— Let’s start with four-star RB Taylor Tatum, who was the subject of an in-depth update from Brandon earlier this week. I wanted to tack on additional intel after conversations with some sources in the last 36 hours. A name that’s recently cropped back up in the running back picture for Oklahoma is Nate Palmer, a small-town Texas standout that I believe is monumentally underrated. However, I’m told that Palmer is leaning USC at this point in time, and that the Trojans expect to close on him within the next 6-8 weeks. If that’s the case, Palmer and Bryan Jackson would be USC’s two takes at running back in the 2024 class, which would take them out of the running for Tatum. Furthermore, the vibe from SoCal is that Tatum’s leaning toward Oklahoma anyway, and there isn’t a ton of confidence that USC will make up ground with him when he takes his official.
In essence, you’re looking at a mano-a-mano OU/Michigan battle for Tatum, and the Sooners are trending heavily upward in this race. I think it’s still a bit premature to drop a FutureCast in favor of the Sooners, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it this morning. All Oklahoma has to do is stave off Michigan, and at that point, they’re pretty much out of the woods with the blue-chip Longview back.
— Had an interesting talk with a very well-placed source earlier this week about four-star DE Jayshawn Ross. Every year, there are a few recruitments that just fall into the “weird” category. Ross’ recruitment is definitely one that fits the bill this cycle. There’s a lot to unpack, but suffice it to say that the kid doesn’t have a family situation that is terribly conducive to a seamless recruiting process. However, in speaking with this particular source regarding Ross, I was told, “He’s going to Oklahoma if [they] want him. It’s Oklahoma and everybody else right now.”
Now, the word of that source would have typically been good enough for me to enter a FutureCast without thinking twice, but the “if” points to the reality that Ross might not have a spot at Oklahoma when all is said and done. As we’ve discussed in recent weeks, the Sooners are sitting in outstanding position for a number of targets at defensive end, and the only two players that I think are an automatic “yes” at OU right this second are Williams Nwaneri and Zina Umeozulu. I didn’t have Ross in my first mock class, and that’s because 1) his recruitment isn’t 100 percent in his hands, 2) he’s on a much more gradual timeline than some of the Sooners’ other targets, and 3) he may or may not end up a take. For my money, the kid is more than good enough to play at Oklahoma; he dominated last month’s Under Armour camp up in Kansas City, and I’ve compared him to a nastier Chandavian Bradley. I don’t expect much tangible news on Ross over the next couple months, but his name could re-emerge very quickly down the road, especially if Umeozulu and Loghan Thomas commit elsewhere. The arc of this recruitment might be likened to that of Jaquaize Pettaway last year — i.e. his name isn't an unfamiliar one, but it'll be all quiet on the Western front for a good while, and then when things heat up, they'll heat up fast.
— I believe Oklahoma has immediately become a very real contender for three-star LB James Nesta out of North Carolina. Nesta earned the OU offer earlier this week as the Sooners continue to expand their linebacker board, and when I caught up with Nesta, he said he was finalizing his June OV schedule. He plans to take five officials next month, and though he played coy about which schools would get the visits, I have the strong sense Oklahoma is in line to receive one. In my conversation with Nesta, he dropped one very compelling tidbit that ought to lend optimism.
“Coach Chavis and Coach Venables, I can just tell they’re [a] different breed [when] it comes to defense,” he told me. “And my coach, he took all of Coach Venables’ plays, what he used to run at Clemson, and integrated it. So the defense that we run here is the exact defense that they run at Oklahoma. So it’s a lot easier to see where I’d play, and my role in the defense. And just from the standpoint of his legacy with linebackers and the position I play, [he’s] probably the best in college football.”
What’s also worth mentioning here is that Nesta’s an elite baseball prospect; he can touch 95 mph with his fastball and is a likely MLB draft selection next summer as a right-handed pitcher. Naturally, the Sooners have offered him the opportunity to play both sports. Assuming Oklahoma does receive an official from Nesta, I feel they’ve got as good a shot as anybody to pick up his pledge. There are few high school athletes in the country that can say they’ve already played multiple seasons in Venables’ scheme, even if not under Venables himself. The philosophical familiarity definitely works in OU’s favor here. Nesta's a versatile kid who could fill a variety of roles on the defensive side; I see him as the type that could line up at edge, linebacker or cheetah.
— I know that much has been made of the fact that Bryant Wesco’s sister is in the soccer transfer portal. I am not of the opinion that it’ll change anything in his recruitment. My recent conversations with a few sources point towards a June commitment for Wesco, and Oklahoma has a substantial lead right now. It’s also worth remembering that his sister is far from the only tie that binds him to Norman. While still at Texas Tech, Emmett Jones was the first collegiate coach to offer Wesco, and Oklahoma was very early to offer as well. Moreover, Wesco’s formed a strong bond with Michael Hawkins, and the two are in constant communication.
TCU and Clemson might get officials from Wesco, but they’ve got an enormous amount of catch-up work to do if they’re to sway the elite wideout. There’s a reason you’re not hearing any Oklahoma buzz in the recruitments of any other 2024 receivers. Wesco is the last piece of the puzzle for Emmett Jones, and folks in and around the Switzer Center are exceedingly confident here.
In essence, you’re looking at a mano-a-mano OU/Michigan battle for Tatum, and the Sooners are trending heavily upward in this race. I think it’s still a bit premature to drop a FutureCast in favor of the Sooners, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it this morning. All Oklahoma has to do is stave off Michigan, and at that point, they’re pretty much out of the woods with the blue-chip Longview back.
— Had an interesting talk with a very well-placed source earlier this week about four-star DE Jayshawn Ross. Every year, there are a few recruitments that just fall into the “weird” category. Ross’ recruitment is definitely one that fits the bill this cycle. There’s a lot to unpack, but suffice it to say that the kid doesn’t have a family situation that is terribly conducive to a seamless recruiting process. However, in speaking with this particular source regarding Ross, I was told, “He’s going to Oklahoma if [they] want him. It’s Oklahoma and everybody else right now.”
Now, the word of that source would have typically been good enough for me to enter a FutureCast without thinking twice, but the “if” points to the reality that Ross might not have a spot at Oklahoma when all is said and done. As we’ve discussed in recent weeks, the Sooners are sitting in outstanding position for a number of targets at defensive end, and the only two players that I think are an automatic “yes” at OU right this second are Williams Nwaneri and Zina Umeozulu. I didn’t have Ross in my first mock class, and that’s because 1) his recruitment isn’t 100 percent in his hands, 2) he’s on a much more gradual timeline than some of the Sooners’ other targets, and 3) he may or may not end up a take. For my money, the kid is more than good enough to play at Oklahoma; he dominated last month’s Under Armour camp up in Kansas City, and I’ve compared him to a nastier Chandavian Bradley. I don’t expect much tangible news on Ross over the next couple months, but his name could re-emerge very quickly down the road, especially if Umeozulu and Loghan Thomas commit elsewhere. The arc of this recruitment might be likened to that of Jaquaize Pettaway last year — i.e. his name isn't an unfamiliar one, but it'll be all quiet on the Western front for a good while, and then when things heat up, they'll heat up fast.
— I believe Oklahoma has immediately become a very real contender for three-star LB James Nesta out of North Carolina. Nesta earned the OU offer earlier this week as the Sooners continue to expand their linebacker board, and when I caught up with Nesta, he said he was finalizing his June OV schedule. He plans to take five officials next month, and though he played coy about which schools would get the visits, I have the strong sense Oklahoma is in line to receive one. In my conversation with Nesta, he dropped one very compelling tidbit that ought to lend optimism.
“Coach Chavis and Coach Venables, I can just tell they’re [a] different breed [when] it comes to defense,” he told me. “And my coach, he took all of Coach Venables’ plays, what he used to run at Clemson, and integrated it. So the defense that we run here is the exact defense that they run at Oklahoma. So it’s a lot easier to see where I’d play, and my role in the defense. And just from the standpoint of his legacy with linebackers and the position I play, [he’s] probably the best in college football.”
What’s also worth mentioning here is that Nesta’s an elite baseball prospect; he can touch 95 mph with his fastball and is a likely MLB draft selection next summer as a right-handed pitcher. Naturally, the Sooners have offered him the opportunity to play both sports. Assuming Oklahoma does receive an official from Nesta, I feel they’ve got as good a shot as anybody to pick up his pledge. There are few high school athletes in the country that can say they’ve already played multiple seasons in Venables’ scheme, even if not under Venables himself. The philosophical familiarity definitely works in OU’s favor here. Nesta's a versatile kid who could fill a variety of roles on the defensive side; I see him as the type that could line up at edge, linebacker or cheetah.
— I know that much has been made of the fact that Bryant Wesco’s sister is in the soccer transfer portal. I am not of the opinion that it’ll change anything in his recruitment. My recent conversations with a few sources point towards a June commitment for Wesco, and Oklahoma has a substantial lead right now. It’s also worth remembering that his sister is far from the only tie that binds him to Norman. While still at Texas Tech, Emmett Jones was the first collegiate coach to offer Wesco, and Oklahoma was very early to offer as well. Moreover, Wesco’s formed a strong bond with Michael Hawkins, and the two are in constant communication.
TCU and Clemson might get officials from Wesco, but they’ve got an enormous amount of catch-up work to do if they’re to sway the elite wideout. There’s a reason you’re not hearing any Oklahoma buzz in the recruitments of any other 2024 receivers. Wesco is the last piece of the puzzle for Emmett Jones, and folks in and around the Switzer Center are exceedingly confident here.
