Open Post | Labor Day Weekend, September 1st – 4th By: The Brainiacs Posted on: September 1, 2017

Image via Crawford Twitter

– Jaquayln Crawford: In case you missed it, Sooners 2018 WR commit, Jaquayln Crawford (Rockdale, TX) took a brief unofficial visit to Texas yesterday.

Ryan Lewis spoke with Crawford, who said the following: “I only came because I had a doctor appointment in Austin and had my cousin with me, who is a Texas fan and wanted to see the facilities”.

For those who don’t know, Crawford recently suffered a shoulder injury. Crawford let Ryan know that, while it was originally thought that Crawford would be out for the season, he will only miss approximately five weeks.

Brandon did speak with some of his sources and, while Crawford is solid, one source did say that, of all the wide receiver commits, Crawford will likely be the hardest to hold on to. That could simply mean that the others are extremely solid.

Of note, I did speak with someone close to Jaylen Waddle earlier this week. Waddle will be releasing his top list later this month, and while the Sooners are not currently expected to be on it, a loss of any WR would likely put the Sooners back in the picture for Waddle. Many, perhaps even the OU staff, have never been particularly confident about their chances of landing Waddle (which played into the timing of taking Crawford). However, in my conversations with Waddle and people close to him, I’ve always gotten the sense that, absent the sheer number of WR commits, OU would have been a real player in his recruitment. – (Super K, Ryan Lewis, & Brandon)

– Trevor Trout: Earlier this week, 2018 DT Trevor Trout (St. Louis, MO) released his top six.

While the Sooners did not make the cut, I do believe that says more about OU’s interest in Trout than his interest in the Sooners. I’d be a bit surprised if Trout ends up anywhere other than Missouri.

Again, this feels like a bit of a Calvin Avery situation where the Sooners are looking for B-gap players with versatility like Ronnie Perkins or Tre Bobby Brown and not so much the prototypical nose guards. – (Super K)

– Brian Asamoah: As we noted last week and again earlier this week, our sources confirmed that 2018 LB Brian Asamoah will take his official visit this weekend.

However, we were having trouble receiving a confirmation from Asamoah himself. We have remedied that issue. Asamoah let our Alex King know that he will indeed be in Norman for an official visit this weekend. Asamoah added that, due to his high school game schedule, he does not plan to arrive to Oklahoma until Saturday and will depart on Sunday.

No word just yet on whether a commitment is expected this weekend. It’s entirely possible that Asamoah will wait and take an official visit to Pitt before making his final decision, but we will know soon enough. – (Super K & Alex)

– Trejan Bridges: As we reported last week, 2019 Sooners WR target, Trejan Bridges (Hebron HS, TX) will take an unofficial visit to OU this weekend.

Bridges is extremely high on Oklahoma. There is a sense from sources on the OU side that Bridges could pull the trigger this weekend or is at the very least considering doing so. In our conversations with Bridges’ father, he has spoken glowingly of coach Lincoln Riley. The fact that Riley plans to start true freshman CeeDee Lamb is something that caught the family’s attention.

It’s still early in Bridges’ recruitment, so while the possibility of a commitment is there, we are hesitant to make any bold predictions; however, this is certainly one to keep an eye on this weekend. – (Super K & Brandon)

– Team Note | Insider Notes on the Depth Chart: A few quick hitters on the depth chart…

*So speaking of CeeDee Lamb, I’m sure it surprised many of you to see CeeDee Lamb as a starter. We all knew CeeDee would play this year, but given OU’s general reluctance to start true freshmen early in the season, this was a bit of a surprise.

*First of all, there will be a rotation. That isn’t to say the start isn’t meaningful, but a lot of WRs will play. For anyone wondering why Lamb is the starter, or if you have any doubts about the motive, a source close to the program told me point blank, “CeeDee earned his spot. I’ll say that for certain. No other outside receiver played better than him in fall camp.”

*The source did also opine, however, that both Badet and Marquise Brown slightly out-played Jeff Mead in camp. But it sounds like it’s splitting hairs, and the tie goes to the man who has been in the system longer.

*It’s also important to note that Lamb is listed as the starting “X” wide receiver. The “X” WR is most likely to get some pretty nasty press man coverage from the opposing team’s most physical cover guy. Without the right to motion, this particular WR has to be a guy who can be physical at the LOS and can make the competitive catches. While college is certainly a big step up from HS, being physical and competing for a 50/50 ball is something I’ve seen Lamb do amazingly well both on film and live and in-person.

*Also of note is that Mykel Jones was not listed as a the definitive starter in the slot. The slot position at OU is a system position. I’ve been told that red-shirt junior walk-on, Myles Tease, knows the system very, very well. As such, I can only assume that his knowledge of the system makes up for any disparity in athleticism between him and Mykel.

*This wide receiver core is going to be incredibly interesting to watch. There is a ton of potential here, but not a ton that is proven.

*I know plenty of you OU fans want to know why a man as big as Du’Vonta Lampkin is not on the depth chart. I asked a source that very question and was told very simply, “He’s been out-played and he struggles to stay in shape. He’ll be fine, but he’s gotta get in shape and do the right things. Talented kid, but he gets gassed out after like five plays in a row.” So again, it doesn’t sound like this a talent issue. It sounds like it’s a matter of Lampkin doing what he needs to do with more effort and consistency. – (Super K)