Open Post | Weekend, February 21st – 23rd
Posted on: February 21, 2020
Pylon Notes | Part I | Sturdivant, Harmon, Bray & More
– Super K
***This past weekend, Pylon held one of their 7v7 tournaments in Dallas. There were a number of top prospects in attendance. Below are notes on a few recruits of interest.
***2021 WR J.Michael Sturdivant…
Easy to see why the Sooners have made J.Michael a priority. He’s a big wide receiver, which typically isn’t my cup of tea. I find too many of them end up being a lot of surface area for DBs to get their hands on, not enough speed to separate and without the physicality you’d expect them to have to win the ball.
But Sturdivant is impressive. His releases at the LOS are a thing of beauty. He’s violent and quick and gains ground in a hurry. But at the top of his route, is where he does the damage. He can separate at the last minute or he can go right over guys and take the ball. DBs aren’t typically great at finding the ball but it’s worse when you have a wide receiver who clearly is but also has height and the long arms to maximize said ability.
As I noted in the tweet above, I was standing behind the end zone on one particular play and Sturdivant literally went over two guys to take the ball. It was dang near shocking.
That ability is so much of what I loved about CeeDee Lamb in high school. I still remember the first time I saw Lamb. It was the summer between his sophomore and junior year. He was at a Texas camp. Someone pointed him out to me. That same person called Lamb over and said, show us something. That’s like telling a comedian to be funny right on the spot. Sure they do it for a living but to be able to perform on call is tough!
Lamb went one of one with a defensive back who would later go P5 and went right over him and took the ball out the area.
Sturdivant has some of those similar traits.
In terms of recruiting, I think the Sooners are certainly one of the teams to beat. If I had to say there is another team to really watch out for, right now, it would be Stanford.
Sturdivant has a nice offer list right now but he’s still, in my opinion, underrated. I think he will see his offer sheet expand, this spring. More on him in a full write-up.
***2021 CB Ishmael Ibrahim…
I didn’t get to watch 2021 CB, Ishmael Ibraheem quite as much as I would’ve liked but two things that stood out to me pretty quickly.
First, when I saw Ish in January, I loved his height but felt like he was built a little slight. When I saw this past weekend, he looked more physically developed. Kids are changing fast at this age. He has a 100m sprinter build which is what I like in WRs and DBs.
I knew Ish was fast but didn’t realize just how fast. I noticed it on a particular play where he was beat at the LOS. WR was on a deep route. Should have been an easy completion. But Ish came flying out of nowhere to break it up. He covered a lot of ground in a hurry.
I’ll need to go back and listen to my audio to bring you some of his thoughts on his recent visits but what I gather is that while both OU and Texas are recruiting Ish, I think Texas is probably pushing harder for him.
***2021 DB Isaiah Nwokobia…
Nwokobia didn’t play much so I didn’t get a chance to see him in action but after watching his film a while back, all I really needed to see was his frame. He’s a big DB. 6’1, wide framed and muscular.
On film, you really see everything you want to see. You love the way he plays the alley. But, as I noted above, his ability to play off man to man inside, is particularly good. It’s especially good considering his size.
Nwokobia is probably grossly underrated. He’s another guy I think you’ll see really blow up in the spring. He has a nice offer list right now but the more people see him, the more it’s going to expand.
Isaiah is also very sharp. You like your safeties smart and Nwokobia has that Jeffrey Okudah vibe to him (from certain angles, he kinda looks like Okudah, as well). He’s a great student, knowledgeable of the game and is a great communicator (which you also like in a safety).
Lincoln Riley did stop by and see Isaiah in January but I’m a little confused as to why the Sooners haven’t offered Isaiah. I’m wondering if they’re waiting to get some speed times on him.
***2021 DB Deuce Harmon…
This was my first time seeing Harmon in person and I’m sorry but the concerns over his size, in my opinion, are overblown. He’s probably somewhere around 5’9 or 5’10 which isn’t necessarily ideal but he is a muscular long athlete. He’s wide shouldered. He’s a big guy, actually. So any concerns about frame are completely unwarranted.
He’s a burner. He is a 4.3 or 4.4 guy. I know he ran around 4.4 at the TCU camp last summer. I think he will actually put up some serious 40 times this year.
He’s sticky in coverage because he isn’t just fast, he can stop/start and change direction. A lot of times you’ll get fast guys who can’t really move in multiple directions due to some tightness. Deuce isn’t like that. He did a great job on any type of route. He can run with you on the deep stuff. He can jump the short stuff. And because he can change direction and get up to top speed so fast, he handles the double moves really well, as well.
He also has some of the better ball skills. For OU fans, I’d say he’s basically the best stuff you’d get if you combined Tre Brown and Bookie. Brown has the speed but struggles with hips and finding the ball. Bookie has the instincts but struggles in terms of his pure athleticism.
But here’s a comparison some of you may not initially see but I think it’s actually warranted. He reminds me a shorter version of Dax Hill.
Harmon could legitimately play any position in the secondary. I know OU is looking to get taller on the back end but there’s always exceptions, I think Harmon fits that bill.
Deuce Harmon is originally from Oklahoma. His brother, De’Vion Harmon is, as most of you know, on the basketball team at Oklahoma. So, should the Sooners decide to get involved, they’d have a pretty shot.
***2021 WR Jaden Bray…
I’d heard of 2021 WR, Jaden Bray (Norman, OK) but had not seen him until this past weekend. He looks fantastic on film. He’s already picked up a few Big 12 offers including an offer from Oklahoma State.
He’s a tall long, athletic basketball player who transitioned to football this past season. So, he’s certainly still raw.
I spoke with him for a while and he was pretty open about the fact that he’s still learning. In fact, he noted that during the tournament he was having to quickly adjust to the physical press play, something he doesn’t see in high school football in Oklahoma. There aren’t many defensive backs in Oklahoma that would be able to run with him.
But that’s what intrigues me so much about Jaden. He oozes potential. He’s never been trained. He just started playing football. He’s actually been teaching himself things by watching YouTube videos!
And yet by the last game of the tournament, he was beating press coverage quite easily. I was honestly a little shocked at how quickly he was getting initial separation from very good defensive backs.
Bray comes from a military family. He’s a very smart and very polite young man. He checks too many boxes for me. If I’m running a program, I’m going to certainly be out to see him in the spring.
My initial impressions of Bray are really good. I’d like to see more but the potential in this young man is too much to overlook.
2021 Early Big Board | Wide Receivers
– Charlie S
The Sooners numbers at wide receiver heading into the 2021 recruiting cycle dictate that they take a sizeable class which is why I wanted to get an early Big Board out on the position.
Charleston Rambo, Theo Wease, Jadon Haselwood, and Trejan Bridges are the returning scholarship players and Drake Stoops is a walk-on contributor who will also be back.
OU added two grad transfers in Theo Howard (UCLA) and Obi Obialo (Marshall) to bolster their numbers.
The newly arrived Howard was injured and the timeline for his return is not clear at this point and as things stand currently, Trejan Bridges is likely to miss a large portion of the upcoming season as his appeal is still being processed.
So you are looking at six contributing wide receivers at the start of the season. Should things change with Bridges or should Howard recover in time to start the season, the Sooners would welcome that with open arms.
OU Commits:
Cody Jackson – Foster (Richmond, TX) – 6-0 175
OU Offers:
JoJo Earle – Aledo (Aledo, TX) – 5-9 170
Latrell Neville – Hightower (Missouri City, TX) – 6-3 195
J.Michael Sturdivant – Marcus (Flower Mound, TX) – 6-2 185
Mario Williams – Plant City (Plant City, FL) – 5-10 165
Emeka Egbuka – Steilacoom (Steilacoom, WA) – 6-1 190
Jalil Farooq – Dr Henry Wise (Upper Marlboro, MD) – 6.0.5 191
Agiye Hall – IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) – 6-3 190
Beaux Collins – St. John Bosco (Bellflower, CA) – 6 2.5 195
Shadrach Banks – North Shore (Houston, TX) – 6-0 210
Julian Nixon – Centennial (Roswell, GA) – 6-4 205 (Single game highlight)
Micah Crowell – East Forsyth (Kernersville, NC) – 6-2 205 (Sophomore Season Highlights)
Dekel Crowdus – Frederick Douglass (Lexington, KY) – 5-10.5 165 (Sophomore Season Highlights)
Malcolm Johnson Jr. – St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes (Alexandria, VA) – 6-1 185
Simeon Price – West Florida Tech (Pensacola, FL) – 6-0 204
OU Prospects of note:
Jaden Bray – Norman (Norman, OK) – 6-3 190
Blaine Green – Allen (Allen, TX) – 6-1.5 204
Bryson Green – Allen (Allen, TX) – 6-0.5 203
QuayDarius Davis – Skyline (Dallas, TX) – 6-0 193 (Sophomore Season Highlights)
We are working under the assumption that OU will be looking to take at least four wide receivers.
With that in mind, and Cody Jackson already committed, there is a good chance several of the above-mentioned wideouts will be heavily recruited by the Sooners staff.
I would look for OU to push for JoJo Earle, J.Michael Sturdivant, Mario Williams, and Latrell Neville hard throughout the spring.
Agiye Hall is one guy you all have questions about and to be honest, so do we. We aren’t sure how OU prioritizes him at this point. We will be down in Florida to see him once again and we will be checking with our OU sources to get their take on him as we move forward, but right now he is a bit of a mystery in regards to how hard OU is pushing there. We do not feel like he is in the same group as Earle, Sturdivant, Williams, and Neville at this time, but things are ever changing.
The Sooners will also push Emeka Egbuka for a visit at the very least and then take their chances from there. He seems to be receptive at this point, but it will be all about getting him on campus.
While I added Beau Collins (Clemson commit) and Shadrach Banks (Aggie commit) to the list as they are offers, I would not expect either of them to be in play for OU.
Jalil Farooq, a recent offer from the east coast, becomes a really interesting option particularly if Caleb Williams jumps in at QB for OU in the class and it almost feels like the opposite scenario with Julian Nixon who was close with Brock Vandagriff. We will have to see how that plays out.
K mentioned Jaden Bray after seeing him this week, so I would expect OU to host him on campus multiple times at the very least in an effort to keep him warm.
QuayDarius Davis is a kid that was committed to Texas early and backed off that verbal pledge. Right now, he is once again trending to Texas, however, OU has really not jumped in with both feet (have not offered yet) but they are in communication with him. He may not ever get that OU offer and I believe that depends on where things go with some of the other targets mentioned above.
As for the Green brothers out of Allen, it feels like they are a package deal and that is not something OU typically buys into if they do not feel one of the players is what they are looking for (See the Wallace brothers who wound up at OkState).
It will be an active cycle for OU on the wide receiver front and there will undoubtedly be additions and subtractions to the list.
Sourced | Team Quick-Hitters | DL, Whitter & More
– Super K
***As James, noted, the Sooners are doing coaching stations this week. It’s basically designed to figure out which players are going to quit and which ones can push to their furthest limits.
***The guy who doesn’t seem to have any limits? Seth McGowan. No surprise if you recall what he was like in high school.
***Been trying to find out as much as we can on the defensive line. Everyone I’ve spoken to so far has said, it’s simply too early to tell.
***Was told that both Perrion and Ellison move well. Not quite as well as Neville did, yet. But Perrion seems to be the one with the physical frame that the Sooners are hoping plays a factor.
***One thing you might watch for is the possibility of OU working to get the best guys on the field with Isaiah Thomas (assuming Ronnie Perkins is out for the first five games), Laron Stokes, Jalen Redmond, and Nick Bonitto.
***Remember that at Washington State, Grinch used a 250 lb MLB as a NG and he was extremely disruptive. I don’t foresee anything like that happening at OU but keep in mind that Laron Stokes, for example, is a big framed guy. He’s 6’4 and as of last year when he was measured in the summer came in around 275 lbs. Wouldn’t be surprised if he’s somewhere in the 280s now.
***But again, was told very clearly that it’s just too early to tell too much. You have to really see OL and DL really hit in the trenches before you can make too many judgments.
***The Sooners are obviously happy with the kind of athlete they have in Bryson Washington. He was initially slated to start the spring at nickel. But I’ve heard through the grapevine that he will likely be moved back to safety.
***Instead, I suspect they’ll move someone like Criddell back down to nickel to push Bookie.
***Someone I’ve heard more and more about lately is freshman LB, Shane Whitter. Was told he’s going to end up looking like an absolutely steal by Odom. Apparently he ran in the 4.4s. I will clarify that these were hand-timed (there were multiple timings taken per usual on hand times). I believe the Sooners do laser times in the summer. Either way, Whitter is an absolute burner. There is a lot of excitement about him.
Andrew Mukuba Taking Off
– Super K
Just want to refer you back to a post I wrote back in January on 2021 DB, Andrew Mukuba. You can see the full post here but I’ll highlight a few quotes…
I’ve been a little underwhelmed so far with the defensive backs in Texas. I’ve seen some of the “4-star” kids and no one has really blown me away just yet (I’m still evaluating).
But the guy I think is going to really blow up is Mukuba.
Later in the same post, I wrote…
I’d personally like to see the Sooners go in with an offer. Mukuba visited Oklahoma a couple weekend’s ago and I was told that the Sooners are the team to beat right now. But if you hold off an offer too long, you can make your job much more difficult.
Well, it has happened sooner than I even expected. Mukuba picked up two big SEC offers today, one from Alabama and the other from Tennessee. That comes after picking up a TCU offer earlier in the month. (He went on to pick up 5 SEC offers over the last 2 days.)
I saw Mukuba this past weekend in action.
As I mentioned in the tweet above from yesterday, Mukuba is one of my favorite DBs in the state of Texas.
It starts with athleticism and he has it all. He’s quick, he’s loose, he has great feet and he’s fast. Mukuba is teammates with Alabama CB commit, Latrell McCutchin. And while McCutthin may be the better DB right now. The long term upside may go to Mukuba. Either way, they are both very good.
The plan right now is for the Sooners to see Mukuba in the spring to evaluate him for an offer.
I did speak to Mukuba this past weekend and I can tell you that the Sooners are still very much in pole position. But as I noted previously, it could get tougher as his recruitment continues to expand.
Quick Hitters | New DB Offers Warren & Wright
– Charlie S
The Sooners have been throwing out a bunch of new offers.
Two defensive backs who recently picked up offers are 2021 JUCO De’Jahn ‘Nugget’ Warren and Ceyair Wright.
*** Touched base with De’Jahn Warren (6’1″ 185) out of Lackawanna CC in Scranton, PA. Warren has seen his recruitment explode of late and he currently holds offers from Alabama, Oregon, Tennessee and Penn State to go along with his OU offer.
Warren told me he plans on visiting Norman at some point this spring but nothing has been confirmed. While that is a good sign, I wouldn’t write that in ink as he continues to pick up interest from around the country and the Sooners will have their work cut out for them if they want to be serious players for the coveted JUCO cover man.
Warren told me ‘My recruitment is just starting so I am going to wait a little while before I narrow things down because I plan on taking all my visits.” In regards to what he is looking for in a program, he said “I’m just looking for a place I can call home that has more to offer than just football.”
So pretty basic stuff at this early point of his recruitment, but OU has had some success at pulling kids out of Lackawanna as they took linebackers Emmanuel Beal and Kapri Doucet along with offensive lineman Ashton Julios out of the junior college previously.
*** I also was in touch with 2021 athlete Ceyair Wright (6’1″ 175) out of Los Angeles, CA.
Wright is listed as an athlete but he let me know that he is, in fact, being recruited as a corner by Sooners cornerback coach Roy Manning.
Wright currently holds close to two dozen offers which include most of the major players out west (USC, Stanford, Oregon etc) as well as national offers from programs such as Notre Dame, Nebraska, Arizona State and others.
I asked Wright if he was considering taking a visit to Norman even with the offer being so new and he mentioned he is considering taking an unofficial visit this spring.
Getting him in on an unofficial this spring could be a big move for OU as they could then host him for an official visit later on.
Wright ran a 10.84 100 and when you watch his film, that top end speed is evident.
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