OU Football Recruiting | Sooners Have Some Competition For Their Top 2014 Quarterback Target

The state of Oklahoma's Class of 2014 is shaping up to be one of the best in quite some time. One of the top players in that class, Edmond Santa Fe quarterback Justice Hansen, could be close to making a commitment after having recently returned from trips to both Norman and College Station.

Hansen has stated that he has narrowed his decision down to two school, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. He has been clear throughout the entire recruiting process that he won't rush his decision, but that he is looking forward to being done with the process and anxious to start helping recruit for whichever school he eventually chooses.

With respect to his recruitment, for the longest time the Sooners were believed to be the strong leader. He's obviously a local kid, he comes from a family of die hard OU fans, and he has developed a very close relationship with Oklahoma offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Josh Heupel. Many believed it was simply a matter of time before he pledged to the Sooners.

However, with Texas A&M in the mix and their undeniable current tidal wave of recruiting momentum things have become significantly less certain for the Sooners. Head coach Kevin Sumlin and co-offensive coordinator Jake Spavital have played a vital role in making the Aggies a legitimate contender for Hansen's services.

Working in Texas A&M's favor at the moment is the fact that those close to Hansen believe, whether right or wrong, the Edmond product is of the opinion that his chances for early playing time may be greater in College Station than they would be in Norman.

Now you're probably wondering how that makes any sense considering that Johnny Manziel is coming off a Heisman Trophy winning season and is only a sophomore. Obviously no one is doubting Manziel's future, but there are some legit questions, despite his protestations otherwise, as to how much longer he'll be at Texas A&M since he would be eligible to leave following this season. Whether or not that happens, Hansen seems to be of the opinion that there is no clear cut replacement for whenever Manziel does leave.

To be fair, Oklahoma has its own share of uncertainty given the fact they are currently in the midst of a quarterback competition not likely to be decided until this summer. Between Blake Bell, Kendal Thompson, Trevor Knight, and the soon to arrive Cody Thomas, it's a case of OU's depth potentially working against them. Granted, that depth is largely unproven but at a minimum it's still four other guys Hansen would have to compete with, all of whom would have at least one year of experience in the program on him before he would arrive.

If you're a betting man (or woman), the smart money still seems to be on the Sooners but Texas A&M has made things much more of a battle than many would have ever believed. At the moment, Hansen is Oklahoma's lone offer at the quarterback position. So should things not go their way, while Heupel has certainly developed a backup plan, they would essentially be starting over from square one.

Obviously it would be quite a coup for A&M to come into Oklahoma's back yard and steal one of the state's top players and OU's obvious heavy favorite for their quarterback spot in this 2014 class. Not all that unlike what they did in the 2013 class in swiping OU legacy Justin Manning.

Whether it's the Sooners or the Aggies, someone will be getting a talented and athletic quarterback who can make plays both in and outside of the pocket.