Oklahoma Sooners Football Recruiting: Where Do Things Stand After Scott Pagano’s Visit?

After some midweek uncertainty about the status of his trip, Clemson grad transfer Scott Pagano made an official visit to Oklahoma over the weekend to meet the staff, watch a practice and get a feel for the OU program.

Pagano, a 6-4, 280 pound defensive tackle, made his first official visit to Notre Dame last weekend and will visit Oregon next week. Pagano is from Hawaii, so many believe he’s looking at West Coast programs first and foremost. But he has to like the idea of winning during his final college season — you know, after his national championship — and Oklahoma is frankly a much better place to do that in 2017 than the other schools he’s looking at.

Pagano flew in on Friday and attended a practice yesterday, and was scheduled to leave town sometime this afternoon.

The fact that Pagano was on the verge of cancelling his visit probably isn’t a great sign for OU. But it’s undeniable that the program has some amazing facilities in the works and a great shot at the CFP. It also probably needs Pagano more than a lot of programs — D-line depth is going to be a concern for the Sooners next year, no doubt about it.

Pagano racked up 31 tackles, 4.5 TFLs and 2 sacks in 12 games for the Tigers last season. He broke a bone in his foot and only missed three games. The dude is a grinder. Yes, you’re right — if he was a transcendent talent, he’d be in the NFL, or at least in this year’s draft. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be a huge asset for the OU defense.

Unlike recent Sooners commit Jeff Badet, Pagano is treating this spring more like a second recruitment than a casual transfer. And good for him. He’s earned it.

Pagano is expected to announce his decision in early May, and it appears to be down to Notre Dame, Oregon and OU. I wouldn’t call the Sooners the favorite by any means at this point, but they bring a bit more to the table than the other schools. That’s why getting the kid on campus this weekend was so crucial, as it may well give OU legitimate shot at landing the guy.