Open Post | Weekend, March 29th – 31st
Posted on: March 29, 2019
2020 DB Locks In His Official Visit
– Charlie S
*** Was in touch with 2020 DB Bryson Washington out of Houston, TX (C.E. King High School) recently and he let me know he is planning to take an official visit to Norman for the Spring Game.
The 6’2″ 200 lb safety has planned on making his way to OU on numerous occasions only to see those visits fall through at the last minute due to various reasons.
However, with the official locked in, it makes it far more likely that the elite DB will finally get to spend some face to face time with the staff.
When the Sooners offered Washington, back in May of 2018 he was still at Mater Dei in California and he said: “It’s huge to get an offer from one of my top schools, it’s great!”
Since then, OU has gone through a staff change but they still see Bryson as a priority as both defensive coordinator Alex Grinch and cornerback coach Roy Manning have made their way down to Houston to see him briefly earlier this spring.
This is a big opportunity for OU to become a real factor for a very good player at a position of need.
Ryan Watts | Update & Insider Note
– Super K
Last Friday, 2020 CB, Ryan Watts dropped his top 10. No surprise that the Sooners made the cut.
Watts recently took a return visit to Oklahoma and as I previously noted, the Sooners continue to make a good impression and put themselves in contention to land the big CB.
On this most recent visit, Watts tells me he was accompanied by both his mother and father. He and the family had a chance to watch the new Sooners staff at work in a practice setting.
“It’s intense. Very intense. Coach Grinch is always on the guys pushing them. Coaching Manning, too, is on them but what I like is he’s pushing them but not just yelling at guys for no reason”.
For Watts, he says this was a chance for him to get some of the questions he’s had since his previous visit, answered.
“I got every question answered. For me being a big corner, how they line up was something I wanted to see. In practice, I saw they ran a lot of press. And then I’m comfortable there (OU). It’s not too far and it makes sense”.
Since that visit Watts has made a return visit to Texas A&M for an unofficial visit and says he will go back to Texas, as well.
He says it’s looking like schools in the region, perhaps including Oklahoma, as well, will be unofficial visits, as opposed to official visits.
As you already know, Watts will visit OU for the Spring Game.
In terms of official visits, Watts tells me he has a Notre Dame OV set for April 4th following by an Arkansas OV on May 3rd. He said he’s also got his eye on a possible visit to Cal.
In terms of a decision timeline, Watts says he’s looking at a summer decision, “anytime in the summer when I feel like I’ve seen enough schools”.
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2020 OLB Dahlin Mesake Visiting
– Charlie S
*** Earlier this week, 2020 OLB Dahlin Mesake out of Las Vegas, NV (Bishop Gorman) tweeted out that he would be visiting Norman on April 6th for an unofficial visit.
I caught up with the 6’3″ 230 lb BYU commit and he confirmed the visit and we exchanged a few messages.
Dahlin let me know that Sooners Defensive Line coach, Calvin Thibodeaux, is his lead recruiter.
Mesake said that OU recently began talking to him and right now he is not exactly sure where they see him as a fit in their defense but he will be talking to Thibbs soon.
Mesake said he is very excited for the visit and when he thinks of OU as a football program “Along with their history, OU looks like it has an electric atmosphere. I would love to play at a place like that.”
While he has been committed to BYU since June of 2017 (yes you read that right) he mentioned that Oregon and Texas recently began showing interest as well, as his recruitment has started to really pick up as of late.
I will have more on him prior to his visit on April 6th.
Update | Akinola Ogunbiyi
– Super K
As you already know, 2020 OL Akinola Ogunbiyi plans on taking an official visit to Oklahoma for the Spring Game.
Beginning after last summer’s OU BBQ we began noting the real possibility that Akinola, a then Texas A&M commit, could very well end up a Sooner.
Following a recent return visit to Oklahoma, Aki announced his de-commitment from Texas A&M. We continue to feel good about where Oklahoma stands.
But here is what Aki tells us is on the horizon.
Aki says he will take an unofficial visit to Georgia just before the OU spring game. He says Georgia has been pushing hard for him to get on campus and he feels he owes to himself and the Georgia staff to give them a look.
Soon thereafter he will take his OV for the Spring Game. This will be his mother’s first visit to Oklahoma and he says that her opinion of OU will carry a lot of weight.
Big Board | 2020 Offensive Line & Insider Note
– Charlie S
The Sooners will be looking to take up to five high school offensive linemen this cycle as they need to restock the shelves following the departure of nine players this offseason.
Coach Bedenbaugh has cast a wide net in regards to who he is targeting this year as he is truly in good positions with recruits from coast to coast.
*** Turner Corcoran – OT – 6’6” 280 – Lawrence, KS – Corcoran has visited Norman three times since the Champ U BBQ last summer and as I mentioned previously, he has plans to make it to Norman on April fifth to catch a practice. Corcoran won’t be at the spring game however as he is set to visit Ohio State that same weekend. The Sooners face stiff competition from Ohio State and Nebraska for his signature but they sit in a very good spot. His family has been impressed with OU and are more than all right with the relatively easy commute to Norman. He does not have a set decision timeline right now, but he did mention to me that he would like to have it done prior to his senior season. Right now, I like where the Sooners sit.
*** Akinola Ogunbiyi – OG – 6’4” 310 – Sugar Land, TX – As you all know, Aki was committed to Texas A&M for a while. Recently, after a trip to Norman, he backed off that commitment and opened up his recruitment. He has visited Norman on several occasions and plans on taking an OV to OU for the Spring Game as super K reported back on March eighth . He has picked up some offers from Ohio State and Georgia of late and he will talk about visiting those schools. However, he is definitely one to keep an eye on spring game weekend in my opinion.
*** Andrew Raym – OT – 6’5” 300 – Broken Arrow, OK – Raym was once committed to OU and the national perception is that nothing has really changed and they expect him to be a Sooner in the end. I do not necessarily think it is a foregone conclusion that he ends up in Norman however as I see Notre Dame as a very real threat. In the end, it will be all about his relationship with Bedenbaugh and Riley as he has been to Norman dozens of times. Would be big to get him back in for the spring game though and OU is working on that. As for his timeline, Super K was recently told by someone close to him that ‘nothing is imminent, he is going to take visits’.
*** Noah Nelson – OT – 6’7” 295 – Gilbert, AZ – Nelson just spent a few days in Norman earlier this spring and the Sooners made quite the impression. Initially, it looked to be a battle between Washington and OU and Nelson is contemplating visiting OU for an official this spring. Should that visit take place…well, I would be surprised if he wasn’t part of the class, however, Michigan made a big impression on him following his unofficial visit there last week and he has plans to take an official to UM for their spring game…which is also on April 13th.
*** Sedrick Van Pran – OC – 6’4” 305 – New Orleans, LA – Back on March sixth I reported that Van Pran would be taking an official visit to Norman for the spring game and it feels like has a sincere interest in OU. Van Pran attends Warren Easton High School in New Orleans, LA. If the name of that high school sounds familiar to you, it is because you were following recruiting back in the 2015 cycle when OU pulled Arthur McGinnis (Now a senior at OU) out of the very same high school. He does hold offers from all the major players in his region, including LSU, so for him to be heading to Norman for a visit says something about the way he views the Sooners. His visit will help us paint a better picture of where things stand.
*** Brady Ward – OT – 6’7” 320 – Mobile, AL – Brady Ward is from Alabama. He recently received an offer from the Crimson Tide and visited them. You would think that’s a wrap right? Not so fast my friend. Ward was in Norman for a junior day and plans on heading back to town for the Spring Game. Sources close to him tell us that OU and Bama are his top two and with him planning on heading to Norman for the spring game, you have to like OU’s chances as Brady is not a native of Alabama making this less of a foregone conclusion that he will head to Tuscaloosa.
*** Marcus Dumervil – OT – 6’5” 300 – Ft Lauderdale. FL – Back on March 13th Super K reported that Marcus will be out for the spring game. He is a big fan of the Sooners and Coach Bedenbaugh but it is always a challenge pulling a highly coveted Florida kid out of the south. However, the Sooners have had recent success at doing just that as they have pulled two players out of his high school, St Thomas Aquinas, in the last two cycles in Jaden Davis and Nik Bonitto, St Thomas also happens to be the alma mater of Sooner AD Joe Castiglione, so you have that going for you.
*** Jimmy Christ – OT – 6’7” 280 – Sterling. VA – I haven’t had a ton of interaction with Christ to this point but he did tell me he planned on taking an official to OU at some point. I cannot confirm it will be for the spring game yet, but I think that would be a good possibility.
*** Jeffrey Persi – OT – 6’7” 265 – San Juan Capistrano, CA – Super K was able to see Persi in person back in February on his Cali trip. He wrote: Best built offensive lineman at the event. Good height and length. Built like a basketball player. Sits in his stance nicely and quick out of his stance. He gets a little high and doesn’t sit down on a rusher but a high-level athlete. A lot to work with. Persi picked up an OU offer back on January 24th. Said he really likes coach Bedenbaugh and coach Bedenbaugh’s resume. What OU is doing on the offensive line in terms of NFL development has caught his attention. Persi also said at that time that he planned on being in Norman unofficially on April 6th. We are hearing that things are progressing here nicely and Persi is becoming a focal point for Bedenbaugh.
*** Roger Rosengarten – OT – 6’7” 275 – Littleton, CO – Rosengarten is a guy who is flying under the radar nationally while still picking up offers. His film is really good and the Sooners got in on him very early. In my earlier conversations with him, he had mentioned that he planned on visiting Norman this spring. Recently, I confirmed he will be in town for the Spring game weekend. Just a quiet kid who’s recruitment is more of a business transaction than a popularity contest. Sounds about right for a Bedenbaugh lineman doesn’t it?
*** Geirean Hatchett – OG – 6’5” 275 – Ferndale, WA – Hatchett has been to Norman on several occasion on his own dime and as K reported he will make a return visit this spring. He raves about Bedenbaugh and Riley and loves everything about OU. The issue that may pop up with him is distance though. I would expect OU to get an official out of him but Washington and some closer schools could prove tough to overcome based on the distance factor. Nevertheless, he does hold OU in high regards and would likely be a Sooner if distance was not a question.
Other names to keep an eye on:
*** Chris Morris – OG – 6’4″ 290 – Memphis TN – Always talks about a return visit, has to happen for OU to be real players
*** Anton Harrison – OT – 6’5″ 329 – Washington D.C. – Have been in touch with Anton, he let me know he plans on taking a visit, again, that will be when things get interesting.
*** Damieon George – OT – 6’6.5″ 345 – Houston, TX – Sooners are consistently communicating with George and both sides would like to see a visit take place this spring. He is teammates with 2020 elite RB Zach Evans who is also a target for OU so it would not be surprising to see them head to Norman for a visit together at some point.
Obviously, there are a few other names out there who OU is talking with such as Chad Lindberg, Smart Chibuzzo, and a few kids committed elsewhere. But for the most part, I think you will see the bulk of our projected five-man offensive line class come from the names above with perhaps a JUCO target coming into focus at a later date.
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