Open Post | Weekend, July 10th-12th
Posted on: July 10, 2020
Commitment Analysis | 2021 CB Latrell McCutchin
– Darius Terrell
The Alabama Crimson Tide and legendary Head Coach Nick Saban were a huge thorn in the side of Head Coach Lincoln Riley and the Sooners’ recruiting efforts in the 2020 class, ultimately flipping LB Drew Sanders and RB Jase McClellan away.
Determined for things to be different in 2021, the Sooners struck a blow of their own, flipping Austin LBJ standout CB Latrell McCutchin after he had been committed to the Tide since last June.
What is Oklahoma getting in McCutchin?
Ranking: #5 CB, High 4-Star (Rivals), #6 CB High 4-Star, (ESPN), #14 CB, Mid 4-Star (247)
Top Offers: Alabama, LSU, Ohio St., Texas, Georgia, Florida, Florida St., Penn St.
Size: 6’1 180lbs
Projected College Position: Cornerback
Player Comparison: A.J. Terrell (Clemson 2017-2019)
Analysis: 2020 was a down year in the state of Texas at the Cornerback position and the same appears to hold true for the 2021 class. This means that guys like McCutchin and Dallas Kimball’s Ishmael Ibraheem become even bigger priorities than they would have been for programs that place an emphasis on recruiting the state of Texas.
Guys with the desired height and length usually don’t have the swivel hips to play Corner. McCutchin appears to be an exception. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have any Junior tape due to tearing his right ACL in October, but his Sophomore highlights revealed A LOT of positive things.
First off, unlike most up and coming prospective Defensive Backs, McCutchin is every bit of his listed 6’1 height with excellent length (I’d bet his wingspan is in the 6’5-6’6 range). He has the room to comfortably hold 190-200lbs when he reaches his physical peak. He displays terrific awareness while in Zone Coverage and prior to injury showed the ability to drive on the ball out of his T-step to disrupt the catch point for opposing WRs.
McCutchin is exciting for me personally, because he’s a Defensive guy that is comfortable with the ball in his hands and he can create turnovers with his ball skills, not just PBU’s. He knows how to use his hands to disengage in the run game and has no reservations about sticking his nose into the mix. The only questions that I have about McCutchin as a prospect are how fast he truly is and you always have to be concerned about serious knee injuries.
This is the type of Defensive Back recruit that Oklahoma DC Alex Grinch is looking for when it comes to his system. This guy is the prototype physically. McCutchin is the #1 CB in Texas and the Sooners not only flipped him from Bama, they took him right out of the Longhorns’ backyard. Simply a HUGE win for the Crimson and Cream.
Instant Impact Rating (1-10): 8
Highlights: (Sophomore Highlights)
Quick Hitter | 2021 DB Donovan McMillon
– Charlie S
As we had mentioned previously, Alex Grinch had made 2021 DB Donovan McMillon (6’2″ 193) out of Canonsburg, PA. one of the guys he was focused on this cycle. I believe K mentioned he McMillon was this cycles Bryson Washington in Grinch’s eyes.
Unfortunately, at this time, it does not appear that there will be a connection between OU and McMillon as sources tell us that the Sooners are out of this one.
The Sooners will have to turn their attention elsewhere as they look to add an additional safety recruit to the 2021 class.
A Noteworthy Decision Date
– Super K
In case you hadn’t figured it out already, mark your calendars…
Also, I did check with his teammate Gilliam (I know Charlie already brought news on him earlier in the week) and he said he won’t be quite ready to make a move by then but you can bet this one will help the Sooners.
But there might be more to it. More on that later…
But Wait…There’s More
– Charlie S
Spoke to James and sources told him that a different target than the one K was speaking of, is in the process of getting his preferred style of announcing his commitment together, which will be in favor of the Sooners.
While there was no set date given, the source told James they expect an announcement once the project is completed.
This target is a name you are all quite familiar with and while he would be a really nice pickup, it likely will not be a surprise to you at all.
So while the 4th has come and gone, things are continuing to heat up for the Sooners this summer.
Quick Hitter | Recruits Recruiting Recruits
– Charlie S
As you all know, we have been talking about the ‘Caleb Williams Effect’ since K coined the phrase back in March.
Williams will have a big impact on the Sooners class with his aggressive nature on the recruiting trail, but he is not alone in his peer-to-peer efforts.
You have guys like Cullen Montgomery, Clayton Smith, Latrell McCutchin and Mario Williams, to name a few, who are all very aggressive when it comes to recruiting other OU targets.
With that in mind, I touched base with several recruits that the Sooners are pursuing, one of them being priority 2021 offensive line target Bryce Foster who gave me a pretty cool quote.
When the discussion came to a point where we were talking about the Sooners big fourth of July weekend, I asked him how quickly Caleb hit him up following his announcement.
Foster said “We have been talking for a while. The recruits recruiting me has become more frequent than the coaches recruiting me”.
Peer-to-peer recruiting is a fantastic weapon to have at your disposal for a staff and I can assure you that Foster is not the only target these guys are working on. In this case, he is just the guy who pointed it out.
As for Bryce’s recruitment, the last thing he told me in regards to a timeline was that he planned on waiting till December to make his announcement based on the fact he would like to take his visits.
With the way things are going due to the pandemic, those visits are very much in doubt and if that option becomes a moot point (as in if they get officially canceled) I would not be surprised to see that timeline move up and if it does, I feel that OU is still in a very good spot.
