Open Post | Weekend, August 20th – 22nd
Posted on: August 19, 2021
Offensive Skill Positions | High Hit Rate in 2023
– Charlie S
The Sooners 2023 class is off to an incredible start.
Taking a look at the offer list of the offensive skill positions roughly 16 months ahead of signing day…and you come to some pretty wild conclusions.
First…the ‘hit rate’ between offers and commits is pretty salty. Each position group will most likely have a ‘hit rate’ of over 20% from the current offers alone and the majority of the positions will have a hit rate higher than 25% when all is said and done.
Second…It is difficult to imagine seeing many additional offensive skill position offers going out from this point forward…16 months in front of signing day. Feels like the guys that have been offered will be the guys who OU gets their initial commits from for the most part.
Right now, there are 19 offensive skill position offers out there. Currently, 4 of those offers are committed to OU and I am comfortable in saying that right now, OU leads outright for an additional three of the wide receiver offers. So if those leads hold, OU suddenly would have 7 commits from their 19 early offers.
Also, take into account, there are several offers on the list (let’s say at least four and maybe five right now) who OU is not really pursuing aggressively (if at all).
Pretty wild that OU could conceivably land 50% of the offensive skill position players that they are currently engaging with. That is pretty unheard of.
Here is a quick look at the offers and commits:
Quarterback (1 offer 1 commit ) 100% Hit Rate
QB Malachi Nelson – Committed
Running Back (4 offers 1 commit ) 25% Hit Rate to this point
RB Richard Young – In top 10, continues to mention the possibility of a visit. OU in a ‘decent’ position.
RB Rueben Owens – Once upon a time OU led. Not much communication right now.
RB Treyaun Webb – Committed
RB Tre Wisner – Visited for the BBQ and had very good reviews. OU is in a ‘good’ position right now, will be interesting to see if they continue to push here. I expect them to.
Wide Receiver (9 offers 1 current commit) – 1 for 9 is not a great ‘Hit Rate’…but just watch…
WR Makai Lemon – Committed
WR Brandon Inniss – Making his announcement on August 22nd (We really like OU here)
WR Jalen Hale – Has visited OU numerous times, including for the June BBQ. Continues to speak highly of OU – OU is in a ‘very good’ position here
WR DeAndre Moore Jr. – Visited OU for the June BBQ – Since then it has felt like a matter of ‘when’ as opposed to ‘if’. OU is in a ‘very good’ position here.
WR Jaquaize Pettaway – Was offered back in February, not a lot going on here at this time.
WR Zachariah Branch – Visited OU for June BBQ with his brother Zion who is a ’22 DB target.
WR Johntay Cook II – Visited OU, but of late, things are pretty quiet between Cook and OU
WR Hykeem Williams – Offered back in January, nothing of note between him and OU at this point.
WR Ashton Cozart – Offered in June and visited Norman recently. There is some mutual interest here and OU is in a ‘good’ spot and could be a factor if they push.
Tight End (5 offers 1 current commit) 20% hit rate at this point
TE Duce Robinson – Offered back in March, difficult to see much going on here in the future.
TE Luke Hasz – Committed
TE Walker Lyons – Offered back in May, made an unofficial in June, may be one to keep an eye on.
TE Jaden Greathouse – Offered back in March, made his way to Norman in June, could be one to keep an eye on as well.
TE Theodor Ohrstrom – Committed to A&M.
There are some categorical exceptions. Most places have Makai Lemon listed as an athlete, but he is committed to OU as a WR and Micah Tease is listed on most sites as a WR but he is being recruited as a DB for OU (so they kind of wash each other out).
I think one place to look for an additional offer or two would be for the role of a pure HB (ala Mikey Henderson type) if OU feels so inclined, but I do not currently see that guy out there.
Just some really impressive work from the Sooners early on in ’23.
Sourced | Scrimmage Notes
– Super K – Posted on: August 16, 2021
***The scrimmage wasn’t particularly long. And it sounds like they were definitely working to manage injury risks. I’m told there were no injuries.
***To the point above, I’m told they limited the reps of the starters.
***Also, it sounds like the offense primarily worked on their ground game. Sources indicate there were a lot of run plays and not a ton of explosive pass plays.
***So, for the first two weeks of fall camp, the defense has been taking it to the offense. So much so that it’s kind of hard to get a sense of whether the defense is just that good or if the offense may be behind…
***Well, in this scrimmage, I’m told that the offense was dominant. I’m told the run game was really clicking. I get the sense that this was good news because there is enough confidence about where the defense is that seeing the offense finally get going allayed concerns about the offense.
***Continue to be told that it’s still too early to make any bold predictions but the vibe I’m getting is that as a team OU is very very good. While there may not be a Ceedee Lamb or an Adrian Peterson or a Gerald McCoy, the team as a complete unit is good everywhere and they are deep almost everywhere. I think this scrimmage added to that feeling.
***In terms of a guy who flashed on defense, I’m told that Gilliam was making plays. Again, keep in mind that the starters received limited reps.
***Again, the run game was hitting on all cylinders but I couldn’t get a sense if that was more due to the backs or the OL. It would seem to be both.
***Offensively the backs had good days but there just weren’t many pass attempts so sources indicate that outside of maybe one big deep ball to Tre West, the chunk plays weren’t there or weren’t attempted.
Luke Hasz In Depth Interview
– James Hale – Posted on: August 17, 2021
OU continues to roll in recruiting for the 2023 class with this weeks addition of three-star offensive lineman Joshua Bates (6’3, 280). Bates is the 5th commitment for the 2023 recruiting class, currently ranked as the top recruiting class for 2023.
Just before Bates, OU earned a verbal commitment from four-star tight end Luke Hasz (6’3, 220) of Bixby, Oklahoma. Hasz is part of a very talented team that has won 34 straight games and back-to-back Class 6A state titles.
Hasz had been thinking about committing to the Sooners for a little while.
“I haven’t always been a Sooner fan because I really wasn’t a big college football fan,” said Hasz recently tol me. “However, I fell in love with Coach Riley and his offense. Then the culture that they have at OU is something that I want to be a part of.”
Ranked as the number two tight end for 2023, Hasz had offers from Alabama, Florida State, LSU, Missouri, and Nebraska, to name a few, but he didn’t feel there was any need to leave the state.
“I gave it a long thought process after my visits in June and July,” said Hasz. “I was talking to my family about making a choice. I was sitting in my room just thinking about it, and I decided that I wanted to play at the University of Oklahoma. I told my family that I was deciding for multiple reasons, but after thinking it over, there was no doubt that OU was the best school for me.”
When Coach Riley first came to OU, Coach Bob Stoops told him that he might consider incorporating fullbacks and tight ends in his offense because OU always has some great players who play those positions on the team. Before that message from Coach Stoops, Coach Riley had never really used H-backs or tight ends in his offenses at Texas Tech and East Carolina.
Coach Riley took that advice and now can’t run his offense without them, and OU has become one of the best offensive football teams for big receivers in the country.
“How OU uses the tight end and the fullback was a big part of my decision to come to OU,” said Hasz. “Plus with Joe-Jon Finley coming back after playing the position at OU was a big factor in my decision. OU uses the tight ends they have a lot, and their H-backs always seem to be on the field. I have never played H-back, but at tight end, it looks like a great offense for me.”
Hasz is a big part of the Bixby offense catching 32 passes for 703 yards and nine touchdowns as a sophomore.
“I have not played any in-line tight end yet at Bixby,” said Hasz. “I just play outside receiver right now. I know I can play in-line and play like an actual tight end. I like to block, and I’m a good blocker, and the coaches like how I finish blocks and how physical that I am. Blocking is a major part of my game, and I like to do it. I know I have become a good receiver, and that is probably why people think I am a good player, but blocking on the edge and sealing blocks are a big part of my game.”
“I know we are going to start putting some of that into our offense this year. So, I am going to get a chance to become more of a complete tight end this year.”
Hasz was at both BBQs and said that the family atmosphere around the OU program is something that a lot of recruits find to their liking.
“The BBQ was a great experience,” said Hasz. “They brought back a lot of OU Alumni that are now playing or that have played in the NFL. They all told us about their time at OU and what they thought about OU. We found out how much all those players really loved their experience at OU.”
“Listening to those guys gave me a pretty clear idea what it was like to play at OU and how playing at OU could help you in the NFL or in life.”
Coach Finley replaced Shane Beamer, who is now the head coach at South Carolina. Coach Finley has been a coach for a while, and his style of getting his tight ends and H-backs to become better players and men really impressed Hasz.
“That is a great decision by Coach Riley to hire Coach Finley,” said Hasz. “I love talking to him as he has been straight up and honest the whole time. He knows exactly what it is going to be like once I get to OU. He has played there and played in the pros, and he has a great mind for football.”
OU has three scholarship players at tight end and H-back right in junior Austin Stogner (6’6, 251), senior H-back Jeremiah Hall (6’2, 248), and senior swingman Brayden Willis (6’4, 235), and that was not lost on Hasz when he committed.
“I know they have lost a couple of guys, and of course they’re current players are older guys, so I know that the position will be pretty wide open when I get there,” said Hasz. “I know they have Jason (Llewellyn) and Kaden (Helms) coming in this year, and then I will be there next year. I would not be surprised if they don’t try to sign another one because they have to reload the position.”
Hasz is one of the best receiving tight ends in the country, and when he watches the OU offense, he can’t help but think how successful he will be at OU.
“It helps that I have great coaches where at Bixby and that I’ve been a very good receiver,” said Hasz. “OU always has the best quarterback in the country, and they have the best offensive coordinator in the country. I am super excited about being part of this offense someday.”
Early the 2023 class is fantastic with five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson (6’3, 180) and five-star wide receiver Makai Lemon (6’0, 180), both of Los Alamitos, California. Also part of the class is four-star running back Treyaun Webb (6’0, 188) of Jacksonville (Trinity Christian Academy), Florida, and Bates, who committed on Friday.
“It’s a great class, and I certainly wanted to be part of that group,” said Hasz. “I have talked to Malachi a lot for the past two months about all the recruitment stuff that was going on. I talked to him about commitment, but I am not sure when or if that had a lot to do with committing.”
“I have been in a group chat on Twitter, and they were all glad that I committed. Malachi said he was super happy for my family and me. He was telling me that we are ready to get things going when the time comes. This 2023 recruiting class is going to be crazy.”
Now that he is part of the 2023 class, he has joined Nelson and the other four commits to getting more elite payers into the class.
“I have already started to talk to a couple of friends of mine in-state about joining the class,” said Hasz. “Micah Tease is a great player at Booker T. Washington, as is Bai Jobe at Norman (Community Christian School). Jacobe Johnson out of Mustang is another good player in-state that I know we like.”
“All three of them like Oklahoma, but they are not sure what they want to do yet in recruiting. They are impressed with who has committed so far to OU in the 2023 class.”
Hasz has not lost a game thus far playing for the Spartans.
“I think our head coach, Coach (Loren) Montgomery is a great leader, and he has his staff have taught us how to work hard every single day,” said Hasz. “That hard work has paid off for us because late in the fourth quarter, we are stronger and outlast our opponents.”
On defense, Hasz plays outside linebacker, but he has no plans to play anything but tight end at OU.
“The coaches only have me play outside backer because they like my athletic ability from playing basketball,” said Hasz. “I averaged double-digit points last year, but I took the summer off from basketball to concentrate on football.”
“My summer has been great. We have been working really hard, and we were excited about getting into training camp last week. I love to practice every day. I just love playing football. Going to practice and doing well really sets up my whole day.”
While Bixby is still very much on his mind, Hasz can’t wait to get to OU and start being a Sooner.
“I am super excited to come to OU and play, especially with the 2022 committees Kaden and Jason,” said Hasz. “I think we will all work harder and make each other better. I think we are going to make a great group and do some great things at OU.”
Quick Hitters from Tuesday Practice
– Charlie S – Posted on: August 17, 2021
James was out at practice today for the viewing period and came away with some observations he wanted to share…
***Wanya Morris did not participate today. Source mentioned to James that he is a bit banged up following the scrimmage but nothing major.
***Jalen Redmond was getting some work with the Defensive Ends…may not mean a thing at the end of the day, but interesting nonetheless.
***Caleb Kelly spent some time working with the RUSH ends, also find that interesting.
***Raym and Congel were the centers as expected
***Running back Marcus Major is still practicing with the team and getting reps for those wondering about all the rumors swirling about his status.
***James will go into more detail in his next piece.
When Things go Sideways
– Charlie S – Posted on: August 17, 2021
It has been a wild ride for the OU class of ’22 wide receiver recruiting…
Y’all went from the high of highs by locking up three elite prospects and OU was actually in the position where they had to turn some very good players away…to having exactly zero high school wide receiver commits (not including Raleek Brown who will play a lot of WR) as things stand on August 17th.
***Let me start by saying Luther Burden did not decommit because the ‘ChampU22’ class did not include a QB. Let’s get that out of the way as Caleb Williams was one of the main reasons behind his commitment in the first place.
So…now we can rewind a bit…
***Jordan Hudson was the first to publicly announce his commitment to OU back in July of 2020. He was also the first to publicly decommit in June of 2021 and is now committed to SMU.
Wasn’t fun for Sooner fans…stung a little…but you still had Shettron and Burden in the class. Our take on the situation is that SMU did a brilliant job of connecting with him and selling him on being the hometown hero and focal point of the offense.
***Talyn Shettron was the third wide receiver to commit to OU back on October 24th 2020. He decommitted on June 30th of 2021 shortly after Oklahoma State offered his brother a scholarship. Both Shettrons are now committed to OkState. OU was not about to play that game.
So…yeah, things were getting hot as there were very few rumors leading up to the flip and most people (including myself) had Shettron locked in as one of the more solid commits in the class.
***Luther Burden was the last man standing. He originally gave his silent pledge to Riley during the ‘Sooner Summit’ weekend even though he was not at the event (Savion Byrd was the silent who was at the event). He went public with the commit in early October of 2020.
Caleb Williams had been working on Burden and Luther saw numbers in the class were getting tight. Shettron was at the Summer event and it was widely assumed he would be a member of the class so Burden went ahead and reserved his spot.
***It was around this time where OU had to break the news to guys like Evan Stewart (Armani Winfield, Brennen Thompson as well) that they were full and could not accept their commitment if they were looking to join the program. As we have reported, Stewart did want in at the time and he actually wound up committing to Texas in February of 2021 but decommitted less than a month later. At this time, as CJ has reported, Stewart is not entertaining OU but sources tell us that OU is still trying to get involved here.
***OU did not entirely quit recruiting wide receivers as they hosted Andre Greene in early June. Our information at the time was that Greene wanted in…but at the time of his visit, OU still had all three wide receivers committed, and by the time everything shook out, Greene had apparently moved on. He has since dropped a top six which does not include OU.
***So here we are…August 17th…no wide receiver commits and no real viable options that we are aware of at this time. (Does not mean OU does not believe they have some options, we just are not aware of who they may be).
How did this happen? Your guess is as good as mine as I have not spoken to Burden since his decommitment, but I have some theories for each of them.
Hudson: Wanted to be the big dog. He knew Shettron and Burden were more polished (I LOVE Hudsons upside) and SMU did a terrific job recruiting him. They really connected on a personal level and used the hometown hero role and sold him on being the focal point of a wide open offense. I have to think the NIL potential came into play with his decision on both of those aspects as well.
Shettron: Family first man. I really feel like it is that simple in this case. You never fully know what takes priorities in a family dynamic and when his brother got an offer to OkState, things just probably made sense to the Shettrons. OkState is no slouch when it comes to WR development and you can make a case that Shettron won’t miss a beat with that move on a personal level in regards to the next level. He is not likely to win many championships or receive the increased attention that he could have at OU, but he will be fine on the football field.
Burden: As I have stated from the beginning, I have always believed Missouri was the team to watch out for here. When he was visiting Bama and all the other schools, I continued to mention Missouri. Let me be clear, I do not KNOW that is where he will end up as Georgia has inserted themselves into the fold, but I have to believe Mizzou is the leader in the clubhouse at this time. Burden has visited Missouri a ton, is at a high school that has served Mizzou very well, and obviously, the geography is in their favor. On the field…this makes no sense for the young man. OU is a far better offense than Missouri or Georgia and the proof is in the wide receiver production when you compare all 3 schools. This is the one where the football reasoning makes little sense, in my opinion.
In the end…OU will be ok.
No, it is not ideal to lose three elite players from a class. Yes, OU has some exciting players on campus for the next few years at the very least. Yes, OU will get out to a great start for the class of wide receivers in ’23. Yes, OU will have to hold onto those ’23 kids and that will be a challenge for certain. No, Dennis Simmons does not need to be dragged up the flag pole. Yes, the entire staff needs to be better, work harder, and pay closer attention to the details and warning signs instead of trusting that the player is saying and doing the right things. Yes, the staff could be more proactive. Yes, the staff could use some assistance in regard to support staff.
In the end, I know there will be many who point at Evan Stewart and say ‘He wanted in, they should have just taken his commitment’. They couldn’t…the numbers and dynamic just would not have worked. In recruiting you are only as good as your word. OU was very open and honest with each of the guys they had committed. They even went to great lengths to let their commits know each time they were adding a guy to the class (they ran Burden by Raleek for instance before we could give you clues about him).
What could they have done? Perhaps keep better communication with the guys they had to turn away (increased support staff could help there, IMO). But really, it’s a no-win situation for them when kids flake/change their minds. In this cycle, you had a little of both (flaking/changing minds). Immediately turn up the heat once one of them opens things back up or when you get a sense that things are trending that way (again, reading the room is crucial and the more eyes you have on a recruit the more chances you have of seeing some signs).
Yes, it sucks that it has come to this. No, OU will not be closing shop and shuttering the football program. Yes, OU will now have to find a diamond in the rough or two. No, they likely will not be as polished as the guys they have lost. Yes, I do have confidence that OU will be fine when all is said and done whether the need is filled via high school recruiting or the portal.
But yeah…days like this are no fun.
Quick Hitter | WR Note
– Charlie S – Posted on: August 18, 2021
Just spoke with K who is a bit under the weather. He planned on posting what he is hearing on the ’22 wide receiver situation, and he may still do that at a later time, but he wanted to pass along a note…
***Source tells K that while the Burden decommit is not ideal, they really are not worried at this time.
***OU is confident that the season is their friend and one of their greatest recruiting tools.
***Source added that while they are doing their due diligence on some new targets, there already has been some contact with recruits committed elsewhere…which includes contact initiated from the recruits’ side.
K may have more on this topic once he gets back up to speed.
