Open Post | Weekend, March 12th – 14th
Posted on: March 12, 2021
5-Star RB Gavin Sawchuk | Initial In-Person Update
– Super K
I’m still out on the road but once I get settled, I’ll have a more complete write-up but wanted to get you some initial notes on my sit down with 5-star 2022 RB, Gavin Sawchuk.
***First, he’s bigger than I expected. Everyone knows he’s an elite sprinter. If I recall correctly, he was running the 100 in the mid-10s as a freshman. So, I’m thinking I’m going to meet a small super-fast young man – maybe 5’7ish. He’s not. I’d give him a solid 5’10 if not a bit more and he’s filling out.
***Also has to be one of the most impressive young people I’ve ever spoken to. He wants to major in Biomedical engineering and I can tell he’s the type of young fella that could actually do it.
***In terms of recruiting, he’s looking at making a decision this summer. So, look for him to trim his list later this month. Then, trim at again towards the summertime to prepare for official visits.
***Sooners are the only school, so far, that he is certain he will officially visit.
***Some of the schools to keep an eye on are USC, Ohio State, Stanford. Once I go back over my notes, I can bring you a more expansive list and a breakdown of where I get the sense the schools are.
***He is planning a self-guided visit out west to see Stanford and USC soon. The academic aspect is very important to him so Stanford could be a real player in this one.
***I believe he and the family really like Oklahoma. Gavin’s demeanor actually reminds me of DeMarco Murray. In fact, I mentioned that to him and he told me that when he was on the visit to OU (pre-Covid) they noticed the same thing. The relationship there is very strong and just talking with Gavin I can tell he’s the type of young man that would connect well with DeMarco.
***The family also seems very comfortable with OU.
***Gavin also mentioned the possibility of taking a visit to Alabama. But, right now, things are still a bit early with Bama. He tells me he hasn’t even spoken with the running backs coach at Bama, yet.
***I know last year the Sooners were very picky about their running back selections. They didn’t want to just take a guy unless it was someone special. After meeting Jovantae Barnes and now Gavin Sawchuk, I understand why. They are both elite in so many aspects of football and life. It’s hard not to see them being extremely successful.
***Lastly, I’ll note that the family is aware that the Sooners would like to take both Gavin and Jovantae and they seem completely fine with that.
2022 Duncanville OT Jaylen Early Working to Maintain OU Relationship
– CJ Vogel
Oklahoma knows how to recruit offensive linemen and they have their eyes on another member of the 2022 Duncanville OL – Jaylen Early.
There are a great deal of schools coming after Early, who is close to a reported 30 offers so far in his recruitment. He said in the past week he had heard from Florida, Florida State, Penn State, Ohio State, Baylor, Texas A&M, USC and OU.
I caught up with him last Thursday during my trip around the metroplex to see where things stood with his recruitment and just how often he is talking with the Sooners’ staff.
“I know that (OU is) a top tier program,” Early said. “I make sure to keep my relationship with Coach B at its highest point. I really like OU. I really want to visit.”
“I know they are trying to get me – Savion (Byrd) committed there too, so yeah, I am really interested to see the campus and see how it feels when I get there.”
Early mentioned keeping his relationship with Bill Bedenbaugh in tip-top condition, and I asked him to expand on where things stood now.
“I’ve been talking to him for about six months now,” Early said of Coach B. “We talk about once or twice a week. I like him. I talk to Coach Riley every once and a while too.”
He said he has had some trouble linking with HC Lincoln Riley as of late. He relates most of the struggles to just bad luck of missing a call and calling back and Riley not being around Coach B at that time but regardless, forming that relationship will go a long way moving forward.
I am always quick to praise the Sooners’ attention to detail in their virtual visits and Early noticed the same thing. The tour took him around the facilities and locker room. In fact, Early said it made him want to see things in person even more.
Lincoln’s offensive philosophy is something that has caught the attention of Early too. He said he prefers to be in an offense that passes the ball around and can utilize his pass blocking skills. Early told me he has been getting pitched on the left side of the offensive line at both guard and tackle.
Early hopes to pursue a degree in computer programming and coding. Which could ultimately play into the hands of Oklahoma who ranks 229th out of 3,294 schools in the country in that department according to ComputerScienceSchools.com. Early also mentioned USC as a school that was standing out because of its academic prowess and degree fit.
I really got the sense that Early’s recruitment still is wide open. In fact, he mentioned not having set group of schools he hopes to visit off the top of his head but is hoping to see as many as he can (I do think he gets up to OU rather early in his trip schedule). Said he might have his mom point to a spot on the map and go check out the schools in that area.
Early added that there were a handful of coaches that were really pursuing him so far. That is Florida State’s OL coach Alex Atkins, Ohio State’s OL coach Greg Studwara and Coach Bedenbaugh.
Quick Hitter | Kenyatta Jackson
– Charlie S
We are told that 2022 EDGE Kenyatta Jackson (6’5″ 235), out of Hollywood, FL will be cutting down his list in the very near future and that the Sooners will make the cut.
Also told that Lincoln Riley and Jamar Cain have been in regular communication with him and his family.
We believe that this is one that OU is truly in the mix for.
Will have more on Kenyatta in the near future.
Gentry Williams | Initial In-Person Update | Who is a Threat
– Super K
Yesterday, I stopped by Tulsa to speak with 2022 5-star ATH, Gentry Williams.
I’ve been in touch with Gentry for a while but that was the first time I’ve had a chance to really get a sense of what motivates him. I have to say, I was moved by how sincere and authentic his vision for his community is. I actually found my eyes welling up a bit.
As you know, Gentry has released a top six which includes: OU, Florida, USC, LSU, Missouri, and Arkansas.
Once I come off the road, I can post some on his thoughts about each school. But for now, I’ll note the following.
His passion for his home state and his city is noticeable and I think that is a big draw for Oklahoma. The idea of playing in front of his home state is meaningful to him.
He does have some ties to OU but I don’t get the sense those will play much of a factor. His mother received her PhD from OU and he has an uncle and cousin who graduated from OU. But, I get the sense that his decision and his parents input (mom is a PhD and dad is a dentist) is going to be about more than fandom.
I think USC is very much a school to watch in this one. They seem to have not only built a very strong bond with Gentry and his family, but he tells me they’ve laid out a very clear plan for both his on-the-field and off-the-field development. He was actually on the phone with USC DB coach, Donte Williams just before I arrived. He’s not only being recruited by the USC staff, he’s also being recruited by USC DB commit and fellow 5-star, Domani Jackson.
I know there is a sense that this one is going to be a slam dunk for the Sooners. I didn’t get that feeling. Obviously, the Sooners have a very good shot here and there is a lot of draw to OU. But, the idea that it’s a forgone conclusion is not at all the impression I got.
Again, I’ll have more details on his thoughts on all six programs.
2022 Duncanville OL Cameron Williams Speaks Recruitment
– CJ Vogel
Without a doubt one of the biggest human beings I have ever seen is roaming the halls at Duncanville High School as a junior.
OL Cameron Williams strolled into the gymnasium at Duncanville and quite literally looked like the Hulk. He told me he is 6-feet-7-inches tall and last weighed in at 350 pounds. Simply huge.
He is currently ranked as the No. 30 overall offensive tackle in the country according to the 247Sports Composite rankings, and his recruitment has certainly taken off. Williams told me he is hearing most from Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee and Ohio State.
Specifically from Oklahoma, offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh has been putting in work with Williams over the last several months.
“He texts me every day,” Williams said of Coach B. The Sooners hosted Williams for a virtual visit last Monday. “It was nice. They really showed me around their facilities and their weight room and the locker rooms.”
Bedenbaugh’s track record of developing offensive linemen has caught the attention of Williams as well. Williams told me he is being recruited at left tackle by Bedenbaugh, the same position former 6-foot-8-inch Sooner Orlando Brown commanded for three consecutive seasons. The two have some similarities and it is rather an easy draw for OU to point the comparison in this situation.
Williams admitted he is still trying to learn more about the program and school. But he is liking what he is hearing from Coach B so far. He also added that scheme won’t be too big of a factor for him, it’s all about relationships with the coaching staff.
Williams said he hopes to take some official visits before he makes a decision and named Oregon and Oklahoma as the two programs he is most looking forward to seeing in person. He added that he hoped to be committed sometime during the summer, though I would assume that is dependent on if visits will be allowed in June. Regardless, the Sooners are sitting in a pretty good position for one of the state’s biggest prospects.
Update | 2023 OL Luke Montgomery Virtual Visit
– Charlie S
The Sooners extended an offer to 2023 offensive lineman Luke Montgomery (6’5″ 260) out of Findlay, OH back on March 2nd.
Oklahoma wasted little time in getting Montgomery on a virtual visit as they hosted him and his family on Tuesday evening.
I caught up with his father, Mike Montgomery, following the visit and he had nothing but rave reviews about the experience.
I asked him what stood out about the visit and Mike said, “Well the facilities are top-notch but, I assume most are. That said, the sincerity of the staff stood out the most…good, honest people.”
Mike mentioned that this was the family’s first virtual visit and they previously didn’t know much about Oklahoma so that made it unique as well.
He did mention that Ty Darlington was part of the visit and they were impressed by everyone they met, but obviously Bedenbaugh and Riley stood out.
Before our conversation ended, Mike mentioned that they ‘have to get out there for sure’.
Luke has yet to play much offensive tackle and he already has quite the robust offer list which includes all the major players in the Big 10 region. One would think Ohio State would be a rather large favorite at this point, but I cannot say that definitively as the process is only beginning for Luke.
He is certainly a young man we will keep an eye on.
How Quickly a Narrative can Change | Perception of the Defense
– Super K
I recently went out to see 2022 Sooners DL target, Nico Davillier (Maumelle, AR).
I’ll have a full write-up later but I wanted to pass on an initial note that really struck me.
It’s been quite a while since OU has been considered a school that plays elite defense or is mentioned as a program that churns out NFL defensive linemen. And while I certainly believe there is still a ways to go, the overall development of the defense as a whole is changing the branding on each position group.
As I noted above, UGA, Nebraska, Colorado, Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Oklahoma are the six schools recruiting Nico the hardest.
When he said he wanted to play in the NFL, I asked him if there was a school or schools on that list he felt could best put him in a situation to be drafted.
I know Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson are the standards OU needs to get to and none of those schools are on the list. But still, schools like Mississippi State and UGA have a history of putting defensive linemen in the league. And while I haven’t looked up the numbers, I wouldn’t be surprised if Arkansas or some other schools have had just as many defensive linemen drafted in the past few years as Oklahoma.
But again, the perception of the OU defense is changing and Nico’s answer was only one example of that, that I recently heard.
“Georgia and Oklahoma because they have two of the best defensive line coaches in the country and they put a lot of defensive linemen in the NFL”.
Powerful stuff, in my opinion. I think Ronnie getting drafted the this year as a follow up to Neville is only going to add that overall momentum. And, potentially having Nik, Isaiah and Perrion go next year along with a good 2021 overall defensive performance could really cause that perception of OU’s defense to explode.
Quick Hitter | Kam Dewberry Speaks on Coach Bedenbaugh
– CJ Vogel
I stopped by Atascocita to see 2022 OL Kam Dewberry. I’ll have a full in-depth write-up about my conversations with him sometime in the near future but wanted to pass along some favorable notes from our conversation.
I asked Dewberry what he thought of Oklahoma’s offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh. Here is his full answer:
“In all seriousness, Coach B is my favorite offensive line coach among all of the colleges in general. He’s like my personal favorite as far as what he has developed and how he’s got all these guys into the league. He knows what he’s doing.”
Dewberry was able to visit last year before the shutdown and said that Bedenbaugh and Lincoln Riley were really able to connect with his mother and grandmother on the trip. “About a year ago, they connected with my family really, really well and they left a lasting impression on me.”
Again, I’ll mention more in the full write-up, but it appears a top 5-ish will consist of Oklahoma, Ohio State, Alabama, Texas and Texas A&M. I believe the Sooners are in a better spot than Texas for the time being, though Dewberry mentioned wanting to extend this recruitment all the way to NSD if needed.
