Open Post | Weekend, January 22nd – 24th
Posted on: January 22, 2021
Running Back Recruiting and Transfers Update
– Super K
Going into the spring the running back room will have Marcus Major, Kennedy Brooks, Seth McGowan and Mikey Henderson.
The Sooners have yet to land a high school running back but have been monitoring the portal and the situation with unsigned burner, Camar Wheaton.
Here is the latest we’ve heard:
***The Sooners had planned on taking Auburn transfer RB, Marc-Antony Richards. However, we are told that yesterday they decided to back off Richards. So I am hearing they won’t be going that route.
***There was initial interest in Michigan RB transfer, Zach Charbonnet but that is not looking like it will progress to anything more at this time.
***Also, I do believe the Sooners will circle back to Camar Wheaton. Alabama has lost almost their entire offensive staff, including Camar’s position coach, Charles Huff and his primary recruiter, Jeff Banks.
***My source close to Wheaton said Wheaton’s phone has been broken so I don’t imagine OU has been able to speak with him yet but I do believe they’ve tried. Once he’s back in school this week, they should be able to reach him through the high school. I do not get the sense that Sark and the Texas staff are going to make a play for Wheaton. I’m told they haven’t reached out to Camar’s camp and I imagine that is out of respect for Saban. But with the kids going back to school, we should find out who is going to be making calls to the school.
Reaction to the Joe Jon Finley Hire
– Super K
I haven’t followed Joe Jon’s coaching career very closely but I made a call to someone I trust who has followed Joe Jon’s career and worked with Joe Jon at one of his multiple stops.
The summary of what I got is…
***High upside coach both as a recruiter and as a football guy. Was told he’s really sharp and while most coaches aren’t built to be future coordinators or head coaches, was told Joe Jon is.
***Was told he’s very well liked by everyone regardless of age or background, he’s one of those people that can connect with a broad spectrum of people. An important trait in a business where you’re talking to high school kids, to parents, to coaches, etc.
***To add to that, was told his players will love him. This was big to me. It’s probably one of the biggest reasons I either like or dislike a hire or retention. If I asked around and found out all but one or two of your players love you, then I know something is wrong with those one or two players. If I ask around and found out almost all of your players aren’t particularly fond of you, then it’s you. So, to hear that this is a guy that the players will love is a win for me. Players fight for coaches they love.
***Bottom line is this sounds like an upside hire. It sounds like Lincoln sees a guy who has had a pretty fast rise with multiple SEC stops who has a lot of potential.
Sooners Working Late to Get Into the Austin Uke Sweepstakes
– CJ Vogel
I normally split these reports into one of the Texas side and one for the OU side, but I wanted to keep this article in one piece to provide a better understanding of where things were standing in regards for both parties. Do with the remaining 1100 words as you wish.
Tuesday afternoon I stopped by Parrish Episcopal High School to see rising three-star offensive lineman Austin Uke. National Signing Day is only two weeks away which means the door is closing on making a decision.
“At first it was a little bit overwhelming,” Uke said in regards to the recent explosion of his recruitment. “I was committed to an FCS small school up in the northeast (Holy Cross) and all of a sudden these big schools Florida State and USC came in left and right. It’s been crazy. That’s one word I can use to describe it. Crazy.”
From November 5 on, Uke recorded 13 offers from Power 5 programs. Prior to that, his biggest offer was SMU. The rise in the recruiting world was lightning quick.
“I’ve been in contact with a lot of schools, but (Texas, Oklahoma, Stanford, Northwestern and Florida State) have just been hitting me up the most,” Uke said. “Those are the schools that have been contacting me the most and moves I guess.”
Uke told me has virtually visited all of the schools listed above, except for the Sooners because they had just recently offered him.
“Usually it would be,” Uke said when I asked if OU offering late would be a detriment to their chances. “My coach actually told me they had no clue who I was until he mentioned my name. Then they were like ‘Who is this kid?’ Then two days after talking with the coaches, they offered me.”
“Which might actually be the quickest turnaround from talking to offer that I have gotten so far. So it’s been a special case so far with Oklahoma.”
Obviously, Coach Bedenbaugh and the Sooners have been riding quite a streak of offensive linemen developing into NFL caliber guys and that is something Uke has certainly taken notice of. He told me he speaks with Coach Bedenbaugh “a good amount lately” but has yet to get in contact with HC Lincoln Riley.
“Everything with the NFL and how many guys he puts in – it’s crazy. It’s ridiculous,” Uke said about Bedenbaugh’s history of developing.
Onto Texas, who are sitting in a very good position for Uke, despite the change in coaching staff.
“Honestly, I was a little sad. You know because I spent a good amount of time getting to know the previous staff and when I heard there was going to be a new staff, I was like ‘Oh man, I guess Texas isn’t going to be an option.’ But whenever I got re-offered by the new staff and started building these new relationships – Texas is for sure going to be one of my top schools.”
“The program is always going to be successful. Especially with the new coaches they are bringing in, Alabama and NFL guys, it’s crazy. It’s going to be something to watch, that’s for sure.”
Uke said the relationship with new offensive line coach Kyle Flood is brand new. He did not hear from either Flood or Sarkisian during their time at Alabama. But to their credit, “a couple days after they got settled in at Texas” the two coaches were hitting up Uke for his phone number and setting up times for the sides to meet and converse.
From the sounds of things, Flood has made it clear that he wants Uke to join the Longhorns’ 2021 class. “I’ve been talking to Coach (Flood) basically every day. He’s been telling me how much he wants me there and just like what I would be able to do with the program pretty quickly. He’s just a really good guy in general.”
In regards to Texas’ sake for Uke, there appears to be some sort of affinity for the Longhorns dating back to his childhood.
“Since I was a kid, you’ve always just seen kids going to UT and watching Texas on TV and the fact that that is a reality now, is kind of crazy. It’s such a good school and so close to home and there are so lots of great things about it.”
Uke brought up the close to home bit on his own which normally sets off triggers in my head when talking to a recruit. But the remaining schools in contention for his pledge don’t fit the bill like Texas and Oklahoma. I’ll save you a map viewing, but Stanford, Northwestern and Florida State are all pretty far from Dallas, Texas.
“I wouldn’t say (proximity) a huge factor, but it definitely helps.”
Uke said the proximity for OU and Texas did not necessarily mean they had an edge in regards to the other schools, though did hint at it being an extra pro that the other schools could not provide.
Now here is the part that wow’ed me the most. Uke told me he hopes to major in Biomechanical Engineering during his time in college. He added he wants to make or sell medical devices following his football career, following the steps of his mother who is a nurse practitioner and has been in the field since he was a kid. “I’ve always been around stuff like that, like the EKG’s and all that. I find it really interesting and just want to I guess design those types of things.”
Stanford is a school that I see as perhaps the biggest threat for Uke.
“With Stanford, the biggest thing about them is the diversity of majors across the team is ridiculous. Like there will be NFL guys who are in aeronautics or like majoring in African American history. It’s such a diverse group of people all playing high level football. It’s such an amazing school. It’s kind of like the best of both worlds when it comes to (football and education).”
Deeper digging into how Stanford fits Uke’s major, and according to USANews.com, Stanford is the 4th best school in the entire country for biomechanical engineering behind Johns Hopkins, Georgia Tech and MIT. Soooo without a doubt, the educational side of things lean in favor of the Cardinal.
My take
From my conversation with Uke and being able to see how he lit up when each school was brought up during the interview, I tend to believe Stanford has a slight edge over the Longhorns with OU right behind the two of them. I would not count out Florida State who appears to have the longest relationship with Uke of any school he is currently considering.
Still, if I had one of those crystal ball things, I’d probably throw it on Stanford with a 4ish confidence level. After talking with a source close to his recruitment, it sounds like a leader flips back and forth from day to day and decision may come down to who had the best last conversation with him. But in the end, I think the appeal of a Stanford education in the field of his choice will be too tough to overcome in the end for either school.
Portal Updates | Sooner Targets
– Super K
***As you know, Tennessee’s starting running back, Eric Gray has entered the transfer portal.
We have received word that Gray is interested in Oklahoma. I was told Gray spoke with Demarco Murray this evening.
If the Sooners choose to make an offer, I suspect they will be very high on Gray’s list. From what I gather, Gray initiated the contact with OU.
***I am told the Sooners have decided not to pursue Michigan RB transfer, Zach Charbonnet.
***Lastly, former Sooners DB target and current Tennessee DB, Keshawn Lawrence is not yet in the portal. However, I continue to hear that he is strongly considering it.
You will recall that, when Lawerence was in high school, he took a official visit to OU. He is also very good friends with Sooners DE, Reggie Grimes.
Quick Hitter | Sooners Offer 2022 ATH Treyveon Longmire
– Charlie S
Last night the Sooners offered 2022 Athlete Treyveon Longmire (6’2″ 170 ) out of Corbin, KY.
I briefly caught up with Longmire and he confirmed what I suspected by his tweet which was that he was offered as a cornerback.
When I asked him about his communication with OU and his thoughts on the program as a whole, Treyveon said: “I’ve talked with Coach Manning since September or October (of 2020). I’ve also talked with Coach Grinch some.” He added “I had a top 8 schools posted on Monday based on the 24 schools that had offered me to that point, but Oklahoma jumps right into that group!”
He continued by saying “They are a fun team to watch and their defense was ‘tuff’ this year and their offense is usually what they are known for. They are a playoff contender year in and year out, so it’s awesome to know that they want me as a player.”
Longmire’s film is 95 percent on the offensive side of the ball, but his length, speed, and body control really stand out. For a kid who is so long, he has the hips which allow him to change direction suddenly and smoothly. He has ample make up speed for the defensive side of the ball as well. You can see the potential as a CB there who also has what appears to be some good ball skills.
2022 Commit Jordan Hudson Already Recruiting for Sooners
– CJ Vogel
Current Oklahoma commit and 2022 Garland wide receiver Jordan Hudson was in attendance with his 7 on 7 team at the Dallas Pylon event this weekend. (Edit: Pylon weekend was Jan. 9)
Hudson left the A+D1 Performance training facility in a long sleeve Oklahoma shirt to show off his commitment following his three games Saturday. I caught up with him to discuss his current status, what he thought of the Cotton Bowl and his expectations for the 2022 class.
“Everything is good with me,” Hudson said. “I talk to the staff daily, it’s all good!”
Of course, Oklahoma is coming off a whooping of the Florida Gators in the 2021 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium, something Hudson said he saw coming.
“I mean I expected that,” Hudson said. “Coach Riley, the receiving corps they got,the quarterback and the talent they have, I expected that.”
I asked Hudson what he thought about the rumors of Dennis Simmons potentially leaving the Sooners. He told me it was the first time he had heard of the rumors and laughed at the idea of him leaving for Texas. And if, Simmons were to depart from Norman, I would not expect anything to change with the status of Hudson.
“Coach Gundy, that’s my dog I talk to him daily.” Hudson said. “I doubt he’ll join Texas if he were to join another staff.”
Hudson shined in the three 7 on 7 games I was able to watch of him this weekend. And luckily for Sooners fans, he plans to early enrollee and move to Norman next January.
“If everything goes according to plan, I would like to enroll and play my freshman year,” Hudson said. “Playing my freshman year (is important). They told me if I early enroll, then I should be able to play my freshman year.”
Obviously, the Sooners have had no shortage of talented wide receivers in recent classes and the 2021 class is no different. Hudson is aware of the talent ahead of him and is eager for the challenge.
“I see myself being a part of that Sooner offense with the receivers they are bringing in with Mario (Williams) and the rest of the receivers they are bringing in there. I see myself playing a big role in that offense.”
The 2022 class for Oklahoma is off to a real hot start and Hudson said he plans to help lure other top talent to the class. One guy in particular he has his sights set on is Lancaster WR Phaizon Wilson.
“I expect big things from this class,” Hudson said smiling. “I’ve been recruiting a little bit actually. I was trying to get Phaizon for the longest time, he’s my dog.”
TFB Randoms | Portal DBs and That Legacy
– Charlie S
A couple randoms for you guys this afternoon…
*** Several of you have inquired about Colorado safety Derrion Rakestraw who entered the transfer portal a while back. Sources tell us that Rakestraw is not a guy OU will pursue.
*** In relation to Rakestraw, as K said last night, it sounds like OU will continue to monitor Tennessee defensive back Keshawn Lawrence who is rumored to be considering entering the portal. Sources are continuing to tell us that things are trending in the direction of the portal for Lawrence and he could officially be in there in the next few days.
*** Also, a couple of you have asked about 2022 legacy DB Marcus Scott (6’2″ 170) who committed to LSU last night. Both of his parents went to OU and his father played under John Blake and at the beginning of the Stoops era. They have not yet heard from OU but we are told that OU is currently evaluating him so things could change. We obviously don’t know how things are going to go here following their evaluation, but he clearly has the size that Grinch looks for.
