Sourced Note | San Jose State WR Tre Walker
– Charlie S
As you know, we have mentioned that the Sooners are looking into the portal to fill some specific needs. OT, RB, S and WR are positions we believe they are looking for.
***One name that has surfaced which sources indicate that OU is looking into the possibility of bringing in is San Jose State wide receiver Tre Walker (5’11” 180).
***Walker had 45 receptions for 627 yards and 4 touchdowns this past season for SJS and recorded 189 catches for 2,790 yards and 12 touchdowns during his 4 years.
***Right now, there has been no offer made to Walker but with Rambo leaving via the portal, OU is evaluating him.
Waiting on the Final Pieces
– Super K
***Ronnie Perkins met with coach Riley last week and told him that he needed a couple of days to decide whether he would return or head to the NFL.
To be honest, I just assumed it was something he said to give the staff a sense that he was really torn and to let them down easier.
Well it’s been nearly a week now and Ronnie has yet to give them an answer. So, I’d say that the “50/50” description on his decision that we’d noted last week was more than just lip service.
There is a hunger inside the program to win a national championship next year. There always is but it’s different right now. There is a different sense of urgency. There is a feeling like it must happen next year (I can go into that in more detail later). I imagine Ronnie feels torn as a result of that desire to play in a championship game.
I still get the sense that folks around the program expect him to depart but the fact that Ronnie is taking longer to announce has them holding out hope.
I did hear that he and Rhamondre might both be still waiting on some grading to come through.
***We’ve heard for a while now that Rhamondre was much more likely to go than stay. (He announced his decision to turn pro last night) However, he also has taken a lot more time to announce than we anticipated. There are some folks around the program that believe Rhamondre and Ronnie are likely to do the same thing. If one stays, they both stay. If one goes, the other goes. I don’t think that’s a fact by any stretch but it seems to be the gut feeling around the program.
***Some of you have mentioned hearing that Bookie is considering a departure to try his luck at the next level. I can tell you that this is indeed the case. But this isn’t a note like our notes on JMT, Norwood, etc where we tell you that the player is “seriously considering leaving” but you know and we know that what we really mean is…they’re as good as gone.
In this case it’s much more up in the air. So, when I tell you he’s considering his options, that’s really all it is right now. I’lll continue to check to see which direction this one starts to turn.
Quick Hitter | Jadon Haselwood
– Charlie S
Sooners wide receiver Jadon Haselwood just tweeted out some interesting pictures which further corroborate our reporting when it was revealed he would sit out the Cotton Bowl…
At that time, there was a lot of unnecessary panic around Sooner Nation as speculation ran unchecked (except for you guys) that the staff was taken by surprise by Haselwoods decision and they were frustrated by it. That led to further speculation that Haselwood would be portalling (in part due to social media trolling by other fan bases and some rumor mongering among the OU faithful)…
When we confirmed the report that Haselwood would miss the bowl game, we quickly updated the post with the reasoning and rationale we had received from multiple sources…on both sides of the situation:
‘***On Jadon Haselwood…sounds like the decision to sit out the game was initiated by him due to tweaking his knee during workouts following the Big 12 Championship game.
Source tells James Haselwood approached the staff and expressed his desire to get the knee right in anticipation of being completely healthy for the spring and ’21.
Sounds like Haselwood is focused on leading the receiver corps next year and getting on the same page as Rattler and Williams this spring. Haselwood knows the WR group had an off year and he is looking to be the guy to lead them back in terms of work ethic, production, and leadership. He is focused on being completely healthy for the spring because he believes it is that important for him to be out there at full go to get the unit heading back in the right direction.
I’m no sunshine pumper, but I do have to say this is exactly what you want to hear out of Haselwood heading into the 2021 season. The leadership vacuum that CeeDee Lamb left behind was never filled and it sounds like he is the guy who has taken it upon himself to get that room right.
Although it’s a disappointment that he will miss the Cotton Bowl, big picture, this could be a lead up to a huge moment in time for the Sooners.’
Earlier this week, Riley confirmed that OU was on board with the decision for Haselwood to sit out the bowl game and he cited ‘personal reasons’ for his absence.
The last time Lincoln Riley gave you something other than coach talk when it comes to injuries or suspensions will be the first time he does.
The knee brace in the pictures above are a good indication that at the very least he is protecting himself from further ‘tweaking’ or injury.
I, personally, am looking for Haselwood to have a big year in ’21 for Oklahoma both on the field and in the locker room.
Possible OL Transfer…Still Possible | Latest
– Super K
This past Sunday we mentioned the possibility of a highly talented OT from a P5 program considering entering the portal and that if he does, he’s likely to end up at Oklahoma.
Just wanted to give you all the latest on this.
I spoke with a source close to the player and was told that the player has informed the head coach of the players plans to leave. As you might imagine, the coach wasn’t happy.
They are trying to keep the player there. I still get the impression that this is very much a possibility but it may take another week before he’s in the portal.
So, nothing big to update her other than to say, yes, this is still a possibility. If it looks like that will change, I’ll let you know.
Sourced Note | Justin Harrington Recovery Update
– Charlie S
Some good news on the injury front for the Sooners…
***Spoke to a source who let me know that defensive back Justin Harrington has been progressing well in his rehab from his knee injury (ACL) and he and the Sooners are targeting February for him to be cleared to resume football activity.
***Obviously, there is no football activity in February per se, but if he is cleared in February, chances are he will be able to participate in team work in the weight room and Spring ball (whatever that will look like).
***Harrington’s arrival and potential contribution was highly anticipated by the staff and the fans following signing last December. But it has been a stop and go situation throughout for the talented defender. Harrington initially planned on being an early enrollee, but that did not come to fruition as some loose ends needed to be tied up.
***Harrington then targeted getting on campus for the start of summer ball in June, but that was also delayed (not due to COVID) and he finally made his way to Norman in late July.
***Days after getting on campus, he injured his knee and was forced to miss the 2020 season.
***It’s been a long and winding road, but things are looking up for Harrington right now.
Arik Gilbert | Quick-Hitter
– Super K
As you know, former 5-star TE and LSU freshman, Arik Gilbert has entered the transfer portal. Gilbert visited OU during his recruiting process and the Sooners were heavily in the mix.
I had heard from folks on the OU side that the Sooners will pursue Gilbert. Not much of a surprise there.
However, I want to temper expectations a lot. A source close to Gilbert was pretty insistent that Gilbert would be returning home to UGA.
So, again, OU will try but we need to manage expectations here.
