milesl
12/25/2007, 01:16 AM
This was written in the Daily Oklahoman on the 21st. I didn't see it reprinted here.
I have 2 questions I need the experts here to address.
1. We are losing some big talent to way lesser teams ??!! I could understand losing talent to a USC or a LSU or Florida - but to a Oklahoma State and Miami teams ???? WTF ? If you want to play in a National Championship or the NFL one day wouldn't you play for a team that has a best chance of getting you there ??
2. The writer of the article kinda backpedals at the end and says we should still have a big class with some others recruits we are working on. Will we have a top 5 recruitment class or do we need to be worried ?
Here's the article:
Staff Writer
NORMAN — By August, Oklahoma had perhaps the top football recruiting class in the country after receiving verbal commitments from the top three high school players in Texas.
But that momentum has gradually dwindled, culminating with last week when OU lost three commitments.
Now, the Sooners no longer have a top-10 class.
"I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to come to Oklahoma,” said offensive lineman Stephen Good, the third-best recruit out of Texas who committed to OU in February. "I don't know where all this is coming from. I've been following it and I'm disappointed about those players going elsewhere, but it's their decision. We still have a bunch of great players in this class.”
OU started out its recruiting season on fire, garnering early commitments from Texas' top-three prospects in running back Jermie Calhoun (Van, Texas), defensive end R.J. Washington (Keller, Texas) and Good (Paris, Texas).
OU also reeled in four-star quarterback Landry Jones (Artesia, N.M.), who tossed seven touchdown passes in the state championship game.
But since the summer, the Sooners haven't landed a single commitment and have lost pledges from three players — wide receiver Jeff Fuller (McKinney, Texas), safety Markelle Martin (Wichita Falls, Texas) and linebacker Taylor Hill (Youngstown, Ohio) — over the past two weeks.
"As soon as the summer was over, OU was top three in the country,” said Carey Murdock, who has covered Sooner recruiting for almost a decade. "It's safe to say that the momentum built up early hasn't materialized throughout the year.”
Fuller — the No. 15th-ranked receiver in the country according to Rivals.com — changed his commitment to Texas A&M, in part because of the hiring of coach Mike Sherman and in part because Fuller's father played for the Aggies.
Martin — the nation's No. 12-ranked safety — switched to Oklahoma State a week after committing to the Sooners.
And Hill — who attends Cardinal Mooney, where Bob Stoops went to high school and where Stoops' brother Ron Stoops Jr. coaches — made a mutual separation with OU after telling Sooner coaches he was considering staying closer to home.
OU also lost out on Arthur Brown (Wichita, Kan.) — the nation's No. 2-ranked outside linebacker — who eliminated the Sooners and recently committed to Miami, even though the Hurricanes had already landed four of the best outside linebacker prospects.
"That was shocking to me,” Murdock said. "Anytime I've known (OU defensive coordinator) Brent Venables to set his sights on a prospect, he doesn't finish outside the top five.”
But all is not lost for this Sooner class.
OU could still creep back into the top 10 and maybe even the top 5 with a strong finish.
The Sooners are still in on Muskogee's duo of Jameel Owens (the nation's No. 6 receiver) and Stacey McGee (the nation's No. 6 defensive tackle), who are expected to announce their decisions on signing day.
OU is also a finalist for the nation's second-best prospect, 6-foot-4, 215-pound wide receiver Julio Jones (Foley, Ala.) who is expected to visit Norman in late January.
Salt Lake City linebacker Lynn Katoa (the nation's No. 2 inside linebacker) has committed to Colorado but has said he is still considering the Sooners, too.
OU also has a good chance of landing receiver Joshua Jarboe (Ellenwood, Ga.) and junior-college linebacker J.R. Bryant (Garden City, Kan.).
"When you recruit some of the best players, you may lose on some,” said Jeremy Crabtree, national recruiting editor for Rivals. "But there's enough quality left on the board for Oklahoma to get back in the top 10 or top 5 before everything is said and done.
I have 2 questions I need the experts here to address.
1. We are losing some big talent to way lesser teams ??!! I could understand losing talent to a USC or a LSU or Florida - but to a Oklahoma State and Miami teams ???? WTF ? If you want to play in a National Championship or the NFL one day wouldn't you play for a team that has a best chance of getting you there ??
2. The writer of the article kinda backpedals at the end and says we should still have a big class with some others recruits we are working on. Will we have a top 5 recruitment class or do we need to be worried ?
Here's the article:
Staff Writer
NORMAN — By August, Oklahoma had perhaps the top football recruiting class in the country after receiving verbal commitments from the top three high school players in Texas.
But that momentum has gradually dwindled, culminating with last week when OU lost three commitments.
Now, the Sooners no longer have a top-10 class.
"I don't know why anyone wouldn't want to come to Oklahoma,” said offensive lineman Stephen Good, the third-best recruit out of Texas who committed to OU in February. "I don't know where all this is coming from. I've been following it and I'm disappointed about those players going elsewhere, but it's their decision. We still have a bunch of great players in this class.”
OU started out its recruiting season on fire, garnering early commitments from Texas' top-three prospects in running back Jermie Calhoun (Van, Texas), defensive end R.J. Washington (Keller, Texas) and Good (Paris, Texas).
OU also reeled in four-star quarterback Landry Jones (Artesia, N.M.), who tossed seven touchdown passes in the state championship game.
But since the summer, the Sooners haven't landed a single commitment and have lost pledges from three players — wide receiver Jeff Fuller (McKinney, Texas), safety Markelle Martin (Wichita Falls, Texas) and linebacker Taylor Hill (Youngstown, Ohio) — over the past two weeks.
"As soon as the summer was over, OU was top three in the country,” said Carey Murdock, who has covered Sooner recruiting for almost a decade. "It's safe to say that the momentum built up early hasn't materialized throughout the year.”
Fuller — the No. 15th-ranked receiver in the country according to Rivals.com — changed his commitment to Texas A&M, in part because of the hiring of coach Mike Sherman and in part because Fuller's father played for the Aggies.
Martin — the nation's No. 12-ranked safety — switched to Oklahoma State a week after committing to the Sooners.
And Hill — who attends Cardinal Mooney, where Bob Stoops went to high school and where Stoops' brother Ron Stoops Jr. coaches — made a mutual separation with OU after telling Sooner coaches he was considering staying closer to home.
OU also lost out on Arthur Brown (Wichita, Kan.) — the nation's No. 2-ranked outside linebacker — who eliminated the Sooners and recently committed to Miami, even though the Hurricanes had already landed four of the best outside linebacker prospects.
"That was shocking to me,” Murdock said. "Anytime I've known (OU defensive coordinator) Brent Venables to set his sights on a prospect, he doesn't finish outside the top five.”
But all is not lost for this Sooner class.
OU could still creep back into the top 10 and maybe even the top 5 with a strong finish.
The Sooners are still in on Muskogee's duo of Jameel Owens (the nation's No. 6 receiver) and Stacey McGee (the nation's No. 6 defensive tackle), who are expected to announce their decisions on signing day.
OU is also a finalist for the nation's second-best prospect, 6-foot-4, 215-pound wide receiver Julio Jones (Foley, Ala.) who is expected to visit Norman in late January.
Salt Lake City linebacker Lynn Katoa (the nation's No. 2 inside linebacker) has committed to Colorado but has said he is still considering the Sooners, too.
OU also has a good chance of landing receiver Joshua Jarboe (Ellenwood, Ga.) and junior-college linebacker J.R. Bryant (Garden City, Kan.).
"When you recruit some of the best players, you may lose on some,” said Jeremy Crabtree, national recruiting editor for Rivals. "But there's enough quality left on the board for Oklahoma to get back in the top 10 or top 5 before everything is said and done.