— Let’s start with Linkon Cure, whose recruitment has gotten a lot more complex as of late. I wouldn’t use the word “weird” just yet, but when I talked to Cure today, he was floating the possibility of visiting Stanford, which goes to show you that it’s not nearly as simple as it once seemed. A month ago, I would have told you (and I’m fairly sure I did) that it was K-State, then Oklahoma, then everybody else. I still believe that to be the case, as do sources from both the OU side and the Sunflower State side, but I’m a little thrown off by the fact that he’s mapping out a throng of visits to other schools. He’s locked in spring trips to Kansas, Oregon, Penn State and Kansas State. That Stanford trip is a possibility. And as for Oklahoma, he hasn’t finalized his next visit, but mentioned to me that it’s on his radar.
The word from the Switzer Center is that the Sooners are going to get Cure back to town at least two more times before he commits, and I can tell you all that Cure and his family have resolved to take a full slate of OV’s before a commitment. Do multiple OU visits actually occur before Cure’s decision? I can’t say. But again, I’ll reiterate that there are sources outside Norman that maintain Oklahoma is sitting No. 2 right now. I’ll obviously keep tabs on this one, but just be aware that this is poised to last longer than anyone initially anticipated. For my money, I think that bodes well for OU and everyone not named Kansas State. The longer this drags out, the more likely it is — in my estimation, at least — that Cure goes out of state, a la the Michael Boganowski recruitment.
— Caught up with Nate Roberts and his folks today in Houston. I’ll say this much: my gut isn’t 100 percent accurate, but I’ve ignored it enough times (i.e., the Williams Nwaneri and Xadavien Sims fiascos) to know that it’s usually pointing me in the right direction. I’ve just got a positive gut feeling about Roberts. And for the moment, that’s about all there is to work with. Not much has changed, and not much will change, until his OV’s roll around. He’s done a zillion interviews this spring and is frankly tired of the media attention; in fact, he joked with me that “it’s all the same sh*t” with each interview he does. So while there’s nothing particularly novel to report on Roberts, keep in mind: 1) his family is very pro-OU and thrilled to have his older brother Jake in Norman, 2) distance was a contributing factor to his Notre Dame decommitment, and 3) he’ll be on campus a lot for the remainder of the calendar year. It's also a good sign that he's playing 7-on-7 ball with Sooner7. Saying no to Oklahoma is going to be hard to do. It won’t be impossible, but it’ll be hard to do. For the time being, I’m willing to stick with my prediction that Roberts and DaSaahn Brame are the two tight ends that wind up in OU’s class.
— I know there are a few on this board that really like Demarius Robinson out of Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe. But with the Sooners closing fast on a pledge from Tory Blaylock and Robinson beginning to pick up substantial Power 4 interest, I just don’t think there’s a fit for him in Norman as a PWO. In fact, I’ve fired in a FutureCast prediction for Arizona State, which has prioritized Robinson heavily and will host him twice in the month of April (with the latter trip being an official visit). He’s a very good player and will be a difference-maker at the collegiate level, but I also think it’s easy to look at OU’s backfield and conclude the Sooners are loaded enough to pass on him.
— As for a PWO possibility that is on the table, Brandon has mentioned three-star Muskogee (Okla.) quarterback Jamarian Ficklin as someone to monitor. Ficklin is a kid that just continues to get better and better each time I see him; he’s got good zip and mobility with a Michael Penix-esque southpaw sling delivery. Expect him to camp in Norman this June, and he’s definitely a player that could wind up with an Andy Bass-esque opportunity at Oklahoma. In talking to Ficklin, I get the sense he’d strongly consider that type of opportunity. But he’s also being pursued heavily by UNLV, which has established strong inroads in the Sooner State under head coach Barry Odom. He’ll OV in Vegas this summer. Kansas State is another school that has ramped up contact with Ficklin lately, and they’ve been talking to him about an official visit as well. Even so, he’s worth tracking in the months ahead if you’re a Sooner fan and enjoy the possibility of OU landing another highly productive in-state talent... and without using a scholarship, at that.
