Help Is On The Way | Sooner Squad 17 By: Brandon Drumm Posted on: September 20, 2016

Image via twitter.com/ncjayroc10

The question I have been asked multiple times over the last couples days, “will there be any defections from this 2017 class?”

I can’t predict the future. I sure can’t read minds, but I can go off of some reliable sources and the feeling I get when talking to the current commits. On Sunday I tweeted out the following…

The sentiment reflected in that quote was something I heard from multiple sources who have various relationships with and knowledge of the recruits. In fact I spoke with Sooners WR commit, Charleston Rambo and he said, the commits know that if they work hard they can come in and make an immediate impact and that is exactly what their intentions are next season.

I am not here to pump you all up full of kool-aid. Really. I am not. It’s just that the knee jerk reactions of some fans need to be tampered a bit. After a loss at home it’s hard not to overreact and the frustration by fans is understandable. As one person put it to me, “Oklahoma’s identity, as a state, has always been that they had a title contending program. It doesn’t have the beaches or mountains to ski on. It does have college football. Sometimes you feel like Bob Stoops and company don’t get what they mean to the state, as a whole.”

A 1-2 start is not what we all thought would be happening before the season started. Recruits were probably thinking the same thing. But a source close to a lot of the recruits told me that SoonerSquad17 is locked in. The same source didn’t shy away from the current team issues. The source admitted there are problems. But the source noted that the closeness of this class is different describing the class as “brothers”.

In fact the source even said that the parents of the commits are like, “extended family”. Family sticks together. They don’t turn their backs on each other at the first sign of trouble. The good thing for OU is that this is an incredibly talented “family”. This 2017 class currently ranks in the top 5 of almost all of the recruiting service rankings.

And despite the current record, it’s reasonable to think the current class will get even better. The source added that the closeness and fraternity of the 2017 class is infectious on non committed players from all classes that visit,“They love ‘Soonersquad17’. As a matter of fact, I heard multiple parents talking about how guys seem to have a bond like they are brothers.” The source went on to say, “The other recruits definitely see that. One dad of a commit said he was so happy when his son committed to OU because this class has something special. The families of the commits are all on the same page, too.”

We’ve heard a lot about the lack of leadership on this current team. There seems to be leaders already emerging in the 2017 class. Was told a story about an uncommitted player laughing about the OU loss while the recruits were on the busses after the game.  As the source put it, “It didn’t last long. A couple of SoonerSquad 17 kids shut him up real quick.”

The season hasn’t even started and I know the perception of OU fans is not great right now. But how many times have Sooner fans watched teams with less than stellar records finish with excellent recruiting classes? It perplexes OU fans because they have long thought that recruiting success is solely tied to winning at the highest level. However OU’s recruiting strategy this year has changed. With shiny new facilities, a staff that is recruiting as a group and targets that are more local, OU recruiting is better and more able to withstand some setbacks on the field.

Again, Sooner Squad 17 seems to be all in. They see themselves helping the program and winning titles together. 2016 isn’t what everyone had hoped, but help is on the way.