It's back for another season. Now that football is fully here, time for The Son to return. It'll most likely move to Tuesdays, though, with BV's luncheon being Monday.
Just a crazy weekend. Knew going in that my brother's wife was gonna give birth, a miracle baby for each at 44 years old. That was the good, and Baby Girl arrived safely early early Sunday morning.
But my mom was in hospital for heart reasons Friday-Sunday. Saturday, was starting to look at flights back home. By Sunday morning, things had progressed a lot in the right direction so hit pause on returning to Ohio. Obviously, hope it stays that way.
So we roll? Let's roll.
Camp in the books
Friday wrapped up OU's preseason camp as now things head toward game prep. Some questions I wanna get answered this week:
- Who is the backup quarterback? I feel like it's gonna be Davis Beville, based on what sources have said and based on what we've been able to see in the last couple of weeks. If it is Beville, then who is third? I didn't hear the great things I expected about General Booty in the last month. Not that he's been horrible, but nothing where people are going out of their way to mention Booty.
- The evolution of the Cheetah/Nickelback position. This definitely has all the sounds of Justin Harrington, and I think most would be very happy if that turns out to be the case. If you wanted the five most talented defensive backs that give you the chance to be the best, you'd say Woodi Washington, DJ Graham, Key Lawrence, Billy Bowman and Harrington.
So my question is where does someone like Jaren Kanak fit in? Because he was working with LBs and safeties the first day we were out there. Never saw him doing that again during our limited viewings.
We get BV and certain players Wednesday evening (like 7 p.m., pretty late), Harrington is No. 1 for me for player requests.
- What is going on at defensive tackle? Hearing way too many of the 'they're all having moments' at this point in time. I'm sure that's true, but you need to see some separation among guys like Jordan Kelley, Jeffery Johnson, Isaiah Coe, Jalen Redmond, Josh Ellison, Kelvin Gilliam, etc.
I don't even know if there is a 'right' answer as to who you want to be the best, but you need someone to step up and take that role. Whether it's Johnson with his leadership and experience. Or Kelley because of being coached by Bates. Or Redmond because he is in his best mental state of mind since arriving at OU.
That's where it has hurt not having player/coordinator access the last couple of weeks. Because you hear things and then you want to re-confirm them through different players or coaches and get a better feel. Hasn't been able to happen.
- As BV said last week, the name du jour of camp was Billy Bowman. Will that carry into the season? And how dang good can he be if he continues that upward trajectory? Amazing that 2021 didn't ruin him, really is.
ICYMI - Jayden Gibson's one-handed catch from the last day of camp.
(Stretch Armstrong come to life)
***
Vickers, Evans decision week
I admit it. I'd be doing the thing I love to hate this week if I decided to do FutureCast predictions. I mentally put in one for Anthony Evans to OU following the ChampU Family BBQ and felt pretty dang confident about it.
Despite some strong Georgia sources hearing differently, I hadn't heard a reason to second-guess anything. Even after the Cale Gundy fallout, nothing.
Until Sunday. Sigh.
So I'd be one of those guys who would switch his prediction the week of and then act like had it right the whole time. I really loathe that, fwiw. So if Evans does pick UGA on Friday, now what? Cayden Lee still the Ole Miss LOCK that he has appeared?
The good news is it's not like Friday won't still have a nice moment, with OU still looking like the easy favorite for Makari Vickers.
Vickers dropped eight spots last week so technically he's not a Rivals 100 member, but that's just semantics. Heading into June, I never would have thought OU would get Vickers and not get Evans. But here we are.
Vickers is set to announce Friday night at halftime of his game.
If that happens, means OU would have 21 commitments (13 4-star, 8 3-star) heading into the season. Jordan Renaud? David Hicks? Peyton Bowen? Ryan Yaites? Tausili Akani? Unnamed WR? Kayden McDonald (who Todd Bates started RT'ing things about again over the weekend)?
***
Time to hit the road
I bypass scrimmage season nowadays unless there is just some OMG event can't miss. But it's time to travel. Gonna begin this season with a Friday trip to check out McAlester and Broken Bow to see OU commit Erik McCarty.
First trip to McAlester since Devin Rolan (2013 class). But even with Dalton Wood (2015), never actually went to McAlester to watch him. Everybody was at Noble for his destruction that evening where he scored like six TDs.
I'm sure McCarty is gonna score a couple of TDs on Friday, but I'll be watching him more on defense. Is he the safety OU can use? Cheetah of the future? Where exactly is he gonna fit in?
Eddie is gonna check out Jackson Arnold on Thursday night. Normally, I'd go, but Thursday is the 10th anniversary of the day I met Brittany. I don't know if you guys celebrate things like that, but it's always something that has meant a lot to us.
Sept. 1 - Norman vs. Norman North (wanna see Chapman McKown to see what he can do).
Sept. 2 - Mustang vs. Southmoore (Jacobe, duh).
Sept. 8 - ??? (I need to look).
Sept. 9 - Deer Creek at Mustang (yes, Jacobe at CB vs. 2025 DC QB Grady Adamson), rarely see elite HS DBs get tested, hope Grady can.
And then we're already making plans to see Kade McIntyre the night before OU-Nebraska. Cross that one off.
No bump for Kade, still a 5.5 for Rivals. Intrigued to see the quality of play for Nebraska HS.
***
Moser musings
Out of here talking some basketball.
One, no concern about Yaya Keita.
I know some were wondering about what this meant, with Keita not on the European trip. Yaya returned home to Mali to update his student visa, which had expired. He is in Norman now. Sucks he had to miss Europe, but he's still a Sooner, no issues.
Two, OU out of Atlantis is NOT about SEC.
Sorry. Did some digging around about that Saturday and Sunday. No, OU no longer being involved in Battle for Atlantis for 2023 season is not a pre-emptive move b/c OU is starting SEC play that season and two teams from the same conference would have been in a tournament.
Not a 100 percent confirmed reason from sources, but all agreed it's not about SEC.
Compliance got jokes.
OK, so Grant Sherfield and Joe Bamisile are in, who's your five?
Grant Sherfield
Joe Bamisile
Jalen Hill
Tanner Groves
Who's No. 5? Jacob Groves? Otega Oweh? CJ Noland? Very early returns say watch out for Oweh, but I'd love to see Noland make the leap. We'll all find out together, suppose.
And 2023 commit Jacolb Cole is on the road back. Four months removed from his surgery.
***
Bonus
Good luck, Brynden. I'll always remember Brynden Walker because he committed June 30, 2019, a day after Pearl's birth. I started to wonder in 2021 if that back issue was ever going to go away. Sigh.
But pretty cool to have Walker and Jeremiah Criddell as defensive student assistants.
Just a crazy weekend. Knew going in that my brother's wife was gonna give birth, a miracle baby for each at 44 years old. That was the good, and Baby Girl arrived safely early early Sunday morning.
But my mom was in hospital for heart reasons Friday-Sunday. Saturday, was starting to look at flights back home. By Sunday morning, things had progressed a lot in the right direction so hit pause on returning to Ohio. Obviously, hope it stays that way.
So we roll? Let's roll.
Camp in the books
Friday wrapped up OU's preseason camp as now things head toward game prep. Some questions I wanna get answered this week:
- Who is the backup quarterback? I feel like it's gonna be Davis Beville, based on what sources have said and based on what we've been able to see in the last couple of weeks. If it is Beville, then who is third? I didn't hear the great things I expected about General Booty in the last month. Not that he's been horrible, but nothing where people are going out of their way to mention Booty.
- The evolution of the Cheetah/Nickelback position. This definitely has all the sounds of Justin Harrington, and I think most would be very happy if that turns out to be the case. If you wanted the five most talented defensive backs that give you the chance to be the best, you'd say Woodi Washington, DJ Graham, Key Lawrence, Billy Bowman and Harrington.
So my question is where does someone like Jaren Kanak fit in? Because he was working with LBs and safeties the first day we were out there. Never saw him doing that again during our limited viewings.
We get BV and certain players Wednesday evening (like 7 p.m., pretty late), Harrington is No. 1 for me for player requests.
- What is going on at defensive tackle? Hearing way too many of the 'they're all having moments' at this point in time. I'm sure that's true, but you need to see some separation among guys like Jordan Kelley, Jeffery Johnson, Isaiah Coe, Jalen Redmond, Josh Ellison, Kelvin Gilliam, etc.
I don't even know if there is a 'right' answer as to who you want to be the best, but you need someone to step up and take that role. Whether it's Johnson with his leadership and experience. Or Kelley because of being coached by Bates. Or Redmond because he is in his best mental state of mind since arriving at OU.
That's where it has hurt not having player/coordinator access the last couple of weeks. Because you hear things and then you want to re-confirm them through different players or coaches and get a better feel. Hasn't been able to happen.
- As BV said last week, the name du jour of camp was Billy Bowman. Will that carry into the season? And how dang good can he be if he continues that upward trajectory? Amazing that 2021 didn't ruin him, really is.
ICYMI - Jayden Gibson's one-handed catch from the last day of camp.
(Stretch Armstrong come to life)
***
Vickers, Evans decision week
I admit it. I'd be doing the thing I love to hate this week if I decided to do FutureCast predictions. I mentally put in one for Anthony Evans to OU following the ChampU Family BBQ and felt pretty dang confident about it.
Despite some strong Georgia sources hearing differently, I hadn't heard a reason to second-guess anything. Even after the Cale Gundy fallout, nothing.
Until Sunday. Sigh.
So I'd be one of those guys who would switch his prediction the week of and then act like had it right the whole time. I really loathe that, fwiw. So if Evans does pick UGA on Friday, now what? Cayden Lee still the Ole Miss LOCK that he has appeared?
The good news is it's not like Friday won't still have a nice moment, with OU still looking like the easy favorite for Makari Vickers.
Vickers dropped eight spots last week so technically he's not a Rivals 100 member, but that's just semantics. Heading into June, I never would have thought OU would get Vickers and not get Evans. But here we are.
Vickers is set to announce Friday night at halftime of his game.
If that happens, means OU would have 21 commitments (13 4-star, 8 3-star) heading into the season. Jordan Renaud? David Hicks? Peyton Bowen? Ryan Yaites? Tausili Akani? Unnamed WR? Kayden McDonald (who Todd Bates started RT'ing things about again over the weekend)?
***
Time to hit the road
I bypass scrimmage season nowadays unless there is just some OMG event can't miss. But it's time to travel. Gonna begin this season with a Friday trip to check out McAlester and Broken Bow to see OU commit Erik McCarty.
First trip to McAlester since Devin Rolan (2013 class). But even with Dalton Wood (2015), never actually went to McAlester to watch him. Everybody was at Noble for his destruction that evening where he scored like six TDs.
I'm sure McCarty is gonna score a couple of TDs on Friday, but I'll be watching him more on defense. Is he the safety OU can use? Cheetah of the future? Where exactly is he gonna fit in?
Eddie is gonna check out Jackson Arnold on Thursday night. Normally, I'd go, but Thursday is the 10th anniversary of the day I met Brittany. I don't know if you guys celebrate things like that, but it's always something that has meant a lot to us.
Sept. 1 - Norman vs. Norman North (wanna see Chapman McKown to see what he can do).
Sept. 2 - Mustang vs. Southmoore (Jacobe, duh).
Sept. 8 - ??? (I need to look).
Sept. 9 - Deer Creek at Mustang (yes, Jacobe at CB vs. 2025 DC QB Grady Adamson), rarely see elite HS DBs get tested, hope Grady can.
And then we're already making plans to see Kade McIntyre the night before OU-Nebraska. Cross that one off.
No bump for Kade, still a 5.5 for Rivals. Intrigued to see the quality of play for Nebraska HS.
***
Moser musings
Out of here talking some basketball.
One, no concern about Yaya Keita.
I know some were wondering about what this meant, with Keita not on the European trip. Yaya returned home to Mali to update his student visa, which had expired. He is in Norman now. Sucks he had to miss Europe, but he's still a Sooner, no issues.
Two, OU out of Atlantis is NOT about SEC.
Sorry. Did some digging around about that Saturday and Sunday. No, OU no longer being involved in Battle for Atlantis for 2023 season is not a pre-emptive move b/c OU is starting SEC play that season and two teams from the same conference would have been in a tournament.
Not a 100 percent confirmed reason from sources, but all agreed it's not about SEC.
Compliance got jokes.
OK, so Grant Sherfield and Joe Bamisile are in, who's your five?
Grant Sherfield
Joe Bamisile
Jalen Hill
Tanner Groves
Who's No. 5? Jacob Groves? Otega Oweh? CJ Noland? Very early returns say watch out for Oweh, but I'd love to see Noland make the leap. We'll all find out together, suppose.
And 2023 commit Jacolb Cole is on the road back. Four months removed from his surgery.
***
Bonus
Good luck, Brynden. I'll always remember Brynden Walker because he committed June 30, 2019, a day after Pearl's birth. I started to wonder in 2021 if that back issue was ever going to go away. Sigh.
But pretty cool to have Walker and Jeremiah Criddell as defensive student assistants.
