Open Post | Weekend, March 11th – 13th
Posted on: March 11, 2022
Visit Updates | MHP & Markis Deal
– Charlie S – Posted on: March 8, 2022
Couple more quick takes from last weekend visits…
***Touched base with ’23 ATH Mikal Harrison-Pilot (6’0 190) out of Temple. TX who made his way to Norman. This was not the first trip to Norman for MHP, he visited last June with the former staff and it was thought (by us at the time) that he would walk out of Norman with an offer at DB. That did not happen, and things went pretty cold.
Fast forward to January 24th of this year when the Sooners extended the offer…but it came from Gundy and Lebby which indicates they are looking at him as a WR right now. Either way, he is a talented two way player and by definition, an ‘athlete’.
MHP told me that the one thing that really stood out to him on the trip was Brent Venables. He said ‘Most definitely Coach V! He’s a great fit for the head coach job and I cannot wait to see what he does with the program.”
He also told me that the plan is to get back up to Norman this spring for another visit.
***Darius was in touch with ’23 OL/DL Markis Deal (6’4 290) out Garland, TX (Naaman Forest).
Deal enjoyed his trip, but what stood out to Darius is that Deal mentioned that he spent time with Bill Bedenbaugh and Todd Bates. So OU has shifted to recruiting him at both offensive line and defensive line which is a pretty significant turn of events.
If you remember, Darius had passed along that Deal, right now, prefers the defensive side of the ball, Darius also believed that OU got the evaluation right and Deal has a higher ceiling on the offensive line, but he is still a good defensive line prospect.
This is a sign of OU reading the room in my opinion and doing their research behind the scenes and adjusting their approach. Refreshing to see in the cases of both these prospects.
Quick Update on 5-Star Anthony Hill Jr. + Prospects to Know from Denton Ryan
– CJ Vogel – Posted on: March 8, 2022
I stopped by Denton Ryan Monday afternoon to catch up with five star linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and some of the other top prospects that rock the Denton Ryan red and blue.
*** Off the bat, not a whole lot has changed with Hill who is in the process of finalizing visit plans to get back to Austin towards the end of the month. Hill told me has nothing finalized currently, but he told me he likely won’t be looking at visiting schools currently not in his top six (Alabama, Miami, OU, Texas, Texas A&M and USC).
Hill visited Oklahoma in January and came away a big fan of new head coach Brent Venables. Hill told me the two had not previously spoken much during his recruitment but the factor that Venables’ resume can go up with anyone in terms of linebacker development is something that he is considering very heavily right now.
A return trip to Norman has yet to be planned but I will give a full write up on Hill later in the week.
*** Oklahoma has yet to offer 2023 CB Chance Rucker who has seen 19 offers come in the last year. Right now, the Sooner staff is keeping up every so often with the 6’3″ cornerback. Rucker told me he is hopeful an Oklahoma offer eventually comes as he called the Sooners a “Dream School” of his. Originally from Tulsa, Rucker said he still has a good deal of family members in the area.
*** A few up and coming prospects to keep an eye on:
*2023 WR Da’Marqis Lewis – 6’4″ WR with above average speed. Certainly has D1 abilities, but is lacking film after missing last year. Will be a late bloomer in the state.
*2025 OL Ty Haywood – Young OL who figures to be in the OL conversation as he ages. Length arms with room to build. Stands 6’5″.
*2024 DT Trey Bates – Interior defensive lineman stands 6’3″-6’4″ and has been a menace on the interior. Played as a true freshman on state title team and will garner interest this spring.
*** As for 2023 IOL Kolt De La Torre, right now it appears a handful of in-state schools are beginning to prioritize him. Texas Tech and Houston are two that are strongly in the mix.
Offensively Speaking | A Game of Conflicts
– Charlie S – Posted on: March 8, 2022
Last night, K and I were going over some notes and the plan of attack we were setting up for the weeks ahead in regard to covering recruiting.
Once we covered that topic, we got into some football talk sparked by some more comments we had picked up on Dillon Gabriel (much the same as we have already reported).
While on the topic of the offense, we started talking about Lebby and the system he cut his teeth under…the Briles system.
As we were talking about it, we kept coming back to the question of ‘How do you stop it?’ What is the key to stopping the wide spreads and attacking style?
Let me rewind a bit here…one of the main knocks on the spread is that it limits the receiver’s route tree and therefore is more predictable in that regard.
That is pretty accurate, the receivers do have a limited route tree as the nature of being up against the sideline dictates such.
The thing with the Briles system was, at least as far as the pass game goes, they didn’t care that the route tree was limited because they were just going to be so good with reads and ball placement that it didn’t matter. They were going with ‘quality’ over ‘quantity’ so to speak.
Another thing that stands out about the Briles pass game is the fact that it really didn’t matter who the QB was. One guy gets hurt, they just roll another guy out there who would do the same thing. It’s not like he was throwing a bunch of 5* guys behind center.
So anyway, back to the offense…yes the route tree isn’t extensive, but the spread puts the backend of the defense in conflict immediately. All of it. The entire secondary and the linebackers. Just because of the spacing, they have to remain pass first off the rip which…helps open up the run game. THEN…more often than not, the scheme calls for a tight end (enter Daniel Parker) to be on the line or in the backfield to help facilitate a power run game. So you have the wideouts on the sidelines creating space and responsibility issues for the defense while having a Tight end in the backfield who needs to be accounted for as well.
The safeties are caught in no man’s land more often than not. Too deep (or wide) to supply big run support and too far to one side of the field to be a true centerfielder. They can help with man over top, but even that can be a stretch of an ask with the splits. The corners are on islands and the only way to have consistent success in defending the scheme effectively is to have a dynamic and disruptive front that can get pressure as well as stud corners and elite safety play.
Even if you get pressure on the QB…things are not great. When most offenses receive pressure, the majority of the time, they are going to dump it short. That’s not the way it works in this offense. If pressure is coming, the QB knows his outside guys have one on one opportunities in most cases so that leads to the potential to loft one out front of a receiver and let him go get it for a chunk play.
The scheme leads to a bunch of man-to-man coverage as a zone is almost useless against the offense due to the spacing issues.
I went back and watched the 2014 OU vs Baylor game. As painful as it was to sit through, and as mind-numbing as it was to watch…OU and Mike Stoops chose death by a thousand paper cuts. OU jumped out to a 14-3 lead after one quarter, then it all went to hell.
The OU defensive backs were lining up 10-12 yards off in man on every snap, no matter down and distance. They were more concerned about getting beat by the deep ball and they wanted to keep everything in front of them.
The Baylor wide receiver routes were not elaborate, at all. Basically, 3 routes were run all day. Slant/Curl/Go. And Baylor was able to hit on all of them at different times in way to their route, but they really chewed up OU on the underneath stuff…because OU chose that death.
Anyway, back to the overall scheme. Briles and Baylor were chewing people up with less talent. Bryce Petty and KD Cannon were nice college players. Shock Linwood was a good college back. They were not All-Americans and they did not turn into All-Pro’s, I didn’t know for certain how any of those guys did at the next level or if they even made it to the next level. That fact alone is important to remember. That scheme changed the game with lesser athletes than what OU currently has.
Jeff Lebby is not Art Briles. He didn’t create the offense or bring it to the forefront. But it is the system he grew up under and the system he has refined on his own with successful stops at UCF and even more impressively, success (offensively) at Ole Miss in the mighty SEC…again, with less talent (on paper) than he has at his disposal at OU.
Matt Corral, the Ole Miss QB, said he wished they had run more of Lebby’s stuff as compared to the amount of influence Lane Kiffin tried to impose on the offense at Ole Miss.
I am excited to see where this offense starts, and where it ends by the end of the season.
Right now, as I sit here on a Monday afternoon in March before one snap has even been taken, I just do not see a defense on the schedule that has the ingredients to stop this potent offense when it is fully implemented and firing. I don’t see a team in the Big 12 that has an elite defensive line coupled with shut-down corners for starters. Then when you start talking about the need for elite safety play and disciplined and high-level linebacker play, it becomes even more of a tall order. Yes, there are those teams out there, I just do not see them on OU’s schedule for ’22.
One last note…Brent Venables has been widely recognized as the best DC in college football for the last however many years you want to call it…one team that gave Clemson consistent issues over the years? Syracuse. Syracuse’s head coach? Dino Babers (Beat Clemson in 2017, 4 point game in 2018, 3 point game in 2021). Syracuse had nowhere near the level of talent Clemson had, but they were still pretty much more effective against Clemson than most of the other ACC teams.
Dino Babers learned his offense under Art Briles at Baylor from 2008-2011.
It’s not an easy offense to defend and I’m not sure there is a defense on the schedule that is up to the task once the players get comfortable. I’m not calling for an undefeated season or saying that right now or saying the OU offense will be unstoppable or anything like that. I’m just realistically looking at an offense that has the potential to be something y’all have been on the opposite side of when it was running at its highest level…with lesser talent.
It’s exciting.
We are working on having coach Cody Alexander share his breakdown of both of the new schemes in the future as well.
2023 Westlake DE Colton Vasek “Loved” Trip to Norman
– CJ Vogel – Posted on: March 9, 2022
2023 Austin Westlake defensive end Colton Vasek was one of many prospects on campus this weekend for the Sooners’ first visit weekend of the quiet period.
A little background on the Austin native, Vasek was named the Defensive MVP of the 6A-D1 State Title game for Westlake in which he accounted for three sacks in the win over Denton Guyer. Westlake last year had two 6’7″ defensive ends, with Vasek lining up opposite of Texas signee Ethan Burke.
Sources at Westlake tell me the higher upside leans towards Vasek who comes in with a more impressive frame and build. So there is a lot to like about the talented DE.
Vasek left Norman this weekend with very high remarks for his time on campus with the staff.
“I loved my time up in Norman,” said Vasek. “Coach Venables and the OU staff really did a great job organizing the day. Not only are they going to develop you as a player, but they’re also going to develop you as a person. I really enjoyed seeing their facilities and what all they had to offer.”
The trip was the first time for Vasek and his family to see the campus and what it has to offer. Vasek’s father played for Texas in the early 1990’s and told me in the past Texas games were on often in the house growing up.
Regardless, he said the trip was great and that he “will definitely be up to Oklahoma” again in the near future.
Right now, he has trips already booked for the month including Clemson next week, Texas A&M on the 26th and plans to get to Oregon sometime in early April.
Hollywood 2.0? Malik Benson Initial Update
– Super K – Posted on: March 10, 2022
I recently stopped by Hutchinson CC to see recent OU JUCO WR offer, Malik Benson.
***For a few years the Sooners kept a burner to open up the offense – Saunders, Westbrook, Hollywood. Mims is a bit of a burner but not a true 4.3/4.4 guy. It would appear that one of his first acts as new WR coach, coach Gundy is looking to bring in a guy who can take the top off and stress the defense.
Side note: there were guys on the previous staff that didn’t want Hollywood Brown during the recruiting process.
***Watching Malik on film and you can see a perfect fit for Lebby’s offense and exactly the kind of player that terrified every OU fan under the Briles/Baylor offense. Wide split and either take you deep or grab a slant and house it.
***Malik is no secret anymore. His recruitment has exploded with offers from Alabama, Georgia, LSU, the Sooners and others.
***I spoke with Malik for a while. He struck me as very thoughtful and I get the sense that he’s taking advantage of his time at JUCO and looking to really make something happen at the next level. He seems to have the talent for it.
***He tells me that he is hoping to take his official visits this spring and summer. Sounds like he’s still unsure about when a decision will take place.
***Priority will be looking for a program where he feels like he can get enough targets but also wants a coach he can connect with. I get the sense he and Gundy have hit it off and Gundy has done a good job of making Malik feel like a priority which is important. Malik mentioned that he’s not interested in schools that just throw out and offer and then don’t really make much of an effort.
***OU has a lot of potential selling points here but as far as I can tell, a big one is proximity. Malik is originally from the KC area and it’s clear he’s very close to his family. He said he’d go anywhere but my read is that the closer the better. Malik admitted that if all things are equal, proximity wins out.
***Malik is exactly what OU needs and though Malik has yet to get on campus, you can already see the Sooners will be a major player in this one.
In-Depth with 5-Star LB Anthony Hill Jr.
– CJ Vogel – Posted on: March 10, 2022
As y’all know, I was out in Denton Monday afternoon checking in on 5-star linebacker Anthony Hill Jr.
Hill is coming off a trip to Oklahoma at the end of the January and currently has his sights set on planning his next month of trips across the country. Right now, it is a six team race, which can essentially be cut into two halves of contenders in my opinion, with Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M leading the charge.
Hill’s time in Norman was his first since the coaching turnover, allowing him his first opportunity to meet face to face with head coach Brent Venables and the rest of the OU staff.
“I feel like it was real big for him,” Hill said about Venables taking the OU job. “It is going to be a big opportunity for him and what he is doing because when I went down there, I could tell it was about a family. They are building a good program and I feel like they are bringing the right guys in.”
Hill has always held Oklahoma with high regards and the visit certainly ended with a positive vibe around it.
Perhaps the most important aspect of the trip was the face time with Coach Venables. Hill told me he only spoke with him once prior before he took the OU job, and that was when Venables offered Hill while at Clemson.
Another pull heading in the Sooners’ direction is obviously the history of linebacker development Venables as boasted during his time in South Carolina. The opportunity to be coached by one of the best linebacker coaches in the country has certainly caught the eye of the five star.
“I know that he knows what to do to get me to where I want to go,” Hill said. “It is easier that way, especially when you compare the track records.”
I mentioned it Monday, but the threat of Texas A&M still looms here. Hill told me they are his longest lasting relationship, having been in communication with members on that staff since he was 12 or 13.
Still, however, Oklahoma is firmly in the mix and will make this interesting until it is time for a decision.
Next on the agenda for Hill is taking trips. He told me currently the plan is to see USC and Miami at some point this spring while having an eye on a trip to Austin at some point at the end of the month.
I would not be surprised if Hill snuck back up to Norman once more during spring practices, but he did not confirm that as a plan right now.
There is a long way to go here, so buckle in for the long haul.
Quick Hitter | ’23 DB Tyler Turner
– Charlie S – Posted on: March 10, 2022
As we noted HERE the Sooners offered ’23 safety Tyler Turner (6’0 180) out of San Antonio, Tx back on March 1st.
Turner was committed to Baylor at the time and while there were rumors elsewhere that he would be visiting for the March 5th weekend, that was never the plan and he mentioned to me the night he was offered that he was ‘hoping to possibly get back on campus when he heads to the UA camp in Dallas during his spring break week of March 14th-18th.’
Last night, he told Super K that he is still working to make that visit happen.
So what has changed since the last update?
He has decommitted from Baylor.
The Sooners will absolutely be players in this recruitment going forward and whether it be this week coming up or down the line, I do expect him to get back on campus this spring.
