Open Post | Weekend, January 24th – 26th
Posted on: January 24, 2020
Quick Hitters | Visitor Notes
– Charlie S
Couple quick hitters in regards to 2021 recruiting…
*** Back on January 8th I mentioned that elite 2021 linebacker Trenilyas Tatum planned on visiting ‘soon’:
“I also touched base with 2021 linebacker Trenilyas Tatum out of Jonesboro, GA. who let me know he will be visiting ‘soon’.
I would take ‘soon’ to be in reference to one of the upcoming junior days for OU, but he wasn’t able to recall the exact date for his visit and I will touch base with him later to get that confirmation.
Tatum picked up an offer from the Sooners back in December and he said that OU has been in constant contact with him (Odom and Viney) since the offer.
The 6’2′ 210 lb Tatum is an early target for Odom and while I have not confirmed it with him (Tatum) yet, I would imagine OU is looking to bring him in as an inside guy. I will have more on Tatum in the near future as his visit approaches.”
Well ‘soon’ came ‘sooner’ than even I thought. I checked in with Tatum yesterday and he let me know that the plan is for him and his family to head to Norman this coming weekend for a visit.
That is a pretty good sign for Oklahoma to have a highly coveted athlete from Georgia take an unofficial visit for certain, and they will have a chance to insert themselves into his recruitment by potentially locking up an official visit at a later date.
I’m going to drop his film below once again in this thread…just because it’s so much fun to watch.
*** Also touched base with 2021 DL Landyn Watson (Hutto, TX)
Watson is a 6’3 230 lb edge player who would likely fit in at RUSH initially and he likely would grow into a defensive end down the line much in the same vein as Ronnie Perkins.
Watson does not yet hold an offer from Oklahoma, but he did let me know that the Sooners recently stopped by his school to check in with him (Coach Beamer was the coach who dropped in).
He is likely to make his way to Norman at some point this spring should communication continue to pick up with OU and I would not be surprised to see an offer extended if/when he makes it to Norman.
For those of you who remember Alec Bryant from the 2019 cycle, Watsons offer list currently and recruitment closely resembles his in the fact that he currently does not hold offers from the big regional schools (OU, Aggie, and Texas) but has close to 20 offers from around the country which includes offers from LSU, Notre Dame, Penn State and Washington.
While Bryant never got the offers from the regional schools, I’m betting Watson does.
Team Notes | Early Standout & More
– Super K
It’s early but we know how much y’all love the bit of a behind the scenes. So, a few things of note…
***The freshman name we’ve been hearing early on is that of DJ Graham. Was told he’s shown fantastic athleticism and maturity early on. He’s made a good first impression.
***Also of note, we’ve heard that Bryson Washington will start out the spring at nickel pushing Bookie.
***A final little note is that it sounds like Norwood is progressing well and there is some optimism that he will be participating in part of spring ball.
***Related to the final note above, am told Norwood will start out back at cornerback when he returns.
TFB Short | A Bill Bedenbaugh Recruiting Story
– Super K
Everyone knows you have to be great on the line of scrimmage to win at the highest level. And while Lincoln Riley is the genius behind OU’s offense and the quarterback whisperer, it’s Bill Bedenbaugh’s offensive line that lays a strong foundation for Riley to build on.
The lines are tough to build. Offensive and defensive linemen are harder to find. You have to be a tireless recruiter and a master developer. Bedenbaugh has proven to be both. Last year he had four of his five offensive linemen drafted. His retention rate of players is as good as any position. This is one of the likely indicators that players love playing for him.
I’ve heard stories about how much time and effort Bill Bedenbaugh puts into finding and recruiting players. I wanted to share a simple one of my own about him that will give you a glimpse into what kind of coach Oklahoma has in Bill Bedenbaugh.
Last January I was out in Arizona. Charlie had given me a list of players who held offers from Oklahoma and Texas to go see.
While in town, I called a friend of mine who is a former NFL linebacker. He stays up to date with the local players in Arizona. I read him my list and asked if there were any hidden gems in the area that I should know about it.
He gave me some names but there was one particular player that he really raved about. So, I wrote that player’s name down and decided that if I had time, I’d stop by and see him.
I looked up the player and it didn’t look like he had a ton of recruiting going on. He had an offer from Indiana.
On that same trip, I went by to see offensive lineman, Tosh Baker. He was on my Sooners offer list. He was not on my Texas offer list.
I spoke with him and his family after Tosh’s basketball game. I mentioned to the family that we cover both OU and Texas. His mother told me that she was actually a graduate from the University of Texas and it surprised her that while Oklahoma had offered, Texas had not even been in touch.
Eventually, Texas would offer but it was too late. He was pretty much locked into Notre Dame. But it’s clear someone over there didn’t do enough research. While Bedenbaugh had no ties to the kid, he had already evaluated and offered Baker. Meanwhile, Texas, who had strong ties to one of the most highly coveted offensive tackles in the country, was late to the party and it cost them.
Going back to this underrated and relatively unknown player my friend mentioned to me. I ended up having time to stop by and see this player.
We talked about his football and family background. I knew he didn’t have a ton going on in recruiting yet so I tried not to get into that too much. One of my main goals there was to get a look at him, in person, and get a sense of what he’s like.
We dipped into recruiting a bit and he mentions Oklahoma. I was surprised. He said he had already been in touch with OU and that he was communicating frequently with coach Bedenbaugh.
At the time, this player was considered under the radar. If I recall correctly, he wasn’t even listed as one of the higher rated players in Arizona. I thought to myself, does Bedenbaugh watch every lineman in the country?
Maybe he does.
It ended up paying dividends as Oklahoma ended up signing said player in this class. They beat out Michigan for Noah Nelson’s services.
I don’t know if Nelson will end up being an elite player but what I think we can all confidently say is that Nelson will get some of the best development in the country under Bedenbaugh’s coaching.
Early Look | 2020 Defensive Backs
– Charlie S
When I sat down to take an early look at the Sooners defensive back, initially I planned on breaking them up as I did during the season with safeties and nickel in one group and corners in another.
However, after taking a look at all the defensive backs, I decided to break them down by what we think we know and what we think could happen.
So let’s have at it.
What we know:
We know that OU will return all of their defensive backs (who have not portalled) from last year aside from Parnell Motley who exhausted his eligibility and will be looking to be drafted or catch on with an NFL team via free agency. Motley had a very good year under Sooners Corners Coach Roy Manning in defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s scheme and he turned some heads down at the Shrine game last week which could put him in a good position to be drafted.
We know that corners Jaden Davis (5’10 175) and Tre Brown (5’10 181) both return and will look to hold onto their presumed starting spots.
We know that Bookie (5’9″ 185) will be back and will be fighting to hold onto the starting nickel position.
We know that DTY (5’10” 190) and Pat Fields (5’11” 192) will be back and they will go into the spring as the likely starters (DTY likely will not participate in the spring due to injury but once he returns he will be at the front of the pack for his spot).
These are things we believe we know for certain.
What we think we know:
With DTY out for the Peach Bowl, Woodi Washington (5’11” 183 Redshirted in 2019) jumped in at his vacated safety spot after Bookie was ejected and Broiles slid down to nickel so you would make an educated guess that he will likely remain at safety and probably get DTY’s first-team reps in the spring.
As weird as this may sound, Washington actually played pretty well in the LSU defensive debacle and if he makes that second-year jump, he could make a case to have a big role at either of the safety spots.
We think we know Tre Norwood (6’0″ 185) will be back in the spring and we believe he makes his return from injury as a cornerback. Norwood will likely be in the rotation with Brown and Davis and depending on how well he recovers, he could split reps with one or even both of them.
We think we know that incoming freshman Bryson Washington (6’2″ 196) will start his career at OU as a nickel. Washington is a kid who could push Bookie (and others) immediately if he picks up the speed of the game and his responsibilities at the position quickly enough as he is extremely talented and enrolled early.
Also falling into the “what we think we know” (6’2″ 203) category heading into the spring would be Robert Barnes focusing on working at nickel (or even possibly WILL LB). Barnes redshirted this year and is focusing on reshaping his body and improving his quickness in what would appear to be a final effort to make an impact on the field for the Sooners. You could envision Barnes being used as a nickel/sam type when OU chooses to go bigger at nickel if things work out the way he would like. It is conceivable that he even transitions to WILL if he makes a concerted effort to play more physically. Hopefully, wherever he ends up, things start to click for the injury-riddled but talented player.
We think we know that freshmen Josh Eaton (6’2″ 175) and Kendall Dennis (6’0″ 174) will both arrive in May and begin their careers at OU as corners. Both Dennis and Eaton could find themselves pushing for time in the two-deep (ala Jaden Davis last year) as, on paper, they bring a skill set to the position that Alex Grinch craves.
We think we know that Justin Broiles (5’10” 190) likely will work at nickel as he had a really rough Peach Bowl while playing safety and I don’t think anybody saw anything in that performance that would indicate his best position would be safety.
We think we know that Chanse Sylvie (6’0″ 192) will try his hand at corner this coming year. Sylvie has been injury-riddled during his career at OU (which feels like it has been 10 years at this point) and he is looking to finally have a completely healthy season. He could provide some depth at corner but I do not see any breakout season for him at this point.
These are things we think we know.
What is open for debate:
One of the highlights of signing day 2019 was when the Sooners coaches celebrated Jeremiah Criddell’s commitment to OU on national television. The staff was jumping around with fist pumps and chest bumps. You would have thought they felt they landed an immediate impact player.
Criddell wound up redshirting the 2019 season while getting some snaps in three games. Throughout the course of the season, sources say Criddell bounced between positions.
With sources telling us that Washington will begin at safety, the debate is where does Criddell make a push in his second year? I’m of the opinion that he will push Pat Fields for playing time at safety. It makes sense based on the presumed numbers at nickel and corner.
Then you have Jamal Morris (6’2″ 195). Morris is a guy who has kind of fallen off the radar in regards to the defensive back positions. I have heard the whispers about a potential move to linebacker, and while I cannot confirm those thoughts, I will say that makes some sense as I haven’t heard enough about him which tells me he is making a move at the safety spot. Obviously, he is someone we will be digging on as the workouts continue and spring approaches.
Then you have 2020 JUCO signee Justin Harrington (6’3″ 214). Harrington was expected to be an early enrollee…he didn’t make it in. He is now scheduled to arrive in May. Hopefully, things work out and he does what he needs to do in order to get to Norman because he is extremely talented. Should he get to campus, he will start out at corner and see how things go from there. I wouldn’t say a move to safety would be out of the question by any means, but first things first…he needs to get on campus.
One last name to keep an eye on is DJ Graham (6’0.5″ 178) who, as K reported, has opened some eyes early on in winter workouts. Graham is a guy who was recruited as an athlete and will start his career at OU in the defensive backfield. So far, it sounds like he is making a great early impression and he is a guy who could potentially work at corner or safety but it is too early to tell. I would take the opinion that he will start at corner and work from there.
An early look at how I see the spring depth chart:
CB: Tre Brown – Tre Norwood – DJ Graham
S: Pat Fields – Jeremiah Criddell – Jamal Morris (if he hasn’t moved)
S: DTY (inactive) – Woodi Washington – Jeremiah Criddell
NB: Bookie – Robert Barnes – Bryson Washington – Justin Broiles
CB: Jaden Davis – Tre Norwood – Chanse Sylvie
Again, that is how I see the spring depth chart. Things can and will change and some of the guys at nickel will undoubtedly be moved around and I personally believe Washington (if he stays there) will be the guy that pushes Bookie the hardest for that spot over time.
Interested to read your thoughts and comments on the defensive backs for 2020.
Dre Butler | Update
– Super K
Just a quick note here on Sooners JUCO DL target, Dre Butler. As you may already know, Butler picked up an offer from Tennessee and Ole Miss, earlier today.
He was expected to take two additional official visits. He was scheduled for Oregon this upcoming weekend followed by Auburn on the final weekend, before signing day. Auburn and Oklahoma appeared to be the teams to beat.
I checked with his coach and it sounds like these new offers could impact things, “We’re discussing everything now. A lot could change”.
My guess is at the very least that means Oregon could get bumped for Tennessee or Ole Miss. Additionally, I suspect they may add a midweek visit before the Auburn trip.
Either way, I’m thinking this may not end up being just an Oklahoma vs. Auburn fight. Could be another school or two who are more serious contenders.
Coaching Search | Sourced | Notes
– Super K
***As we’ve previously noted, we’ve heard that Cale Gundy would be interested in moving back to running backs.
***It’s been hard to try to square up why a coach of his caliber and tenure wouldn’t be permitted to do so.
***We noted that DeMarco Murray’s name has come up inside the office and he could perhaps offer a possible reason Gundy would be ok staying at inside receivers, for now. Gundy is a type of mentor to Murray.
***However, in speaking with someone today I was told that Riley would prefer having a running back coach with some special teams experience. He wants someone who can help Beamer the way Boulware did. Murray obviously wouldn’t fit that bill.
***There are a number of really good insider WR candidates but a source told me that it’s likely Riley would prefer initially brining in an RB guy because it’s easier to learn the system at the RB position. In other words, with spring ball right around the corner, you’d need someone to come in at a more difficult position to learn from a structural or schematic standpoint and be trying to get them up to speed.
***You can instead bring in a special teams/RB guy and he’d be easier to plug right it. Then, as he learns the system over the course of the next year, you can switch he and Gundy – assuming Gundy still wants to go back to RBs.
***Also, I know some of you have asked if Texas poached Boulware from OU. The answer is no. Boulware was one of the coaching changes I alluded to a while back.
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