Oklahoma Sooners Football Recruiting: Comparing OU’s 2019 QB Offers

With this Friday tweet, Alabama pro-style passer Bo Nix became the third 2019 quarterback to receive an offer from the Oklahoma Sooners along with Port Neches, Texas dual-threat Roschon Johnson and Phoenix product Spencer Rattler. And while it’s safe to assume the Sooners will throw out another offer or two in the coming months, it’s not too early to look at this crop of QBs and start thinking about the future — after all, Cameron Rising committed last August, meaning the Sooners may well have their 2019 quarterback on board in just a matter of months.

The sooner the better, if you’ll forgive my pun.

So who are these kids, and why are the Sooners after them? Let’s take a look at the tape to see what the OU staff might be looking at. We’ll start with their first offer.

Spencer Rattler

This dude has held an OU offer for almost a year, which says a lot about how the Sooners think of him. Oklahoma was one of the very first schools to jump on his bandwagon, and it’s still the biggest name (IMHO) on his offer sheet. Not surprisingly, this has made OU the prohibitive favorite to land the pro-style Phoenix QB from Pinnacle High.

One thing that stands out in Rattler’s film is that he rarely tries to do too much, a common peril for high school kids with that kind of talent. He trusts his receivers and only takes off when his other options are gone. He’s comfortable scrambling and in the pocket, and shows good awareness of his immediate surroundings.

Rattler also demonstrates a big-time arm, pinpoint accuracy and decent speed, though it’s tough to say if that speed will translate to the next level. He gets a little loose with the ball sometimes, but that’s a mistake that gets fixed quickly in the college ranks. Rattler’s offense looks a lot like Lincoln Riley’s, which I’m sure was part of the initial appeal. Overall, some very good film from the 6-1, 175 pound rising junior.

Roschon Johnson

Rattler doesn’t do too much, but Johnson is a guy who can do everything. He’s got elite speed, a rocket arm and the kind of “it” factor that can carry an offense — truly Baker-level swag.

Johnson has already seen Norman and indicated that he’d like to come back, but the new regime in Austin is going hard after the six-foot, 180 pound firecracker. (I’m already dreading the thought of playing against him someday. You know how Mike Stoops loves dual-threat QBs.)

Johnson’s deep balls are sometimes underthrown, and his passes can get a little too gunslinger for the college ranks. But the dude has two more years of high school ball to work on that, and his tape is dynamic. Johnson may never forget that OU offered Rattler a full nine months before him, but the Sooners did beat Texas by two days, which counts for something — right?

Bo Nix

Time for the new kid. As an Auburn legacy who can go to any school in the SEC, this offer feels more like an at-least-we-tried than a real possibility.

But after a quick glance through the film, it’s impossible to fault anyone for trying. At 6-2, 190 pounds, Nix is one of the more impressive sophomore quarterbacks you’ll ever see. One minute he’s chilling in the pocket, dropping over-the-shoulder deep bombs like Matt Ryan, and next thing you know he’s sprinting downfield like Russell Wilson. His deep throws are effortless, his short throws are zipped and his quickness is borderline shocking. Really, it’s too bad his daddy went to Auburn.

The only thing that might give other schools hope is the Tigers’ crowded QB room. I just feel like Nix is a kid anyone can make room for, especially if he continues to progress through school.

Long story short? Spencer Rattler has a really, really good shot at being Oklahoma’s next quarterback commit sometime this summer or fall. But these next 12 or so months are particularly interesting — there’s a chance that Lincoln Riley’s OU career won’t survive it, sad as that may be. If/When that happens, Oklahoma’s next coordinator hire will be a crucial decision. But that’s all speculative. What’s not up for debate is that OU seems to have great taste in prep QBs, and will continue to compete for the country’s best in and out of the region.

After all, when you can pluck a quarterback out of North Carolina or California, you know you’re in good shape.

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