general class thoughts

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

jeff vinson - his backs can't hit a hole to save their lives. catch and run to the sidelines.

[BoulderSooner79]

er?

[picasso]

Pat Jones was on the radio earlier speaking very highly of Gabe Lynn who he knows from working out at the same health center, says he's rangy and looks to be a stud safety in his opinion. Also spoke of meeting Gus Jones and Ronnel Lewis, said plus side is big with both and could see Jones bulking up to play with a hand down on the end.

burp.

[soonerfan28]

I hope we are in on some WR's for 2010.

[murray1430]

I think what we got a lot of in this class and some from last years class is actual football players. The kind of guys that will hit you in the mouth and think nothing of it. That is the type of players I would want besides some highly recruited primadonnas that are looking for the glamour and spotlight.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

well i was expecting this live press conference to have more "highlights" and less scrolling of names.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

sweet, now they are showing baylor highlights. yippee

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

and now texas highlights. um, yeah

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

okay, and after a break for lunch we are back. gundy is jabbering about something.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

jonathon nelson - one of "those" guys. 2 guys running right beside him and neither one can close enough to tackle him. one cut and go guy.

[JLEW1818]

overall a very weak offensive class

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

overall a very weak offensive class

you have zero way of knowing that. heck 2 of the dbs could flip over to WR and end up being AAs.

[Boomer38Sooner]

overall a very weak offensive class

Overall a very strong defensive class!!! Defense wins championships!

[JLEW1818]

I'm saying as far as how OUr offensive recruits are ranked, very weak compared to other years. We are stacked at DB's yes.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

jonathon nelson - one of "those" guys. 2 guys running right beside him and neither one can close enough to tackle him. one cut and go guy.

one more thing, he doesn't have an extra gear. gets to max speed quickly 15 yards or so but that is it.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

and just like that we are back to 40 minutes of highlights. sigh.

[Rhino]

Jonathan Miller, not Nelson. Nelson's a junior DB.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

i do that all the time. aren't you used to it by now?

[MojoRisen]

Well our class is rated 13 Nationally, we have done better in the past... However it is like pulling Hairs between 13-#5 class. They are pretty much equal once you get below 5 there is a noticable difference in Talent level projections.

We also have 5 guys that easily could have been ranked as 5 star guys - in Lynn, McFarland, Brent, Chiasson and Lewis

[NormanPride]

Is one of "those" backs a good thing? And quick acceleration is also good. Or are you saying he's like Chris Brown in that he moves forward all the time, but never at a really high rate of speed?

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

mojo, those guys aren't 5 stars because there is uncertainty around all of them. the services evaluate their 5 star rankings by the 1st 3 rounds of the NFL draft.

lewis is an unknown with regard to big time competition. he has the measureables, but that 8 man football background (along with his laid back upbringing) make him a risky pick.

mcfarland - desire, drive

chaisson - athleticism, weight gain

etc. etc.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Is one of "those" backs a good thing? And quick acceleration is also good. Or are you saying he's like Chris Brown in that he moves forward all the time, but never at a really high rate of speed?

having guys who can slide through invisible holes is a good thing. chris brown is kind of a unique talent in that he seems to take people by surprise at how quick he can cut. this guy seems to anticipate the hole opening and closing and hits it with perfect timing squirting into the secondary (the question remains whether this is a knack or if he'd been running behind the same line for 5 years). against the teams he was playing, that meant a TD as they had 8-10 men within 5 yards of the LOS. in college, those aren't going for scores but for 10-15 yard gains.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

bjw jabbering

[MojoRisen]

It doesn't seem to be too much diference from 6.0 rating to a 6.1 that would get you a 5 star. Not that I care about it but this is what we use to measure recruiting classes ---

If 2 of those guys are 5 star and Mcfarland was until he gave us his verbal - our class is rated as high as 6th or so Nationally.

To me this class seems loaded with Football players for sure! I think Brent is as good as any DB SS in the country let alone Lynn.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

btw, this crap is free on soonersports i think

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

don't know who the guy in gold was, but he was good

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

javon harris i think it was

demontre whathisname = one incredible kick returner, decent corner as well

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

last guy, didn't get his name - needs work

[JLEW1818]

les miles is a dbag

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

honestly, demontre hurst looks like a WR in our system. the guy was making willie mays grabs back there in the clips.

[NormanPride]

He'll get a shot if he wants.

And I'm high on Lewis and Chaisson because of their play in the AA game. Jamarkus was ho-hum mostly because he was double-teamed a lot, but Lewis, Wort, and Chaisson were freaks out there destroying the offense.

[Eielson]

I'm saying as far as how OUr offensive recruits are ranked, very weak compared to other years. We are stacked at DB's yes.

I think Sam Bradford and Juaquin Iglesias were five stars when they commited. Of course, you'd have to add them both together.

[MojoRisen]

I just read that Carmeron Kenny was 8 of 9 for Field Goal attemps last year and kicked 2 over 40 and one over 50 yards.

WTF

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

btw, the kid in gold was kevin brent.

[JLEW1818]

I think Sam Bradfor and Juaquin Iglesias were five stars when they commited. Of course, you'd have to add them both together.

I'm just saying as far as rankings go, we only have two 4star offensive players this year, that is a very weak class. I'm not saying the players won't develop. But offensively very weak, either way you look at it.

[RacerX]

Tell me how it works out in three years.

[JLEW1818]

and yep Iggy and Sammy were both 3 star player...so you never know

[Desert Sapper]

Scout had McFarland, Lynn, and Lewis as 5 stars. The real question is: how good are all the 'under the radar' guys we apparently got this year? We whiffed on several of the top prospects in the country (as usual), but if we got team players that are ready to work hard, we are well ahead of where we would be with a bunch of prima donnas.

[Desert Sapper]

We also had 6 (McFarland, Lynn, Chiasson, Lewis, Brent, and Wort) Athlon Consensus 100 players (which is better than UF and UT :D). It's pretty balanced out (which is nice, considering the wide disparity of the recruiting services this year.

http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/12724/athlon-consensus-100

[TopDawg]

But offensively very weak, either way you look at it.

What are the two ways you're looking at it?

[sooner59]

I don't really worry about the rankings. I wonder what everybody from the 2000 MNC team was rated. We already have a pretty solid team returning. Plus it seems like we have been recruiting "football players" rather than highly regarded (possibly overrated and or Bomar/Jarboe) types. I don't have a problem with this. If we target a guy in his Junior year and continually believe he is a future star, and come signing day he is 3-star on Rivals....I don't care. I trust our coaches for their recruiting abilities. Its hard to grade a guy's will to win. I honestly believe we can take a #9 recruiting class and outplay any team #1-8 if they play hard enough. We will be ok.

[KingDavid]

I kind of like having a recruiting class that doesn't get a lot of press. We are the f'n Oklahoma Sooners and we get all the press/bling we can handle, and then some. Maybe this "disappointing, ho-hum" class will get a big ole beautiful chip on its collective shoulder and work hard over the next five years to prove everyone wrong.

Thoughts on specific players, based entirely on what I've seen/read on the recruiting services:

If Chaisson adds weight, so what? He'll make for an incredibly athletic DT.

Jonathan Miller does appear to lack the tip-top gear we'd all like to see: don't see him outrunning the angles like I observed with Justin Johnson's and Jermie Calhoun's footage. But dayum, didn't Mark Clayton come in running a 4.9 forty? It's hard to say if he has any "shake and bake" because it looks like all he had to do in HS was just "shake" and then go to the house. No need for a second cut. Maybe that says something about his speed and how fast he can get to the top gear. It's worthwhile to note that KW indicated that Miller might actually be a step faster than Jermie Calhoun and Justin Johnson.

Really like the LB recruits: great mix of old school grit (Gus Jones) and new-world freak athlete (Lewis) with a lot of upside.

Ditto the old-school grit comment for Gabe Ikard and Marshal Musil.

Drew Allen reminds me a little of Tommy Grady. I just hope he has more patience, determination, and common sense. I'm kind of surprised we only took one QB this year given Bradford's likely departure. Pretty much makes it a two-horse race for starter next year between Allen and Landry Jones. I would think we'd want more depth than that at QB.

I think Cameron Kenney is the real deal - a true asset in more ways than one. Not sure that I'd trade him for any other WR recruit in the nation - even Randle. He's so freaking versatile. You gotta know that he's going to be used on special teams in some creative ways with his ability to both kick fg's and punt. More so than any other recruit, I think Kenney has the chance to be a player that other coaches are forced to consider in their game-plans, especially on Special Teams.

Jaz Reynolds looks at first like a slot receiver - or maybe I should say that he "sounds" like a slot receiver (c'mon, "Jaz": can you get a better name than that a slot receiver?) but apparently he's tall and more built to play on the edge like a Kelly or Tunnell. Either way, he'll need a year or two to get some meat on his bones.

Agree with whoever else wrote that Demontre Hurst looks like a wicked return man and might wind up on the offensive side of the ball, especially if he wants to play early.

With Trice, Brent, Lynn, Harris and Hurst - is there any other school in the nation who possibly could have done better at DB than this? Based on what I've read/observed about his fiery attitude, competitiveness, and focus/drive, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Trice ends up being the gem of the bunch.

Jarmarkus McFarland's "spiced up" school report on his recruitment is enough to make me concerned that he could fall prey to the "it's all about me" mentality that was Mo Dampeer's undoing. He's blessed by the fact that he'll be mentored by three mature DT's, one of whom is a Saint (McCoy) and another who has learned his lesson about putting the team ahead of his personal impulses (Granger). His body type reminds me of two top-shelf DT's who struggled to keep their weight in check. Hopefully he can lay off the double-whoppers with cheese.

Not sure what to make of the OL recruits. They sure are big boys. I don't see any jaw-dropping footage like we saw with Stephen Good. But then again, Trent Williams footage wasn't stellar either. Bottom line: I have too much faith/confidence in James Patton & Kevin Wilson's ability to develop OL talent that I wouldn't sweat it if they decided to put Drew Allen at LT: by the end of his Sophomore year he'd way 310 lbs and be a pre-season All-American.

He's not mentioned in any of the services, but I'm excited to see if the kicker from Norman North, Bryce Easley, is as good as advertised and can help us get our kick-offs deeper or even out the end-zone.

From all of the footage I've seen on the defensive recruits, it looks to me like this might be one of the most aggressive, hard-hitting, violent group of young men we've ever signed. Very sudden and explosive at the point of impact. Brent, Lynn, Trice, and Wort take very precise angles to deliver maximum impact. Wort reminds me a LOT of Teddy Lehman. Jaydan Bird reminds me of Rocky Calmus. And those are good memories, folks.

My top seven picks for who might contribute consistently to the team next year from this year's class:
1. Cameron Kenney
2. Gabe Lynn
3. Ronnell Lewis
4. Jeff Vinson
5. McFarland*
6. Kevin Brent
7. Tom Wort (if he can gain 15 lbs, or Jayden Bird

*If Granger returns from back surgery, then I would take MacFarland off of this list and add Marcus Trice as my "sleeper" pick in the 7-hole.

There's my amateur analysis.

[soonermagic14]

Wort runs a 4.4 forty, is a head hunter.....and plays LB. They say he's classy kid too. Good combo. Competition next year at the mike spot for him?

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

jaz reynolds footage looks just like juaquins only with rounded routes.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

cameron kenney's biggest asset is he keeps his feet underneath him (lots of choppy feet). nice pancake hold highlight in there.

[OUmillenium]

There are some major points about this general class but I choose to keep them private in order to avoid corporal punishment rather than captaining my cause.

[OUmillenium]

There is not a colonel of truth to the above post.

[JLEW1818]

What are the two ways you're looking at it?

Speed vs Strength ... lol

[8timechamps]

I'm not a "professional" recruiting "expert", but I think this class is a strong one.

One player that really stands out to me is Ronnell Lewis. Watching this kid play in the UA game, he's a player!

The only knock on him (and probably the only reason he wasn't a Rivals 5 star) is because he played 8-man. After what I've seen and Stoops comments in his press conf, I think this kid could be in the mix for the mLB spot.

[JLEW1818]

Is Ryan Reynolds done? Let me know if you guys can get any inside info

[TopDawg]

I'm not a "professional" recruiting "expert",

Are you an amateur recruiting expert, or a professional recruiting moron? ;)

[Desert Sapper]

I'm curious about the O-Linemen. They are H-U-G-E.
Tyler Evans (javascript:window.open('http://www.cstv.com/allaccess/player/07-oas-mediaplayer-okla.html?content=mms://a1981.v8108e.c8108.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1981/8108/v0001/cstvcbs.download.akamai.com/8108/open/okla/08-09/video/m-footbl/02feb/20090204_evans_tyler.wmv&school=okla&','VideoPlayer','toolbar=no,resizable=no,scrollbar s=no,width=750,height=460'); void(''))OL 6-5 280 Strafford, Mo. Strafford
Tavaris Jeffries (javascript:window.open('http://www.cstv.com/allaccess/player/07-oas-mediaplayer-okla.html?content=mms://a1981.v8108e.c8108.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1981/8108/v0001/cstvcbs.download.akamai.com/8108/open/okla/08-09/video/m-footbl/02feb/20090204_jeffries_tavaris.wmv&school=okla&','VideoPlayer','toolbar=no,resizable=no,scrollbar s=no,width=750,height=460'); void(''))OT 6-5 320 Memphis, Tenn. Coahoma CC
Josh Aladenoye (javascript:window.open('http://www.cstv.com/allaccess/player/07-oas-mediaplayer-okla.html?content=mms://a1981.v8108e.c8108.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1981/8108/v0001/cstvcbs.download.akamai.com/8108/open/okla/08-09/video/m-footbl/02feb/20090204_aladenoye_josh.wmv&school=okla&','VideoPlayer','toolbar=no,resizable=no,scrollbar s=no,width=750,height=460'); void(''))OL 6-6 340 Mesquite, Texas North MesquiteJeff Vinson (javascript:window.open('http://www.cstv.com/allaccess/player/07-oas-mediaplayer-okla.html?content=mms://a1981.v8108e.c8108.g.vm.akamaistream.net/7/1981/8108/v0001/cstvcbs.download.akamai.com/8108/open/okla/08-09/video/m-footbl/02feb/20090204_vinson_jeff.wmv&school=okla&','VideoPlayer','toolbar=no,resizable=no,scrollbar s=no,width=750,height=460'); void(''))OL 6-8 350 Lancaster, Pa. Lackawanna CC

[Rhino]

Is Ryan Reynolds done? Nope. On schedule, should be back in time for fall camp.

[JLEW1818]

excellent, just imagine the motivation he is gonna have this year against the horns

[BoulderSooner79]

excellent, just imagine the motivation he is gonna have this year against the horns

Yes, excellent if RR is healthy next year. But i don't think anything can add to the motivation of any player in the OU/UT game this fall. It may even be a hard hitting affair. ;)

[JLEW1818]

true that

[Rogue]

I don't understand the knock on kids playing 8-man football.
I officiated some 6-man games in West Texas and those kids were, by necessity, better open-field tacklers than many of the kids playing 11-man.

An upside I see to it, or spin I suppose, is that they don't have bad habits for the game as much because it is so different. If they have the talent, we can coach them to get in position and be where they need to be.

[BoulderSooner79]

I read somewhere that Lewis did play 11 man football his senior year. But I agree, if the guy has the instincts, he can be coached to play at the college level. I think Lewis will prove to be a great find by OU.

[soonerfan28]

Nope. On schedule, should be back in time for fall camp.
I think by then Box and Balogun will have decided it.

[soonerfan28]

I read somewhere that Lewis did play 11 man football his senior year. But I agree, if the guy has the instincts, he can be coached to play at the college level. I think Lewis will prove to be a great find by OU.

Dewar played in class A this year. That's the lowest 11 man in OK, so yes he played 11 man. He had over 100 tackles his senior season.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

I don't understand the knock on kids playing 8-man football.
I officiated some 6-man games in West Texas and those kids were, by necessity, better open-field tacklers than many of the kids playing 11-man.

An upside I see to it, or spin I suppose, is that they don't have bad habits for the game as much because it is so different. If they have the talent, we can coach them to get in position and be where they need to be.

i don't think its a knock, its just that its rare that towns that size produce exceptional players that can qualify.

[The Remnant]

I think maybe a lttle too much is made of the assessment numbers surrounding recruiting. I don't claim to be an expert, and some of you out there in Sooner Land, know alot more than I do about this. I do know that in recent years OU has had ballyhooed classes that did not pan out, and others that turned out to be pleasant surprises. It is very difficult to quantify HS football talent with so many variables.

[KingDavid]

I think by then Box and Balogun will have decided it.

There's in no way EVAR that BV let's anything be decided at MLB before one of his most loyal and hardest working linebackers EVAR (RR) has a chance to compete and establish himself as the starter.

That position is simply waiting for RR to reclaim it. And everyone on the team - including Box and Balogun even as they compete for it themselves - are pulling for him to do so.

[soonerfan28]

There's in no way EVAR that BV let's anything be decided at MLB before one of his most loyal and hardest working linebackers EVAR (RR) has a chance to compete and establish himself as the starter.

That position is simply waiting for RR to reclaim it. And everyone on the team - including Box and Balogun even as they compete for it themselves - are pulling for him to do so.

I love what Reynolds stand for and I love his toughness, but if we're trying to build the defense around speed then it won't work.

[Rhino]

I think by then Box and Balogun will have decided it. Box is out until late summer/early fall also.

BTW, RR got a medical shirt recently so he'll be eligible to play in 2009 and 2010.

[soonerfan28]

Rhino, do you think he'll have the speed to play? I just think with the issue we had at MLB last year that they're not going to wait until 1 month before we start playing to fill that position.
Any chance we see Bryant or R. Lewis get some time in the middle.

[BoulderSooner79]

Box is out until late summer/early fall also.

BTW, RR got a medical shirt recently so he'll be eligible to play in 2009 and 2010.

Thanks for the update. It just makes me wonder if there may be contributions from one of the true freshman this season.

Also, what is your feeling about Crow? I know he wasn't ready when he had to go into the UT game, but is he expected to compete in the future?

thanks.

[MojoRisen]

Reynolds has to be able to run at least a 49 flat... or he is a liability. If he can do that, I think he will be better or as good as anyone else who maybe faster - just based on insticts and strength... You know you play a Florida that runs you like RR or Balogun, if your playing Tech BOX...

[JLEW1818]

I'm ready for sept 5 th

[snp]

I think maybe a lttle too much is made of the assessment numbers surrounding recruiting. I don't claim to be an expert, and some of you out there in Sooner Land, know alot more than I do about this. I do know that in recent years OU has had ballyhooed classes that did not pan out, and others that turned out to be pleasant surprises. It is very difficult to quantify HS football talent with so many variables.

Here's the thing - most of us "experts" don't value stars or rankings as much as the casual follower. We understand all the variables that go into scouting and have faith in one of the best recruiting staffs in the nation. You're right that it's difficult to try to measure talent among 17-18 year olds, but it is done to sell memberships, not to be taken as the truth. Anyone relying solely on star rankings is a fool.

[PLaw]

you have zero way of knowing that. heck 2 of the dbs could flip over to WR and end up being AAs.

Yep, maybe not a glamour group, but I have hunch these coaches have a better eye for talent that will develop on the college level. Iggy, Sam, Mark C., Q, are a few examples to support the claim.

That said, it's good to have an AD, Demarco, and Malcom to mix into the pudding.

BOOMER

[Sam.England]

Many Thanks for an enjoyable read people.

Certainly helped fill me in on some of the recruiting class coming to play ball. Not as easy to follow everything over here, but I do alright! Looking forward to seeing how they all do!