Open Post | Weekend, June 30th – July 2nd
Posted on: June 30, 2023
’24 QB Maj Jones Timeline
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 26, 2023
Touched base with ’24 QB Maj Jones and he let me know that he will be announcing his commitment to the school of his choosing this weekend.
Jones has been to Norman twice, most recently for an official visit to the ChampU BBQ. Following that visit, sources around OU felt good about where they stood in his recruitment. We didn’t put in a trending pick for Maj and I am still not ready to do that as West Virginia and Cincinnati are also very much in the picture.
If I was going solely on an OU source, I would have OU leading as I previously said, but without having much concrete info from Maj’s side, this one is still very much up in the air and not a race we would feel comfortable in pointing towards one direction or the other at this time.
We will dig around this week to see if we can get some additional info for you all, but either way, OU and the fan base will know their fate this weekend.
2025 OT Lamont Rogers Visit Update
– Alex King – Posted on: June 24, 2023
Quick update here as earlier this week, the Sooners had a big (literally) visitor of the 2025 class on campus in highly sought after Mesquite Horn offensive tackle, Lamont Rogers. The 6’6″ and 305-pound prospect picked up his Sooners offer back in January and since then has only added other big time offers from programs like Alabama, Florida State, Michigan, Texas and USC, among others.
This was Lamont’s first visit to Norman and per our source on the Mesquite Horn staff, the visit went as well as it could have.
“It went very well, he really enjoyed Bedenbaugh & Venables and was completely impressed by everything involved with the SOUL mission. Don’t think it could have gone any better,” source said.
From the sounds of it, Rogers could be back in Norman in a month as Bedenbaugh and co. want him back for the 2025 class event on July 26.
He’s obviously got a while to go but the good news is, the Sooners are sitting in a great position already with the stud lineman.
“OU is right at the top currently,” our source said.
For those that don’t know, Rogers is a heck of a basketball player as well, which you can see below in his sophomore highlights. Just look at the athletic movement and great feet he has at his size. Don’t normally see guys his size move like that on the court. Based off what you see here, mixed with his sophomore film, there is zero doubt in my mind that he could and most likely will end up the top OT in the 2025 class but also could end up the #1 overall prospect in the country by the time his senior year gets here.
Sourced Team Notes | June 27th
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 27, 2023
Picked up a couple of notes over the last couple of days, mostly on DBs and WRs with a nice QB note sandwiched in there for you all!
***Source said the 7v7 work has been really spirited. Lots of emotion and back and forth talking.
***Was told freshman wide receiver Jaquiaze Pettaway has been a really nice addition to the offensive side. Source said he is still learning the ins and outs of the playbook and he makes some mistakes with routes on occasion, but source said his talent is undeniable and he is a ball of energy and always going full speed. Was told he was locked up a lot on the first couple of days, but he has flipped a switch of late and is consistently creating separation now. All you can ask for is growth and progress, that’s a good sign.
***Source said Key Lawrence is one of the vocal leaders still in the workouts, both with Schmidty and in the 7v7 portions for the defense. Was told Key appears to be very locked in and intent on holding off pushes from guys coming for his reps (think Reggie Pearson here). There is no denying Key’s athletic ability, it’s about putting it all together on a consistent basis for him and the talk about focus is a good sign, in my opinion.
***Was told Jackson Arnold looks like a different QB compared to what he looked like in the beginning of spring. Source said that last minute drive in the spring game seemed to be a turning point for him and he carries himself a “little bigger now…he stands a little taller, talks a little more.” Source went on to say that Arnold has consistently put some balls in places that nobody else on campus can, particularly with the big WRs and their back shoulders.
***In regard to the comment about Arnold, it sounds like Nic Anderson has been having a good showing in the workouts. Source said Anderson (and Gibson) are having another good summer, they just need to make it through fall healthy and they will show out.
***Was told Gentry Williams has been “an uncaged animal.” Not sure what to do with that, but source said Williams has been a full go in the sessions and he has been asserting himself and acting like a guy who has been in Norman for three years. Was told his skill set and route knowledge are something that sets him apart from most of the other corners.
***Source didn’t bring up transfer Brenen Thompson until I asked specifically about him. When prompted source said “Oh yeah, he’s a special kind of fast…if he catches the ball, the DBs have had to learn the importance of angles.” I asked about the ‘if he catches the ball’ line and if he was having issues in that area and source said that was not what they meant, and said “I meant to say when he catches the ball.”
TFB Randoms | Recruiting Notes
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 27, 2023
Some real quick notes on some OU targets…
***Yesterday I posted a note on ’24 QB Samaj Jones and his timeline. In that note I passed along that OU sources feel good about their position in that recruitment. We did some additional checking and James spoke to a source at OU who also expressed confidence here. Source at OU told James they feel like they are going to get him and would be surprised if they don’t. Again, we are not going to drop a trend here as we don’t have enough info from the Jones side and we are only presenting you the information we get from the OU side.
***On tight end Davon Mitchell, a few members in the community passed along a note about Mitchell stating in an interview that Miami was his top school at this time. Mitchell is set to announce his commitment on July 8th and while I am not discounting what he said to the Miami reporter, I don’t think it is time for doom and gloom for OU right now. Look, as we have maintained all along, Mitchell’s recruitment, particularly once he announces/lets his intentions be known in regard to his potential reclassification to the ’24 class, will have a different look as programs come out of the woodwork with NIL overtures. Programs are not blind to the fact that he left Allen Texas to go play at Los Alamitos in California where they have a habit of buying high school players. OU has the advantage in relationships and familiarity, it will be all about them holding off the vultures with a combination of NIL and using their built-in advantages.
Balancing Act | The Present and Future at QB
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 28, 2023
Yesterday I dropped a sourced note on Sooners true freshman quarterback Jackson Arnold…
“***Was told Jackson Arnold looks like a different QB compared to what he looked like in the beginning of spring. Source said that last minute drive in the spring game seemed to be a turning point for him and he carries himself a “little bigger now…he stands a little taller, talks a little more.” Source went on to say that Arnold has consistently put some balls in places that nobody else on campus can, particularly with the big WRs and their back shoulders.”
This is not the first time we (TFB) have reported that Arnold is standing out and making an impression on the team and the coaching staff.
Heck, he was clearly QB2 by the time the spring ended so the continuing accolades really shouldn’t be surprising and Brent Venables himself was singing his praises.
That is all fine and dandy and overall it is something that should be very encouraging for the Sooner fan base as the early returns paint a bright picture of the future.
As I have expressed previously, my concern as an observer is when and how does the future arrive exactly.
Let me go back to the sourced note from yesterday to start with. What I wrote was pretty much a watered-down version of what the source told me. Source was much more enthusiastic about Arnold than what I conveyed in the notes, but that was my way of not wanting to take the community to the edge of the cliff without checking the brakes.
Jackson Arnold is the most talented QB on campus. I know it. You know it. The team knows it. The coaches know it. Dillon Gabriel knows it. The equipment managers know it. The cheerleaders know it. Boomer and Sooner know it. He just is. That does not unequivocally make him the best QB for snap one of game one for the Sooners in the 2023 season, but it sure as heck should change the QB equation for OU as they prepare to open up the year. Fall camp is about a month away and I will be paying close attention to what is happening at the QB position.
Dillon Gabriel will be the starting quarterback on September 2nd when OU kicks off against Arkansas State unless he gets hurt in fall camp. I am not debating that and I don’t think anyone truly can with any degree of seriousness.
However, the moment that ball is kicked off in Gaylord Memorial Stadium, the clock on the future immediately begins to start ticking down.
Jackson Arnold is the future.
Jackson Arnold also needs to have a role in the present. An expanding role at that.
The Sooners need to win this year for a multitude of reasons and they also need to prepare for the future which includes a move to the SEC in 2024. They cannot afford to stand pat and be so focused on the present that they hurt themselves in the future. Jackson Arnold needs to play, and play a good amount.
What does that look like? How does that balancing act work? What about egos and getting the team in rhythm?
In my opinion, OU needs to have a plan going into every out-of-conference game where Arnold gets 3-4 drives with the first unit and runs full-speed offense at the very least. Jeff Lebby needs to run the offense throughout the early part of the season on full tilt which includes using the designed aspect of the QB run game. Last year, Lebby stayed away from the QB run game early because he knew he had nothing to bring in should Gabriel get dinged up. OU cannot afford to do that this year. They need to come out firing, not worrying about hiding things or saving plays for later. I would rather see them put so much on tape that it gives future opponents things to worry about rather than hiding things or saving them for later. This means running Dillon Gabriel, which will actually help Gabriel be more effective in the offense as well as getting Jackson Arnold comfortable in the offense.
This is a different era in college football. Last year Dabo Swinney cost himself and his team a locked in spot in the college football playoffs by refusing to make the difficult decision of pulling the incumbent starter at QB DJ Uiagalelei. He literally cost them a playoff paycheck. Again…I knew it, you knew it, the Clemson staff and team knew it…everyone knew that freshman Cade Klubnik needed to be the starting QB and if he was, Clemson is in the playoffs (they would have lost in the first round, but still, rather be in the playoffs than not in). Dabo was worried about egos and rhythm. He was worried about losing a guy to the portal. He was worried about putting his fate in a freshman. He worried too much and cost his program. OU cannot afford to follow the same path this year.
The Sooners need to play Jackson Arnold because of his talent. They need to play Jackson Arnold to get him ready for both the present and the future. He will earn that right by the time fall camp is over, I feel very confident in saying that.
It is easy to envision a scenario where there is booing from the crowd during a home win in Norman Oklahoma once again and chances are it wouldn’t even be Dillon Gabriel’s fault. If OU goes 2 or 3 consecutive series against Arkansas State where they go 3 and out because a receiver dropped a 3rd down conversion or the offensive line had a key penalty that negated a conversion…there will be booing which will be directed at Dillon Gabriel. The fan base knows the potential that Jackson Arnold brings to the table. He needs to get his looks.
There is a very real scenario where Jackson Arnold outperforms Dillon Gabriel in the opportunities that he gets. Deal with that if and when that happens. There is also a very real scenario where Dillon feels more comfortable and the offense clicks in the second year in the system and OU is not forced to make a move to Arnold.
However, OU needs to prepare for the future while living in the present. This means they need to get Jackson Arnold live reps, every game, with the first unit. Egos and rhythm be damned, it is imperative to constantly strive to get the best team you have on the field and get them better every week.
When I tell you I intentionally throttled down the praise for Arnold from the source this week, I mean it. There are people around the program who are very, very high on his potential and his ability…right now.
I am not calling for him to be the starter for game one snap one. I am not suggesting there is even an open QB competition right now. Dillon Gabriel is your starter. But Jackson Arnold needs to get a lot of run early in the season and not just be a spectator who hands off the ball to close out games.
Dillon Gabriel is a good kid. He is a good QB. He is a good leader.
Jackson Arnold is the future. In order to set yourself up for a successful future, you need to get work done in the present. It is a very fine line to walk, but you need to protect your future while living in the present. OU needs to show Arnold, the team, and the fan base what the future can look like in the present in order to make sure that the future remains bright.
Caden Durham & Tatum | Timeline
– Super K – Posted on: June 29, 2023
***A couple weeks back, the Sooners hosted 2024 RB, Caden Durham for an official visit.
The visit went really well. We mentioned at the time that the question was whether the visit would prompt Durham to shut things down or if he’d end up visiting LSU.
As we reported, he did end up taking an unofficial visit to LSU this past weekend.
The question coming out of that is whether he would then make a decision or if he’d stick to his original plan of taking official visits during the season.
Earlier this week, I checked with a source and was told that as of now the plan is for Durham to wait and take visits.
So unless something changes, it doesn’t sound like anything is imminent on this front.
***I know all of you are also still waiting on Taylor Tatum to make a move. I do still expect that one to come this summer and it should be in July.
Unfortunately, sources close to him tell me he has yet to pin down an exact date. Hoping to hear more this week about a possible exact date.
***Also, worth noting that should the Sooners end up landing Tatum, yes, they would still take Durham to go along with recently committed jumbo RB, Xavier Robinson.
24K Offensive Class Reset
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 29, 2023
As we head into July, wanted to reset where things are at with the ’24 class.
We will start with the offensive side of the ball.
QB: 1 commit
Commit: Michael Hawkins
Remaining target: Maj Jones – announcing his choice this weekend. OU sources feel good, but we do not have enough info from his side to trend him to OU. We continue to check around, but right now, this one is a WVU/Cincy/OU battle.
RB: 1 commit
Commit: Xavier Robinson
Remaining targets: Taylor Tatum and Caden Durham. Tatum is in the process of making a decision between OU and USC. Earlier this summer he silently committed to USC on a visit, but a subsequent visit to OU swung things towards them and baseball plays a big factor. As for Caden Durham, we were first to report that he was taking an unofficial visit to LSU following his trip to Norman for the BBQ and he currently has plans to get back to LSU for an official in the season and he may add some more visits. We will continue to monitor him to see if anything changes.
WR: 3 commits
Commits: Zion Kearney, KJ Daniels, Dozie Ezukanma
Remaining targets: Zion Ragins and Ivan Carreon are the focus right now with several others in a holding pattern. Ragins and Carreon were both in Norman for officials and have taken additional visits since then. Depending on how things shake out at other positions, both Ragins and Carreon could conceivably have spots in the class.
TE: 0 commits
Remaining targets: Current ’24 targets are difficult to identify. Davon Mitchell has not yet reclassified, though we do believe that is in the works. As far as Mitchell goes, as we have noted previously, this is not the slam dunk some have made it out to be but OU is in good standing here. However, while he is set to announce his choice on July 8th, you can expect there to be some heavy NIL overtures sent his way leading up to the decision and the Sooners will need to continue to work on relationships with him as well as a solid NIL presentation. Aside from Mitchell, really no targets of note at this time. We expect some to emerge down the line.
OL: 1 commit
Commit: Isaiah Autry
Remaining targets: Kaedin Massey, Grant Brix, Casey Poe, Marques Easley, Bennett Warren, Fox Crader and others including Eddy Pierre Louis. Currently, the outlook is not great. Massey is making his announcement tonight, and as I have said, I do not expect OU to be the call. Brix is trending away from OU. Easley is a guy that has OU in his listed top 3 along with Bama and Tennessee but I believe Georgia is still very much in play and likely the leader. Poe recently visited Norman for an unofficial and while OU is not last, it feels like Bama is turning up the heat and out front. Warren is a guy who feels like he is high on a different school each week, but it’s been a long time since we have heard OU being in that position. Crader is currently committed to Oregon, but he has visited OU numerous times. Gonna assume OU will begin sending out some additional offers and as I mentioned way back on the Big Board thread, look for Harrison Utley to be among that group.
***If you’re looking for the next commit on offense, I would pay attention to Ragins and/or Carreon at WR, keep an eye out for Tatum to make a move at some point here in the next few weeks, and if Mitchell is a Sooner at the end of the day, he could be the next to announce as he is set to go on July 8th.
