Open Post | Tuesday, June 29th
Posted on: June 29, 2021
Sooners Sunday Brunch | Tease & Brice
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 27, 2021
The Sooners held camp yesterday and also hosted a number of unofficial visitors.
As you know we already covered ’22 WR Commit Luther Burden and ’23 5-star Anthony Hill being on campus and we will look to catch up with them this week to get their thoughts on their time in Norman.
– OU also hosted instate 2023 DB target Micah Tease (5’11 180) out of Tulsa (Booker T).
The Sooners are way out front here in my opinion and getting him on campus again only helps to extend their lead.
When I asked him about the visit, Micah said “The visit went great! Everything I saw about the staff and the program was great. The staff really stands out, those guys are truly the best”.
While Micah is being recruited at defensive back, he also noted that he had the opportunity to talk with Gundy, Odom, and Thibbs a lot. The Sooners are making this a very team-oriented recruitment and I could see it paying off for them in the not too distant future.
– Another visitor of note is 2022 prospect Xavion Brice (6’2 175) out of Arlington, TX (Seguin)
I assumed, incorrectly, that OU was looking at him as a wide receiver.
They are not. Lesson learned for Charlie.
I caught up with Brice and he told me OU is recruiting him as a DB.
I asked him about the visit and if anything stood out and you will not be shocked by his answer…Brice said, “What really stood out was how the coaches and the players really made it feel like home. Coach Manning made a great impression on me as well”.
Sounds like OU made a pretty significant impact on him as he had been planning on announcing a decision on July 10th, but following the visit to Norman, he is not set in stone to announce at that time as he would like to see a little more. I would expect him to visit during the season if OU pushes a bit here.
Jake Taylor Mulling Things Over
– Super K – Posted on: June 28, 2021
As you know, one of the Sooners top 2022 OT targets, Jake Taylor (Bishop Gorman) visited Oklahoma earlier this June for the BBQ.
Oklahoma was Taylor’s final visit. Prior to that, he had taken official visits to Alabama and Notre Dame. The three schools make up his top list although we sense that Bama is the bigger the threat.
I checked in with Taylor’s father to see when a decision can be expected. He said that Jake is with his team in Utah for a camp this week.
Once Jake returns, his father says, “we will go over everything and see how he wants to announce his decision”.
In other words, as I originally suspected, I think we can expect something fairly soon.
For what it’s worth, folks on the Bama side seem to think OU is the leader. I tend to agree.
Cam Williams Nearing Announcement
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 28, 2021
2022 OL Cam Williams is announcing his decision Thursday.
While there is a lot of speculation out there about where things stand between OU and Cam, a source very close to him tells us Cam has not yet made a decision on where he wants to go.
The source did confirm our thoughts ahead of the Texas visit in regard to that visit being able to potentially pull them into the top group with OU and Oregon.
We are told the Texas visit was good enough to put them on equal footing at the very least with OU and Oregon and we believe this one will come down to relationships.
All three schools remain in consideration for Cam.
BBQ Pay Dirt | Gavin Sawchuk
– James Hale
The Sooners are still riding the momentum of the verbal commitment they have received recently from four-star running back Gavin Sawchuk (5’11, 185) of Littleton (Valor Christian), Colorado. Thursday, I had a chance to talk to Sawchuk on my radio show Total Sports on the Sportstalk Network or sportstalk1400.com.
“Oklahoma is my new home, and I’m excited about it,” said Sawchuk. “Early in the recruiting process, I wasn’t really high on Oklahoma. I made a trip out there right before COVID here for an unofficial visit. That visit was a lot of fun, and it felt really great.”
“So, it was great to really be able to build that relationship over the COVID year, and then to finally be able to get back out here this weekend was great. To hang out with some of the other recruits, the coaches, and the players. It was amazing, and it really felt like home.”
It’s ironic what at times really makes a difference in why a recruit will choose a school. That first visit that was taken before the pandemic hit was really what turned Sawchuk towards OU.
“Absolutely, because I never really wanted to know much about the program, so during that first visit, I got introduced to what they had to offer,” said Sawchuk. “The coaches, I was able to meet them and got an idea how they could develop me as a player, and as a man all around. It was amazing to be able to go to that first visit.”
Sawchuk went to USC and Ohio State before coming to OU, but the Sooners separated themselves from all competition.
“There are a lot of great programs out there, and I have had a lot of fun,” said Sawchuk. “Especially since we have been able to go on these visits. I think the difference for me when it comes to Oklahoma is that I can see myself there. I definitely feel like I fit in the program.”
“At Oklahoma, I really wanted to be there. It’s a place where I had a desire to be there and a desire to get to work there. So, that is when I knew that Oklahoma was home for me.”
Sawchuk is a great all-purpose running back that can do anything on a football field. Last year he rushed for 1,239 yards on 131 carries and 17 touchdowns and had nine catches for 71-yards. He had a tremendous junior year rushing for 1,786 yards on 197 carries while catching 13 passes for 143 yards and one touchdown.
“I like a lot of running backs that are playing in the NFL,” said Sawchuk. “I like running backs that are great at everything. I think my style compares to Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara, who are great runners on the ground and are great at catching the ball out of the backfield. They can line up and be versatile anywhere on the field.”
“Those are the kind of guys I want to model my game after. I want to be able to do everything on the field, both running the ball on the ground and catching the ball out of the backfield. I want to be able to move into the slot and catch the ball from the wide receiver position. I just want to be an all-around back.”
At Valor Christian, Sawchuk does a little bit of everything on the field.
“I love the system that we use at my high school,” said Sawchuk. “It kind of similar to what they do at Oklahoma. When we go through film, there are many similar Q’s and a lot of similar plays. We run the Zone Scheme here, and I know that Coach Riley runs the Zone Scheme, but he also runs a little bit of Gap Scheme.”
“I have run Gap Scheme as well, and actually have been running it my whole life growing up. So, I love running Gap Scheme. It was so great just to be able to talk to Coach DeMarco about ways they could use me. How he will use me out of the backfield, use me in the slot, and teach me routes from the outside receiver positions.”
“OU’s offense is amazing, and that is what I want to be able to do.”
Coach Murray is going into his second year at OU but makes no mistake about it; he has made a big impact on the recruiting trail with Sawchuk.
“It’s really cool! How often are you able to be coached by one of the great running backs in college and NFL history,” asked Sawchuk? “He is fresh out of the league, and he’s young, and he has a lot of knowledge and experience.”
“I am really excited about it. I have already started to learn from him since I committed to him. I am really excited to have him coach me.”
Sawchuk is the kick and punt return man at Valor Christian, but he admits he never gets the ball kicked to him.
“I’m willing to play on all special teams,” said Sawchuk. “That is one of the important phases of the game. Coach DeMarco, I believe, has kickoff returns, and he did that when he was at OU. I think he holds the record for kickoff returns, and I want to beat his record.”
Sawchuk brought up that OU has never won the Doak Walker award. That is hard to believe that a program that has produced running backs that won the Heisman Trophy in Billy Vessels, Steve Owens, and Billy Sims, plus greats like Joe Washington, Greg Pruitt, DeMarco Murray, Adrian Peterson, Quentin Griffin, DeMond Parker and many, many more, has never won the Doak Walker Award?
“Yeah that is crazy, that is for sure,” said Sawchuk. “When the coaches told me that, I thought they were joking with me. It’s crazy to believe that. Winning that award is definitely something that is going to be a goal of mine. I am going to try to bring home that Doak Walker Award, especially when you think about all the other great running backs that OU has had that would be a great honor.”
In some ways, COVID may have helped OU recruit Sawchuk because he visited OU right before the pandemic hit, and then he went on one of OU’s famous ZOOM visits, and things started to turn in OU’s favor.
“COVID was tough for sure,” said Sawchuk. “I was fortunate to get some offers early. I was able to get out early and see my main schools before COVID really hit. It was tough, but we were able to get all the phone calls and ZOOM calls, and we were able to stay in contact through that.”
“I had the advantage over some of the other kids that weren’t able to get out and see any schools. Now, everyone has been rushing out stating in June to get out and see some places. It was tough to deal with COVID, but I’m glad that it’s kind of cleared up to give us this month of June.”
“Now, we can all get out and travel and get a couple of visits in. For me, that was long enough for me to figure out where I wanted to be.”
The OU coaches have been known to celebrate when they find out a key player on their recruiting board commits, but with camp going on and the largest recruiting weekend ever, the celebration was somewhat subdued.
“I was there in person when I committed,” said Sawchuk. “I told Coach DeMarco that I wasn’t planning to commit on the visit, but everything aligned, and it was perfect timing. When I told him he was really excited, I had a chance to tell Coach (Lincoln) Riley, and he was very excited.”
“I’m excited to get started, and I’m working on getting some recruits for the class. I’m trying to recruit some other great high school players to commit to Oklahoma.”
Sawchuk is another athlete that had a great time at the ChampUBBQ.
“It was a lot of fun,” said Sawchuk. “It was a great experience to get around some of those other recruits. Then to be able to hang out with some of the coaches and just chill and sit back and have a good time with them all weekend.”
“Then to see some of the NFL guys was great. To be able to talk to them about some of their experiences and why they decided to play at Oklahoma was fascinating. Meeting all those great players was a great experience for me.”
The other nice touch that was part of the BBQ was the elite automobiles that OU had all along the south end zone.
“I am not too much of a car guy,” said Sawchuk. “I mean, I love nice cars, but I really don’t know too much about them. They definitely had some nice cars out there, and I had a couple of pictures taken with them. It was really a cool that they had them on the field.”
Sawchuk admits that he wants to be an all-purpose back and when people hear that many times, they wonder if that style of running back can carry the ball 20 times a game or run inside?
“Absolutely, running inside is actually my favorite runs,” said Sawchuk. “I know that I have a lot of speed. Coaches always want to use that to their advantage and put me on the outside. They let me outrun some of the guys, and that’s fun, but I love running inside the most.”
“One of my favorite plays is running inside zone, which is an inside run, and that is one of my favorite runs. I really enjoy doing that. It’s always different when people or coaches see somebody that’s fast, and they always want to run them outside, but I love run ground-and-pound and taking the ball down the middle.”
OU now has two four-star running backs as Raleek Brown (5’8, 185) of Santa Ana (Mater Dei), California, is also committed. I thought the two knew each other pretty well, but that turns out not to be the truth.
“I don’t know him too well,” said Sawchuk. “I know he has been committed for a while, and I actually saw him at the BBQ, and I introduced myself to him. I’m looking forward to building a relationship, and I am going to be able to work with him, and we are going to have a good time.”
Valor Christian is a great high school, with an outstanding football program, in Littleton, Colorado.
“It’s great playing here at Valor Christian,” said Sawchuk. “I love the coaches, and I love the coaching staff. We have a lot of opportunities to play at the next level, unlike some other schools here in Colorado. We have great talent at the school, and we are always competing for the State Championship.”
“It’s always great to be around that winning program, and we have high expectations every year. They have taught us that you have to go out and work to meet your goals. This year we will be pretty good. We will have a good team, but we will have a couple of position battles. We have a couple of offensive line positions open, but we also have some experience there.”
“We have a good quarterback battle going on, so we will have to figure that out soon. So, we need to find out who is going to be our starting quarterback, but I think we will be in good hands no matter which one wins the job. No matter what, we are going to have a good season this year.”
The big question always when a player commits is whether or not he will shut down his recruiting?
“This commitment will pretty much shut down recruiting for me,” said Sawchuk. “I was planning on going to Notre Dame this weekend, but after I committed, I decided that I was not going to take the trip. The only other visit that I’m going to take is getting back up there to Norman. We will probably be back in September because we want to see a game and hang out with some of the players. It will give us a chance to experience a game atmosphere.”
It turns out Sawchuk’s visit for the BBQ was an unofficial, and he will take his official to OU in September.
Most of the time, players of Sawchuk’s caliber are good from the start, and that’s the case with OU’s newest commit.
“From a young age, I have always loved football,” said Sawchuk. “I had an older brother that played football, and I loved watching his games. I grew up playing Little League. I also started running track at an early age, and that’s where a lot of my speed came from. Running track introduced me to the mechanics of running and really developed my speed.”
“I have been able to grow up throughout the years, and as I got older and stronger, I knew from a young age that I wanted to be a great football player, and that thought has never changed.”
Sawchuk understands he is joining a program in OU that is playing at a high level and could be on the verge of being something special.
“It’s exciting to know that I’m coming into a program that is one of the very best in the country,” said Sawchuk. “Coach Riley has proven it. He is a great offensive coordinator, and he is a great coach putting up the numbers. It’s been proven over time that his system works, and every year he gets some of the top offensive recruits in the country.”
“I’m excited to be able to battle, compete and work with them. I should be able to get better myself.”
The offense at Valor Christian is very much like the one that Coach Riley has installed at OU.
“I want to be able to make an impact at OU,” said Sawchuk. “I want to make an impact on the ground, taking handoffs and catching passes out of the backfield as well. I want to be able to go out into the empty formation and be able to catch balls at a receiver position. At Oklahoma, I want to be an all-around back and be able to do whatever Coach Riley wants me to do.”
His family and friends in Colorado knew he was not going to stay in the state to play football, so for the most part, they are happy he is going to OU.
“I have had a lot of friends tell me that they have to get some OU gear,” laughed Sawchuk. “My friends and family are excited for me, and one thing that I learned through the recruiting process was how big the OU’s fan base is. There are many people here in Colorado who have congratulated me and let me know they are big-time OU fans.”
“I am so excited about being a Sooner, and I can’t wait to get out there and make an impact.”
Sawchuk has promised to get involved in the recruiting process to make the 2022 class one of the best in the country.
“I am just trying to go get some of the guys that were with me at the BBQ to join me at OU,” said Sawchuk. “I want to help them understand what OU has to offer. I just want to be able to build relationships with some of those guys even if they don’t decide to come to OU to be able to have that contact with players at other schools.”
“Just to have that contact will be beneficial for both of us down the road. It’s a big world, and just trying to make it smaller. I’m excited that I got a chance to talk and get to meet some of these new guys at the BBQ, and I hope I’m able to build off them.”
With the season a little over two months away, Sawchuk’s season is beginning to get ready busy.
“We have already gotten started,” said Sawchuk. “We have been finishing up some spring practice, and we have one week remaining with that. Then we will get a week off and then go into our summer camp. We will have a padded summer portion of the camp, and then we will get into training camp for the season.”
You can tell that Sawchuk is pleased with being a Sooner.
