Open Post | Weekend, June 25th – 27th
Posted on: June 25, 2021
Sooners Offensive Line Recruiting Notes | Post BBQ
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 22, 2021
As you know, the Sooners hosted seven offensive line targets, along with commit Pancake Hunter, from the ’22 class last weekend for the ChampU BBQ.
Devon Campbell, Cam Williams, Dayne Shor, Malik Agbo, George Fitzpatrick, Cole Hutson, and Jake Taylor were all in attendance.
I’m not even going to get into the ’23 class here, where the Sooners also did some very good work.
I was able to catch up with Shor, Williams, Taylor and Agbo and I will drop a few quick quotes from them below, and CJ is out seeing Campbell today and K has been speaking with Fitzpatrick. Hutson is on the road as he has a week packed with visits, but we will catch up with him next week.
As I mentioned during the weekend, it sounded like the Sooners did a very good job with this group (as they did with all the groups) as I was picking up some real buzz amongst the attendees.
While nothing was announced publicly, I do think the Sooners made some big moves here and they may eventually find themselves in a position where some difficult choices have to be made.
Jake Taylor was very impressed with the entire visit. One thing he said which stood out (because it wasn’t solely focused on the BBQ) was “I loved the trip very much! The whole program and event were built around the student-athletes. The way it is set up helps the student-athlete strive not only on the field but in the classroom.” He added, “They give you the resources to enable you to never fall behind in any aspect of college life”. I like where OU is at with Taylor.
Dayne Shor was traveling when I caught up with him and he cut right to the point as he said “The trip was great. The coaches and people around the program were great as well. I really enjoyed the trip.” Shor also went on to speak about the facilities and the atmosphere and he made it clear that OU will very much remain in consideration when he makes his decision. I think Shor is a guy that would love to be at OU when all is said and done and it will be interesting to see if he plans on making a decision in the next month or so
Cam Williams was not shy when it came to speaking about how much he enjoyed the trip. Cam said, “It was a great visit, that coaching staff was the best”. When I asked him what he would take away first and foremost from the weekend in regards to something that stood out, he said “Just the whole football facility and the coaches and the player and returning guys…that was really something”. Cam also said he enjoyed getting to spend time around the other recruits in Norman. Williams does have a trip to Texas set for this weekend and a planned commitment announcement in July, but the Sooners did a great job with him and we will have his reaction to the Texas trip next week.
Then there was Malik Agbo. I didn’t know what to expect with Malik as he is a national recruit who really has no initial ties to OU. K saw him out in Cali in the spring and he told me at that time that ‘I think OU will really have a chance with this guy if he does visit”. Well, the Sooners got him on campus and Malik enjoyed the experience. Agbo was impressed with the campus as he said “I love Norman! Everything is close and right where you need it”. He then mentioned that the returning players made an imprint on him. Agbo said “It was amazing seeing those guys want to come back to Norman and share some words of wisdom for us recruits and our families. It was cool hearing what it was like playing at OU and then making it to the next level and staying there for a long time”. The Sooners gave themselves a chance here.
So that was four of the seven visitors who each clearly enjoyed themselves. K did mention that Fitzpatrick and he had been in communication and it sounds like OU did well there also. OU did nothing but help their cause with each of them in my opinion and to complicate matters, in a good way, Super K spoke to instate OL Jacob Sexton yesterday morning as he was on his way to Norman…for an unofficial visit. K and Sexton have plans to catch up today or later this week.
Bottom line: I mentioned throughout the lead-up to the event that I felt that Bedenbaugh needed to have a big weekend and solidify his chances with some of these guys. Sounds like he (and the rest of the staff) really knocked it out of the park which could put them in a position in the near future of having to make some tough decisions both numbers-wise and personnel-wise…which is not a bad position to be in if you are OU.
Malachi and Makai get an Extra day in Norman
– Super K – Posted on: June 22, 2021
We already noted, this past weekend, that the Sooners blew 10-star combo of Malachi Nelson and Makai Lemon away on their OU official visit.
Just got off the phone with Malachi’s father, Eric, and due to a flight cancellation yesterday, the duo had an extra and unexpected day in Norman.
But Eric says it actually worked out well because both got to sit on some player meetings. So, even the unexpected worked out for OU.
Eric says they plan on being back in Norman for a game in September. Keep in mind though, as I first reported back on April 28th, Malachi plans on making his announcement on July 18th.
The Defensive Ends | Abor, Jackson and Moore
– Super K – Posted on: June 23, 2021
Will have more on the three primary 2022 defensive end targets as we speak with them but here’s some initial notes based on what I’ve heard…
***Omari Abor’s visit went well. Last time I sat down with Abor, Ohio State, OU and Bama were leading the pack. I don’t get the sense that has changed. Though at the time I would’ve given Ohio State a slight lead, I know longer believe that to be the case.
I think this one will be Cain vs Saban.
You may recall this…
By Omari’s own admission, Cain is the coach he connects with the most.
***It also sounds like Kenyatta Jackson loved the visit, as well…
Jackson still has additional visits including, I believe, his big one to Ohio State.
So, we will wait till he’s finished with all of his visits before we get a full update. I have mentioned before that Jackson’s family has built a very strong relationship with Cain. This visit solidified that.
I’ve also noted that even if the Sooners land Abor or Moore, they’ll take Jackson.
***Things went very very well with Derrick Moore. Sooners feel quite confident here. Moore will be back in September. Don’t know yet how long this will stretch out but again, the Sooners did what they needed to do.
You’ll recall that right before the visit I noted (receipt), “he’s all but in…assuming the visit goes good”.
The visit was good.
4-Star OL Jacob Sexton | The Latest
– Super K – Posted on: June 23, 2021
Caught up with 2022 4-star in-state OL, Jacob Sexton (Deer Creek). Here are the key points…
***Sexton went down to Norman for a visit this past Monday. That’s pretty significant in my opinion as Sexton had told me prior to the BBQ that he had not received an invite to the BBQ.
***It sounds like that was a case of coach B having so many out of state prospects in town that he wanted to make sure he could give Sexton attention. So, they were able to get that one on one time without all the hoopla on Monday.
***Sexton tells me he is headed to Texas A&M for an official visit today and will be there until Friday.
***Sexton also says that after the TAMU visit, he will be ready to make a decision. Says he plans to announce his commitment in July.
***Sooners are going to find out their fate with quite a few OL, pretty quickly.
Note from Charlie
Just wanted to add that I was in touch with a source on the OU side yesterday who indicated they feel confident in where things stand with Sexton following the unofficial visit.
As K said, it is sounding more and more like this OL class could come together in a pretty rapid fashion, and right now, OU likes where they stand with Sexton as well.
5-Star Devon Campbell Recaps #ChampUBBQ Visit
– CJ Vogel – Posted on: June 24, 2021
The nation’s number one offensive lineman made his way up north to Norman to catch OU’s big weekend on campus. Oklahoma received Campbell’s second official visit after USC hosted him on the first week of June.
Oklahoma and its staff pulled out the big guns for Campbell during his time on campus and he came away rather impressed.
“It was cool, they had a bunch of NFL veterans come back and talk to us,” Campbell said. “I got to talk with Trent Williams and got his contact information.”
Williams, who trains several elite offensive linemen down in Houston including Kam Dewberry, pitched a training session to Campbell. The five star OL mentioned wanting to meet up with Williams either down in Houston or the next time he was in the Arlington area.
Another member of the Sooners’ family who was recruiting Campbell on his visit this weekend was QB Caleb Williams. From the sounds of things, Caleb has some real recruiting skills.
“He showed me a good time,” Campbell said. “He kept it real. Saying that he is coming down (to Norman) to work. He’s not looking for the college experience, he’s all about business.”
Another recruit working in favor of the Sooners is LB commit Kobie McKinzie. Campbell said the two first met at the Future 50 event in Florida and scheduled their OV’s to coincide with one another. Coach Bedenbaugh and Lincoln Riley are continuing to press on Campbell as you’d expect.
I get the sense that it’s still a close race as I reported the last time I saw Campbell. One thing that may be slightly working against Oklahoma here is the location of the campus. Coming off his visit out west, Campbell spoke very highly of USC being in the middle of a big city and has also previously mentioned the same sentiment about Texas being in the heart of Austin. Seems to be a fan of big city lights, but I don’t necessarily think it’s too much of a factor to overcome but I believe it is noteworthy nonetheless.
Campbell has yet to schedule any visits for games this fall but he is beginning to look at schedules. I would be very surprised if he made a decision before making a return trip to Norman once again.
The only other official visit Campbell plans to take is to Texas, though he has yet to finalize that weekend.
I still expect this to go some time, however, I get the sense Texas is marginally still at the top. Lots of time for the Sooners to make a move. Campbell is trying to get down to Austin this weekend if he can find a ride.
DB Updates | Chace Biddle & Myles Pollard
– Super K – Posted on: June 24, 2021
***I will admit, the situation with 2022 4-star DB Chace Biddle (Garland, TX) has us scratching our heads a bit.
On the one hand, Biddle has just recently told us point blank that OU is his leader. On the other hand, he canceled his OU visit and we still don’t have confirmation on when he will be up to Norman for a visit.
It’s one to continue to watch but one that has us a little confused.
***2022 DB, Myles Pollard (Ravenwood, TN) has been one of the Sooners top targets for some time now. Pollard finally got a chance to see Oklahoma this past weekend.
His father indicated that the visit went really well and I know folks on the OU side feel good about the situation.
However, his father also tells me that the Sooners are no longer just contending with Auburn and Michigan. Florida is now in the mix. Pollard recently visited Gainesville.
Pollard’s father tells me they will make their announcement in July. So, we won’t be waiting long.
The Sooners do have a number of ties to Pollard through their Tennessee players and again, the trip went well. I’m not ready to count the SEC out just yet though. We saw Pollard earlier this year in Georgia at a Pylon event, I got the sense that playing close to home was a factor.
I like the Sooners in this one but not ready to go all-in, just yet.
Visitor Note | Luther Burden | Updated 11:02 am: Azareyeh Thomas Note
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 24, 2021
While it has been rumored for a while and we have mentioned it previously, I just spoke to James who confirms that OU is expecting to host ’22 wide receiver commit Luther Burden this weekend for a visit.
Burden has been taking a tour for a large portion of the summer with his 7v7 team which has seen him visit numerous places including camping at Alabama and Georgia.
While he missed the BBQ last week, the Sooners should get the opportunity to wow him in a smaller setting and focus a ton of attention on him this weekend.
Hopefully, this visit comes off and some of the hyper nervousness around Burden is diminished.
Update: June 24th – 11:02 AM
I reported back on May 25th (receipt here) that 2022 DB Azareyeh Thomas would be officially visiting this weekend.
This was supposed to be a rescheduled visit which was originally set for the BBQ weekend which got bumped in favor of visiting LSU.
James tells me the Sooners no longer expect Thomas to make it in this weekend due to an ‘illness in the family’.
Not sure if the visit will be rescheduled once again, but all signs are pointing to LSU for Thomas if he makes a commitment anytime before the season starts.
