As I said guys, I spoke with five or six guys, it's not the numbers of offers we were hoping to see but a few guys snuck past me - Tyler Moore is a good example - and I believe I saw at least 4-5 guys today that will eventually hold Oklahoma offers. I already wrote a story focusing on what I saw from them that you can find pinned but this is more about my read on where their recruitment is.
But I'll focus in this on the guys I spoke with and give you kind of an idea of the stories to come.
*I spoke with Kavion Henderson and you guys are going to enjoy that interview, he talked to me about wanting me to put a forecast to Oklahoma in for him. I'm not ready to do that but it says a lot of his enthusiasm for Oklahoma at this point. His relationship with Todd Bates and Miguel Chavis is very real right now and he mentioned signing autographs at Oklahoma - 'that was the first time I've ever done that'.
He'll be back not only for the BBQ but will be camping. It's impressive that Oklahoma can get a guy like that to come work out.
**The next guy I caught up with was three-star safety offer Jalon Kilgore.
Speaking to Kilgore it's pretty impressive the relationship that Oklahoma safeties coach Brandon Hall has built with him. The two are really doing well and have a real comfortable feel for one another. Kilgore is working to set up all of his visits and is hoping to have things done by the end of the summer but, if I remember his words correctly (I don't have the video with me as I'm currently flying somewhere over probably...Louisiana?) he said that he'd might push it slightly into the season so that he could make his announcement with his teammates.
Maybe an event for me to travel to? We'll see!
***Sticking in the secondary the guy that really surprised me with how sincere he seemed about his interest in Oklahoma was Rivals100 2024 cornerback offer Jaylen Mbakwe. I've gathered he is a guy that the staff just loves not strictly from a talent perspective but just in the type of teammate and person he is. A true 'locker room guy' is the general vibe I've gotten. Well it is pretty clear that feeling is reciprocated by the talented defender.
He gushed abouth is relationship with Jay Valai and when I asked him about where he might play at Oklahoma it was essentially 'wherever coach Valai wants me' but he did explain that corner seems to be where the Sooners are focusing. He was adamant he'd be returning but left it a little open-ended about when that might be happening. Definitely got the impression his plan was to return this summer.
****One of my favorite guys to watch on tape amongst all of these new offers was Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview 2024 Rivals250 wide receiver Mike Matthews. Matthews snuck in on me during warmups so I missed him until noticing him on the roster we're given after check in. And once I saw him it was hard not to be impressed. Now as loud as his tape is he's about that quiet - he's impossible to get much of a read on but while others had trouble getting more than one word answers, when I asked him if Cale Gundy had been his primary recruiter he was very clear that wasn't the case and gushed (as much as I'm betting he ever does) about who was.
That coach? Ted Roof.
"He knows Georgia and everyone says he's a good guy, I like what I've heard from him so far," Matthews said.
Again, that doesn't seem like a lot but for Matthews, it was probably more than he said in the rest of the conversation combined.
*****Finally there is potential five-star linebacker Sammy Brown who was a great guy to talk a bit with and I hope to have a write-up with him later in the week (with this much travel sometimes that stuff gets backlogged but I'll do the best I can!) but he was another guy that just loves Roof and talked about Roof recruiting his father to Duke and the relationship that they have and how far back it goes.
Brown loved his trip this spring and said he will be back again this year - he's loosely planning for a home game but hadn't come to a final date or anything as of yet.
All in all there were a few hiccups but it was another really good camp that had a lot of names that I hope you all file away and we'll keep track of going forward.
But I'll focus in this on the guys I spoke with and give you kind of an idea of the stories to come.
*I spoke with Kavion Henderson and you guys are going to enjoy that interview, he talked to me about wanting me to put a forecast to Oklahoma in for him. I'm not ready to do that but it says a lot of his enthusiasm for Oklahoma at this point. His relationship with Todd Bates and Miguel Chavis is very real right now and he mentioned signing autographs at Oklahoma - 'that was the first time I've ever done that'.
He'll be back not only for the BBQ but will be camping. It's impressive that Oklahoma can get a guy like that to come work out.
**The next guy I caught up with was three-star safety offer Jalon Kilgore.
Speaking to Kilgore it's pretty impressive the relationship that Oklahoma safeties coach Brandon Hall has built with him. The two are really doing well and have a real comfortable feel for one another. Kilgore is working to set up all of his visits and is hoping to have things done by the end of the summer but, if I remember his words correctly (I don't have the video with me as I'm currently flying somewhere over probably...Louisiana?) he said that he'd might push it slightly into the season so that he could make his announcement with his teammates.
Maybe an event for me to travel to? We'll see!
***Sticking in the secondary the guy that really surprised me with how sincere he seemed about his interest in Oklahoma was Rivals100 2024 cornerback offer Jaylen Mbakwe. I've gathered he is a guy that the staff just loves not strictly from a talent perspective but just in the type of teammate and person he is. A true 'locker room guy' is the general vibe I've gotten. Well it is pretty clear that feeling is reciprocated by the talented defender.
He gushed abouth is relationship with Jay Valai and when I asked him about where he might play at Oklahoma it was essentially 'wherever coach Valai wants me' but he did explain that corner seems to be where the Sooners are focusing. He was adamant he'd be returning but left it a little open-ended about when that might be happening. Definitely got the impression his plan was to return this summer.
****One of my favorite guys to watch on tape amongst all of these new offers was Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview 2024 Rivals250 wide receiver Mike Matthews. Matthews snuck in on me during warmups so I missed him until noticing him on the roster we're given after check in. And once I saw him it was hard not to be impressed. Now as loud as his tape is he's about that quiet - he's impossible to get much of a read on but while others had trouble getting more than one word answers, when I asked him if Cale Gundy had been his primary recruiter he was very clear that wasn't the case and gushed (as much as I'm betting he ever does) about who was.
That coach? Ted Roof.
"He knows Georgia and everyone says he's a good guy, I like what I've heard from him so far," Matthews said.
Again, that doesn't seem like a lot but for Matthews, it was probably more than he said in the rest of the conversation combined.
*****Finally there is potential five-star linebacker Sammy Brown who was a great guy to talk a bit with and I hope to have a write-up with him later in the week (with this much travel sometimes that stuff gets backlogged but I'll do the best I can!) but he was another guy that just loves Roof and talked about Roof recruiting his father to Duke and the relationship that they have and how far back it goes.
Brown loved his trip this spring and said he will be back again this year - he's loosely planning for a home game but hadn't come to a final date or anything as of yet.
All in all there were a few hiccups but it was another really good camp that had a lot of names that I hope you all file away and we'll keep track of going forward.
