Recruiting Class 2020

[WP76]

I try not to put too much stock into rankings and player star evaluations. However, this is the most nondescript recruiting class in recent memory. Rivals has us 14th nationally which may be generous.

Of our 23 signees, 11 are three stars (zero five stars BTW) with no obvious difference makers on either side of the ball--particularly at the skill positions. The most possible exception is undersized WR Marvin Mims who plays a position at which we appear to have a surfeit of prospects.

On paper, we have recruited well in the lines with solid JUCO guys, which gives us the potential for added physicality in a conference that isn't overwhelmingly so. Until I see it assembled on the field, I have a hard time visualizing the structure of our future defenses. Alabama backed away from our top defensive recruit because they didn't believe he was aggressive enough for the SEC.

As an admittedly biased (and spoiled) Sooner fan, I believe we have to recruit consistently at a top five level to get over our well-documented playoff hump. I can't help but be very concerned that these types of classes won't even get us to the playoffs, let alone to a championship level. I also fear that our repeated playoff futility keeps many truly elite players from seriously considering us.

All of that said, nothing would make me happier than for these observations to be totally wrong and for this to be the most underrated Sooner recruiting class ever. Time will tell.

 

[Plainosooner]

I suspect several difference makers will emerge from this group. But I also think that recruiting classes of freshmen are slightly less important than in the past. You just have to look at the previous CFP. One of the four quarterbacks started where they were starring. And the new transfer paradigm makes that a factor across the board.

If you're going to be good, you better also be good at working the transfer portal.

 

[kcstorm06]

Questions remain for the next few years. Can we find any play makers in the transfer bucket? Can the recruits be big difference makers? As always, we seem to roll on at WR position endlessly and certainly Rattler is a special athlete. We shall see if the defense can bring it to a higher level.

 

[CTOkie]

I do not regard OU's 2020 class as nondescript or average. ESPN ranks the class at 10th, 247sports, CBSSports and Scout rank it at 11th and Rivals at 15th.
While it isn't anyone's top ten class, I believe that under the circumstances (losing a playoff game 63-28 and losing recruits Sanders and McClellan to Alabama and coming off a semi-rebuilding year) Riley and his staff did a great job. And there should be better days ahead due to the coaching changes.
Rebounding from the de-commitment of QB Vanadagriff, a 2021 recruit, to Georgia, Riley was able to get 4-star Chandler Morris who had previously been committed to Arkansas.
Two 4-star defensive linemen, four 4-star offensive linemen, two 2 4-star defensive backs, a 4-star receiver, a 4-star tight end and a 4-star running back also signed.
I hope the two linebackers, Whitter and Walker can come through and I think Michael Henderson will be interesting to watch as he's been talked about as a QB, TE, H-Back, running back and linebacker.
I will bet that at least 12 of the 23 freshmen see playing time this year.

 

[soonersoldier]

I do not regard OU's 2020 class as nondescript or average. ESPN ranks the class at 10th, 247sports, CBSSports and Scout rank it at 11th and Rivals at 15th.
While it isn't anyone's top ten class, I believe that under the circumstances (losing a playoff game 63-28 and losing recruits Sanders and McClellan to Alabama and coming off a semi-rebuilding year) Riley and his staff did a great job. And there should be better days ahead due to the coaching changes.
Rebounding from the de-commitment of QB Vanadagriff, a 2021 recruit, to Georgia, Riley was able to get 4-star Chandler Morris who had previously been committed to Arkansas.
Two 4-star defensive linemen, four 4-star offensive linemen, two 2 4-star defensive backs, a 4-star receiver, a 4-star tight end and a 4-star running back also signed.
I hope the two linebackers, Whitter and Walker can come through and I think Michael Henderson will be interesting to watch as he's been talked about as a QB, TE, H-Back, running back and linebacker.
I will bet that at least 12 of the 23 freshmen see playing time this year.

Good stuff CT. I believe some momentum is brewing and look forward to the young players continuing to get opportunities. Big believer in competition breeding success.

 

[WP76]

I do not regard OU's 2020 class as nondescript or average. ESPN ranks the class at 10th, 247sports, CBSSports and Scout rank it at 11th and Rivals at 15th.
While it isn't anyone's top ten class, I believe that under the circumstances (losing a playoff game 63-28 and losing recruits Sanders and McClellan to Alabama and coming off a semi-rebuilding year) Riley and his staff did a great job. And there should be better days ahead due to the coaching changes.
Rebounding from the de-commitment of QB Vanadagriff, a 2021 recruit, to Georgia, Riley was able to get 4-star Chandler Morris who had previously been committed to Arkansas.
Two 4-star defensive linemen, four 4-star offensive linemen, two 2 4-star defensive backs, a 4-star receiver, a 4-star tight end and a 4-star running back also signed.
I hope the two linebackers, Whitter and Walker can come through and I think Michael Henderson will be interesting to watch as he's been talked about as a QB, TE, H-Back, running back and linebacker.
I will bet that at least 12 of the 23 freshmen see playing time this year.

As I originally said, CT, I'd love to be wrong about this but I don't see the "juice" in this class necessary to start the momentum to carry us over the top. Look at what teams like Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama (half the SEC seemingly) are bringing in and, well, you get my point.

I know this is a Rivals site but I give the most credibility to that service because it has, through the years, been the most consistent in its rankings both in terms of numbers and lack of "politicization." I just don't know if we can get where we all want to be when the bluest chips go elsewhere and we can't even pull in a single five star recruit. Again, I plead guilty to being spoiled and whiny on this subject. 8^)

 

[8085sooner]

Great Oline
Average at WR
Below average at RB, HB and TE
Below average at QB

Strong Dlinemen recruiting
Below average at LB
Solid at CB
Average at Safety

It all starts up front, so hopefully it pays off.

OU, should bring in a top RB, WR, QB, TE, every year.
We missed on a top LB and safety the last 4 years.

The Oline should be top 10, the next 3-4, years. Every great RB, should want to run behind. We have young unproven, talent at WR and QB. But I'm optimistic.
RB, will be fine, next year but 2021???
LB and safety, I just don't get but Venables was the man at recruiting LB and Dline. And nobody has filled that spot.

Outside if UGA, I think we pulled in the best Oline class. Never really went after a top QB, missed on RB, WR, HB and TE. Bama getting both TE and RB, too switch.

Riley and Gundy, sucked this year, after a great 2019. Both have to get their mojo back for 2021.

 

[ohyoubaby]

Great Oline
Average at WR
Below average at RB, HB and TE
Below average at QB

Strong Dlinemen recruiting
Below average at LB
Solid at CB
Average at Safety

It all starts up front, so hopefully it pays off.

OU, should bring in a top RB, WR, QB, TE, every year.
We missed on a top LB and safety the last 4 years.

The Oline should be top 10, the next 3-4, years. Every great RB, should want to run behind. We have young unproven, talent at WR and QB. But I'm optimistic.
RB, will be fine, next year but 2021???
LB and safety, I just don't get but Venables was the man at recruiting LB and Dline. And nobody has filled that spot.

Outside if UGA, I think we pulled in the best Oline class. Never really went after a top QB, missed on RB, WR, HB and TE. Bama getting both TE and RB, too switch.

Riley and Gundy, sucked this year, after a great 2019. Both have to get their mojo back for 2021.

ESPN has OU #9 and #1 in the Big 12

 

[coeSooner81]

ESPN showing Texas #9, OU #10. Rivals has OU at 15 and Texas at 13.

 

[CTOkie]

Again, considering the bad loss to LSU and OU fielding a team that got a lot of undeserved “love” for winning a weak conference with a team in transition, OU had as good a recruiting haul as one could have hoped for under the circumstances.
And for the record, McGowan, Mims and Morris were considered elite players by Texas Football magazine. My concern with recruiting was the lack of elite linebackers and defensive backs, but restoring a defensive reputation will take a while.

 

[Deweygolfer]

Who cares, Class Rankings don't win games, players do.

 

[CTOkie]

Who cares, Class Rankings don't win games, players do.

Rankings do count if you follow the histories of Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia and LSU....and ignore the history of Texas.
The quality of talent (the players) determine class rankings, but if you're satisfied with not winning national championships, class rankings won't be as important.
Georgia and Clemson landed five 5-stars, Alabama landed 4 and Ohio State landed 3.

 

[iasooner1]

How many 5* players did we field in 99-2000 ? Hopefully like back then, what we put on the field can overachieve again soon

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

In the playoff era that we are currently in, a team will never win a National Title w/o multiple classes being ranked in the Top 5. The difference in talent between the 4 teams that made the playoffs this year is huge.

 

[Plainosooner]

Rankings do count if you follow the histories of Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Georgia and LSU....and ignore the history of Texas.
The quality of talent (the players) determine class rankings, but if you're satisfied with not winning national championships, class rankings won't be as important.
Georgia and Clemson landed five 5-stars, Alabama landed 4 and Ohio State landed 3.

I believe you got it backwards.

OU absolutely deserved to be in the four team playoff. And this nonsense about how week the conference was, is mistaken at best, and an intentional lie at worst.

The Big XII had every bit as good a non conference record as the SEC this year during the regular season. And as the conference advertises, everybody plays everybody else.

Anybody have a guess about how bad LSU would have beaten Clemson, if Clemson had been missing four to six key defensive players? It might have been quite as bad as OUr loss. But it would have been major. And those guys won more than 30 in a row. OUr missing defenders against the best offense in the country since OU in 2017. Some would argue that LSU was one of the absolutely best offenses ever.

The SEC gets a home game equivalent in virtually ever bowl game they play in. They mostly avoid tough non conference games.

OSU had to play Texas A&M in the biggest big city with a huge home crowd advantage. And OSU with three elite offense players was missing an elite running back, and their quarterback. OSU lost by three.

Baylor had their quarterback hurt, then out against Georgia in another SEC location. They lost by a dozen.

Iowa State was overmatched against Notre Dame. No argument. But Utah looked overmatched against Texas, in the one game where the Big XII team had a big home crowd advantage. Utah was in the running for the fourth playoff spot that you thought OU didn't deserve.

KState got to play against that military wishbone that nobody wants to play in a bowl game. They lost by three.

BTW, the year before, after the 2018 season, the Big XII had the best record of any of the P5 conferences in bowl games.

OU does need to recruit better on defense. But we finished strong in that regard this season. And next year ought to be the first real impact from Grinch's staff. Most of these best players have culled all but four or five by the end of their junior seasons, with coach relationships that started at least a year earlier.

OU fans need to do what they recommend so often for OUr DB's and QB's. They need to have a short memory, and look forward to good things ahead.

 

[CTOkie]

The Big 12 was 1-6 in the post season this past season.
OU was not as good as the other three playoff teams with or without suspensions or injuries.
OU won its conference with a team in transition and with a grad transfer quarterback who, even with his flaws, was the biggest reason OU won 11 games. It was a good year considering the many issues this team faced."Good" years seem to be the accepted norm these days.
Plaino, you need to stop implying that those who you don’t agree with are telling “lies”.....and with your “short memory” perhaps you don’t remember it’s been twenty years since OU won a national championship.
For the record, I’ve been saying that OU had what I consider a good 2020 recruiting class and that the coaching changes could be a sign of better days.

 

[8085sooner]

The SEC, sucked past year in the post season. The BigXII, outside of OU, dominated.

Just one season and now everyone wants to blame the conference. 2018, the SEC sucked and the BigXII, dominated. Don't knee jerk.

 

[CTOkie]

The SEC was 8-2 in the 2019 postseason, with 4 teams in the top ten and with LSU winning the national championship. Yeah, that sucked.
In 2018, the SEC was 6-6 in the post season, but had 5 teams finish in the top 12.
In the past 14 years, 11 national championships have gone to an SEC team.

 

[Plainosooner]

The Big 12 was 1-6 in the post season this past season.
OU was not as good as the other three playoff teams with or without suspensions or injuries.
OU won its conference with a team in transition and with a grad transfer quarterback who, even with his flaws, was the biggest reason OU won 11 games. It was a good year considering the many issues this team faced."Good" years seem to be the accepted norm these days.
Plaino, you need to stop implying that those who you don’t agree with are telling “lies”.....and with your “short memory” perhaps you don’t remember it’s been twenty years since OU won a national championship.
For the record, I’ve been saying that OU had what I consider a good 2020 recruiting class and that the coaching changes could be a sign of better days.

I didn't i tend to call you a liar. But l believe that you are falling for the lies at ESPN. And that narrative makes it more challenging for anyone to recruit, including OU. In fact, since there are so few instate talent resources, it probably hurts us the most. As l posted, after the 2018 season, the XII had the best bowl winning pct of all P5 conferences. So a poor result in 2019 doesn't reflect your claim. It was more about who was more healthy. We weren't.

But keep up the nay saying. Your moaning will become a self fulfilling prophecy.

 

[8085sooner]

The SEC was 8-2 in the 2019 postseason, with 4 teams in the top ten and with LSU winning the national championship. Yeah, that sucked.
In 2018, the SEC was 6-6 in the post season, but had 5 teams finish in the top 12.
In the past 14 years, 11 national championships have gone to an SEC team.

I was referring to 2018, where the SEC had a down year and the BigXII dominated.

Just one year and all of the sudden, the sky is falling.

 

[CTOkie]

I was referring to 2018, where the SEC had a down year and the BigXII dominated.

Just one year and all of the sudden, the sky is falling.

The Big 12 was 4-3 in the 2018 postseason (with the usual OU meltdown)....the SEC was 6-6. That's domination ?

 

[OUSOONER67]

Recruiting Rankings do matter, are you getting better or just getting by.
Look at what Kirby Smart has done at Georgia with Recruiting better players, same with Saban at Alabama and Dabo at Clemson.
OU has the name recognition but that has taken a hit with the losses and the way we have lost in the playoffs.
I blame it on the three L's more than anything, Location, Location, Location.

I try and be optimistic that OU will get over the hump but right now we are in a rut and can't seem to get out of it. Better recruiting classes would help but are never a guarantee.

 

[CTOkie]

Agree on location being one issue. The other is how OU is regarded by recruits and opposing recruiters.

 

[Soonermikee5]

Agree on location being one issue. The other is how OU is regarded by recruits and opposing recruiters.

I don't know, I just think we need to be better at evaluating guys before they sign. We've had a bunch of 4 and 5 star busts, we need to do better at that, do our homework better. I know easier said than done. I think the sleeper of this class is the 3 star linebacker Whittier, from Tennessee. Grinch really wanted this guy, but he didn't have hardly any offers. He's an early enrollee, will be interesting to see how he does.

 

[Soonermikee5]

I don't know, I just think we need to be better at evaluating guys before they sign. We've had a bunch of 4 and 5 star busts, we need to do better at that, do our homework better. I know easier said than done. I think the sleeper of this class is the 3 star linebacker Whittier, from Tennessee. Grinch really wanted this guy, but he didn't have hardly any offers. He's an early enrollee, will be interesting to see how he does.

Good article on Whitter,

https://www.thetimesnews.com/sports...nebacker-whitter-relishes-in-relaxed-approach

 

[bullmarket]

This Sooner 2020 class has a lot of talent.

OU got Five Offensive Linemen everyone a Four Star player in the 2020 class, Nelson, Anderson, Raym, Harrison, and Parks. OU's Offensive Line Coach Bill Bedenbaugh did a great job recruiting possibly the best OL recruiting class in the nation.

OU got the nation's #1 JUCO player Perrion Winfrey a Defensive Tackle
https://247sports.com/Season/2020-Football/RecruitRankings/?InstitutionGroup=juniorcollege

OU also got the nation's #7 and #8 ranked JUCO players
one a safety Justin Harrington, and another a Defensive Tackle
Josh Ellison.

OU got two very explosive players on offense, Marvin Mims a WR and Seth McGowan a RB.
Mims was named Mr. Texas Football by Dave Campbell Texas Football.

 

[CTOkie]

I didn't i tend to call you a liar. But l believe that you are falling for the lies at ESPN. And that narrative makes it more challenging for anyone to recruit, including OU. In fact, since there are so few instate talent resources, it probably hurts us the most. As l posted, after the 2018 season, the XII had the best bowl winning pct of all P5 conferences. So a poor result in 2019 doesn't reflect your claim. It was more about who was more healthy. We weren't.

But keep up the nay saying. Your moaning will become a self fulfilling prophecy.

OU did not have a team to compete with LSU even with all hands on deck. That’s not a condemnation of OU. It was a gap year for Riley’s team, and again, the lack of defense raised its ugly head.
I’m not buying ESPN’s hype on anything. I’m buying my own observations of what I’ve watched over the years. The SEC has most of the championships over the past 17 years.
I’m tired of the SEC domination too, but until OU can match up against the top teams in the SEC, I’m not going to “moan” as you do about the hype it gets from the national media.
As stated earlier, the SEC had s 6-6 Bowl record after the 2018 season but had five teams in the top 12 in the final polls. The Big 12 had a 4-3 record.....but to no benefit for OU.

 

[WhyNotaSooner]

OU did not have a team to compete with LSU even with all hands on deck. That’s not a condemnation of OU. It was a gap year for Riley’s team, and again, the lack of defense raised its ugly head.
I’m not buying ESPN’s hype on anything. I’m buying my own observations of what I’ve watched over the years. The SEC has most of the championships over the past 17 years.
I’m tired of the SEC domination too, but until OU can match up against the top teams in the SEC, I’m not going to “moan” as you do about the hype it gets from the national media.
As stated earlier, the SEC had s 6-6 Bowl record after the 2018 season but had five teams in the top 12 in the final polls. The Big 12 had a 4-3 record.....but to no benefit for OU.

Gap year? Try gap decade.

 

[CTOkie]

Gap year? Try gap decade.

The 2019 team was not as good as it was with Murray and Mayfield, despite an 11-2 record.
So while I don't regard 2019 as a full blown rebuilding year, it was a "mini" rebuilding year....or what I'm calling a "gap" year.

 

[8085sooner]

We are in the lead for the #1 QB and RB, for the 2021 class. Plus a few great recruits, out of Florida.

Demarco Murray has already opened the door, for some serious studs, out of Bishop Gorman,2022 and 2023. Both defensive and offensive, guys.

 

[iasooner1]

I just hope LR sticks around past 24 & whatever shakes out

 

[kcstorm06]

How in the sam hell are the shorthorns # 1 in Big 12 recruiting? Do we not thrill recruits with our unsuccessful post season antics? Hope we clown stomp them in the Cotton Bowl.

 

[iasooner1]

Same old story; when they go to texsa they are 5’s but @ OU they only get a 4 or lower rating

 

[Plainosooner]

How in the sam hell are the shorthorns # 1 in Big 12 recruiting? Do we not thrill recruits with our unsuccessful post season antics? Hope we clown stomp them in the Cotton Bowl.

Couldn't have anything to do with their being from a state with 200 times the quality recruits as OUr state.

 

[kcstorm06]

Couldn't have anything to do with their being from a state with 200 times the quality recruits as OUr state.

Makes no sense as Shorthorns have not had a quality year in quite some time and their coach is a sleaze ball. The State of Texas is not the only mine to get the gold from. We need more gold.

 

[iasooner1]

Defensive Gold especially !