The Football Brainiacs

Image of Jeffrey Okudah via Scout

– Marquis Hayes Jr | Offensive Line: As discussed in Monday’s Open Post, Oklahoma hosted 2017 OL Marquis Hayes Jr. (Maryland Heights, MO) earlier this week.

Had a fantastic time visiting with the BIG 12 champs (OU) #Sooners pic.twitter.com/IzFfAH0iQw

— Marquis Hayes JR. (@ballgame__) July 11, 2016

As you may recall, Hayes made the unofficial visit even without an offer in hand. So when TFB had a chance to speak with him following the visit, we wanted to get a better sense of where things currently stand. “He (Coach Bedenbaugh) is supposed to give me a call later this week,” Hays said.

Hayes said the OU staff are still working through their offensive line numbers with respect to this 2017 class. “That’s really the deal right now, but he (Bedenbaugh) said he will open something up for me,” Hayes explained. It was clear Hayes got the distinct impression following his visit that the staff are working to find a spot for him in this 2017 OU class. And that an offer could very well be forthcoming, possibly in the near future.

– 2017 OL Recruiting: As we suspect most of you are already aware, 2016 signee Johncarlo Valentin has yet to make it to campus. And while it was known he would arrive later than most of the other signees, the original expectation was for him to have made it to Norman by now. However, there are have been some unforeseen qualification issues. And according to some folks on the OU side of things, there is some legitimate concern at this point Valentin may not make it in.

Prior to this development with Valentin, the plans was for the Sooners to take 2-3 offensive linemen in this 2017 class. However, it’s possible that OU could now take as many as four OL depending on how things ultimately shake out.

So now seems like as good a time as any to assess where things stand with regards to OU’s current OL targets.

Tyrese Robinson (G/OT) – Committed to OU. That takes one spot.

Creed Humphrey (C/G) – Committed to TAMU, and TFB believes OU has moved on at this point.

Xavier Newman (C/G) – Committed to Texas, but everything we’ve heard regarding Newman is that it’s really more a matter of ‘when’ not ‘if’ he flips to OU. So assuming that were to happen, Newman fills a second OL spot.

Stephan Zabie (OT/G) – Zabie let TFB know Tuesday night that he doesn’t believe a return trip to Norman this summer is going to happen. But did reiterate his plans to make it up for a game at some point this season. OU looks to be in pretty good shape with Zabie but, as we’ve mentioned before, if Texas were to offer they’d be very difficult to beat. However at this point the Horns have not been in communication with Zabie. As of now we feel pretty good about OU’s chances here, or at least good enough that we believe OU would leave a spot open for him.

Adrian Ealy (OT) – As TFB previously reported, Ealy is planning to be in Norman the weekend of the OU/Ohio St. game. The Louisiana product has been very clear about his interest in OU since TFB first spoke with him back in the early part of May. But as with any top LA prospect, this will ultimately come down to how Ealy feels about LSU and vice versa. The Tigers have already landed a couple top OL commitments, so it’s reasonable to think they may not have room to take Ealy. But it’s still too early to know that for sure. Regardless, between his talent and expressed interest in OU, the Sooners likely have to hold a spot for Ealy as well.

Chuck Filiaga (OT) – Filiaga doesn’t do many interviews, but in the few exchanges we’ve had with him there seems to be a good relationship with Bedenbaugh and the OU staff. Filiaga did take an unofficial visit to OU a few months back, and is also moving to Texas (from California). So Oklahoma will have the advantage of proximity over a number of other schools that have been vying for his services. To be honest, at this point we don’t have a strong sense of OU’s chances here.

And finally, back to Hayes. He seems very high on Oklahoma, even prior to this recent visit. So if the coaches do in fact offer, they’d have to do so with the understanding Hayes may very well commit. And while that would certainly be a good thing, it would also fill up another OL spot — possibly even finish out the OL class, assuming you count Newman — before the coaches would have the opportunity to see how things play out with some of prospects on their board.

Our guess is that if an offer is made to Hayes, it would be a pretty solid indicator the coaches don’t believe Johncarlo Valentin will make it in giving OU an extra OL spot to fill in 2017. – (Super K)

– Jeffrey Okudah: Earlier this week, 2017 five-star DB Jeffrey Okudah dropped his Top 6:

Thank you to everyone who has supported me along my journey! #GodisLove pic.twitter.com/tCi9ad7gwu

— Jeffrey Okudah III (@TheJeffOkudah) July 12, 2016

The Sooners made the cut along with Georgia, USC, Ohio State, Clemson & Florida State. The list struck TFB as rather interesting…

Georgia – This is a school Okudah and I (K) have discussed in previous conversations, but I really never got the sense they’re a major threat. I think their presence and the absence of a school like LSU works in OU’s favor. LSU is a program Okudah has some ties to through people around him, and he’s visited there on multiple occasions. It’s hard to see Georgia beating OU.

USC – This is another school Okudah has not mentioned much when we’ve spoken in the past. In fact, they didn’t even make his original Top 10, so I was surprised to see them in there now. While the west coast school that did make his original Top 10, Stanford, is now no longer listed. Knowing that Okudah is big on academics, I surmise he sees USC as a mix of the tradition and intensity of a big-time football program that’s he’s looking for, along with some academic prestige.

Although once again, this be a revision to his original list and one he hasn’t discussed much. So it’s also hard to see the Trojans being a huge threat to OU. Worth mentioning Okudah did take an unofficial visit to USC last summer and had a good relationship with their DBs coach, however that coach has since been replaced.

Clemson – Yet another newcomer to Okudah’s list of top schools. Despite being one of, if not the, latest school to offer, when TFB spoke with Okudah previously he seemed genuinely interested in what Dabo Swinney and Brent Venables have built at Clemson. I suspect he will take an official visit to Clemson and have every reason to believe he comes away from that visit impressed.

Florida State – The Seminoles were also not in Okudah’s original Top 10, but he’s had long relationship with FSU during his recruitment. Okudah has visited Tallahasee and knows the staff well. At one point, I got the sense the Noles were at, or near, the top of his list. Okudah models himself, to some degree, after former FSU star DB Jalen Ramsey, which certainly works in the Noles’ favor.

The impression we’ve received from Okudah is that he and Ramsey are very similar in terms of size and athleticism. And that he believes FSU is a school that has proved they know exactly what to do with an athlete like himself.

Ohio State – No secret here, the Buckeyes remain the biggest threat to the Sooners when it comes to landing Okudah. Only putting an additional emphasis on the upcoming match up in Norman between the two schools, and the importance of the Sooners needing to protect their home field.

Having said that, OU does have some advantages over Ohio State (in addition to pretty much every other school in that Top 6). The first being proximity to home. The second being his relationship with the current commits.

In case you missed it, TFB had a great quote from Okudah after his most recent visit to OU where he said, “It (OU) felt like home, as it always does. And just being with the guys they (OU) have committed in the 2017 class, it’s like I’m with my teammates.”

The third thing working in OU’s favor ties back to the first, proximity, with regards to Okudah’s private trainer, Clay Mack. Mack trains in Dallas and frequents Oklahoma often, even working with a number of current OU defensive backs in the offseason. A fourth advantage OU has is the fact Okudah’s high school head coach is an OU fan. In fact, the head coach’s son was a walk-on at Oklahoma, and the OU staff has a great relationship with the coaches at South Grand Prairie (Okudah’s high school).

Lastly, the Sooners can sell a clear path to early playing time. If Jordan Thomas and Steven Parker both leave early for the NFL — which is a distinct possibility — and if Dakota Austin wins a starting CB spot, OU would be looking at losing four (with Ahmad Thomas) of their five starting defensive backfield.

Whether all that proves to be enough for Oklahoma to land the ultra-talented Okudah to be seen. But the Sooners are certainly right where they want to be…within striking distance. – (Super K)