Open Post | Weekend, April 10th-12th
Posted on: April 10, 2020
Sooners Offer 2021 WR Malik Nabers…at Defensive Back
– Charlie S
Last week, the Sooners extended an offer to Malik Nabers (6’0″ 180) out of Comeaux, LA.
Nabers is a 2021 recruit who currently holds (at the time of writing this) 23 offers.
22 of which are at wide receiver.
Enter the Sooners…
Oklahoma extended the offer at defensive back.
I caught up with Nabers to find out how this all went down as it is not very often that you see an established recruit at one position pick up an offer on the other side of the ball.
Malik said “OU got in contact with me after I posted my DB film from this past season. It is a blessing to get that type of offer from a program of OU’s caliber!”
Obviously, Malik is a coveted wide receiver as the number of offers (from some strong programs) indicate, so I asked him if he was open to playing defense at the next level or if the offer just served as something like a compliment for him and he said: “This was my first DB offer and I’m absolutely keeping my options open, I believe the more you can do, the more value you have”.
On that note, I wanted to hear his own evaluation of himself. I asked him which position he felt he was better at. Malik said “I’m better at WR because I have done it longer. This was the first year I played defensive back”.
That’s pretty wild. One year at DB and he picked up an offer from one of the top programs of all time at that position.
So, will Oklahoma be a player in his recruitment? I asked him if he would think about visiting Norman once he is able to and he said, “Yes, I will be visiting Oklahoma”.
Before we ended our discussion, I asked him what getting a defensive offer meant to him. Nabers told me, “It means a lot to me but I am staying humble. I must continue to work to get better on and off the field to get better and prepare myself for college.”
He added “Getting a DB offer just gives me options and it speaks highly of the guys looking at my film to know that I can play DBat the highest level of college football. I appreciate all of that”.
This is an intriguing offer to me as it shows that some of the OU staff continue to not base their evaluations on somebody else’s opinion in some cases and with the lack of the spring evaluation period due to COVID-19, that will be huge going forward. Not one team in the country, at any level, offered Malik as a DB.
The Sooners put in that extra work and were not afraid to pull the trigger and offer him. I’m not saying that he will end up in Norman as a defensive back, but it tells me that the back end of the Sooners defensive staff (Grinch, Manning, and Viney) continue to do their work and put in the time and effort needed to be successful in getting the type of players they are seeking.
23 offers. 22 offers at WR. One offer at DB. Pretty cool.
Recruiting Energy Forming
– Super K
***Despite the dead period, recruiting hasn’t actually been as quiet as we expected. The Sooners have made a number of offers and added to their positions with some players, even picking up a commitment.
***This time is critical. The dead period is likely to last through the summer. But with talk beginning to bubble up of baseball starting back up (in some capacity in Arizona) and curves flattening in Europe, I still fully anticipate by September, you’ll be watching football and recruits will be taking official visits.
***I’ve spoken to some folks and while OU hasn’t picked up any additional commitments, there are things happening behind the scenes. And, as you can guess and we’ve mentioned, many times now, Caleb Williams is part of that movement.
***I am told that the Sooners have already scheduled a big official visit weekend in the fall with multiple elite prospects out of the DMV area.
***Lincoln Riley always does a lot of recruiting but these days, it seems, he’s turned it into overdrive. Don’t be surprised if guys who didn’t necessarily have OU in their top lists, end up having them in there in short order.
***The Sooners are also aware of the limited recruiting period and have made moves on local guys like Mukes and Kendal Daniels. With Mukes in the boat, it sounds like they still want two or three additional DBS. Again, we like where things are with Latrell McCutchin.
***On the offensive line, the Sooners put out some new offers. And Bryce Foster is indeed trending towards the Sooners. I know I owe you all a follow up on Charlie’s recent posts regarding Foster (I’m on it) and don’t forget they already have big Cullen Montgomery already locked up.
***The numbers are going to be big at wide receiver. And Riley, Simmons, and Gundy have cast a wide net and are leading or top two or three for a number of receivers. We will have to begin going through them one by one for you all.
***The key is to continue put yourself in a good position and when a big one pops, it should begin to fall into place. The momentum can carry you through the summer and into the season.
***A number of teams could be adversely affected by lack of practice time – particularly teams with a lot of coaching turnover from last season. The Sooners already have talent and both sides of the ball are already installed. There are obviously some question marks but I’d say less so than a lot of other teams.
***Since there aren’t visits happening, I know the movement in recruitment can seem less obvious. But again, when I speak to people behind the scenes, it’s clear that the staff is putting OU in the right position to handle this temporary shut down.
***I also will note that in a way, this is the way Lincoln likes it. He prefers things stay quiet. He doesn’t want other staffs to see him coming. I was told, for example, that OU didn’t top lists for multiple players in the past week but Riley has already addressed those with said players and OU is back in the mix and will get visits.
***Sooners are casting a wide net and making sure it’s deep.
Sourced | Possibility of NCAA High School Eligibility Waivers
– Super K
We don’t report on the academic standing of high school prospects (unless it’s positive, of course).
And, we don’t know if any of the Sooners 2020 high school signees are in jeopardy of not qualifying.
I set that up to say that both Darius and myself have heard through the coaching grapevine that word is going around that the NCAA is considering waiving certain NCAA academic requirements for the 2020 class.
We don’t the details of this or how likely it is to happen but we have heard that with the virus disruption, it’s something that is being discussed.
Shemar Turner | Sourced | The Latest
– Super K
***I spoke with a source regarding the recruitment of highly coveted 2021 4-star DL, Shemar Turner (Desoto).
***When I saw Turner earlier this year, there were a number of schools in the mix and technically that remains the case. It doesn’t appear he has yet to release a top list.
***The out of area school we’ve felt probably is the biggest threat is Alabama.
***However, Turner made recent regional visits just before the unexpected dead period to Texas and then to Oklahoma.
***The sense we are getting is that if he’s stays in the area it will likely come down to one of those schools.
***And, based on what I’ve been told, it’s very likely that he will ultimately stay in the area.
***If you would’ve asked me in the fall who his leader was, I would’ve said OU.
***If you had asked me earlier this year who his leader was, I would’ve said Texas.
***If you ask me now, I’m not quite sure. Oscar Giles is very close to the Desoto program and I think that plays in his favor. However, it sounds like the Sooners made a strong impression on Turner’s family on the most recent trip and that obviously helps them.
Behind the Scenes | OU’s Hotter Than you Think
– Super K
***Since the unexpected dead period began, the Sooners have landed one commitment which came from in-state DB, Jordan Mukes.
***I mentioned earlier this week that there is a lot more going on behind the scenes and the Sooners are in the lead for a number of top prospects.
***But another interesting thing we have recently heard is OU has actually had players attempt to commit to them.
***I’m sure you’re thinking, ok why didn’t they let them?
***In a situation with someone like Mukes, you have a regional player who has visited Oklahoma on multiple occasions. You know he’s serious and you know that he provides long term stability to your class.
***A number of kids are getting a little panicky with the Corona Virus shut down uncertainty and while some schools are taking commitments from players like that, OU has been more selective.
***They don’t want guys from outside the region who aren’t necessarily all in only to have them cause problems and disrupt the class momentum that they see coming later on.
***They also don’t want to take away numbers and signal to guys that are very interested in OU that they should move on.
***I gather that OU believes (and in my opinion, rightly) if you want to commit to Oklahoma now and you’re serious, then you’ll want to later on when things clear up.
***Now then, this doesn’t mean Oklahoma isn’t going to land some guys in the coming weeks/months. It’s case by case. If it’s a top guy that they’ve been recruiting for a long time and they know where the player stands, then they’ll be welcomed. But I suspect they are trying to be careful and avoid another Edgerrin Cooper situation.
Kendal Daniels | Post Conversation | Initial Update
– Super K
Earlier this week, I spoke with 2021 4-star ATH, Kendal Daniels. A few takeaways from our conversation.
***It’s very clear that OU is putting the full court press on here. Daniels mentioned OU as one of the schools absolutely recruiting him the hardest. Says he’s in touch with them almost every day if not every day.
***Another school that seems to be recruiting him very hard is Clemson. It seems our beloved coach Venables has made Daniels a priority. I do think Daniels is listening.
***Both Grinch and Odom are recruiting Daniels. There is still debate about where he will end up. But based on what we’ve heard, the priority for OU in this class is to bring in more length at the second and third levels (I believe James is going to discuss that more in an upcoming write up). Daniels fits the bill. Obviously would’ve been great if they could’ve seen him run in camp this summer but that’s just not going to happen.
***As of right now, I don’t expect an imminent decision but I can tell you that Mukes told me the same thing when he was first offered by Oklahoma and then quickly changed. Though I think schools like Clemson have done a good enough job with Kendal, that I could very much see him waiting until he has a chance to visit them.
***Being a local guy and the work OU is putting in now, I do, obviously, believe Oklahoma has a good shot here.
Spotlight | Linebacker Commit Kobie McKinzie
– Charlie S
I caught up with Sooners 2021/2022 linebacker commit Kobie McKinzie (6’3″ 227) out of Lubbock Texas.
McKinzie committed to Oklahoma and Coach Brian Odom back in January. Following that commitment, Kobie also let it be known that he is planning on graduating a full year early, in May of 2021.
As a football player, he is everything that defensive coordinator Alex Grinch and linebacker coach Brian Odom are looking for from a physical standpoint.
I’m here to tell you from a mentality standpoint, he is what every program in the country should be looking for both on and off the field.
He is a heat-seeking missile on the field with an incredibly centered and strong foundation off the field.
Early on:
At the beginning of our conversation, I wanted to get a feel of Kobie’s younger days and his athletic background. Typically, football players are born, They come out of the womb ready to strap the helmet and pads on and have a built-in passion for the game.
I asked Kobie how much of a factor sports were in his youth. He said ” To be honest, I didn’t really have a first love of any sport. I was pretty much terrible at both of the sports I was playing”.
“I wasn’t good at football at first. I played basketball and that’s where I met my family. I moved here in 8th grade when I was 13 and a half. I played basketball right up until last summer but then I started focusing on football. I had a pretty good year and my dad would joke about things by saying things such as the coaches said they have a spot waiting for me at running back and all. It basically just took off from there and that’s when it became serious. My whole family plays sports and I’m the only one who doesn’t play basketball anymore”.
He added “I started playing football in the fifth grade. I was a running back.” We talked about that a bit and he still does enjoy carrying the rock, but he knows his destiny is at linebacker.
Bursting onto the scene:
McKinzie had a rocketship ascent in Texas High School Football as a freshman. He was offered by Texas Tech following his freshman year and committed to the Red Raiders shortly thereafter.
A freshman. Who hadn’t taken football seriously until he was in 8th grade. Let that sink in.
Texas Tech was early to identify the rising star, but they were not alone. Shortly after his commitment to Tech, another program took notice and the race was on.
“OU came into play last summer while I was still committed to Texas Tech. My high school coach got in contact with me in May and he said the OU linebacker coach wants you to give him a call and I was like ‘OU…wow’. From my standpoint, I was like ‘wait the University of Oklahoma wants to talk with me?’. So I immediately got on the phone with Coach Odom and he really reminded me of our defensive coordinator at the time, Keenan Kitchens, and I really liked him. Coach Odom reminded me so much of my defensive coordinator who was teaching me everything and he was a guy I really trusted so the connection to Coach Odom really took off.”
He added, “After the OU offer, I didn’t immediately de-commit from Tech but I talked to Coach Kitchens as well as to Coach Chip Darden, who I also have a lot of trust in and a great relationship with, a lot and I was telling them I really like OU a lot and they were both telling me to take my time and make sure it’s the right move if it was something I really wanted to do.”
The dialogue about Oklahoma continued on between he and his family as well as his coach. “My coach told me to keep visiting places and talk to other schools so I did. I went to A&M and I was really trying to go in a triangle because I didn’t want to go too far from home. I was trying to go to Tech, OU, down to A&M and even through Austin. I made it to A&M and I was going to go and visit Texas, but that never worked out and I didn’t think it was for me after talking with their coaches.”
Following an eye-opening visit to Norman, he checked in on Texas A&M. “So I went to A&M and it was pretty cool, I got to speak with Coach Fisher and all but the night I was supposed to go to Texas, I skipped it and went back to OU and that was my second time being up there in two weeks and I knew. I got the same feeling each time I got up there. It was just an amazing feeling and I love it up there. I knew.”
When you know, you know:
When recruits and their families go on visits, sometimes it doesn’t take long to know. “One of the differences that stood out to me about the different visits is that OU is just so organized. They know what they want to do and how they are going to do it. On other visits, my family and I felt like it was a gamble game where we would be told to meet at a certain spot and we would just be waiting for an hour or so. I mean, you get to OU and you have people waiting on you!”
When you take the relationships that are made between a recruit, his family and a coach, that can seal the deal in quick fashion. Sooners linebacker coach Brian Odom is THAT guy. Kobie said, “That dude just did it all”.
“You can talk to that guy (Odom) about life. You can joke around with him and he can give it back, but he’s just a really sincere guy. Our offensive line coach, at my high school, used to work with Coach Odom and he was like ‘That is the most honest guy you’re ever going to meet in your life’. So here and there, I’ll test Coach Odom and ask him a couple of different questions and he’s always honest with me, just tells me what it is like it is.”
The decision to commit to a program is not something that is taken lightly and the family has a huge role in the process. “Me and my dad were FaceTiming with Coach Odom and Coach Riley and my dad came out and asked them how did they feel about this whole graduating early thing and Coach Odom was like, ‘Man, I’m here for it and then I’m not’. He was really upfront and honest about both sides of the decision and how it could work in my favor and it may turn out to not be in my best interest. Never pushing either way. Just really honest and that’s why we appreciate him and Coach Riley so much.”
“At the same time, he’s gonna coach me hard and love me hard too. He’s going to let me have it and not tiptoe around anything if I’m doing something wrong or I’m cheating myself.”
Kobie said his parents are completely on board with his choice of Oklahoma. He said “They love it. My dad is all for it. It’s difficult to put into words how we feel about Oklahoma. You know, when I committed to Tech, it felt right and there really wasn’t a question about it. It was the hometown school and all. But when we got to Oklahoma, it was like…family, family, family. It felt like we had been there for years already. Everything just wraps around you up there.”
On the decision to attempt to reclassify.
The decision to move his timeline up and to try to enter the program a full year earlier was of Kobie’s own makig. “I’m not rushing. I feel like I’m ready. I feel like me staying another year in high school could be hurting me in regards to getting to my full potential. I feel like if I can get there a year early, whether I redshirt or rarely played, no matter what, I still have that year under my belt of experience. I would already be ahead of my class so then when it is my time to go, I already have that experience on the field and in the program which would help the whole team.”
“It has been my decision. I know I’m going to go in there and work my tail off no matter what because I know I want to start for Oklahoma. That’s the bottom line. I am going to do whatever I can to start and the earlier I get there, the sooner I will be able to realize that goal. I’m not going there to lollygag around. There are other people that want to be in your shoes every day and they are going to try to take that spot.”
“My family does a real good job of humbling me. I am only worried about what I can do and what I can accomplish.”
The Sooners got a good one:
After speaking with Kobie for over 20 minutes on what was planned to be a five-minute phone call, I came away incredibly impressed with him and his entire family.
Whether or not he arrives in Norman in the spring of 2021 or the winter of 2022, he will be ready, of that, I have little doubt.
On the field, he is likely to excel no matter what the timeline ends up being.
Off the field, I believe he is also set up for success and I would put my money on him being able to easily achieve his goal of graduating early.
All I know is he is beyond his years physically and mentally.
When you know, you know.
Kobie knows.
His family knows.
The Oklahoma staff knows.
I’m a firm believer that all of Sooner Nation will know, soon enough.
