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Boomer Sooner, everybody!
Let’s be honest — the Oklahoma Sooners still very much in the College Football Playoff picture, but the mood amongst the fans of this great program would perhaps tell you otherwise. Well, it’s time to let the bad energy out the door because we have a HUGE recruiting weekend on our hands right now. Oklahoma’s 2018 offensive class is mostly set, but this weekend’s visitor list for the Texas Tech game is full of big names — especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Because of this, Lincoln Riley and the coaching staff are pulling out all the stops. In fact, they’re wanting you and I to do the same thing on Saturday.
#BeTheDifference
— Lincoln Riley (@LincolnRiley) October 24, 2017
Saturday 7:00 PM
Home pic.twitter.com/TA3V4DNkMx
So what’s all the fuss about? Well, the coaches and staff want all fans to be as hyped as possible for this one because the stakes are high both on and off the field. Here as some of the players the coaches are looking to impress this weekend:
Ronnie Perkins - DE, St. Louis, MO (Lutheran North)
247 Composite Ranking: No. 112 overall, No. 5 WDE
Perkins has been OU’s primary target at his position for quite some time, and right now the Sooners are in a tug-of-war with the Texas Longhorns for his signature. He’s already visited UT earlier this season. Now it’s OU’s turn to make show him what they’re all about. With local product Ron Tatum already committed, Perkins is seen as the other piece of the puzzle.
DaShaun White - OLB, North Richland Hills, TX (Richland)
247 Composite Ranking: No. 273 overall, No. 20 OLB
White committed to Texas A&M back in August, but that hasn’t deterred OU in the slightest. The staff will have an opportunity this weekend to convince the DFW product flip to Oklahoma, and their chances are pretty good according to the most recent Crystal Ball predictions. If he ends up signing with Oklahoma, the Sooners will be getting a very athletic and speedy linebacker who can be utilized in a multitude of ways.
Reuben Unije - OT, Bradenton, FL (IMG ACADEMY)
247 Composite Ranking: No. 242 overall, No. 15 OT
Elite defensive prospects aren’t the only visitors in town this weekend, as a pair of IMG prospects from the offensive side of the ball will be visiting as well. With Brey Walker, Darrell Simpson and Tramonda Moore already committed, Unije seems like the final piece necessary along the offensive line in 2018. Back in July, his IMG teammates (including current OU commit TJ Pledger) predicted that he would end up at OU, and the recruiting pundits don’t seem to disagree.
Micah Parsons - DE, Harrisburg, PA (Harrisburg)
247 Composite Ranking: No. 5 overall, No. 1 WDE
Oklahoma may be shooting for the stars here, but getting the five-star defensive end to use one of his five official visits is a victory in and of itself. The primary contenders here are Ohio State and Penn State, and OU has a puncher’s chance against those two if the staff and team put on a good show this weekend.
To put it simply, this guy is a monster. He isn’t necessarily an enormous kid for his position, but combines his exceptional level of skill with the good amount of ferociousness. He’ll cause plenty of problems for offenses in both the running game and the passing game.
Raymond Scott - OLB, Harbor City, CA (Narbonne)
247 Composite Ranking: No. 104 overall, No. 4 OLB
Scott, who is expected to be in town this weekend according to The Football Brainiacs, committed to USC back in April of 2016, but like many commitments that occur that early (or in general), his may not be rock-solid. If the Sooners are able to pull off a flip here, they’ll be getting a punishing hitter who has the physical tools to play either inside or outside. This class really needs linebackers, so it would be enormously impactful if OU is able to change the mind of either White or Scott in the near future. If they can sign one of the two along with current commit Brian Asamoah and September visitor Merlin Robertson, this LB class would look pretty nice.
Ayodele Adeoye - ILB, St. Louis, MO (IMG Academy)
247 Composite Ranking: No. 110 overall, No. 4 ILB
Adeoye has been committed to Texas since June, but he’s scheduled to visit this weekend according to 247Sports. I don’t really picture him wavering from Texas, but OU was very much in the hunt before his commitment, so you never know.
Jeremiah Martin - DE, San Bernardino, CA (Cajon)
247 Composite Ranking: No. 267 overall, No. 14 WDE
Ronnie Perkins and Micah Parsons and Bobby Brown (who announces his decision on Friday) (Brown picked A&M) aren’t the only defensive linemen on Oklahoma’s radar. Jeremiah Martin is an exceptionally talented California prospect who also holds offers from Alabama, Texas A&M, USC and Washington. According to 247 Sports, he’s set to be in Norman for an official this weekend.
Leon O’Neal - Cypress, TX (Cy Springs)
247 Composite Ranking: No. 70 overall, No. 5 safety
Like White, O’Neal has been committed to Texas A&M since the summer. With the current numbers at defensive back in the 2018 class, a flip seems unlikely unless it happens soon. If it does happen, however, OU will be getting one of the best DBs in the state of Texas. He’s a big, athletic kid who sort of reminds me of Steven Parker.
CJ Smith - Safety, West Palm Beach, FL (Oxbridge Academy)
247 Composite Ranking: No. 232 overall, No. 18 safety
CJ Smith is definitely a weekend visitor to monitor, as he’s one of the candidates to jump at what is probably the final spot in Oklahoma’s 2018 DB class. If he ends up being a member of this class, OU would be getting someone who definitely has the potential to become a fantastic player.
Brendan Radley-Hiles - CB, Bradenton, FL (IMG Academy)
247 Composite Ranking: No. 49 overall, No. 7 cornerback
The roommate of TJ Pledger will also be accompanying his teammates to Norman this weekend.
Oklahoma will be hosting plenty of their current commitments as well as a number of 2019 prospects, so this equates to being one of the biggest recruiting weekends in recent memory in terms of both quality and quantity. The crowd at Saturday night’s game against Texas Tech is going to be a big part of the pitch, so OU fans definitely need to bring their A-game. Those of you in attendance will have plenty of time to fit in all sorts fun before the 7 p.m. game, so there’s no excuse (for the most part) to not do your part in creating an environment that the coaches, players and fans can be proud of.
#TBT #BeTheDifference #BeatTech pic.twitter.com/CxUXf7sZWn
— Sooner Gridiron (@soonergridiron) October 26, 2017
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