Open Post | Tuesday, July 19th
Posted on: July 19, 2022
Sooners Saturday | The Never Ending Summer of George
– Charlie S – Posted on: July 16, 2022
The Sooners have had quite the month of July on the recruiting trail.
So far, July has produced six (seven now) commitments for the Sooners and if you take June into consideration, Oklahoma has picked up 11 commits (12 now) in the Summer of George!
July Commits
LB Phil Picciotti – Commit 7/4
WR Jaquaize Pettaway – Commit 7/6
OL Cayden Green – Commit 7/8
OL Logan Howland – Commit 7/9
EDGE Adepoju Adebawore – Commit 7/10
RB Daylan Smothers – Commit 7/14
June Commits
WR Keyon Brown – Commit 6/5
TE Kade McIntyre – Commit 6/13
RB Kalib Hicks – Commit 6/15
OL Heath Ozaeta – Commit 6/27
LB Samuel Omosigho – Commit 6/30
…and the fun is not done by any means.
’23 LB Lewis Carter will announce his commitment to the school of his choosing as early as today.
’23 DL Derrick LeBlanc plans on announcing his commitment at the end of the month.
’23 DB Jacobe Johnson could make his announcement at any time.
’23 OL Payton Kirkland who is still communicating with OU makes his announcement on July 23rd. (We currently have this one as a toss up).
Then you could always get another kid, like Carter, who decides he has seen enough and is ready to make the call.
Good times!
Sourced Team Notes | Talking Linebackers and Defensive Line
– James Hale – Posted on: July 18, 2022
The summer with Schmidty is going according to plan. Two weeks are left, and then testing before training camp gets underway on August 3rd. Coach Venables said that Coach Schmidt and this summer is the key to the 2022 season, and the team has totally bought in.
I hear no horror stories of torturous workouts, but instead of all the players saying that they are getting better and they love that at OU they get a chance to train under Jerry Schmidt. Every player at Big 12 Media Days bragged up working with Schmiitty and how it will pay big dividends this season.
Nobody outside of Norman is talking up the Sooner linebacker corps, but it is a deep unit, and from what I am told they are having a great summer. Word is that Freshman Jaren Kanak (6’2, 221) is growing up in the program and is filling out. He was a flat belly coming into OU, but he is growing up in the program and excelling this summer.
I am told Senior DaShaun White (6’0, 218) is having a great summer and wants to go out with a bang this season. Sounds like Senior David Ugwoegbu (6’4, 237) continues redefining his body and becoming a better athlete. Source says the ring leader of this group is Danny Stutsman (6’4, 238), and it will be hard to keep him out of the starting lineup. He is the most intense player in the linebacker group and certainly gives the impression that he wants to be great.
If you were just going off summer camp, then junior Shane Whitter (6’0, 225) excels during this time according to those around the program. He gained tremendous momentum coming out of spring, and he knows he has a chance to start with a good training camp.
I know many are not convinced that senior TD. Rood (5’10, 221) will play a big role on this football team. He works incredibly hard and has probably reached his athletic peak, but he is a good football player and I am told he knows this defense better than any other player on the roster. He and Kanak will play the SAM/Nickle, and both will be great on special teams.
The freshmen backers are really growing up this summer. That is to be expected, but when it actually happens, that is great news for the future. I’m told MIKE backer Kobie McKinzie (6’2, 236) is leaning up, and he looks more athletic than he did when he first arrived. He always looked like a good player, but his athleticism improved this summer. McKinzie moves very well at inside backer.
I still feel that freshman Kip Lewis (6’1, 205) will redshirt this year, but he has shown great athleticism this summer. Lewis is putting on good weight and is growing up in the program. I think he is a SAM backer, but that has not totally been determined. He is very athletic and has a chance to be very good in the program.
On the defensive line, Junior Jalen Redmond (6’3, 298) has made it through training camp, which in itself is great news for him. Redmond is still trying to catch up from all the time he has missed throughout his career. He is having a good summer, and I don’t think he will play at over 290.
None of the defensive linemen are getting a lot of play this offseason, but inside the program, Redmond has the biggest chance to have a breakout year. Sounds like Senior Jordan Kelley (6’4, 292) is having a great summer and has really shaped up his body. Hopefully, Kelley is over all his injuries and ready to play some great football this year.
I had a question about junior Kori Roberson (6’3, 291) the other day; he is always a solid player. He is a good player that the coaches never have to worry about, and he improves yearly. He will be in the rotation this season and will play a lot of football for the Sooners.
Defensive Tackle Recruiting | Edric Hill | The Latest
– Super K – Posted on: July 18, 2022
***As you know, the Sooners are in the market for some defensive tackles.
***We have them trending at 80/20 for Derrick LeBlanc. If that comes to pass then the Sooners will have one defensive tackle in the boat. As a high school prospect, LeBlanc will be a better interior guy than the Sooners have landed in a long time.
***Given the cupboard wasn’t exactly full, coach Bates is going to want at least one more if not two. If he only takes two high school kids in this class then you can probably wager he has his on eye on a transfer.
***I did speak to a source close to Sooners DT target, Edric Hill (North Kansas City. As you know, Hill is teammates with Sooners commit, PJ Adebawore.
***Source did confirm that Hill plans on visiting the Sooners later this month for the Party at the Palace event.
***However, something to watch is whether the Sooners can clear up any concerns from Edric’s camp regarding the offer delay. You’ll recall that Edric visited OU once or twice without receiving an offer. He then returned to camp at OU this past summer and earned an offer shortly thereafter.
***The problem is that Edric already held offers from the likes of LSU and Alabama. Source close to Edric says both schools are heavily recruiting him (Cain is doing the recruiting for LSU).
***I was told by a source close to the Alabama program that Alabama is ready to take Edric. He apparently camped at Bama as well and they were impressed. And with Peter Woods choosing Clemson, that seems to have cleared the path for Edric.
***I do get the sense that some folks around Edric feel a bit slighted by the delayed offer but I can’t say whether that sentiment is shared by Edric. Either way, that sentiment is there and I’m sure he hears it. So, this upcoming visit will be important.
***Source, however, did say that Edric plans on taking his time with his recruitment. However, while that may be his intention, I would guess that timeline will move up given the kinds of programs recruiting Edric. There are a lot of guys knocking on Nick Saban’s door and the state of Louisiana rarely lacks defensive line talent.
***Again, this upcoming visit for the Sooners is going to be big.
