A lot of what would be covered here has been stolen by one notes thread or another so I thought I'd just take a look at the Bedlam visitor list and kind of go over where I think Oklahoma is for much of the list.
OFFICIAL VISITORS:
David Hicks - DT - Katy (Texas) Paetow - OU OFFER - TAMU COMMIT - 5-STAR
We've talked a lot about this one but it definitely feels like the Sooners are right back in the thick of things.
We'll see where it goes with the A&M talk but that feels like a recipe that could blow up in the Aggies face if things are as toxic on the inside as they appear from the outside.
Ashton Sanders - DT - Los Angeles (Calif.) Cathedral - OU COMMIT
Commit landed, job pretty much done here. Sanders wants to play for Todd Bates and that's not something anyone is likely to overcome.
Daymion Sanford - LB - Katy (Texas) Paetow - OU OFFER - TAMU COMMIT - 4-STAR
This one is kind of wild, some think the Sooners have done big work here but I'll admit I'm not buying it yet. Too many people around him would prefer him at A&M.
UNOFFICIAL VISITORS:
Jackson Arnold - 2023 - QB - Denton (Texas) Guyer - OU COMMIT - RIVALS100
Notre Dame has a quarterback - can we be done with that stupidity now?
Peyton Bowen - 2023 - S - Denton (Texas) Guyer - OU OFFER - ND COMMIT - RIVALS100
I don't think there's a guy Oklahoma has moved for more in the last month. I like where they are very much.
Grant Brix - 2024 - OT - Logan (Iowa) Magnolia Community - OU OFFER
He really liked his trip and I think a return is completely possible.
Dax Collins - 2024 - S - Poteau, Okla.
Collins is a guy that I like a lot on tape and keep thinking the Sooners could go in on him.
Kendel Dolby - 2023 - S - Miami (Okla.) Northeastern Oklahoma A&M - OU OFFER
I think the Sooners are in great standing here and have a forecast in as evidence.
Aaron Flowers - 2024 - CB - Forney, Texas - OU OFFER - RIVALS250
Flowers really enjoyed himself and you can tell the environment really impressed the really talented young defensive back.
Stacy Gage - 2024 - RB - Tampa (Fla.) Wharton - OU OFFER - RIVALS100
Gage is a guy that I think the Sooners have led for and continue to. There's no denying that the Ohio State effort won't be easily overcame but at the end of the day I think he's a kid that wants to be at Oklahoma.
Aivery Haynesworth - 2025 - RB - Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Oakland - OU OFFER
Haynesworth's first time at a major program definitely made a big impression and though it's early a return seems very likely as he was clearly impressed by Demarco Murray.
Logan Howland - 2023 - OT - Princeton (N.J.) The Hun School - OU COMMIT
He's as solid as any guy could be and while current guys are wishing for more games he's wishing he didn't have to stay in Jersey for the spring semester.
Noah Mikhail - 2025 - LB - La Verne (Calif.) Bonita - OU OFFER - RIVALS100
Mikhail seems very high on the Sooners at this early point but honestly I need to chat with him a bit more.
Heath Ozaeta - 2023 - OL - Snoqualmie (Wash.) Mount Si - OU COMMIT
Ozaeta, as mentioned, did some interesting work with Peyton Bowen and may have helped the Sooners out in a roundabout way.
Deyjhon Pettaway - 2025 - CB - Katy (Texas) Paetow - OU OFFER - RIVALS100
Pettaway was one of the bigger surprises of the weekend for me, and I mean that in not just that he came at all but that he seemed so interested in what the Sooners had to say. Some of that is being a young guy but he felt legitimately intrigued.
Weston Port - 2025 - LB - San Juan Capistrano (Calif.) San Juan Hills - OU OFFER - RIVALS100
Port is very big on the Sooners right now and seems to really like what Brent Venables and co. are pitching.
Nigel Smith - 2024 - DL - Melissa, Texas - OU OFFER - RIVALS100
As I mentioned in a thread on the board I love where the Sooners are for Smith and think they'd be my pick if I had to pick today. But I don't and I think some other schools might get more serious and see his recruitment heat up a bit.
Daylan Smothers - 2023 - RB - Charlotte (N.C.) West Charlotte - OU COMMIT - Rivals250
It feels like this checked all the boxes for him and he continues to be rock solid.
David Stone - 2024 - DL - Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy - OU OFFER - RIVALS100
I know a lot of worry and concern has been stated on Stone's situation but this is a guy that just loves Oklahoma. I think it was likely to be his choice before the staff change but with the addition of Venables and Bates, he seems to believe there just aren't many better options than the school he's long talked about playing for.
Give it time.
Harrison Utley - 2024 - OL - Norman (Okla.) North
Utley is a guy that is definitely hoping to pick up an offer but something tells me he's a guy that the Sooners might want to see at summer camp against some elite comp to really gauge where they are on him. But make no mistake he could be a part of the 2024 class.
Taylor Wein - 2023 - DE - Nolensville, Tenn. - OU COMMIT
See Ashton Sanders.
Colton Yarbrough - 2025 - DE - Durant, Okla.
Yarbrough is a guy that I thought would hit the ground running a bit more than he has at Durant early on but he's really adding some size and could emerge as a major target for Oklahoma if everything comes together.
(Sorry, this was written during a flight this morning and I kept forgetting to actually post it while traveling up around Grand Lake).
And guys, you know...NO SCOOP THIS WEEK.
LOVE YOU ALL, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
OFFICIAL VISITORS:
David Hicks - DT - Katy (Texas) Paetow - OU OFFER - TAMU COMMIT - 5-STAR
We've talked a lot about this one but it definitely feels like the Sooners are right back in the thick of things.
We'll see where it goes with the A&M talk but that feels like a recipe that could blow up in the Aggies face if things are as toxic on the inside as they appear from the outside.
Ashton Sanders - DT - Los Angeles (Calif.) Cathedral - OU COMMIT
Commit landed, job pretty much done here. Sanders wants to play for Todd Bates and that's not something anyone is likely to overcome.
Daymion Sanford - LB - Katy (Texas) Paetow - OU OFFER - TAMU COMMIT - 4-STAR
This one is kind of wild, some think the Sooners have done big work here but I'll admit I'm not buying it yet. Too many people around him would prefer him at A&M.
UNOFFICIAL VISITORS:
Jackson Arnold - 2023 - QB - Denton (Texas) Guyer - OU COMMIT - RIVALS100
Notre Dame has a quarterback - can we be done with that stupidity now?
Peyton Bowen - 2023 - S - Denton (Texas) Guyer - OU OFFER - ND COMMIT - RIVALS100
I don't think there's a guy Oklahoma has moved for more in the last month. I like where they are very much.
Grant Brix - 2024 - OT - Logan (Iowa) Magnolia Community - OU OFFER
He really liked his trip and I think a return is completely possible.
Dax Collins - 2024 - S - Poteau, Okla.
Collins is a guy that I like a lot on tape and keep thinking the Sooners could go in on him.
Kendel Dolby - 2023 - S - Miami (Okla.) Northeastern Oklahoma A&M - OU OFFER
I think the Sooners are in great standing here and have a forecast in as evidence.
Aaron Flowers - 2024 - CB - Forney, Texas - OU OFFER - RIVALS250
Flowers really enjoyed himself and you can tell the environment really impressed the really talented young defensive back.
Stacy Gage - 2024 - RB - Tampa (Fla.) Wharton - OU OFFER - RIVALS100
Gage is a guy that I think the Sooners have led for and continue to. There's no denying that the Ohio State effort won't be easily overcame but at the end of the day I think he's a kid that wants to be at Oklahoma.
Aivery Haynesworth - 2025 - RB - Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Oakland - OU OFFER
Haynesworth's first time at a major program definitely made a big impression and though it's early a return seems very likely as he was clearly impressed by Demarco Murray.
Logan Howland - 2023 - OT - Princeton (N.J.) The Hun School - OU COMMIT
He's as solid as any guy could be and while current guys are wishing for more games he's wishing he didn't have to stay in Jersey for the spring semester.
Noah Mikhail - 2025 - LB - La Verne (Calif.) Bonita - OU OFFER - RIVALS100
Mikhail seems very high on the Sooners at this early point but honestly I need to chat with him a bit more.
Heath Ozaeta - 2023 - OL - Snoqualmie (Wash.) Mount Si - OU COMMIT
Ozaeta, as mentioned, did some interesting work with Peyton Bowen and may have helped the Sooners out in a roundabout way.
Deyjhon Pettaway - 2025 - CB - Katy (Texas) Paetow - OU OFFER - RIVALS100
Pettaway was one of the bigger surprises of the weekend for me, and I mean that in not just that he came at all but that he seemed so interested in what the Sooners had to say. Some of that is being a young guy but he felt legitimately intrigued.
Weston Port - 2025 - LB - San Juan Capistrano (Calif.) San Juan Hills - OU OFFER - RIVALS100
Port is very big on the Sooners right now and seems to really like what Brent Venables and co. are pitching.
Nigel Smith - 2024 - DL - Melissa, Texas - OU OFFER - RIVALS100
As I mentioned in a thread on the board I love where the Sooners are for Smith and think they'd be my pick if I had to pick today. But I don't and I think some other schools might get more serious and see his recruitment heat up a bit.
Daylan Smothers - 2023 - RB - Charlotte (N.C.) West Charlotte - OU COMMIT - Rivals250
It feels like this checked all the boxes for him and he continues to be rock solid.
David Stone - 2024 - DL - Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy - OU OFFER - RIVALS100
I know a lot of worry and concern has been stated on Stone's situation but this is a guy that just loves Oklahoma. I think it was likely to be his choice before the staff change but with the addition of Venables and Bates, he seems to believe there just aren't many better options than the school he's long talked about playing for.
Give it time.
Harrison Utley - 2024 - OL - Norman (Okla.) North
Utley is a guy that is definitely hoping to pick up an offer but something tells me he's a guy that the Sooners might want to see at summer camp against some elite comp to really gauge where they are on him. But make no mistake he could be a part of the 2024 class.
Taylor Wein - 2023 - DE - Nolensville, Tenn. - OU COMMIT
See Ashton Sanders.
Colton Yarbrough - 2025 - DE - Durant, Okla.
Yarbrough is a guy that I thought would hit the ground running a bit more than he has at Durant early on but he's really adding some size and could emerge as a major target for Oklahoma if everything comes together.
(Sorry, this was written during a flight this morning and I kept forgetting to actually post it while traveling up around Grand Lake).
And guys, you know...NO SCOOP THIS WEEK.
LOVE YOU ALL, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!