| 23 October 2009
So let's try and break down the relevant facts.
1. In any 1 year, from Feb signing day 2008 until Feb Signing day 2009, OU can only sign 25 kids.
- OU signed 22 kids last year (Terry Franklin never enrolled so it's like he never signed. For the purposes of this discussion he doesn't exist.)
- Of those 22 kids, 4 were mid terms enrollees and technically count towards Signing day 2008 (Javon Harris, Jayden Bird, Tom Wort, and Ronnell Lewis)
- So in terms of the 25 for Signing Day 2009, OU has 7 mid term slots available to use
- And OU has 25 slots available for Signing day 2010, of course using all 25 means no mid terms for early enrollees/jucos in 2010
- OU is currently at 77 Scholarship players
- OU has 15 Seniors
- OU will clearly lose 3 Juniors; Gerald McCoy, Sam Bradford, and Demarco Murray (Gundy's been telling RB recruits that Demarco is leaving)
- So with no attrition or anyone leaving early, OU is at 26 ships
- Other players rumored to be going pro; Travis Lewis, Dominique Franks
- Players currently mired in the doghouse and have been rumored to be transferring or leaving; Desmond Jackson, Jameel Owens, Donald Stephenson
- So OU's final number is somewhere between 26 to 30 scholarships
- At least 4 of those kids are mid term enrollees
- Rashad Favors OLB 6-2, 220 (ankle injury has ended senior year)
- Sheldon McClain WR 6-3, 190 (knee injury has ended senior year)
- Bronson Irwin OL 6-5, 310
- Austin Woods OC 6-5, 290
- OU would probably like to offer at least one JUCO mid term OT to increase competition, be a possible starter. Are other any JUCO mid terms a possibility?
- WR? OU is still involved with so many HS WRs that this seems unlikely
- TE? OU's ongoing struggles to find a TE game, make this seem possible. Although a JUCO scholarship was already used on Lane Johnson.
- Are there any other mid term HS kids that could use those 2 slots?
- Kyle Prater: 6-5, 200, 4.5 All everything all world WR is mid term graduate. Supposed to visit OU although still committed to USC. If he visits USC before OU, does an OU visit ever happen? However, if he's still taking visits after visiting USC is he more in play than is generally thought?
- Kenny Stills: 6-1, 175, 4.35. Super speed Slot type WR from California. Visiting for the ATM game.
- Joshua Shaw: 6-2, 190, 4.4. Super elite CB from California. Friends with Stills and Brennan Clay
So I think OU takes 5 mid terms, so that puts OU at a maximum of 5 February ships left
One thing to consider OU will probably lose a verbal between now and signing day. I won't even try and speculate on a name (I wouldn't have predicted losing Eric Ward or Darius Jones. Or OU getting Demontre Hurst from OSU). It's just the way recruiting works, a long time verbal feels they are missing out on the process and takes a visit. Or player feels like OU has more signees at their position.
So who are some of the potential targets for the last five in February? Listed in some combination of ranking and likelihood.
- Darius White: the super elite WR from Dallas
- Jackson Jeffcoast: the super elite DE from Plano
- Austin Haywood: He's having an elite year at Southmoore showing unreal athleticism at both TE and DE. If he has grades, considering OU's need at TE Austin would be hard to pass up.
- Marcus Lucas: Blue chip WR from Missouri.
- Seantrel Henderson: the super elite OL kid from Minnesota. OU is supposed to get a visit.
- JUCO OL X: If OU doesn't get a mid term OL, I think an additional JUCO OL player might be an addition regardless.
- Ricky Heimuli: Blue chip DT from Utah. No word on a visit
- George Uko: Probably the top DT on the board. OU might get a visit.
- JR Ferguson: super elite DE/DT. Still indicating that he will visit OU. No date set though.
- Christian Jones: elite OLB from Florida. With FSU imploding, Jones might leave the state of Florida. OU might get a visit.
