2015 Class - Down the stretch updates (Update: Green/McGinnis Commits)

[8timechamps]

The 2015 class is shaping up as one of the better classes in a while, and if Stoops and staff finish the way they typically do then it's only going to get better. I've put together a short rundown of the final targets remaining and what I think the chances are of getting commits from the remaining recruits:


Offense:

Van Jefferson
Wide Receiver
6' 2.5" 180 lbs
Brentwood, TN
Ravenwood High School

Recently decommitted to Georgia

Rivals: 4 star
Scout: 4 star
ESPN: 4 star
247 Sports: 4 star

Jefferson has been a long time Georgia commit, but his name started being mentioned (in relation to OU) about a month ago. There wasn't much being discussed other than a potential visit prior to National Signing Day. That visit happened January 16th as Jefferson made an official visit to Norman. Things must have gone exceptionally well as Jefferson has since decommitted from Georgia and the word is he'll commit to OU. This would be a surprise flip and could be the first recruit to be drawn to OU because of newly hired OC Lincoln Riley. Nothing is official until signing day, but it looks good for the Sooners.

My prediction: Updated 1/25 Ole Miss

Actual: Ole Miss (Committed 1/25/2015)



Defense:

Nate Dalton
Safety
6'3" 195 lbs
Houston, TX
Cypress Falls High School

Rivals: 3 star
Scout: 2 star
ESPN: 2 star
247 Sports: 3 star

Nate Dalton was a late defensive back offer for the Sooners, but OU looked to be in a good position after his December 5th visit. Dalton would be the 6th defensive back the Sooners would take in this class, but things have dropped off in his recruiting. Dalton released a top and OU was not among them. In a strange twist, Dalton's final four are Kentucky, Michigan, Arkansas and Liberty. The strange part being the inclusion of Liberty. At this point, it appears OU is out of contention for the Houston safety.

My Prediction: Arkansas

Actual: Arkansas (Committed 1/22/2015)

[dwarthog]

The Van Jefferson pick up should be a really nice get. The kid is an NFL wide receiver coaches son if what I read is correct. I'm guessing/hoping his football IQ is a bit more advanced than some of the other kids. If that's the case perhaps he'll be able to contribute quickly.

[KantoSooner]

What's your take on Josh Smith?

[SoonerMarkVA]

What's your take on Josh Smith?

From what I'm seeing, we're in the driver's seat. But apparently he is unlikely to commit to OU prior to signing day. I guess we'll see.

[8timechamps]

What's your take on Josh Smith?

I'm not very convinced he's a reality. He still hasn't taken a visit to Norman. That wouldn't bother me if he were a Texas kid, but he's from Tennessee. Unless that changes, I just think we're on the outside looking in. There is word that he's supposed to be in Norman in the next week or two, but nothing is official and it's one of those things that I'll believe it when I see it. Then there's the location issue that will be tough to overcome. I think a big part of his interest in Vandy was because of location (and obviously the quality of education).

Personally, I think we should have been all over this kid from day one. He's an incredible athlete, and he's smart. We may have been too late to the party, but until he's made an announcement anything's possible. My gut feeling is that he won't end up at OU, sadly.

[8timechamps]

Couple more for today:

Arthur McGinnis
Middle Linebacker
6'2" 228 lbs
New Orleans, LA
Warren Easton Charter School

Rivals: 4 star
Scout: 4 star
ESPN: 3 star
247 Sports: 3 star

With no middle linebackers committed in this class, and the board growing thin, McGinnis may be the best chance OU has at landing a quality MLB in this class. Early in the fall it appeared McGinnis was as interested in OU as the Sooners were in him, but after 2 attempts to schedule an official visit never materialized, it started to feel like McGinnis and/or OU has lost interest. If that was the case, things have seemingly changed as McGinnis is scheduled to be in Norman at the end of January. We are razor thin at MLB, and with Josh Smith being a complete unknown (as far as where things stand between he and OU), McGinnis becomes one of the more important recruits late in the cycle.

My prediction: Oklahoma (50%)

Josh Wariboko
Offensive Guard
6'3" 305 lbs
Oklahoma City, OK
Casady High School

Rivals: 4 star
Scout: 4 star
ESPN: 4 star
247 Sports: 4 star

The one-time OU commit has been hard to read over the last year. At one point (at the beginning of the season) it appeared that OU and Wariboko were done, and both were going their separate ways. It seemed that Wariboko was only going to play for a school that also offered his brother (high school junior CB Max). Louisville and UCLA offered both and seemed to be in the lead. Over the past couple of months it feels like OU has put in their work and gotten themselves back in position for Wariboko. At this point it feels like it's a neck and neck race between OU and UCLA. I think (hope) OU's location wins out in the end.

My prediction: Oklahoma (75%)

[8timechamps]

Just as I suspected, Nate Dalton committed to Arkansas today. I would have been more surprised had he ended up at OU.

I'm not losing any sleep over it, and I'm not trying to knock the kid, but the offer seemed odd to begin with and I think he would have ended up being a special teams guy anyway.

Mini-Update

Anthony McKee was *this* close to committing to OU at one time (shortly after his official visit during the season), but he wanted to wait and take all of his official visits. McKee is from Michigan, and many assumed OU's main competition for his commitment was Michigan State. Turns out neither will get the outside linebacker. McKee committed to Pittsburgh today.

There's more to this story than I know. McKee was seemed very 'dead-set' on choosing between OU and Michigan State, and had been vocal about those two. Somehow, he ends up at Pitt. Just seems odd. I'm hearing that Michigan State either pulled his offer or filled his spot, which makes me think OU backed away too. I haven't heard of any of the coaches contacting or visiting him in the past month or so, which leads me to that conclusion.

Whatever the case with McKee, time is running out for OU to get linebackers in this class.

[cherokeebrewer]

Seems like they dropped the ball on Dwaine Thomas. Good prospect I think, but he's an aggie now.

[Eielson]

Our LB's were weak last year, we're losing one our best ones, we use 4 instead of 3, and we only have one LB recruit at this point? I have no idea why we're waiting until NSD to fire Kish. I also hope we're switching to a 4 man front, because I wouldn't even have hope for Leavitt or Venables to consistently get 4 deserving LB's out on the field with this group.

[rock on sooner]

Saw on ESPN that OUr recruiting class ranked #17 nationally and second in the
BIG XII behind the Whorns....almost all the SEC ranked ahead of us, including
TN (next year they'll be tought) Bama (#1) has 20 of ESPN's Top 300 in their
class for 2015. Usually, rankings don't mean much, except Bama keeps on
keeping on......

[Eielson]

Saw on ESPN that OUr recruiting class ranked #17 nationally and second in the
BIG XII behind the Whorns....almost all the SEC ranked ahead of us, including
TN (next year they'll be tought) Bama (#1) has 20 of ESPN's Top 300 in their
class for 2015. Usually, rankings don't mean much, except Bama keeps on
keeping on......

I don't pay much attention to the recruiting rankings, as it gives favor to those with more overall recruits. I usually go to Rivals, and then arrange it to show by average star rating. That puts us at 9th overall, which is above the Horns, Aggies, and others. A&M has 24 commits, and Texas has 23, while we only have 19.

[rock on sooner]

I don't pay much attention to the recruiting rankings, as it gives favor to those with more overall recruits. I usually go to Rivals, and then arrange it to show by average star rating. That puts us at 9th overall, which is above the Horns, Aggies, and others. A&M has 24 commits, and Texas has 23, while we only have 19.

Welp, for someone who doesn't pay much attention to the rankings you sure have
figgered somethin' out....:devilish:

[8timechamps]

Friday, January 23rd update:

Not much to report today, but there are a couple of noteworthy things:



MLB Josh Smith will be in Norman this weekend for his official visit. Needless to say, we really need to 'wow' the kid this weekend. He's one of the last MLB that OU has a legitimate shot at landing, but they'll need to really impress him if they want to flip him from Vanderbilt. Not sure who's hosting him, but if I see any news this weekend, I'll post it here. EDIT: Apparently Smith is NOT going to be in Norman this weekend. Not sure what the reason is/was, but there is a rumor that he has rescheduled. The longer he goes without a visit, the more I am convinced he's not coming to OU.
The other big name MLB prospect the Sooners are after, Arthur McGinnis, will be in Lubbock this weekend for a visit to Texas Tech. He was in Tuscon at U of A last weekend (and had a "great" visit), and is scheduled to be in Norman next weekend for his official visit to OU.
WR Ryan Newsome, a longtime OU prospect, has committed to UCLA. This was kind of a shock as Texas was considerd the favorite for a while. I don't know if Norvell being hired at Texas changed anything for Newsome, but it could have.
Samaje Perine was the host for WR Van Jefferson on his visit to Norman last weekend. I can't think of a better guy to host a recruit...talk about selling the opportunity with hard work...Perine is the right guy. Let's hope it sealed the deal. Not sure when Jefferson will announce, but landing Jefferson could help get Josh Smith too. Apparently, the two have become close.


No other recruits are scheduled to be in Norman this weekend (so it should be a really good visit for Josh Smith). So, there's probably not going to be a lot to report, but if anything pops up, you can check here for the updates.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

Awesome. Add always thanks for the updates 8time.

[8timechamps]

Van Jefferson Update (Sunday January 25)

I am hearing that Jefferson is going to commit to Ole Miss. He took his official visit there this weekend, and apparently it went really well. I felt like we got in on him too late in the process, but it seemed like we had a good shot. I guess that's what happens when 18 year old kids are being treated like Kings. Once again Ole Miss attracts a high profile player...at this point, I have to assume Ole Miss is paying kids to go there. Of course that's pure speculation on my part, but even last year, when they started the season undefeated, they didn't even win their conference. Why are big time recruits continuing to go there?!

[SoonerMarkVA]

We are really looking like we'll close out with a thud.

[8timechamps]

Things are fluid in the race to land Jefferson. Some are reporting that he's Ole Miss bound while others still have OU in the hunt.

We're not going to know much of anything until he actually commits.

[8timechamps]

Van Jefferson committed to Ole Miss.

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/559414351380353024/t6bOC_i5_normal.jpeg⚡️Van Jefferson⚡️ @Vj2kAllDay (https://twitter.com/Vj2kAllDay) · 53m53 minutes ago (https://twitter.com/Vj2kAllDay/status/559540819049193472)

I have officially committed to The University of Mississippi. I want to thank my family, friends, and God through this process. #HottyToddy (https://twitter.com/hashtag/HottyToddy?src=hash)

[8timechamps]

UPDATE: Monday January 26


Not a good weekend for OU with the loss of Jefferson, Josh Smith cancelling his visit and DaiShon Neal reaffirming his commitment to Nebraska. The truth is OU was late getting in on all three of those recruits, so it does sting to lose them but it's not the end of the world.

Today, the Sooners offered Dallas (Skyline High School) WR A.D. Miller and coaches Gundy and Riley made an in-home visit. It must have at least made Miller interested as he has scheduled an official visit for this weekend. Miller is considered a 3 star recruit by all of the services.

Being the last remaining weekend for recruits to visit, the Sooners will host Miller and LB Arthur McGinnis this weekend. Hopefully McGinnis will have a great trip and the Sooners can land another LB.

[8timechamps]

UPDATE: January 28

As you may or may not know, OU has offered Westmoore WR Dahu Green. Green was originally committed to Louisville, but flipped to Washington State after Leach made a hard charge for him. It took the Sooners a long time to make the offer, but Green doesn't seem to be upset about that and is scheduled to visit this weekend. Personally, I think he'll be a Sooner, however, I think he's torn right now because of the way Leach has recruited him. In the end, I think he wants to stay close to home and Norman is just a tad closer than Pullman.

The only other 'update' to report is that Louisiana LB Arthur McGinnis is still confirmed for this weekend's visits to Norman. Given the current situation at LB, it's very clear this is one of the more important visits for the year.

[Eielson]

It's about time we offered Dahu.

[8timechamps]

Update Friday, January 30

Crazy week ahead for the Sooners. Here's a breakdown of the top remaining targets and where OU stands:

Note: Currently, OU is sitting on 20 commits. The thinking is that Stoops wants a total of 25 for this class (with the possibility of 26). That leaves 5-6 remaining spots.



This weekend's confirmed visitors: LB Arthur McGinnis, WR Dahu Green, WR AD Miller, OG Josh Wariboko. Having Green and Miller on campus is nice, but the final WR spot (or spots) aren't going to make or break this class. The big targets are McGinnis and Wariboko.
There's been some rumbling about a few players committed elsewhere that OU could possibly flip before signing day. There are 3 guys that I believe OU still stands a chance to land for the 2015 class:





WR Ryan Newsome (Aledo, TX.) - Currently committed to UCLA (since last weekend), Bob Stoops made an in-home visit with Newsome last Tuesday (after he had committed to UCLA). The Sooners have gone "all-in" for Newsome the past couple of weeks with in-home visits from Stoops, Gundy and Riley. Newsome was quoted as saying Riley "has a plan" for him. This was said after he committed to UCLA, so you could read in to that statement that he's still open to OU. Personally, I think this is a long shot and Newsome stays with UCLA, but crazier things have happened.
ATH Mike Hughes (New Bern, NC) - Hughes was a one time East Carolina prospect who has a solid relationship with Lincoln Riley. Hughes moved to Chappell Hill to be a mid-year enrollee for the Heels, but something happened that changed that. Within two weeks, Hughes was back at home. Officially, he's still committed to UNC, and he may very well end up there, but given his relationship with Riley and his departure from what was supposed to be an early enrollment situation, things have gotten interesting. It's also possible that he is in Norman this weekend for an official visits (I have no inside knowledge, but it would make sense). Hughes is a 4 star athlete that can play WR, DB or even QB. The Sooners could certainly find a spot for a guy like that.
LB Anthony Wheeler (Dallas, TX.) - For a long time, Wheeler was considered a heavy OU lean, but that all changed and he committed to Texas at the Under Armour high school all star game. On Twitter, Wheeler sounds fully committed, but there is a rumor that he's not 100%. After his visit to Texas, he may have realized that the depth chart is deep at linebacker, and he stands a much better shot at playing early in Norman. He has a great relationship with the OU staff, and is familiar with the school, so the if the pieces fall into place, he could be flipped.


Of course all three of these guys could end up staying with their current commitment, but it wouldn't surprise me if any (or all) of them flip to OU. Stoops isn't known for pressing recruits to commit, and OU almost always finishes the cycle strong. With just under a week left to NSD, now is the time to make the big moves.

With 5 or 6 spots left, this are going to be crazy this week. If any "breaking" news happens over the weekend, I'll post my thoughts here. Otherwise, I hope to update the class commitment list (http://www.soonerfans.com/forums/showthread.php?182455-2015-Football-verbal-commits-Updated-1-18-2015) soon!

[8timechamps]

Interesting development. As I mentioned above, OG Josh Wariboko is in Norman this weekend (he's close with Dahu Green), and he tweeted this today:


https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/528994926458331136/yffviZfc_normal.jpegJosh Wariboko @JoshuaJ45 (https://twitter.com/JoshuaJ45) · 6h6 hours ago (https://twitter.com/JoshuaJ45/status/561560815803699201)

I'm feeling blessed and ecstatic right now. I now know what the best thing for me is, I can't wait for NSD!!
0 replies29 retweets112 favorites Reply
Retweet29
Favorite112
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There's been a lot of speculation that he would end up at UCLA, but I think that tweet makes it pretty clear that he's a heavy Sooner lean. Remember, at one point, he was an OU commit. Given the tone of the tweet combined with the fact that he's in Norman, I think that's about as close to saying "I'm going to OU" as he could get without saying it.

I suppose he could still end up at UCLA, but everything seems to point toward OU.

Also heard that Dahu Green, AD Miller and Arthur McGinnis all made it to Norman yesterday. Got word that Green is having a "great" time, but nothing on Miller or McGinnis. Again, OU needs to really impress McGinnis this weekend. So, hopefully I'll hear something positive soon.

With NSD coming up this Wednesday (the 4th), I don't expect a commitment from anyone this weekend, but there is a chance someone could decide to make it official. If that happens, you know I'll have it here!

[8timechamps]

Update Sunday February 1

After a "great" visit", Dallas Receiver A.D. Miller commits to OU, giving the Sooners their 21st commitment for the class. Miller was a more recent offer, but one that Lincoln Riley was very interested in offering. Miller is a tall receiver (6'3"), who could become a very solid contributor on offense. I don't expect him to avoid a redshirt next year, but I expect good things for him over the next few years.

Miller has a fairly impressive offer list:

Texas Tech
Nebraska
California
Arizona State
Colorado
Connecticut
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
UL-Monroe
Memphis
Miami (FL)
Miami (OH)
Michigan
Mississippi State
North Texas
Notre Dame
Ohio State
Oregon State
SMU
Southern Miss
Tennessee
Tulsa
UCF
Washington
Washington State

Rivals, ESPN & Scout all rate Miller as a 3 star receiver.

[Curly Bill]

Seeing North Texas and ULM offered him must have peaked our interest! ;)

[cvsooner]

Considering the big stars of this Super Bowl include a guy who had to drop out of community college and went undrafted, a guy who had to go to Canada to play ball and wound up working at Foot Locker, and a four-time winning SB QB who was drafted in the 6th round, I still say the whole rating of recruits is way overrated.

Also note: of the 44 starters in Super Bowl XLIX, none were 5 stars coming out of high school.

[Curly Bill]

Considering this years national champ Ohio State, and runner-up Oregon always pull in top classes, as does Alabama and FSU, the other two teams in the 4 team playoff, I'd say recruiting is HUGE!!!

What any of those players go on to do in the NFL has no relevance to college football.

[8timechamps]

Considering the big stars of this Super Bowl include a guy who had to drop out of community college and went undrafted, a guy who had to go to Canada to play ball and wound up working at Foot Locker, and a four-time winning SB QB who was drafted in the 6th round, I still say the whole rating of recruits is way overrated.

Also note: of the 44 starters in Super Bowl XLIX, none were 5 stars coming out of high school.

If you look at the rating system in the big picture, I think it's a solid indicator in several cases (i.e. the overall stregnth of a class, etc). My issues are with many of the individual ratings.

AD Miller is a good example, I've watched his film and compared it to Van Jefferson. On tape, there is very little difference between the two. However, the services rate Jefferson a 4 star recruit and Miller a 3 star. Obviously the schools did their research and based on the quality of offers he received, he's better than a 3 star player in the eyes of a lot of coaching staffs.

I think the problem is pretty simple, there are too many high school players versus a limited number of recruiting service "analysts". There's only so much time they can spend on player evaluations, so I think a lot of guys fall through the cracks. They're typically pretty good at identifying the 5 star kids (but lets be honest, just about anyone with eyes can do that), and they have a decent success rate with the 4 star kids. It's anything below that where they miss. 3 star recruits seem to be the hardest for the services to really evaluate.

In the end, there are many factors that play into a kids development, so unless he's coming in with elite talent (like a DGB), it's mostly a shot in the dark about who will pan out and who won't.

[8timechamps]

UPDATE: Monday February 2nd

Breaking now: Dahu Green commits to OU!

A lot of Sooner fans felt like Green should have been offered a long time ago, but whatever the case, he was finally offered recently. I kinda felt like it was too little, too late with Green, but after his official visit this past weekend, he must have really been impressed. Green is another tall receiver (6'4"), and a local kid (Westmoore High School). Here's his offer list:

Arkansas State
Boise State
Cincinnati
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisville
North Texas
San Diego State
Southern Miss
Toledo
Tulsa
Virginia
Wake Forest
Washington State

Not as impressive a list as AD Miller, and I think he's not quite as good as Miller, but we will definitely need receivers in the new system. And a commitment from an in-state kid is always good.

Supposedly, LB Arthur McGinnis is going to make his decision tonight. Not sure if he'll announce it, but if he does, I'll post it.

[cvsooner]

Kish and Stoops both just tweeted 'Boom 504'. That's the Louisiana area code...so methinks McGinnis has committed.

[cvsooner]

Tulsa World confirming McGinnis has committed. Huge get on the 4-star LB.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

Yay! Sounds like a very successful weekend!

[cvsooner]

Two done, two to go from this weekend's visitors.

[8timechamps]

HUGE pick-up!

New Orleans Warren Easton middle linebacker Arthur McGinnis has committed to Oklahoma. Don't need to tell anyone how badly we needed a middle linebacker in this class, and this was the last chance to land a quality one. While McGinnis won't be pressed into action as a freshman, he's good enough to contribute early. Look to see him on special teams with the possibility of spot duty on defense. In time, I think this kid could be really good.

Offer list:

Arizona
Arkansas State
Boise State
Georgia
Kansas
Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Lafayette
Louisville
Mississippi
Mississippi State
Nebraska
Notre Dame
Oklahoma
Southern Miss
Tennessee
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
Tulane
UCLA

Ratings:
Rivals: 4 star
Scout: 3 star
ESPN: 3 star
247 Sports: 3 star

[Eielson]

Do you actually think him at MLB? I watched some film, and from a speed standpoint, he looked more like a DT than an LB. My bet is he ends up at DE.

[8timechamps]

Do you actually think him at MLB? I watched some film, and from a speed standpoint, he looked more like a DT than an LB. My bet is he ends up at DE.

We recruited him as a MLB. I don't know what the plan is, but we need a MLB in a bad way. To my knowledge, he's only play MLB throughout high school.

Some of the services have him listed as an OLB for some reason, but he's never played OLB.

[Eielson]

We recruited him as a MLB. I don't know what the plan is, but we need a MLB in a bad way. To my knowledge, he's only play MLB throughout high school.

Some of the services have him listed as an OLB for some reason, but he's never played OLB.

The film I watched had him as a down lineman a lot. Given how my day has gone, I may well have been watching the wrong film, though.

[8timechamps]

The film I watched had him as a down lineman a lot. Given how my day has gone, I may well have been watching the wrong film, though.

You could be correct. Honestly, I'm on overload with the recruit stuff.

I'll look tomorrow. But, I'm not going to give you a money back guarantee that I'm right. :)