Open Post | Weekend, March 16th – 18th By: The Brainiacs Posted on: March 16, 2018

– Kayvon Thibodeaux: Recently I came across some sourced info that 2019 Oak Christian (Los Angeles, CA) DL Kayvon Thibodeaux was considering a visit to Oklahoma for their spring game. However, Thibodeaux’s mother had told us that nothing was finalized.

Today, I spoke with Kayvon and he told me that, so far, his plans for unofficial visits are:

*Florida and FSU this weekend

*Oregon visit in April.

The good news for Sooners fans is that Thibodeaux did tell me that he plans on visiting OU but it will be an official visit during the season. He added, “no date is set just yet”.

Thibodeaux also said, “All the schools in my top twelve are gonna get a look, but all my officials will be taken during the season.”

Kayvon said that he plans on committing before the end of his senior season. So, one of the top 12 will have the top ranked player ready to sign come first signing day in December. – (Brandon)

 

 

– Etinosa Reuben: For those that don’t know, this young man is a 6’4″ & 270-pound (clarified this on the call) DE out of Park Hill South HS in Riverside, MO. Last year was only his second year playing football and he currently already holds 10-offers.

Background:

Reuben is originally from the area where he currently resides but the interesting part about him is that he grew up playing Soccer. This was until recently when he said he realized that while he was playing, other players would run into him that they would fall over. Growing up he said he was always a big kid and people were always trying to get him to play football but it didn’t interest him until recently when he started to see that he had outgrown the sport of Soccer. As far as in the classroom, Reuben says he currently holds a 3.05 GPA while also putting in work in the weight room where he already has a 315-pound hang clean, which is an extremely impressive number for how young he is.

Recruiting/Visit Notes:

Toledo was Reuben’s first offer but after that followed offers from programs like Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Notre Dame and Purdue. Reuben has already visited Kansas and Kansas State at this point. A few weeks back Coach Thibodeaux followed Reuben on Twitter, who then sent over his film which started the conversation basically. Thibodeaux and Reuben talked about a visit and shortly thereafter the Show Me State prospect headed to Norman. While on campus he got the chance to take a tour of the facilities as well as getting the chance to take in a Spring Practice to see how Oklahoma goes about their business. One of the main things that stood out to him is something you may have heard before.

“I like the setup of the campus,” he said. “How close everything is, you don’t have to drive anywhere to get to your classes, you can just walk.”

Being one of a few visitors this past Saturday allowed Reuben the chance to not only get some face time with Thibodeaux but also with Head Coach Lincoln Riley, who let Reuben know where he stands at this point with an offer.

“They are (being selective) with DE offers and let me know they need to see me during my spring practice so they will be coming by then,” Reuben stated.

Playing in a 3-4 defense in high school, Reuben feels there are multiple ways he could fit into the Sooners defensive scheme.

“With my size I feel I could play inside on a 4-man front and kick outside in a 3-man front (at the 4i position),” Reuben explained.

Reuben mentioned that Thibs and Riley talked to him about coming back for the Spring Game which he and his father are discussing about returning.

Another program he is looking to visit in the near future is Notre Dame he said.

Film Breakdown:

Reuben mans the 5-technique in Park Hill South’s 3-4 Defense. Man oh man, watch this dude run. Again, 6’4″ and 270 moving around like this, fun to watch. You see the soccer athleticism on film. Explosive & powerful kid. For only playing football for two years he actually shows good hand technique in spots using the rip move. Play at 50 seconds shows a rip move, dips his shoulder a bit and bends the corner for a sack. Really like the motor he shows as he gives all out effort chasing plays from behind. Another play that really grabbed my attention was the play at 2:30 seconds where Reuben explodes into the backfield on a mis-direction jet sweep, thinks he has the QB dead to rights who then pitches it so the sweeping WR but then you see Reuben’s COD ability and continues to chase the play down for a tackle. With his length he is still a quite a fluid athlete.

If I’m OU I wouldn’t wait long to extend an offer as this kid has BIG TIME potential written all over him. – (Alex)

 

 

– Daxton Hill: There aren’t many defensive backs that come out of the state of Oklahoma like Dax Hill. Heck, there aren’t many that come out of any state like the star 2019 Booker T. Washington defensive back.I spoke with Dax today and he told me he is set to visit Michigan this weekend. I have written about how I feel that Michigan is a big player in his recruitment, but then Dax says that “every offer, right now, is a blessing, so I am considering them all.”

You could tell that Dax really values relationships and being comfortable. That’s why Michigan is getting a visit and why Oklahoma is also considered a major player in his recruitment. Dax said that all of the visits he takes will be to places he feels comfortable with, so Oklahoma and OSU have legit shots here.

When he spoke about Oklahoma, he talked about having a good relationship with DB coach Kerry Cooks. Dax said they speak often and that he will “probably” take an unofficial to OU for their spring game, but “that’s something I have to speak with my parents about. OU is easy to get to being so close that will probably happen.”

Lastly, LSU is a team that he called his “dream school growing up”. The Tigers recently offered Dax, so he says he would like to visit sometime in the near future, but “hasn’t thought about it much”.

This decision isn’t going to come anytime soon and Hill won’t be setting up officials till later on in the spring/summer. Expect OU to be there to the end, as they have the the two things he values the most. He is comfortable with the staff and has a great, long term relationship with them.

Expect this one to be rollercoaster for Sooners. Enjoy the ride. Not many as talented as Dax….. EVER. – (Brandon)

 

 

– Caleb Kelly:  After a recent spring practice, Defensive Coordinator Mike Stoops had a chance to speak to the media for the first time since prior to the Rose Bowl. Much of the discussion centered around the young guys and how they are adjusting to life in Norman and the impact Coach Stoops believes they can have on his defense. One of the more tantalizing bits of information that the beleagured DC dropped during his time behind the mic was that sophomore Outside LineBacker (SAM) Caleb Kelly, will be making the move to Inside LineBacker (WILL) to play alongside of Kenneth Murray (MIKE) in the postion previously manned by Emmanuel Beal.

The decision to move Kelly inside is significant in a few ways. First, the move signifies that the defensive staff is working together in a collaborative effort to get their 11 best players on the field consistently. We previously mentioned Head Coach Lincoln Riley’s desire to have more voices heard in regards to the defensive scheme employed here, Defensive Collaboration.

So you may be asking, with Kelly having manned the SAM postion for the better part of the past two seasons, who and how will they replace him and keep the 11 best players on the field?

After talking to some sources, it is our belief that there are a couple different solutions, the first having to do directly with another young man we have been hearing a lot about, Bookie. A philisophical switch to a 4-2-5 base defense with Bookie manning the nickel position may be the desired scheme heading in to 2018. A potential 4-2-5 base, with the personnel available on the defensive side this year, should be very effective, particularly throughout conference play in the Big 12. The Bookie effect.

But, what about when you want to go big? How will OU address those situations? Well, a couple of months ago, we may have mentioned the answer to that question.

A guy I think you’ll hear a lot about this spring is Ryan Jones who came in as a DB/ATH. He’s now playing OLB (field). One source said, “Ryan Jones has that twitch that none of the other linebackers have”.

Ryan Jones has been making a lot of progress and it appears as though the staff really likes the versatility that the twitchy former Defensive Back turned Outside LineBacker brings to the playing field. So, look for him to be a guy who competes for the top spot at SAM.

Lastly, moving Caleb Kelly inside also helps incredibly with depth. OU will now have five true scholarship ILB (Kelly, Murray, Bolton, Draper, JMT) for two spots, on campus for spring ball (althought Kelly is out with the shoulder). Two more LineBackers, Brian Asamoah and DaShaun White,  will be making their way to Norman in June. While Asamoah and White may, or may not, wind up inside, the flexibility that comes with the increased depth is certainly welcomed.

– (Charlie)

 

 

– Tyrion Davis: You might remember Brandon recently mentioning that 2019 Baton Rouge, LA Southern University Lab School  RB and LSU commit Tyrion Davis was planning to get to the Sooners Jr Day on Feb 17 but was unable to do so. After that he mentioned he was looking to schedule an official instead February 15th NoteBook

Just reached out to him to see if anything had been scheduled to which he said the plan is now to visit Norman during his Spring Break between March 29-April 8. Now at this moment, a certain date has not been decided but it is in the works he stated.

Davis let me know he is planning to unofficially visit both OU and Texas during his break. Once we hear of a specific date, if it does come to fruition, we will let you know. – (Alex)

 

 

– Ira Henry: I recently had the opportunity to catch up with 2019 Offensive Tackle Ira Henry. Henry is a very personable 6’5”, 320 lb. high school junior who attends Trinity Catholic High School in St. Louis, Missouri.

https://twitter.com/IraHenry8/status/957426565037555712

Ira started playing football when he was six years old. I asked him if he was always an offensive lineman on the gridiron, and he replied “No sir; when I was young, I played running back, linebacker, and defensive line.” One can only imagine the terror in his opponents’ eyes while trying to tackle him – yikes. Ira dabbled in basketball until he was in 8th grade when he made the decision to concentrate solely on football.

During our conversation, Ira told me his mother, Idameise, played basketball when she was younger, so I asked him if that was where he got his height from. He replied, “No sir, I got my height from my grandfather. He was over seven feet tall.”

Ira picked up his OU offer on January 27th of this year. While we were talking about how he received his offer, it quickly became apparent to me just how much he values his relationship with Coach Bedenbaugh. He mentioned that Coach B and he had been in contact for a while; “He called me everyday, like everyday and that made a big impression on me.” Bedenbaugh took a trip down to visit him at his school one day, pulled him out of class, and told him he was going back to Norman with his film and would be in touch. The next day, Coach Bedenbaugh, along with Head Coach Lincoln Riley, called Ira and offered him a scholarship.

Henry is not unfamiliar with Norman; he actually visited OU when he was a freshman in High School. Although he is not certain of the exact date, he plans on making a return visit at some point in April. When I asked the big fella what his greatest attraction to OU was, he again made it abundantly clear that his relationship with Coach Bedenbaugh is paramount. He said, “My relationship with Coach B is my main connection. I also know they have a bunch of guys graduating next year, so the opportunity for early playing time will be there.”

As far as his recruitment goes outside of OU, he has 20 plus offers from all across the country, with Iowa State being his first offer. He has taken several visits up to this point, including Illinois and Missouri. He did not mention a timeline for his commitment, but we plan on keeping close tabs on his recruitment as it goes forward.

Before we ended the conversation, I asked Ira what he planned to study in college. He said he wasn’t sure exactly what he wants to major in, but he has a lot of interest in Business Management as well as Cyber Security. Can’t help but think that should Coach Bedenbaugh land Ira, all of OU’s quarterbacks would have their own sense of “security” by having Ira Henry protecting them when they drop back. – (Charlie)

 

 

– Faatui Tuitele: Sooners hosted 2019 DT Faatui Tuitele yesterday. He and his family spent about 8 hours on campus. I briefly spoke with Tuitele’s father, Justin, and he stated, ” There were a lot of great moments today.”

I am going to speak much more extensively with Justin tonight. Should have a much more in-depth write up for you all sometime tomorrow.

All in all, from the little I spoke with Tuitele’s father, the visit went very, very well. – (Brandon)