Football Recruiting Thread

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For those who don’t have a sub to GoPokes, here’s who was at the game last night.

Cayson Babley, OL, Ponca City, Class of 2022
Carter Barnard, WR, Stillwater, Class of 2021
Cade Bennett, OL, Scottsdale (Notre Dame), Ariz., Class of 2020
Anthony Bland, WR, Stillwater, Class of 2020 - Committed to Princeton
Nate Collins, OL/DL, Ponca City, Class of 2022
Montrell Cozart, DT, Tulsa Bishop Kelley, Class of 2020
Sawyer Goram-Welch, DT, Longview, Texas, Class of 2020
Javian Hester, WR, Tulsa Booker T. Washington, Class of 2020
Josiah Hill, OL, Ponca City, Class of 2020
Jace James, DE, Altus, Class of 2021
Cameron Little, K, Southmoore, Class of 2021
Jasper Lott, TE, Argyle, Texas, Class of 2021
Brendan Marlin, Athlete, Marion, Indiana, Class of 2020
Cade McConnell, OL/DL, Choctaw, Class of 2022
Zach Middleton, Athlete, Tulsa Bishop Kelley, Class of 2020
Collin Oliver, DE, Edmond Santa Fe, Class of 2021
Brennan Presley, WR, Bixby, Class of 2020
Jordan Reagan, CB, Bixby, Class of 2020
Jeff Roberson, LB, Choctaw, Class of 2020
Ethan Rone, QB, Choctaw, Class of 2022
Eli Russ, OL, Ardmore Plainview, Class of 2020
Brody Sartin, FB/LB, Bixby, Class of 2020
Rody Schneider, OL, Minco, Class of 2020
Coty Scott, TE, Ringling, Class of 2020
Kaleb Settles, OL, Ponca City, Class of 2022
Jacob Sexton, OL, Edmond Deer Creek, Class of 2022
Michael Seybold, LS, Marion, Indiana, Class of 2021
Talyn Shelton, WR, Edmond Santa Fe, Class of 2022
Nick Shoup, OL, Ponca City, Class of 2021
Donovan Stephens, LB, Del City, Class of 2021
Cade Sumbler, QB, Midlothian (Heritage), Texas, Class of 2020
Seldon Tawkoyly, TE, Ponca City, Class of 2020
Cole Thompson, LB, Norman, Class of 2020
Landon Varner, OL, Ponca City, Class of 2021
Brynden Walker, DE/OLB, Oklahoma City Bishop McGuinness, Class of 2020 - Committed to Oklahoma
Wesley Zeigler, WR, Choctaw, Class of 2021

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Thank you!

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It’s great to see such a big list, although I don’t know why Walker was there.

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Walker obviously wanted to be there so it doesn’t hurt anything. Besides you better believe if No U can sign a 4 or 5 star to fill his spot they’ll pull his offer in a heart beat. May as well keep him in the fold until the papers are signed.

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I mean, I get it. It just seems kinda crappy to me to flip from a place, then still go and make use of the whole gameday-visit and everything that’s involved. It’s like leaving your girlfriend for a ‘hotter one’, but still going to Thanksgiving with your previous girlfriend’s family because you like them and have enjoyed the meal in the past.

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Seems Gundy is following your advice and grinding it out for a good talent. Lol.

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I’ll give you that one.

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I don’t think that the “we don’t even try to compete for top recruits” argument holds up very well at all.

If you go look at the offers list, not only are we offering top regional talent (4* and 5* guys), our coaches are going from Seattle to Trenton, NJ to Atlanta to Los Angeles to at least offer guys. If we can’t get them to come visit, what the hell are we supposed to do to make it better? I’m sure they’re getting on the horn with Gundy. I’m sure they’re doing everything they can to get these guys to at least take a look… but it’s almost always the same song and dance that we are losing out to… OU, UT, TAMU, Alabama, Washington, Georgia…

I think the effort is there… I think there’s an issue with marketing the program that is far more serious than recruiting effort… and I think that Gundy does try to make that better to the best of his ability. I mean, he goes on ESPN and does national media stuff. The mullet worked for a year, but has faded. The effort on this end seems to be severely lacking from our sports information department… as they are relying far to heavily on local media to get the word out about our program, but local media has their head so far up OU’s backside to even notice the massive academic ranking and finance scandal at that university!

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Look at what Holder did with Karsten Creek. All programs offer the “can’t miss” prospects. It is what Holder said last year that is missing. Selling the staff and facilities of your program as a means to the recruits professional dreams. That is why Holder designed Karsten Creek the way he did. It isn’t just a golf course. There are all of different grasses and greens that are used at professional courses. There is a covered driving range for inclement weather with computer swing analysis. He created a facility to attract the top talent in the world. Yet none of that matters if you can’t sell recruits on your program. oSu football doesn’t have superior facilities, but they are more than sufficient to develop players for the NFL. More than sufficient to attract top 15 classes.

Gundy is responsible for selling “why” oSu’s Cowboy culture is the perfect fit for his type of players. He publically has stated he isn’t really interested in that portion of his job. Dabo is using his deep religious faith as the basis for his program. That is a turn off for some recruits, but just what his “type” of player wants to hear.

Boynton is excelling in this area. He is selling personal access and unrelenting effort in expressing his interest in getting talent to Stillwater to make his championship dreams come true. Be a part of what I am building. I don’t expect him to out perform the blue bloods, but the guy has been “punching above his weight” since he arrived.

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Solid pickup

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Hearing there might be some news on the B Walker front. @marshall @kyleporterCBS @CarsonCunningham have you heard anything?

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A flip back? :eyes: That would be interesting…

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He did come on a visit to us after he flipped which was really strange.

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Factor out all the noise/nonsensical ‘reasons’ we have ‘all’ heard for decades about recruiting to Stilly … this is reality …if I’m any CEO, and you tell me constantly your recruiting budget is too low, and I finally give you a VERY BIG increase? I am going to expect results NOT just tread water to produce same results and continue with same excuses … respectfully, dont think Mr Pickens would accept that either

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I didn’t say anything about recruiting to Stillwater…

I simply stated that we don’t get the exposure that the schools I listed do… and that’s who we are losing out to. They also happen to be perennial top 8 programs, with the exception of A&M and Washington.

If we were actually losing guys to Tech, TCU, Baylor, etc… I would be concerned. I know some guys pick them over us, but they aren’t necessarily coveted guys that we are going to miss.

We lose out to Alabama, Michigan, A&M, LSU, Georgia… and we do shoot those shots… we just can’t get an OV from the recruit, which is the problem… and I think that’s a perception thing and not a Gundy thing.

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I think this is the first full year that big increase has been in effect. It’s not like flipping a light switch. But we’ve got a commit from a 4 star in Cali, a solid 3 star lineman from AZ and a high 4 star running back from Cali put us in his final 5 and was in town on an official visit. Extra money allows us to expand our footprint, but doesn’t mean 4 and 5 start recruiters will suddenly change their opinions of blue bloods vs OSU. Or living close to home vs OK. Or living in LA vs Stillwater.

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How much exactly was the recruiting budget increased? I don’t remember seeing it anywhere.

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The decommitments are the issue that causes me concern. Credit to Gundy for visiting recruits the past two years that have helped with defections. However, the problem is still impacting the program from him not doing that for most of his tenure.

That problem is compounded when the recruit that signs realizes he doesn’t have the talent to compete in a P5 conference for a top 15 performing program. They either transfer or get passed on the two deep by more talented recruits from a future class. Credit to Knowles for his two first classes as they have replaced many of Spencers misses or filled gaps by players that left.

In 2017 Levi Draper decommitted. oSu also lost several recruiting battles on players who signed with other P5 programs.

LB who signed in 2017

Blake Barron - transfer recently with no impact
Patrick Macon - transfer portal with no impact
Brendan Vaughn - dismissed after trouble with the law.

2019 Result: LC Greenwood moved to LB, Malcolm Rodriguez moved to LB

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Ok… Levi Draper was always going to leave us to go to OU. We should be used to that by now, and I think we should’ve never taken his commitment in the first place.

And yes… you’re right… recruiting over guys that transfer out happens… but is it really a bad thing? Or is it a sign that recruiting is getting better because of increased budget, increased exposure, prolonged success, etc?

The entire recruiting argument is chicken and egg. As I pointed out… OSU is going out and offering top guys! We just lose to top programs. So how do we get over that hump?

And saying that Gundy isn’t trying is just… it doesn’t line up with evidence to the contrary. There are a lot of pictures of him doing in home visits. Hopping on planes. The helicopter thing. He’s getting out and doing it when he’s called upon… or at least it sure looks like he is.

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Not when you claim to build your program by developing players. If Gundy was getting better talent every year we wouldn’t be having this discussion. However, the current staff of recruiters hasn’t shown they can deliver a top 25 class and that is with Gundy in the chopper. I 100% believe Mike Holder. Effort and salesmanship (creating a vision for professional success by attending oSu) is how recruiting works and Gundy publically states he isn’t down with that approach. Holder won a NC every 4 years as head coach and Stillwater was an obstacle he had to overcome to sign those players. oSu was winning NC in golf long before Karsten Creek was built.

They took Levi Draper’s commitment because he was the best offer that said yes. Every other player of his caliber signed with another P5 program and most of those don’t have the success oSu has enjoyed over the past decade.