Open Post | Weekend, February 28th – March 1st
Posted on: February 28, 2020
Shemar Turner & Camar Wheaton | Visit Notes
– Super K
A couple quick notes here on possible high profile visits…
***I checked in with the coach of 2021 5-star TX running back, Camar Wheaton (Lakeview Centennial) and he tells me that Wheaton may be heading up to Norman this weekend for his first visit since DeMarco 780Murray was announced has running back’s coach.
Coach said they are still confirming Wheaton’s schedule but added that they should know by Friday. Either way, I’m told Wheaton will be up in the near future.
***Also, 2021 4-star TX DL, Shemar Turner (Desoto) tells me that he plans on visiting the Sooners sometime in March. It’s possible it will happen this weekend but still not sure. If not this weekend, then look for him to be up when spring ball gets going in March.
The Sooners were trending strong for Turner back in the fall but since then Texas has taken the lead. So, this upcoming visit will be an effort to stem the tide and get the Sooners back in pole position.
As we’ve talked about before, it’s hard taking defensive linemen out of the SEC territory so when you’ve got a chance at this level of athlete on the defensive line in the DFW area, you have to make it count.
Mario Williams | The Latest
– Super K
As you know, the Sooners would love to land 2020 FL WR, Mario Williams (Plant City). We first reported back in November that Mario would be taking his official visit to Oklahoma for the Spring Game.
The original plan was for Mario to announce a decision this spring or summer. So, taking his official visits in the spring made sense.
I’ve checked in with him and he has decided to go ahead and push his commitment timeline back. Sounds like something will come in the fall.
As such, he has rescheduled his OU official visit. He tells me he will take his OU official visit for the Baylor game (October 3rd).
The Sooners have been burned a bit in the past bringing prospects in for the spring game and then received a silent commit only to lose them due to a delayed announcement. Typically the players aren’t able to make a return trip. OU has done such a good job of recruiting Mario by visiting him and speaking with him regularly as a staff, that it’s probably best if they keep that visit for as close to his commitment date as possible.
Sooners Pushing Hard on East Coast
– Super K
The Sooners have been recruiting nationally for a while and they’ve had some success in the mid-Atlantic region, as of late. In 2019 Oklahoma landed Joseph Wete out of the DC area and Derek Green out of North Carolina.
In 2020 that number increased. OU landed two prospects out of the DC/MD area in Anton Harrison and Aaryn Parks. They also picked up linebacker, Shane Whitter out of North Carolina. JUCO DB signee, Justin Harrington is actually originally from North Carolina, as well.
In this cycle the Sooners have pushed even harder. I’ve lost count of the number of mid-Atlantic regional offers. Among them are Caleb Williams, Monkel Goodwine, Tony Grimes, TreVeyon Henderson, Ryan Barnes, Katron Evans, Marcus Bradley, Jalil Farooq, Evan Pryor, Keeshawn Silver…and the list goes on.
I think the east coast push in recent years has a lot to do with the addition of Shane Beamer. Also, I think Oklahoma is trying to make moves in regions where they have more of a chance to win against some of the SEC powerhouses. It’s hard to go to Georgia and beat Alabama and Georgia for a kid. They’re still working hard in those areas but that mid-Atlantic area isn’t an SEC stronghold.
But in this cycle, perhaps the reason you’re seeing a tremendous number of offers in the area is because of the Sooners optimism about the possibility of landing 5-star 2021 QB, Caleb Williams. Like Joseph Wete, Williams plays at Gonzaga HS in the DC area. Brock Vandagriff was a talented prospect but he wasn’t necessarily the guy that was going to get out there and recruit.
Caleb Williams, on the other hand, strikes me as someone who would do just that. I think the Sooners are hoping that by recruiting guys in that area, if they can make an early move, Caleb can help push things over the top.
Updates | Haughlin, Fatheree & Alexander
– Charlie S
Couple quick notes on additional visitors for March 1st…
*** Sooners will host 2021 offensive tackle Hugh Laughlin out of Athens, GA on an unofficial visit this weekend.
Laughlin tells me he is 6’6″ and around 280 right and while he does not currently hold an OU offer, I would keep an eye out for one to potentially get thrown out this weekend. Coach Bedenbaugh doesn’t really play around when it comes to recruiting and with Laughlin making the trip on his own dime, it sounds like there is mutual interest there.
He and his family will be arriving Saturday night in Norman and head over to campus on Sunday.
Y’all are gonna look up his offer (he currently has four) and scratch your heads and say ‘why is OU in on this kid’…I would recommend you check out his film and see the type of athletic ability he possesses when looking for an answer to that question. He is all about ‘potential’ at offensive tackle and if his measurements that he tells me are accurate, I think you will see a lot more attention come his way should OU pull the trigger and offer.
*** Another offensive lineman who will be in Norman in the near future is Reuben Fatheree out of Richmond, TX (Foster). Fathereee is a guy who OU is very much pursuing and he has already been on campus multiple times.
The 6’8 300 lb 2021 OL is teammates with current OU wide receiver commit Cody Jackson and he also holds offers from around the country.
Fatheree tells me he plans on making his way back to Norman a couple of times this spring. He said the plan right now is to make it up in March for spring practice and then follow that up with another trip up in April for the Spring Game. He has not set up an official visit at this point, and he may take in the Red and White game as an unofficial visitor but he does plan on OV’ing to OU at some point, just has not been decided as to when that will be.
*** 2022 defensive tackle Bear Alexander will be on campus this weekend as well. The 6’4″ 330 lb sophomore out of Dallas, TX (Skyline) holds offers from around the country and he will be making his first trip to Norman on March 1st.
Alexander will be accompanied by his pops, a coach and a teammate (2023 QB Jaylon Robinson) on the trip and he is looking forward to the experience.
As far as what he is looking for while in Norman, Alexander told me “I am definitely looking most forward to seeing how I would fit in their system”. He added, “I also want to see how OU can set me up for my future academically once the air is out of the football”. (Love hearing that from such a young kid).
OU has already offered him and this weekend will serve as their best opportunity to make a mark in his recruitment. Should OU put on a good show for him and his entourage, they could firmly insert themselves into his recruitment going forward.
4-Star DL Monkell Goodwine | Initial Update
– Super K
On Wednesday, I stopped by National Christian Academy (Fort Washington, MD) to see Sooners 2021 defensive line target, Monkell Goodwine.
A few initial thoughts on my time there and my conversation with Goodwine:
***Great looking young man. You’re talking somewhere around 6’3 or so and 265 lbs but very lean. Wide squared off shoulders. He plays DE and does a nice job of it but he’s only 16 so I suspect he will be 275 to 280 within a year.
***He’s a guy who can probably be whatever he wants. If he wants to stay lean and play DE, he has the athleticism to do it. If he wants to grow into an interior lineman, he’s got the frame to carry plenty of weight.
***He actually runs with the DB and WR group at his school. And he can move!
***In terms of recruiting, sounds like he actually wants to get away from the DMV area.
***He didn’t mention a favorite but my read right now is that he really really likes TAMU. He took an unofficial visit there a few months ago and loved it. He said he liked the college town vibe, he likes Texas in general (mentioned he’d like to settle down in the TX area) down the road. And he has a great relationship with coach Terry Price.
***Other schools he mentioned were LSU, Tennessee and Alabama.
***We also talked about the Sooners and he’s in regular contact with coach Riley and coach Thibs. He talked about how out of all the head coaches he communicates with, coach Riley seems the most “unscripted” and real.
***Told me he’s definitely going to visit Oklahoma but doesn’t have a date set just yet. He mentioned the staff is trying to get him down for the Spring Game and he’s hoping to make it for that.
***But what is better is there is a chance the first visit will actually be an unofficial visit. His coach may be able to bring him down on that visit. That would give the Sooners another chance to have him on campus for an official visit.
***Goodwine says he will announce later in the process but plans to make a silent commitment before then and said that that silent could come as early as this spring.
***I’ll bottom line this, Goodwine is exactly the reason OU is smart trying to push into the DMV. He wants to leave the area. He isn’t tied into any other schools. He’s talented. He’s a very winnable prospect for the Sooners.
Notebook Snippet (from Wednesday on Donor Board)| Spring Practice
– James Hale
*** The dates for spring practice have been announced and as we at TFB anticipated the first practice will be March 10th. Coach Lincoln Riley will hold his spring press conference on Monday, March 9th, followed by the opening practice on the 10th and then the Sooners Pro Day on the 11th.
*** OU will get three practices in before the players head to spring break which starts at OU on the 14th and runs through the 22nd. Coach Riley always tries to give his players Friday off so it’s not going to be surprising if they go three straight days that first week or skip Wednesday for Pro Day and have practice Thursday and early Friday morning so that the guys can all hit the road for spring break.
*** The actual time for the spring game on April 18th has not been set yet but don’t be surprised if it’s not an evening game around 5:00 or 6:00 PM. The game only will last two hours and they have to make sure things all line up with whatever entertainment they are going to have and with either Baker Mayfield or Kyler Murray or both coming back for the unveiling of their Heisman Trophy Statue. Two statue plots have been lined out in Heisman Park and Billy Sims has said on Social Media that he and the fellow Heisman winners at OU are all getting new neighbor’s but there has been no mention which one or if both are coming back for the game.
*** I have always heard that Baker would be back for his unveiling first and for marketing purposes, it makes sense for OU to just bring one of them back this year and the other one next year so they have a hook for both this year’s spring game and then next year. However, they have to do this when Baker and Kyler are available and right now OU is trying to sort all that out.
*** I know everyone wants timing results but they are just not available. At TFB we have given you what we’ve been able to find out and they are just hard to find. OU doesn’t want this out. Not sure why they would not really want to brag their guys up but welcome to the world of Sooner Football. I hear that OU did not have a full testing session and that won’t happen until the week before spring ball starts anyway.
*** Things have returned to normal at the Sooner practices with OU back to their normal weight work routines and 7v7 drills which are Wednesday and Friday.
*** Nose tackle sophomore Jordan Kelley (6’3, 308) had a wasted year last year coming back from ACL surgery at mid-season only to run into a roadblock at getting playing time by a group of upperclassmen. Kelley doesn’t want that to happen again and it sounds like he has been one of the best off-season players thus far in camp. Players understand the college football game and Kelley knows OU went out and got two junior college transfers in Perrion Winfrey (6’4, 305) and Josh Ellison (6’3, 295) to refill the depth at the nose tackle position. That doesn’t mean that Kelley can’t be the stater or won’t get major playing time next year but usually, teams don’t bring in junior college players to sit the bench.
*** “We are really pleased to add Perrion and Josh to our signing class,” said Coach Lincoln Riley following the first signing day. “We lost so much to graduation and just felt we needed to bring in some experience at the position and we evaluated both Perrion and Josh and decided they were just what that we needed right now in our program.”
*** “We really like the guys that are coming up in our program like Jordan Kelley, Kori Roberson (6’4, 272), and Marcus Hicks (6’5, 261) is a guy that we feel is a talented defensive lineman. We would not have signed Perrion and Josh if we didn’t feel like they could play. Even if we were working from a position of need, and we are somewhat at the nose tackle or inside in our defensive line, we would not take any JUCO players if we didn’t feel he can help us or improve us. We think both Perrion and Josh and the guys we have on the campus will develop into a very good group of inside defensive line players for us.”
*** Alex Grinch went small at Washington State at the nose tackle position and he might try senior Laron Stokes (6’4, 269) there if Stokes can add 10 to 12 points or a little more before the season starts. Grinch loves quickness and you can count on him experimenting with Stokes at the nose tackle spot this spring.
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