Sooners LB Dominique Alexander Declares For NFL Draft
Posted on: January 2, 2016
Image via Sooner Sports
Well for the second time in as many days, Oklahoma loses another upperclassmen to the NFL Draft. Sooners LB Dominique Alexander announced via his Twitter account that he will be foregoing his senior season and declaring for the draft.
I have decided to forgo my senior season and enter the 2016 NFL draft. Thank you everyone!! pic.twitter.com/Zyx3AGLgzC
— Dom Alexander (@_DAlexander1) January 2, 2016
While Zack Sanchez’s announcement wound up feeling like somewhat of an inevitability, this one I feel comes as a bit of a surprise.
Regardless, best of luck to Alexander at the next level.
265 Comments
wow this is a shock did not expect this one to happen
This one is a shocker, IMO. Doesn’t make a ton of sense to me, but much like Sanchez I’m not sure what really changes about his game by coming back for another year.
Best of luck to him.
Jordan, obviously pure speculation but who are starting LBs next year – if Evans stays or leaves as well.
Hard to say right now. No obvious candidates opposite J.Evans right now, IMO.
Seeing Evans out with what looks like a torn pec, it doesn’t make sense to come back if you ask me. Evans may need to just to show that the injury wasn’t a threat to his career.
If he really does have a torn pec then he’s out for the combine—-a likely draft killer.
Definitely a surprise, but if he got a 3rd round draft grade, it’s a no brainer if you’re Dom. Surprised if he got that high of a grade, but what I’m seeing around the interwebs says it could be.
Another great Sooner, can’t be bad for the program to have guys drafted as Jr’s. Also a really nice touch to say that Stoops was honest during his recruitment. Best of luck to another great Sooner!
This is the last thing I expected today. Agree that I don’t see him improving his draft position by coming back, but I’m not sure where he fits on a NFL roster at 6′ / 220lbs. I sure hope he has his degree.
Definitely a shocker. Is Evans leaving too? He had to have received a better grade than Dom, right? If so, who are linebackers next year?
Boom! So happy for Dom. He gave his best and now its his time to go make his mark.
Agree. Unfortunately many are declaring this a “good riddance” board. I guess “family” only applies to he team itself.
Where do you see that at @SoonerOscar:disqus?
other post above.
So…………..one post?
I cannot imagine he got a draft grade high enough to make this a smart move.
That said, much like Sanchez, I don’t think Alexander can “improve” much more by staying another year. He kind of “is what he is” at this point. And while I don’t see that as an NFL linebacker, I guess he does. Kid always got a lot of tackles, but always seemed to miss on a bunch as well.
Mike Stoops has some rebuilding to do next year on D. Hopefully Kelly and maybe a guy like Juarez see this as an opportunity to come in and start.
So that is Tapper, Striker, Alexander, Bond, and Sanchez off the D all gone.
I saw 3-5 Rd projection.
That’s actually a good grade for him
Not a bad grade at all and it’s probably pretty accurate at this point. I look at it this way. Compare it to college basketball, if a guy stays 4 years he usually falls in the draft because they find more and more to pick apart from his game. I actually hope this happens a little for buddy so he can fall far enough for the thunder to grab him.
Back to my point though is that Sanchez and Alexander have 3 years of film out there, one more year can hurt much more than help.
I’d be pretty shocked if he is chosen in round 3, but then again, I have no idea what kind of LB class this is. Maybe a light year at that position.
Not sure how credible this site/source is but it’s where I got info
http://walterfootball.com/draft2016ILB.php
Dom Alexander I hope you have great success in the NFL. I know for sure these LB recruits are looking at OU even harder now. I’m talking about you MIQUE JUAREZ!
Well, looks like the 2016 defense continues to get weaker. I’m surprised, for sure
Look at it as the 2016 defense just keeps getting newer. Saying it will be weaker discounts how far some players can come in the next eight months.
Don’t get what you are saying at all. We lose guys every year. Our Dbackfield is coming back, sans Sanchez, plus the backups. CB is the easiest position to “learn”–much easier than safety, or LB. Much less to learn than most positions on the team. You either have the skill or you don’t, really, thus we get true FR starting this position and playing well. The biggest improvement most safeties make is from the 1st to 2nd year (i.e., Parker). Look for Haughliton (sp?), JThomas and Johnson to be much better next year, plus all the backups are back and there are some real talented guys who didn’t get to play this year.
Our DL should be better than this past season. We have a lot of studs that are coming up and what we had played exceptionally well this year.
We don’t know who will step up at LB. We have guys higher recruited than Dom and perhaps as good as Striker ready to step up, also highly recruited. Our backups at LB have been in the system a while, so they are not completely new, and some real studs are coming in.
Not sure why ’16 D can’t be even better with the experience and understanding of the DBs and DLs.
Don’t see at all the d getting weaker; predict it will be another step stronger than we saw this year.
To be honest, last night I was thinking and hoping he would go. We need someone bigger and stronger to compete with where I want to see us be.
Are any on the roster? Hulk is huge at 259lbs…Tay Evans 235…They need to promise Juarez at shot at starting in the middle as a true freshman and get him in here.
How big is Kelly? We need size but also quickness.
6-3, 214 on rivals
Outside LB.
Gotta think this opens up opportunities for guys like Tay Evans, Bolton, and of course DeBerry.
Is Shannon a SR? Thought he was, for some reason, but ESPN shows him as a JR. Gotta think he’ll be in the mix if he is around another year too.
And of course Kelly and hopefully a guy like Juarez.
OU site shows Shannon as a SR, which is what I thought.
So we’re losing 4 of our top 6 LB’s according to the OU depth chart. I would think DeBerry at the Striker position (no idea who backs him up), Evans if he comes back, and maybe Tay Evans at the Alexander spot. Certainly young with so many difficult offenses to defend early next season. Those LB’s will have to grow up fast.
Not sure Dewberry is athletic enough to play Strikers position, must be able to drop into coverage. With what OU has now, I would see Tay Evans taking Dom’s spot and either Obo or Bolton taking Strikers.
Sr
wish these guys the best of luck, we need to look at this as a chance to see if the new guys can push us to the next level. if we brought our entire defense back next year and played in the playoff again would we do better?
Best wishes for you in the future, Dom.
This just presents a great opportunity for one of the young guys, probably not expecting to play much next season – Capt. Obvious
Hopefully we can go to Juarez and say “look it’s wide open for you now, come join the other 3 Cali LBs”
I like the guy but there is no way he should have been a 3 year starter. It just shows how far we had dropped off in recruiting 3 to 4 years back. He did improve every year though
He wouldn’t have been had not been for Nelson’s injury.
That’s true but we needed to have the depth so that we didn’t have to start a 200 lb. true freshman when a starter went down. It does seem like we are turning these issues around though.
Agreed
Best of luck Dominique! We wish you well!
Last year everyone was ecstatic that Ricky DeBerry committed to the Sooners. Where does he fit into this defense and what are his chances at playing time next season?
id think his chances are real good now, i believe he is an OLB tho
While many of our young LBs are unproven, I see immense potential. Losing Dom’s experience in the system still hurts.
experience is gonna hurt for sure but i think Dom is maxed out where the guys behind him have a way higher ceiling
I like the young guys, but that experience and trusting his eyes and keys are worth at least one step in the right direction over an inexperienced player.
true, maybe we can get lucky and some of these guys can come in and have the impact jefferson had at texas this year.
Well, with this announcement those behind him or potential recruits know their opportunity is in front of them. Dom will move on and hopefully have a great life, OU football will live on.
I’m looking forward to see the freshman Ricky DeBerry & Hulklahoma.
Same here, as well as Bolton. Tay Evans, Obo and Rodriquez.
I believe he is playing the Striker/Bond position, so I would think he’d get first crack at starting there.
The last depth chart that I saw before the bowl game had Curtis Bolton listed as Striker’s back up.
Do you have a link? Could have sworn somebody here on this site said DeBerry was being groomed to take over for Striker, but I might have that wrong. If that isn’t his position, where is?
https://oklahoma.rivals.com/cdepthtext.asp
Thinking more at ILB personally. We’ll have the personnel to do it so I would think we switch to a true 4-3 next year. If we sign Mique or Caleb, no way those cats don’t see field time
DeBerry is listed at 6’2 245 so much bigger than Dom. Not sure what coaches have in mind for him as far as where he’ll line up – but he should contribute next season. I mean he was a big time get.
I expect deberry to play olb/de. Assuming we stay in same scheme.
Set the edge should be a priority. Size will help.
Look how Coach V reloaded his defense after losing so many starters last year. OU can do the same.
I’m curious about the Hulk, Arthur McGinnis. Not seeing him mentioned much as a possible replacement lb. He is an lb right? or do we have him projected as a dl?
This guy had great HS film. I think he could be good but not sure how/where he fits yet
He’s listed as an OLB but I see him slipping into the middle. He has the skillset to also drop back some in coverage. The kid just has that natural instinct (almost like Striker’s motor) as a linebacker, but he doesn’t project definitively to either in my opinion- By far one of the best LBs we’ve drafted in a while. I see him as the OU equivalent of Clemson’s Ben Boulware,
CBS Sports’ ILB Rankings:
Any word on where Evans falls on these lists? I haven’t seen his name.
Looking for him now.
He is really light compared to the others… But good projection for him.
Dom can add weight for the NFL. 10-15 lbs isn’t that difficult to add and he’s still young.
Can he do it and keep his speed though?
Wow. I didn’t think Dom was getting that much attention.
There’s absolutely no way he goes before Wright, or even right after Matakevich. I like Dom, but he’s not going before the 4th round.
Those were my thoughts when I first came across the rankings. Seems like someone just threw these ranking together for clickbait.
Wright has some real injury concerns, but yeah I agree he should be ahead of Dom.
All this just points to going back to a 4-3 defense. No more striker and one less MLB. A lot of talent on the Dline
I just don’t see us scrapping a defense that made such vast improvements.
That said, it’s really semantics. Striker is often listed as a DE/LB on depth charts, so in a way, we’re already playing a 4 man front, just standing up the weakside end (Striker).
Not sure you’ll see us go back to a traditional 4 man front though. We went “smaller” for a reason. And for the most part, it seemed to work.
Against passing teams, but not so well against a good running attack.
You basically have one example of that in Clemson. I don’t count Texas, b/c we weren’t the same team then. Not sure I’d scrap a D b/c of that game, especially since we played without Walker, and partially without Evans.
A 3-4 is not usually well suited to a good ground attack unless you have pretty big LBs who can shed blocks. Maybe we have that in the incoming class, but if not, I’d like to see more four-man fronts.
And a 4-3 or sometimes even a 4-2 aren’t well suited for spread attacks. Which do we face more often in the Big 12?
FWIW, TCU runs a 4-2 front and they do pretty darn well with it @soonerfantu:disqus
Obviously the spread, but when it comes to bowl games we need to be able to stop some of the powerful running attacks if we want to bring home a naty. I’d like to see us have the versatility to mix it up when necessary.
I would LOVE the versatility to mix it up. Should be able to play a 3, or a 4 man front depending on the opponent, at will.
Well, Baylor has a great running attack and well we shut it down. It’s match ups and execution. Texas and Clemson ran read option and we couldn’t deal with it. Against teams that do not have a dual threat Qb, we can stuff the run.
True. JK had a good reasoning for why we strugged against QB runs this year, and he basically said it was because we were’t quite exceptional enough at any level to overcome the extra blocker afforded by the QB keeper. It’s a shame we didnt get a chance to see what kind of difference Charles Walker might have made, as he sometimes draws double teams, negating that extra blocker.
Seems like we have been recruiting hard for LBs last year and this year, so they might be looking for a change. Like other have been saying bigger middle backers and speed on the edges
That, or the staff has known for a while that Alexander was likely leaving.
True, seems like the same think for the DBs. Sanchez leaving made sense with the coaches continuing to recruit even when it looked like they were full at that position.
Teams should get an extra recruiting slot to replace any underclassman declaring for the draft.
? What do you mean by extra?
Essentially they do, cuz that opens up another shcolly for another recruit..
Still cannot exceed 25/year, though. Right?
Yes, but. Since they have declared we can use their scholly for an early entry. Early entries count against 2015 and not 2016. So there are games you can play to get more than 25 in a class.
Kid was a great sooner, but this one feels a bit weird to me. Hes going to get tossed around in the NFL at his weight. Thought he might try and play a season in the 240’s to get ready for the NFL.
Best of luck
been watching him in the clemson game and made some nice plays in the first qtr. got pushed around and missed a lot of tackles after that.
I just dont see it. But hey, not my life, cant begrudge a kid for wanting to make a living.
really hope im wrong but he and zack will probably see alot of special teams play at best. never know tho.
I feel the same. He’s leaving a year too early. These kids don’t understand that late draft picks have shorter careers due to smaller contracts and expectations.
Thats a good point. Teams will give you more chances if more has been given up for you.
Good luck Dom, I hope it works out or you. Thanks for coming to OU and playing hard.
Great opportunity to get away from the safety/linebacker hybrid model. Time to get some bigger guys who can light ’em up.
Wish him well, and hope he joins the ranks of other Sunday Sooners!
I’m hoping Brandon Burton commits to OU during Under Armor game.
what is the word on walker? isnt he eligible to come out?
RS Soph so yes he is…………….unfortunately 🙁
that one would really hurt imo. he has been getting better by the game. can see him really dominant next year.
Yeah, but he’d be crazy to come out now. One more year and he’s a possible 1st rounder with a huge season like we expect. Now and he’s a late draft pick.
Dont we have some targets at the AA game today? Is this the game kelly commits at?
no, have read we have no real targets announcing
Kelly is a NSD announcement.
boo
No commits. Tommorow at the Semper Fi game Fox…we have QB Kendall, Parris, Lb-BY, target Bledsoe, and another commit…Jon-M Terry…
Living here in the Houston area, all the talk is about UH, even more than the Texans. The paper today said they lose 5 starters each on offense and defense. They are already touting the opener with OU and making a statement for a CFP berth. I doubt a AAC team, even undefeated would make the final 4. Herman said his goal now is protecting the current verbal commits.
Looking at how well he got his team to perform this year, his recruiting success hasn’t been a surprise to me.
Houston is in perfect position for a CFP berth next season.
1st year – hire a great head coach. Win 12 games. Make a New Years Six bowl game after winning the AAC, beat said opponent (a quality FSU team).
2nd year- close off your recruiting area (Houston, lots of great recruits there). Schedule one solid P5 team at the start (OU) in Houston. If they win that game, and run the table, they’re likely in the playoff.
They’re following the Boise State formula…but even better.
Great time to be a Houston fan.
Not a fan though.
AND OU will take their heart in game 1.
AND OU will take their heart in game 1.
13 games*
So with these players leaving early, potential transfers or dismissal, does this mean that we will be offering my scholarships for the 2016 class?
How many do you have?
3.77
Sooners who made All Big XII this season: Striker, Sanchez, Tapper, Alexander. I’ll also include Shepard since he’s such a huge impact player. All gone.
Should be an interesting off-season
Good luck to the young man
Hey Dom, have a great life. Thank you for all your hard work and contributions to OU’s program. You will be missed.
He won’t get drafted. 7th round if he’s lucky. He is just too small. At least OU will get bigger with Deberry stepping in next season
Reading below, it looks like he’s projected to be 3-5 rd selection. Seems like a good shot to get drafted.
Good luck Dom!
SO ready to see Deberry and “The Hulk.”
Okay
Gotta wait until the combine. If he runs a sub 4.6 in the forty and looks good at the position drills.
Anything under 4.5 and he’s a lock to get drafted.
Unless he strikes a cop on the Riverwalk and then all bets are off 😀
#ESPN300 DT Marcel Southall said he’ll OV to Oklahoma State (Jan. 15), Miami (Jan. 22) and Ole Miss (Jan. 29). Signing day decision likely
Isn’t he projected to be a Sooner?
Yeah, thats what some are saying but looks like he’s taking all oh his OVs.
Cool, thanks bro.
Was he already planning visits before our bad bowl experience ?
That, I don’t know. Ive read OU is his favorite but that can always change with OVs. IDK that we’ll wait on him for signing day either, especially if we get a commit from Bledsoe.
I am not a big pro football fan but I would think the NFL has to morph somewhat to match what is coming up through the colleges. Maybe a linebacker who has experience and ability to defend against spread-like attacks has a market in the NFL. I thought Dom was often pushed around too much on run support and I can’t recall him being much of a pass rusher. Then again, I don’t coach an NFL team and have no idea what they are looking for in their next generation of linebackers.
Jean Delance to Texas. Good.
I’m already ready to watch Deberry run circles around him at the cotton bowl.
Goes to Texas. smh. We’ll kick his ass the next four years.
Couldn’t care less. Choices are choices, but I’m glad we severed ties with this one
Probably for the best.
Wish him the best.
First, thanks Dom for your contribution to the OU program. Best of luck in the NFL.
Best of luck to all these kids. And I dont want to knock these kids for leaving early, but in all honesty, there are no underclassmen that are NFL ready imo. But its hard when agents are involved and promising the world, I get it. But you have to be smart, if you’re not ready then YOU’RE NOT READY. Agents telling you that you are a 2-3rd round talent doesn’t mean you automatically become one. As we see year in and year out, the crappiest feeling is sitting there on Day 1 and not getting a call. Then Day 2, no call. I think Zach made up his mind awhile ago, he wants the NFL life and $ and that’s obviously his prerogative. But you have to really to sit down and objectively look at it from all angles.
KJ, do you feel like the OL group will be a little more “nasty” with the younger guys? Seems like JY was saying that Bedenbough was recruiting guys with nasty streaks, just plain mean when they are playing. Thanks.
I really like the group going into next year. Well obviously have some leaders with Orlando, Dru and John starting this year. I know B really wants a nasty group of kids. The main positive for next year I feel is…..this year B really did a great job in keep this group together throughout the year to be able play together well. Next year he will be able to really concentrate on technique work because most of the presumable starters will know how to play together.
Agreed. Zack has been chasing dolla bills for the last two seasons. I don’t mind players chasing money but I don’t think staying another year would’ve necessarily benefited Zack.
I agree, I think he may be maxed out. And if that’s the case, why not stay one more year and solidify a higher draft position. Anything under a 3rd round is expendable in the NFL during camp.
Staying doesn’t always improve draft stock. If he got a decent grade from the NFL, you gotta go. Becomes a no brainer.
It’s all of what you make of it. You can improve your draft stock depending on what you do during that time. Also can improve your draft position depending on what the db class looks like that year. Grades are fickle just like recruiting stars/grades. Some are legit and some are just fluff.
Agree, just saying staying isn’t always the best choice either. One thing that is for sure is you have a limited amount of time to secure a great financial future for your family before your body can’t play anymore. If he doesn’t make it, he can always come back and finish his degree (if he hasn’t graduated already).
That’s true too. It’s such a small window that you have to take a shot when the opportunity is there. I hope Sanchez will prove me wrong. I’d like to so anyone (especially this year) make it onto a roster and be successful.
If you’re maxed out you should probably go to the NFL, assuming you have a shot at an NFL roster, which Zack does. If you make a roster that’s $435k a year minimum. That’s a ton of money to be missing out on if going back to school isn’t really going to improve your stock. Add on the risk of a significant injury derailing your NFL hopes and you’d be stupid not to go if you don’t have anything else to learn/prove at the college level.
$435 min equals to about $200 after taxes and not to mention lawyer and agent fees, any advances…etc etc. The first year IF you get on the active roster, you won’t be looking at a ton of money.
Exactly. So, this leaves us with what at LB? Evans, Curtis Bolton, Deberry, Tay Evans, McGinnis, R Hunter, Newhouse-Parker, Obo, Rodriguez? Others? Hulk is listed at 259 lbs…two others 235 lbs…This hurts…
Right, we need imo runners, kids like Kelly. We have bulk we really need some speed.
You mean a smaller but faster ILB? Or a bigger and faster ala Bama LBs?
If I had to chose I’d definitely go bigger and faster. I’m just thinking of the kids that we have, I don’t think they’re necessarily mid 4.4 guys. I think they’re more like 4.7s. D. Bond I think is a 4.5 guy (for example). But he’s more of an edge rush specialist. Having someone who can go sideline to sideline with his hair on fire would be great.
Bryce Youngquist looks pretty athletic.
He definitely does….he has really sound tackling for his age, doesn’t seem to get juked much.
My my this 100 times. I could care less whether someone is 5 stars or 3, just give me a heat seaking missile with discipline. As a former rugby player, it completely INFURIATES me when players whiff on making tackles by half assing a technique. Not only do you look like an ass, but you expose yourself to injury.
Exactly. When Shannon came in his lack of speed was noticeable. We need ILBs to get sideline to sideline
Don’t sleep on the Jefferson kid he looks very athletic a lil raw but has some.x factor stuff to him. BY and a CK would be huge to get both could play next year IMO.
of the guys we are recruiting, committed or hope to sign yet uncommitted, which are considered OLBs and ILBs?
Kelly and Juarez are both LB’s think both are more suited for OLB’s though IMO!
Jefferson, Youngquiest, and Terry are all listed as LBS also and again all are more typical OLB’s
Id separate that group into OLB and iLB. There might be a few that could play both but most are one or the other. The main guys I can think of at ILB are Evans Evans and Bolton. Some of the guys coming in will get reps but are rarely ready to go so soon. Shannon showed us why you need speed at ILB. When Evans went out Shannon was noticeable slower getting to the edge. It will really hurt us if Evans declared too
Ya i hope they realize Tony J going undrafted and then making a name for himself is an anomaly not the norm. Having said I feel like Sanchez is one of those rare cases where he has reached his ceiling and another year isn’t going to help him much or at all. i think he is a 3-5th rounder regardless if it’s this year or next. IMO
I feel like CWalker is our highest pick this year if he declared but there really isn’t a lot of film on him either so it is better for him to come back and improve his stock with another year under DReynolds
C. Walker is also a Redshirt Soph.
We have one month before NSD, I hope OU can make a bigger push now that some more scholarships have been opened up. Enough of the talk about a small class. 25 at least correct? NO 2011 repeat please.
If my math is correct we are at 16 thats including Murray taking TKs spot essentially we where probably going take 20-21 and now we are at 22-23 possibly but, Kelly, Moore, Southall, and Bledsoe seem to be only kids we have a real shot at. Burton, Juarez, Price, Little, Davis, Cleveland and Velus Jones all seem like long shots but think we needed a Nat Championship appearance to at least sway one or two of them. Burton and Juarez may be the best percentage depending on how hard Murray works on Little. IMO of course.
Need a top 14 class again.
Need a top 14 class again.
With those leaving early, I don’t see how one more year is going to help them. I think they have reached their potential. A degree would be nice if football doesn’t work out.
imho, generally speaking, everyone of these guys can benefit from another year of maturity, personally and mentally as well as football-wise. Not to mention additional college life experience, and, it goes without saying, a degree. The world will still be there in a year, and the wiser and more experienced a kid is in dealing with people, in learning about the world, in growing up, the better equipped he will be for lasting success.
Viewing college as a stepping stone to life is much wiser than viewing it as simply “job training” for the NFL, no matter your talent level.
I’m not totally disagreeing with you here, but how can we know who is ready and who isn’t?
Your college credits don’t disappear, so in reality, the more time sensitive choice is to try to play in the NFL.
I’m sure playing football at Oklahoma for 3 years prepares you for life wayyyyyy more than just being a normal college student. Either way, he can always come back and get his degree.
Some kids are more mature at 18 than others at 21, but the ones who are the most mature realize that the “college experience” only comes once. You can go back later, but it’s quite different. For me it has very little to do with being physically ready for the NFL, or football ready, and everything to do with the peripheral stuff. Dealing with agents, dealing with all sorts of people and potentially challenging situations, just dealing with all that life throws at you.
One of the things that a decent college education can provide is to teach you how to think about things. Kids at that age tend to think they know it all. The more time they spend growing out of that, prior to facing the realities of the “pro” world, the better their chances for long term success, imho.
I agree. And I think 3 years in our football program is a great preparation for all that peripheral stuff
nm
imho, generally speaking, everyone of these guys can benefit from another year of maturity, personally and mentally as well as football-wise. Not to mention additional college life experience, and, it goes without saying, a degree. The world will still be there in a year, and the wiser and more experienced a kid is in dealing with people, in learning about the world, in growing up, the better equipped he will be for lasting success.
Viewing college as a stepping stone to life is much wiser than viewing it as simply “job training” for the NFL, no matter your talent level.
I think catastrophic injuries are the main concern for going pro. Especially when the questions about Alexander and Sanchez are not going to go away with another year. Both will still be considered under sized guys with potential to be solid players. Probably more likely 4th round picks than anything higher unless a team really feels one of them will be a major asset in a couple years.
Best of Luck Dom. You have been a great Sooner these last three years. Hope you have a good career in the NFL.
Good luck Dom. Thanks for all the hard work you have done and your contributions to the program.
Best if luck Dom, stepped in as a pinch starter as true freshman, and always had a nose for the ball.
Rashuan Smith back to Clemson & BV…
No surprise there, although I’m not sure what happened between him and OU. He’s Tapper’s cousin and we were supposedly the favorite at one time…
Sucks.
My guess is he didn’t want to play outside of the south east. Clemson looks a lot better right now at reloading NFL caliber talent.
Clemson suddenly looks like what Alabama was supposed to be. They look scary good for the next few years.
Rashuan Smith back to Clemson & BV…
Will TFB be doing daily weekly updates on commits and visits up until NSD? Or should I go into hybernation until April?
You don’t want to know who is signing the first Wednesday in Feb. We can let you sleep til April if you want. 😉
You don’t want to know who is signing the first Wednesday in Feb. We can let you sleep til April if you want. 😉
I may be the odd man because I feel that Sanchez still needs to develop further, especially in his tackling, as he is just too small. An extra year would’ve only helped him. On the other hand, just as Dom could’ve came back and improved, he lead in tackles putting up over 100 per season during the last two. It’s easy to just look at Sanchez’s interceptions and think he’s killing it, but those who know see how many big scored he gave up. Where’s the state on that or the missed tackles. I wish them both the best! Very good players that are one step from elite. Patience is a virtue. I can see leaving a crumby program early, but there’s too much to gain by staying
I understand where you guys are coming from with this argument, but it’s just not true.
Returning has more opportunities for bad than good as far as an NFL career. Injuries, hurting draft stock, unknown nature of the next draft class, etc.
Very rarely does a player at these positions improve their stock by a significant amount in there Sr season.
If they applied for a draft grade and it was 3rd round or better, I don’t see how they could make the decision to return.
Even in the case of Tony Jefferson, who it looked like had made a huge mistake going undrafted, it ended up working out. Not that his story is normal, cause it’s not, but there are a lot more risks by coming back.
There is a man named Bob Stoops who would disagree with you.
Bob has always said that when a player is ready, they should go. And he also has a vested interest in players coming back.
Yes he has, but he has also said that when a player is not ready or their draft status is late rounds or FA, then you hey should stay. TJ made a bad decision period! He has admitted it himself. We don’t know what Bob’s feelings are about Zach and Dom’s decision to leave early or their projected draft status. Not that he is the only word, but I just heard McShay say that Sanchez goes undrafted. If so, then it’s a mistake.
Agree if they go undrafted that it’s a mistake.
Not many will agree with you about Jefferson, I’m one who does agree. Neither of them is a 1st round talent so there is a ton of risk associated with coming back.
There is much truth in what you say. The problem is, there is just as much validity in the other argument. Strictly speaking on an athlete’s level, there is always the dollars to consider for your family and if you become injured while in college, you may loose your shot at Pro money, however the opposite side of the argument points out, what a small percentage of athletes actually make it in the pros. Then the college education you were receiving was much more important than the athletics. Yep…I’ll stand in the middle and declare, to a certain extent, both ideas are 100% right, maybe, kinda, sorta…
True there are good arguments for both sides, stuff can happen either way that would cause it not to work out.
But you aren’t giving up a college education. You’re just delaying it slightly if you don’t make it.
That is true, and what you are saying about returning is also true. Many of our players come back and graduate later. The unfortunate one’s are the one’s that declare for the draft, then either go undrafted or get drafted and cut. They still come back to finish, but its on their dime this time. I don’t disagree with you at all, but I don’t disagree with the opposite either. The main point Bob usually states is where are you going to go in the draft. 1st and 2nd round, he says go now, anything else if 1 more college year improves you to earlier rounds puts more money in your pocket. That statement is true as long as the player stays healthy that last year that he comes back.
Is it on their dime or isn’t there some fund set up to help players graduate. I thought there was
I honestly couldn’t find anything about a fund, it would make sense to me that there was such funding, I just couldn’t find it. I was assuming because of that there was no funding once a player left.
Tony Jefferson himself said he wished he would have stayed. One more year improves your draft stock for most positions, but especially at LB. Someone mentioned “enough tape,” but that’s irrelevant. He needs to improve in certain areas and having another year on national TV opens eyes.
However, there’s clearly a reason he chose to move on, so I really can’t say I don’t agree with it since it could be for some very good reason.
Another year on national TV?? NFL scouts aren’t evaluating players from TV broadcasts.
As I’ve stated before, it’s all about their draft grade. If they go undrafted, it’s likely a mistake. If they make a 53 man roster their first year, imo it was a good decision.
Have to go after it while you can. Tomorrow is not promised.
Absolutely…what you do on the big stage definitely matters. What you (and some others) don’t get is that getting drafted in the 5th-7th rounds is a coin flip for your NFL future, whereas getting drafted in the top 4 rounds gives you a MUCH higher chance of getting a nice check for several years.
When you get taken higher you put more responsibility on the plate of the organization, whereas if you are drafted in the 5th-7th you are basically putting everything on your plate…you’re literally a coin flip at that point.
I understand the value of being drafted early. As I’ve said repeatedly. Where we disagree is that returning for a year guarantees or even has a high likelihood of improving your draft stock significantly.
It’s just as much of a coin flip that you make it through another year without negatively impacting your draftability. And even if you do, it’s another year of earning potential gambled on.
Good call, there’s a big demand for undersized linebackers with questionable tackling skills. Better to forgo an education.
You probably aren’t aware, but they can go back and get an education if it doesnt work out.
Not for free with the support system received being in the athletic department.
Yes they can. I assure you. We had a player do it. Left, came back due to injury. Received all the support we received.
I’m not saying it can’t or hasn’t been done, it’s not typical though.
It’s definitely not as easy
I’ll tell you first hand because many on here are passing a lot of judgment on other menand don’t have a clue what it takes to be a football player at OU. I played D1 soccer for a major university. It’s fun, but a grind and football is even worse physically and time wise. Some analysis was done and some weeks are equivalent to working 60 + hours on top of school. Remember – this is for fun with 0 pay. Remember- this is very physically and mentally taxing . It sucks constantly being broke, injured, and all of your time spoken for.
If players want to leave early, the last place in the world they should be rebuked is by their fans. Support, thank, and wish them well. You would want the same if roles were reversed.
The team finished on a high note, and the players can take advantage of their efforts. Both Sanchez and Alexander have started multiple years. I hope they succeed.
There is no reason to add any qualifiers or any but/however.
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There are more here with D1 experince than touted or claimed..just not important to manifest here. The fact is…it doesn’t really matter what we think or how we feel unless a part of the inner circle.
All I can say, the kids still here better be ready for 2016, going to be a beast of a challenge. Boomer!
Sure there is, what happens if they don’t get drafted or do and get cut?
I thought that player were encouraged to stay for the Sr seasons if they were not projected as 1st or 2nd round picks. I have a hard time seeing Sanchez or Alexander being drafted that high.
I wish them the best, but even with all the hardships of being a student athlete, I think both would be better served to return, JMHO.
Once their decision has been made, all I want to do is wish them well. None of us know what their personal or financial reasons might be and if we were in their shoes, we might do the same. People go to college to make money afterwards so this really isn’t a big deal.
I’m of the same opinion about this as I was about Sanchez. I don’t think that coming back for one more year was going to improve his draft stock enough to risk an injury. He wasn’t going to get that much bigger or that much stronger. He wasn’t going to learn that much more technique at the college level. He’s been a multiple year starter so the tape on him is about what it’s going to be. I’ll qualify all of those statements with “probably” of course. If it works out, then that’s one more year with a big paycheck and one less year risking injury in college. If it doesn’t then he can come back and finish his degree. Yes, it’ll be on his own dime, but 3 of 4 years will have already been paid for and in-state tuition is pretty doable at most places. So, he’ll have to take on some debt (no more than a new car) just like almost everyone else out there. It won’t be the end of the world. The young man has made his choice. I hope it works out.
These have to be such tough decisions especially for next year which is setting up to be a chance at something special. After this season, 2016 could be big!! Like they say in NASCAR you have to lose a championship to know what it takes to win one.
On related note, if some big money Company like GE or similar had shown up on my mechanical engineer son’s doorstep and offered him big money in spring 2014 to go design some widgets, i’m pretty sure he’d have put off those last few physics and engineering classes and jumped at the money knowing he could finish those up another time.
Good luck to Dom. He’s made a ton of tackles over his three seasons. I hope he does well at the next level.
So, do we have the next Curtis Lofton on our current roster just waiting to emerge? I saw some nice tackling by Tay Evans when he was in for some spot time in a game or two.
I sure hate to be selfish, but don’t like our good players leaving early. It’s kind of sad and depressing, but I could still be bummed about losing to Clemson again and the long stretch of off season we are facing. I do wish Dom and Zack future success and appreciate what they’ve contributed to our team. I’ll miss them both and all our seniors, too. Proud of everything our guys accomplished this year. Still Boomer Sooner to the bone.
Guys that start for 3 years get impatient and want new challenges. I can understand it, even though I wish it wasn’t the case.
We should not be surprised if we see the same from Samaje next year.
Good luck to both young men. I hope things go wonderfully for you. I am not sure if you can still change your mind, but for you and all the other young men, unless you will get a million FOR SURE, get your education. It is worth a lot not only in terms of future earnings, but in terms of knowledge – something that has a huge value.
I was not the paragon of collegiate virtue, but rarely does a day pass that something I learned does not come back to improve my life.
Wish Zach and Dom the best.
Great programs reload year in and year out.
Expecting to hear some positive things from TFB over the offeseason
I agree. It’s a good thing to have underclassmen ready for nfl, right? I have a tendency to honor and respect another person with high goals. That’s commendable.
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So there seems to be scuttlebutt going around that OU pulled their offer to Pernell Jefferson. Anybody from the LA area know anything? TFB?
Probably regarding this:
https://twitter.com/mgcsooner/status/683516849863155712
In case the tweet gets deleted, this guy apparently got word via a paid site that Jefferson’s scholly was revoked after violating some team rule. Must’ve been pretty serious.
I don’t know that the incident was all that serious. The rumor has been out there for several months that the offer would be pulled. I think they tried to encourage him to look around so it wouldn’t be an ugly issue. Unfortunately it’s January and looks like it will be a bit of a black eye even if we pick up a better LB in his place.
Why? Because we think somebody better is committing or what? What’s implied reason for pulling offer if the kid didn’t get in trouble or something?
I don’t have a great answer for that but i don’t know that the coaches thought they would land youngquist as early as they did and then still have interest from big recruits. We basically backed off of dontavious Jackson, Marvin terry and carmouche because of the numbers issue. Then we started gaining interest from bosse and Juarez.
I think when he committed it was a place holder commitment for both he and ou but now he’s gotten no other big time offers like the lsu offer he wanted so he’s had no reason to look around.
Thanks man. Appreciate it.
Maybe they feel confident on some recruit(s) with higher ceilings? Seems strange if it wasn’t that big of a deal. This is the first I’ve heard of the kid in months, so I have no clue what happened.
I’m not sure what the incident was but if it wasn’t a big deal and we look shady in any way then Louisiana coaches might blocking ou from talking to their players. Perhaps that’s the issue with the #1 LB in 2017 from there. We backed off of Jacobs the year before but luckily he landed at mizzou so there wasn’t any hard feelings.
Good Morning!
https://youtu.be/cS-d42JUvis?list=PLreaS1t_WRdv9GVmksMeqzyJx4kMpDO7X
https://youtu.be/LtQUJMBH8uE
Better than the original and I hate metal.
hate to see this. wanted to have lots of returning starters
It’s a double edged sword. It makes it easier sell to recruits since there is more opportunity. We lose 3x seniors and 1 underclass, 3 of whom are starters. I’m hoping to land both Mique and Caleb
Could be a blessing in disguise as far as Dom. Maybe this gives Juarez the idea to try to compete for that spot day one. Although Kelly and the rest of the young guys might have something to say about that spot as well.
I believe he has a young son for which he wants to provide. Dom is a good man from a good family.
Just a reminder, the Semper Fidelis bowl at 8p.m. Central on FS1.
Have you heard anything about Youngquist having to back out?
Strange. He’s not listed on the roster I just saw but I can’t find anything.
A poster on The Original Poster’s page claimed he became ill and was a no show.
Late night parting with Manziel in Vegas
🙂 I meant to put this at the end.
I knew what you meant. 🙂
I still don’t know what he means. :-0
https://twitter.com/A_Kendall11/status/683500694016360448
Is he the only OU recruit in the game? I’m planning on watching but not sure who’s playing.
There is a player list in the OP’s page.
https://twitter.com/BPrzybylo/status/683692882222383105
Loving what we are hearing about JMT. Hopefully he shows out tonight.
I was thrilled to hear that. A commit that not much is said about, but his video screams “Studley McStudmuffin.”
Then, next Saturday.
https://twitter.com/miquejuarez3/status/683793838834499585
https://twitter.com/ChanseSylvie/status/683802952226570240
Thanks for re-tweeting EasTex. If anyone is planning on watching the Semper Fi game, would love updates on how our commits and recruits are doing. TIA.
I didn’t realize there was an OP link for the game.
I do plan on watching and will relate anything significant by our commits or offers.
There is a make shift game thread in OP if you’re not already lurking over there.
Wish him well, he did a great job for us. Boomer Sooner!
One thing that has always bothered me about college football fandom. That’s just how terminal they seem to believe every season to be. Reality. Seasons are only terminal for the departing players and coaches. The program is constantly growing and retracting, becoming more experince and less experienced. The building of a consistent program takes vision and single minded effort. Examples: Briles/Baylor, Dabo/Clemson, Saban/Alabama, Gundy/OSU just to name a few. Watch how Michigan makes that jump after another year with Harrrbaugh. Fans understandably are impatient and cannot see the vision or work within a program. I remember in Briles 2nd year at Baylor I begin to notice the system beginning to take hold. I looked over and told my brother in law “These guys are going to be good in a year or so” he laughed and said.’ It’s Baylor..’ . The same thing happened with Stoops when he first arrived. I believe this OU team is building, provided we can keep this staff together 1 or 2 more years. We will begin to see dominance. Just don’t pay too much attention to win loss early on. Watch the type of athletes that come through the door. Size, weight, speed, etc., to fit the philosophy. Should begin to be almost indistinguishable year to year. If the coaches stay with their vision and plan, without wavering, should be fun.
Noooo, not another one.