Open Post | Weekend, June 11th – 12th
Posted on: June 11, 2021
Visitors | Pewee, Wisner, Toviano
– Super K – Posted on: June 8, 2021
***Yesterday, 2022 3-star ATH (safety/linebacker), Owen Pewee (Cy Park) visited OU.
Pewee was up in Oklahoma and Grinch asked him to stop by. AS we previously mentioned, Grinch and company were very close to offering Pewee, about a month ago. Owen is teammates with Harold Perkins but Owen’s potential offer is really not about Perkins. The Sooners like his size and film.
Owen tells me he got a chance to meet with most of the staff yesterday. No offer was made and I don’t reckon they will rush one out just yet. They have some other targets they are waiting on especially since Owen is being recruited by OU as a DB.
***2023 4-star RB, Tre Wisner (Waco, TX) announced that he will be headed up to Norman for a Sooners visit later this week.
Wisner does hold an OU offer.
***Also, 2023 4-star DB, Javien Toviano (Arlington Martin) announced that he will be visiting OU today.
CJ has been by to see Toviano and had really good things to say. I haven’t seen him yet but just by the talk around him regarding his maturity, build, and athleticism he’s going to remain one of the top 2023 DB targets in the region and the nation.
June Check-in | ChampU22 Big Board | Defensive Line
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 8, 2021
Checking in on the defensive line Big Board we put out in February.
Currently, the Sooners have no defensive line or edge commits in the 2022 class.
(N/A just means we do not believe there is anything between OU and the recruit at this time)
***Defensive End/Edge***
Jeremiah Alexander – Thompson (Alabaster, AL) – N/A
Enai White – Imhotep Institute (Philadelphia, PA) – N/A
Malick Sylla – Katy (Katy, TX) – Aggie commit – Aggie Commit
Cyrus Moss – Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, NV) – N/A
Marvin Jones Jr. – American Heritage (Fort Lauderdale, FL) – Official Visit to OU set for September
Kenyatta Jackson – Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Hollywood, FL) – Official Visit to OU set for June 18th
Wilfredo Aybar – Cheshire Academy (Cheshire, CT) – N/A
Dante Anderson – Homestead (Homestead, FL) – N/A
Tyson Ford – John Burroughs School (Saint Louis, MO) – ND commit
Jihaad Campbell – IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) – Official Visit to OU set for June 11th
DJ Wesolak – Boonville (Boonville, MO) – N/A
Keon Wylie – Imhotep Institute (Philadelphia, PA) – N/A
Derrick Brown – Texas High (Texarkana, TX) – Official Visit to OU set for September 17th
Omari Abor – Duncanville (Duncanville, TX) – Official Visit to OU set for June 18th
Derrick Moore – St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, MD) – Unofficial Visit set for June 18th, Official in September
Dani Dennis-Sutton – McDonogh School (Owings Mills, MD) – N/A
Ernest Cooper IV – Martin (Arlington, TX) – N/A
Zac Swanson – Brophy College Preparatory (Phoenix, AZ) – Texas Commit
***Defensive Tackle/Interior***
Walter Nolen – St. Benedict at Auburndale (Cordova, TN) – N/A
Travis Shaw – Grimsley (Greensboro, NC) – N/A
Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy – Lakeland (Lakeland, FL) – Unofficial to OU set for June 14th: Official Set for September 17th
Bear Alexander – Ryan (Denton, TX) – N/A
Anthony Lucas – Chaparral (Scottsdale, AZ) – N/A
KJ Miles – St. Peters Prep (Jersey City, NJ) – N/A
Daniel Lyons – Homestead (Homestead, FL) N/A
Marquis Gracial – St. Charles (Saint Charles, MO) – N/A
Nico Davillier – Maumelle (Maumelle, AR) – Official Visit to OU set for June 18th
Kristopher Ross – North Shore (Houston, TX) – Texas Commit (would not be shocked to see an OU visit at some point)
Jaray Bledsoe – Bremond (Bremond, TX) – A bit of a mystery at this point, have not confirmed a visit, but there are rumblings he will make it to Norman soon.
Chris McClellan – Owasso (Owasso, OK) – Unofficially visited OU June 1st, expect additional unofficials at the very least
Defensive Line Bottom Line:
The targets have been narrowed down.
OU is in on some elite defensive linemen.
At this time, I would not say they outright ‘lead’ for any of them, and in most cases, they probably are running in second or third. RIGHT NOW.
There are two ways most people will look at this in my opinion…
***1. The Sooners close on three or four of the guys mentioned above and they have a very impressive class. You get guys like Dindy, Abor, McClellan, Moore…you have something to write home about.
or…
***2. OU ends up not closing on any of them and starts to kick over some other rocks in an effort to cobble together a decent defensive line class.
The most likely scenario, in my opinion, is that OU gets one or two of the guys mentioned above, and then, if they feel the need, they will check in on some other names (Think DeSean Brown for instance on the edge) from the high school ranks.
Then, OU can start monitoring the transfer portal during/following the season and keep an eye on the JUCO ranks as well.
Update | 2022 DL Chris McCellan
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 8, 2021
Earlier this morning I was able to catch up with 2022 defensive lineman Chris McClellan out of Owasso, OK.
McClellan is fresh off a Florida official visit which was preceded by an unofficial all-day visit to Norman to meet with the Sooners.
As I mentioned in the comment section of the previous thread this morning, McClellan also received a ranking bump from one of the services which now lists him in their top 100.
You have been knowing how we feel about him for a long time already, but what was special to me is that when I congratulated him, he said ‘They still owe me 80 to 90 spots…still work to do!”
Love that mentality.
Anyway, I asked him about the Florida trip and how he would rate it on a scale of 1-10 and he said ’10 for sure’.
Florida spent a lot of time focusing on player development on the football side and they impressed Chris and his family with the support system they have in place for the student-athletes (Life coaches, Mental Health Awareness, Academic counselors etc…)
I asked him if he could compare the Florida official to the OU unofficial he took on June 1st and he said it would be difficult to compare the two because they were so different.
In regards to the OU visit, Chris said “OU was different because I was the only recruit there with the entire staff. I’m almost positive I won’t have another visit like that because it was so personal. That was a plus.”
So OU did their job with the unofficial and Florida really put on a show with their official. Chris does have a lot of affinity for Florida as they were one of the first big-time programs to offer and believe in him so they will be in this thing to the very end and right now, I would say they likely are out front.
But this week will be pivotal in his recruitment in my opinion.
I believe some of you have heard elsewhere that he had set up a visit to Norman with Gentry Williams for this weekend. That is not the case as he has some other major travel plans.
McClellan is heading to Alabama today for an unofficial visit and a workout with the Bama staff tomorrow. He wanted to get down there on an unofficial to see if Tuscaloosa will be a place he would like to set an official too (and with how Bama works, they are doing just as much investigating on him as he is on them).
Following the trip to Bama, the plan right now is for him to get to LSU this weekend for an unofficial and a workout for the Tiger staff. Again, based on what he see’s/feels, he will make a decision on whether to officially visit LSU down the line.
McClellan has official visits set up to USC and Ohio State the following weekends. He is a busy young man.
Bottom line right now…OU did a good job of inserting themselves into the equation, but this recruitment is a long way from being played out and they will likely have additional opportunities to impress through unofficial visits.
As I said, I think this is a really big week for McClellan and the direction of his recruitment because if Bama really likes what they see and decides to push full force, a lot of things we thought to be true could all be wiped clean and once again this recruitment could be reset.
Latest on 2022 Texarkana OLB Derrick Brown
– CJ Vogel – Posted on: June 9, 2021
Stopped by Texarkana Wednesday morning to catch up with star OLB Derrick Brown.
Texas hosted Brown on the first weekend of June for an official visit and from the sounds of things, the visit went well. However, Brown has a very busy month of visits ahead of him, including a trip to Norman next Monday to watch summer workouts.
During my stop, Brown was absent from the first half of Texarkana’s summer workout session, as he was in the coach’s office on a phone call with Coach Jamar Cain. For whatever reason, Brown says the communication with the OU staff has not been as consistent as it was when I visited earlier this spring.
“They will check in every once in a while,” Brown said of the OU staff. “I talked with Coach Cain today, he was telling me happy birthday and stuff. That’s the coach I talk to the most, Coach Cain and Coach Riley.”
The visit to Norman on Monday should help slow some of the momentum gained by Texas during his OV.
The Sooners will also be able to bring out former Texarkana teammate Clayton Smith on the visit. Smith and Brown are close, and the two communicate often.
Brown dropped his Top 8 early Wednesday morning, and he told me OU was pretty high on the list, he still “wants to see how everything goes when he visits the school” and how he will fit in with the defensive scheme.
For the moment, the high of the Texas official leads me to believe they have the edge in this recruitment, though OU can get right back in the mix with a strong showing Monday if they decide to push the issue.
Thursday Notes | Sooners out, In-State offers a new Hope & Raleek
– Super K – Posted on: June 10, 2021
***Just before the dead period, I noted that the Sooners had remained in contact with 2022 TAMU DB commit, Bobby Taylor. I had been told that plan was for Taylor to quietly take an official visit to OU in September (presumably the Nebraska game).
However, Taylor took his OV to TAMU this past weekend and if his Twitter is any indication of where he’s at with things, it looks like he’s shutting things down.
Taylor tweeted out that he will not take any additional visits. He also publicly asked players visiting TAMU to reach out to him and he offered to meet them on the visit.
So, it’s not looking too promising on the Taylor front. Also, the aforementioned may be connected to this…
***The Sooners have extended an offer to in-state athlete, Robert Spears-Jennings.
Manning was the primary recruiter for Bobby Taylor and here you see Manning pictured with Spears-Jennings…
My guess is this was a combination of Taylor shutting things down even further and Spears-Jennings being a big fast dude who fits what Grinch and company are looking for from a physical standpoint.
Would imagine this one won’t take long to wrap up. Between Spears-Jennings and Jayden Rowe, the Sooners could end up with two very big and very fast in-state dudes.
***As we previously noted, Raleek Brown did take a visit to USC earlier this week.
I had spoken to a source close to Raleek before the visit and was told that while Raleek would (and did) take the visit to USC, he is unlikely to visit anywhere else this summer outside of OU.
Source actually mentioned that some of the previously scheduled OVs to other schools might get scrapped in general.
With whatever twists and turns may come in this recruitment, I still see the only real threats to OU being USC and possibly Alabama (because Bama is almost always a threat when Saban decides he wants someone and he has very much decided he wants Raleek).
Raleek remains locked in but as I’ve said before, I don’t believe anyone, Raleek included, knows exactly how Raleek will feel come December when the reality of leaving California and his new baby girl sets in.
He may see OU as exactly what he needs to take care of his business and take care of his family. As I understand it, that is currently where his head is at. Or he may see the distance from his new baby as a deterrent.
Things remain solid now but as sources close to Raleek tell me, this one won’t really have it’s final move, if there is one, until November/December.
Update | 2023 DB Javien Toviano | Post Visit & Heading to BBQ
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 10, 2021
Earlier this week, the Sooners hosted elite 2023 DB Javien Toviano (6’0 185) out of Arlington, TX (Martin) for an unofficial visit.
I caught up with Javien following his visit to get his thoughts on the trip up to Norman.
Toviano said “I love Norman! It was a great place to be on Tuesday.” He added “I loved everything from Coach Riley to Coach Grinch to Coach Manning and the hospitality was amazing!”
Javien also added that the vibe around Norman, including the coaches and staff around the facility, stood out to him and he will be back up to Norman.
I asked him when he was thinking of returning and he said “I’m gonna be out there next weekend and I’ll be up for games too.”
One thing that slipped my mind prior to speaking with him was his connection to Sooners tight end Brayden Willis. Toviano brought that up when he said “BWill is like my brother, so I’ll be there to watch him this fall”.
It’s early in the process for Toviano, but the Sooners made a strong impression early on and they will receive multiple visits from him over the coming months.
In the big picture with the dead period finally out of the way, by all accounts, the Sooners are doing what they do on visits…making great impressions and really giving kids and families a lot to think about.
