Camp edition, football and basketball.
Let's do this and get rolling with some Pearls of Wisdom.
1. BV camp a success
I don't think that's hard to argue. At this point, it's 17 offers from the four-day event. Add in other the unofficial visitors who showed up but didn't camp (thinking the likes of a Colin Simmons or D.J. Lagway), and again, pretty strong couple of weeks.
A lot of things I liked about this camp setting. One, no more testing. Oh my goodness, you wouldn't believe that like an hour of previous camps would be devoted to testing numbers and stuff. I guess it's cool for burners, maybe, but I didn't need offensive linemen to run two 40s in like a 20-minute span. Welcome departure.
Two, player interaction. This isn't too new ever since the rules were changed, but it's still very fun to see. Almost too many guys to list, but off top of my head? S/O to Davis Beville, Theo Wease, Jordan Kelley, Marcus Stripling, David Ugwoegbu, Ethan Downs, Woodi Washington, Justin Broiles, Key Lawrence, and a bunch of others. Special S/O to guys like Ugwoegbu and Downs because the LBs and OL/DL never ever went inside Everest. Always out in the sun and those dudes never went away. At one point, QB, RB, WR, TE, CB, S had at least some portion of camp indoors, but not the OL/DL and LBs.
The players stressed different things. Some gravitated toward the execution of the drills, no matter who the camper was. Some spent a lil extra time with some of the elite guys who came to town in the last two weeks. Others didn't care about star rankings and just were hyped when whoever made big plays.
You really saw how the support staff could help. Whether it was Rufus Alexander or Xavier Brewer or L'Damian Washington or a selection of others, it allowed the position coaches to do what they wanted. If they wanted to run the drills and watch, sure. If they wanted to spend more time with a certain recruit, no problem.
I'mma have a story tracking all 17 offers in the next day or so. And I'm scheduled to talk to new QB offer Michael Van Buren this evening, hope that works out. That was a very impressive performance by Van Buren and lets Lagway know there's someone else out there.
***
2. Now what?
Learned a lot about the direction the recruiting and visits will go from here. In two weekends, boom, OU has already used more than half of the 56 official visits you're allowed in a year.
So what's the plan? The Sooners aren't going to go nuts for an in-season visit weekend. It's something Thad Turnipseed has talked about before. That's not a priority. What OU would like to do is pick a game and have the expected mid-year enrollees take their official visit. Then when the season is over, have the other commits come in and whatever targets are still on the board.
You might get a little freaked out knowing there's just around 20 official visits left, but if OU can land a strong 10-12 (or more) from the guys who have already visited, no issues.
Venables did a great job of adjusting and embracing the portal compared to what had been the ways at Clemson. I still don't believe OU wants to ever go that route again, and that's where that magic word of culture comes in.
The Sooners will place a high priority on family relationships. Not just in recruiting, but when the player is at OU. The logic being that if everybody is involved the entire way, you always feel that connection. And obviously, that' where the SOUL Mission will come into play as well.
We'll see if it pans out, or if we're in December and getting ready to bust out another 100-page portal thread again because of departures.
***
'Portal' Moser done... not quite
We'll move to basketball and the first Porter Moser team camp throughout this weekend. I feel a lot better about Moser and the staff connecting with in-state coaches, but we'll have to see it going forward.
Without COVID-19 really playing a role anymore, there's no excuse to not be building the bonds. Heck, it might not even lead to commitments, but you never want to be known as guys that don't care about your backyard.
I think things being in-person will help, I mean how could it not? What we don't know yet is how Moser will view practices. I can't imagine they're all gonna be open like Lon Kruger days, but if they're open to OKPreps coaches 'n stuff, all should be good.
Like I've said in other threads, I was able to see transfers Joe Bamisile and Grant Sherfield on campus. Assistant coach Matt Brady is already in town and working with players. New director of operations Tad Glibert seems like he's gonna be a big addition to the program.
You've seen the freshmen.
(Northweather, Schroeder, Moser, Oweh, Uzan)
Even if the portal has been one topsy-turvy ride for the last three months, it's that quartet that has the Sooners pretty pumped. This is a group they feel very confident about in terms of the now and the future.
Yaya Keita? Yep, Keita. So he was a top 150 guy as a junior in high school before tearing his right ACL and missing his senior season. Then after playing 21 games as a freshman at Missouri, he injured his left knee and had surgery in late February.
So, yea, he has to find a way to stay healthy. His toughness is praised, physically and mentally. If the injury bug can go away, he's got the make-up to be what Moser needs in that role.
The portal has been very strange, very. Shall we?
On one hand, it feels like you've had people that looked at the roster and said 'not for me' or something. I look at a Mo Gibson when it was evident Sherfield was coming along. It was obviously a battle to win over a backup big b/c of Tanner Groves. I still don't get that because there were several games where Groves was either in foul trouble or rendered completely ineffective.
So you had some portal guys where it felt like they didn't wanna compete.
Then you had some that felt like perfect fits for all parties involved, like Rondel Walker and Kerwin Walton. Instead, things don't pan out. And then with Walker going to TCU and Damion Baugh announcing like a day later he's sticking with the Frogs, well, OK. OU felt very confident (duh) about Walker and Walton at one point, but neither is gonna happen.
So there's one scholarship left. And who is still out there?
Indeed. The door might be open for Robinson to be a Sooner. All the boxes have been checked, except for that one more experienced guard. Robinson has been looking around (Colorado State and BYU, among others), but a couple of in-state sources believe 100 percent he would pick OU if Moser makes the offer.
Been a strange journey for Robinson, beginning with the re-classification process. While OU is still working on waivers for Bamisile and Sherfield, the Sooners most likely would not have to get one for Robinson despite him being a two-time transfer.
If you're a 'run-off' transfer, no waiver required. And it's no coincidence that the day after Arkansas landed a major transfer that put them one over its limit that Robinson was forced to hit the portal in May.
Nothing has come together just yet for OU and Robinson. To me? This would feel like JJ Hester and OU in football. I absolutely thought Robinson would have been a Sooner by now. One last chance to see if it can happen.
My gut feeling? If it doesn't pan out with Robinson, OU pockets the scholarship for the 2023 class. You couldn't leave two open schollies, but you might get away with one instead of reaching for someone. Being at 12 with all enrolled and moved in is not bad.
Of course, there was the commitment of Cole over the weekend, too. Where to start with this? A great way to being 2023, and now we'll see if Cole can put on his recruiting hat and do some help.
Cole is going to spend his senior season at Branson (Mo.) Link Academy where his roommate is gonna be...
OU will go hard for the package deal there.
And then be on watch here:
The Sooners believe they're a player in Vegas right now. Between Jalen Hill and Milos Uzan, they think they have a fighting shot with anybody from that area. Here's the latest with Mack from this morning.
basketballrecruiting.rivals.com
Pretty eventful weekend of hoops. Still have the assistant coach opening lurking out there. I think it's down to a couple of names and the ones I've heard have in-state ties but are both coaches at other Division I schools.
And then the other scholarship spot and what happens. That would about wrap it up until OU gets those 10 practices before it heads to the European trip to begin August.
***
Kendall Pettis with his best Jayda Coleman impression. Love the support from the other programs. Now... #EddieGoesToOmaha. Let's go!!
Let's do this and get rolling with some Pearls of Wisdom.
1. BV camp a success
I don't think that's hard to argue. At this point, it's 17 offers from the four-day event. Add in other the unofficial visitors who showed up but didn't camp (thinking the likes of a Colin Simmons or D.J. Lagway), and again, pretty strong couple of weeks.
A lot of things I liked about this camp setting. One, no more testing. Oh my goodness, you wouldn't believe that like an hour of previous camps would be devoted to testing numbers and stuff. I guess it's cool for burners, maybe, but I didn't need offensive linemen to run two 40s in like a 20-minute span. Welcome departure.
Two, player interaction. This isn't too new ever since the rules were changed, but it's still very fun to see. Almost too many guys to list, but off top of my head? S/O to Davis Beville, Theo Wease, Jordan Kelley, Marcus Stripling, David Ugwoegbu, Ethan Downs, Woodi Washington, Justin Broiles, Key Lawrence, and a bunch of others. Special S/O to guys like Ugwoegbu and Downs because the LBs and OL/DL never ever went inside Everest. Always out in the sun and those dudes never went away. At one point, QB, RB, WR, TE, CB, S had at least some portion of camp indoors, but not the OL/DL and LBs.
The players stressed different things. Some gravitated toward the execution of the drills, no matter who the camper was. Some spent a lil extra time with some of the elite guys who came to town in the last two weeks. Others didn't care about star rankings and just were hyped when whoever made big plays.
You really saw how the support staff could help. Whether it was Rufus Alexander or Xavier Brewer or L'Damian Washington or a selection of others, it allowed the position coaches to do what they wanted. If they wanted to run the drills and watch, sure. If they wanted to spend more time with a certain recruit, no problem.
I'mma have a story tracking all 17 offers in the next day or so. And I'm scheduled to talk to new QB offer Michael Van Buren this evening, hope that works out. That was a very impressive performance by Van Buren and lets Lagway know there's someone else out there.
***
2. Now what?
Learned a lot about the direction the recruiting and visits will go from here. In two weekends, boom, OU has already used more than half of the 56 official visits you're allowed in a year.
So what's the plan? The Sooners aren't going to go nuts for an in-season visit weekend. It's something Thad Turnipseed has talked about before. That's not a priority. What OU would like to do is pick a game and have the expected mid-year enrollees take their official visit. Then when the season is over, have the other commits come in and whatever targets are still on the board.
You might get a little freaked out knowing there's just around 20 official visits left, but if OU can land a strong 10-12 (or more) from the guys who have already visited, no issues.
Venables did a great job of adjusting and embracing the portal compared to what had been the ways at Clemson. I still don't believe OU wants to ever go that route again, and that's where that magic word of culture comes in.
The Sooners will place a high priority on family relationships. Not just in recruiting, but when the player is at OU. The logic being that if everybody is involved the entire way, you always feel that connection. And obviously, that' where the SOUL Mission will come into play as well.
We'll see if it pans out, or if we're in December and getting ready to bust out another 100-page portal thread again because of departures.
***
'Portal' Moser done... not quite
We'll move to basketball and the first Porter Moser team camp throughout this weekend. I feel a lot better about Moser and the staff connecting with in-state coaches, but we'll have to see it going forward.
Without COVID-19 really playing a role anymore, there's no excuse to not be building the bonds. Heck, it might not even lead to commitments, but you never want to be known as guys that don't care about your backyard.
I think things being in-person will help, I mean how could it not? What we don't know yet is how Moser will view practices. I can't imagine they're all gonna be open like Lon Kruger days, but if they're open to OKPreps coaches 'n stuff, all should be good.
Like I've said in other threads, I was able to see transfers Joe Bamisile and Grant Sherfield on campus. Assistant coach Matt Brady is already in town and working with players. New director of operations Tad Glibert seems like he's gonna be a big addition to the program.
You've seen the freshmen.
(Northweather, Schroeder, Moser, Oweh, Uzan)
Even if the portal has been one topsy-turvy ride for the last three months, it's that quartet that has the Sooners pretty pumped. This is a group they feel very confident about in terms of the now and the future.
Yaya Keita? Yep, Keita. So he was a top 150 guy as a junior in high school before tearing his right ACL and missing his senior season. Then after playing 21 games as a freshman at Missouri, he injured his left knee and had surgery in late February.
So, yea, he has to find a way to stay healthy. His toughness is praised, physically and mentally. If the injury bug can go away, he's got the make-up to be what Moser needs in that role.
The portal has been very strange, very. Shall we?
On one hand, it feels like you've had people that looked at the roster and said 'not for me' or something. I look at a Mo Gibson when it was evident Sherfield was coming along. It was obviously a battle to win over a backup big b/c of Tanner Groves. I still don't get that because there were several games where Groves was either in foul trouble or rendered completely ineffective.
So you had some portal guys where it felt like they didn't wanna compete.
Then you had some that felt like perfect fits for all parties involved, like Rondel Walker and Kerwin Walton. Instead, things don't pan out. And then with Walker going to TCU and Damion Baugh announcing like a day later he's sticking with the Frogs, well, OK. OU felt very confident (duh) about Walker and Walton at one point, but neither is gonna happen.
So there's one scholarship left. And who is still out there?
Indeed. The door might be open for Robinson to be a Sooner. All the boxes have been checked, except for that one more experienced guard. Robinson has been looking around (Colorado State and BYU, among others), but a couple of in-state sources believe 100 percent he would pick OU if Moser makes the offer.
Been a strange journey for Robinson, beginning with the re-classification process. While OU is still working on waivers for Bamisile and Sherfield, the Sooners most likely would not have to get one for Robinson despite him being a two-time transfer.
If you're a 'run-off' transfer, no waiver required. And it's no coincidence that the day after Arkansas landed a major transfer that put them one over its limit that Robinson was forced to hit the portal in May.
Nothing has come together just yet for OU and Robinson. To me? This would feel like JJ Hester and OU in football. I absolutely thought Robinson would have been a Sooner by now. One last chance to see if it can happen.
My gut feeling? If it doesn't pan out with Robinson, OU pockets the scholarship for the 2023 class. You couldn't leave two open schollies, but you might get away with one instead of reaching for someone. Being at 12 with all enrolled and moved in is not bad.
Of course, there was the commitment of Cole over the weekend, too. Where to start with this? A great way to being 2023, and now we'll see if Cole can put on his recruiting hat and do some help.
Cole is going to spend his senior season at Branson (Mo.) Link Academy where his roommate is gonna be...
OU will go hard for the package deal there.
And then be on watch here:
The Sooners believe they're a player in Vegas right now. Between Jalen Hill and Milos Uzan, they think they have a fighting shot with anybody from that area. Here's the latest with Mack from this morning.
Basketball Recruiting - Oklahoma has grabbed the attention of Sebastian Mack
Sebastian Mack says he hopes to visit OU in the near future.
basketballrecruiting.rivals.com
Pretty eventful weekend of hoops. Still have the assistant coach opening lurking out there. I think it's down to a couple of names and the ones I've heard have in-state ties but are both coaches at other Division I schools.
And then the other scholarship spot and what happens. That would about wrap it up until OU gets those 10 practices before it heads to the European trip to begin August.
***
Kendall Pettis with his best Jayda Coleman impression. Love the support from the other programs. Now... #EddieGoesToOmaha. Let's go!!
