Charlie Strong Recruiting Oklahoma
Posted on: February 22, 2014
Image from USA Today Sports (Photographer: Brendan Maloney)
If anyone was wondering whether coach Charlie Strong would primarily limit his recruiting to the state of Texas like his predecessor, the answer to that question is quickly being answered. Texas is holding a jr. day today and they’ve managed to bring in some top talent out of the state of Oklahoma including an OU commit.
Here is a list of the Oklahoma HS talent that were invited to and are attending today’s Texas Jr. Day:
Ashton Preston (CB) – Ashton is a talented and physical cornerback with beautiful footwork. Preston is being courted by a number of big time programs including, among others, Notre Dame and Texas.
Dahu Green (WR) – Dahu is a 6’4 receiver who has been racking up offers lately. He’s now pulled in offers from Southern Miss, Lousiville, Cincinnati and Tulsa.
Josh Wariboko (OL) – Oklahoma commit. Enough said.
Denver Johnson (WR) – Like Dahu Green, Denver is another athletic but very big WR from the great state of Oklahoma.
Other Oklahoma players in attendance at the Texas Jr. day are: Max Wariboko, Vessy Parrish (2016 DT), Jeremy Cox, Keaton Torre, T’quan Wallace, Timothy Gidden.
130 Comments
Those poor kids, they will be surrounded by people wearing Diaper-Pooh Orange.
Boy isn’t that the truth ETex? Horrible color scheme.
Lanfear and Weathersby are attending and Burnt Orange Nation doesn’t even have these Oklahoma kids on the list. They also state that there are so many kids there that only the top few recruits will have face time with someone on the coaching staff so I don’t see much to be concerned about. Kids are going to take trips, just the way it is, so we just need to stay on top of the one’s we really want and putting a beat down on the horns is the best way to bring recruits our way.
Strong claims he wants to “close the border” when it comes to Texas recruits. A dubious statement.
I hope he realizes that aTm and Baylor are within that border because that’s his biggest competition right now.
He’s already tried to start in on Sumlin. Until he actually shows something on the field he will just be viewed as the FNG in the Big 12.
My guess is Strong will evaluate much better than Sumlin.
…and Brown.
He’ll coach up the kids better too.
Does anyone know what Sumlin’s track record was as a recruiter when he was with OU?
Be careful. Strong might not be there in 2 years.
So your saying Blake still has a chance there? 🙂
Blake doesn’t have a chance anywhere!!!
Any recruit that can go there and think the Austin lifestyle is for them they can keep, IMO.
Has to be nicer than Lubbock. 🙂
If there were no people in it.
Yeah no doubt. There are places that are “cool” cities for kids to go to school at. If a kid likes the city over the program like maybe the JUCO RB that picked ASU over OU because of the palms tree then that kid probably needs to go there. In hindsight he probably made a good decision picking ASU since two week later OU got Joe Mixon’s commitment. My personnel opinion is we want kids that care about “tradition”. Not palm trees and fancy uniforms. They can go to Austin, Oregon etc.. where the National championship trophy cases are desolate.
I think some kids we get actually like the laid back atmosphere of Norman when they realize they can travel a few miles North to get a little taste of the city life or some NBA action. It’s not a “big” city but it might be enough to get them by.
Totally agree Sooner Ray.
There is no campus life there, really. Everyone vacates the campus when their classes are over and head off into whatever it is they are into.
Way too many homeless, hippies and hipsters in Austin.
As a Texan I can say without equivocation, the best thing about Austin is…Texas is only fifteen minutes away.
Exactly.
I already talked to Josh, he said he and his brother are just taking a trip with their friend/teammate (Denver) so it’s all good.
Do you think we offer Max Wariboko?
no
Sounds like the brothers want to play with each other, think that will end up being a deal breaker with Josh?
I think Josh will keep his Commitment with the good guys. OU coaches are on a first name basis with the janitorial even at Casady.
I have heard that Max is more of a track guy than football anyway. Is that true?
Max isn’t really a football player, really athletic and likes basketball and could go to school at OU but he isn’t really a recruit and it won’t change Josh’s decision
I can’t stand the Horns but to say Austin, Texas would be a bad place to go to school is a stretch IMO. I can think of a ton of places worse then Austin. Just keeping it real.
Are there any overweight people in Austin? I swear I’ve never seen one. Everyone seems to bike, run, power-walk, kayak, uni-cycle, skateboard, whatever else. Great food, great music, always something to do; I love the city itself.
The three downsides of Austin: awful traffic, the price of living is horrendously high, & the vegan hippies….and of course UT (that’s four).
Pretty accurate description of Austin. The worst part of Austin is The University of Texas. Burnt Orange dang that’s a horrid color.
Willie Nelson likes it so they must have some good dope down there!
You aint lying Sooner Ray.
I will only mention this one time and one time only.
I got my BA at UT and my Masters at TAMU. Went to UT because it was convenient, I was discharged from the USAF at Bergstrom AFB(now Bergstrom Intl) and of the half dozen applications I sent out UT was the first to accept me. I was already there, family wasn’t too far away and I didn’t have to pay out of state tuition. Austin then(early-mid 70’s) was vastly different from Austin today. Being around that horrible color was tough. I killed many a wHorn beer buzz when I reminded them DKR was a former Sooner.
After I got what I came for, my degree, I continued to work for the hospital system where I had worked part-time. Then I went to TAMU for graduate school. Between the two schools and their culture, my two years at TAMU were more enjoyable than the three at UT.
Went back to Austin after grad school for a few years, but just hated it. It was not the cool, laid back Austin of the 70’s, where I could go see Stevie Ray Vaughan for a dollar on Monday nights. I finally left Austin for good in the mid 80’s and swore I would never return….and I haven’t, other than to pass through on the way to go camping/white water canoeing on the Guadelupe River.
One of my daughters and her family live in Cedar Park, near Round Rock. About the only thing that could make me break the promise to myself not to return is the Circuit of the Americas. I do love that MotoGP racing.
For a young person, I can see where it might be attractive with the night life, but certainly not for the campus life which is basically nonexistent.
I have relatives in OK City and the area, lived in Tulsa for about a year. Visiting the OU campus as a kid and later as an adult, it was where I should have gone to school, but life is full of surprises.
Good stuff ETexas. Obviously you have a great perspective on the Austin area from experience. I for one am glad you shared your experience. That is what I love about this site. We all have different opinions and there expressed here w/o the normal beat down most message board banter gets into to. I think the Brainiacts deserve a ton of credit for creating that culture here. And your right about Norman, its a great campus and place to attend school.
Thanks, J.K.
I agree, the atmosphere is a result of the tone the guys here have established.
Growing up in East Texas I didn’t have a clue where Austin was, but I sure knew where Norman and OKC were, used to visit in the summers and go to the Split T restaurant and Frontier City.
Played against Joe Wiley once in high school ball(I think he had negative yards against us). Watched many other great RBs come from ET to OU, Billy Sims, David Overstreet and of course AD. Many of us from ET viewed Earl Campbell as something of a traitor. 🙂
I actually ran into Earl one morning…literally. I always played racquetball with a bud at 7a.m. before our 8a.m. classes. I was hustling down the empty hallway, except for this short stocky guy standing in the middle of the hall turning in circles. I tried to go right…he went left. Tried to go left…he went right. Then smack! I looked down at this guy with a WTF look and what I saw was the eyes of a completely stoned Earl Campbell…at 8a.m.
Can’t stand that place.
Great stuff. Keep them coming ETexas. Feel like I’m sitting around a camp fire drinking coldies and telling war stories. Two out of three isn’t bad. Need to get my Computer hooked up next to the fire pit.
HA!
I will add that every time I actually went to a game at UT, I pulled for the visiting team. Heck, Rice needed all the help they could get.
I was there for the first time Houston played in Austin as a member of the SWC. What a great time. Always liked UH since my oldest brother went there as a QB in the 60’s and I was there for the UH 30-0 beat down of UT, ending UT’s home game winning streak at 30. That was DKR’s last season.
I remember the Split-T in my senior year in HS. Girls would love to go there….
I loved that front door, the big Crimson T split right down the middle.
The only thing that compares to the DKR story is when Switzer took over the Cowboys, hard for a lot of texans to swallow but funny as hell.
The players for Dallas loved Switzer. He actually remembered all their wives and kids names and would ask about them with genuine interest. A players coach all the way.
I wrote a little piece on another blog last week. I hate to blog pimp, so if you want to read it do a search for Michael Sam And Dale Hansen “Come Out.”
Oh I know the players loved him, anyone who played for him anywhere loved him. I just think it took some fans on the outside some time to adjust. Speaking of East Texas, my parents had a lake house down on Toledo Bend so I’ve spent a lot of time there. Never in my life seen so many kids playing football in the streets when I drove through all the small towns. Made me realize why Switzer spent so much time there.
All the UT fans in Dallas would never admit he was a good coach and viewed him as beneath their dignity(like they had any).
The area of ET where I grew up is often referred to as the Ark-La-Tex. Barry related well to all those folks, being from Arkansas.
I ran into Barry at DFW Intl in the late 90’s and struck up a conversation with him. I had to bring up the “Go Joe” run against Mizzou in ’74. His eyes lit up like he was on the field again, reliving that moment. All he said, with a huge grin and twinkle in his eye was, “great players make great plays.”
Used to drive me crazy listening to the morning weather people talking about Ark-La-Tex so I asked my dad where in the hell is this Ark-La-Tex? and he said “you’re sittin in it son”. That’s how I learned about that area.
That’s funny right there, I don’t care who you are.
That’s funny Sooner Ray.
I’ll drink to that ETexas and continue too as long as you keep telling stories. Good stuff.
No doubt. East Texas has thrown some d@m good talent through the years.
Where is Toledo Bend?
That’s down close to Lufkin.
OK. I know where Lufkin is. Some good players have come through there. Really good players.
Some big old strong boys, their daddys work in the timber business. Biggest guns I ever saw on a man was a pulp wooder that used to come to my grandparents farm and he would cut the pines, trim them, load them on his truck and haul them to the saw mill…by his lonesome.
Our place was S.E. of Center right where the Sabine River dumped into the lake, we were in the Sabine National Forest.
If you ever noticed some stinky water coming down the Sabine, you can thank the Eastman plant in Longview.
Never made the fish taste bad!
Thank goodness, cause they polluted that river pretty bad for awhile.
Are they responsible for the skeeters being as big as B-52’s?
Nossir.
Got to admit they don’t bite on me. Picked up a case of infectious hepatitis when I was a military policeman stationed in the Philippinnes. I think I have been bit twice in 40 years.
Longview is Marshall’s biggest rival and because of the chemical smell coming from that plant on the SE side of Longview, we always just called it “Stink Town.”
That’s a sweet jeep Tex!
That was the M151 by Ford.
Things were death traps. Once you got over 25mph you didn’t make any sudden moves or it would start flipping, over and over and over and…
Amen. Even Bob admitted there is and will only be one “King”. Switzer is a really good dude as well as a hell of a ball coach.
Where were you?
I grew up in Marshall. Have a “decompression chamber” on Caddo Lake.
A year in Terrell and two in Kaufman. I know that’s not East Texas compared to Marshall. We took a trip to Marshall to see the “lights” one Christmas. Marshall Is East Texas.
Decompression Chamber?? I like the sound of that.:)
Living in Dallas and dealing with all the traffic and idiots, if I didn’t have that place just two and a half hours away I don’t know what I would do.
I’ll go and spend a three or four day weekend, draw flies and grow whiskers, and I’m good to go. Run some trot lines, do some squirrel or duck/goose hunting when it’s in season and I’m golden.
Your a man after my own heart East Texas. I worked a year in Mesquite. Fought the 635 traffic for all I could stand.
Man, when I’m headed East and hit Forney I actually start breathing normal. I get to Terrell I can almost taste those Brown Pigs at Neely’s in Marshall or the catfish dinners at Big Pine Lodge.
We speak the same language ETexas,
Went through there a couple of months ago. Forney has grown a ton. Couldn’t tell I was out of Mesquite. Its been since 92,93 since we’ve been back there.
Our Lake of choice was Tawakani sp.. We used to slay the channels up on the rif rafts at the dam.
I lived in East Texas during the “Kings” run at Dallas.
Pretty interesting, an OU fan that went to UT. My father is a Texas fan (and USAF as well). Stepdad graduated from UT but cheers for OU for us except on RRR day. My Stepdad hates Austin now; once he realized how awful the lifestyle is, he got out of there fast. Now we live in a small town off I-10.
My love for OU started when I was five and has never diminished, even through some tough years. My dear, sweet Momma (now gone) became an OU fan because of me. She loved football and would act they were her boys. Jason White got adopted by her and he never even knew. 🙂
About the only time I have ever pulled for UT is when they played some team from the PAC or BIG. My oldest brother won’t even pull for them then.
I was picking up some friends at DFW the day after the Sugar Bowl, proudly wearing my OU hat and hoodie. Saw several people wearing wHorn gear and they quickly diverted their eyes, just like the Okie St. and Mizzou fans did. They didn’t even want to think about what the Sooners had just accomplished the night before.
No doubt. My mother and grandpa are the OU fans in the family, I was raised on OU football; there’s nothing greater on earth! Surprisingly, or maybe not, I don’t have to deal with UT fans that much anymore, even though I’m in south Texas. Now it’s just A&M, good people, though annoying to talk football with right now.
I lost a lot of respect for TAMU as an institution this past year because of their QB, who I call Miley Cyrus because you know he is going to show his butt you just don’t know when.
The code of conduct undergrads have to sign used to mean something, but since Miley gave them hope of an actual championship they sold out their principles. Had they followed their historical principles he would have been kicked out, never to return.
TAMU has some of those fans, like every other school does, but for the most part they are some good folks. Never saw a hippie at TAMU, hope that hasn’t changed.
Absolutely, the way they defend Miley (lol) disgusts me.
A prime example of campus life at UT.
You can’t beat the classics.
http://youtu.be/7o8oJDVfvTM
Hands off, Charlie.
In the end OU will get the kids that they want from Oklahoma. Sooners have it rolling.
OU wanted those kids from Broken Arrow, this year. Also wanted Deondre Clark. They don’t get the lion’s share like they used to. It’s not a knock on their recruiting as much as other programs have up’d their game in recruiting the Sooner state.
True story. I think the worm is turning a bit in state. Keep in might which coach primarily had Oklahoma. Mike is changing recruiting in state. It takes a few years.
I like the way Mikey Stoops recruits Tulsa. OSU could pick up a bunch of in state kids this coming year because they might be so average that they can offer some immediate playing time. BUT, if things go the way most of us want it to, OU is on the up-swing. The schedule is very favorable for the Sooners this coming fall.
True story. Last year OU got 4 out of 7 offers in Oklahoma. Not good enough like you said. I think that percentage will change this year. OU has gotten a lot more aggressive in state early. Right now OU has 4 committable offers to in state kids. Two of which have committed to Oklahoma and the other two are heavy OU leans.
I think OU’s primary Oklahoma recruiter took some things for granted and hadn’t stayed on top of Oklahoma like he should of. A lot of Oklahoma HS coaches were turned off by the job OU was doing in state. Things have changed. OU is out and about more in state then they have been. That coupled with the success OU had this year I would be willing to bet OU get the majority of the kids they want in state like the old days.
I shouldn’t say this but I can’t help myself. In the case of the BA kids Gasi Akyem (sp.) and his family are life long OSU fans. If you ask the OU coaches they would probably tell you getting Gasi was a stretch. With Devon he committed to OU early, backed off and then got mad at the idiot OU fans who ripped him on Twitter for decommitting. Not that he was right to do that. I think all athletes need to stay off twitter. It is what it is. In hindsight Devon probably made the right choice signing with the Pokes. Realistically Devon might no see the field if he signs at OU. It all worked out for all parties really. I don’t post this as a Know it all. My best friend just happens to be really “close” to those two kids at BA.
that’s cool! I knew that Devon was one of OUs first commitments for this class! Ah, the good ‘ol invention of Twitter. Twitter can be used SO effectively (see Joe Mixon) but it’s a double edged sword. People are overly harsh to recruits when they don’t have their mind made up (see Deondre Clark).
Amen brother! Its a fine line isn’t it.
I’m using this site with my Twitter handle and it’s ridiculous about the amount of people harassing these 17-year old’s after a commitment that they didn’t approve of. Some people don’t understand that it’s probably best if you don’t come off as a dick to HS kids when they’re making important life decisions. Also, it makes our fan base look bad lol. The Deondre Clark thing had lots of people angry for multiple reasons.
OU did NOT want Devon Thomas. All in the know said OU didn’t want him and that’s why his “commitment” only lasted 1 week until he switched. They did want Akem, but he grew up an aggie. These kids did not grow up horn fans. Keep in mind that most of the kids that are going to UT today, will not end up getting offers from ut or OU.
sooooo, OU recruited Thomas in order to get to Akem– this is what you’re saying?
I have no idea OU Sooner on Devon not having a Non committable offer. I guess I’m not “in the Know”. I’m going to have to give Spav a hard time for the faulty info.
apparently Coach Stauder’s “in the know….” lol
Lol. Those guys at BA are really good guys and coaches. Hated to see Spav hang up the whistle. One of the good guys in Oklahoma HS coaching. I understand it though. Talent not as strong for a few years and Spav will have a second home in College Station watching his boy call the “O” for A&M.
Not at all. I’m saying Devon Thomas had a very poor junior year AND has serious character issues which led to OU not accepting his commitment. He was suspended the first part of his junior year and wasn’t even the best back on his team. OU offered after his phenomenal Sophomore year and then everything went down hill.
Ding ding ding on Gasi anyway. I must not be in the know on Devon. I assumed he had a committable offer. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t. Its not like OU is hurting for “ELITE” RB’s and Devon had a tough Jr. year. I hope the best for both Devon and Gasi.
I think OU upgraded at RB with the commits they got and Not getting Thomas was probably a good thing. As my post above states I don’t think Clark was even really considering OU but was using it as a way to bring some circus like interest into his signing day- dude is an attention hound.
Absolute DIVA!
Sooner Ray did you see what Clark’s shirt said that he wore getting out of the Limo on his signing day??? I can’t fathom why an athlete would think that and even bigger wear a shirt that said it. I wish him the best but Geez.
Didn’t pay attention, I was done at first sight of the limo. Told me all I needed to know.
Preach it Ray! I’m with ya!
Bingo!!!
I’m not trying to be a Homer. I even refuted that Austin is a bad city. See above. OU has changed its attitude in state last year and especially this year. Believe what you want but OU had alienated some in state High School coaches with their approach, THAT HAS CHANGED and so will the results of getting Oklahoma kids. Case in point was UT came up and got Oklahoma’s arguably best players in Cobbs and the Turner kid from Millwood a few years ago. The “wasting gas” approach had soured some HS coaches in state. And yes he said it “wasting gas”.
If you dont think those relationships are important with kids HS staffs count up all the kids OU offered from Millwood who contributed other places. That wasting gas attitude will get your bags packed and it ultimately did.
Please explain the “wasting gas” statement. I am not clear on who said it and for what reason.
Let’s face it based on the number of D1 prospects out of Oklahoma there were some lean years in there. If there are very few prospects then recruiting Oklahoma would be “wasting gas”.
I would like to know more about how OU coaches alienated some OK HS coaches. As far as missing out in Cobbs, that turned out to be no big loss at all.
I have come to the conclusion that Clark was.never really considering OU but was just trying to build some suspense for his signing day as his showboat antics clearly demonstrated.
Look I started this conversation saying OU will get the Best OK kids this year and for years to come. I was challenged on that notion about past kids going to other schools. That was then this is now. Cobbs might not be a big deal now but he was the number one player in OK when he came out and went to Texas. He started for the Horns by the way. Perception is everything with kids. When your peers no longer think OU is cool then its a problem in recruiting. When your best kids are leaving the state to your opponents there is a problem. That is no longer the case. Bob took care of the problem and this staff is hitting the hallways hard today and not just assuming that Oklahoma kids are going to OU.
I wasn’t disagreeing with you dude. Just didn’t understand the point(s) you were making. Couldn’t tell if you were saying to go to these high schools was a waste of gas because of low talent or the HS coaches were so anti-OU that for if an OU coach showed up,the HS coach would talk down OU.
The wasting gas quote was used often referencing the talent in Oklahoma in years past. That quote didn’t come from any current staff member by the way. Obviously that’s not the case last year and years to come. The HS coaches in our great state do a heck of a job and there is elite talent right here. Just not as many based on population. But per capita Oklahoma HS football talent ranks up there with the best.
Alienation is old news my friend. I was just explaining why OU was losing kids in state to other schools in the past.
2 things. 1. I don’t think Josh went. 2. They brought in a ton of kids today. I think that is poor strategy. OU’s smaller JDay strategy is much better, imo.
Josh didn’t go?? That’s good although I wouldn’t freak out if he did. I think he stays a Sooner.
I may be wrong. He tweeted from Dallas. It seemed he had wished his brother a “good visit” like he wasn’t going before. Sounded like from the info I gathered (not inside info or anything) that he wasn’t…but it seems the boards and other things were wrong.
You are right about the poor strategy. I heard they invited so many kids that only a small handful of the most wanted would even see a member of the coaching staff. Looks like they were just playing their normal arrogant game.
He’s staying the night in Dallas
Josh absolutely went and the jr day was not that big. They did bring in a lot of DBs though.
I’ve seen both. However, the JDay was very big. You can find lists that are plenty long…far bigger than OU’s.
Bigger than OUs for sure but OUs jr days this yr are tiny. But people are trying to act like Josh was invited just because. Texas wants Josh. And I am 100% certain Josh was there.
80+ kids isn’t big to you?
Of course they want Josh, why wouldn’t they? Everyone does. Nobody here said they didn’t.
I don’t know. That doesn’t sound particularly big to me given there is so much talent in the state of Texas. But it’s a relative term so I’d have to know how big other jr. days are in places like Ohio State or Florida to really compare. I just got off the phone with a father who was there and he’s been to a number of jr. days and he told me without being prompted “the jr. day wasn’t very big” so that was his first hand impression but again it’s a relative term so maybe it was. And yeah no one said they didn’t want Josh but reading between the lines on some of the comments I got the impression that people are trying to mitigate the meaning of his invite to the UT staff by the size of the jr. day.
I know that was not my intention and I doubt anyone else was saying “Texas doesn’t want him because the JDay was big.”. Not sure anyone came close to saying that.
Regardless, people have criticized OU’s junior days in the past for being too big and not allowing enough time with the coaches and none of theirs were as big as ut’s today. It is absolutely relative, but I don’t think it matters what other schools are doing. You have 10 coaches and 2 GAs. 100+ kids on campus for roughly 4-6 hours. There are kids that definitely did not get much if any face time based on those numbers. Just doesn’t seem smart. I am definitely on board with OU lowering their numbers. Much better strategy, imo. Then you continue to bring kids in for Spring practice.
Yeah Coach, I was watching a Texas site this morning and even they were saying that very few kids would actually see a coach today because of the numbers. Just doesn’t seem like good recruiting practice to me. It does seem like typical Texas stuff though, just throw your name out there and play the numbers game.
I agree. I like OU’s jr. day practice. I don’t know the exact number of kids that were there but I can ask a friend in the program that would have the number. I do know that Josh, Dahu and at least some of the other Oklahoma kids got to spend time with some of the coaches. And it sounds like they really enjoyed it.
How the heck do you guys know all this stuff??? This is amazing!
IMO, OU has done enough to put their brand out there and the finish to the season is compelling to say the least. While I respect UT, I’m not afraid of them. I don’t blame the kids for going. Hell I would, just for the fun of it all. They’re getting legal free stuff because they’ve got talent. Problem is, OU is better. And its going to get even better. These kids will see it before they graduate or leave for the NFL. Don’t they say “There’s ONLY ONE!”
That would be our beloved Sooners. No Fear
Any update on Jamile Johnson’s experience at UT’s JR day?
No offer.
What Coach said. Which isn’t to say an offer may not come later down the road, but coming out of yesterday w/o was a positive w/ respect to OU being able to hold on to him.
So what if UT likes our kids? We certainly cherry pick them. AND we’ve done really well against them over the last 5 of 6 years. The better team definitely didn’t win in 2013. We would have done worse things to them than we did to Bama if we had played again in a bowl.
The hardest to accept Switzer was the ace qb, Troy. Troy hated Switzer and his ways of handling players and for switching Jamell for him when he broke his leg