Open Post | Weekend, September 20th – 22nd
Posted on: September 20, 2019
Post Practice | Tuesday, September 18th
– James Hale
*** OU is working through a short week this week as Coach Lincoln Riley plans on giving the players four days off starting on Thursday.
*** After practice on Tuesday, I had a chance to talk to players and coaches from the offensive side of the ball.
*** Coach Bedenbaugh felt the offensive line played better against UCLA than they did against South Dakota. He says it started on the practice field and carried over to the game, but insisted that the O-line can get much better.
*** Erik Swenson played most of the reps at left tackle because in the game the O-line was playing pretty well and he didn’t want to mess up their chemistry. Like Coach Riley said yesterday Coach Bedenbaugh says that position is still being manned by Swenson and senior R.J. Proctor, but that Swenson will continue to start there when OU opens Big 12 play a week from Saturday against Texas Tech.
*** Coach Bedenbaugh thinks backup sophomore center Ian McIver (6’3, 326) is a big story because when he recruited him out of Central High in Keller, Texas he recruited him as a walk-on and now he is the backup center on the number five ranked team in the country. Coach B said OU recruits walk-ons that they feel can one day play for their team and McIver was one of those guys but was a bit small coming out of high school. Now, he has progressed enough that he’s considered the possible center of the future. Coach B compares McIver to former OU walk-on center Eric Wren who eventually earned a scholarship and was a starting center for two years.
*** Coach B says the fact that OU gives walk-ons a chance to play helps them recruit more talented walk-ons. OU has a great track record with walk-ons in the offensive line and that will pay off in OU getting more talented walk-ons in the future.
*** OU is running the ball pretty well but Coach B doesn’t look at the stat sheet to point that out. He is more about their execution and how they play the game than how many yards they gained or yards per carry. He does feel OU rushed the ball well against UCLA and the Sooners are doing good things in the run game He insists that OU still has a ways to go in the run game.
*** Coach B says that in the O-line they are working on technique and fundamentals over the three days of the bye week. He said that the time in practice is doubled when they can work on techniques and fundamentals and that’s very beneficial for the group during the season, and certainly this early in the season. He pointed out that during the game week they very rarely get a chance to work on techniques and fundamentals because they are always game-planning for a team.
*** Getting sophomore Marquis Hayes back from injury was a stabilizing factor for the offensive line against UCLA and he’s playing well and a good player. He made a difference against UCLA.
*** Coach B likes the early bye week and likes how both bye weeks are set up for OU this year.
*** Coach Bedenbaugh feels the young guys and his depth is getting better. He feels they’re getting some solid reps in the game.
*** Coach B said that Michael Thompson is working at left tackle on the scout team and that Darrell Simpson is working at both guard spots on the scout team as well.
*** Coach Bedenbaugh believes freshman Stacey Wilkins is very talented and has made the travel team. That doesn’t mean that OU is not planning on redshirting him, but he loves the athleticism of Wilkins and feels he needs to get bigger and stronger. He said that Wilkins and fellow freshman E.J. Nadoma-Ogar are both very good players and that’s why they are traveling but the plans would be for both to redshirt.
*** Coach Bedenbaugh said that sophomore David Swaby who is from the Bahamas is banged up right now but is a great kid and good player. Coach B said Swaby’s family lived on a different island than the island that was hit so hard by hurricane Dorian recently. Swaby is sending his stipend money that he gets each month from OU (a little over 500 dollars) back home.
*** Sophomore running back Kennedy Brooks says that the three-headed monster at running back is working well and the players in the running back room aren’t bothered by sharing carries.
*** Sophomore H-Back Jeremiah Hall says that he agrees with quarterback Jalen Hurts that even though the offense has put together big yardage games that it’s the small things that are keeping them from still not having a great game. The goal is to have a complete game from the start of the game to the end of the game in the fourth quarter.
*** Hall says that the team is being challenged by the coaches to finish their blocks, and to dominate their opponents and just to do what they can do to do more and play more of a complete game.
*** Former OU H-back Dimitri Flowers has been coming to practice and helping out coaching the H-backs and Hall says having him around really helps the H-backs.
*** Hall says playing H-back is a fun position in Coach Riley’s offense because the OC does a great job coming up with different things for him to do in the offense. Hall loves the versatility that he gets to play within the offense.
*** Junior wide receiver CeeDee Lamb said that Jadon Haselwood is much further along as a freshman than he was when he came in. He says that goes for Theo Wease and Trejan Bridges as well. He also loves freshman Y-receiver Austin Stogner as well and feels the sky is the limit for the freshman receivers.
*** Lamb says that he knows he’s going to draw double coverage and exotic coverages but he says that will just open up more big plays for Charleston Rambo and the other receivers. He says all that matters is that the passing game clicks and it doesn’t matter who is catching the ball. He knows in most big games that he will catch a lot of footballs, but he knows that in this offense Jalen does not need to force it to any one receiver. He feels he should continue to throw the ball to the receiver that’s open.
*** Lamb says he can beat the double coverages or the exotic coverages and that when the time comes he will beat those coverages and get open in the games that matter the most. Lamb likes where the offense is after three games and feels the best is yet to come.
Jalen Hurts
I had an interesting start to our interview session with senior quarterback Jalen Hurts last night…
James: Jalen how are you and the offense trying to take advantage of the bye week?
Hurts: “You know you always have the first question.”
Media: Yes he always does.
James: Jalen, I’m just trying to get a good question in.
Media: Nothing get by Jalen Hurts.
James: (Laughing) Jalen how are you and the offense trying to take advantage to the bye week.
Hurts: “I might as well just ask you to go ahead and I might as well look at you first every time.”
Hurts: (more laughter). “We are trying to take advantage of it. We are trying to fix the mistakes that we have had in our previous games. We’re trying to move forward and continue to build for the rest of the season.”
MEDIA: Jalen what do you mean about getting better, can you quantify that?
Hurts: “It’s not about numbers, it’s about execution. It’s about getting better in our execution. I need to be crisper in our execution and just sharpen up some things up.”
James: It looks like your execution has been pretty good.
Jalen: “It could be better. I said it the other day good enough is not good enough when it can be better. Better is not good enough when we can be best. There is always something that we can continue to reach for.”
MEDIA: Do you have an example in the last game where you didn’t play good enough?
Jalen: “It was just not our standard of play at times. It’s just being consistent when we’re on the field. We need to have that mentality every time we take the field.”
MEDIA: How hard is it to take care off all your great receivers on the field.
Jalen: “Just execute the offense and run the play that is called and whoever gets open I will try to get the ball to them.”
James: How many times on the sideline do the receivers tell you that they are open, probably every play right?
Jalen: “I like to get feedback from my receivers on the sidelines. I want to see what they see and I want to see what’s in their head, and then we just kind of go from there. I think in general in our offense we want to put points on the board and nobody cares how. We just want to put points on the board and score more than the other team.”
MEDIA: Do you feel through three games that the offense has taken steps to where you feel the offense should be at?
Jalen: “I would think that we’re where we should be as a team. I said the other day that the UCLA game is probably the most complete game that we’ve played as a whole. Is it where we want to be as a team? No!. We’re fortunate enough to have a bye week where I think we have had the right intent thus far. When we get an opportunity to show it and go out there and play and compete again hopefully we can do it the way we want to do it.”
MEDIA: Jalen you have played in a lot of big games and in a lot of cool stadiums what did you think of playing in the Rose Bowl for the first time.
Jalen: “It was cool! At the end of the day, the field is the same length and the same width. A football game went down and we were fortunate enough that we won and I will be able to tell my kids that I played in the Rose Bowl.”
Hurts continues to be a great interview, but it was really nice to see him smile and joke around a bit in the beginning.
Update | 2020 Priority Recruits Bonding
– Charlie S
The Sooners had a massive recruiting weekend for their opening game against Houston. You had eight official visitors and 20+ unofficial visitors from around the country in Norman and immediately following the visits, Sooners head coach Lincoln Riley sent out three sets of his famous ‘eyes’ which signified the Sooners had secured the verbal commitment from three prospects.
You already know that the first set of eyes was for 2020 offensive lineman Anton Harrison and the third set was for 2020 defensive lineman Noah Arinze. The second set will be public in the very near future and I am pretty sure most of you know who that is.
So that was a huge weekend, no doubt.
Then you had the South Dakota game. Heading into the weekend, one would not have thought that a game against a lesser opponent would turn out to be one of the most important recruiting weekends of the year for the Sooners.
But there is a chance it was just that.
There were only three official visitors. The Sooners (and Caleb Kelly in particular) hosted 2020 defensive back and Alabama commit Jahquez Robinson, 2020 defensive lineman Alfred Collins, and 2020 wide receiver and OU commit Brian Darby.
Robinson and Collins are probably the Sooners top targets on defense at this time. You could make an argument for Tyler Barron and Dontae Manning for sure, but there is no debating that the Sooners view both Robinson and Collins as priorities.
Late last week, Super K let me know that he had heard that Collins and Robinson hit it off. K mentioned that sources told him that it appeared as though Robinson and Collins really enjoyed each other and seemed to bond while on the trip.
Following the visits, we caught up with both Collins and Robinson and you can read what they said about their trips in the linked articles. What was not captured in those articles is the relationship between the two recruits.
Following up on K’s sourced tip, I reached out to Jahquez to ask him about Collins and he confirmed what K’s sources told him.
I asked Jahquez if he made any connections while on his trip aside from the players and coaches. Robinson was quick to reply by saying “I definitely made a friend in Alfred Collins during my visit.”
I asked if Collins was someone he would like to play with in college, and he told me, “After meeting him and hanging out all weekend, yeah I could see that”. He continued by saying, “After watching his film, I would love to play with a guy like that and definitely, wherever I end up, I will try to bring him with me.”
If you remember, one of the biggest aspects of Collins recruitment is the comfortability factor. Having bonded with Robinson while on his trip to Norman can only help with that comfortability.
Now, this weekend, Collins is headed to Tuscaloosa for an official visit to Alabama, the school which Robinson is currently committed to. As of right now, Jahquez is n0t sure if he will be in town for the visit, but Alabama and Oklahoma are the common factors in both Robinson and Collins’ recruitment.
The Sooners have the edge over Alabama in terms of distance in regards to Collins, while the Tide has the distance factor going for them with Robinson.
Now, most of the time ‘package deals’ don’t work out and this does not even appear to be a scenario as such, however, having two priority recruits bond on a visit is never a bad thing. Collins still has a long way to go in his process and Robinson is still committed to the Tide while keeping an eye on the Sooners and Roy Manning in particular.
But the fact that Robinson and Collins made that connection while in Norman is a good sign for the Sooners as they attempt to pull one away from a commitment (Robinson} and close on a recruit who places great value on comfort at his future school (Collins).
Bye Week Visitor | 2021 OL Savion Byrd
– Charlie S
A couple of days ago, some of you brought a report by Sam Spiegelman of the Rivals network to my attention which talked about the possibility of 2021 Duncanville, TX offensive lineman Savion Byrd potentially visiting Norman this week.
Initially, I reached out to some people around the Duncanville program and was told he would like to visit Norman but with the Sooners having a bye this weekend, they weren’t sure that the visit made sense in that regard but it did make sense for different reasons.
I was able to get in touch with Byrd and he let me know that he is, in fact, planning on getting up to Norman this coming weekend.
Once he confirmed that he planned on getting up to OU, I asked him why he chose to take a visit during a bye week and he said: “Well, it’s my bye week also, and it is honestly the only time I can go!”.
Makes sense now.
Byrd is a composite five star and he has offers from all the major programs so the Sooners getting him on campus this early is very good news. Byrd has been to Texas and Texas A&M a lot, so the Sooners are starting from behind a bit in regards to familiarity, however, it is obvious that Byrd wants to see what OU has to offer as he easily could have attended one of their games as they both play at home this weekend.
Also, you might be thinking about the ties between Duncanville and Texas as the Longhorns had some success there this cycle. Earlier this year former UT staffer Ra’Shaad Samples left his off-field role at Texas for an on-field role at SMU. One of the main connections that Texas had to Duncanville was that Samples father is the head coach at Duncanville.
Texas also has a commit from Byrd’s teammate, 2020 ATH Ja’Quinden Jackson and 2021 LB Kendrick Blackshire is still at Duncanville although he is out for the year with an injury.
Now, the reason I bring up the Duncanville connection is based on 2020 DB Chris Thompson who recently committed to Auburn over Texas. For those of you who follow the crystal balls, Thompson was (and still is) 100% predicted to go to Texas…in other words, the Duncanville to Texas pipeline is really one guy so it is by no means the slam dunk many believe it to be.
So back to Byrd, this is what our guy Darius has to say about him:
Savion Byrd OT 6’5 265 Duncanville (Duncanville)
Analysis: Savion Byrd is the best athlete and has the best feet among all of the OL prospects in the class. He does a tremendous job of staying under control as a puller and finding work. He’s currently light at a listed 265lbs but the length is there and the frame should easily hold added weight in the future. Byrd plays with a nasty disposition and is not satisfied until a few counts after he hears a whistle. Pure Tackle prospect.
It looks like the Sooners will get their chance to open the door and fully enter the picture for the big fella this weekend if the visit comes off. The staff will be able to spend a lot of time with Byrd and his family and that is truly a benefit for Oklahoma as they rarely (if ever) fail to knock that type of visit out of the park.
I will be in touch with Savion following the weekend and bring you any updates should the visit take place.
Darius’ Texas High School Top 25 | 2020
– Darius Terrell
Hey folks,
My Texas Top 25 for 2020 was due for an update, so I thought I’d surprise you guys with it midweek to help get you through one of those lulls at work.
*** There’s a new #1 player in Texas and as long as he stays healthy I don’t see any way that Drew Sanders fails moving forward.
*** There’s a new top dog at Offensive Line, Running Back, Cornerback, and Linebacker.
*** Newcomers to the list: Bastrop (Cedar Creek) DL Alfred Collins, Houston (Cy Creek) LB Josh White, Athens OL Garrett Hayes, Cibolo Steele CB Jaylon Jones, and Carthage OL Ty’kiest Crawford.
*** Players that dropped out: Dallas (Jesuit) ATH EJ Smith, Frisco (Lone Star) WR Marvin Mims, Henderson ATH Caleb Medford, Prosper OL Jake Majors, Houston (North Shore) LB Corey Flagg Jr., and Duncanville LB/DB Chris Thompson Jr.
Feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions below. I’ll update video on guys as it becomes available to the public.
*This list reflects my opinion only*
Texas Top 25 (2020)
1. Drew Sanders LB 6’4 230 Denton (Ryan)
Analysis: Over the course of his 3-year high school career, Sanders has played Quarterback, Wide Receiver, and Tight End on offense. He can excel at any of those positions at without a doubt for his team (he literally does it all in his highlights). However, the defensive side of the ball is where I feel Sanders has a chance to truly be special. Outside of the Arizona Cardinals’ Jordan Hicks and Baltimore Ravens former All-Pro Zach Orr, both of whom I was fortunate enough to play with/against, he is the best linebacker that I have seen in coverage at any level. Sanders switching his commitment to Alabama to focus on playing Linebacker was the best business decision that he and his family could have made. I think he’s a future 1st Round draft pick if he stays healthy, he’s that talented.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Alabama
Highlights:
2. Demond Demas WR 6’4 205 Tomball (Tomball)
Analysis: Demas is a name that has been talked about since his Freshman year, when he was making plays on North Forest’s varsity. Demas is a tall and rangy Receiver with an enormous catch radius. He also has the loose hips, quick feet and top-end speed to turn first downs into touchdowns after the catch, which is rare for a player with his size. 5-star talent.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Texas A&M
Highlights: (Game Clips start at 1:00)
3. Ja’Quinden Jackson QB/ATH 6’2 220 Duncanville (Duncanville)
Analysis: Jackson is a man amongst boys at the High School level. I view Jackson as a bigger, stronger version of Jerrod Heard when he was a highly-touted Quarterback recruit coming out of Denton Guyer. He has the strongest arm in the class, is the best runner of the football in the class, and commands the respect of all of his peers. 5-star talent.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Texas
Highlights:
4. Vernon Broughton DL 6’6 285 Houston (Cy Ridge)
Analysis: Broughton’s tape shows a player that is a disruptive presence along the defensive front, something that the state of Texas hasn’t been producing often enough in recent years. I am then reminded that this is a kid that has been playing Basketball for most of his life and he is still in the infancy stage of learning the proper technique and details that go into the position. Broughton has a chance to be special.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Texas
Highlights:
5. Jase McClellan RB 5’10 200 Aledo (Aledo)
Analysis: McClellan is yet another player in this top ten that has been a star since his Freshman year. I’ve been impressed with how he’s added weight over the years without losing anything in the way of his quickness. He has terrific feet, balance, and vision. McClellan is also more than capable as an option catching the ball out of the backfield. One of the more prolific rushers in Texas High School history, I do worry a little bit about the workload that he will have already taken on before he sets foot on a college campus.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Oklahoma
Highlights:
6. Zach Evans RB 6’0 200 Houston (North Shore)
Analysis: I no longer view Evans as a can’t-miss, generational back, but I do believe that he still has a chance to be a star at the college level with a chance to be an early round draft pick if everything goes right.
Recruitment Status: Texas A&M’s odds have increased greatly as Alabama and Georgia wait to decide if they want Evans to be a part of their classes or not.
Highlights:
7. Quentin Johnston WR 6’4 180 Temple (Temple)
Analysis: I am in love with Johnston’s ability on tape. He was rated as a 3-star recruit on all of the recruiting publications, which has since changed drastically. I first noticed him last November, when I was taking a look a Jared Wiley’s Senior highlights and a #1 was on the end of every pass making everyone look silly. An elite athlete, Johnston was a medalist last year as a Sophomore at the UIL State Championships in the High Jump. He blows by defenders effortlessly on tape and shows impressive top-end speed to boot. He has a frame that is going to easily gain weight the next level.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Texas
Highlights:
8. Ty’kieast Crawford OT 6’5 325 Carthage (Carthage)
Analysis: Crawford is a mountain of a young man, but he moves as if he were a Tight End or Linebacker. He is extremely impressive as a tandem blocker, keeping his eyes up for defenders on the next level and he has explosive hips and movement skills which appear to catch a ton of guys by surprise on tape. Once Crawford gets his hands on someone, it is over. Arkansas did a tremendous job of getting in on this one early. They have a chance to secure two of the top three offensive linemen in Texas this year. Please take a look at some of his clips. Wow.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Arkansas
Highlights:
9. Nathan Anderson OT 6’5 265 Frisco (Reedy)
Analysis: Oh, my goodness. Anderson is a former Tight End (sound familiar?) who has experienced quite a growth spurt in the past calendar year. His lateral quickness is elite, as are his feet, and motor. He likely isn’t a walk-in contributor, but Anderson has a body that will allow for a S&C Coach to add weight to his frame the right way.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Oklahoma
Highlights:
10. Jaxon Smith-Njigba WR 6’0 195 Rockwall (Rockwall)
Analysis: Smith-Njigba is an ultra-productive player (over 1800 yards, 27 TD’s as a Junior) that gets the most out of his natural abilities. He is a very skilled, technical route runner that understands what he is doing better than some collegiate guys that I see. Smith-Njigba isn’t the biggest, fastest, or flashiest, but he may be the most consistent WR in the class. I’m a huge fan of his game.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Ohio State
Highlights:
11. Alfred Collins DL 6’6 275 Bastrop (Cedar Creek)
Analysis: I’m not sure what is going on with his ranking on the major recruiting sites, but Collins is a monster. Like Vernon Broughton, he is a standout on the basketball court with impressive length and athleticism. Collins will play at over 300lbs+ in college and has all of the physical tools to be a guy that plays on Sundays. His best football is still way in front of him.
Recruitment Status: Collins has a final five that consists of Alabama, LSU, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas A&M. He will decide after he takes his official visits to each.
Highlights:
12. Garrett Hayes OL 6’5 290 Athens (Athens)
Analysis: Hayes flew under the radar for while out in East Texas, but once his film got out (which is now private for some reason) his ranking and the amount of attention that he has received has skyrocketed. Hayes has the feet and athleticism to remain at Tackle, the nasty demeanor to play to the whistle, and the frame to still get bigger and stronger at the next level. He’s big-time.
Recruitment Status: Hayes will decide between Arkansas and Texas A&M.
13. Bryson Washington S 6’2 195 Houston (C.E. King)
Analysis: Long and rangy, Washington roams the secondary with an imposing presence that reminds me a little bit of Texas Hybrid Safety DeMarvion Overshown. Washington is a playmaker that doesn’t mind punishing opposing ball carriers. He also has ball skills and has shown some return ability.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Oklahoma
Highlights:
14. Xavion Alford S 6’0 185 Pearland (Shadow Creek)
Analysis: I love Defensive Backs that have a nose for the football and Alford meets the criteria. On top of having the ability to make plays on the ball, he is also physical in run support and plays with a swagger. Alford has the ability to play either Safety position.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Texas
Highlights: Private HUDL
15. Jaylon Jones DB 6’2 195 San Antonio (Cibolo Steele)
Analysis: Jones didn’t make my initial installment of this list, mainly due to the fact that I felt like he was still more prospect than player. While I still believe that to a degree, Jones has started to put it together during his Senior season. He boasts size that no other Cornerback in the state can match. I do have some slight concerns over him sticking at Corner once he starts to add weight. Regardless, he is a very intriguing prospect.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Texas A&M
Highlights:
16. Haynes King QB 6’2 180 Longview (Longview)
Analysis: King is a three-sport star that led his Longview team to a 6A Division II Championship on the football field this past season. My first time seeing him in action was at the Under Armour All-American camp. King blew the doors off of the place. He was impressive throwing the football and then ran in the 4.5 range in the 40-yard dash during testing, earning an invite to the UAA Game in January. When I went to find his film, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it matched what I thought I was looking at in Dallas. I think that this young man has a chance to be a future star with the right support around him.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Texas A&M
Highlights:
17. Jalin Conyers ATH/TE 6’5 215 Gruver (Gruver)
Analysis: Conyers is a small-school product that will likely need some time to adjust at the next level. Conyers is a terrific athlete for his size and is a fluid mover that projects as a Wide Receiver or very athletic Tight End in college. He is also a standout on the basketball court and state qualifier in the Triple Jump. He’s going to be a nightmare in Oklahoma’s offense.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Oklahoma
Highlights:
18. Troy Omeire WR 6’4 217 Houston (Fort Bend Austin)
Analysis: Omeire checks all of the boxes physically and athletically. He is the video game prototype for what a Wide Receiver’s body is supposed to look like. His school doesn’t move him around much and he is still learning as far as the nuance of the position goes, but he is an explosive athlete for his size with as much potential as any Receiver in the class. He reminds me a little bit of current Texas WR Brennan Eagles.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Texas A&M
Highlights: Private HUDL
19. Kitan Crawford ATH 5’11 185 Tyler (John Tyler)
Analysis: We love Crawford here at TFB. For my money, he’s the top slot Cornerback prospect in the state for 2020, although his HS team uses him on offense out of necessity. Crawford has the hips, feet, and competitive nature to be able to thrive in the nickel or possibly outside on an island, despite a lack of length. He also happens to have legitimate 10.6 FAT 100m speed. Stud.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Texas
Highlights: Private HUDL
20. Hudson Card QB 6’2 180 Austin (Lake Travis)
Analysis: Card is an excellent athlete with almost every tool that coaches look for when evaluating Quarterbacks. In fact, Card is so athletic, that he started at WR for Lake Travis as a Sophomore. As a Junior, Card moved back to QB and put up great statistics on the season, but struggled in a couple of games against his team’s toughest competition. When he has time, Card can spin it with the best of them. I’m looking for him to continue to grow as he continues to gain experience. Very high upside player, but I’m not as high on him right now as others seem to be.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Texas
Highlights:
21. Kevontre Bradford RB 6’0 205 Lancaster (Lancaster)
Analysis: Bradford is a physical specimen when you see him in person, every bit as impressive as a guy like Zach Evans. He has excellent straight-line speed, being a former standout track sprinter. Bradford was un-coverable at the UAA Camp earlier this spring out of the backfield, even though he isn’t asked to catch the football much with his school’s abundance of offensive talent. I really like this guy, he deserves much more attention that he’s been getting from the recruiting services.
Recruitment Status: Bradford isn’t in any rush to decide. LSU recently offered and could be the front-runner here.
Highlights:
22. Prince Dorbah LB 6’2 215 Dallas (Highland Park)
Analysis: Dorbah is an elite athlete at a premium position, who has an innate feel for rushing the passer and is one of the most productive players in the entire state for one of the powerhouse programs in Texas. He’s twitchy and has some natural bend/ankle flexibility around the edge that can’t be taught. The only thing that is holding Dorbah back from “elite” status is his size, as he’s too light to play his current position with his hand in the dirt at the next level and may not have the frame to get much bigger.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Texas
Highlights:
23. Josh White LB 6’1 205 Houston (Cypress Creek)
Analysis: White strikes me as a player that will have the ability/versatility to play every Linebacker position on the field if necessary. He doesn’t have great size or length (he will need to add weight), but he is extremely productive due to some impressive closing speed and diagnostic skills. He plays with an excellent motor and is aggressive coming downhill. He doesn’t have much on tape playing in coverage, but with his athleticism I don’t have much concern there.
Recruitment Status: Committed to LSU
Highlights:
24. Chad Lindberg OL 6’6 325 League City (Clear Creek)
Analysis: Lindberg is a tank that is built proportionately, which isn’t always the case, especially with HS Linemen. He is an athletic knee-bender for his size, with excellent power. Once he locks to an opponent on at the HS level, it is “curtains” for them. His feet aren’t the lightest, but I think they’re good enough to stay at Tackle on the right side, just like his school currently plays him.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Georgia
Highlights:
25. Seth McGowan RB 5’11 205 Mesquite (Poteet)
Analysis: McGowan is a north-south runner that racks up yardage with little wasted motion. He’s got some twitch to his game and arm tackles will never bring him down. He brings some intangibles to the table that are rare to see in a HS kid.
Recruitment Status: Committed to Oklahoma
Highlights:
Next 10 (No order)
OL Jake Majors (Texas)
CB Jalen Kimber (Georgia)
RB/WR EJ Smith (Undecided)
WR Marvin Mims (Stanford)
WR Caleb Medford (TCU)
CB Jahari Rogers (Florida)
OL Andrej Karic (Texas)
DB RJ Mickens (Clemson)
CB Lorando Johnson (LSU)
DB/LB Chris Thompson Jr. (Auburn)
2020 OL Class | That’s a Wrap
– Charlie S
The Sooners have received verbal commitments from five offensive linemen in the 2020 class.
Nate Anderson, Noah Nelson, Andrew Raym, Anton Harrison, and Aaryn Parks.
It is a ridiculously talented and versatile class.
Each commit was a priority target for Coach Bedenbaugh and while there were some nerves early on as Turner Corcoran, Akinola Ogunbiyi, and Jonah Monheim chose to go elsewhere, this offensive line class is definitely among the top classes in the country.
Below, you will find JY’s breakdown of each member of the class from the time they committed.
That’s a wrap. OU will have to fend off some suitors for the east coast guys for sure, but when this class signs, OU will have done a phenomenal job.
Job well done by Bedenbaugh and Riley!
NATE ANDERSON: COMMITTED MAY 6TH
Nate is a guy who’s grown a lot in the last year. 6’5” 270 now vs 6’4” 245 last year. I expect him to continue to grow and develop adding more weight and possibly more length.
He is aggressive and active. He’s violent with his hands and plays offensive tackle with a defensive player’s mentality.
Every play is a buffet for him. After he gets one pancake, he goes looking for a second and sometimes a third. He never seems content knocking one guy down, and looks disappointed when the whistle stops the play.
He has a natural feel for pulling on the counter play and squaring up linebackers. Since that’s a staple in Riley’s offense he’ll do well there. He is very good in the screen game and has amazing feet.
In my opinion, the only reason he isn’t ranked higher by some services is that he’s still growing. He’s not yet a 300 pounder but will be. Really huge get for Bedenbaugh. Love this kids nastiness.
NOAH NELSON: COMMITTED MAY 13TH
Love Noah Nelson’s potential. Kids that are 6’7” 6’8” and 295 don’t grow on trees. He definitely is one of the most athletic guys I’ve seen in a long time from a tackle.
While looking at his film, a play specifically stood out to me where he’s trying to set the edge on a stretch play to the left. He goes to hook the defensive end who’s playing out wide, and he ends up overstepping to the outside. For most tackles just getting to that block is tough. To the point that they get whistled for a hold etc, but he just completely gets outside the guy easily.
I can definitely see what Bedenbaugh likes in this guy. The kid has elite feet and athleticism. While he’s raw with his hands and upper body, with some technical instruction, this guy could be a first-round draft choice.
Think of a guy with Lane Johnson’s athleticism and Orlando Brown’s length. While he may not play at 340 as O did, 325 isn’t out of the question. With the talent that Bedenbaugh has stockpiled, he’ll be able to come in, redshirt, develop, and then become a special player.
All the tools are definitely there.
ANDREW RAYM: COMMITTED JULY 10TH
Andrew Raym 6’5” 285. The quintessential Bedenbaugh O lineman.
Extremely powerful and nasty. What I like about his game the most is how hard he plays, and how well he finishes.
He’s downright mean, which makes me giddy. He uses his hands better than most young linemen and understands angles and how to cut off linebackers.
He is everything Bedenbaugh looks for when recruiting. Big, powerful, length to play tackle and power to play inside.
Built like a Bronson Irwin type of player but more athletic. Probably closest mentality wise to a Trent Williams as he is that nasty. He will be a guy who can come in and challenge for early PT.
Could be Bedenbaugh’s replacement for Creed Humphrey if he comes out after the 2020 season. Really huge pickup for the Sooners and a bell cow for the Offensive line.
ANTON HARRISON: COMMITTED SEPTEMBER 3RD
Anton Harrison is a 6’5” 305 lb 2020 kid, and you have to keep that in mind when you watch his tape. Physically he’s a man right now. He looks like he’s three or four years older than he is.
As you watch his tape, at first he appears to be a kid not too much removed from his freshman year of high school. What’s exciting though is as the tape rolls throughout the year, his performance gets better and better and BETTER. He develops a little bit of a nasty streak and realizes he can hit people on offense too.
You can really tell he likes to hit people and loves playing defense. Young players don’t realize that they can hit people on offense too. You just have to go create the contact whereas defensively the contact comes to you.
His backdrop on his twitter profile is a picture of Trent Williams. Being from DC you can understand why. He shows good power, nice feet and good hip flexibility. He’ll be a player to watch grow and develop for sure. If he progresses as much as he did in season over the next couple of years it’ll be tough to find a better prospect out there.
AARYN PARKS: COMMITTED SEPTEMBER 19TH
Aaryn Parks: Somewhere between 6’4” and 6’5” and 300-320. Very very athletic for such a big man and will play tackle for the Sooners. Natural feet and athleticism make him look very comfortable picking up twists, stunts, and blitzes.
Very well-coached and further along with technique development than a lot of players his age.
Is able to lock onto defenders and finish them off with authority. I love how he has mastered slamming guys into the ground.
Not a ton of film on him in pass protection, but you can tell he has been taught well with his hand placement on running plays.
He does a very nice job staying under control, controlling the defender and then redirecting and getting vertical movement.
He will need to work on keeping his hips to the side of the play as times he swung his hips outside on an inside run.
More talented defenders would beat him when that happens and he could get whistled for a hold.
One of the most highly-rated tackles left out there and you can definitely see why. He was committed to Penn State for a while and Bedenbaugh swooped in for the kill. Tremendous player.
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