*** Was good to see 2025 five-star OL Michael Fasusi in-person again this weekend. Was good to see and catch up with him again.
Here is what I have gathered via him and sources so far:
1. Fasusi is what I would call a Texas lean, but I doubt he’d publicly admit it. I know that’s not how you want me to start this, but I’m being honest in what I have heard from sources around the industry and around Fasusi up to this point.
He will be back in Austin on April 9th. Ironically, that is his father’s bday and as Fasusi put it to me, “It should be a fun day.” He said it in a tone that showed his affinity towards the Horns.
Texas will also get his last official visit, so if I’m UT I feel fairly good about where things are trending at this time. Now, that’s not to say OU won’t be a problem because they, too, have a decent shot with Fasusi and I would actually say they are the team nipping at the Horns heels the most, with a fair shot at overtaking them, but it is going take a ton of work to do so.
Let me know explain…
2. Fasusi talked about OU and Texas the most in my off-camera and on-camera talks with him. The five-star stated that OU is “still up there with me in my recruitment,” and added, “I’ll be up on an unofficial April 25th and my official will be June 13th.”
The five-star also spoke about his relationship with the OU staff, saying, “My man Coach B (Bill Bedenbaugh) and Coach V (Brent Venables). Those are my dudes. They have really set that primary relationship with me. We talk about anything every time (we talk). We just talk about fun things, but at the same time, football is in it. That’s my dudes for sure.”
3. So why do I feel that OU is still in it? First, I’d say that OU very much going to try and get Fasusi back on campus after his official visit. Their best shot will be at the Party in the Palace in late July.
Why is that important? Because Fasusi wants to decide in or right before the month of August. He says he is growing weary of the process and has his phone in ‘do not disturb’ a lot of the time. So if the Sooners can get Fasusi back on campus for the PnP, their odds go up substantially IF they are also in the ballpark with NIL.
Secondly, relationships still matter. I know NIL trumps most things these days, but his close friend is on OU’s roster, in Jaydan Hardy, and Fasusi is tight with several other DFW Sooners players.
Lastly, I’ve said it time and again. How OU treated the DL in 2024 is how they should — and likely will — treat the OL in 2025. They are gonna play the NIL game and compete with the best of them until the end because they have to do it.
This 2025 OL class is very much like the 2024 DL. It’s elite. The depth and talent in this region — at that particular position — doesn’t come around like this every year. OU has to land at least one of the top 100 guys — and that includes the five stars they are after.
Even though we know the stakes at hand, it won’t be easy for the Bill Bedenbaugh and the Sooners. Texas, Texas A&M and Mizzou (yep, Fasusi will be unofficially visiting there TODAY) have made this much more difficult than most envisioned early on. Even so, the Sooners are in it with Fasusi. They are also in it with Lamont Rogers (who was on campus yesterday, so I’ll talk with him in the next day or so on how the visit went), and they will stay in it with five-star Ty Haywood. They know they have to close the deal on one of those guys.
4. This spring will be fun to watch all of this play out. It will be busy for the Lewisville (TX) OL, with not just OU, TX and Mizzou unofficials upcoming, but also, Fasusi will be at A&M on March 30 and take an official with the Aggies on June 2nd.
5. I’ll be back down to see Fasusi in the next month, so I’ll get more from him on where things stand then. That said, the Sooners are in it. Just not where OU fans want them to be at this time. In my opinion, they trail the Horns. But it’s far from over. Just have to play the NIL game and let the rest fall into place. If OU strikes with him, they will need to close on a few other big-name targets, and luckily, there are plenty of those in 2025 so we will see how it plays out.
One thing you can be certain of is that no matter who BB gets, one or two of them will become really good players and be in the NFL down the line. the question is going to be who he lands and who that one or two OL that he develops will be in 2025?
Here is what I have gathered via him and sources so far:
1. Fasusi is what I would call a Texas lean, but I doubt he’d publicly admit it. I know that’s not how you want me to start this, but I’m being honest in what I have heard from sources around the industry and around Fasusi up to this point.
He will be back in Austin on April 9th. Ironically, that is his father’s bday and as Fasusi put it to me, “It should be a fun day.” He said it in a tone that showed his affinity towards the Horns.
Texas will also get his last official visit, so if I’m UT I feel fairly good about where things are trending at this time. Now, that’s not to say OU won’t be a problem because they, too, have a decent shot with Fasusi and I would actually say they are the team nipping at the Horns heels the most, with a fair shot at overtaking them, but it is going take a ton of work to do so.
Let me know explain…
2. Fasusi talked about OU and Texas the most in my off-camera and on-camera talks with him. The five-star stated that OU is “still up there with me in my recruitment,” and added, “I’ll be up on an unofficial April 25th and my official will be June 13th.”
The five-star also spoke about his relationship with the OU staff, saying, “My man Coach B (Bill Bedenbaugh) and Coach V (Brent Venables). Those are my dudes. They have really set that primary relationship with me. We talk about anything every time (we talk). We just talk about fun things, but at the same time, football is in it. That’s my dudes for sure.”
3. So why do I feel that OU is still in it? First, I’d say that OU very much going to try and get Fasusi back on campus after his official visit. Their best shot will be at the Party in the Palace in late July.
Why is that important? Because Fasusi wants to decide in or right before the month of August. He says he is growing weary of the process and has his phone in ‘do not disturb’ a lot of the time. So if the Sooners can get Fasusi back on campus for the PnP, their odds go up substantially IF they are also in the ballpark with NIL.
Secondly, relationships still matter. I know NIL trumps most things these days, but his close friend is on OU’s roster, in Jaydan Hardy, and Fasusi is tight with several other DFW Sooners players.
Lastly, I’ve said it time and again. How OU treated the DL in 2024 is how they should — and likely will — treat the OL in 2025. They are gonna play the NIL game and compete with the best of them until the end because they have to do it.
This 2025 OL class is very much like the 2024 DL. It’s elite. The depth and talent in this region — at that particular position — doesn’t come around like this every year. OU has to land at least one of the top 100 guys — and that includes the five stars they are after.
Even though we know the stakes at hand, it won’t be easy for the Bill Bedenbaugh and the Sooners. Texas, Texas A&M and Mizzou (yep, Fasusi will be unofficially visiting there TODAY) have made this much more difficult than most envisioned early on. Even so, the Sooners are in it with Fasusi. They are also in it with Lamont Rogers (who was on campus yesterday, so I’ll talk with him in the next day or so on how the visit went), and they will stay in it with five-star Ty Haywood. They know they have to close the deal on one of those guys.
4. This spring will be fun to watch all of this play out. It will be busy for the Lewisville (TX) OL, with not just OU, TX and Mizzou unofficials upcoming, but also, Fasusi will be at A&M on March 30 and take an official with the Aggies on June 2nd.
5. I’ll be back down to see Fasusi in the next month, so I’ll get more from him on where things stand then. That said, the Sooners are in it. Just not where OU fans want them to be at this time. In my opinion, they trail the Horns. But it’s far from over. Just have to play the NIL game and let the rest fall into place. If OU strikes with him, they will need to close on a few other big-name targets, and luckily, there are plenty of those in 2025 so we will see how it plays out.
One thing you can be certain of is that no matter who BB gets, one or two of them will become really good players and be in the NFL down the line. the question is going to be who he lands and who that one or two OL that he develops will be in 2025?
