Open Post | Thursday, Sept. 13th
Posted on: November 13, 2014
– Neville Gallimore: Wanted to pass along a note about star defensive lineman Neville Gallimore. Spoke to someone close to Gallimore and was told that he still has a few trip to take but as of right now it sounds like Oklahoma and Ohio State are probably still the favorites.
Jerry Montgomery continues to recruit Gallimore hard and we’ve been told that while Ohio State and Oklahoma are neck and neck, Gallimore has the strongest connection to Montgomery of all the coaches recruiting him.
Even though the defense hasn’t been what most expected, it’s clear people around the country and recruits still respect what coach Montgomery does. After talking to the person close to Gallimore, we got the sense that OU is still very much alive and one might argue the favorite.
Neville will actually be in Dallas in early December when his football team will be traveling to face Prime Prep (Deion Sander’s private school). One of us will likely be in attendance for that game.
Regardless of what happens the rest of the year, the good news is it looks like the offensive and defensive line recruiting will be strong this year. That’s the most important thing because it sets the foundation and those guys take more type to develop. If OU does have any gaps down the road, most would rather it be at the skill positions where it can be supplemented more readily by JUCO players on young players.
– Jaren Mayden: In case you missed it, 2016 CB and OU legacy, Jared Mayden released his top 5. OU did not make the cut.
41 Comments
Great update! So with just 3 games left in the season, who can OU get to come down for a visit at the LB position? Because that is worrisome.
It won’t matter how great our defensive lineman are if we don’t have any LB’s backing them up.
lol well played.
McGinnis is coming for the Bedlam game.
What 3 LB’s would you say we have the best shot at landing?
Landing? Don’t think I’d be very good at playing that game with the way things look right now haha. If OU offers Dwaine Thomas I could see him ending up at OU. Outside of that, not super confident anywhere.
Haha fair point. We’ve had some luck with LB’s from Louisiana. I just hope it doesn’t get to the “beggars can’t be choosers” point.
Thank you. I like him a lot. Griffin was my first pick and then McGinnis. It would be great to get both McGinnis and Griffin. I know about the HS coach and commitment but in my world, that is what I would want.
I haven’t kept up with McGinnis, what are the odds?
If I’m Bob I’m looking at this……Line recruiting good=good line recruiters. Running backs good=good running back recruiter. Line backers need help=need linebacker recruiter. Secondary needs help=need secondary recruiter.
shots fired.
Can’t disagree much. With the incredible amount of talent in Texas alone the last two years in the secondary and OU mostly unable to pull any of the elite guys, something has to be done.
Vargo 05…………couldn’t agree more !!
You forgot about WR? Unless last years group is ready next Spring?
WR is still in limbo with me. We came in with one proven but they claim that the future looks bright there, still to be determined.
i agree with ya. not much of a chance to improve last yr(hard to get on the field). this yr, kind of hard to know if you’re getting better and beating your man when the ball is going to shep a lot. that said, i’ve liked neal pretty much all yr, quick looks awesome given the reps he’s bound to have been getting in practice lately. will have to see more on the rest
Quick will be impressive once he gets rid of the game jitters.
” they claim that the future looks bright there, still to be determined.” — that was against the MS defense that only practices man defense 1 a week…… food for thought
Good point. Shep is special, Neal, Woods and Young have showed something in games at times. Quick is showing potential and we are still developing Andrews, Mead, Todd, and smallwood. Some believe DGB will come back and we have some on our board for ’15. The numbers look good at the position, just need to see how many step up and produce on the field.
I understand everyone’s concern about recruiting, and I’m not doubting the wisdom of those here who follow it closely, and I appreciate that everyone is looking ahead, but before we totally freak out about the horror that is the apparent linebacker recruiting, and dump the guy we view as responsible, maybe we should at least wait until we’ve had at least one season where the linebacking crew isn’t the strongest performing and most reliable unit on the defense. Maybe I’m like the guy falling off a twenty story building and passing each floor saying “so far, so good,” but I seriously would like to see some indication that the area is a problem, before getting too insistent that something be done.
I wasn’t being down about the current group, they have been solid. I was just posting based on what we see as far as future recruits at this point and time.
music…………….you haven’t watched this group in action ? When a walkon is running 2nd team, you may know help is needed.
If you’re just looking for something to complain about, and clearly you are, you’ll find it. But the linebackers have been excellent this year as well as last.
We aren’t talking about the guys he has on campus! This isn’t the NFL. We don’t have the luxury of having these guys for years to come! He has not brought in the numbers we need to run a 3-4!! He can’t recruit!! It’s hard to relate to these young men when ur an old white guy who doesn’t seem too personable!!! Outside of recruiting the lines and RB, we need help!! Kish is not the answer and is another one of those “good ol boy” hires!! We need some new blood to energize that position like we had with the lines last year!!!
Well, the old white guy who can’t relate and isn’t too personable and is simply a “good ol’ boy” hire has taken a portion of our defense that was often a serious liability in recent years and made it arguably the most reliable part. That by itself shows how wrong your analysis of him is. I’m not convinced your evaluation of him otherwise is any better.
I’m not talking about the guys currently on the field. I agree, they are probably the most dependable unit on the field, but we don’t have them forever. Kish can coach the guys he has, the problem is bringing in new guys for the future of this program.
You want to attack a guy, and maybe even go so far as to call for his job, blaming him for a future inferior product that he has never put on the field, simply because you say, “oh, but he will.” And this after using the same derogatory description that was used, before he ever set foot on campus, to attack Stoops for hiring him, and to say that he wouldn’t be able to coach 18 year olds.
Obviously that judgement was as wrong as it could be. If he couldn’t relate to kids that age, and was only a “good ol’ boy” hire, he wouldn’t be putting the product on the field that he has. If the basis for that judgement is flawed, then the conclusions drawn from it probably are as well.
From where I stand, so far, he’s pretty much batting 1.000 in terms of the comparative quality of the product he’s put on the field. Recruiting is a speculative venture. We don’t know how the recruits they have are going to perform, we don’t know exactly how he looks at it, and we don’t know what other recruits might come in at some point. What we do know is that he he’s responsible for arguably the best part of the defense so far. IMHO, attacking him and calling for his job after the performance he’s delivered, especially in light of the false assumptions, is a mistake. Until there is at least some slight evidence of a drop in performance, I think he probably deserves a vote of confidence, and, if not that, at least the benefit of the doubt.
Soonermusic, always been a fan of your perspective of things about our program. I have to disagree on this one. Not because of my opinion but the proof on tape. Overall, this bunch of LBs have been pretty good, consistent, and at the right places. But, the knock on them, atleast on tape is they let RBs get that extra 2-3 yards, everytime. Now, the part of THAT has to go on recruiting, why? because, if you have depth, you can rotate, then they can play to their full potential every snap they are on the field.Well, it is only human to expect to get some rest every now and then. Also, Evans as awesome as he has been, lacks the frame to stop a RB on the contact. But, he has not been offered the luxury to develop his body some more – cue – the cupboard has been bare and he has been thrown into the fire (and performed admirably).
Look, you can say Kish had everything to do with the current exceptional play of the LBs but if you let the tape do the talking, its hard to argue that the DLine along with these players (who I think are really good by themselves) deserve at least 50% credit. The place Kish can take the entire credit (in recruiting), he has failed to. At a place like, where the walls are full of award winning and smash-mouth LBs, don’t know why it has been THIS hard for Kish to pull in a few LBs (unless they are legacy kids). The question needs to be asked now, and answered in this recruiting class. He has been given three years and we still have only 2 LBs of worth to show for – and no, we are not giving him credit for STRIKER.
No one gets “entire credit,” for recruiting. Just as no one gets entire credit for the performance of a group on the field. As far as depth goes, it’s hard to be down on a guy who has had his top linebacker injured or not able to play, both last year and this, and has still produced. That hugely affects the “depth” issue. Put those two guys back in at full strength and your whole picture of the depth rotation changes. In the past, entire seasons have collapsed because one linebacker went down. Not so now.
Gallimore would be a great get.
If you could, please post the game info with Prime Prep, date/time/location. State playoffs will be in full swing in early December so their date and stadium selection might be a factor. Would be an interesting game to watch, but only if my home town team isn’t still playing then.
If I’m Bob or any of the coaching staff outside of Gundy, I’m selling the Baylor game, maybe even the season as a reason for recruits to come to OU. We need you to get this school back to the elite status it should be at.
The coaching issues are not helping to sell the program. If I was a kid I would have seen that and been more worried about that than playing time. If I’m not going to improve under a coach why would I sign with him.
Bob has a track record of getting guys to the league, if a player is focused on that, Bob already has selling points.
Selling the early playing time gave Tenn a decent class this past year.
Gallimore & Campbell please.
Been texting Campbell throughout the day today. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, he’s an interesting and mature dude that I believe will be successful in college. Rare to find athletes like him. Rarer still to find them that mature.
No surprise about Mayden or any elite CB who has watched M Stoops defense. I’ll be surprised of Mbanasar doesn’t decommit off the 2015 list for the same reason. These talents want to play an aggresive, in-your-face, style that will help them at the next level. They will probablyl have to go elsewhere to find a coach who teaches that type of SEC/PAC 12 style to his CB’s.
Thanks. So, is Norvell failing at WR recruits?
Oklahoma’s game plan should be the following with no deviation: Run the ball. Repeat.
OU should easily hit 400 yards on the ground. If they get cute, they’ll put up 300 and 200 in the air.
Life will be much easier for C Thomas if the Sooners do rush for 300+ yds. and win the turnover battle.
Thanks for update. This week is just so fresh still & gotta believe it only goes up from here no?
The team needs to show some momentum into next season & some things can change pretty quickly. First, got to get this thing out of ditch.