*** I spoke a bit with 2025 four-star DL Landon Rink today and he really enjoyed his time in Norman. Obviously, with Rink being a Texas legacy, there is reason to feel this one could end up like 2023 four-star DE Colton Vasek. That said, Vasek hadn't visited OU as much as Rink has already up to this point, and the 2025 DL told OUinsider that he already has an official visit set for June 21-23rd. That is big news in itself. Rink also added, "OU is always a great time because they have such an amazing family environment."

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At this point, I am awaiting a response from him on whether or not he already has his official visit set for Texas, but I will say that regardless of my trepidation about him ending up at OU, I still think the Sooners' chances are better than what they had with Vasek in '23. I know that sounds crazy since Vasek committed to OU and remained committed until the Sooners' season tanked toward being 6-7. However, Vasek never seemed to make it up to OU when he was scheduled to do so and that is a very tell-tell sign because actions are bigger than words. On that front, Rink has been to OU a lot and showed up when expected. Also, the Sooners' program is in a much better spot today than it was when the Sooners were trying to hold on to Vasek.

Still, I think OU fans should tread lightly in their confidence here due to the Texas legacy part of the equation. That is just my opinion on Rink's recruitment. However, on the flip side of it all, OU sources have remained confident about this recruitment because of Rink's consistent trips to OU and the relationship that has been built between the four-star DL and Sooners' staffers Todd Bates and Miguel Chavis.

Again, I am not there yet. Call it being a Debbie Downer. Call it being pessimistic. Still, no matter what, OU is going to continue to recruit Rink hard and see where this thing goes.

Now we wait and see if the Texas legacy portion of this recruitment wins out or if the OU staff can pull off a big win over their arch-rival by landing the Horns' legacy.

It should be a fun one to follow either way.

Side Note: Texas A&M is another team to watch here.

*** I will add my own update on 2025 four-star OL Lamont Rogers. I spoke with Rogers a bit today, and to say the visit went well might be an understatement. First, we talked about how much his family really enjoyed the visit, particularly Rogers' father.

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One source told OUinsider that the elder Rogers was ready to have Lamont be a Sooner already. Obviously, cooler heads prevailed, but Rogers himself talked about that situation and added, "My parents really enjoyed the visit and the SOUL mission a lot," Rogers said. "They got to see how I fit into the program, and Coach [Brent] Venables and Coach [Bill] Bedenbaugh were great to be around."

So, where does that put OU regarding visits this spring and beyond with Rogers? Well, Rogers says, "I will for sure be back this spring." There is no exact date set just yet, but the Sooners have remained at or near the top of Rogers' list before the JR Day took place. Because of that, one can surmise that OU may be in an even better spot (if that is possible), with Rogers' family really hitting it off with the OU staff.

LSU is a team to watch here, but the Sooners will be in it until the end, and that is all you can really ask for this early in most recruitments. The good news is that OU has made a mark on the four-star OL parents, and that is something a few other programs will have to compete with and catch up to moving forward.


*** More notes to come, but I will reiterate what I said yesterday on Jonah Williams: I won't put in an FC for the five-star safety and two-sport star, but I really, really like the Sooners' chances here. That update yesterday was the proverbial FC pick for me, and if I were to put confidence in it, I would say a seven at this juncture.

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*** Update on four-star OL Andrew Babalola and a few other notes coming tomorrow. I Spoke with the four-star today, and I will just say that OU has really made their mark with him.
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I'm of the opinion OU leads here. More coming tomorrow from another conversation I had tonight with a different WR target, but here's all that Choice had to say about his visit experience.

Only now starting to get over the pain of the Lions loss to prepare this:

POW: Trent Williams
HM: Mark Andrews

AFC:
TE Mark Andrews, Ravens #89: 2-15 RE
TE Blake Bell, Chiefs #81: Played, no stats
OC Creed Humphrey, Chiefs #52: Started, credited with a fumble on a bad snap (low snaps all game for some reason)
OT Wanya Morris, Chiefs #64: Played, no stats
LS James Winchester, Chiefs #41: Played, no stats

NFC:
TE Brayden Willis, 49ers #9: Played, no stats
OT Trent Williams, 49ers #71: Started, no stats

Permanent PINNED THREAD!

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The 2024 softball season and the start to a 4 peat is right around the corner for the Sooners. If I set the O/U for losses at 2.5, what are y’all taking?

Sooners make Top 12 for 2025 5 Star Caleb Cunningham Login to view embedded media

Something to hope for I suppose

I took a look at the Sooners' pitchers in 2024, which Patty Gasso believes could be the deepest staff OU's ever had.

Transferring Out

QB Dillon Gabriel (Oregon)
QB Davis Beville (South Carolina)
RB Tawee Walker (Wisconsin)
RB Marcus Major (Minnesota)
RB Daylan Smothers (NC State)
WR D.J. Graham (Utah State)
WR LV Bunkley-Shelton (Georgia Southern)
TE Blake Smith (Texas State)
TE Jason Llewellyn (Texas Tech)
OL Cayden Green (Missouri)
OL Savion Byrd (SMU)
OL Aaryn Parks (South Carolina)
OL Nate Anderson (SMU)
DE Reggie Grimes
DT Kelvin Gilliam (Virginia Tech)
DB Daeh McCullough (Louisville)
DB Key Lawrence (Ole Miss)

Declaring Early for NFL Draft

OL Andrew Raym
OL Tyler Guyton

Graduating

WR Drake Stoops
TE Austin Stogner
OL Walter Rouse
OL McKade Mettauer
OL Caleb Shaffer
DE Rondell Bothroyd
DE Marcus Stripling
DT Jonah La’ulu
DT Jordan Kelley
DT Isaiah Coe
DB Reggie Pearson

Transferring In

QB Casey Thompson (Florida Atlantic)*
RB Sam Franklin (UT-Martin)
TE Jake Roberts (Baylor)
TE Bauer Sharp (SE Louisiana)
WR Deion Burks (Purdue)
OL Febechi Nwaiwu (North Texas)
OL Geirean Hatchett (Washington)
OL Michael Tarquin (USC)
OL Spencer Brown (Michigan State)
DL Caiden Woullard (Miami of Ohio)
DB Dez Malone (San Diego State)
DB Jocelyn Malaska (Utah)*
K Tyler Keltner (Florida State)*

*Preferred walk-on

News coming out of a busy weekend at Oklahoma with much more to come this week:

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Doesn’t look like OU is recruiting him.


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Deadline for enrollment is today correct? Does that mean we’ll know if he’s a Sooner today? Or could it be a situation where he enrolls today but doesn’t announce until like tmmr.

🤣😂😅

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I can confirm a report by Collin Kennedy at 247 that UW transfer OL Landen Hatchett will be visiting the Sooners this weekend. The younger Hatchett told OUinsider, “It will be just me and my mom because Geirean [Hatchett] and my dad visited last weekend,” Landen Hatchett said. “I’m super excited to see what (OU) is all about!”

As we reported earlier today, sources in Norman told me, “Things seem to be moving in the right direction there for the Hatchett brothers." The source also added, "Coach [Bill] Bedenbaugh has two spots for them, so if they choose OU, it's an easy decision to take and make room.”

This is big with add/drop ending at OU this weekend. Obviously, there is a waiver that can made but the Sooners’ chance with the Hatchett brothers have started to definitely trend in a positive direction.

More to come after the visit.

Texas is absolutely cleaning up in the portal.

They also recruited better than us in the HS rankings.

If the argument is that only teams who can’t recruit well in HS need to play the portal game, how do you explain Texas?

They are going to be better than us in most position groups next year. But I’m glad we’ve saved our nickels.

If there's anybody who knows about succeeding through adversity, it's Baker Mayfield, and his magic trick in 2023-24 might be his best one yet. https://oklahoma.rivals.com/news/the-comeback-kid-baker-mayfield-does-it-again

*** I will start with five-star safety Jonah Williams. Our guy Travis Davidson had a great note on his interest in the Sooners' baseball program as well.

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You can read about that right HERE: https://oklahoma.forums.rivals.com/threads/small-nugget-on-5-star-weekend-visitor.194943/

I have talked to numerous sources regarding the ELITE 2025 safety. Because of what I have heard, I will say that OU looks to be the leader. However, I am not putting in a Rivals Future Cast, but I will say that you can take this write-up as one.

That said, Williams made the trip to Norman and hung out with the baseball staff for an hour or two; all the while, Williams spent a ton of time with safety coach Brandon Hall and head coach Brent Venables. Obviously, with this being Williams' fifth visit to OU in the last year, things have been moving very well for Oklahoma and the Galveston (TX) two-sport star.

I have stated for some time that I really like the Sooners' standing with Williams, and that feeling I have had has grown even stronger, with one source telling OUInsider, "Perfect. That's what I would say about the day. You can see how at home Williams feels (at OU)."

It will be interesting to see if and when Williams returns to Norman, and it will also be interesting to see how or if visits are made elsewhere over the next month or two.

Regardless, the Sooners seem to have put themselves in the catbird's seat with Williams to the point there is a lot of confidence in Norman.


*** I know Parker has more on four-star RB Tory Blaylock, but sources I have talked to say that one is trending quite well for OU.


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*** Similarly, I am told that not only did four-star safety Omarion Robinson have a great visit, but I am told that his return to OU is coming quite soon, with Robinson and his family planning on coming back to OU tentatively on March 9th. That date is subject to potentially change, but a return in March is the plan.

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Robinson is one that I am close to putting in a Rivals Future Cast as well. Will have more on him as we are going to talk more about the visit soon.

*** I spoke with LB commit Marcus James about the JR Day, and he said, "It was huge. Really good day. We are going to have a great class, and it's just getting started. Lots of guys here today are guys that should be in our class in the end. Really like how the day went."

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*** I am working to go out and see four-star Weatherford (OK) EDGE CJ Nickson this week, but one source seemed to feel it was moving quite well in the Sooners' direction. I hope to have direct quotes from Nickson after I meet with him in Weatherford, but that's great news so far.

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*** Lastly, the Sooners are hosting Washington transfer OL Landen Hatchett this weekend. OU hosted his brother, Geirean [Hatchett], last weekend, so it was big for OU to get the younger Hatchett brother and their mother down this weekend.

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On that front, I continue to hear positive info on Sooners’ standing with the Hatchett brothers.

It’s never done until the ink is dry, but it’s trending in the territory of being a surprise if one or both aren’t Sooners in the near future.

NOTE: That is what I was told on the Hatchet's last night and this afternoon, so I will continue to check on them throughout the next few days. OU needs to close this one out and get the brothers to OU, so we will see if they can do just that. As of now, it seems to be trending well.

Do any of the insiders think we have a chance with this guy?

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Followed up with Maliek Hawkins tonight. He spent a lot of time with Jay Valai and Brent Venables yesterday, and there appears to be a new dynamic coming into the picture as the Sooners pursue the three-star corner. OU is selling him on the potential of shifting inside to nickel, a concept that Hawkins has embraced eagerly. The Sooners obviously used a lot of Peyton Bowen and Kendel Dolby at that position in 2023, especially down the stretch in the season's latter half. Although they're by no means trying to move him away from playing outside corner entirely, OU believes Hawkins has the physique, the mentality and the versatility to add value in the nickel.

The other angle to this is that should he commit, Oklahoma will have an easier time recruiting other corner prospects thereafter if they can truthfully tell those prospects that Hawkins projects to the nickel.

Hawkins' family would obviously prefer him at OU, but Steve Sarkisian continues to personally prioritize the Frisco Emerson defensive back on behalf of the Longhorns. And in sincerity, I'll tell y'all that the love from Sarkisian has prevented the Sooners from running away from the pack here. Many will recall that when Maliek's older brother Michael was in the final weeks of his recruitment, TCU stepped up and mounted a legitimate challenge to Oklahoma. Texas is Maliek's TCU, as it were. Naturally, it's a hard sell to convince a kid to play against his brother on the opposite side of the Red River Rivalry. But the Horns are giving Maliek a lot to think about. They're not going down quietly in Maliek's recruitment, and I am of the opinion that the decision ultimately comes down to those two programs. Maliek himself acknowledged to me that he's gone back and forth quite a bit.

My phone keeps buzzing as more and more information comes our way today, so I’ll try to keep these updates concise and to the point in anticipation of even more insight to come. We will also have some interviews.

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Things continue to trend in the direction of an early commitment to Oklahoma for Cobey Sellers. I would not be surprised to see this one wrap up by the time the spring game rolls around. I’m told he’s already conducting himself as if he’s pledged to OU, which isn’t necessarily indicative but a good sign nonetheless.

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Dawson Merritt did not make it in. That is at least partially explained by the fact that his father David, an assistant coach for the Chiefs, is obviously in Baltimore this weekend. Working to confirm when he intends to get back down to Oklahoma. The Sooners remain in a battle with Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas and Oregon for the four-star edge talent.

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Again, I don’t think he winds up at Oklahoma in the end, but sources have indicated to me that the Sooners feel they definitely have a puncher’s chance with Caleb Cunningham after yesterday’s visit. Cunningham himself hasn’t spoken to anyone about the trip, so we will have to wait to get a word straight from the horse’s mouth. But Emmett Jones appears to have given the Sooners a leg to stand on, at the very least. I might be underselling here, but that’s the side that I am unapologetically going to err on.

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Trystan Haynes is beginning to feel like the Devon Jordan of this class, and that is to say that conventional logic would indicate he’ll be a Sooner, but it’s something of an enigmatic recruitment where there’s nothing to feel objectively confident about. Haynes continues to entertain the advances of several other schools, as he’s got pending visits to TCU and Miami. Missouri is also involved, and the Tigers hosted him last weekend. If you put a gun to my head, I suppose I would still pick OU, but I couldn’t be all too confident in doing so. I feel it may be a while before we get a sense of where Haynes’ recruitment is headed, even with several of his Carl Albert teammates filling his ears with crimson propaganda. He’s either a pro at keeping the truth close to the vest or he’s legitimately without a strong leaning right now.

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I like where things are headed with Tory Blaylock, and I've gone ahead with a FutureCast for the four-star running back. The Sooners are pacing the field right now in his recruitment, and after touching base with Tory and a couple ancillary sources tonight, I feel confident enough about the situation that I'll put my money where my mouth is. His visit today went VERY well.

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In related news, four-star RB Michael Turner Jr. didn't make it up to Norman today. Though he told me that he's likely to reschedule for the Sooners' Feb. 3 junior day next weekend, his absence helps solidify my confidence in OU's standing with Blaylock.

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Caught up with Christian Jones, and the Sooners certainly made a big move today with the four-star linebacker from Omaha (Neb.) Westside. I'll reiterate what I wrote a couple weeks back: the assumption that he's a Cornhusker is inaccurate, and Oklahoma has as good a shot with him as anyone. Brent Venables visited with him in person last week, and his first impression of new linebackers coach Zac Alley was a strong one. Of Alley, Jones said that he's got "a brilliant football mind." I'll remind you all that Jones already has his OU official visit booked for June, so that's yet another reason to feel optimistic about where things stand here.

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I'll have more information tomorrow on the situation with Manny Choice, but the early returns here are very strong. Spoke to Choice not long ago and he called the visit "amazing," speaking highly of his experience on campus with Emmett Jones. He also informed me that he'll be getting back up to campus for another visit soon. I think there are steadily increasing odds of Choice being the fourth wideout in the Sooners' 2025 class, especially given the fact that Isaiah Mozee hasn't gotten back to campus in months at this point.

More updates to come from me and Brandon.