March 21st.
***He says he will for sure take an official visit to Oklahoma, as well.
***Josh’s says he’d like to make it up to OU for an unofficial visit next weekend for the junior day. But that will be contingent on a ride. Either way, an OU visit will happen at some point.
***The Sooners see Josh’s athleticism and Josh tells me that coach Odom tells him that he’s versatile and they could start him off at the WILL position and then as he adds weight, he could move to the MIKE.
***On coach Odom, Josh said…
”Coach Odom is a good coach. He’s a real good coach. He’s honest with you. He’s flat out honest with you…when he came (to visit in January) he wanted to make sure I was the right fit for him…he went back with the defensive coaching staff and they said they liked what they’d seen and that’s when he called me back and offered me”.
***In terms of a decision timeline, “I want to be done by my first game”. Josh says he would like to commit in the summer.
***Expect him to take his officials this spring and summer.
***The Sooners are trying to get Josh to OU for his official visit for the Spring Game.
***In terms of what Josh is looking for in a program and a coach…
”I’m looking for a coach that can take me in and be completely flat out honest with me and coach me up to the best of my ability – to get me to the league…as long as he can coach me up and take me where I want to go, that’s all that matters”.
***Then I asked Josh if Odom being new to OU, and not necessarily having the guys he can point to at OU that he’s coached matters.
“To me the past don’t mean nothing, it’s about what you can do right now. You could’ve learned something that you didn’t know in the past and now you know and you distribute that out right now”.
Pleas check the Donor Board for Super K’s Insider Note
Chris Tyree | Post Visit Full Update
– Super K
In my short initial update on Tyree, I mentioned that the family loved the visit and would return for an official visit.
I recently spoke with Chris’ father, Richard and he went into more detail about the visit experience.
You’ll recall, in my introductory write-up on Chris, I noted that the family had heard from others that Oklahoma visits are great. Richard echoed that again and talked about how their expectations matched the reality.
“We’d always heard good things about the campus and the facilities and all that. It was definitely up there with some of our betters visits. Everything was great – from the layout of the campus and to how everything is set up conveniently for the players. Even the little things like the nutritionist (Tiffany Byrd) and the strength coach (Bennie Wylie) are high energy people that are going to get you right”.
Going into the visit, Chris and the family already had a close relationship with coach Shane Beamer as he is Chris’ area recruiter. This was a chance for Chris to get to know coach Boulware better.
“Chris spent a lot of one-on-one time with Boulware and it was a good start to building that stronger relationship because he’s usually with Beamer”.
One thing the family would’ve like to have more of was time with coach Lincoln Riley, but Riley and his family were fighting a sickness that weekend.
“I wish we had a chance to sit with Lincoln because he’s an offensive genius. In fact, he actually did the cut-ups on Chris that the staff used to show us how he (Chris) would fit into the offense. But I know his staff did a good job conveying his message to us and we’ll get more time with him (Lincoln Riley) when we go back”.
The scheme fit at Oklahoma seems to be one of the biggest draws that Chris and the family see at OU.
When Chris was at the Future 50 camp he apparently picked up some wisdom from an older player who advised the younger kids to look for a school that needs you as a player, not one that simply wants you.
Chris had the wisdom to really internalize that message.
“I think they really showed him a picture of him fitting into the offense. He’s not the biggest back but they’d know how to use his particular skill set. And they told us, you’re not that typical OU six foot back but you bring other characteristics that allow us to keep you on the field more. They said they can even bring in a big back with Chris on the field and move him into the slot…So, Chris really took away that there’s a need for him at OU, not just a want”.
Those of you who follow OU closely, know that Lincoln loves to cultivate a family environment and this seems to be something that resonated with the Tyree family.
“The better visits we’ve had, I’ve noticed, had an atmosphere where you can tell coaches love to come to work and there is a family environment where coaches feel like they can bring their kids to work. That’s what you feel at OU. And, if that’s the case then I know that rolls over to how the coaches coach the players. I think that kind of culture translates to how they care and develop their players”
Moving Forward…
Tyree’s will likely take the final unofficial visit to Alabama in March. That will be followed by the beginning of their official visits.
They still plan on eyeing a decision date of somewhere around the beginning of next season.
In terms of his official visit to OU, Chris plans to either be at the OU Spring Game or take his official for a game early in the season right before he makes his decision.
The only two official visits they are currently certain that they will take are OU and Notre Dame. Given the large number of unofficial visits the family has taken, the fact that OU is certain to get an official visit certainly seems like a good sign.
Check the Donor Board for additional sourced Team Notes, Insider Notes, and James Hale’s posts.
