| 23 October 2009
OU Recruiting Update
Current Verbals:
- Blake Bell- QB
- Roy Finch- RB
- Brennan Clay - RB
- Sheldon McClain - WR- Mid Term
- Joe Powell- WR
- Trey Franks - WR/KR/PR
- Justin McCay- WR/ATH
- Tyrus Thompson - OT
- Bronson Irwin - OG/OT - Mid Term
- Austin Woods - OC - Mid Term
- Adam Snead - OG
- Darryl Williams - OT
- Trey Millard - HBack/TE
- Daniel Noble - DT
- Torrea Peterson - DT
- Chuka Ndulue - DE
- Aaron Franklin - OLB
- Jarrett Lake - OLB
- Rashad Favors - MLB - Mid Term
- Quentin Hayes- DB
- Eddrick Loften- DB
- Julian Wilson- ATH-DB
- James Haynes - DB
- Aaron Colvin- DB
Top Five Targets: First off if you haven't read the Available Ships update, please give that a read for some idea on OU's strategy with their remaining ships (Mid Term versus Feb Signing day plays a key role in our total numbers). There's not been a lot of movement on this list since the start of the season. So the top five is going to look very familiar at this point. OU's disjointed start hasn't really hurt recruiting at all. For the most part, recruits understand playmakers getting hurt, and really understand what the loss of Sam Bradford has meant. So there's some sky is falling posts on the various message boards but they have very little to do with recruiting. Here's the latest top five (and we might be holding on this five for a while).
- Darius White: 6-3, 200, 4.45. WR. Fort Worth, TX (Dunbar). He's attended three OU games with his cousin and OU verbal Rashad Favors. He's rumored to be heading up for all of OU's home games with Rashad. UT appears close to moving on to other WR targets. Everything right now points to an official visit maybe in December with Favors and a verbal after his season is over.
- Jackson Jeffcoat: 6-5, 230, 4.6. DE. Plano, TX (Plano West). USC/UT/OU and maybe Houston. I can point to different magazines point to different leaders. I don't think anybody really has any inside info. Wildcard is still what degree when it comes to actually making a decision does his sister's decision to attend OU have. With hoops signing day coming up and Jacqueline's official visit to Norman also to be scheduled, this November is going to have a heavy OU feel to it in the Jeffcoat house.
- Kenny Stills: 6-1, 175, 4.35 WR. Carlsbad, CA. Kenny is visiting in November (ATM game) and OU would appear to be his favorite despite some confusing recent comments about USC. He's a mid term graduate and would provide some serious WR speed to OU's class.
- Seantrel Henderson: 6-8, 300, 5.0 OT Minneapolis, MN. OU is trailing here, but should get a visit in November (ATM game). How exactly does OU present a "you can start here next year" pitch without sounding like someone really desperate? And should OU even care about sounding that desperate?
- JR "Ego" Ferguson: 6-4, 275, 4.8 DE/DT. Hargrave Military Academy. Ego is probably the best DT in the nation. He's been to a bunch of places but is only really visiting officially a couple of schools OU included. It's impossible to tell if those schools are his choices or just the places he couldn't visit unofficially. LSU may lead. OU probably will bring him in for the ATM game if OU gets the visit that Ego has been talking about since September and just recently confirmed again.
Other Prospects to Watch at this time
- Kyle Prater WR 6-5, 205 4.5 WR Hillside, IL. Kyle verbals to USC at school PC. Two days later he's talking about taking official visits to USC, OU, and Illinois. It's very strange, like there's some level of opposition to USC in the Prater household? This recruiting battle should end in October with Prater's visit to USC. If it doesn't, Prater should visit OU for the OSU game. Illinois is in the middle of a horrible season that should cost Ron Zook his job. Prater's a mid term graduate, so it's hard to see how a new Illinois staff could be hired in time to really recruit Kyle. Stay tuned.
- Austin Haywood TE 6-5, 250, 4.8 Southmoore, OK. Haywood has exploded on the scene from almost nowhere as perhaps the best college prospect on a loaded Southmoore team. He's having a great year at TE and DE, even playing QB in some wildcat looks for Southmoore. He's looking like the best prospect in the state. And if he already had his grades in order, I think OU would have offered. So I think the lack of offers is really based on two things; one holding the grade improvement equals offer motivational carrot, two where is OU right now at TE do they need another ship dedicated here (what OU thinks about Hanna/Ikard next year would answer this question, and Trey Millard is having a great senior year as well)
- Joshua Shaw CB 6-2, 190, 4.4 Palmdale, CA. Might be the best CB prospect in the country. Has visited tOSU and is rumored to be the dreaded silent verbal to the Buckeyes. He's a mid term enrollee and is now talking about using one of his final visits to Norman, if he visits it will be the same weekend as Kenny Stills.
- Christian Jones OLB 6-4, 220, 4.6 Winter Park, FL. FSU's descent into the pit of despair and the Bowden death watch have probably opened up Jones' recruiting. Can OU get a visit? You'd have to think resurgent Miami and UF will be tough to beat for this kid.
- Ricky Heimuli 6-4, 285, 4.9 Salt Lake City, UT. I've heard zero updates on this kid. Not sure that OU is even still involved.
- George Uko 6-4, 290, 4.9. Chino, CA Don Lugo HS. Again not much in the way of updates, a verbal to Cal or USC is probably just a matter of time.
- Victor Burnette 6-1, 220, 4.6 Culver City, CA.With OU's pressing needs at TE, WR, and OL I'm not sure a 4th LB is in the plans.
- Dexter Ransom 6-4, 215, 4.6 WR Blinn JC. OU is right now recruiting this Juco Mid Term WR. He's an elite player on the Juco level. Look for OU to bring in Ransom in December (and OU should have a great idea on what's going on with Kenny Stills and Kyle Prater).
- JUCO OL X: OU is going to clearly try and bring in at least one JUCO OL to provide some competition and depth. Mid term versus July graduate will be a key factor. No names have really surfaced yet.
- JUCO TE X: I don't even have a name but if the TEs on campus are not developing, you have to consider this move.
