Open Post | Weekend, April 5th – 7th
Posted on: April 5, 2019
Noah Nelson | Background, Visits & Decision
– Super K
As you all know, 2020 Arizona OT, Noah Nelson took an unofficial visit to Oklahoma, recently.
Based on Nelson’s feedback on the visit, things went well…so well that he has already scheduled his official visit to Norman for May 3rd.
Being from outside this region, Nelson may not be a guy many of you are familiar.
I wanted to share a little bit more about Noah and what he says he’s looking for from a conversation I had with him when I visited him, earlier this year.
Going out to Arizona, I really didn’t know Noah myself. In fact, we didn’t even realize that he was an OU target. But I was speaking with Sean Harris, the father of 2020 DE, Jason Harris about top players in the area. Jason faced Noah Nelson in a game and apparently, Sean came away impressed with Noah because he was one of the first players Sean mentioned to me.
It seems the Sooners see the talent, as well. Our sources indicate he is very much a priority at the position.
As I’ve previously noted, Nelson has a true tackle build. He’s around 6’7 and wears his 295 lbs very well. He’s not a guy you’re going to see get out athleted on an island, very often.
Noah has the bloodlines as his father played for Arizona
As a person, he’s thoughtful, intelligent and considerate. But make no mistake he wants to play big-time football.
“It’s super important [to play in front of a big crowd]. I guess I’m looking for a school that’s pretty high academically. I don’t want to go to a school where the degree doesn’t mean a lot. But, I’m also looking for a place where I can grow in my craft and a place that has a family feel and somewhere where I can reach out to the community”.
I’d never really heard a recruit mention service to the community as an element of the decision making.
“I want to serve the community with what I have and be able to do bigger things”.
Nelson attributes the inspiration to care about the community to his parents and his trainer. Trainers can sometimes get a bad rap but it’s clear what Nelson’s trainer is pouring the right stuff into him.
“My trainer, he really emphasizes that. He wants to not only train me to get me ready for college or the pros but also make sure that I’m growing up to be a good person and my parents teach that kind of thing also. I want to do more because I feel like with the opportunities given from God, that I have to use it to help other people and I want to do that”.
After hearing that, I had to ask Nelson who is trainer was. Noah said his trainer Larry Graham. It was just my good fortune that I happened to drop by a Higley High School later that day and Larry Graham was at the school leading the strength and conditioning period. Seems like a great guy who has not only trained a number of guys in that area but it also seems he is giving good counsel to these young men.
Recruiting
In addition to his Oklahoma visit, Nelson recently took a trip up to Ann Arbor to visit Michigan.
Michigan was a school he mentioned pretty early on to me and I think they’re going to be the team to watch against Oklahoma, especially because of Nelson’s desire to play in front of a big crowd and the emphasis on academics.
”It was pretty cool. It’s a good balance of what I’m looking for”. Nelson said about his Michigan visit, “Gotta have a back up plan because football won’t last forever”.
As I mentioned above, Nelson says he plans on taking an official visit to Oklahoma on May 3rd. He let us know that initially, he wanted to make it to the Sooners Spring Game for his visit, however, some of his family will be in Indiana the week prior to the game and the logistics made taking his OV to Michigan on that weekend more accommodating as the family members will be able to meet him in Ann Arbor halfway through the weekend.
In terms of a decision, he doesn’t plan on dragging it out, “I know I just want to decide before my senior season”.
Big Board | 2020 Wide Receivers
– Charlie S
We are working under the impression that the Sooners would like to take four receivers at a minimum on our Big Board. With the recent decommitment from JUCO receiver Kundarrius Taylor, currently, OU has one designated receiver in Trevon West committed and one Athlete who may play receiver in Davon ‘DJ’ Graham committed.
Trevon West – WR – 6’0″ 165 lbs – Arlington, TX – OU Commit – West was a guy who wasted little time in securing his spot at Oklahoma. He received his offer on January 26th, 2019 and committed roughly three weeks later on February 15th, 2019. Super K got by to see him earlier this spring and came away impressed by the young man. Trevon projects to play the slot in the Sooners offense and he is one of two slot guys that OU will look to take this cycle. In the article linked, West’s high school coach said “I think it’s his ceiling, his potential. You know, he fits what OU offense is looking for. He’s a great kid. He’s not ever going to act up. He’s going to do right all the time. But for the most part, I think it’s the explosiveness that he has and the ceiling, the potential that he has is really what caught fire for them”.
Davon Graham – ATH – 5’11.5″ 180 lbs – Keller, TX – OU Commit – DJ is locked in with the Sooners. He committed to OU back on February 5th and immediately got to work on recruiting some of his peers to come play in Norman with him. He spoke about recruiting two defensive backs in Jalen Kimber and RJ Mickens…which is another position DJ himself could wind up playing. Right now, he is truly committed as an athlete with no position designated. That will be figured out once the rest of the class comes together and both he and OU sit down and make the call as to what position he will begin his career at.
Jalen McMillan – WR – 6’2″ 180 lbs. – Fresno, CA – McMillan and his mom made there way out to Norman earlier this spring and the initial word coming out of the trip was that the Sooners knocked it out of the park. As K said in the linked article, both mom Jalen came away very impressed: “Dennis Simmons, Annie Hanson, Chip Viney, and Lincoln Riley led the charge on this one and you could hear in Jalen and Belinda’s voice that the team sold OU not just as an elite program but a program full of sincerity and authenticity from the top down. I could tell, very much, that this was important to Belinda”. Now, the Sooners are in a very good spot with McMillan, however, they won’t have to just battle other college football teams for his signature, they will most likely have to battle major league baseball as Jalen is a potential draft choice. Either way, should he choose to play college football (we are under the impression that he will) the Sooners may be in the driver’s seat in this recruitment and they still expect to host him for an official visit in the fall.
Gary Bryant – WR – 5’10” 160 lbs – Corona, CA – If you looked up ‘perfect fit at slot receiver’ in a book based on Lincoln Riley’s offense, a picture of Gary Bryant may very well pop up. K was out to see him in February and Bryant told him that the Sooners were pursuing him aggressively and that he planned on taking an official visit to Norman for the Spring Game. The trip is set and he will, in fact, be visiting and the Sooners will have a real chance to jump to the top of his list coming out of the visit. I am certain he will get a lot of attention from the staff as he fits exactly what OU is looking for and lacking a bit of depth chart wise right now. When Cale and Lincoln have their sights set on a target, they tend to have great success. He will be one to keep an eye on in my opinion. We believe Michigan, Standofrd and UCLA are some of Bryant’s top schools.
Mookie Cooper – WR – 5’11” 178 lbs – St Louis, MO – Cooper, who recently decommitted from Texas, is a legit target for Cale Gundy and Lincoln Riley. He is a guy, like Bryant, who fits perfectly into the slot in the Sooners offense. The good news for the Sooners, he is no longer committed to Texas and talks about visiting OU. The bad news for the Sooners, he was supposed to visit this weekend (April 6th) but has canceled that visit for the time being. If the Sooners are going to be truly a player, they need to get him on campus. Texas and Illinois remain very much in the picture here as do a number of other schools.
Michael Wyman – WR – 6’4″ 195 lbs – Greensboro, NC – Wyman is a guy that has an enormous catch radius. He is relatively new to football but as Super K mentioned when he was out in North Carolina earlier this spring, he has surprisingly good route understanding. As far as his recruitment goes, Wyman was the first 2020 recruit to announce he was visiting for the spring game via Twitter. However, that plan has changed as the Sooners are looking to bring him in for his
Wyman has tweeted that he will make his decision on April 16th. We do not expect the call to be OU obviously at this point since he has yet to
Additional names to keep an eye on:
Quinten Johnston – WR – 6’4″ 180 lbs – Temple, TX – Johnston is a very quiet kid as far as his recruitment goes. Our CJ Voegle got out to see him in person last year shortly after he visited Norman. Super K has also stopped in to see Johnston and OU is a real player here. It is difficult to figure out how hard OU is pushing here at the moment, but he is a rangy kid who has good hands and great route running skills.
Jontavis Robertson – ATH – 6’0″ 180 lbs – Gray, GA – Roberston took an unofficial to OU last season and I spoke to him recently and the Sooners are still talking to him and he is open to getting back up to Norman for an official visit should OU decide to throw their hat into the ring with an offer. He has picked up some nice offers lately including Baylor, Tennessee, Nebraska, and Kentucky.
Marvin Mims – WR – 6’1″ 165 lbs – Frisco, TX – Mims is a guy who OU is still in contact with and after speaking with him earlier this week, he is thinking about making it to Norman for the Spring Game. Super K saw him earlier this spring at the Under Armour Camp and came away very impressed. Things could pick up should a visit this spring (be it the Spring Game or another time) come together. He has previously visited Norman and depending on how things shake out with the rest of the class the Sooners could turn their attention his way.
Update | 2021 QB Brock Vandagriff Post Visit
– Charlie S
Had a chance to exchange some messages with 2021 quarterback Brock Vandagriff who had been in Norman from Monday evening until Wednesday morning. The family headed out of Norman early Wednesday but they did get to take in
*** Brock told me that he got to spend a lot of time with Lincoln Riley. As a matter of fact, when I asked him what the main thing about the trip that stood out to him was, he said, “The main thing that stood out to me was the amount of time Coach Lincoln spent with me”.
*** Vandagriff also mentioned that he was able to spend a good amount of time with Coach Beamer and Coach Gundy.
*** As far as OU itself, Brock said “I really liked the campus. I liked the layout, the facilities, and the brick buildings”.
*** I asked Brock if he could see himself taking a return visit and he said “I definitely see myself making a return visit this summer to come out and throw for Coach”
*** In regards to his recruitment and a timeline for a commitment, Brock said “I feel like I would be very comfortable committing (to a school) this time next year if not earlier.
If you would like to read Charlie’s take on the trip, please check the Donor Board!
Fast Five | Sourced Team Notes
– Super K
***Continue to hear that Kenneth Murray is taking big strides and really well suited for this defense. Have heard that from multiple sources. The speculation that he may play at another position…yeah, forget that.
One source said he’ll be gone at the end of this year. As in, source believes Murray will be a draft pick.
***Hearing that it’s actually a decent battle at the WILL between Caleb Kelly and DaShaun White. As I’ve said, I believe Caleb ends up starting and I’ve heard he’s done well as both a pass rusher and a coverage guy but I’m told DaShaun is going to play a lot and once Kelly leaves, that position will be White’s. Hear the new coaches are impressed.
***Am told that the new defense and the way Grinch is using, in particular, Patrick Fields is quite something.
I mentioned him about a week ago as a guy picking up INTs. That has continued and again am told that the way he’s being used and developed by Grinch is going to pay dividends for OU and for Fields.
***Something I found very intriguing is the fact that, apparently, the 1st team offense had not scored on the 1st team defense during team period all spring until just this past Saturday.
***Have heard LaRon Stokes’ name now from a couple of different people. It seems he’s beginning to impress. I heard there was a practice last week where Stokes had like three or four sacks.
***Also told Dillon Faamatau “has been making a lot of plays inside”
If you would like to read all of our sourced team notes, please check the Donor Board!
Post Practice Report | From Wednesday, April 3rd
– James Hale
OU had practice number eight in full pads and after the practice, we had a chance to talk with Head Coach Lincoln Riley and guys on the offensive side of the ball.
*** Coach Riley felt the offense did pretty well in the scrimmage on Monday, especially early in the scrimmage, but in the second half of the scrimmage, he felt the defense rallied and played much better. Good day for Charleston Rambo, Jaquayln Crawford and Drake Stoops on Monday as Stoops made four to five catches and Rambo and Crawford got deep a couple of times. CeeDee Lamb missed that practice for personal reasons and Jadon Haselwood was also out as he had a foot in a boot due to a tender ankle.
*** The quarterbacks were a little bit inconsistent like the offense, but for the most part, they took care of the ball and Coach Riley said they made some explosive plays. Overall he felt the quarterbacks took a positive step and didn’t in any way indicate if either one was taking the lead in the battle for the spot.
*** On Monday all we got was thoughts on how the defense did and was doing, but with Coach Riley, since he is the OC we always get his thought on the offense but always ask him questions about the defense. He said to be part of the install on the defensive side or watching it is also an interesting observation because you are watching the birth of anew defensive process and that is always fun to get into.
*** Coach Riley says the fact that Jalen Hurts hasn’t been here very long is part of the competition and he does not get a mulligan because he has only been here a few weeks. He has to perform as well or better than Tanner Mordecai to win the job and that goes for Mordecai as well for his expectations for him in the offense are not any greater just because he has been in the offense for a couple of years. He says the competition is very real and the competition is very intense and is driving both quarterbacks.
*** Coach Riley would not admit to any serious injuries this spring so far. He said walk-on running back Isaiah Harris is out the rest of the spring with a collarbone injury but that is all he talked about. We heard on Monday that defensive tackle Jordan Kelly had suffered a knee injury but today Coach Riley did not indicate that was a long term injury.
*** Coach Riley says he is always looking for quarterbacks that are mobile and can move and are not just pocket guys for his offense. He said Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray were both prototype guys that he wants at quarterback and he says Hurts and Mordecai fit that skill sett.
*** Coach Riley says the battle between Jeremiah Hall and Brayden Willis is a good one and certainly a position to watch going forward. Right now he said it’s a dead heat and to close to call.
*** Coach Riley said that he and Coach Gundy got lucky when they found and sign Willis because it was a coach at a different high school that told them about him, and he said that he and Coach Gundy were looking up his film on their phones in the car and liked what they saw so they called his coach and an hour and a half later were on their way to Willis’ high school. A day later they offered him and about seven days later Willis committed to OU.
*** Coach Riley said it’s rare today that they can find a sleeper like Willis in the recruiting game.
*** Jay Boulware said that his running back room with Trey Sermon, Kennedy Brooks and T.J Pledger are having a good spring and things look good with his group.
*** Coach Boulware says there is quite a battle between Gabe Brikic and Calum Sutherland for the place-kicking and kick-off guy. Boulware says Brkic has a stronger leg and Sutherland is a little more accurate and that he’s looking for both them to get better in their weak area. Sophomore Reeves Mundscau is the punter and having a great camp.
*** Coach Boulware says the coverage units on kick-offs and punts are going to be very good with the improved athletic ability on the team. He feels OU will be very good in this area next year.
*** T.J. Pledger is trying to take advantage of his chance to earn more playing time next year. Sermon and Brooks establish themselves last year but Pledger feels if he is given a chance that he can make big runs and be a guy that they can count on.
*** CeeDee Lamb admitted that he was not a big fan of the weight room when he first got to OU, but he says if you are going to be part of a program like OU then you are going to get bigger and stronger or you are not really part of the program. He always tells younger guys to work on their skill set and their inner self, because just going through workouts you will become a better athlete.
*** Mykel Jones says he is fully healthy and working at both slot and outside receiver, but feels he is back to the form of two ago when he was a starting receiver for OU.
*** T.J said he and Bookie have been best friends since childhood and that they have always leaned on each other. He said that when Bookie went through some hard times late in the year he was there for him and Bookie is always there for him. He said Bookie is having a great spring and making a ton of plays.
*** Coach Riley said that at this point of the spring they really don’t do a lot of evaluating as far as the depth chart goes, because they are just in the grind of getting better this spring. It is more about ‘every day are you getting better, do you know your assignments and are you improving?’ He said it will be after spring that they will evaluate where everything stands and let the players know how they feel they did and where they stand and need to improve going into the off-season. He says right now they are just grinding trying to get through spring in a positive way.
Quick Hitters | Visit News – Additions and Subtractions
– Charlie S
Couple quick hitters regarding visitors this week…
*** Sources tell us that elite 2021 WR Cody Jackson (Richmond, TX) plans on visiting Norman this weekend. Jackson is close with CeeDee Lamb as they went to the same High School and he has already visited Norman on multiple occasions.
*** We also are told that 2021 OL Reuben Fatheree, who is high school teammates with Jackson, is planning on making the trip up to Norman as well. Both Fatheree and Jackson hold OU offers and getting them on campus is a great way to set the foundation of a relationship going forward.
K and I are working to confirm these visits with both of them.
*** Spoke to K who let me know that 2020 WR Mookie Cooper has changed plans and will not be in Norman later this week. The Sooners still hope to get him on campus this spring and are working on another date.
*** Confirmed that 2020 OT Turner Corcoran will be in Norman on Friday as he and his sister will be making the trip down to take in a practice and spend some time with the staff.
2020 DL Alfred Collins Visiting
– Charlie S
Earlier this week, we laid out a list of the visitors that we are aware of for the Sooners this week.
One name we didn’t include because we had yet to get confirmation was 2020 defensive end Alfred Collins out of Bastrop, TX.
Both Super K and our guy Darius Terrell can now confirm that Collins plans on being in Norman this weekend to take in practice and spend some time with the staff.
While Collins is a Texas legacy, his mother played basketball in Austin, he has expressed sincere interest in the Sooners and bringing him in on a low key weekend with not as much going on as compared to the Spring Game weekend could actually be a plus for the Sooners.
The 6’5″ 250 lb Collins is highly coveted by a number of schools and you would have to give Texas the inside track at this point, but the Sooners will get a chance to make a big impression on him this weekend and hopefully come away by locking in an official visit for a later date.
Notebook | 2021 Defensive Lineman Quintin Somerville
– Charlie S
Got a chance to speak with 2021 Defensive Line prospect Quintin Somerville on the phone for a bit.
I’ll start by saying he is a terrific young man and I really enjoyed the time he took out of his schedule to speak with me. He was very easy to converse with and he has a great personality, really reminded me of how Theo Wease carries himself. Very confident and positive in nature and very mature for his age.
It didn’t take long for the Sooners to make an impression on him as he told me, “I mean getting back to the city, you could just feel how special it was and once you step onto campus you just feel the aura that Oklahoma has, so it was definitely special for us”.
Part of what made the trip back to Norman special for him and his family was the connections he has to the state, “I was born in Norman and my brother was born in Tulsa and my dad’s job took us out to Arizona so that’s how we ended up here, it’s a long story, but coming back and seeing it all again as a recruit, it was something else”.
I asked him to go into some detail about the visit and he said, “We started by touring the facilities before practice and then I got the chance to sit down with Coach Thibodeaux which was really great”. He continued “In the middle of practice I got to go tour the dorms, see what that was like, and it was amazing”
Following the tour of the dorms, it was back to football as Quintin said, “Then we came back to watch the team session, got to see the defense do work”. He added “I got to sit in on a meeting with Coach Riley which was really pretty special to me. Coach Riley, Coach Thibodeaux and I sat around and cut up some film. It was really special”
This wasn’t his first visit to campus obviously, and he told me a little bit about his history with OU as he said, “I visited when I was little and the first football game I went to was at OU”.
What he said next, and the way he said it actually gave me goosebumps. Quintin said, “I went to a football camp back in 2013 and I got to take a picture with Coach Stoops! Man, I remember feeling like that was the most incredible thing that ever happened to me!” The tone in his voice was very cool as I felt like I was standing there with him as he took the picture, it was just really sincere.
We talked a little bit about the practice. I asked him what stood out in general about the defense and to nobody’s surprise, he talked about the intensity with which they are playing this year. Quintin said, “Oh my gosh, I mean as the big plays started coming, the intensity just started rising!” He added, “Coach Grinch and Coach Manning, man those two just fly around practice! The DBs especially, the day I watched practice the DBs were just flying around out there.”
Recruitment:
While Quintin does not yet hold an offer, the Sooners staff did fill him in on their plan for him. Quintin said, “Coach Thibbs is coming out to watch me workout next month, so hopefully it will come then”.
After we spoke about the offer, I asked him if he planned on coming back out to Norman for a game day visit, he said, “Oh yeah definitely! Hopefully, I can get out there towards the end of the season.”
Again, Quintin is just a sophomore, but he already holds some major offers and I asked him what schools are aggressively recruiting him right now and he said, “Michigan, Auburn, Ohio State, both Arizona Schools are recruiting me pretty hard”.
He also has a few visits planned as he told me “I’m heading out to Ohio State in the summer and Michigan next week”
All in all, in speaking with Quintin, it sounds like the Sooners put on quite the show for the young man and his family. He was really excited about the visit still and while I usually chalk that up to a post-visit high, I think in this case, the high is not going to wear off anytime soon.
2020 OL Visitor Updates
– Charlie S
A couple of notes here as the Sooners offensive line recruiting is really coming into focus here as they will host virtually all of their top targets in the next week or 10 days…
*** Touched base with 2020 offensive tackle Jeffrey Persi out of San Juan Capistrano, CA. As you know Super K noted back in early February that Persi would be visiting Norman on April 6th and this morning he confirmed that the visit will indeed take place.
Persi let me know that he and his parents will be making their first trip to Oklahoma and they will be flying out on Friday and staying through the weekend as they plan on heading back to California on Sunday.
Super K saw the 6’7″ 270 lb Persi at The Opening camp in Los Angeles and had this to say about him after watching him go through his workouts “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 currently holds more than 20 offers which include USC, UCLA, Michigan, Nebraska and Ole Miss. I will keep in touch with him throughout the weekend.
*** Our next note is about an expected visitor. Spoke to James this morning and he let me know that a source of his is expecting 2020 OT Andrew Raym to be on campus this weekend. Source said it does not look like Raym will be at the Spring Game, but getting him in on a visit this weekend is certainly a positive step.
We feel like OU is still in a good spot with Raym, but we also still believe he plans on taking his visits. We will reach out to him to try to confirm the visit over the next few days.
There is a third note in this article, and if you would like to read an additional note on Turner Corcoran, please check the Donor Board.
Notebook | Cooper, Wyman, Manning & More
– Super K
***As Charlie noted earlier, 2020 WR Mookie Cooper has
I checked with Mookie and he said that while he does plan on visiting Illinois this weekend, the Oklahoma trip was planned to be a lengthier trip and according to him…
“I would’ve had to miss school Friday and I’ve been missing school because of seven on seven. Like, I missed last Friday and this Monday so my mom doesn’t want me to miss another day”.
I checked with someone close to Mookie and the plan is to reschedule.
***Also, I was able to confirm that two 2021 Foster HS (Richmond, TX) stars in WR Cody Jackson and OT Reuben Fatheree will be in Norman this weekend.
Jackson has already visited. This will be Fatheree’s first visit. Fatheree is one of the most highly coveted 2021 offensive linemen in the country.
Reuben’s mother told me, “we are so excited to finally visit”.
***As you all know, 2020 DB, Dontae Manning (Kansas City, MO) visited Oklahoma this past weekend.
I’m scheduled to speak with Manning later today but I’ve been exchanging texts with him throughout the week. From what I can tell, the visit went extremely well. So well that he has already set up his official visit for the Spring game.
“It was crazy! Just a whole lot of energy and love!”
That word energy when it comes to Grinch’s defense keeps coming up over and over again!
***Checked in with the mother of 2020 DL, Vernon Broughton. A couple of weeks back she mentioned that they were trying to decide whether to take an official to the OU or Texas Spring Game.
The decision is in and it looks like they are heading to TAMU and Texas Spring Games.
Broughton may still OV to Oklahoma but to make a big move on Broughton it may not be until the season…
That’s when Oklahoma will answer some questions that people have and my gut tells me they are going to answer those questions in a big way.
In fact, the more I hear about the OU defense, the more I think there are some people that are going to be without spots.
I’ll get into that more in an upcoming post.
***2020 WR Michael Wyman (Greensboro, NC) has set his decision date for April 16th.
Wyman has yet to visit Oklahoma and was expected visit for the Spring Game but that will no longer happen.
Instead, Wyman tells me he plans on visiting in the Fall the for the Texas Tech game. This was actually by the Sooners’ design. Wyman had told me recently that coach Simmons didn’t want to be the first OV. He wanted to be the last.
So, while Wyman will likely pick another school later this month, it’s my understanding that he still plans to visit Oklahoma.
Here again, though, it’ll be interesting to see how many spots remain open.
For multiple daily posts, Insider Notes, More Sourced Practice Notes, member chats with TFB staff, James Hale’s Notebooks, TFB Sessions (
