Understanding our current core players (soph and below)

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Evals - Sophomore and below

Currently, I feel we have the following core of good players (and when I say good, I mean possibility of being one of the 10 best at their position all time):

Sterling Shepard
Charles Tapper
Zack Sanchez
Erik Stryker

On the Cusp
Jordan Philips - Back injury so i'm not sure if he'll ever play again

Too early to tell but promising
Matt Dimon (shakes fist at his parents)
Dominique Alexander
Keith Ford

Commentary -

- 2 good pass rushers, a shutdown corner and a #1 WR. Too bad we aren't in the NFL. The problem is that college football leans more towards safeties and linebackers.
- That is a lot of 3 stars (whoa is our recruiting)
- I feel sorry for Stryker - he is going to be dominant in college and then have no position in the pros

Needs Defense - DT, LB, S

Safety is the biggest concern for me right now. We have a bunch of journeyman upperclassmen that are okay. The problem is that Safety is the position that should create a lot of your turnovers (as evidenced by Lynn this year). We are on pace for about 23 defensive turnovers this year which is better than last year but worse than BV had while he was here.

Needs Offense - QB, Possession WR, Deep Threat WR, TE, Fullback

The biggest thing is finding guys that can keep defenses from rolling onto Sterling. OL needs work, but I honestly think that can be done through work ethic.

[birddog]

That's the most optimistic commentary I've read from you in years. We are gettin in some really tall receivers so having a Sheppard type slot guy will open up the playbook a bit. Course a tight end and the d needs u mentioned would fill out the squad for the future

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

That's the most optimistic commentary I've read from you in years. We are gettin in some really tall receivers so having a Sheppard type slot guy will open up the playbook a bit. Course a tight end and the d needs u mentioned would fill out the squad for the future

That is because we are finally seeing some difference makers that play every down. The more I watch college football, the more it seems like the best juniors/seniors are the ones who hustled their rears off as Fr/Sos. The guys who are good but didn't hustle just plateau and never get any better.

[picasso]

Isn't Sanchez a fine example of receuiting dorks going too far? Didn't we end up getting him because we wanted the kid from Wagoner who went back to the Pokes?
Basically we didn't the guy we wanted but it's turned out ok.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Isn't Sanchez a fine example of receuiting dorks going too far? Didn't we end up getting him because we wanted the kid from Wagoner who went back to the Pokes?
Basically we didn't the guy we wanted but it's turned out ok.

I don't follow recruiting so I have no idea. I just know that he is the best young corner I've seen here in forever. Typically we don't see this level of play until they are JRs/SRs.

[todd_shelton87]

Sat down on Rivals and reviewed the recruiting classes from 09-11, that is supposed to be the foundation of our team.

Our skill players DB, wr, rb's, all nearly contributed and transferred if they didn't work out.

Out of lineman ol-dl and lb's were signed, a ton of talent. The signings either quit, transferred, didn't qualify, got hurt etc..

James Patton and Jackie Ship's recruiting and player development went out the door, for at least two years before they were dismissed/fired.

That is one reason why Oklahoma losses big games. I look forward to Bedenbaugh and Montgomery being able to recruit/develop and scheme with coordinators for the next few years.

Kish appears to be getting his footing with recruiting. He seems like a long term fit.

I believe it's only a matter of 1-2 years until OU can challenge on the bigger stage once again.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

a ton of talent

No offense, but if they didn't play D1 football they had a "ton of hype" not "ton of talent". "ton of talent" is for guys that played were good and left like Marcus Dupree.

[8timechamps]

Isn't Sanchez a fine example of receuiting dorks going too far? Didn't we end up getting him because we wanted the kid from Wagoner who went back to the Pokes?
Basically we didn't the guy we wanted but it's turned out ok.

I don't know the reasoning, but Sanchez was a Baylor commit until a few weeks prior to National Signing Day.

Yeah, he's turned out pretty good.

[8timechamps]

Okay jkm, I have a question for you:

When you get a minute, take a look at some film (YouTube) of the current LB commit (2014 class) Curtis Bolton.

When I first looked at his film, Eric Striker came to mind. Bolton has a different frame, but similar speed.

I'm curious, as I know you know the LB position, where you see him fitting in Mike Stoops' defense. I see him playing OLB, opposite of Striker. On plays where Stoops' sends both OLBs to blitz, I'd think that would be ridiculously hard to handle for offenses.

[8timechamps]

From a recruiting perspective:



Needs Defense - DT, LB, S

The future looks really bright at safety. Hatari Byrd and Ahmad Thomas could play this year if Hayes and Lynn weren't playing effectively. One, if not both, are going to be very good safeties. After that, OU has the inside track on a couple of really good prospect, including an in-state kid (Will Sunderland).

LB is still tough to gauge, but getting better. I think Curtis Bolton is going to be a play-maker. Otherwise, we have legacy Tay Evans coming in with him. Solid athlete, but needs a year or two before he can be a real contributor.

DT is still a question mark. OU has it sights on a couple of kids this year, and must feel really good about where they stand, as they cancelled an official visit for a 3 star kid out of Utah last week. The feeling was that the Utah kid (Havili) was going to flip his commit from Utah to OU if the visit went well. Obviously, OU has chosen to go a different way. Still remains to be seen if Kerrick Hugging recommits to OU once he becomes academically eligible (went the JUCO route), but the Sooners are starting to attract some players at the position.




Needs Offense - QB, Possession WR, Deep Threat WR, TE, Fullback



At QB, I think commit Justice Hansen could be the best pure passer OU will have on the roster next year, and that's saying a lot since Cody Thomas is said to have a cannon. Only time will tell if we have "the" guy coming in.

Possession WR - Look for freshman Austin Bennett and (currently red-shirted) K.J. Young to be the next couple of possession guys coming up. Bennett has already seen some action this year, but Young is the guy to really watch. Norvell said that Young may have the best hands of any guy he's ever recruited. That is a big statement.

Deep Threat WR - Although I still think Durron Neal could be this guy, OU has a couple of really good WR coming in next year. The top of the list is Dallis Todd. To this point in his career, he's all you can ask for out of a kid that can really stretch the field. Then there's Dannon Cavil, he's a red-shirt candidate right now, but has been at OU since last spring (early enrollee). Both Todd and Cavil are over 6'4", so they add an extra dimension to their speed.

TE - While 2014 commit Mark Andrews is believed to be a WR, most signs point to him being a TE at the next level. At 6'6" 220, he'll need time to add weight to his frame, but has already been shown to be proficient at catching the ball and blocking. Redshirt freshman Taylor McNamara should also develop into a very good TE in the next year or two.

Fullback - Nothing official has been said, but I suspect 2014 commit Samaje Perine will be the next "big" fullback to come through the program. He currently plays HB in high school, but is built like a rock (5'11" 237). Next in line is Kendrick Igbinoba. At 6'2" 220, he's a ready made fullback right out of high school.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

In my experience, you can't watch high school film of linebackers and even come close to how they'll perform when they get on campus. They easily add 20 pounds from the end of their senior season to the start of fall camp. The problem is can they handle that weight without slowing down or getting indecisive.

Honestly, if they can't beat out Lynn, then I'm not holding out much hope for them. Lynn is such a liability against the run that if we had anyone to replace him I'd think they would be out there.

[picasso]

I though Thomas was going to olay more this year.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

I though Thomas was going to olay more this year.

Yeah, his special teams play has been less than special

[8timechamps]

I think you're being a little hard on Lynn. He's certainly had some "what?!" moments this year (the shoulder bump tackle attempt against Tech comes to mind), but I think he's played much better at safety than he ever did at nickle.

Now, as for the young guys, I think the plan was for Byrd and Thomas both to move into starting roles as the year progressed. Fortunately, they haven't been needed, so why not allow more time to develop?

Thomas hasn't been a good special teams player, so I can agree with you on that. But, I do think both will be good players.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Lynn has been pretty good at safety because, as I mentioned in the game thread last week, ricochets always bounce right towards him. It is incredibly hard to put a value on turnovers, but I don't think it is enough to ignore his woeful run defense. And by woeful, I mean on 3 different occasions last Saturday he blocked one of our own guys. This isn't about poor tackling or poor angles, this is about the fact that when he closes up in run support it actually makes it harder for other guys to defend the run.

Right now we have 2 guys that are one dimensional (Lynn vs the pass, Hayes vs the run). I think Mike would put a balanced guy out there in a heartbeat and make them situational if he had reason too. For Byrd, the reason is obvious -> he can't tackle. He lowers his head and goes for the monster hit and whiffs more than he even partially connects. It is something that can be fixed though so we'll see in the spring game if he fixes that little problem.

[8timechamps]

Lynn has been pretty good at safety because, as I mentioned in the game thread last week, ricochets always bounce right towards him. It is incredibly hard to put a value on turnovers, but I don't think it is enough to ignore his woeful run defense. And by woeful, I mean on 3 different occasions last Saturday he blocked one of our own guys. This isn't about poor tackling or poor angles, this is about the fact that when he closes up in run support it actually makes it harder for other guys to defend the run.

Right now we have 2 guys that are one dimensional (Lynn vs the pass, Hayes vs the run). I think Mike would put a balanced guy out there in a heartbeat and make them situational if he had reason too. For Byrd, the reason is obvious -> he can't tackle. He lowers his head and goes for the monster hit and whiffs more than he even partially connects. It is something that can be fixed though so we'll see in the spring game if he fixes that little problem.

I haven't watched enough of Lynn (or I should say I haven't paid enough attention) to see some of those things, so I'll defer to your observations on that. I always thought Lynn's strength (in previous years) was run support, but it sounds like that his become an issue.

I can see what you're saying about Byrd, but I still think the upside is very high. Thomas just needs time and experience. I was a little surprised that he couldn't beat out either Lynn or Hayes, considering he came in early and has had more time in the system than Byrd, so there could be something there.

Both of those guys (Byrd/Lynn) are going to have competition coming in next year, so if they can't get those issues corrected, they could be in jeopardy of missing their opportunity.

Unlike years past, we haven't been in position to play a lot of back-ups on defense this year. I wonder how that is (will) affecting their development.

[NorthernIowaSooner]

Both of those guys (Byrd/Lynn) are going to have competition coming in next year, so if they can't get those issues corrected, they could be in jeopardy of missing their opportunity.

I'm guessing Lynn is a typo, he's a senior.

[8timechamps]

I'm guessing Lynn is a typo, he's a senior.

Yeah, good catch. Meant Thomas.

[ddub0224]

I haven't watched enough of Lynn (or I should say I haven't paid enough attention) to see some of those things, so I'll defer to your observations on that. I always thought Lynn's strength (in previous years) was run support, but it sounds like that his become an issue.

JKM is absolutely spot on with Lynn. Not good in the run support. Terrible tackling. Poor fundamentals...shoulder bumps instead of wrapping up.
But his hands have paid off back there with a couple of picks.

[8timechamps]

JKM is absolutely spot on with Lynn. Not good in the run support. Terrible tackling. Poor fundamentals...shoulder bumps instead of wrapping up.
But his hands have paid off back there with a couple of picks.

He (Lynn) has certainly not done a great job in some run support this year, but the ability is there. It drives me nuts when guys (and it's almost always safeties) try to shoulder tackle the ball carrier. It's prevalent in college ball, but almost as bad in the NFL.

[cvsooner]

Interesting to resurrect these threads sometimes.

Maybe Bell will be the fullback? Adds an option in the backfield too for passes and switching positions. Might be interesting.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Interesting to resurrect these threads sometimes.

Maybe Bell will be the fullback? Adds an option in the backfield too for passes and switching positions. Might be interesting.

I think Bell will pull the old senior transfer thing.

[Eielson]

What's the senior transfer thing? I wouldn't mind a scholarship opening up.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

If you graduate you can transfer to another school without sitting out

[picasso]

I think Bell will pull the old senior transfer thing.

Really? I think he stays and plays backup. Might get a ring.

[cvsooner]

Interesting to resurrect these threads sometimes.

Maybe Bell will be the fullback? Adds an option in the backfield too for passes and switching positions. Might be interesting.

I think Bell will pull the old senior transfer thing.

Yeah, it worked out so well for Drew Allen.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Yeah, it worked out so well for Dree Allan.

It is a crap shoot (see Russell Wilson), but it is a free pass to get a chance to start at a lot of programs.

Edit: I also think that the problem with Allen was that he never got any game time at OU. Both he and the younger guy were pick machines through the first 6 games. He got better as the season went on but the other kid stopped throwing picks and Drew didn't.

[Eielson]

If you graduate you can transfer to another school without sitting out

Is he going to have enough credits to graduate? I'd be kinda surprised if he did without a considerable loophole.

[NorthernIowaSooner]

Is he going to have enough credits to graduate? I'd be kinda surprised if he did without a considerable loophole.

I'm pretty sure there was a story in the DOK at one point this year that said he has or will graduate sometime this year. He's a redshirt junior so he has been around 4 years.

The only condition on the transfer rule is he has to enroll in a master's program at another school that OU does not offer.

[cvsooner]

It is a crap shoot (see Russell Wilson), but it is a free pass to get a chance to start at a lot of programs.

Edit: I also think that the problem with Allen was that he never got any game time at OU. Both he and the younger guy were pick machines through the first 6 games. He got better as the season went on but the other kid stopped throwing picks and Drew didn't.

True, I can see that it might be. It just seems like that most of the transfers don't wind up doing very well at the new school neither. Where would Bell go? Kansas? I can't see that his skill set fits well with anybody in this day and age, and the film on him is sure full of hits and misses.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

True, I can see that it might be. It just seems like that most of the transfers don't wind up doing very well at the new school neither. Where would Bell go? Kansas? I can't see that his skill set fits well with anybody in this day and age, and the film on him is sure full of hits and misses.

I think he'd light up Conference USA or one of those type of conferences. Those QBs tend to have all day to throw the ball which would help him a ton.

[rock on sooner]

Jkm, your OP is really interesting reading...thanks. I've a question.
In another thread I mentioned Stryker and his weight...don't you
think he could put on 20-25 pounds and maintain his speed? If he
got to the 235-240 range he could move inside once in a while and
also let him find his niche for the pros. And, after the first time I
saw Sanchez I posted that he's gonna be a star! Wheels, hands,
AND short memory...

[picasso]

Jkm, your OP is really interesting reading...thanks. I've a question.
In another thread I mentioned Stryker and his weight...don't you
think he could put on 20-25 pounds and maintain his speed? If he
got to the 235-240 range he could move inside once in a while and
also let him find his niche for the pros. And, after the first time I
saw Sanchez I posted that he's gonna be a star! Wheels, hands,
AND short memory...

If you watch him play his speed is his initial burst. He's not going to run you down in the open field.

[jkm, the stolen pifwafwi]

Jkm, your OP is really interesting reading...thanks. I've a question.
In another thread I mentioned Stryker and his weight...don't you
think he could put on 20-25 pounds and maintain his speed? If he
got to the 235-240 range he could move inside once in a while and
also let him find his niche for the pros. And, after the first time I
saw Sanchez I posted that he's gonna be a star! Wheels, hands,
AND short memory...

My personal opinion is that he isn't going to be able to take that kind of weight and keep his quickness or his endurance. It takes forever to get used to that level of weight gain on a frame like his. I just unfortunately think he is an NFL DE trapped in a Safety Body.

As for Sanchez, the only thing that he seems to be missing is top end speed. I think Colvin would beat him by 8-10 yards in a 100 yard dash.

[cvsooner]

I think he'd light up Conference USA or one of those type of conferences. Those QBs tend to have all day to throw the ball which would help him a ton.

Could go to Tulsa, maybe. That would be interesting for next season, no?