Open Post | Weekend, August 14th – 16th
Posted on: August 14, 2020
Fast Five | Team Sourced Quick-Hitters
– Super K
Was told final practice before the break wasn’t particularly eventful but I did ask sources a few questions.
***Was told that the reason we haven’t heard much about Bryson Washington lately is that he’s been out. Sounds like he might be a dinged up.
***In his place, they’ve moved Jaden Davis to safety. As Davis picks up time at safety, he’ll end up being exactly as he was in high school – a guy who can play every single position in the secondary. Very very helpful and exactly what Grinch wants when he recruits DBs.
***Competition for that spot after Norwood and Brown is between Josh Eaton and Kendall Dennis.
***I’m told Eaton comes in right now but I got the impression that he’s getting a bit of the benefit of simply being the taller guy.
***However, a source I spoke with said, none of the young guys are explosive as Dennis and it isn’t really close. No surprise there.
If you would like to read the rest of the sourced team notes, please check the Donor Board.
Camar Wheaton | Double Trending?
– Super K
As we’ve previously noted, we believe the Sooners hold a lead for Camar Wheaton.
One of the other teams to watch in the race is Texas. However, as you may know by now, LJ Johnson is now trending hard to Texas.
Should Johnson commit to Texas, they would be full at running back. So, if there is such thing as double trending then it might be appropriate to add Camar Wheaton to OU in that category.
Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge : OU Just Wanted Me the Most
– James Hale
If the Big 12, ACC, and SEC hold true to playing in the fall that will hurt recruiting for schools in the Pac-12 and Big Ten. The Pac-12 and Big Ten can say they made decisions on the side of the protecting their student/athletes but all the recruits are going to see is that in three conferences you can play football, in the other two they can’t find a way to play and get on the field and play the game they love.
Currently, OU’s 2021 recruiting class is ranked 15th in the country, but considering who they are still chasing, they could end up with a top-five class if things fall right from this point on. One of the Sooner’s top recruits is four-star defensive end Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge (6’7, 250) out of Portland (Jefferson), Oregon.
Rawlins-Kibonge is raw and has not played football for very long, but the former hoopster says he’s just now learning how to use his height on the football field.
“I am originally a basketball player, so some of those movements when blockers trying to get under me and trying to get underneath me I’m used to getting down and get low to handle them,” said Rawlins-Kobonge. “It’s mainly about staying low and watching what they do. and being able to attack them at the same time.”
OU has always been proactive about their players playing two sports, and Rawlins-Kibonge hopes to pull off the very tough double of both football and basketball at OU.
“OU has given me the okay to play both football and basketball,” said Rawlins-Kibonge. “Coach Lon Kruger came on my virtual visit. They laid out a plan for me on how that would work as I would take about a week off once the football season is over, and instead of going into an off-season break before spring ball, I’m going to play basketball instead.
“I always thought I was going to be a basketball player. I’m getting recruited to play basketball, but when I started playing football, I started getting better offers and soon realized that it was in football where I was going to have a long career.”
“I feel with basketball I see that game pretty well, but I’m not going to get any taller. With football, I feel I”m more raw and I’m going to go out there, and whatever the coaches tell me to do, I”m going to do it. I trust my game a lot more in basketball, but football is more exciting for me and I feel I have that type of game that the coaches can work with. I love to get ideas from coaches in football, and when it comes to football, I’m a sponge. I take all the information that I can take, and I’m going to take that information and go out there and play.”
“I can play all along the front line. I play the four and the three as well. I averaged 15 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocks per game.”
“When it comes to football, I love Jadeveon Clowney, and he is a player that I look up to. He was one of the first football players that I started to pay attention to. When it comes to basketball, I want to have that Russell Westbrook mentality. I love the way he approaches the game and how he prepares himself. Those are the two athletes that look up to in both sports.”
Rawlins-Kibonge is like every other high school and college football across the country in that they have had to deal with COVID-19.
“In Oregon, they have pushed our football season to the spring, and it’s going to be past our basketball season,” said Rawlins-Kibonge. “I have to figure out what I’m going to do making sure that I’m making the best moves for me, my future, and my family. I’m a 4.0 student, and my academic situation is pretty solid. I need about three credits to graduate right now, and it’s a government economics credit that I need.”
I plan on graduating in January, and it’s just a matter of setting up a plan to do it and finish it, but right now, I’m just not 100 percent that’s going to happen. That’s why I said I don’t know yet, but right now, that’s the plan, and we will see.”
The decision for Rawlins-Kibonge came down to OU, Arizona State, Washington, Washington State, Cal, Colorado. Miami and USC.
“I already had a relationship with Coach (Jamir) Cain before he went to Oklahoma,” said Rawlins-Kibonge. “He was recruiting me to go to ASU, and when he went to Oklahoma, I got that call telling me he wanted me at OU. When he first told me I thought wow, I would like to be part of that program.”
“I developed a great relationship with him, and then I got to meet everybody else on the staff and Coach (Lincoln) Riley on my virtual visit. I had a great time talking with Coach (Alex) Grinch as he was telling me his big plans. He wants just to win games and that he feels I can play a big role in getting the defense to the next level. I love Coach Riley. Coach Riley is hilarious, and I feel I can talk to Coach Riley about anything. That goes for any of the coaches, but with Coach Riley, I feel I have a different type of relationship.”
Rawlins-Kibonge is part of the recruiting class that may not get a chance to take an official visit to the schools of their choice, and since March, none of them have had a chance to make an unofficial visit to a prospective school. The Portland native committed to OU without ever seeing the campus in person.
“OU’s virtual visit stood out over all the Virtual visits that I took,” said Rawlins-Kibonge. “I took those kinds of visits to several schools, and OU was by far number one. I took a couple where they had 18 other recruits on it, and it wasn’t personalized at all. It was like we were in a classroom because we were raising hands and asking questions.”
“On my visit to OU it was just me on the visit. In the videos, they were talking to me and saying my name. They had me on the field, and they had me talking to the coaches. They personalized all if it. Nobody else did that for me, and it was obvious that OU wanted me more than any other school. They went out and did a personalized visit for me while everybody else just gave me the bare minimum on the visit.”
“OU took the time to put something together that appealed to just me. Coach Cain and the staff showed me that they wanted me the most, and it was evident on that virtual visit. My mom couldn’t make it, so my uncle was on the visit with me. My dad lives in France, and he doesn’t speak English.”
“The Pac-12 coaches were pursuing me hard, but the whole program wasn’t pursuing me when it came down to it. I went on that visit to Oklahoma, and all the coaches embraced me, and it was like I had a whole staff recruiting me. I think on my visit there was only one coach that wasn’t there, and they were all talking to me. It was obvious who wanted me the most, and it was Oklahoma.”
OU envisions Rawlins-Kibonge rushing off the edge with his hands up, and with his height and huge wingspan he’s going to be tough for quarterbacks to throw over.
“Coach Grinch keeps telling me that in his Speed D it’s about being fast and to go hard all the time,” said Rawlins-Kibonge. Our main focus is just getting to the quarterback. Obviously, we’re going to play the run, and we’re going to play hard, but coming off the edge, he wants us to get sacks and get tackles for loss. So, the main focus is being fast and being aggressive. My wingspan is actually 7-foot now, and I can get up there pretty high.”
“A lot of quarterbacks can’t throw over me. I know I was third in the state in tackles-for-loss, and this was my first year playing football. I have only played ten games of football ever. I look forward to getting to OU and getting coached up by Coach Cain and Coach Grinch.”
Rawlins-Kibonge is determined to help OU’s Speed D get to the next level.
“I know a lot of people are knocking our class because we don’t have all five stars,” said Rawlins-Kobonge. “I’m like a mole in that I’m going to go in there, and I’m going to become a changed player. I’m going to enroll early, and I’m not going to party or be playing around. I’m going to dedicate myself to being the best player that I can be.”
“I think at OU I’m going to come out looking like a whole different human being. This class is going to be so good, and everybody is going to have to look at us. I know Latrell (McCutchin) is going to come in early, and he’s going to do the same thing. People are going to say we didn’t get a lot of five-stars, but when we turn into the best team, they realize that we had a great class.”
Rawlins-Kibonge may be raw in football, but his potential is off the charts.
“I think my skill set is a combination of a lot of different things that together will make me a great player at OU,” said Rawlins-Kibonge. “I feel I’m coming to OU at the right time and that I’m in the right place at the right time. Don Johnson and Houston Lillard, my two trainers here in Portland, have developed me, and they have a lot to do with my football success. My uncle and aunt are my family, and my whole sports career has been in the right place at the right time.”
“I know that I’m lucky to be here and that anybody would love to be in my shoes right now. I’m going to make the most of my opportunity at OU. I’m grateful for this opportunity at OU, but I’m not complacent, I want to get to OU and be great, and then get to the next level.”
A Big Visitor Heading to Norman
– Charlie S
We have previously mentioned a number of recruits who are planning to visit Norman next week to take in the campus and town on self-guided tours.
Earlier this week, another big Oklahoma target confirmed he plans on being in town.
You can add 2021 offensive tackle Savion Byrd (6’5″ 265) out of Duncanville, TX to the list of prospects who are currently planning on heading to Norman.
When I asked him if he planned on making his way to campus, Byrd said “100%, I’m hyped”.
Quick Hitter | 2021 Linebacker Notes
– Charlie S
Checked in on a couple of Sooner linebacker targets in the 2021 class.
Oklahoma already has Danny Stutsman (6’2.5″ 215) out of Winter Garden, FL committed and they are still in contact with a few additional targets.
***I checked in with Trevin Wallace (6’2″ 225) out of Jesup, GA who let me know that his communication is strong with Oklahoma.
He did let me know that he has not yet taken the Sooners virtual tour, but that is something that could happen in the near future.
***Another guy I checked in with is Junior Colson (6’2″ 228) out of Brentwood, TN. Colson was a guy who picked up his OU offer in January and eventually committed to Michigan in late May.
With the Big 10 canceling their football season, I wanted to see how that impacts some of the commits in the conference that OU was in on at some point.
Colson didn’t have a ton to say but he did let me know that the Sooners are still in contact with him. As for the details and frequency of those conversations, he didn’t share too much. The fact that OU is still in touch with him seems to keep their foot in the door a bit and as the Sooners take the field (hopefully) and the Wolverines fans and players watch, he may be someone to keep in the back of your mind.
Also, I’m beginning to wonder about the numbers at inside linebacker at this point with Caleb Kelly missing the season and potentially coming back in 2021.
This is speculation on my part, and we (K, James and I) will be checking in on the numbers, but with Kelly being accepted into OU grad school (along with Clayton Smith being a guy who is likely to play multiple roles) that may impact the need/desire to take another inside backer should Kelly choose to continue to pursue gridiron glory.
Again, just speculating here in regards to the numbers and hopefully, we will get additional clarity there.
Virtual Visitors for Thursday
– Charlie S
Annie Hanson wasn’t fooling when she sent the following tweet…
Sources tell us that the Sooners are set to host a ton of high profile 2022 virtual visitors over the next couple of days.
Some of the 2022 recruits OU hosted on Thursday were:
***2022 DT Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (6’4″ 275) out of Lakeland, FL
***2022 LB Marvin Jones Jr (6’4″ 225) out of Fort Lauderdale, FL
***2022 WR Talyn Shettron (6’3″ 185) out of Edmond, OK
***2022 DB Bobby Taylor (6’1″ 180) out of Katy TX
***2022 ATH Gentry Williams (6’0″ 170) out of Tulsa, OK
We are checking on several other names from Thursday as well.
Friday will also be busy and we have confirmed a few names and will drop them for you later.
