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Spoke to Cure yesterday, and the elite Goodland (Kan.) tight end told me that he's working on setting up a visit to Oklahoma, but that the contact from the OU staff has been somewhat sporadic to this point. He intoned that the Sooners would like him to visit campus before they really begin to prioritize him, which does make sense given OU's standing with
Nate Roberts and
DaSaahn Brame. As of right now, I think Oregon and Colorado have the best chance to land Cure. He grew up a bandwagon fan of the Ducks, and he's clicked with the Oregon staff to this point. Meanwhile, CU is geographically closer to home for Cure than any other P5 program, and his cousin
Tom Hubbard played safety at Colorado in the early 2000's. There is a rooting interest in the Buffs amongst some of Cure's family, and though I would say OU, Kansas State and Penn State round out the top five (and K-State can’t be disregarded, as he grew up going to games at Bill Snyder Family Stadium), I think Oregon and Colorado are in the best early position. Admittedly, I haven't watched every single Hudl highlight in the 2025 class, but for my money, Cure is the freakiest athlete in the nation. I think this is a kid you prioritize at all costs, regardless of the situation with Roberts and Brame. That said, I can certainly understand why OU wants to get him on campus and make sure his interest is as real as theirs before they turn up the heat.
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When I first had a conversation with
Wyatt Gilmore, right around this time last year, I would never have imagined Miguel Chavis would eventually land a commitment from the native Minnesotan. It seemed for all the world like Gilmore's recruitment would come down to the hometown Gophers and Miami, which was his childhood dream school. But we all know how that ended, and that's why I'm keeping an eye on OU in the recruitment of Tarawallie. After speaking with the three-star defensive lineman yesterday, I sense many of the same dynamics that existed in the early stages of Gilmore's recruitment. Tarawallie is definitely a lean to Minnesota right now, but he told me that he'd love to get down to Oklahoma in the next couple of months. He added that if other commitments preclude him from making the trip to Norman this spring, he will definitely book an OV with the Sooners this summer. Chavis has left an impression on Tarawallie and built a strong relational foundation, which could make the Sooners a sneaky contender if and when they get him to visit. But the big inhibitor will be distance, as Tarawallie acknowledged that his mother may not be comfortable with a school that's terribly far from home.
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Interested to see how hard Oklahoma ends up pushing for Jayden Woods, as he will not be among the visitors at the Sooners' 2025 junior day on Jan. 27. On the flip side,
Max Granville and
CJ Nickson will be on hand, which isn't necessarily a rock-solid indicator of a hierarchy but could be interpreted as such. That said, I caught up with Woods yesterday and he cited Oklahoma as arguably his top school from a relationship standpoint. He'd like to commit by midsummer, but is gunning to take at least a handful of official visits before he makes the final call. He'll be up at Nebraska next weekend for their junior day, and had planned to be at Wisconsin this weekend before the storms across the Midwest led to flight cancellations. I don't sense that anybody has seized the reins in this recruitment just yet, but I think Oklahoma could do so if they wanted. Yet the question remains: do they want to? Off tape alone, I like Granville over the Sooners' other options at edge, but I've also seen Woods in person and he lived up to the blue-chip billing. One thing is certain: Miguel Chavis has first-world problems with his 2025 group. To that point, another edge prospect that's very high on Oklahoma right now is...
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The son of Chiefs secondary coach Dave Merritt is another specimen whose tape is easy to love. He's relentless, dextrous and bends well off the edge. He'll also be in town on the 27th to visit with the Sooner staff, and the early indication is that this recruitment will morph into an Original Big 12 battle. Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska are the four schools that have elevated themselves above the rest in this race. Merritt will visit Columbia next weekend before he heads down to Oklahoma, and he told me he's just looking for a place where he feels valued and wanted. It's no coincidence that the four schools I mentioned have been the most attentive in the relationships game. I will say this: gone are the days in which Kansas was just another offer on the sheet for the KC area's top prospects. I think the Jayhawks have a very real shot with both Merritt and
Andrew Babalola, the four-star offensive lineman that OU covets. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen whether Missouri can parlay their success in 2023 into increased prestige with local recruits, especially given the recent turnover on the Tigers' defensive staff. But I'm a believer in their chances as well. If there's one program trailing the peloton, it seems that Nebraska might have a little bit more work to do than the other three schools in this race. I give the edge to Oklahoma right now, as Merritt has felt the love from Miguel Chavis and is excited to get down to Norman on the 27th. Were it not for all the other viable targets on the board at edge, I'd even think about entering a FutureCast here, but there's not enough clarity on the true pecking order just yet.
