Open Post | Weekend, January 25th – 27th
Posted on: January 25, 2019
Updated Visitor List | New Names & Thoughts
– Super K
***2020 OT, Seth McLaughlin (Buford, GA). This one is interesting because this will be a return visit to Norman for Seth. For a player to come all the way out of from Georgia on multiple occasions would seem to be a good sign.
McLaughlin is teammates with Sooners DB commit, Jalen Huff.
***2020 running back. Sevion Morrison (Tulsa, OK). Morrison is a well known in-state prospect and an explosive running back. No OU offer yet but does carry a number of other early offers from schools like Arkansas, Missouri and Mississippi State.
***Jase McClellan, Sooners 2020 running back commit. Good to get him back on campus as he did take a return trip to Texas last weekend.
***Tunmise Adeleye, 2021 Defensive End (Katy, TX). Tunmise is just a sophomore but he’s one of the most highly coveted 2021 players in the country. It appears he’s going to be a high priority for the Sooners, Alabama, Texas and a lot of other schools.
I get the sense that Lincoln Riley is going to start prioritizing defensive linemen himself – as in, be heavily involved in the recruiting process. In the 2020 class, Lincoln has been personally recruiting Princely Umanmielen. In 2021 he is recruiting, among others, Tunmise.
In fact, Tunmise told me his main reason for visiting this weekend is, “I just want to have a one on one with coach Riley. That’s it to be honest”.
*** Brennon Scott, Outside Linebacker also tweeted out yesterday that he would be heading to Norman this weekend.
Scott, from Bishop Dunne in Dallas, TX, is a kid OU will have the opportunity to get on campus multiple times due to proximity. Will be interesting to see if he makes a return visit for the February date as well.
***As I mentioned in the chat, K came up with a few other names we had heard would be visiting Norman Saturday…one of those names we were waiting to confirm was 2021 OT Bryce Foster out of Katy, TX (Taylor)…well we don’t have to confirm any longer as he tweeted out that he will be in town.
New Names
***2020 RB Ty Jordan. Very very explosive back out of Mesquite, TX. Jordan doesn’t hold an offer from OU just yet but is obviously hoping for one this weekend.
***2021 OT Tommy Brockermeyer out of Fort Worth. Tommy does hold an OU offer and is a high priority guy for the Sooners.
***A couple additional names we’ve heard that are likely to be on campus this weekend are OU commit, Drew Sanders. Big getting him on campus after his recent Texas offer. Also, 2020 QB, Chandler Morris (Dallas, TX).
Watching
In general, look for the Sooners to have their real junior day in February. I’ve spoken to a number of players and their families and guys like Princely Umanmielen, Zach Evans, etc…the names you’re really familiar with in the 2020 class…will likely be up at that time.
The guy we will be watching closely on this visit is 2020 OT, Seth McClaughlin. This is his third visit. And with many of the top 2020 offensive linemen in TX likely headed to UT, out of state offensive linemen will be critical. Fortunately Bedenbaugh has the Sooners in a good spot with a lot of them including a bunch out west which we’ll go over.
Another thing to watch is whether OU pulls the trigger on either Ty Jordan or Sevion Morris. Both are super explosive guys that have some similar qualities to Jaylan Knighton who decommitted from OU, recently.
Obviously, with all the running backs in this class and the possibility of bringing Knighton back into the fold when he returns for his official visit, I think OU is going to be very careful about their offers at this point.
Team Quick-Hitter | Brian Odom
– Super K
Don’t have a lot to go on at this point so just passing along anything I hear. Note I heard on new ILB coach, Brian Odom from a source inside the building…
“Has the same really honest and sincere vibe that you get from Riley. It’s a big thing in recruiting. Should help him. Looking forward to see how he coaches”
I have to be honest, I’m in a wait and see mode with the new hires on the recruiting trail as neither have recruited at this level. But in the end, authenticity, hard work and confidence go a long way.
I can assure you, Riley expects high level recruiting. I’ve heard Riley believes OU needs to be recruiting on the defensive side of the ball on the same level or better than Clemson and Alabama.
Standard isn’t going to get lower.
Quick Hitters | Coaches On The Road
– Charlie S
Caught up with James and he shared some sourced info on where the coaches will be heading in the near future. We compiled some quick notes together:
*** Sounds like Cale Gundy has been in the Dallas area of late – “Hitting all the High schools” and seeing “every good player” both offensively and defensively in the area. That is Gundy’s wheelhouse and he has tremendous connections and has had a lot of success in the region.
*** Inside linebackers coach Brian Odom spent some time Dallas with Cale and he and Alex Grinch also stopped in to see 2020 ILB Brennon Scottyesterday. Scott told me (Charlie) that he was in the middle of a workout when Grinch and Odom popped in briefly and introduced themselves and let him know they are looking forward to seeing him this weekend in Norman. Odom will also head west towards Salt Lake City to see new 2020 LB offer, Noah Sewell. He also will head to Upland California to check in on the Flowe Brothers (2020 LB Justin and 2021 LB Jonathan) who both hold OU offers. Following those trips, sources say he will head to Tulsa and check in on the Broken Arrow trio of 2020 OL Andrew Raym, 2020 WR Javian Hester, and 2020 DB Myles Slusher.
*** Hearing that Tight End and Special Teams coach Shane Beamer will be out east in the near future visiting with targets in Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, DC and eventually he will head out towards San Antonio to check in on some kids out that way.
*** Thibodeaux made his way out to see Marcus Hicks in Kansas and spent some time in Missouri. Sources say he will head east to the Washington DC area to catch up with some 2020 targets like OLB/Edge Mekhail Sherman, DT Tre Williams and check in on DB Luke Hill while out that way. Would not be surprised to see Alex Grinch join him on that part of the journey. Would assume he will head to Texas (Houston area) in the near future as well.
*** Wide receiver coach Dennis Simmons was in Kentucky with head coach Lincoln Riley seeing 2020 DB Vito Tisdale among others and sources indicate he will be heading out west here in the near future to check in on the kids at the powerhouse California schools.
*** Sounds like new cornerback coach Roy Manning will be heading to Houston to check in on some prospects.
*** Offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh will be all over the place as sources say he has stops planned in Dallas, New Orleans, Miami, Atlanta, Alabama, and Kansas City. Bedenbaugh was in Colorado recently checking on 2020 targets Reece Atteberry, Andrew Gentry, and Roger Rosengarten.
*** Sources are telling James that 2021 DE Ethan Downs (Weatherford, OK) will head to Norman this Saturday for the junior day. Downs is a guy who has stood out during the early camp season and he has picked up offers from Nebraska, Baylor, and Oklahoma State. This is one to keep an eye on in regards to OU possibly extending an offer.
*** Sources also tell James that Sooners defensive coordinator Alex Grinch will be heading to Arizona to see elite 2020 DB Kelee Ringo and OLB Damian Sellers (Scottsdale, AZ, Saguaro). While in Arizona, Grinch will also try to get out to see 2020 RB (one of my (Charlie’s) personal favorites) Bijan Robinson (Tucson, AZ, Salpointe Catholic). OU has a handful of other prospects in the state as well including 2020 OL Tosh Baker, 2020 DB Lathan Ransom, 2020 DE Jason Harris, and 2021 DE Quintin Somerville.
*** K spoke to Bryson Washington (Houston, TX, C.E. King) and his coach and was told that OU stopped by last week and they are expecting Coach Manning to stop in again in the next couple of days. The Sooners also stopped in to check on 2020 DB Ryan Watts (Little Elm, TX) yesterday and he has seen a lot of increased communication with the Sooner staff as of late. OU also stopped by to check on 2020 DB Lorando Johnson (Lancaster, TX)
*** 2020 ATH Brian Branch (Tyrone, GA, Sandy Creek) tells K that defensive coordinator Alex Grinch was by to see him last week. Branch will be a recruit OU will be focusing on going forward.
*** K has also been told that Lincoln Riley will be heading to Tulsa to see 2020 OL Andrew Raym (Broken Arrow, OK) on Friday.
If you would like to read Super K’s ‘Team Notes’ please click the Donor Board Link below!
In The Trenches | 2020 Defensive End Breakdowns
– JY
Earlier this week, Charlie gave you a list of some of the top priorities at defensive end for the Sooners in the 2020 cycle.
I checked their film out and wrote down my thoughts on a handful of them!
1. Alfred Collins Bastrop, TX (Cedar Creek HS)
6’5″ 245. Length of a much taller player. Looks like he’s 6’6″ or 6’7″. Can add weight and play about 270. He has an ELITE 1st step. Be it lateral or north and south, when this guy takes off it’s sudden. He’s a strongside defensive end, but has the quickness to play on the weak side. He’ll need to bulk up a bit, and develop his upper body strength, but the guy is a football player plain and simple. He will need to develop his technique and hand fighting while being conscious of his pad level.
2. Princely Unmanmielan Manor, TX (Manor HS)
6’4″ 240. Very thick player. He strikes me as a very disciplined player. Doesn’t freelance a lot. Plays his technique well and makes plays from the 4i position. Extremely strong hands. The saying “when he gets his hands on you it’s over” gets thrown around a lot, but this guy makes a lot of plays with his hands and his length. Pulls ballcarriers backwards with just his hands. Plays through the man very well, meaning he plays within the defensive scheme and still gets upfield and makes tackles and sacks. Definitely will be a 280 type player who can run. Very good vision for an interior player. Recognizes screens and misdirection which can confuse lesser players. Has a chance to be very very good.
3. Jay Hardy Chatanooga, TN (McCallie School)
6’5″ 260. Very physical violent player. You can sense that he loves hitting people. Very very good quickness to get off of blocks and make negative plays happen in the backfield. Plays with good pad level and is a guy you want with you in a bar fight. My favorite of the prospects so far. Will be able to hold the point with ease on zone plays and will blow up zone reads. Very natural pass rusher who will make game-changing plays with his physicality. Plays both the run and the pass very well. Loves to run and you can tell he just loves to play the game.
4. Vernon Broughton Houston, TX (Cy Ridge HS)
6’5″ 280. What’s odd is that while he’s the biggest player on the list, he’s probably the one who will develop the most in years to come along with Alfred Collins. Most of his weight is carried in his lower body, which is good. As he develops, he’ll be a guy who can bump down inside and be a nightmare for interior offensive linemen at 300 or 310. He’s a very smart, fundamentally sound player who plays with great pad level for such a tall player. Like most, he’ll need to develop his upper body strength but has an elite frame. Very much like a Charles Omenihu.
5. Kedrick Bingley-Jones Charlotte, NC (Providence Day School)
6’4″ 270. A guy who legitimately can be as good as he wants to be. He doesn’t seem to play with the same urgency as a guy like Jay Hardy, but if he can get a coach who will demand the most out of him, he could definitely be elite. Seems like he makes plays whenever he wants to. Plays H-Back in his team’s offense, blocks punts and causes a ton of fumbles. The guy is so talented that it seems that he gets bored at times. It’s almost like a cat playing with a mouse.
6. Alec Bryant Pearland, TX (Shadow Creek)
6’4″ 230. It’ll be interesting to see how Grinch plays his edge players in his front. This guy can wreak havoc in the backfield. Usually past the blocker before they ever get out of their stance. More often than not they’re lucky to touch him. He’d be wasted in a front that didn’t showcase his ability to get upfield because he’s a pass rusher on the level the Sooners haven’t had in a while. Would be a guy who could definitely be a difference maker athletically. He’s a guy who can rush the passer from anywhere, and while he could do it in any front, putting him outside where he gets one on one matchups or gets matched up against a back once in a while is almost instant win for the defense.
