The Football Brainiacs

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– Jashon Watkins: Nashville East High School – every Sooners fan knows that name; they also remember Oklahoma’s recent history at that high school and the one that infamously got away in the 2017 class. Well, OU is recruiting another player from that school very hard: 2019 defensive back, Jashon Watkins. Watkins, much like his predecessor Jacob Phillips, is very high on the Sooners. A good reason is that OU was one of Watkin’s first offer, outside of instate Tennessee. Watkins tells TFB that Sooners defensive back coach, Kerry Cooks, is the one recruiting him, and says, “He’s a great guy. We have a great relationship.” Some might feel that his relationship with Phillips, who Watkins refers to as his “ big brother,” would be a detriment to Oklahoma, but that’s simply not the case; Watkins says Phillips spoke highly of OU and their staff.

You can expect Watkins to visit sometime this summer when he gets all of his plans lined up. Watkins made it a point to say that OU was one of the schools that he plans to see and wants to see, as he is so high on them. This will be interesting after the Phillips saga; however, as of right now, Cooks has OU in a good spot to not only get a visit from Watkins, but be a real player for him in the end. – (Brandon)

– Ronnie Perkins: Every Sooners fan want to talk defensive line recruiting. 2018 Lutheran High School (St. Louis, Mo) Ronnie Perkins is one of the top defensive, not just lineman, but players in the nation. When I spoke with the DL he told me that he plans on visiting later this summer, but the date is not solidified. When I spoke to several sources about OU’s chances with Perkins, one source said, “OU is his top school, but he has yet to visit. If and when that visit happens, Oklahoma could push themselves further ahead.” Another source told TFB, “OU has 2017 offensive lineman signee Marquise Hayes talking to Perkins and Trout all the time. Those three are good friends. Which could really help their cause.” Now, instate Missouri is really pushing Perkins, as are LSU, Michigan and Nebraska. Those seem to be the real threats to OU, but there is a lot to like about where Oklahoma stands in Perkins’ recruitment. When Perkins does visit, that could be what turns the tide and has Sooners defensive line coach Calvin Thibodeaux landing a crucial piece to his 2018 class. – (Brandon)

– More on Perkins: I’ve heard similar things on Perkins regarding his interest in OU and desire to visit. One thing I should note is that Perkins older brother does play at Missouri. However, in the past Perkins has mentioned to me that his brother really doesn’t pressure Perkins one way or another. Still, I have to believe Missouri could end up being the Sooners toughest competition. However, there is little doubt that of the two schools the Sooners will have the better season. – (Super K)

– Mayan Ahantotu: Speaking of defensive line recruiting, Calvin Thibodeaux has himself a huge visitor coming in on Memorial Day weekend in 2018 Tampa (FL) defensive end Mayan Ahanotu. The first time Ahanotu and I spoke was back in early May when he got the offer from Oklahoma. Then, Ahantotu said he would be visiting after spring ball was over. Now, with Ahanotu’s spring ball over, that time has come. Ahanotu reached out to TFB last week and informed us that was visiting the Sooners during Memorial Day weekend. What makes that visit interesting is that he and his family are traveling out this way and just visiting Oklahoma and no other schools. Usually, when a player travels that far, they try to make several stops. But with Ahantotu, you can really tell that he has some very strong interest in the Sooners. Ahantotu spoke very highly of Sooners linebacker coach, Tim Kish, and defensive line coach Thibodeaux. This one will fun to see – Ahantotu is setting up other visits, but when talking to others around his region, most feel OU is the leader. – (Brandon)