Open Post | Tuesday, Feb. 3rd (UPDATE 1:16 pm)

Image of Arthur McGinnis via 247 Sports

Arthur McGinnis: You all know by now, Oklahoma picked up a much-needed commitment late last night from Louisiana native, Arthur McGinnis! Congrats to the Sooners and to coach Kish!

On the eve of National Signing Day, we are going to do a quick summary of OU’s remaining targets. But first a note from JY:

Tomorrow is obviously NSD, and once again Oklahoma looks like they are going to close strong.  In the past three days OU has secured the commitments of A.D. Miller, Dahu Green, and late last night Arthur McGinnis, who was sorely needed at the linebacker position.  And they still have a couple of more guys on the radar in Prentice McKinney and Josh Wariboko. For a lot of reasons, Wariboko has been a coveted recruit for OU fans.  Number one, he can play. And number two, he’s up the road in Oklahoma City.

Josh has been a guy that Coach Bedenbaugh has been after since day one, and when you put on the tape not many plays are needed to see why. He has the prototypical size for a guard at the major college and NFL level. He goes 6’3″ 1/2 to  6’4″ and about 315. In my opinion, he is a physical clone of Adam Shead. I instantly thought of the now former OU guard when I was watching Wariboko’s tape. If you remember, before Adam got hurt, he was on his way to becoming a truly special player. I see that same kind of potential in Josh’s game.

He has a first step that you notice immediately, and his quickness is something that will make him devastating as a pulling guard in the power run game. He’s tenacious in the truest sense of the word, and has that aggressiveness that I really look for in an offensive lineman. You really have to look to find plays on tape where he didn’t put someone on the ground.

When I watch film on a guy, I try to find some good things for that player to build on. I tend to be an optimistic person by nature, and I also understand that kids at this stage of their football careers can mature and grow up both physically and mentally. The wild card for a lot of players is that you don’t know how hard they’re willing to work. I say that because when I watch Wariboko’s tape, I really don’t have to justify him at all.  The saying goes if Grandmama can see he can play, he must be good. Well lemme tell ya…grandmama approves this message!

We have some depth inside, but it wouldn’t shock me if Josh was able to push for playing time after a redshirt year. God forbid we have a lot of injuries up front next year, he is a guy who could step in and play some if needed. The thing that translates in his game to the next level is his quickness and power.  He’s very thick in the lower body and knows how to finish people off. Once he is able to add some size and power in the weight room, he could be truly devastating for Coach Bedenbaugh.  I’m a big time buyer on Wariboko, and really hope he chooses the Sooners.  With Dahu Green jumping on board yesterday, hopefully Josh follows his friend to Norman.  We need him.  He’s the kind of player you need at every position.

Josh Wariboko: So where do things stand with Josh Wariboko right now? As we’ve said of late, our confidence has been growing as NSD approaches. What adds to that confidence is the commitment last night, as JY mentioned, of Dahu Green. Wariboko and Green are pretty tight, and we believe the former played a role in Dahu’s decision to stay close to home. We usually like to avoid predictions, but we are calling this one for OU.

Prentice McKinney: As you also know by now, McKinney was last week’s ‘secret’ visitor. If OU were to grab Prentice late, it would make this one of the best DB classes — at least on paper — OU has landed in quite a while. The simple fact of the matter being McKinney is one of the best safeties in the state of Texas. The tandem of McKinney and Kahlil Haughton could go a long ways toward remedying some of the issues OU has experienced at the safety position.

McKinney is also close to PJ Mbanasor, and we know for a fact he has been recruiting McKinney to join him in Norman.

And since we’re in the predicting mood, we are going to call this one for Oklahoma as well.

Three Possible Flips: So this was something we mentioned last week, and we just wanted to quickly clear the air so no one is left still wondering what/who we were referring to. Most of you have probably figured out by now that Dahu Green and Prentice McKinney were two of the three guys we were talking about. Obviously OU landed Green last night, and we’re predicting them to do the same with McKinney tomorrow. The third guy is a name you’ve read mentioned here many times, and we’ll address his situation below.

Du’Vonta Lampkin: Lampkin has been back-and-forth…then back-and-forth…and back-and-forth again with respect to his relationship with OU. The Sooners were his first offer and, at one time, he was obviously committed to OU. He then flipped to Texas and while he never decommitted, there was lingering talk out there that a possible NSD flip back to OU was at least on the table.

Lampkin took a recent visit to Austin and while by all appearances — he has been adamant on Twitter that he is all Texas, all the time — he has re-committed himself to Texas, we have been told there was still some wavering on his part despite the overwhelming sentiment in favor of UT put out publicly. Following that weekend visit, even knowing what we’d been told, if you made us pick we would have gone with Texas.

However, Jerry Montgomery has continued to recruit Lampkin throughout which has always led to whatever confidence we may have had about a possible flip in OU’s favor. We can’t reveal the reasons why, but at one point we’d have told you we were pretty close to 100% sure he’d flip. But frankly, as of last night, we’re not sure what to think. At this point unless it’s somewhere other than OU or Texas, wherever he winds up signing tomorrow won’t come as much of a surprise given how back-and-forth this whole process has been.

We mention him, however, because it’s a name you’re going to want to remember to keep an eye on tomorrow. Maybe he winds up in Austin and all of this was for not, but we just wanted you to be aware there’s at least a chance Monty might have one more trick up his sleeve.

– UPDATE (10:42 am): Probably should have included 2015 OT Pat Allen with those above as he is believed to be the only other name out there (mind you with recruiting there could always be a surprise or two, but we haven’t really heard anything like that…yet) with OU. Allen recently eliminated Tennessee, so it’s down to Oklahoma and Georgia. But most believe Allen will wind up back with the Dawgs. Still though, another name you might want to keep an eye on tomorrow just in case.

– UPDATE (1:09 pm): Interesting…

– UPDATE (1:16 pm): OU has offered 2016 stud DT Michael Williams (Fort Worth, TX).

 

739 Comments

  • Jordan Esco says:

    Okay, and with that I don’t believe there are any more ‘secret’ visitors, flips, whatever. But if you feel that’s not the case, let me know and I’ll do my best to answer whatever I can.

  • BleedCrimson says:

    Ready 4 the Boom…. Justwaitonit

  • Paul Walker says:

    Lampkin reminds me a lot of the McFarland recruitment a few years ago minus all the New York Times tabloids!

    Granted if we do end up flipping him and landing him I hope he has a little bit more of a productive career than the latter!

  • Carl Carter says:

    So many DB’s.. Thank god we got another Linebacker! Now it is time to get Wariboko!

  • Jeremy Phillips says:

    So, to be clear.. Y’all think there is absolutely zero, nada, 0% chance that OU can get Houston…?

  • Jeremy Phillips says:

    Did OU make a decision to go after Prentice McKinney before or after they stopped recruiting Reid & Orr??? & why?

    • Paul Walker says:

      If I remember correctly Reid and Orr were being recruited as CBs? Maybe I am wrong on this. Though Reid looked like one heck of a safety. So when Stephens committed that closed the door on CBs. McKinney is a safety so that why they are still going after him (plus his ties to our new DB coach helps).

      Just based on what I think I know. I am not 100% sure on it.

  • Randy says:

    Saying Lampkin sticks with Texas, did OU meet needs at DE and DT this class ?

  • bjwalker82 says:

    Do you all know who Monty was seeing in LAX the other day?

  • Randy says:

    I try not to count on FR, so that means Romar and Wade will be the 2 deep in the 3-4 ??

  • Jordan Esco says:

    quick update added

  • Cush Creekmont says:

    Less than 24 hours…just waiting by the Fax (metaphorically, not literally)

  • Doobie74OU says:

    Side note question! Jordon are you taking the day off work to keep up with everything on NSD? Going to be a lot of Info coming out in a short amount of time! Not saying you should but would understand if you felt it was necessary! 😉

  • Jeremy Phillips says:

    Poor guy.. Van Jefferson is probably the most confused recruit in the country right now.. Decommitted from Ole Miss.. Probably ends up at Michigan now.. But that would basically make 4 different commitments in the last 4 weeks…

    • soonerinks says:

      WTF, for real?

    • Paul Walker says:

      I think he would of stayed at Ole Miss if Coach Harbaugh didn’t come calling.

    • Bob Edwards says:

      Seems he is more confused about what the word commitment means than anything else.

      • Paul Walker says:

        Which is why an early signing period would be awesome!

        • Bob Edwards says:

          I like the idea of an early signing period. I would, however, like to see some sort of release for a player if the coach that recruited him left the school. I don’t like the idea that the guy making a ton of money can leave whenever he wants while the kid that’s going to have to work eighty hours a week for his room, board, tuition and books is locked in once he signs.

    • Carl Carter says:

      This makes me happy that he decommitted from Ole Miss. Him fading from OU still hurts..

    • Indy_sooner says:

      Super odd turn of events if indeed true.

  • Soonerfan24 says:

    Any chance OU makes a last minute push for Kyavah Tezino? He’s the 4* LB that just decommitted from WSU.

  • MrBigsby says:

    “The tandem of McKinney and Kahlil Haughton could go a long ways toward remedying some of the issues OU has experienced at the safety position.”

    Are you totally dismissing Parker? I think his future is bright.

    • Paul Walker says:

      I don’t think anyone is dismissing Parker. But imagine having the opportunity to RS both of these guys and they can grow through the system together if they are as good as advertised. By time they are RSFrosh, Parker is a Junior and we have solid depth.

    • Soonerfan24 says:

      And Will Sunderland!

      • SoonerfanTU says:

        A lot of folks aren’t as high on Sunderland. Don’t remember why, exactly.

        But McKinney, Haughton, and Parker are a good start. Maybe Sunderland. But I’m not in the camps of Byrd/Thomas right now.

        • Jordan Esco says:

          It wasn’t an intentional slight, I think K just had the other two guys specifically in mind when he wrote that.

        • Randy says:

          I don’t want FR in the defensive backfield again, if that happens then we are in trouble.

          • SoonerfanTU says:

            Other schools can plug talented freshman in from time to time. We gotta stop using that as an excuse. Multiple freshmen? Maybe. But we should be able to play one and get him reasonably ready.

          • Randy says:

            I agree. Multiple FR or inexperenced true sophomores are a bad combo usually.

          • MoJoOkie says:

            I think it depends on the position. A RB that knows how to pass block can come in and play. The occasional QB who has been coached well at the high school level. CBs, LBs (especially inside), OL, not so much.

        • hOUligan says:

          Keep hearing Sunderland would be great at FS in run support and could actually grow into a LB. He is a hitter.

        • Mysterio1 says:

          Lot’s of talk that Thomas is moving to LB? And if Byrd isn’t careful, he could end up playing his football somewhere else. He is already in the Doghouse.

    • Kevin says:

      I thought it was because we were doing the 3-0-8 scheme this next year.

  • Randy says:

    I meant at DT.

  • Indy_sooner says:

    Surprised at Pat Allen knocking off the Vols. Many presumed he was automatically going there. Coach B must’ve made an impression on the lad

  • BigJoeBrown says:

    I could be wrong, but last year didn’t it seem that not only was Orlando Brown a NSD surprise, but Kenyon Frison as well, he only became known a couple of days before the date.

    • Paul Walker says:

      Brown was a huge surprise compared to Frison. Frison was a lot like McGinnis this year, no one really knew much about him because everything was kept so hush hush.

  • SamSooner says:

    I apologize for the re-post folks but this is how I feel about everything related to OU football.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mytLRy32Viw

  • SoonerfanTU says:

    Would the staff take Allen if they knew they were getting Wariboko?

    Great finish to this class. Props to all the coaches that worked hard to make it happen. Not sure why it is, but we always seen to start slow, but finish with a bang. Even following underachieving seasons. I really think this staff is good enough, especially with the changes we’ve made, to bring OU another NC.

    • Soonerfandave84 says:

      I’d hope so…Cant have enough good OL or DL.

      • hOUligan says:

        If only….

      • SoonerfanTU says:

        I know that is the saying, but you can, in fact, have too many. Still have to balance the roster, somewhat. I just didn’t know where the numbers currently stood.

        • Soonerfandave84 says:

          You cant have 20 but losing 4 starters this past season should open the door to take a couple extra

        • brainpimp says:

          No, no you can’t.. it has never happened in the history of football and is merely a theory, never seen in nature.

    • Jordan Esco says:

      “Would the staff take Allen if they knew they were getting Wariboko?”

      Yes.

      • Doobie74OU says:

        If so would that make Coach B OUs Best recruiter this past year? It would be hard to argue against OL being the best position in this recruiting class if he closes with Allen & Wariboko! Doesn’t really matter but fun question!

    • Paul Walker says:

      Can never have too many talented O-Linemen!

  • dallassooner says:

    If Lampkin signs with OU tomorrow dinner is on me! (we are going to McDonald’s and hopefully paying with hugs)

  • Tim Wilson says:

    I saw where Van Jefferson decomitted. Any shot that we get him now? Would we even take him?

  • Billy says:

    Anyone currently commited that we are worried about losing on NSD?

    • Robertson / Robertson 2016 says:

      Kish.

      Oh, wait. You said “worried”. My bad.

      • Paul Walker says:

        Haha, I think we should give Kish at least 1 day of no bashing since we got a gift in McGinnis last night!

    • Jordan Esco says:

      None that I’m aware of

    • SoonerfanTU says:

      We’ve been pretty lucky in this regards over the years, as far as I recall.

      Last one I remember off the top of my head (and I’m sure I’m forgetting a recent one) was the WR out of Tulsa that signed with Tennessee.

    • Bob Edwards says:

      We seem to try to recruit high character guys and push on the fact that a commitment is a commitment. This means we don’t get a lot of early commits, but we tend to get guys that stick once they have done it.

  • Robertson / Robertson 2016 says:

    Looking at Hulk McGinnis’ image up there, I must say that is the mug of neither a boy nor a man. But something much more sinister. Something that lurks and prowls and strikes and feeds on the souls of ball carriers. I read his name in a sentence and the voice of Boris Karloff suddenly is heard. Mwa. Ha. Ha.

  • James Richison says:

    First time posting..
    Which freshmen have the best shot at coming in and immediately playing as true freshmen?

    • Paul Walker says:

      Humphrey and well the obvious one Seibert

    • Soonerfandave84 says:

      PJ Mbanasor

    • MoJoOkie says:

      I know you said freshmen, but Westbrook should help with receiving this season.

    • Fear The Magic says:

      Austin Seibert

    • Bob Edwards says:

      Seibert probably. Both our starting punter and kicker graduated. The other positions where there are not obvious starters are WR and DB. The rest either have returning starters, or in the case of lineman you prefer they redshirt a year before playing to bulk up.

      • D Hunter Sanchez says:

        I think it is important to remember that on the Off side, returning starters may not have the normal advantage over the new guys. This is a new offense for the most part.

        • Bob Edwards says:

          True. But OL usually need at least a year in the weight room, it seems unlikely that someone would break into the RB rotation, and there is no FR QB coming in. So that only leaves WR, which I left open as a possibility.

    • Cole says:

      All of the secondary recruits will all get a chance to compete, Sunderland and Mbanasor are the two most likely.

    • JB says:

      Both LBs

  • wolfbuilder says:

    I’m getting the feeling pat is the other secret recruit cause lampkin is no secret

    • Jordan Esco says:

      No more secrets.

      And you’re right in that Lampkin wasn’t a “secret” in so much as the possibility, more so in how confident we were in it happening at one point as described above.

  • Dustin Brasel says:

    just checked Lampkin’s Twitter feed – all Texas. He isn’t flipping.

  • Steve McQueen says:

    Any thoughts on John Houston? Is that possibly where Montgomery is headed today?

  • rphokc says:

    esco………do you think the staff changes shake out this week after nsd…….thxs

    • Jordan Esco says:

      Based on everything we’ve been led to believe, I think we could hear something as early as Thursday, yes. But I say ‘as early as…’ b/c they’ve held it this long so if they want to bask in the NSD glow and wait until next week I wouldn’t be all that surprised.

  • Randy says:

    I would love to have Lampkin but my choice would be a JC DT out of now where signing tomorrow.

  • JJSoona says:

    Sure hope TFB’s servers are rested up for tomorrow:-)

  • Sooner Ray says:

    I want to see the hulk paired with Perine in the Oklahoma drill…….earthquake detected in Norman!

  • CoachTalk says:

    Jefferson decommitted fromm OL miss… lol

  • Maverick says:

    Jordan, is Overton the only grades risk?

  • Maverick says:

    I don’t see a good way to PM on here, but @jordanesco:disqus if you guys are interested, I have a basically empty message board that you guys could have. Let me know.

    Disqus is working decently well though.

  • Kyle says:

    Kish is going to hold on to this recruiting win like Bob holds on to the Sugar Bowl.

    • D Hunter Sanchez says:

      Do you blame him? Next year I do not want to see LBS looking clueless on the read whether they should cover the TE or the RB…sick of it…Especially that illegal play by K ST. The LBS still should have recognized the TE/WR in their zone and not free him to open space.

  • Soonerfandave84 says:

    Coach Warren VPreps retweeted
    Uncle Julio ‏@mike_williams52 5m5 minutes ago
    I just got offered by OU #BoomerSooner

  • Jeremy Phillips says:

    Sittler just said on the Tulsa Animal, that he has no inside information but he does have a gut feeling that Mike Stoops will no longer be coaching at OU. & that basically, the Kerry Cooks hire more solidifies his feeling..

    • Bob Edwards says:

      There was speculation that Cooks might have a rider in his contract that he could only leave for a promotion. If so, then that would either mean Tri-DC’s, or one of the current co-DC’s has to be leaving. Makes no sense for the guy who just got promoted to co-DC to leave which leaves Mike. Also, it does seem kind of odd to make a move from ND to OU that is a purely lateral move unless you are being promised something more. Given the history and current state of both programs, it is not a clear upgrade in quality of program. Of course, all this assumes that the speculation about Cooks contract is true.

      • Jeremy Phillips says:

        He’s not co-dc at ND. He was in 2013.. But the other co took the UConn job.. The guy they hired to replace him was given the DC title alone…

        • Bob Edwards says:

          What I said only assumes he is a position coach. He would have to be a co-DC so that it is a promotion and won’t break his contract. Which, as I said, was the assumption of my comment.

          • Jeremy Phillips says:

            I don’t think any sort of contract rider would prevent the hire… They demoted him just a year ago.. Even if they do have a rider.. It can be gotten around quite easily…

          • Bob Edwards says:

            A rider can be gotten around, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be costly to do so. That can still create a barrier to hiring someone. But like I said my argument is based on speculation, so no real point in arguing the details of the speculated rider. The main point is that there are a few things that seem a little off in the Cooks hire that make more sense if he is coming as a co-DC and Mike is leaving. But he could just be leaving ND because he is pissed off about the demotion.

  • Cole says:

    That Porter kid committed to USC…. Holding on to hope to reel in Houston.

  • Chas Taylor says:

    Does Baker Mayfield, Frank Shannon, and Joe Mixon get an extra year of eligibility since they did not play this past season?

    • Cole says:

      Mayfield won his appeal for his remaining eligibility, Shannon I believe lost his and Mixon technically redshirted.

    • MoJoOkie says:

      Don’t think so. Can’t remember if Shannon redshirted or not, but I believe Mixon can use his to have four left. Not sure about Mayfield. I would say that the year counted; whether it counted as a redshirt or just a “normal” year of eligibility I don’t know. Hope that’s clearer than mud.

    • Soonerfandave84 says:

      If Mixon is as good as hoped, it wont matter because he’ll go pro after 2 more years anyway

  • Kevin Fielder says:

    Jordan…Most of the time with recruits we only get their measureables. And, on this site we get the occasional demeanor of the player on the field. With that in mind, can you tell us what McGinnis’ demeanor is on the field? And, any of the other players we are recruiting. I notice we see a nasty side to Wariboko, but we need a little nasty on the field. Can you share?

  • Jeff says:

    Bigger question who could OU lose tomorrow?

  • Daddy R says:

    This is going to be exciting…

  • Ryan says:

    Cody Thomas quit the baseball team to focus on football. He has the measurables to be a stud in this offense. I’m excited to see what Riley can do with him.

    • Daddy R says:

      Didnt he have more promise in Baseball?

    • Zack says:

      I like this but only if he truly thinks he has better potential as a football player. I dont watch baseball and I will not encourage my son to play baseball unless he decides he loves it

    • D Hunter Sanchez says:

      Wow. Big gamble by him. His passing skills were none existent last year. Perhaps it was the WR and the patterns they ran.

      • Daddy R says:

        Or he was too used to throwing the baseball… getting the motions confused?

        • Robertson / Robertson 2016 says:

          …or a hand grenade.

        • Robertson / Robertson 2016 says:

          Quick story about throwing. When I was a kid, I thought it was a good idea to try and throw my cat like a football. I picked him up, reeled back, and let him fly. I looked down and my arm looked like a candy cane. The cat had latched on with every claw around my arm and took several strips of skin with him, from my elbow to my wrist. Kitty karma, my friend. Kitty karma.

      • Ryan says:

        I think it was Heupel and norvell that made our qbs and receivers suck. New blood will be great.

    • soonerinks says:

      Very excited when Cody committed to the good guys and haven’t given up on any of our QB’s.

      • paganpink says:

        Personally, I am done with TK. He has all the intangibles but few games in the last 2 yeas where he was even average in the measured parts of the game especially considering how frequently he is hurt while playing.

        • ND52 says:

          Any coach that can turn him into a serviceable QB that doesn’t get his team beat deserves coach of the year.

          No two ways about it…….

  • soonerinks says:

    Anyone have any thoughts on the BB game tonight. Little worried about the WV pressure but think the Sooners will be able to handle it. Look for a big (Thomas or Spangler) to move to middle of court with the other under the basket and Buddy in the corner. Hopefully the bigs will help Woodward and Cousins more than the last game we played them. If we can break the press, might leave Spangler or Hield an easy look. We can do this!

  • SoonerFan16 says:

    Apparently McCuisttion just dropped something big. Anybody know what it is?

  • Borba22 says:

    Haven’t read all the comments, so I’m sorry if already mentioned, but hearing things aren’t quite done between OU and Van Jefferson. (Saw someone did mention he decommited from Ole Miss). IMO, you would think the ship would have sailed with us getting two WR commits though, right? Officially a little chaos for NSD.

    • Sooner Ray says:

      Some are saying Michigan, but who knows with this kid.

      • Borba22 says:

        Michigan seems to be the favorite for sure, but we’ve seen how speculating on his favorite has gone before. Just think we should move on given the last couple of days. Apparently the coaches think otherwise though.

    • Jordan Esco says:

      OU is full at WR now

  • Guest says:

    I think it was Heupel and Norvell that made our qbs and wrs suck. New blood will be great.

    • paganpink says:

      Yes- It may be exactly what was needed. With good coaching and schemes everyone raves about the talent. Bad coaching and schemes and everyone says we’re lacking in talent. We may amaze people with how much our people “progressed” in one year even if it’s due more to coaching then it is to the players abilities!

    • soonerthunder says:

      I think it was the play calling. I think Heupel did a good job developing QBs and Norvell WRs, but you can put a player in a position to not look good by the plays you run.

  • j l says:

    Amazing what just a couple days can do for your outlook. Was looking a little bleak last week with us whiffing on some kids. Looking a WHOLE lot better now. Add wariboko and mckinney, and our class will be to about 12th.

    Great job coaches.

    As always, great job TFB, keep up the good work!

    • D Hunter Sanchez says:

      If we do add another couple of 4 stars it will be 5th overall according to average of stars. I think that is the more telling stat of how well recruiting season went.

    • soonerthunder says:

      I bet those OU fans who jumped off the building about a week ago b/c we didn’t get Thomas wish they had a parachute. Prediction: Next yr there will be several disappointments in recruiting–guys we wanted that we don’t get. For those fans that are suicidal about recruiting–either go ahead now or take my advice and don’t follow recruiting.

      • j l says:

        Ill admit, i was pretty down last week. Didnt look like we were going to end with our usual strong close.

        im happy to be wrong.

  • Katyboomer says:

    What do you all think of TK9 moving to WR ( if he does not win the starting QB job) kind of like what NE did with Edelman? Is he fast enough? Just think outside the box a little.

    • Mike Reed says:

      Katy (boomer) Perry said no go to that. 😛

    • Collin says:

      Nothing wrong with thinking outside of the box! I say no to the transition. He’s fragile enough as it is. Also, WR depth is no longer an issue and not sure of his catching abilities.

      • Katyboomer says:

        Yeah, just feel bad for the guy.Even with the hard time he had last year, I still like the guy. I see what you all are saying about how fragile he has been. Plus I think Quick will fill i this spot for OU anyways

        • Collin says:

          I do as well. One day he is the face of the program, the next he his back in the competitive mix.

          • Katyboomer says:

            What WR do you all see making the biggest jump next season. I am going to go with Quick. He is good I think he just needs to catch a little more often. I think he may have been trying to hard to make something happen after the catch. Mixon will be fun to watch as well.

          • Collin says:

            I am going to go with Dallis Todd. He has the size and ability to be a great wide receiver for us. I will agree that Quick is only going to get better as well. I would like to see Quick utilized more on punt returns.

          • Katyboomer says:

            Punt returns do we do that? JK

    • Lesslie Stanford says:

      I don’t think he has the toughness to be a wide receiver like Edelman. He has a nasty injury history.

    • Robertson / Robertson 2016 says:

      Glass bones.

      • paganpink says:

        And not just bones. He seems to be very prone to injury in a very tough sport where you have to take shots. He never seemed wimpy or anything, he legitimately just got hurt a lot, and I think that’s why they were even scared to let him run half of the year. He won’t be the QB again.

    • Maverick says:

      I think we have enough WR’s now. And imo Knight would be awful as a WR.

    • Jordan Esco says:

      Um, no.

    • BleedCrimson says:

      I am not going to sell his stock just yet. I hope that with the right coach and training, he will be able to find the open receivers. We had plenty of time where he stuck to his first choice and didnt look for anyone else. I know he had some accuracy problems, but hopefully he will evolve.

  • BoomerNation says:

    Any story on John houston? Josh Mcquistion tweeted out something about is daily notes be huge

  • Matt says:

    maybe I’m late to the party on this but as a casual observer…in the games I watched, the coverage problems were mostly in the secondary and with the pass rush scheme. I didn’t think the issue was having linebackers in coverage…the areas I saw that needed big time help were Julian playing off coverage when he clearly needed to be in press and the safeties being too young and biting on everything like Javon Harris in 2011..but theres hope because look at how well Javon played in 2012 just one year later! Maybe I’m uneducated but in my viewing, the linebackers werent the issue, it was pretty much just the scheme and the fact that Mike rushed 3 or just 4 so much of the time. Does anyone agree with this? Or am I way way off?

    • Maverick says:

      It was definitely some scheme in big games. It was also not having the better athletes (Except KSU). Baylor Wr’s were better than our DB’s. Scheme made it worse.

    • soonerthunder says:

      according to Rufus Alexander, he has looked very closely at the D situation, and he thinks it’s mainly the LBs. He said they “can’t” get deep enough to help in coverage and the safeties have to cheat up, and it makes the safeties more vulnerable. He did not think it was on the DBs; he said they have to help the LBs in coverage; he thought it was on the “inability” of the LBs that exposed our D. I don’t know, I’m just telling you what I’ve heard Rufus speak extensively about.

    • MoJoOkie says:

      I think Wilson is fast (straight line speed), but is not a true cover corner, so he needed to play off some to keep from getting beat deep with a double move. LB is a very difficult position to play because you have to read correctly run or pass and then get into position to make the play. In the 3-4, the down linemen typically take on the blockers and free the backers to meet the RB in the hole or if the guards go into pass blocking the backers have to back into their pass coverage areas. I think our backers played pretty well considering how young they were. Having Shannon would have made a world of difference.

    • JB says:

      Agree with you.

  • Matt says:

    also, will the Brainiacs be doing a breakdown of every commit on signing day? I’m a VERY casual observer when it comes to recruiting so I need someone to tell me who to be really excited about and how good I should feel about the class overall

    • Eric Hoffpauir says:

      Sooner Sports actually does a decent job breaking down each commit as they come in. Nice to have an independent voice, though.

  • Lane Gilstrap says:

    I’m so glad we don’t have to see Josh Heupels stupid face during this epic quarterback competition. Realistically all four guys have a shot. I’m so freakin excited. Ready for the spring game.

    • Maverick says:

      That’s the face of a champion you’re talking about there Lane.

      • Lane Gilstrap says:

        Plus about 500 cheeseburgers.

        • Maverick says:

          Might wanna change that avi before you start talking about burgers friend.

          • Lane Gilstrap says:

            Dude Josh had about 3 chins.

          • Maverick says:

            What does that have to do with his ability to coach?

          • Lane Gilstrap says:

            I didn’t say anything about his coaching ability. I said I was glad I didn’t have to see his stupid face. There’s not enough room on this thread to go over his coaching.

          • Maverick says:

            Don’t see the need to keep endlessly bashing the guy. He’s gone. He was a champion at OU. Remember what Thumper’s mom says.

          • Lane Gilstrap says:

            How about this Maverick? I’m excited there’s somebody new and fresh to coach the offense and qb’s. Does that suit you?

          • Maverick says:

            Yeah buddy! I’m excited too! I also hope they name a starter in the Spring and don’t let it linger into Summer/Fall.

          • Lane Gilstrap says:

            I know that crap is so frustrating.

          • SoonerfanTU says:

            Zero chance a starter is named in the Spring. Hold off, and you get better/more competition thru the Summer/Fall. That is good for all involved.

          • Maverick says:

            I don’t think I buy that argument. I think naming a leader is more important than any perceived value in waiting.

          • Boom says:

            You want competition all the way up to the end unless they are head and shoulders above the others like a Bradford. Then the competition is for 2nd. This year, they all have to compete and be leaders during the offseason/summer. things to watch from a coaching perspective.

          • Maverick says:

            I get that argument. But I don’t think there’s any more competition if you wait to name a starter. If anything, the #2 would work harder to try to overcome it.

            In the end, one Qb will work with the 1’s the most. They’ll know the pecking order whether a starter is named or not. Probably a silly thing to argue.

          • Boom says:

            Yea, you can make pros cons each way but to me, I like to constant competition. It’s healthy and feeds to the other players too.

          • SoonerfanTU says:

            They won’t even have the offense put in during the spring. This battle is going to last. Wouldn’t be surprised to not have a starter names until late in Fall camp.

      • D Hunter Sanchez says:

        Yes, when he played. But as coach not so much.

    • D Hunter Sanchez says:

      That’s right. Open comp…most consistent passer wins. Tired of the pick sixes that contribute big time to losses. Also, glad NotsoMoneycutt is gone.

      • thebigdroot says:

        Really on Moneycutt? Yeah his Senior year wasn’t what we expected but the guy had an awesome career. Maybe we forgot what it was like just a few years ago when we couldn’t buy a FG or a decent punter.

        • D Hunter Sanchez says:

          I know he was better than guys like Stevens etc…but going back to 2012 he missed some big kicks…excluding the Bama game.

      • Maverick says:

        Heupel didn’t throw any pick 6’s this year… And MoneyCutt was solid. TD catch at OSU was pretty clutch.

      • BoomerDave says:

        Seriously out of line regarding Hunnicutt. One of the best kicker in OU history.

      • DCinAZ says:

        Moneycutt will have a very successful career in the NFL and was one of our better kickers. That’s just nuts.

    • SoonerfanTU says:

      Stupid face? lol. So dumb the hate some OU fans have for certain coaches/players.

      • soonerthunder says:

        Agreed. Heupel gave us a lot over the past 15 years. i’m thankful for him. Riley will get ripped next. It’s standard operating procedure especially for OC.

  • Robertson / Robertson 2016 says:

    So who wants to speculate as to what the LB rotation looks like for next year? Does J. Evans keep his ILB spot? Does McGinnis and/or DeBerry start pushing for serious PT as true freshmen? Does Bolton emerge as Striker 2.0? Anyone?

    • Soonerfandave84 says:

      Striker, Shannon, Alexander, Bond…Obo and Evans play some too

    • Cam says:

      Who will be our OLBs? If Shannon and Alexander are our ILBs could Evans move outside?

      • Robertson / Robertson 2016 says:

        A little birdie told me that J. Evans is really putting in the work to fill out for ILB. I remember Bob raving about his length and his frame.

        • MrBigsby says:

          I wouldn’t mind seeing either Evans or Alexander redshirt to build strength. Both were forced into action as true freshman and could have used that extra development year.

          • Clint Lenard says:

            That’s silly. You don’t hold guys out to “build strength” after they’ve been in the program for 2 years. they can “build strength” during their off season workouts.

          • MrBigsby says:

            Its silly to think that either of them were ready as true freshmen. They only played out of necessity. Hell, Evans barely even got a scholly and was a last minute pick up who played safety in HS.

          • Boom says:

            Happens more than you think

      • JD says:

        IMO Evans has a higher ceiling than Alexander

        • Jordan Esco says:

          WAY higher

          • Maverick says:

            Alexander is such a tweener body-type wise. LB skillset, Safety body. He looked sluggish imo at his playing weight last year.

          • Paul Walker says:

            Higher ceiling yes, but the work ethic that Dominique has is crazy. I got to know the kid extremely well during my time at Booker T. Washington and if he thinks someone is going to work harder than him, then he is going to work harder.

        • DCinAZ says:

          Yep. Evans is more physical and a much better tackler than Alexander.

    • Maverick says:

      I think that really depends on who’s coaching and what scheme they’re running. But I would say Shannon has a chance to start if he comes back.

      If we stay in the 3-4 it would be Bond/Obo taking over for Grissom and everyone else stays the same.

      • Katyboomer says:

        If Shannon comes back can we or should we try and RS one of the guys that played this year?

        • Maverick says:

          Nah, this isn’t NCAA ’14. You need guys to be staying with the first group, getting the reps in case someone goes down.

          • Katyboomer says:

            See that but at LB I would there to be a good flow not a bunch of subs. You can always pull the RS if need be. I see what your saying though. Also like the NCAA 14 ref. good one!

          • Sooner Ray says:

            This is becoming a full time job for you it seems. 🙂

          • Dustin says:

            I take my job very seriously

          • EasTex says:

            My thing is ending a sentence with a preposition.
            Bad=”It is where we are at.”
            Good=”It is where we are.”
            Makes me want to climb a tall building with a scoped rifle, it does.

          • soonerthunder says:

            Sorry, I taught English at college and HS level, and while some English teachers will tell you cannot end a sentence with a preposition, you clearly can at times. Maybe not in that sentence, but it can be done. However, it may make you feel good that English teachers will sometimes say that you cannot.

          • EasTex says:

            I know there are times, but to hear the above sentence and others like it drives me nuts.
            I also got a kick out of Winston Churchill’s response to no prepositions at the end of a sentence. Makes me laugh thinking about it.

          • boomersooner says:

            growing up in memphis, i was asked this many times…”where you be stay at?” what they were trying to ask is “in what part of town do you happen to reside?” very funny thinking back on it. you woulda loved it. if you ain’t used to it, it can hurt your ears but once you get used to it, its natural, just like “done did it” or used to could” etc

          • JD says:

            We should all spend some time on an English message board and see how long it takes to sniff us out lol

          • boomersooner says:

            hopefully not as quick as bloodred

          • Dustin says:

            That dude really got under your skin, didn’t he?

          • boomersooner says:

            i mean its obvious he’s not an ou fan. its just that i don’t understand some of these clowns who go out of their way to be douchebags. i will never understand that line of thinking

          • Dustin says:

            I know, man. I feel ya. I gotta tell you I get the giggles every time you reference him in a post. I just think, “Damn, he hates that guy.”

          • boomersooner says:

            haha. he keeps wanting to fight someone. he might wanna be careful what he wishes for

          • JB says:

            The things that drive me nuts are:
            1) the misuse of “should of” for “should’ve”;
            2) people saying/typing “if I was” instead of “if I were” which has become colloquial at this point;
            3) “Irregardless”…UGH!

            FYI…There is no rule in the English language against ending a sentence with a preposition. I’ve actually looked up where this came from and it originated with school teachers in the Northeast who didn’t like care for the practice. If memory serves, it started in Connecticut.

          • OohRah Mama says:

            I get driven to annoyance by “I could care less”. Really? You could? Then what’s the point? Me, I couldn’t care less because I don’t care at all. Really bugs me, that one.

          • OohRah Mama says:

            During a casual conversation at a party, I asked a woman, “So where are y’all visiting from?” She put her nose in the air and sniffed “We are from a place where we don’t end sentences with a preposition.” So I said “Where are y’all visiting from, bit@#?”

            Old one.

          • Okie4Life says:

            Haha! I’m an English teacher and I have a hard time passing up some of the things I read on here. But I just get out the red pen and take it out on my students. 🙂

          • Sooner Ray says:

            Dunt foller me round plaese. 🙂

          • JD says:

            Good idea…the message board is basically like chatting among friends at your favorite virtual bar..when I see people correcting others I just don’t see them as being apart of the conversation very long…sometimes (heck most times) I’m just typing as fast as I can and not really looking back unless I changed my mind on my reply..I don’t spend the time to edit every post and I doubt others do as well..as long as you “hear” me then I got thru to ya…cheers and teach them kids right!

          • Robertson / Robertson 2016 says:

            I’m an editor/analyst and a freelance writer when and where I can get picked up. Language is my life. One thing I’ve learned over the years is that (1) nobody is above typos and grammar mistakes, (2) and language is communication. As long as I can understand what someone is saying, I’ll leave my Strunk and White copy on the shelf.

          • Katyboomer says:

            😉 One of these days I am either going to get it or you’re going to give up on me 😉

          • Dustin says:

            You know I can’t quit you

          • Katyboomer says:

            you see my post below? I did it correct for once, I put ( Dustin Approved ) on it LOL

          • Dustin says:

            LOL that’s just good stuff. I didn’t get a chance to see it. Been a busy day.

      • Robertson / Robertson 2016 says:

        I’m liking Obo’s game. Hoping he brings some redemption for what the scheme changes did to Grissom.

        • Maverick says:

          Yeah that’s the tough thing about switching schemes. He would likely need to play DE if we went to 4-2-5 (just wishful thinking).

          • Robertson / Robertson 2016 says:

            I’m also curious about Bolton and Tay Evans. If there Twitter accounts are any indication, they’ve been putting in some good work with Schmidt. Bolton also seems to have that attitude.

          • Maverick says:

            Excited about Bolton too. Think he will be a ST nightmare this season.

          • EasTex says:

            I looked at the roster the other day and it showed Tay up to 6’2″222. He reported to campus last June at 200-205. If he is still growing and retains his speed and athleticism he could be memorable.

          • Robertson / Robertson 2016 says:

            Do they update their roster in the offseason? How recent is the current roster, do you know?

          • Boom says:

            I see Tay at 225 – 230. Bolton will be close to 230. I think Evans & Alexander will be 230 too. Shannon left at 230 so he will at least be there so we will be big enough.

          • Lane Gilstrap says:

            I think we need to play a 3-4 and when we get a few tds ahead switch to a 3-3-5. We need to be able to be versatile

    • hOUligan says:

      McGinnis and especially DeBerry have played with their hand down a lot. McGinnis might make ST but otherwise likely needs a RS year. I expect some guys to be moved around again but know Shannon will be in the mix. Bond was starting to ‘get it’ as was Obo. Will be fun if practice isn’t behind a black curtain, which I expect it will be.

    • MoJoOkie says:

      I don’t see McGinnis or DeBerry getting on the field this season. If they do, we have serious injury problems. LB is hard at the college level. Speed and position take time to develop/get used to.

      • Robertson / Robertson 2016 says:

        I dig it. I’m just kind of enamored with their size. Been a while since we’ve brought in a true ILB body type. Not since Lofton, I think.

        • MoJoOkie says:

          Yeah, size is good, but you don’t want them out there wandering in the wilderness. Knowing where to go instinctively takes a little bit of time in the system.

        • Doobie74OU says:

          I wonder how OBO would be at ILB has pretty good size at 6’1″ 240lb especially on passing downs seems he would fit good!

    • Doobie74OU says:

      JMO but I’m going with Shannon and Evans as starting ILBs and Stricker and OBO starting OLB. On Obvious passing downs I could see maybe switching out Shannon for either Bolton, Bond or Alexander( maybe even Thomas if he moves to LB) to a little more athleticism/pass rush on the field! I hope that guys step up and there are no major injuries and McGinnis & DeBerry can RS cause they could be special for 4 years after that season in the program!

    • Maverick says:

      Always says something to me when our NFL guys come back to work with him (I know Sanchez isn’t one of them). He’s been a constant since Stoops has been here. Guy is a legend.

    • Robertson / Robertson 2016 says:

      Schmitty |shmit-tee|verb [ trans. ] cause the exhaustion of and required physical improvement for a (Sooner male or female athlete) to dominate with abandon: “the cornerback was Schmitty’d this morning and lost his breakfast”

  • Shelby is a Patriot says:

    Glad to hear Cody Thomas will be focusing on just Football now. Hopefully working with Riley will do good for our QBs!

  • Soonerfandave84 says:

    anyone read the story Jason Kersey tweeted about Lance Armstrong? Keep it classy Lance!!!

  • ouwooferman says:

    any of my friends from BCsnn here? Regardless, great flips these last days. Hope we can hold them till tomorrow. BOOM

  • hushnpa says:

    DT Michael Williams, 2.50 mark – when blocking lineman is in your way – tackle both lineman and ball carrier ! Mahvealous 🙂

    • J.r. Kamm says:

      That is one big fella. Looked like he was going up against JV kids on a couple of those highlights.

    • Doobie74OU says:

      He is pretty impressive! Hard to tell in High School, sometimes one kid is just bigger stronger and faster than the other team, but at about the :50 mark he drops in zone coverage reads the play wades through some blockers and makes a play on the ball carrier. And at about the 2:32 mark there is a quick pass out to the wide receiver and he scrapes down the line wades through blockers and gets in on the play again. Seems to have hustle and good Football IQ and it doesn’t matter what level the competition is at if you can see those things it means a lot!

  • Puma says:

    So one of the big knocks agains Riley was his red zone Td percentage. I’m going to go ahead and attribute that to the athletes he has at ECU. He has to be giddy about 1. Having Perine and 2. Having green, miller, Todd, mead, Andrews, and Meier as 6’4″+ pass catchers.

  • Robertson / Robertson 2016 says:

    Here’s a doozy for the Brainiacs. Which recruit(s) tweets a freakout about their first Oklahoma tornado season?

    • Brent says:

      Dru Samia for sure. We Californians scare easy.

      • Jed says:

        In your defense, having the damn sky try to reach down and kill you really IS a scary thing.

        • boomersooner says:

          so you’re saying going out and looking for the tornado while its tearing up the neighborhood wasn’t a smart thing to do?

          • Jed says:

            Almost irresistible, but dumb. Yes.

          • boomersooner says:

            it sounds like a train, so why not go see the choochoo

          • Jed says:

            Be sure to take a beer because if it’s your last moment on earth, at least you can go out with a brewski.

          • boomersooner says:

            well it butchered our campus but we stayed about 5 miles from campus. we knew it wasn’t gonna be close enough to yank us up but we hoped close enough to see it. nope. just heard it

        • Robertson / Robertson 2016 says:

          Ain’t that the truth. When I travel and people ask about it, I tell them two stories: (1) May 3rd (2) and the 2013 outbreak. Sad thing is, about every Okie I’ve ever met has a May 3rd story. And then 2013 happened. Now May 3rd is just an afterthought.

      • Zack says:

        Def someone from Cali. Todd was the first this year I think. I can’t see mcginnis or deberry all that worried I’m sure they’ve dealt with hurricanes

      • Mike Reed says:

        Dru will feel right at home with the earthquakes. Maybe we’ll have a quakenado to ease him into it.

    • Jed says:

      Dunno, but my methodology in selecting my bet would be to look for recruits from either coast and, if east coast, then above the Mason Dixon line. That should narrow it down to about 5 at most. Then weed out any rural kids. You should be at around 3 or so and thus have a decent shot on the basis of nothing but educated guessing.
      Yeah, I kicked the SAT’s azz.

    • Lincoln Hawk says:

      I’m no Brainiac but I pick Gallimore eh

  • JD says:

    Man, whoever wasn’t here last night missed a hell of a good time…Boom…ban…crickets…time for bed..then BOOOOM!!

  • j l says:

    Like to get the opinion of some more experienced fans.

    Am i crazy to continue with my wagon attached to the knight train? I just have this gut feeling hes going to improve a lot under riley, and will be our starter next year.

    I know mayfield is the sexy choice, as the backup QB usually is, along with his experience in the air raid.

    I just thing trevor has a much higher ceiling.

    • MrBigsby says:

      Well….my opinion is different. Riley himself stated that the QB must be “accurate”, a trait that Knight does not possess. I’m not sold on Mayfield either. If the QB of the future is on campus, it’s probably going to be Thomas or Hansen.

      • j l says:

        Thomas looked pretty awful in regards to accuracy last year. Ive always thought that had more to do with heupel than cody himself though, and the same goes for trevor.

        im projecting a big improvement for all the kids we have on campus under riley.

        • MrBigsby says:

          I think Thomas will improve by just giving up Baseball. I have a feeling he’s talked to Riley and it was made clear that the only way he has a real shot at winning the job is if he focuses on Football only.

          Also, I believe the WRs had something to do with the accuracy as well. The top 4 WRs were Shep, Neal, Quick, and Young….all of which are inside/slot type guys. None of the outside receivers stepped up. Maybe one (or 2) of the new guys can do it.

    • ouwooferman says:

      2nd year slump is not unusual. Now that it is ground zero for all qbs, i expect a lot from all of them. I am very worried that the injury he suffered may have lingering effect (mentally) more than anything else. If Katy Perry responds to his tweet, then he will be mental. LMAO

    • Puma says:

      You are definitely not crazy. Especially after witnessing what Boykin did. But I think most fans have seen enough from TK9 and are ready for something else. It’s the decision making and accuracy that bother me with knight.

      • j l says:

        The boykin point is one ive made countless times, but others dont seem to think knight could make similar improvement.

        i think that middle sentence is very true. they dont care who it is, they just know they dont want trevor.

        • ouwooferman says:

          Trevor just does not hold up in the run game compared to others. I really like him, but fear he is prone to injury.

          • j l says:

            That is a fair knock on him. Could stand to add 5-10 pounds of muscle to his frame.

          • Boom says:

            So was AD, he didn’t make it his soph or jr year. Things happen but doesn’t mean they will always happen.

    • Doobie74OU says:

      It is going to come down to “accuracy” in both his decision making and throwing the football. Got to make quick reads and put the ball on target in this offense. Up to now he hasn’t showed great accuracy but doesn’t mean he can’t! The only advantage I would give to Mayfield is in making quick decisions because he has played in this offense for so many years!

    • Okie4Life says:

      I’m a big Trevor fan, but I think my opinion is colored by the type of young man he is. I would love for him to do well–he is a great representative of Oklahoma football. Regardless of whether he ever plays QB for us again, he’s got a lot going for him and I fully expect him to be successful at life.

      • j l says:

        Thats probably a big part of it. Hard not to root for a solid young man.

      • Sooner_Ace says:

        My 2 cents:
        After the Bama game, teams had enough of film on TK9 and knew tendencies and limitations. After that, his effectiveness was completely diminished.

    • JD says:

      We need an accurate qb that can dink and dunk at a fast pace…accuracy should go up with the pace alone…then the qb needs to have the ability to make the down field throws as well…3rd downs really killed us last year and missing those down field throws really put us in a funk…I’m leaning towards KT..I think he’ll really improve with full focus on football…but right now it’s anybody’s guess how these guys will perform…I think we will be really happy with the offense next season regardless of who wins the job

    • HoustonChiver says:

      I only saw TK two times in person. One was the opener against UL-M, one was the Sugar Bowl. Both ends of the spectrum, he was terrible as a passer in the first and has some ridiculous touch in the Sugar Bowl. I think he’s an average QB that would be really good at a not top tier program. I like his character and he seems like a good team mate, but he’s not a “take us to the next level” guy IMO.

      • j l says:

        Ive been on the train since the 2013 spring game. Saw something back then that just screamed, hes the guy.

        • Eric Hoffpauir says:

          That’s what I thought, too. I was much more impressed by him in that spring game than the other QBs.

        • MrBigsby says:

          Gotta take into consideration the D he was going against. It proved to be a sieve.

          • j l says:

            Not in 2013. We had a nasty secondary that year.

            He looked like crap against our crappy defense in 2014 though, you are correct.

    • Steve Johns says:

      Whichever QB comes out on top will have earned it. I could see the possibility of Knight winning the job but can say the same about all four of them.

    • Shelby is a Patriot says:

      We’ve seen the level he can play at (Sugar Bowl), so we know he has it in him somewhere; maybe Riley can figure him out, because he is- as are all our QBs- an outstanding young man.

      • j l says:

        absolutely. We all know its there, just gotta get to that level consistently.

        Can he? Thats the $500,000 question =)

      • EasTex says:

        The thing I noticed about TK in the Sugar, he was calm and confident. He only exhibited that confidence in a few games and not in any that were as significant.
        That is the aspect of his game that I think needs the most effort, by him and the coaches. His physical talent is certainly there.

        • Boom says:

          good call. The WRs he had to work with during the Sugar was much different than this past year. WRs will improve but last year was a rebuilding year for them.

        • Shelby is a Patriot says:

          I believe he even said after the Sugar Bowl that finding confidence was a large part of how he played that day.

    • Dustin says:

      I’m hitching my wagon to whomever Bob and Linc put behind center. That being said, I’m interested in seeing what Hansen can do. He’s the only one I haven’t seen play yet.

      • j l says:

        Dont get me wrong, im going to cheer whoever they put back there. Hansen is certainly interesting. Big, athletic, strong arm.

        • Dustin says:

          Didn’t mean to insinuate that you would be taking sides in a QB battle. Sorry if it sounded that way.

          • j l says:

            nah its all good. i mean, i am cheering for trevor, but i want to win more. If hes not the guy, then hes not the guy.

    • Boom says:

      My assumption is Riley’s system will be more focused as to 1st read then 2nd, not 4. Routes will be quicker which will lead more WRs to be open. This will also help our WRs be more productive and have more separation. This system will be QB friendly and feel like Trevor will do well. That being said, a lot of them will do well so we will see.

    • Sam Sherwood says:

      I’m convinced Trevor has an “adrenaline rush” problem… it degrades his ability to stay calm and methodically process information in the heat of the moment. Same as stage fright, happy feet, choking under pressure, etc. (I’ve got experience with this and there are drugs that suppress the adrenal gland that alleviate the problem).
      There are games or times during a game when Trevor seems calm and plays great (Sugar Bowl being one)… but most the time the “excitement”/adrenaline amps up and he makes erratic plays/decisions.
      Like some people get stage fright and some don’t… some QB’s are calm in the pocket and some get happy feet. I’m afraid Trevor has an adrenal gland he cannot control.

    • Robertson / Robertson 2016 says:

      “Am i crazy to continue with my wagon attached to the knight train?”

      Are you going off the rails on a crazy train…?

    • mgcsooner says:

      Not really as far as improving–a lot. On the other hand, I think every QB we have is capable of driving Riley’s system. Personally, I think he comes in 2nd or 3rd. Thought 2nd, but news Cody Thomas is not playing BB, means he is for the first time in his life going to focus on a single sport. He is as talented an any QB on campus. Still think Mayfield’s familiarity with system puts him in the drivers seat–his to hold on to.

      • j l says:

        Mayfield winning seems to be the popular choice. Just not sure he hasnt already reached his ceiling.

    • JB says:

      Yes, you are crazy (lol). He is made of glass and under performs. Has a hard time not overthrowing short passes which is 90% of this offense’s game. I just don’t see it.

      • Boom says:

        Adrian Peterson was made of glass too. don’t mean to be a pain but he only finished one out of three years. It happens but doesn’t always mean it will happen.

      • j l says:

        I expect a big performance jump under riley. We shall see.

  • ouwooferman says:

    So does OU announce their assistant coaching hires on NSD? Is that the lock on the flips?

    • Soonerfandave84 says:

      Not sure…Dave Sittler seems to think Mike is gone

      • Jordan Esco says:

        Where/when did he say that?

        • Soonerfandave84 says:

          he was talking on the MoD Tulsa Animal today(I wasnt listening but was told he said as much)

        • Jeremy Phillips says:

          Yeah i posted that about 4hrs ago.. Think it got lost in the shuffle.. He didn’t have any sources telling him that. It was just his feeling.. The Kerry Cooks hire made him feel even stronger about it..

      • Steve Johns says:

        I saw a tweet earlier that he had a gut feeling that Mike could be gone due to the new DB hire. Said he had no inside info to back it up.

      • ouwooferman says:

        Wow, that would be bigger news than EVER.

    • JD says:

      They would announce todaytonight if they were trying to flip guys with a new hire…most sign their letters in the morning…you wouldn’t announce a new hire during the middle of signing day..no way….either a few days before to secure..or wait until after everybody is signed

  • SoonerGray says:

    My buddy just brought up a good point….with Porter Gustin giving his verbal to USC, is there a chance they’re full at LB? Maybe that is what could potentially flip Houston to OU?

    • Dustin says:

      Houston is one of those players you make room for no matter what. If he wants to be at USC, they will undoubtedly take him.

    • Doobie74OU says:

      They only have 21 committed players right now and 3 of those are LBs so they still have plenty of room for a 5* Top 30 player Nationally according to Rivals. I’m sure they can squeeze him in!!! LOL!

      • SoonerGray says:

        I know…probably true. I went and looked at their roster and it looks like they need LBs, as well. Oh well, happy with DeBerry and Hulk!

    • Borba22 says:

      I’d say we have about a 0.1% chance at landing him after this news. Was at 0.09%

    • KJ1123 says:

      My guess is Houston is going where Green (his teammate is going), I’m guessing Oregon. They will both probably play immediately with ORs needs. Or..SC of course….but not sure they will play right away there.

  • Stephen says:

    Still celebrating the Dahu Green flip this afternoon.

    • Fear The Magic says:

      Easy there, you dont want the mother of all hangovers on NSD do you?

    • Easton says:

      There wasn’t even a 20% chance that he would go Sooner as of last night. Just my perception, this guy wasn’t coming to OU until he decided to come to OU.

  • Thegunnfather says:

    Anyone else notice how quick ou signing day rankings went by compared to everyone else. Had to pause to read. Hate to think like this but it’s becoming crazy. #BS

  • Dustin says:

    SIAP: Some announcement times, per 247:

    7:45 – Pat Allen
    9:30 – Josh Wariboko
    1:00 – John Houston 😉

  • CS says:

    We don’t always host recruits (Re: weekend before last), but when we do, we land half a dozen! #BOOM

  • Maverick says:

    Looking forward to hearing from Riley again tomorrow. Assuming SSTV will have some scheduled interviews profiling recruits. We’ve only heard him speak to the media once right?

  • Maverick says:

    That Williams tape is sick. Looks like a man among boys. That is a violent football player. Get em Monty!

  • Gary Jackson says:

    I’m reading also there might be a nice surprise in Pat Allen, the OL from Maryland. Coach B has been after him hot and heavy and he just might flip.

    • HanzBrix says:

      Where are you reading that?

      • Gary Jackson says:

        There is another board I visit all the time. The guy that posted it almost always has good info.

        • Maverick says:

          Maybe he reads this site?? There’s an update from this morning about Pat Allen above.

          • Gary Jackson says:

            I’m not sure where he gets his info. Not slighting this site at all but I don’t think it’s from here. I didn’t see the Pat Allen update. Will have to look.

          • Katyboomer says:

            Thanks for the update you hear any other rumors please post them. Thanks again for the info

          • Gary Jackson says:

            I see the update. The guy I’m talking about is fairly certain he will flip.

          • Jeremy Phillips says:

            you serious bro??? you posted 20min. ago.. the update has been there since 10:45 this morning……

          • Gary Jackson says:

            Well, I just got home from work and I didn’t check this site first.

  • Chris White says:

    Michael Williams or Tommie Harris?

  • Brien Brown says:

    Hello all, so looks like it was a happy beginning for most well if you are an OU fan or a Patriots fan, at least 3 commitments came from the weekend visitors. I’m not late to the party just been busy with family and out of town to post. I like Miller and Green, and without a doubt love the McGinnis announcement. So possibly down to 4 realistic commits tomorrow or hell even maybe tonight, Wariboko, McKinney, Allen, and Lampkin. I like our O-Line and D-Line class as is but if I had to pick I’d take Wariboko and Lampkin over the other 2 and I’d trade those 2 for a commitment from Houiston Jr. I know it’sa long to no shot at all but hell have to have hope right. Anyways looking forward to the next 24 hours should be fun. Looking forward to the post on here.

  • Brien Brown says:

    Call me crazy but, I think despite the talent of Knight and the sexy pick of Mayfield, I think Thomas or Hansen could be the man next year at OU and my money is on Thomas. I know he didn’t look great when he played last year but, other than Perine did look good, I think he will fit Riley’s system better than the other guys, despite Mayfields experience and all, I say Thomas will be the trigger man.

    • boomersooner says:

      you could be right on thomas. i think the good thing is that all 4 have a fresh clean slate. riley’s got film from college on 3 and high school on all 4 but they all come in as equals but the one that proves its theirs and they want it more than their next breath will be the last man standing. whoever brings the best leadership, “coach on the field”, talent, poise, moxie, creativity, coachability, heart and whatever else you wanna throw in is gonna be the guy. chase for 8. i know i’m excited to watch it unfold

      • Boom says:

        Also see the WR competition a little different too. With the new coaches the WRs have the same clean slate. They need to step up their game too. This system should help them separate which will be easier for the QB to make his throws.

        • Maverick says:

          And they’ll be playing their natural positions. Probably won’t see Shep and Neal on the outside as much.

          • Boom says:

            I with you on that as I would move Shep all around and put Neal out of the backfield on occasion. Lot of options at WR.
            Young, Bennett, Westbrook, Smallwood, Quick, Mead, Todd, Humphry, Green, AD – TE Andrews, Meier, Flowers & Wood. Curious to see who fits Riley’s system.

          • Brien Brown says:

            There is a lot of options for sure. remember back in the day OU would have 12-14 guys with like 10 plus catches so if we can get back to that I am more than ok with it!

          • Maverick says:

            Yeah in an ideal world I think you’d have:

            Outside: Smallwood, Mead, Todd, Green, AD

            Inside: Shep, Neal, Westbrook, Quick, Young, Bennett, Humphrey

            But the best 5 might be Shep, Neal, Smallwood, Quick, and Westbrook.

          • boomersooner says:

            can you imagine the stacks? good luck defending that

        • JB says:

          I’d be willing to bet that EVERY single position on this team will be open. Some players ought to feel secure they’ll win the job regardless (e.g. Perine). Bob’s trying to save his own job, so I would think that there are no sacred cows.

      • Maverick says:

        I really feel like it’s going to be Mayfield. The guy is just a gamer.

        • Brien Brown says:

          I think after last season that’s all we heard was how good he was and think we all want him to be. But I feel Thomas is really going to separate himself during the Spring.

        • boomersooner says:

          i kinda do too. right now, to me, he’s number 4(capt obvious) but will come on like gangbusters and earn it. that’s what’s exciting. the work ethic that it should take to earn the spot should be pretty neat to watch and see them push each other and then a steel cage ladder match will break out and JR…wait

          • Maverick says:

            I think the players really like Mayfield too. That helps. He’s been in Riley’s system before so he has a leg up. It just makes too much sense.

          • Brien Brown says:

            That’s the problem it makes too much sense. I want them to work for it not assume I have been in this system the job is mine, no way, I think that Thomas or Hansen wins cause they work harder for it.

          • Maverick says:

            Lol, I disagree sir. The most effective QB will win. Not who works hardest.

          • Brien Brown says:

            We can agree to disagree, as long as we are agreeing we have to be better at QB next year to be better than we was this year lol

          • Maverick says:

            Agreed!

          • boomersooner says:

            haha. sorry. i coulda swore you typed hanson before. i was thinking hanson. that’s why i said number 4. i got the oombop on the brain i suppose. i got a feeling about hanson but if mayfield wins it that’s cool too

          • Maverick says:

            I’m not real high on Hansen, but I haven’t been from the beginning. Watched him live in HS a few times. I’ve been wrong before though.

          • boomersooner says:

            he said in an interview he didn’t like you either. sorry i don’t have a link 🙂

          • Boom says:

            My brother lives in Edmond and he watched Bradford and said, I don’t see what they see in him. I’ve never let him live that down.

          • Maverick says:

            Well I would be psyched to be your brother in that scenario! Please let any of them be even in the same conversation.

          • JB says:

            That pretty much describes my feeling about CT, but I’ve seen him play college ball. I think he would be better served by focusing on baseball.

          • Boom says:

            Wonder what you thought of Boykin as a QB before/after.

          • Boom says:

            Hanson started when he was a freshman on the HS. That’s saying something and he did well in a big 6A school. That would be tuff for any kid to play as a freshman.

        • BoomerDave says:

          I agree 100%.

      • Brien Brown says:

        I watched some of his H.S. game films and looks like he ran a system similar to Riley’s in H.S. as did Hansen, I really feel the spread is where OU should be at anyways, mean that’s been the type of offense that has allowed us to be so deadly for many years. I agree with the WR’s also, outside of Shepard I think any spot is wide open. I think gut is telling me now, Shepard, Westbrook, Quick and Neal will be the day 1 starters if we run a 4 wide set.

      • EasTex says:

        Riley has stated clearly what he is looking for in a QB, a “winner.” He doesn’t have to be the biggest, fastest, best looking or have the best arm. He needs to be able to put everything (poise, preperation, confidence, skill) together and make the offense work despite all the obstacles a prolate spheroid and opposing defenses present.

    • soonerthunder says:

      QBs are the apple of my eye. My son was a QB, played in college, I’ve been OC, and we’ve been to tons and tons of camps, etc. I personally have known Bradford, David Ash, and others, plus the family of Webb at TT. Been around the best OC/QB coaches in the world. Personally, I liked what I saw in Thomas. But I also liked what i saw of Hanson in HS, and I think TK is a good QB. I like what I’ve seen of Mayfield. I’m a lot higher on the QBs than some. I’ve seen athletes look bad b/c of playcalling or putting them in a position they will not look good in, then people write off the QB or athlete. You have to look beyond that. I personally didn’t think the QBs or WRs were put in a position to succeed the last couple of years. I don’t look at what others look at, and when I looked at Thomas I was very pleased with his ability. I don’t judge some of those mistakes as harshly as others b/c I know that sometimes the OL did something slight, missed by average fan, that messed the play up, or a WR. For example, David Ash and his father were telling me of a situation where David was criticized for a throw he made to an excellent WR (forget name, Davis?). Anyway, they told me personally that it was the WR who ran too far before the cut; it was a timing play and Ash throws before the cut. Sometimes a DB can take a WR off his route. There are too many things to know that you cannot know unless you are in the QB/OC film room to know for sure. I haven’t seen Hanson under college pressure, except at Spring, which wasn’t a good evaluation of his talent for several reasons, but I’ve liked the ability of what I’ve seen in the other 3 at a college level. I think whoever emerges will be someone that is best for Riley’s system but I think we can find someone who can do well in it. It’s a little easier to look good in as a QB, actually, than what we’ve been running. Riley’s O is hard to defend, but easier to play QB in. I thought TK did a very good job of completing long passes last yr. If he wins the position, and can throw the passes/make the decisions Riley will have him make, plus can throw long and run, he’ll do well. I thought Thomas ran the ball well, is a natural at moving in the pocket and he ran the ball very well. I wasn’t expecting that. Mayfield is good too, at throwing, making decisions, and running. We’ll see. I think the WRs will have more of a chance to be open in this O than what we were running. Didn’t like what we’ve done the last couple of yrs. No confusing the D at all, just seemed more to try to beat the D on a route and then get the ball in there. I have never thought the running game would do anything but benefit with a spread O. Defenses had better not put their eggs in stopping the run b/c WRs (fast, elusive ones) will be running in the open field in this O. That should help the RBs and the OL in blocking (DL has to ask: Is it a run? Is it a pass? Do I rush hard? Do I wait to see if they hand off to RB?). I’m excited. Lots of WRs & RBs will touch the ball in this system, that’s for sure. I think we have one or more QBs on campus; we’ll see.

      • Brien Brown says:

        I bought into Riley as soon as he said we have the QB on campus we need to win. This leads me to believe that A. He already knew what he had on campus, meaning he did his homework B. He has an idea already who will be his man C. He will run his offense and not get rattled like JH. I’m sold

      • Boom says:

        Cool write up. I’ve been around coaches my whole life and continue to talk to a lot of them on offensive schemes. Like you, I have a son who is a young QB, not even in HS but he’s working with HS/college kids in his QB camps and training.
        I agree, we have good QBs and when Riley came aboard, first thing I thought was the TCU turnaround. Boykin wasn’t in a system that worked for him until last year. I feel Riley will do the same with our QBs. Difference between us and TCU? We have a stable of backs that are on a higher level than TCU. We will not be predictable, having more open lanes, and running all over the field.

        • soonerthunder says:

          When I was an OC, I heard criticisms from people in the crowd, and I thought, You know, if I was in their position I’d think the same thing. But they were wrong. They just didn’t know what had really gone on on that play. Then, when I went to see my son play QB. He’d throw an interception–rare. You’d hear people in the crowd asking why would anyone throw that pass? It looked to me like they had a point. I’d ask my son about it afterwards, and it wasn’t his fault at all. For example. another receiver ran a wrong route, put his DB in the area where he wouldn’t have been on a timing play, and the pass gets picked off. My son will never criticize the WR. The coaches know. He knows. The WR will know, but the OL or RBs will never even know. They’ll even think it was the QB’s fault. I’ve learned to be a lot less critical of QBs than many are after being an OC, having a son a QB, talking to the best OCs in the world–literally. Wow! The stories they tell, and you realize, we just cannot really know what’s going on unless you are in the QB room. I see the Ash family, and stay in their home, monthly. I see the Webb family often. They always have stories. Not even the RBs or OL know; they are not in the QB room. WRs many times don’t know. People can criticize Thomas’s throwing. I just don’t believe it. I think it had more to do with timing and calls played, but I don’t know. I think he’s got all the tools. But I also like what little I’ve seen in the others.

          • Boom says:

            I’ve coached youth, not the bigs like you. 7 years in youth and this is my second year for 7-7 and I work harder on the kids routes than the QB. Routes can make/break the QB. Example, QB calls audible and WR runs wrong route and QB gets picked, sacked, or takes off running. I’ve heard the same grumblings but like you, they don’t know what was really called. I am far less critical of QBs than I used to be.
            Also, people don’t have a clue how fast these decisions are coming and what the QB has to do in order to be accurate in his throws. His footwork has to match his eyes which has to match his decision all in a fraction of a second. That’s why Aaron Rodgers is so much fun to watch as he’s moving in the pocket all the time with mayhem all around him. I don’t know of a position in any sport harder than QB.

      • SoonerGoneEast says:

        “I personally didn’t think the QBs or WRs were put in a position to succeed the last couple of years.”

        I think you’re being generous. Our offensive skill players have been hamstrung the last four, five even six years. Consider this, how many offensive players, QB’s & WR’s specifically, can you look back on and say they didn’t reach their potential? Far, far to many to be a coincidence. JMO.

    • SoonerfanTU says:

      I just don’t see them starting Hansen. Experience matters. There is nearly no chance Hansen, IMO, shows enough in the offseason to jump three guys that have real game experience.

      • Steve Johns says:

        None of them have experience in this system. If Hansen shows to be the best in the spring, or fall, he’ll be the starter.

        • SoonerfanTU says:

          That is not true. Knight and Mayfield both have experience in what I’d call very similar systems.

          • Steve Johns says:

            Mayfield does have some experience in a similar system, the others no. Everything was predetermined for Knight.

  • Jeremy Phillips says:

    @CoachDrhill12: Here’s what’s left of the 2015 class. Good luck to all our #Sooners tomorrow! #Unmatched #WhoUWit http://twitter.com/CoachDrhill12/status/562746626381709313/photo/1

  • Jeremy Phillips says:

    Another 2016 offer.. Alief DB Benjie Franklin..

  • CrimsonGhost says:

    Sorry if I’ve missed this, but is there any chance Michael Onuoha makes it back on the team after his academic issues last fall?

    • rphokc says:

      ……seems like I read on here a while back that it wasn’t gonna happen, but not sure…..

  • Tim A says:

    I am very excited for NSD tomorrow even though most of the “Booms” have already come. I thought last year’s class / closing was fun with Mixon on National TV shortly after Sugar Bowl – and then Quick, Frison and others – but I am even happier with this year’s class simply because I expected it to implode after the Clemson nightmare. I don’t want to be a pessimist and surely am hoping/praying this doesn’t happen to us – but we talk about possible flips – is there anyone currently on our list that could be wavering from OU and a possible flip away from us to another school? Is anyone being heavily recruited still? Hope not – but we talk of some we could flip – just curious if anyone has heard any of “our” guys as possible flips? would hate to lose any of them…

  • rphokc says:

    listening to a football analyst with esch and he says ut is going to the spread and flipped a qb recruit from fsu…..

    • Easton says:

      Hearing about this as well.

    • bmrsnr says:

      Film isn’t impressive at QB but is obviously a good athlete. Should have hired Riley instead of Watson if they wanted to go spread.

    • SoonerfanTU says:

      It will take them years to recruit the players and to implement the scheme, before that would work. They don’t have the QB. Don’t have the WR depth. And might not have the Oline. Don’t have the OC either, IMO.

  • Easton says:

    Game time.

  • RocketCitySooner says:

    Matt Colburn All Purpose Back from Dutch Fork South Carolina. Bobby Patrino (Louisville) pulled his offer yesterday to make room for another DB. 19th rated on rivals. Kid had been committed since June. High School coach will not allow Patrino or Louisville to recruit his school in the future.

    • Brien Brown says:

      Yea but, sucks cause OU won’t be in on him :-O

    • rphokc says:

      ….don’t understand how hs coach could legally do that……..the players are not his kids……..what if a player wants to talk to lville…..

      • RocketCitySooner says:

        Key word is recruit “his school”. Would not be allowed on campus. Kid can still talk but what would you think if your coach was badmouthing the recruiter? Also, all kids at that school now know they can’t trust Louisville to fulfill it’s commitments.

        • rphokc says:

          …….probably a public school, not his school…….unless something illegal was going on to restrict access I would think there would still be a possible legal problem………not arguing, just curious

          • RocketCitySooner says:

            It might be a figure of speech but that’s what the news article quoted the coach as saying. After pissing off that coach, Louisville will have a difficult time recruiting that school or any other school where the high school coach has friends. I’ve read in numerous posts how important the rapport a recruiter has with high school coaches is in the recruiting process. The guy has burned some bridges.

          • BB says:

            Pretty sure you have to have permission to enter public school grounds or else it is trespassing. The football coach isn’t in charge of that, but i’m sure he would have some sway in denying a coach permission to visit school grounds.

          • rphokc says:

            so, he could deny access simply b/c he doesn’t like him?……..and does the player have a right to see him at the school like other players/recruiters…..doesn’t matter if the hs coach doesn’t like him, I would think……btw, if there was a lawyer on here there is probably a very simple answer

      • Steve Johns says:

        High school coaches are the point of contact for recruits. They set up visits/meetings, answer questions, get transcripts, etc. I never spoke with a recruiter without permission from my coach.

        • rphokc says:

          …..but what legal right does the coach have to restrict your access

          • Steve Johns says:

            Hell if I know but that’s how it works. lol

          • EasTex says:

            What coach would go to the courts if a HS coach tells them to pound sand?
            HS coach can certainly have an impact on his player’s attitude if he tells them what the college/coaches did to another player at the end of the recruiting period when nearly all of his other offers no longer exist.

          • rphokc says:

            …..understand the second part, sure……..just asking what legal right does coach have to restrict access

          • EasTex says:

            No legal authority…at all, moral authority by the truck loads.

          • j l says:

            Coaches can ask that someone not be allowed on their grounds, its really that simple. im sure the security guards will walk whoever it is off the campus, or get hit with trespassing.

          • Zack says:

            You just don’t want to burn kids especially in a fertile recruiting zone that isn’t necessarily a pipeline. For example I don’t think Mullen or miss st will have much luck recruiting Texas kids after pulling chason’s offer.

          • rphokc says:

            probably, but doesn’t answer the ?……..I’m just curious about the point

          • RocketCitySooner says:

            I know it doesn’t answer your question about legal authority. I just quoted the high school coach. You can be assured that Patrino will be working up hill in the future. Also, I imagine other colleges will use this against him “Sure, you’ve got an offer from Louisville, but how do you know you’ll have one on signing day?”

          • rphokc says:

            …..for sure

    • soonerborn says:

      That kid is legit! I say OU offers!! He’s faster that Perine and a bowling ball.

    • Daddy R says:

      Man thats bogus.. pulling the scholly that is.

  • Jonathan Taylor says:

    Anyone think Kish keeps his job with the signing of Hulk? Personally I think not. Development hasn’t been great, plus it just seems like elite recruits don’t want to come here to play for him even though they seem to like him. I doubt we would have got DeBerry or Hulk if not for Monty.

    • Randy says:

      I still don’t get this “logic” on Kish ?

      • Zack says:

        What logic? That he needs Monty to hold his hand?

        • Randy says:

          ok.. ?

          • Zack says:

            I was just trying to clarify what logic you were referring to? The claim that we wouldn’t have the 2 linebackers if it weren’t for Monty?

          • Randy says:

            The logic that he needs to be fired. Maybe we could get a better recruiter and even maybe a better position coach but I watched every snap last year and LB was not a issue with me. And the recruiting thing all the coaches recruit different positions it’s never came up till now ( that’s the logic I didn’t get).

          • Zack says:

            Oh ok I agree. I was thinking you were talking about the fact that some people give “the majority” credit for the 2 linebackers to Monty and by majority I mean all the credit. I know Monty was the key to landing deberry but people act like kish wasn’t allowed or had no contact.
            From my perspective he’s doing an ok job. He improved each year so far and he’s recruited other positions. I think had Dwight Williams and John Houston grew up in Fresno, then they would be Sooners but they went to junipero Serra and those kids never leave LA

          • Randy says:

            I am more concerned with the players he has on campus and want to be here than I was with his recruiting. I think they are having a hard time figuring out what kind of LBs to recruit. Outside lb seem to be more available, the inside ones seem harder to find, that’s why you see athletes like Alexander and Evans player there. I believe they will both have outstanding years in ’15.

    • JD says:

      I don’t think his job was in jeopardy except among some fans…He had a decent pull last year even after the 416 showing….Boren took away the qb of the defense and we were stuck with two underclassmen…we will be much better at the position this year

      • Jonathan Taylor says:

        Maybe, but can’t dispute their needs to be improvement from the LBs this year. Don’t get me wrong the whole D needs to improve at least in Pass D, but it just seemed like the LBs struggled in their drops almost as much as the DBs. I’m hoping the new DB coach helping Mike will allow some better ideas. Like…I don’t know…NOT GIVING SO MUCH DAMN ROOM BETWEEN OUR DBS AND THE WRS!!!

        • JD says:

          Yeah I can’t really give anybody on our d a glowing review except Striker…Evans is better than avg in coverage…these bigger backers everybody wants won’t hack it against the pass…need both..we’re making progress…losing Shannon last year was a big deal

      • Steve Johns says:

        Everything last year was set up to protect the safeties. Put a lot of pressure on LBs and CBs. Mike had to play off the corners because he had no over the top help from safeties. Better to keep the ball in front than give up the long ball.

        • JD says:

          Hopefully Mike learnt his lesson…you can’t play your corners deep against the spread…Safety help is a must..we needed to press and disguise our coverage…better to gamble than getting dink and dunked all the way down the field…really brought the team down watching that first drive of the second half against Baylor

          • Steve Johns says:

            That was a gamble he wasn’t willing to take against Baylor. Petty would’ve really lit up the defense, if CBs pressed every down.

          • JD says:

            not if he would have had safety help over the top…maybe we didn’t have the personnel back their talented enough to cover…I think Parker maybe could…Mike’s gonna learn that in our league one of our safeties needs to be a hybrid…AC and Nelson come to mind…besides it takes longer for the long play to develop..why not let the best pass rusher in the league make a play…maybe we get a turnover or two out of the gamble instead of letting them just drive down the field…easier for a corner to forget one play rather then 6-7 straight…Wilson was done after that drive

          • Steve Johns says:

            First sentence says it all. I see people blaming LBs, when the biggest problem was at safety. Pretty sure Mike knows he needs better play from them. Moving Strike into coverage was not something he wanted to do but it became a necessity. Sometimes you have to pick your poison and hope it works out.

  • Jonathan Taylor says:

    Also good move for Thomas. I think it will be between him, Mayfield and Hansen for the starting spot.

  • D Hunter Sanchez says:

    It’s less than 24 hours to NSD an Texas still sucks.

  • Mizuno44 says:

    Ahhhh, NSD Eve, finally!!

  • Lincoln Hawk says:

    Haughton, Hearne and McKinney. Hmmmmmm

  • Maverick says:

    Basketball guys are looking pretty good so far! Just have to hold on. WVU is stupid athletic. Press game strong.

    • soonerinks says:

      West Virginia’s press is ideally made for them to do some damage in March if they can get past their first draw. They play 12 players significant minutes so they will still have their legs under them.

  • Defend Colfax says:

    Love OUr hoops team. We’re so up and down it can be frustrating but these guys make me proud to be a Sooner.

  • Martin says:

    I never saw Tommie Harris’ HS film, but M. Williams sure dominates vs the competition. Is he considered the top TX DT in 2016? OU lean?

    • Zack says:

      I would say he’s not the top currently, rivals has him as a 3 star. I would have to do more research but I’m gonna wait a few weeks before I start looking at the 2016 guys. To me though I saw a little but of the video above and I’ve seen his stature, he reminds me of a combo of romar and walker

  • Lincoln Hawk says:

    I saw McKinney set up his announcement for tomorrow morning. Not sure he would need an announcement to stay committed to UNC. Put that together with the update above and the picture below and it looks like Denzel will make at least one appearance here tomorrow.

  • Maverick says:

    Very good win tonight. Had to hold serve at home. Handled that pressure really well and made shots. Only concern moving forward is Tashawn Thomas is still somewhat MIA.

    • Sooner Ray says:

      Got home just in time to watch the last 3 minutes.

    • soonerinks says:

      This team is starting to come together and very capable of making a league run. Unfortunately, the conference has let Kansas scoot to a big lead and they will probably make it 11 in a row. Our bench is slowly starting to improve which is essential as our starters are getting way too many minutes which usually ends up biting you big time towards the end of the season. Lattin and Booker need to be getting between 15-20 mins a game going forward.

  • Zack says:

    I would assume no one here is going to watch the ESPN coverage. I set up the dvr for the OU/stoops stuff on foxok…anything else worth watching? Obviously I’ll be checking tfb at work

    • boomersooner says:

      why? you mean you don’t wanna see em go to bama, then to lsu, then to uga, then to ark, then to a&m, then to mizzou, then to ole miss, then to miss st, then back to bama to see if saban dumped out his twinkie or whatever the hell he stuffs his face with, then to tenn, then to so car, then throw oregon, and ohio st a bone then back to bama?

      • Zack says:

        Precisely. Someone posted their reporters and locations for tomorrow either way down below these comments or over at SS and they will be live at 6 sec schools. It’s frustrating that ESPiN influences so many people and for recruiting it’s impossible even for texas to land a class similar to bama and lsu

        • Zack says:

          Right now lsu isn’t as high as normal but I think that will change tomorrow

        • boomersooner says:

          i can’t wait for the hammer to come down on the whole thing. the worldwide leader in sports should not be in bed with a conference. i get it, its really smart for business, but that business should have never been started(the business of being bosom buddies with a conference). i mean, what happens if someone else puts on their big boy pants and signs up this uber super conference and in 15 yrs espn is out of business? it would serve them right for this crap because they opened pandora’s box.

          and don’t even get me started on oversigning and grey shirting and whatnot. if my son is blessed enough to play football at the big time college level, sec schools need not apply. look me in the face and tell me my son ain’t gonna get a scholarship next yr for some new 5 star recruit and you might need dental work. rant over

          • Zack says:

            ESPN isn’t going anywhere though that’s my problem with it. Fox and Nbc sports have both tried stealing espn’s thunder and it just won’t work. They are king of production and king of propaganda. They get all these people to tell you what is happening in sports and they call them experts so you believe them. I like some of the ESPN personalities but I can’t watch much of it unless an OU football game is on there. If they have the thunder, guess what so does fox sports and I’ll watch the homer station all day long over them.

            As far as my son was blessed to play college ball he wouldn’t be allowed to leave the state of Oklahoma or texas.

          • Sooner Ray says:

            I watch espin only if it’s a must see game, when the clock hits zero….channel changed.

    • soonerinks says:

      I have a weak stomach and get nauseated easily.

    • JD says:

      Im gonna jump between here and soonersports…if its on foxok then that is pretty much sooner sports so there too

    • Sooner Ray says:

      This is the only channel I can pick up from my office.

      • Zack says:

        Not a bad deal. I’ve got to hide my tfb addiction at work

        • Sooner Ray says:

          Not me, my boss is a Sooner fan so he expects me to yell BOOM now and then.

          • Zack says:

            My boss is too season ticket holder and his brother in law played for the 85 team I think but he hates cell phones

          • Sooner Ray says:

            Man that sucks. Between me and my boss, we have 3 phones, 3 PC’s, 2 i-pads, 3 laptops, 55″ flat screen tv and a radio tuned to a sports channel all going at once. We don’t miss much.

          • RBear says:

            any job opportunities? 😉

          • Zack says:

            Seriously I need this kind of a work environment. I don’t like the Tulsa area much though

          • Sooner Ray says:

            How can you not like trees, rolling hills, lakes and rivers?. I don’t care to go into Tulsa, not because it’s Tulsa, I just hate cities, traffic, and noise. I live and work North of Tulsa and dread having to drive through down town when I go to our house in Jenks.

        • Fear The Magic says:

          lol…funny. Im glad I have my own office.

        • Kody K. says:

          That’s so funny because I do too. That’s the reason I don’t post as much so I can be quick on the draw to change the screen. LOL!

    • Borba22 says:

      Super late I know, but the only thing maybe worth watching on ESPN is that Wariboko will be announcing on ESPNU I believe at 10.

    • JD says:

      10 pounds in two weeks is pretty impressive

      • Fear The Magic says:

        The complete tweet was “Ive gained 10 pounds since Ive been here and gone from a 4.55 to a 5.2 40”

        • JD says:

          Considering he’s a 4.3 guy..I don’t believe you bro lol

          • Fear The Magic says:

            Its ok I dont believe me either.

            That being said I doubt hes a 4.3 guy

          • Jonesy says:

            I’ve seen his time listed at 4.38

          • JD says:

            Have you seen he and his bro’s film..they are fast…SaundersStills fast…4.3 fast…sub 4.4 if that sounds better

          • Fear The Magic says:

            I have seen his film and I agree that he looks fast but when I see the number 4.3 Im always a bit skeptical. Very very few truly have that speed. If I were to guess Id say more like 4.4 – 4.45 but of course I could be wrong and I hope I am. he’s actually one of my favorite recruits. I think he’ll be really good at OU.

            And yes his brother is small but jet quick

          • JD says:

            I’m thinking 4.35 to 4.38 (stills) up to a 4.45…and like you say fast…he can def spread the field…prob just depends on the daywind etc…def faster than most

          • Fear The Magic says:

            In my mind I already have him as our #2 WR. Not sure who’ll be #3…maybe Quick or one big kids ( Mead, Todd, Smallwood etc ). I like Neal but I just dont see him as top 3

          • JD says:

            Exactly what I’m thinking…Neal hasn’t really lived up…Shep is the only sure bet…I’m thinking De and a big guy..maybe flex tight too…can’t wait to find out

  • Sooner Ray says:

    I’m glad we’re not expecting a commit tonight, I need to rest up my BOOM finger for morning.

  • RBear says:

    Apparently, this is the kind of kid Riley wants- heard we offered:

    http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4635053/highlights/228978377

    • Zack says:

      2017 kid so it will be interesting to see what they do for 2016. I would guess in state kid or a kid from Texas

      • RBear says:

        crazy skills

        • Zack says:

          Yeah good looking kid for just a sophomore some weird throwing motion but he’s young and you can get away with it in college. Riley must really like this kid because I haven’t heard anything about riley and 2016 QBs. I know guarantano left us out of his top 3 right when we made the hire. And sounds like buechele won’t be favoring OU. Leaving Patterson who is a huge long shot and will have an offer from every school i bet

          • RBear says:

            Will be fun to watch this kid develop.

          • boomersooner says:

            am i wrong in thinking a smaller kaepernick? his running style with those daddy long legs got me thinking that way and kaep has a funky motion too

          • Zack says:

            That’s a good comparison actually. His throwing motion looked sorta like Phillip rivers at first but rivers has a pretty quick trigger.
            As far as athleticism I would say very much like kap long strider so he covers ground quickly and quietly and before you know it if you took a good angle it probably isn’t good enough

          • boomersooner says:

            that first play was all you need to know about him in my opinion. getting popped in the mouth and puts a bomb right in his wr’s undies what 40 yds downfield? pretty impressive

          • mgcsooner says:

            IDK Guarantano faved 2 Sooner tweets last night, including one ref visiting Sooners Heisman Park. Think he’s very flexible yet.

      • Sooner Ray says:

        This kid may be hard to get, bet he has his choice of any and every school.

    • Boomer4life says:

      Looks legit! Can run and throw.

    • EasTex says:

      This kid was the QB that replaced Jerrod Heard(Texsa r-fr) at Denton Guyer, who I actually expected to be the wHorns starting QB before this last season ended.
      I saw their first game of the season and they lost to Allen at UNT, he his talented and raw which should come as no surprise as a soph making his first start.
      I saw his last game of the season where they lost to South Lake Carroll in the playoffs.
      Guyer won the ten games in between those two neutral site losses.
      The HC at Guyer is John Walsh, father of former Okie Lite starting QB J.T. Walsh.

      • OkieRandolph says:

        Well ETex, all I can say is YOU gotta quit going to this kids games!!! You’re the kiss of death. ha I don’t know if I’ve seen a kid that polished and poised as this kid in a LONG time at that age. Hellbells, can he even drive yet? I was reading below some comparisons and to me he looks like a cross with Rivers short arm release with Kaepernick’s legs and running ability. Walsh, the Denton Guyer coach needs to spend a month on how to teach him to SLIDE and not take any big hits. Can you imagine him with an OU helmet on? We can only hope. I bet Lincoln Riley is drooling like a dog staring at a big ol’ hamhock!!!

        • EasTex says:

          Living in Dallas, we get a lot of televised high school games and that’s how I saw those two.
          The thing you have to understand is this is a highlight video. It doesn’t show all of his “stinker” plays and believe me there were many in both games. I mean some down right schtoopid fumbles, interceptions, tackles for losses and poor game/time management issues.
          Still, he is a soph and Guyer is a solid program. I will wait for his junior year and see if there is improvement and polish before I get excited about him.

          • OkieRandolph says:

            Well E-Tex, the same thing can be said about Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll right now too, so let’s not be too hard on a 16 year old kid. That video was about 10-12 min long and there were lots of goods things. Talk to you later today to celebrate.

          • EasTex says:

            I don’t think I was that hard on him.
            Just have a different perspective than a highlight video provides.

  • Stephen says:

    Prentice Mckinney is basically a Sooner now.

    • JD says:

      I’ve fig’d as much since his visit…more so with Cook being spilled…dang near positive after seeing the horns down pic with Hearne and Haughton

  • EasTex says:

    Tuesday is a wrap and we are but a few hours away from NSD.
    It has been an exciting recruiting cycle and the culmination of lots of hard work by the coaches.
    All of us here at TFB will be in celebration mode tomorrow and rightfully so.
    Good night, TFB and tomorrow let’s have some fun.

  • Stephen says:

    Happy NSD!

  • Boomer4life says:

    NSD….is finally upon us!

  • kt-raida says:

    Up early waiting on the faxes! Yesterday was my birthday,but somehow today is the celebration!

  • Sooner Ray says:

    NSD baby!

  • oumike23 says:

    Gallimore paperwork is in

  • Jim says:

    Whoops on the Wariboko to OU call. 🙁 Had my hopes up.