Oklahoma Sooners Football Recruiting - RJ’s Thoughts: What 3 recruits told me about Oklahoma

What’s up, kinfolk?! I am not on a step mill. I recently spoke with 2019 recruits Jamal Morris and EJ Ndoma-Ogar about their recent commitments. Both of them revealed some facts I had no idea about, and I’m excited to share those with you. I also got some phone-time with 2020 corner Kelee Ringo, who you’ll want to keep an eye on as his recruitment cranks up.

JAMAL MORRIS WILL NOT VISIT TEXAS

In talking with Oklahoma Sooners safety commit Jamal Morris, one of the questions I asked him was whether he was still planning to take his visit to Texas this weekend.

“No—oh no. It’s done. I’m an OU commit.”

Morris uttered the words like the question was funny, and it was when I realized how much thought he’d put into his commitment.

In weeks leading up to his announcement alongside the rest of the Magnificent 7 during Oklahoma’s spring game weekend, he told me he’d known he was going to commit to Oklahoma for some time. He is still undecided about signing early and enrolling early because he wants an opportunity to run high school track next spring.

“It was always the plan to commit during the spring game,” he said. “I was on the committed video, so some people already knew where I was going. So there wasn’t any reason to keep playing that game.”

He’d planned to commit on the same day at the same time with five-star wide outs Arjei Henderson and Theo Wease. But convincing fellow safety commit Jarrion Jones to pull the trigger that weekend was the real coup.

“We had to convince (Jones),” Morris said. “We all thought he was going to Mississippi State. But when he came to Norman we were all in his ear about it.”

And he’s not done yet. Morris has his sights set on St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) product Jaden Davis and St. John Bosco (Calif.) recruit Chris Steele as the two prep stars he most wants to join OU’s 2019 recruiting class.

“We get those two corners,” he said, “and then we’ll be done.”

An entire secondary in one class? Yes, please!

EJ NDOMA-OGAR REMEMBERS TY DARLINGTON’S KINDNESS

“Hey, EJ!” I said.

“Hey.”

“Am I saying your name correctly? N-DOME-UH OH-GUR?”

“It’s Ndoma-O-GAR,” he said. “It’s all good, though. You actually did pretty good, I’m not gonna lie.”

I apologized for having incorrectly pronounced his name, and Ndoma-Ogar went into tearing up The Opening Dallas last weekend, winning offensive line MVP and why he committed to play college football at Oklahoma.

“It’s just relationships,” he said. “You know, I watched your video, and you were exactly on point. Coach (Ty) Darlington and Coach (Bill) Bedenbaugh, those guys stood by me ever since middle school, ever since middle school.”

I asked him near the end of our conversation if there was anything else he’d like to say or want folks to know about him.

I was about to hang up when he stopped me.

“Hey, one more thing,” Ndoma-Ogar said. “My little sister saw your intro video with your mom throwing the cane. That was hilarious, dude. I was showing her the video you made for me, and I wanted to see it, and she wanted me to keep rewinding back to that intro. And I’m like can we watch the video, please? That’s funny, man. That was funny.”

I told him thank you, and that my mama will probably buy his jersey now.

2020’s No. 1 CB KELEE RINGO HAS OU ON THE BRAIN

Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro cornerback and recent Oklahoma offer Kelee Ringo is big and strong enough to play big-time football tomorrow, but he’s just finishing his sophomore year of high school. What sets him apart is his physicality, and he’ll be one to keep an eye on as his recruitment will turn up a notch this summer.

Secondary coach Kerry Cooks leads the charge for the most physical defensive back in the 2020 class. “Oklahoma’s a really nice school. I like it a lot”, he told me of his impression following his 20-minute phone call with Kerry Cooks. “I’m honestly just observing right now, and seeing what everyone has to offer”.

Ringo already has offers from the likes of Alabama, Clemson, USC and Washington.

MIKE STOOPS’ NFL DRAFT WAS TRASH (AGAIN)

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops hasn’t seen a member of his secondary drafted since Zack Sanchez was selected in the fifth round. With 15 interceptions in three years, he’s arguably the best corner the Sooners have had over the last decade.

In his second stint, the only player Stoops has seen selected higher than the third round is defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, who was selected in the second. The last defensive Sooner drafted in the first round was Gerald McCoy.

With the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year being drafted in the fifth round of this year’s NFL draft and watching five starters on his defense — Du’Vonta Lampkin, D.J. Ward, Emmanuel Beal, Steven Parker and Jordan Thomas — have to settle for undrafted free agent contracts, I wonder what Mike Stoops’ pitch is to top recruits about putting players in the NFL? Because pointing to the late rounds and watching starters go undrafted is not a sound recruiting philosophy.

Earn your paycheck, Mike.

Or block me on Twitter (and you have).

Whichever one gets a top-tier defense in Norman first.

LISTEN TO FULL INTERVIEWS WITH EJ NDOMA-OGAR AND JAMAL MORRIS HERE: