Open Post | Tuesday, January 31st
Posted on: January 31, 2017
– Final Targets: For the first time in a while, Oklahoma is nearly full going into NSD. This might not seem as exciting but it does mean OU landed a lot of their first tier targets. Here’s a look at the final targets…
Marvin Wilson: Oklahoma put on a show for Wilson in their in-home visit. But throughout the recruitment of Wilson it always felt like OU was just a step or two behind someone and they couldn’t quite close the gap. The switch to a 4 man front (or multiple front with a base 40 front) certainly helped but it doesn’t appear it’s going to be enough.
Prediction: FSU – (Super K)
Prediction: LSU – (Brandon)
Tyler Taylor: This one is down to OU, Auburn and LSU. Tyler will announce his decision tomorrow at 7:45 am CST. The Sooners did an in-home visit on Saturday and Tyler seemed impressed with the coach Kish’s presentation. We have been told that Taylor’s mom is fine with Taylor going farther from home should he choose to. The staff has stayed in regular touch with Taylor however we have been told that he has cut off communication with all staffs today in order to think about his decision.
Prediction: I’ve checked with sources at LSU and Taylor is still a take for them. Auburn has proximity. I’m saying this is a LSU vs. Auburn fight and I’m going to guess he stays closer to home. Auburn but LSU wouldn’t surprise me. – (Super K)
Prediction: Too many variables. I’m sitting this one out. – (Brandon)
Joshua Rogers: Rogers visited Oklahoma but our source on the OU side just never felt good about this one. It always felt like TAMU was in the lead but the question was whether they’d have a spot for him and whether he wanted to play OT which is where they see him. They do and he will…
Predicition: TAMU – (Super K)
– Troy James: This past weekend Oklahoma got a surprise commit at the much needed defensive tackle position from Troy James (Baton Rouge, LA). I spoke with James’ head coach, coach Mike Roach to get his thoughts on Troy.
Size: In terms of size coach Roach said James is up to 285-290 lbs. He also noted that he’s somewhere between 6’2 1/2” and 6’3. I have a friend who worked with James in camp and said he’s closer to 6’2 1/4”. Either way he seems to be somewhere between 6’2 and 6’3 and projects as a 3 technique. That isn’t necessarily great height but it’s better than what OU has had and certainly not short.
Athleticism & Ability: Coach Roach said, “he’s 290 lbs and he can dunk a basketball…exceptional athlete. He can be a true impact guy at the 3 technique. I mean, he can put 300 lbs in the air…”.
Comparison: Coach Roach is also the father of standout Texas DE, Malcolm Roach who had a fantastic true freshman season in 2016. Coach Roach said that Troy is the closest player to Malcolm that he’s ever coached. He also noted that, like Malcolm, he believes Troy will be ready to see some time on the field as a true freshman. I spoke to my friend who had Malcolm Roach and Troy James in camp and while he likes James he did say he felt Roach was the more athletic of the two. However, that isn’t surprising given their difference in weight.
Why He Chose OU: Interestingly, coach Roach said that the decision to commit to OU for James came down to, “he wants to play in a 4 man front. Arkansas said they’re moving to a 3 man front”. I do believe OU is going to be multiple but the more I talk to people the more it’s clear that this move to a base 1 gap scheme up front could really help OU moving forward in 2018 and seems to have been one of the main reason’s OU landed James late in this cycle. – (Super K)
– TOWN HALL: Tonight at 7:30 pm…please bring your questions.
