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sooner13f
1/15/2006, 11:07 AM
Gresham, McCoy top Sooner wish list

By Carey Murdock

Special to The Transcript

A s big-time high school football players across the country scramble back and forth to college campuses from coast to coast, Feb. 1 creeps ever closer. That’s this year’s national signing day for NCAA football. But for Oklahoma, all is relatively quiet.

That’s because the Oklahoma Sooners currently have verbal commitments from as many recruits as the NCAA will allow colleges to bring in during a given year. Bob Stoops sits in his Switzer Center office counting 25 verbal commitments from football players all across the country.

That doesn’t mean the Sooners recruiting efforts are finished. Teams routinely oversign players on national signing day to account for grade risks and eligibility concerns. The Sooners still have a few big fish they are trying to reel in late in the recruiting game. Most notably, Oklahoma is still awaiting word from the nation’s top defensive tackle, Gerald McCoy.

McCoy, a 6-foot-5, 305-pounder from Southeast High School, is this year’s “war horse.” That’s a term used in recruiting circles to describe a player recruiting fans rally behind to finish out a recruiting season. The pressure for the in-state star to make a decision between Oklahoma, LSU and USC only intensifies with each passing day.

One of the factors putting McCoy at the forefront of recruiting speculation is his dominating performance in last week’s U.S. Army All-American game in San Antonio.

“Gerald was one of the most dominating performers at the U.S. Army All-American game last weekend. There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind after that performance he is the top defensive tackle in the country. He’ll be the No. 1 ranked player at his position when the final rankings come out before national signing day,” said national recruiting analyst Jeremy Crabtree of Internet recruiting website Rivals.com.

“In fact, McCoy was so impressive, he’ll be ranked as one of the top five players in the country at any position.”

McCoy is expected to announce his college decision on or very near national signing day.

But McCoy isn’t the only player the Sooners are still recruiting down the home stretch.

The Sooners are also trying to chase down Ardmore’s Jermaine Gresham. Gresham, a 6-foot-7, 230-pound tight end, is also one of the nation’s most sought after recruits. Gresham is visiting USC this weekend on an official recruiting visit and he still has trips planned to LSU (Jan. 20th) and Miami (Jan. 27th).

Oklahoma, USC, LSU and Miami are Gresham’s final four schools. The talented pass catcher is also recovering from torn knee ligaments suffered in his final high school game. The resulting surgery has slowed his recruiting process to the point he’ll be making official visits right up to national signing day.

But Gresham says he may not take all of his official visits. He could see himself shutting things down and making a decision soon.

“I don’t know if I will take all three,” he said. “I could come back and make up my mind. I guess we will just have to see.”

Oklahoma has assigned ace recruiter Jackie Shipp to recruit Gresham. It appears the Oklahoma defensive tackle coach is making a big impression on the offensive superstar.

“I’ve been talking to coach Shipp a lot lately,” said Gresham. “The main thing that we talk about is how they need me and would use me early on. The injury hasn’t changed what they have told me at all.

“Oklahoma has a chance to get me on the field early and that’s something I’m excited about. That’s what I’m looking for. I want a chance to play early.”

As for the rest of the recruiting class, Oklahoma could finish with one more offensive lineman. The Sooners went into the recruiting season looking to sign anywhere from five to eight offensive linemen.

The Sooners have six offensive linemen on their verbal commitment list. And Brandon Walker, a 6-foot-3, 315-pound offensive guard from Coffeyville Community College in Coffeyville, Kan., could become No. 7.

Walker, from Detroit, originally was thought to be a Michigan State lean. But the Spartans no longer have a spot for Walker in their recruiting class. The Sooners appeared to be in great shape to land Walker, but Florida State has now jumped squarely into the picture.

Walker is on an official visit to Tallahassee and it now appears Florida State and Oklahoma have become locked in a major recruiting battle.

“He would have been the second best offensive lineman on Oklahoma’s team behind Davin Joseph this year. He’s that good,” said one college recruiter of Walker.

Walker could become an instant starter at Oklahoma, but the Seminoles are in dire need of offensive linemen as well. His decision could come down shortly following his trip this weekend.

4everasooner
1/15/2006, 06:06 PM
Sweet read; THX.

The Consumate Showman
1/15/2006, 08:36 PM
Hope we get these three and shut this thing down....Maybe we can dump Gibbs and free up some room....geez we are getting cramped....