Official Visitor List & Notes | June 14th Weekend
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 13, 2024
The Sooners are scheduled to host 8 official visitors this weekend.
WR – Cortez Mills – 6’1 170 – Homestead, FL
WR – Marcus Harris – 6′ 185 – Santa Ana, CA
OL – Michael Fasusi – 6’5 295 – Lewisville, TX
DL – Floyd Boucard – 6’3 315 – Miami, FL
DL – Makhi Williams-Lee – 6’2 280 – Atlanta, GA
DL – Trent Wilson – 6’3 270 – Upper Marlboro, MD – OU Commit
LB – Mark Iheanachor – 6’2 215 – Harbor City, CA
LB – Elijah Melendez – 6’2 225 – Kissimmee, FL
***Quick look at the list and you see a lot of high-profile and priority targets.
***With Fasusi, I have OU behind by a decent chunk so you go into the weekend hoping to make up ground on Texas and give Fasusi more reasons to make the move to OU. Pull out all the stops and shoot your shot, you never know.
***On Cortez Mills, yeah, OU is seemingly playing from behind…to Clemson this time. This might not be such a bad thing as OU has a very similar vibe when it comes to atmosphere and approach to recruiting and being a player. The Sooners goal is to convey that family/faith atmosphere, as well as opportunity on the field. Clemson can be tough to overcome when a kid is leaning that way, but if there is one program that can have a shot at doing it, I would say it is OU. Still, will be a tough hill to climb.
***On Marcus Harris, this was a surprise to us. We had previously only mentioned Harris as a guy who held an offer back on our Big Board list in February. This one came together under the cover of darkness as the talented pass catcher was scheduled to be in Oregon this weekend. Harris switched up and is now headed to Norman. We will see where things stand following the visit.
***Then we have Boucard, the remaining big fish on the DL target list for OU. The Sooners have put in the work to get to this point and Boucard is a big fan of Bates and company…this visit has to be all about closing. Boucard has a visit set to Bama next week and he is coming off what was a strong visit for USC, but the Sooners remain right there and this weekend could go a long way in their pursuit. Expect OU to throw everything they have at him.
***Makhi Willaims Lee is a recent offer who wasted little time in setting up his visit to Norman. I spoke with a source who indicated that Williams-Lee was a take regardless of the numbers. I don’t know that I fully get behind that right now, but that is the message OU will be conveying this weekend. I like the kid a lot, just not sure the numbers will work as OU continues to pursue Boucard with Wilson and Moore already in the boat.
***Iheanachor and Melendez being on a visit at the same time is interesting. As we have noted previously, Melendez is the priority for OU right now, but he is still committed to Miami and has others in strong pursuit. I would think that if something were to come together between OU and Melendez, it would happen down the line, not this weekend…which makes it difficult for OU to really push for Iheanachor ‘right now’, the rub there is that he currently plans on committing July 1st. So it will be a balancing act for OU unless they get a strong sense that their chances with Melendez are not as good as they would like. Then, you could see them flip a switch and push hard.
We’ve Seen This Before
– Super K – Posted on: June 10, 2024
As you may have noted, Lincoln Riley and USC seemed to have a big weekend with Lincoln tweeting out a lot of emojis.
Picks came in for some Sooner targets for Boucard to USC and even Smith Orogbo to Texas Tech.
I just want to remind everyone what I’ve said many times before, Creed looked great in the first part of the first round against Drago.
The Sooners haven’t had their chance to punch yet. That will come in the next two weeks.
And, I am confirming but I did check with guys like Smith and Boucard before their visits to confirm the OU visits were still on and they answered in the affirmative.
Venables and company know how to put on a good show.
Saturday Visitor Note
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 8, 2024
As you know, the Sooners are hosting three official visitors this weekend in OT Darius Afalave, DL Kade Pietrzak, and TE Da’Saahn Brame.
First things first…all three made it in for their visits.
***Spoke to a source who has been around Afalava in particular and was told “OU has picked up right where things left off on the last visit”. In other words, things are going really well at this point as Afalava loved his first trip to Norman so much that he immediately moved OU into his top group and perhaps even the top spot.
Source feels that the family and faith atmosphere at OU coupled with Bedenbaughs straightforward approach and his track record for developing his players may be putting OU in a place where they won’t be caught, but we will know more after the completion of the visit.
Linebackers | Sourced | Numbers
– Super K – Posted on: June 11, 2024
Spoke with a source regarding where things are with the 2025 linebacker group.
***I’m told that they were really happy to see the development of Sooners ATH commit, Marcus James, this spring.
***As such, they are content with him as an inside backer and the current plan is to only take one more to go along with James.
***The primary target is, as you probably know, Miami LB commit Elijah Melendez (Kissimmee, FL) who is set to visit OU this upcoming weekend.
***Most of the defensive staff is actually working on this one. Melendez is originally from Colorado so the attachment to Florida and Miami isn’t set in stone.
***Melendez is on record as saying that the Sooners are currently even with Miami, Auburn and Ole Miss.
***Keep in mind that this is the case despite the fact that Melendez has never even visited OU.
Follow Up | Familiar Recruitment Pattern
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 11, 2024
Just a follow up to K’s note from yesterday talking about howWe’ve Seen This Before…
Following a weekend visit to USC, a few predictions rolled in for ’25 DL Floyd Boucard to commit to USC.
Boucard says “Not so fast my friends” as he shouted out OU defensive line coach Todd Bates on Twitter.
Boucard does not appear to be a guy who is finished with his recruitment and OU and Bama will still have a say in this one.
He could very well land at USC, I don’t know right now, but OU and Bama will not go down without getting their shots.
Kind of feels like the Jonah Williams recruitment when a bunch of OU folk jumped the gun and called their shot and had OU getting his commitment.
Still some very important visits left for Boucard.
Pivotal Week Ahead for Linebacker Recruiting
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 11, 2024
Following up K’s note from this morning on ’25 priority linebacker target and current Miami commit Elijah Melendez, I wanted to post a reminder that the Sooners are scheduled to host two additional linebacker targets over the next week as we reported previously.
***Mark Iheanachor (6’2 215) out of Harbor City, CA, is scheduled to officially visit Norman this weekend and plans an early July announcement.
***Zaydrius Rainey-Sale (6’2 22o) out of Spanaway, WA is scheduled to officially visit Norman on June 18th, and while OU has ground to make up here on Florida State, UCLA and Washington, if he makes it to campus, you never know.
While the Sooners have Marcus James committed and as K noted earlier they are prioritizing Melendez, the Sooners are continuing to do leg work on the pair of prospects who are set to visit.
Sourced | Some Summer Standouts
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 12, 2024
Checked in with sources over the last couple of days to get some takes on who may be standing through the first couple of weeks of summer workouts.
***As you know, I previously wrote about Damonic Williams, Ethan Downs and Gracen Halton catching some praise for the work they were doing early on. Add Caiden Woullard and Danny Okoye to the list of the defensive front guys who are drawing some good review.
***On Woullard, source said he is ‘man strong’ and loves to be in the gym. Sounds like the transfer is suiting him just fine.
***On Okoye, source noted that his work ethic is very good and his enthusiasm is rubbing off on the guys in his workout group.
***Source noted that Branson Hickman “Is not shy” and he has become a very vocal figure already since arriving on campus. I asked the source to give me a little more on what that means and was told “He is constantly motivating the guys around him” source added “He is very serious about the encouragement”.
***One familiar name to the sourced workout notes…Jayden Gibson. Source said that Gibson is having an excellent summer and said he has really been locked in both in the 7v7 stuff as well as his efforts in the weight room and conditioning.
***The final note for now, which will likely excite you, is about freshman running back Taylor Tatum. Source said “The kid is the truth”. Source added “He is strong as an ox and man he has some twitch to him”. Sounds like Tatum came into camp ready to roll, physically at least.
What’s In The Box? | Littrell’s Offense
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 13, 2024
Seth Littrell’s offensive scheme is known for its versatility, adaptability, and ability to keep defenses off-balance.
Here is a breakdown of what Sooner fans should come to expect with Littrell at the helm of the offensive ship.
***Balanced Attack – Throughout his career, Littrell has emphasized a balanced offense that utilizes both the running and passing games effectively. The goal is to keep defenses guessing and make it difficult for them to focus on stopping one aspect of the offense.
***Multiple Personnel Groupings – Littrell has used a variety of personnel groupings, including 11 (one running back, one tight end), 12 (one running back, two tight ends), and 21 (two running backs, one tight end) sets. The use of different groupings allows for a mix of power running plays, play-action passes, and vertical shots down the field. This group of offensive players at OU is his most diverse (and most talented) group and they should thrive here
***Adaptability – One of the things that has me excited about Littrell’s offense is that he has shown the ability to adapt to the strengths of his personnel. For example, during his time at North Texas, he adjusted his scheme to feature more running plays when the team had a strong running back group and on top of that, he included the QB in the run game. When he had a strong passing game, he flipped the script and went to a more run-and-shoot approach. He has a very deep bag to pull from.
***Use of Tight Ends – Littrell’s offenses often feature multiple tight end sets, which allow for a diverse range of plays including power running and vertical passing. The tight end position has been virtually non-existent in Norman (in any meaningful manner) since Mark Andrews left. It’s been more of a HB kind of deal where the guys were not doing a ton of in-line blocking. This year’s team has some interesting pieces, and Bauer Sharp could be a guy who has a major impact this season for OU.
***Tempo – Littrell’s offenses can vary in tempo, from a fast-paced, no-huddle approach to a more deliberate, ball-control style. This unpredictability can keep defenses off-balance and create opportunities for big plays. The ability to mix things up tempo-wise is something that has been missing in Norman since the Venables era began. Jeff Lebby only knew one thing, and that was to go fast, which absolutely had an impact on the defensive side of the ball. Littrell’s years of experience as an OC as well as the experience of being a head coach will come into play and he should know how to give the defense a break when needed while not compromising the effectiveness of the offense.
***QB Run Game – Littrell has shown a willingness to use the quarterback as a running threat, adding another dimension to the offense and forcing defenses to account for an additional ball carrier. Jackson Arnold has very good running instincts and he has displayed the ability to create big plays when given the chance…that is when he isn’t being used as a…checks notes…’Short yardage Back’.
***Explosive Plays – Littrell’s offenses have been known for their ability to create explosive plays, with a focus on attacking vertically and taking advantage of mismatches in the secondary. With the wide receiver personnel at his disposal, a quarterback with a very live arm, and new weapons at tight end, Littrell and Emmett Jones could be in line for a big year in the passing game and they will look to exploit the opposing secondary with mismatches.
Overall, Littrell’s offensive scheme is characterized by its balance, versatility, and ability to adapt to the strengths of the players on the field, which is a stark difference from what OU has been running for the last two years.
