Open Post | Tuesday, August 27th
Posted on: August 27, 2019
Noah Arinze Sets Official Visit | From August 23rd
– Super K
The last time the Sooners hosted players on campus, 2020 defensive lineman, Noah Arinze (St. Louis, MO) was among those players.
In fact, Arinze was on his third visit to OU.
He’s about to make it four. Noah tells me he has set up his official visit date for the Sooners season opener against Houston.
Noah has already taken three of his five official visits. He’s taken OVs to Arizona State, Kansas and Minnesota.
My guess is, after the Oklahoma trip, his final OV will be to either Missouri or Illinois. As I said in my update following the BBQ visit, I get the sense Noah is nearly ready to make a decision but wants to take his visits.
He hasn’t divulged a decision date but after this OU visit, he will only have one OV left. So, I’d imagine a decision is getting pretty close.
Update | Starrland Baldwin
– Charlie S
Back on August 19th, Super K reported that Sooners defensive back, Starrland Baldwin, was expected to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal.
“A source tells me that Sooners defensive back, Starrland Baldwin, is expected to submit his name into the transfer portal. I was not able to get a clear sense of whether he is dead set on leaving or if he’s just testing the waters but was told he intends to enter the portal.
Baldwin has been plagued by injuries. He suffered a torn ACL his senior season in high school and he entered OU still rehabbing his knee. There was a brief period where he was healthy and apparently impressed the previous staff with his quick-twitch movement and ability to change direction. However, he suffered yet another torn ACL his freshman year at OU.”
Spoke with James and he has confirmed that the sophomore defensive back is no longer listed on the official Sooners 2019 Football roster.
Hopefully, he lands at a school which will enable him to get his degree and play football should he seek to!
More National Prospects Visiting for Sooners Opener | From August 23rd
– Super K
We’ve already mentioned quite a few official visitors expected to be in Norman for the season opener including Noah Arinze, Ramon Henderson, Anton Harrison, Edgerrin Cooper, and Phillip Webb.
Those guys alone make a star-studded weekend, but wait…there’s more…
***4-star WR, Arian Smith out of Lakeland, Florida is a top 100 player in the country and an absolute burner. It appears he has become a Sooners target.
Smith tells me that he will likely take an official visit to Oklahoma for the season opener against Houston.
***Another unconfirmed but sourced visitor we’ve heard may be in for an official visit is 2020 ATH, Jaheim Bell (Valdosta, GA).
Shortly thereafter, I reached out to the coach at Valdosta and he confirmed the visit.
Not entirely sure what OU is recruiting Bell to play. He’s a big kid at 6’3 210 lbs and on film plays H-back, TE, WR, and some wildcat. Looks like he’d be a heck a big outside WR target with some jump ball skills.
Given the needs and the fact that they’re bringing in Arian Smith, I’d reckon they’re looking for an outside WR.
Jonah Monheim Commits to USC
– Charlie S
The dance has concluded…2020 OL and major Sooners target, Jonah Monheim, has committed to the hometown program, USC.
Monheim was one of Lincoln Riley’s Twitter eyes from May 23rd (the same day Riley flashed the eyes for Seth McGowan).
As K said in his ‘My Take’ piece earlier this month, this was not necessarily an unexpected situation:
‘As you know, I went out to California in July to see Jonah and learned more about his family background including the fact that his mother is a USC alum and his father is a UCLA alum. We also learned that although OU was very confident, so too was USC.
The latest I’ve heard via a source is that he continues to struggle with a decision between OU and USC.
So, nothing has really changed on that front. However, my sense is that the longer this one goes, the more it seems to favor USC. But, I’ll offer this qualification.
Based on everything I’ve learned, my conjecture is that Jonah is waiting to see how USC’s season begins. We know there is quite a bit of instability at SC my guess is Jonah wants to make sure that is remedied before he makes a decision.
Now, for all I know, he could announce something this week. I don’t have any solid information about a timeline.
What I do know is that the Sooners were expecting him in the boat by July and that didn’t happen. To me that’s a clear sign that he’s waiting on something and I don’t see anything on the OU side that would give him pause’
With Monheim committing to USC, the Sooners will likely turn their focus towards Anton Harrison, Aaryn Parks, and Brady Ward.
*** As we reported last week, Anton Harrison will be officially visiting Norman for the Houston game.
*** Aaryn Parks was talking about visiting for Houston, but to this point, he has not confirmed the visit, but I would expect him to be visiting on one of the first two weekends.
*** As for Brady Ward, I was in touch with him yesterday and he let me know that he will not be visiting for Houston, but he has locked in his official to Norman for the Texas Tech weekend (September 28th).
Sooners Visitor List | Week One – Houston
– Charlie S
Throughout last week we let you know the Official Visitors whom we had confirmed for the Houston game…
Noah Arinze – DE (St Louis, MO)
Jaheim Bell – ATH (Valdosta, GA) *Super K confirmed his visit over the weekend
Edgerrin Cooper – LB (Covington, LA) – OU Commit
Anton Harrison – OT (Washington D.C.)
Ramon Henderson – CB (Bakersfield CA)
Arian Smith – WR (Lakeland, FL)
Phillip Webb – LB (Buford GA)
We also let you know of several unofficial visits, including:
Ryan Watts – 2020 DB (Little Elm, TX) – OU Commit
Mikey Henderson – 2020 ATH (Carrollton, TX) – OU Commit
Brynden Walker – 2020 LB (Oklahoma City, OK) – OU Commit
Cody Jackson – 2021 WR (Richmond, TX) – OU Commit
Gentry Williams – 2022 ATH (Tulsa, OK)
Kendrick Blackshire – 2021 LB (Duncanville, TX)
Additional unofficial visitors we have been able to confirm:
J.T. Towers – 2020 LB (Little Rock, AR)
E’Marion Harris – 2022 OT (Little Rock, AR)
Daryl Searcy – 2022 RB (Little Rock, AR)
Ethan Downs – 2021 DL (Weatherford, OK) *Possibly
Latrell Neville – 2021 WR (Houston, TX)
DJ Graham – 2020 ATH (Keller, TX) – OU Commit *Possibly
Cullen Montgomery – 2021 OL (Bellaire, TX)
David Abiara – 2021 DE (Mansfield, TX)
Bryce Foster – 2021 OL (Katy, TX)
Reuben Fatheree – 2021 OL (Richmond, TX)
Dreyden Norwood – 2021 CB (Fort Smith, AR)
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