Open Post | Tuesday, February 12th
Posted on: February 12, 2019
Cali In-Person | Recruiting Notebook
– Super K
Sunday, I was at the Los Angeles regional Opening event. Here are a few notes from the event.
***I know OU isn’t really recruiting 2020 CA CB, Clark Phillips III (La Habra) anymore due to the fact that he’s under 6’0 but man that young man is so unbelievably explosive and has a steely demeanor.
I can see him playing early. He has a bit of a Trajan Bandy (former OU commit who went on to start as a true freshman at Miami) and a bit Javelin Guidry (smaller explosive CB who played in the Austin area and went on to start as a freshman at Utah).
OU was recruiting him under the old regime and while I see why they want to get bigger and longer, guys like Phillips are where you might consider making an exception.
Something of note, Phillips will be taking some unofficial visits in this area in the next few weeks. So, if the Sooners choose to get back in with him, I think they can get him on campus.
***A guy I also really liked and didn’t even realize OU is recruiting was, 2020 CA DB/LB, Kourt Williams II (St. JohnBosco)
I noticed this really big guy dressed out in defensive back clothing. Thought to myself, he looks like a well put together linebacker. Then watching him, I was surprised to see how well he moved. He lined up outside against legitimate wide receivers.
I spoke with Kourt and he said that he and coach Manning talk quite frequently.
Turns out, despite the rain, he put up some incredible SPARQ numbers.
Kourt said that coach Manning sees him as the type of hybrid athletes they are looking for. I agree. I think this young man is easily an OU offer guy. Can be an every down nickel. Very rare size and skill set. You’re going to a get a true SAM in terms of linebacker size and skill and a true nickel in terms of coverage ability.
Something to note, Kourt told me that his father did play at UCLA. I asked him if that’s how he got to know Manning. He said that he did not start communicating with coach Manning until Manning arrived at OU. Sounds like the Sooners saw Kourt in January when they went by St. John Bosco (CA).
Yesterday, the Sooners extended that offer…
Again, really nice prospect and great scheme fit at OU.
***2020 4-star ILB, Noah Sewell (Orem, UT) put on a show at the Opening. Sewell is one of the top Sooners linebacker targets. Coach Odom went out to Utah to see him and…
I can see why…
Look at the numbers. He’s an ILB measuring in at 6’2 and weighing 266 lbs. He jumped nearly 36 inches and his short shuttle was 4.28 secs (again, wet conditions).
Watching him move in reps, I would *never* have guessed he weighs anywhere near 266 lbs.
Sewell’s older brother plays at Oregon. So, I imagine they are the favorites. But speaking to Noah and his father, Gabriel, they do plan on trying to make it out to OU for a visit. They just don’t have the visit set up yet.
I do think OU will be able to get Sewell on campus at least once, if not twice for a possible unofficial and official. But we’ll see.
***2020 CA 5-star DB and LSU commit, Elias Ricks (Mater Dei) also had a great camp. He’s huge, long, athletic, competitive and he’s well coached. Didn’t shy away from any competition and I love that about him. In fact, the camp was over and he basically argued to let him take a rep against 5-star WR, Johnny Wilson.
Ricks is a solid commit to LSU. His mother’s family is originally from Texas and his father’s family is originally from Louisiana.
Having said that, with an early commitment, Ricks hasn’t yet seen many schools. So, he plans on taking official visits.
According to his father, Ricks is going to take official visits this spring and is trying to get out to LSU, Alabama, Ohio State, USC and said the final visit will go to OU or UT.
I asked Elias himself which direction he is leaning for his final OV…OU or UT?
He said, OU.
***Sooners 2020 DB commit, Darrion Green–Warren picked up an invitation to the Opening final in Frisco (TX).
I saw DGW a few weeks ago at the UA Future 50 and he was one of the best DBs there. He controls space as well as anybody. Really hard to get separation from him.
He had another good performance. Saw him do three one on one reps and he handled them all pretty effortlessly.
He’s technically sound but I think his true gift is in how he picks up cues from the receiver. Hard guy to shake.
***2020 CA OT, Jeffrey Persi (J Serra Catholic) was in attendance. Best built offensive lineman at the event. Good height and length. Built like a basketball player. Sits in his stance nicely and quick out of his stance. He gets a little high and doesn’t sit down on a rusher but high level athlete. A lot to work with.
Persi picked up an OU offer back on January 24th. Said he really likes coach Bedenbaugh and coach Bedenbaugh’s resume. What OU is doing on the offensive line in terms of NFL development has caught his attention.
Again, both reps above are against 4-star OLB/DE, Jordan Banks (Narbonne).
Persi says he plans on taking an unofficial visit to Oklahoma on April 6th to watch a spring practice.
TFB Talking Point | Pre-Combine NFL Draft Projections
– Charlie S
The Sooners have eight former players participating in the NFL Combine next month in Indianapolis.
Kyler Murray, Marquise Brown, Cody Ford, Rodney Anderson, Ben Powers, Dru Samia, Bobby Evans, and Austin Seibert will all be showcasing their abilities in front of the NFL scouts.
Where do you think they will eventually get drafted?
Here is the way I see things right now:
QB Kyler Murray: Tricky one as a lot of where he gets drafted will depend on his commitment to football. He will need to make a decision in regards to what his choice is prior to the draft for any team to take a chance on him. Let’s say he comes out and says he has chosen to play football…I see him as a top 10 pick.
WR Marquise Brown: Brown has one thing you cannot teach…speed. Devastating speed. He will have question marks about his durability and ability to stay healthy. I have stated on the board that I believed he hurt his draft stock the last two games he played with some easy drops. I am not a GM, I still think that speed wins the day and he gets drafted…low first round early second.
OL Cody Ford: Prior to the 2018 season, Ford was the dude that many suspected would be returning to OU for the 2019 season for his season to shine. The common thought was that he would have a decent year in 2018 and learn the tackle position and really shine in 2019. Conventional wisdom got thrown out the window when Ford went out and absolutely dominated throughout the season and blossomed into one of the best offensive tackles in the game. His versatility to play both inside and out at a high level will be enough to have him drafted…mid first round.
RB Rodney Anderson: The 2018 story was ready…running back Rodney Anderson, fresh off an incredible performance against an elite Georgia defense in the Rose Bowl would take off in 2019 and be viewed as the top running back in college following the season. That story never got written as Anderson suffered another season-ending injury early in the season and he spent the better part of the year rehabbing. Anderson has been preparing for the draft and the combine and OU pro day will be crucial for him. No matter how well he performs, teams may still be hesitant to draft an oft-injured running back, but his talent is special and I feel like he will be drafted…round 3-4.
OL Ben Powers: Powers is a guy who I feel will be a steal no matter where he gets selected. The dude is just a football player with a nasty streak and has shown the ability to play through injury. He may not turn many heads at the combine based on his physical skill set, but he is a guy that GM’s around the league would be wise to view in the same light they should have viewed Orlando Brown, by his film. Powers will be a 10 year NFL guard (without any serious injury) and I feel like someone will get a gem and draft him in…round 3-4.
OL Dru Samia: Samia was a four-year starter at OU. He actually took the opposite path of Cody Ford as he started his freshman year at tackle and finished his career at guard. For a while there, his junior and sophomore years, it looked like Samia may have peaked as a freshman. But a very strong senior year at guard and a terrific showing at the senior bowl made him some money. I always felt Samia would be a center in the NFL, that may still happen. I would speculate that he gets drafted in…round 4-5.
OL Bobby Evans: This is a lot tougher to predict than I think anyone felt it would be heading into the 2018 season. Evans has the tools. He is an elite athlete for a lineman and while that will show at the combine (in terms of agility and footwork) I still believe he should have returned to school this year for the ‘season to shine’ that I mentioned in regards to Cody Ford earlier. Evans needs to work on upper body strength and his film from the year is nothing spectacular. He was possibly the weakest link on OU’s line this year. Still, I feel like his tools will get him drafted, but maybe just barely…round 6-7.
P/K Austin Seibert: Legatron can do it all. Every year there is a kicker and punter or two who get drafted. I don’t know if Seibert is planning on focusing on one discipline or the other, but I do know he is versatile enough, and good enough, at both to be drafted. Just a guess here but I will say he goes in…round 5-6.
I know DL Amani Bledsoe was not invited to the combine and while he doesn’t have that high of a profile, I do believe he will have a great OU pro day and eventually work his way into the late rounds. He is young, big, and talented and could be a real steal for someone. I have a feeling he gets selected in…round 6-7.
What are your thoughts?
Kyler Murray…NFL Quarterback
– Charlie S
Oklahoma Sooners Heisman Trophy winning Quarterback has announced via Twitter that he will concentrate fully on becoming an NFL Quarterback.
Murray was the ninth pick in the 2018 MLB draft and signed a contract paying him north of four million dollars.
After signing the contract, Murray returned to Oklahoma where he led the Sooners to the Colleg Football playoffs and won numerous major awards along the way including the 2018 Heisman Trophy.
If you recall, back in November I noted that the financial aspect of becoming a high draft pick in the NFL meant more guaranteed money for Kyler, but in the end, I believe it was his love of the game that pushed him to decide to give the NFL a shot as he would certainly be able to make a boatload of money in either sport.
The NFL just got more interesting, at least for me it did.
