What are you hearing?

[Scottsdale.Sooner]

I'm hearing that Caleb and his dad met with OU (Brent, Jeff & Joe C) this last week to determine OU's "offer". The overtone did not sit well with OU. They were told that the door to OU football is still open to Caleb but no guarantee how long this doors stays open. The message was that OU will move forward to fill the team needs "without looking over their shoulder for stragglers". The meeting ended with little discussion on what would transpire from the Caleb camp. There was brief mention of the number of Sooners that made the NFL playoffs. The opinion was that OU is not going to be "played" by Caleb or his dad or the system.

 

[OUnabomber]

Come on OU go ahead and cut him loose. If he wants to attempt to use leverage against you then no more meetings or phone calls. Case closed we have moved on

 

[Scottsdale.Sooner]

Caleb entered the transfer portal. By definition, he cut himself loose. OU does not need to do anything at this point. OU only has to allow his return if Caleb choses to withdraw from the portal.

 

[LVPack]

"The family is weighing their options and Carl Williams, his dad, told me last night, ‘NFL, not NIL’ is the guiding light of what the family is doing. They want to go to the place that best prepares him for the NFL and best prepares him to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.”

If in fact this is the case, it's not all about the NIL. Neither Brent Venables nor Jeff Lebby has ever coached a #1 draft pick (not saying that they never will), but I can't blame the guy for wanting to be at a place with a coaching staff that has a proven track record in that regard.

Caleb Williams transfer: Ex-Oklahoma QB down to LSU and USC, per report

...

247sports.com

 

[OUnabomber]

How many first round qb picks has Brian Kelly coached?

 

[LVPack]

How many first round qb picks has Brian Kelly coached?

None. However, reading their quote, I think they're looking for the program that "best prepares him to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft."

Kelly's new offensive coordinator at LSU, Mike Denbrock, developed Desmond Ridder into one of the top quarterbacks in college football history. In four years, Ridder accounted for over 12,000 yards and 116 TDs and ranks third all-time in college football history with 44 wins as a starting quarterback.

So, I think it will come down to Kelly/Denbrock or Riley.

 

[CTOkie]

Caleb Williams really embodies the meaning of a "student athlete".

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

Caleb was handed the keys to historically one of the most successful programs cfb has known. Imo, kid should be trying to prove himself first. He ain't done shit yet but expects a smooth road to the NFL? I see nothing but heartache for the kid and his family thinking this way.

 

[Senior Sooner]

I'm hearing that Caleb and his dad met with OU (Brent, Jeff & Joe C) this last week to determine OU's "offer". The overtone did not sit well with OU. They were told that the door to OU football is still open to Caleb but no guarantee how long this doors stays open. The message was that OU will move forward to fill the team needs "without looking over their shoulder for stragglers". The meeting ended with little discussion on what would transpire from the Caleb camp. There was brief mention of the number of Sooners that made the NFL playoffs. The opinion was that OU is not going to be "played" by Caleb or his dad or the system.

I'm hearing the same, said in a tone of 'Disgust'...

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

Caleb Williams really embodies the meaning of a "student athlete".

Can the school that hires him project him in this light?

 

[CalSooner]

I don't see how Caleb could return. By stringing this decision out, OU has had other players transfer out. This has been detrimental to the team.

If Caleb returned, is the any confidence he would be able to play as a "team" member rather than just being out there for himself alone? I don't think it benefits OU for him to return.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

CW ain't returning to Norman.

 

[CTOkie]

CW has burned his bridges with OU, if not from his own perspective, certainly from Venables' and OU's perspective.
I wish Venables would contact Caleb and his family and inform them that OU has gone another direction for its QB needs. Make the decision FOR him.

 

[Scottsdale.Sooner]

None. However, reading their quote, I think they're looking for the program that "best prepares him to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft."

Kelly's new offensive coordinator at LSU, Mike Denbrock, developed Desmond Ridder into one of the top quarterbacks in college football history. In four years, Ridder accounted for over 12,000 yards and 116 TDs and ranks third all-time in college football history with 44 wins as a starting quarterback.

So, I think it will come down to Kelly/Denbrock or Riley.

Ridder played in a lesser football environment to gather these stats. He played against inferior defenses in a conference that was consistently below average. This is not a good yard stick for Kelly's future QB opportunities.

 

[Senior Sooner]

CW has burned his bridges with OU, if not from his own perspective, certainly from Venables' and OU's perspective.
I wish Venables would contact Caleb and his family and inform them that OU has gone another direction for its QB needs. Make the decision FOR him.

A Scenario that I'd rather see play out: Carl & Caleb decide that Caleb prefers OU, so they notify Joe C. & Brent, and those two get the pleasure of saying 'Thanks, but NO Thanks...That (Scholar)Ship Has Sailed'! I believe it would be inconceivable to Pa and Junior that the Williams' NFL Protege could get the Turn-Down!

 

[Scottsdale.Sooner]

A Scenario that I'd rather see play out: Carl & Caleb decide that Caleb prefers OU, so they notify Joe C. & Brent, and those two get the pleasure of saying 'Thanks, but NO Thanks...That (Scholar)Ship Has Sailed'! I believe it would be inconceivable to Pa and Junior that the Williams' NFL Protege could get the Turn-Down!

This is exactly the finale I am hoping for and I don't think we are far from seeing that ship sail. I predict this saga will come back to haunt them at some point in the future. Too much drama for a 2nd year QB.

 

[Soonerborn59]

Good to hear OU isn’t going to kiss this kids butt. No matter how you spin it, CW and his family have all but crapped on the fans and OU football.

As many have said on forums everywhere, OU wil be just fine without him.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

What really chaps my ass is that good coaches have to embrace this portal/nil bullshit. Good coaches are gonna slip and bad coaches are gonna suddenly be geniuses.

 

[OUnabomber]

None. However, reading their quote, I think they're looking for the program that "best prepares him to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft."

Kelly's new offensive coordinator at LSU, Mike Denbrock, developed Desmond Ridder into one of the top quarterbacks in college football history. In four years, Ridder accounted for over 12,000 yards and 116 TDs and ranks third all-time in college football history with 44 wins as a starting quarterback.

So, I think it will come down to Kelly/Denbrock or Riley.

I dont care what the numbers say, Ritter is NOT one of the best QB's in college football history. Not even close

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

I dont care what the numbers say, Ritter is NOT one of the best QB's in college football history. Not even close

Ridder won't be drafted.

 

[LVPack]

Good to hear OU isn’t going to kiss this kids butt.

FWIW, Dabo Swinney has this same philosophy at Clemson (both with the transfer portal and NIL). However, there is a tipping point if you don't adapt with the times, and Swinney's stubbornness to do so is starting to show some chinks in the armor. You don't have to like change, but if you don't accept it then you're going to get left behind.

 

[Senior Sooner]

This is exactly the finale I am hoping for and I don't think we are far from seeing that ship sail. I predict this saga will come back to haunt them at some point in the future. Too much drama for a 2nd year QB.

There are just Some Things on which you can't put a Price Tag...At the top of My List is GOOD ATTITUDE. Talent, without it, is FAR Less Valuable, and creates a Tough Path for a Championship Calibre Player and His/Her Team...

 

[CTOkie]

There are just Some Things on which you can't put a Price Tag...At the top of My List is GOOD ATTITUDE. Talent, without it, is FAR Less Valuable, and creates a Tough Path for a Championship Calibre Player and His/Her Team...

Agree.
But attitude and sportsmanship get more and more extinct each year in sports and the current generation of fans accept and appreciate the behavior we see now.

 

[Scottsdale.Sooner]

There are just Some Things on which you can't put a Price Tag...At the top of My List is GOOD ATTITUDE. Talent, without it, is FAR Less Valuable, and creates a Tough Path for a Championship Calibre Player and His/Her Team...

Agree 110%. It is increasingly more difficult to win Natties. I think a guy with a "me me" attitude is a rotten apple in the barrel. No matter how much he wants to blend in it will be known throughout the locker room that he entered with enhancement and gifts. Harmony is in jeopardy from day one. I have faith in Brent hitting the reset button and getting a team player at QB. If the reset cost us a season or a few losses, so be it.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

FWIW, Dabo Swinney has this same philosophy at Clemson (both with the transfer portal and NIL). However, there is a tipping point if you don't adapt with the times, and Swinney's stubbornness to do so is starting to show some chinks in the armor. You don't have to like change, but if you don't accept it then you're going to get left behind.

What's Caleb's worth in dollas snoop?

 

[Belldozer1]

Dart just needs to commit to OU and we can turn out the lights on the qb position imo. BTW Riley wasn't producing 1st round picks at ECU, it wasn't until he got to OU that happened. As others have pointed out, Riley's 2 true recruited qb's , Rattler and Williams have taken turns being replaced by the other this last year. Sounds like sound NFL development to me.

 

[22LR]

A Scenario that I'd rather see play out: Carl & Caleb decide that Caleb prefers OU, so they notify Joe C. & Brent, and those two get the pleasure of saying 'Thanks, but NO Thanks...That (Scholar)Ship Has Sailed'! I believe it would be inconceivable to Pa and Junior that the Williams' NFL Protege could get the Turn-Down!

I'd like to see Caleb Williams give a press conference in Southern California, and say with a solemn voice, "I will not be the next quarterback at LSU". After a sigh of relief and loud applause in the room, he then bolts for Georgia.

 

[tansoonerfan]

Lost Luke Hasz (#1 OK recruit for 2023 class & #4 TE in the country) to Arkansas.

 

[Oklabama]

Lost Luke Hasz (#1 OK recruit for 2023 class & #4 TE in the country) to Arkansas.

Damn. I was afraid of that happening.

 

[CTOkie]

Lost Luke Hasz (#1 OK recruit for 2023 class & #4 TE in the country) to Arkansas.

Hasz has a non-binding commitment to Arkansas. Commitments this far in advance are often broken.

 

[saba1418]

Hasz has a non-binding commitment to Arkansas. Commitments this far in advance are often broken.

Kind of like the commitment he had to OU…

 

[OUnabomber]

Kids these days don't know the meaning of commitment

 

[CTOkie]

I have always thought that for OU, recruiting closer to home is the best way to go, especially since Texas, with a population of 23 million (6-7 times that of Oklahoma) is bordering the state.
Texas is among the top three states in football recruiting, especially the DFW Metroplex and the Houston areas.
It seems to me that kids from Texas and Oklahoma have more awareness and appreciation of OU football and its history.....and what it means to play for OU.
I am not advocating that OU should not seek talent on a nationwide level because there's been too many great players at OU that came from places like California and Florida and places in between. My point is simply that the further away OU goes for getting players, the more of a crapshoot it becomes (for one reason or another), especially with early commitments.....and now, with college football becoming a money-grabbing payoff, instead of getting a free education and degree.
The terms "student athlete" has become an outdated term, much like "statesmanship" in politics. One term is fading fast.....the other died decades ago.

 

[trademarcs]

I could really care less. If I was the coach IDE have already told him to kick rocks.

 

[Scottsdale.Sooner]

I have always thought that for OU, recruiting closer to home is the best way to go, especially since Texas, with a population of 23 million (6-7 times that of Oklahoma) is bordering the state.
Texas is among the top three states in football recruiting, especially the DFW Metroplex and the Houston areas.
It seems to me that kids from Texas and Oklahoma have more awareness and appreciation of OU football and its history.....and what it means to play for OU.
I am not advocating that OU should not seek talent on a nationwide level because there's been too many great players at OU that came from places like California and Florida and places in between. My point is simply that the further away OU goes for getting players, the more of a crapshoot it becomes (for one reason or another), especially with early commitments.....and now, with college football becoming a money-grabbing payoff, instead of getting a free education and degree.
The terms "student athlete" has become an outdated term, much like "statesmanship" in politics. One term is fading fast.....the other died decades ago.

I recall attending a OU Sooner fundraiser in Houston in 1985. Someone asked Switzer what the biggest obstacle was to recruiting California and Florida and he said "homesickness". Switzer said the pay phones in the athletic dorm had lines of kids calling home at 1 a.m. As I recall the 1985 Natty team was about 98% from states that border Oklahoma. Mostly Texas and Oklahoma kids. I guess technology has dampened homesickness some. "The Times They Are A-Changin"

 

[harolds]

When is the deadline for transfers to sign with another school.
most classes have already begun. Just curious.

 

[JConXtsy]

What really chaps my ass is that good coaches have to embrace this portal/nil bullshit. Good coaches are gonna slip and bad coaches are gonna suddenly be geniuses.

Deion Sanders

 

[LVPack]

^ As I mentioned, if you want a good example, look at Dabo Swinney. He has been stubborn and reluctant to adapt to the changing landscape. He only wants players who are "all-in" to Clemson out of high school. Well, that worked OK for him a few years ago, but it's not going to work anymore. He can either adapt, or he had better get used to watching the ACC Championship game on TV like he did last year.

The coaches who are proactive in utilizing the transfer portal and promoting NIL deals for their players will be the most successful ones moving forward. The ones who have their head stuck in the sand longing for the good old days are going to get left behind.

 

[LAY THE WOODY]

^ As I mentioned, if you want a good example, look at Dabo Swinney. He has been stubborn and reluctant to adapt to the changing landscape. He only wants players who are "all-in" to Clemson out of high school. Well, that worked OK for him a few years ago, but it's not going to work anymore. He can either adapt, or he had better get used to watching the ACC Championship game on TV like he did last year.

The coaches who are proactive in utilizing the transfer portal and promoting NIL deals for their players will be the most successful ones moving forward. The ones who have their head stuck in the sand longing for the good old days are going to get left behind.

You work for ESPN?

 

[loopafied352]

^ As I mentioned, if you want a good example, look at Dabo Swinney. He has been stubborn and reluctant to adapt to the changing landscape. He only wants players who are "all-in" to Clemson out of high school. Well, that worked OK for him a few years ago, but it's not going to work anymore. He can either adapt, or he had better get used to watching the ACC Championship game on TV like he did last year.

The coaches who are proactive in utilizing the transfer portal and promoting NIL deals for their players will be the most successful ones moving forward. The ones who have their head stuck in the sand longing for the good old days are going to get left behind.

I get it. Not just about the coaching anymore. Another "sad but true"