As initially posted by CC Machine reader PacificNW-Sooner in the FanPosts section, five star recruit Jamarkus McFarland called OU defensive line coach Jackie Shipp in the wee hours of Christmas morning to inform him that he’ll be a Sooner.

McFarland is a 6-3, 280 pound defensive tackle from Lufkin, TX who is ranked as a five star recruit and is considered as the best defensive prospect in the state of Texas. He received scholarship offers from Oklahoma, USC, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, LSU, Nebraska and Notre Dame but the real recruiting battle came down between Oklahoma and Texas where things got pretty heated between the fans with rumors and rumors of rumors.

The New York Times was given access to McFarland’s recruiting process and documented several interesting things about recruiting trips and promises offered. In the end the good guys won by showing that they were interested in the kid’s family and proving to all of them (instead of just McFarland) that OU was the best choice instead of trying to prove to them which coach had the nicest house.  

McFarland becomes the first five star recruit to commit to the Sooners for the 2009 recruiting class and becomes the 12^th defensive commitment of the class. Seven of the twelve defensive recruits are rated four stars or better.