As you all are aware, the Sooners offered 2024 three-star Dayton (OH) Centerville and Michigan State safety commit, Reggie Powers, last week.
On its face, it looks like the offer was made as a backup plan to four-star Junction City (KS) ATH Michael Boganowski. However, that’s not the sentiment I’m getting from sources I speak with about the situation.
What I have been able to surmise is that OU is likely going to take three safeties this season if they can. And that is just talking about the high school recruiting side of things.
Here’s why:
1) OU could or will lose Reggie Pearson, Billy Bowman (if he goes pro early), and Erik McCarty has been battling some reoccurring things that have slowed his progress coming back from injury, so you’re looking at a minus two there (not counting McCarty). You also have Justin Harrington potentially trying to get a seventh year. If Harrington doesn’t come back this season, as most expect at this point, he will continue to try and exacerbate every option to make a return in 2024. Obviously, Harrington’s return next has a lot of moving parts, so it’s in in limbo with no finality known just yet or final decisions made on season for JH.
NOTE: The mention of JH and him being a cheetah hurts OU with the safety players normally coming in at that position as depth guys there. Sources mentioned that so I made a point to do so as well. Just wanted that to be clear.
2) That would leave OU with Key Lawrence, Robert Spears-Jenning, Peyton Bowen, Daeh McCullough and Erik McCarty at safety. Obviously, the addition of Jaydan Hardy helps, but that’s a lot of youth and inexperience. Not to mention the cupboard being fairly bare with McCarty still working to get back healthy at this time.
3) That means that OU will want to take a guy like Reggie Powers (currently committed to Michigan State) and see if they can at least get him down for a visit soon. Maybe even this coming weekend. That’s something we are watching very closely.
What I can tell you all is that OU and Powers’ family had a conversation on Sunday night and we are working to find out where that lead to and how that went. We are also working to see if he will visit OU this weekend or if Powers and his family are looking at a potential visit later on this season.
I also am told that OU and the Boganowski family will talk once again in the next 24-hours as well. Though I don’t expect them to return to OU for a visit at the time of this note. That’s according to Boganowski Sr.
The reasoning for not being able to visit is that they have younger brother that has little league games that Boganowski Sr helps coach. A lot of the games have travel distances that take up a lot of their Saturdays.
BUTTTT… only 4 games left in their season so Bogo Sr also told me that another visit could take place later this fall, it just has to be after the season is over for the youngest Boganowski. If that visit does take place, we will make sure you all know.
4) That brings us to the last part, and where things stand with Boganowski. Right now, I still favor the Sooners, but I have stated it’s by an ever so slight margin. That feeling still remains with me. I will add that the offer to Reggie Powers originally felt like an insurance policy type of offer, but we quickly found out the Sooners are wanting three safeties in this class now.
I know the last part is the shocking part. Was to me as well. That bring us to the transfer portal. At this time, I don’t think OU wants to take a portal guy at safety, but we will see if that changes as the season moves along. I do know that some processing at other positions would have to take place before that is a 100% option. At least that is what I’m hearing from sources.
Another option is to take from the corner position. Players like Kendel Dolby (who has been playing cheetah as of late), Jacobe Johnson, Jasiah Wagoner, and Jayden Rowe are natural fits at safety with their size and football IQ, but it will be hard to make that type of move if BV and Jay Valai aren’t comfortable with CB depth heading into 2024. Shows how many moving parts, much like recruiting, are involved in these position moves and decisions.
5) As for a decision with Boganowski, I think he would like to be over with the recruiting process, but unfortunately for him, he isn’t really ready to make a decision. It’s that close between OU and KSU.
We will have to see if another visit takes place down the line with Boganowski, but if it doesn’t, and one does happen to take place to the hometown Wildcats, I think that would obviously spell trouble there. That said, let’s see how patient OU becomes if there isn’t a decision by the end of October. Another variable to watch.
Again, I think Boganowski favors OU by the slightest of margins right now, but we will have to see if that can continue as the fall moves along. The other question will be if the Sooners have some success with Powers, can that inhibit Brandon Hall, Brent Venables and the Sooners’ chances with the four-star ATH?
As you can see, still lots of questions there with no real date set for a decision, regarding Boganowski, heading into October.
*** Let’s move on to why I put in a pick for elite 2024 and quasi five-star(26th overall) OL Eddy Pierre Louis yesterday. I joined our guy Parker Thune in that pick as well.
First, I spoke to a source (unbeknownst to our guy PT) yesterday that told me, “This feels like (OU) has grabbed the lead and has some strong momentum with EPL,” the source said. “He’s been great with Coach Bill Bedenbaugh and Jeff Lebby. David Stone has been working him and so has Michael Hawkins. Both have been big parts of (OU) surge with him.”
I also called a source in Florida (yesterday afternoon) that told me, “OU has been the team to watch if it’s not UCF. Seems like they have been creeping up a bit.”
Another Florida source, with close ties to EPL and the family, told OUinsider this morning that the elite OL plans on visiting UCF this weekend. The source also added, “His camp has not tipped their hand on any definitive decision date, either.”
That last paragraph can a bit of a downer if you’re a Sooners fan, but good news is that OU also expects the four-star and Rivals top 30 overall 2024 recruit to be in Norman on October 21st as well. At least that is the plan. Ironically, that’s when OU plays UCF at home, so that could be a very big visit for the Sooners and Golden Knights.
As for my FC, I continue to hear some good things about OU. I like where things stand and with the confidence brewing in Norman, the pick seemed like the right decision— even with my normally reserve way of inputting picks.
However, I think this weekend is a good chance for UCF to regain the lead with EPL and I won’t pretend to be naive to that fact. Especially with EPL rumored to have given UCF indication that they would be the pick back in June. That momentum from the Golden Knights was soon squashed by the Sooners.
Still, if he doesn’t make it back to Norman or visit on October 21st, that will be something that kind of tips the hand of EPL and you could expect UCF to be the pick at that point.
All that said, my pick is one that I’m confident in at this moment but one I also realize could change quite quickly if this weekend’s trip UCF hits all the right notes. I’m sure OU fans will all become Baylor fans this weekend because of that.
Stay tuned as we will update you all next week on what we are hearing post-UCF visit with EPL.
On its face, it looks like the offer was made as a backup plan to four-star Junction City (KS) ATH Michael Boganowski. However, that’s not the sentiment I’m getting from sources I speak with about the situation.
What I have been able to surmise is that OU is likely going to take three safeties this season if they can. And that is just talking about the high school recruiting side of things.
Here’s why:
1) OU could or will lose Reggie Pearson, Billy Bowman (if he goes pro early), and Erik McCarty has been battling some reoccurring things that have slowed his progress coming back from injury, so you’re looking at a minus two there (not counting McCarty). You also have Justin Harrington potentially trying to get a seventh year. If Harrington doesn’t come back this season, as most expect at this point, he will continue to try and exacerbate every option to make a return in 2024. Obviously, Harrington’s return next has a lot of moving parts, so it’s in in limbo with no finality known just yet or final decisions made on season for JH.
NOTE: The mention of JH and him being a cheetah hurts OU with the safety players normally coming in at that position as depth guys there. Sources mentioned that so I made a point to do so as well. Just wanted that to be clear.
2) That would leave OU with Key Lawrence, Robert Spears-Jenning, Peyton Bowen, Daeh McCullough and Erik McCarty at safety. Obviously, the addition of Jaydan Hardy helps, but that’s a lot of youth and inexperience. Not to mention the cupboard being fairly bare with McCarty still working to get back healthy at this time.
3) That means that OU will want to take a guy like Reggie Powers (currently committed to Michigan State) and see if they can at least get him down for a visit soon. Maybe even this coming weekend. That’s something we are watching very closely.
What I can tell you all is that OU and Powers’ family had a conversation on Sunday night and we are working to find out where that lead to and how that went. We are also working to see if he will visit OU this weekend or if Powers and his family are looking at a potential visit later on this season.
I also am told that OU and the Boganowski family will talk once again in the next 24-hours as well. Though I don’t expect them to return to OU for a visit at the time of this note. That’s according to Boganowski Sr.
The reasoning for not being able to visit is that they have younger brother that has little league games that Boganowski Sr helps coach. A lot of the games have travel distances that take up a lot of their Saturdays.
BUTTTT… only 4 games left in their season so Bogo Sr also told me that another visit could take place later this fall, it just has to be after the season is over for the youngest Boganowski. If that visit does take place, we will make sure you all know.
4) That brings us to the last part, and where things stand with Boganowski. Right now, I still favor the Sooners, but I have stated it’s by an ever so slight margin. That feeling still remains with me. I will add that the offer to Reggie Powers originally felt like an insurance policy type of offer, but we quickly found out the Sooners are wanting three safeties in this class now.
I know the last part is the shocking part. Was to me as well. That bring us to the transfer portal. At this time, I don’t think OU wants to take a portal guy at safety, but we will see if that changes as the season moves along. I do know that some processing at other positions would have to take place before that is a 100% option. At least that is what I’m hearing from sources.
Another option is to take from the corner position. Players like Kendel Dolby (who has been playing cheetah as of late), Jacobe Johnson, Jasiah Wagoner, and Jayden Rowe are natural fits at safety with their size and football IQ, but it will be hard to make that type of move if BV and Jay Valai aren’t comfortable with CB depth heading into 2024. Shows how many moving parts, much like recruiting, are involved in these position moves and decisions.
5) As for a decision with Boganowski, I think he would like to be over with the recruiting process, but unfortunately for him, he isn’t really ready to make a decision. It’s that close between OU and KSU.
We will have to see if another visit takes place down the line with Boganowski, but if it doesn’t, and one does happen to take place to the hometown Wildcats, I think that would obviously spell trouble there. That said, let’s see how patient OU becomes if there isn’t a decision by the end of October. Another variable to watch.
Again, I think Boganowski favors OU by the slightest of margins right now, but we will have to see if that can continue as the fall moves along. The other question will be if the Sooners have some success with Powers, can that inhibit Brandon Hall, Brent Venables and the Sooners’ chances with the four-star ATH?
As you can see, still lots of questions there with no real date set for a decision, regarding Boganowski, heading into October.
*** Let’s move on to why I put in a pick for elite 2024 and quasi five-star(26th overall) OL Eddy Pierre Louis yesterday. I joined our guy Parker Thune in that pick as well.
First, I spoke to a source (unbeknownst to our guy PT) yesterday that told me, “This feels like (OU) has grabbed the lead and has some strong momentum with EPL,” the source said. “He’s been great with Coach Bill Bedenbaugh and Jeff Lebby. David Stone has been working him and so has Michael Hawkins. Both have been big parts of (OU) surge with him.”
I also called a source in Florida (yesterday afternoon) that told me, “OU has been the team to watch if it’s not UCF. Seems like they have been creeping up a bit.”
Another Florida source, with close ties to EPL and the family, told OUinsider this morning that the elite OL plans on visiting UCF this weekend. The source also added, “His camp has not tipped their hand on any definitive decision date, either.”
That last paragraph can a bit of a downer if you’re a Sooners fan, but good news is that OU also expects the four-star and Rivals top 30 overall 2024 recruit to be in Norman on October 21st as well. At least that is the plan. Ironically, that’s when OU plays UCF at home, so that could be a very big visit for the Sooners and Golden Knights.
As for my FC, I continue to hear some good things about OU. I like where things stand and with the confidence brewing in Norman, the pick seemed like the right decision— even with my normally reserve way of inputting picks.
However, I think this weekend is a good chance for UCF to regain the lead with EPL and I won’t pretend to be naive to that fact. Especially with EPL rumored to have given UCF indication that they would be the pick back in June. That momentum from the Golden Knights was soon squashed by the Sooners.
Still, if he doesn’t make it back to Norman or visit on October 21st, that will be something that kind of tips the hand of EPL and you could expect UCF to be the pick at that point.
All that said, my pick is one that I’m confident in at this moment but one I also realize could change quite quickly if this weekend’s trip UCF hits all the right notes. I’m sure OU fans will all become Baylor fans this weekend because of that.
Stay tuned as we will update you all next week on what we are hearing post-UCF visit with EPL.
