2023 Recruiting Class - #...............Discussion Thread

[novasooner]

Good news is that a few national guys have predicted Pettaway to OU, so it has a bit more heft than just the local guys. At the moment Pettaway doesn't appear swayed by Manning to Texas.

[Dandy Demond]

It could end up working out, but so far this staff's approach to recruiting isn't working.

I don’t expect any improvement until the results on the field under the new administration show up. Even then, for many or most of the top talent it’ll be a question of who pays most. We probably have the money to keep up now but it’ll only go up and OU will be left behind if changes in NIL don’t happen.

[Ruprecht]

It could end up working out, but so far this staff's approach to recruiting isn't working.

It really can't work right now because dudes still want to take their free visits.

We just have to hope that the available pool of really good players still exists in the fall.

But yeah, this approach could totally backfire. There is no denying that.

[AdonijahAijalon]

OU, Bama, and A&M are sitting at 37, 38, 47 at the moment. I'm not sure why there's panic in June. I'll save my fear for November and December.

[soonerbms]

Good news is that a few national guys have predicted Pettaway to OU, so it has a bit more heft than just the local guys. At the moment Pettaway doesn't appear swayed by Manning to Texas.

Those crystal balls came before the Manning news. I doubt he’s still trending to us in wake of Texas getting Manning. We are getting smoked by schools that haven’t had the level of success we have. I’m trying to keep the faith, but this staff is not inspiring confidence at the moment.

[camel at sea]

OU has a 5 star QB in the boat, a blue chip RB committed that Bama wanted, Keyon Brown is blowing up (and had Bama, Auburn, and FSU offers.) Some of you guys need to relax. It's still early in the cycle. BV's staff already showed in the last cycle that they can recruit to Oklahoma. It's not like we're not in on elite guys. They just haven't pulled the trigger yet.

[soonerbms]

OU has a 5 star QB in the boat, a blue chip RB committed that Bama wanted, Keyon Brown is blowing up (and had Bama, Auburn, and FSU offers.) Some of you guys need to relax. It's still early in the cycle. BV's staff already showed in the last cycle that they can recruit to Oklahoma. It's not like we're not in on elite guys. They just haven't pulled the trigger yet.

It is getting harder to keep the faith when lesser schools are landing better players.

[SoonerHank]

Those crystal balls came before the Manning news. I doubt he’s still trending to us in wake of Texas getting Manning. We are getting smoked by schools that haven’t had the level of success we have. I’m trying to keep the faith, but this staff is not inspiring confidence at the moment.

Get a hold of yourself man. Stop acting like a woman.

[SoopaSooner]

Let’s let BV coach a game first before slitting our wrists ok?

[LakelandSooner]

No panic yet I know BV can coach and motivate players. My problem so far is when he talks about recruiting he sounds like he's trying to get kids to join the Boy Scouts not college football.

[soonerbms]

Get a hold of yourself man. Stop acting like a woman.

Eat a dick

[AppySooner]

How do you know OU boosters won’t be able to do what they did at Clemson? That may have been true in the past but things are changing at OU too. Everyone at OU knows we either adapt or die in this environment. Do you think they’re going to quietly allow OU football to die? Do think they’re not aware of what it’s going to take to compete and win in the SEC?

You assume quite a bit. You’re looking backwards and trying to predict the future.

You can already see it in how cautious OU is being with NIL. Tried to launch the collective and that immediately got reined in. You’ve heard nothing about that for a month or three. Same old OU. Leadership is essentially unchanged except Harroz and player-buying is below his pay grade. The attempts to compensate are getting hard to watch. We’re taking the team to the overpriced steakhouse and giving everyone high-tech recovery equipment and fitting them for suits because they aren’t just getting cash in their pockets. We could carve out a living in the old bagman days with a dynamic recruiter and 11 wins a year. I don’t know how that’ll hold up against the amounts being paid in the open now. These aren’t McDonald’s bags anymore.

[really]

Hate to say if but if OU enters SEC with the same goody good shoes attitude they will be eaten alive

[AdonijahAijalon]

You can already see it in how cautious OU is being with NIL. Tried to launch the collective and that immediately got reined in. You’ve heard nothing about that for a month or three. Same old OU. Leadership is essentially unchanged except Harroz and player-buying is below his pay grade. The attempts to compensate are getting hard to watch. We’re taking the team to the overpriced steakhouse and giving everyone high-tech recovery equipment and fitting them for suits because they aren’t just getting cash in their pockets. We could carve out a living in the old bagman days with a dynamic recruiter and 11 wins a year. I don’t know how that’ll hold up against the amounts being paid in the open now. These aren’t McDonald’s bags anymore.

I think you're spot on.

https://thefootballbrainiacs.com/ope...june-23rd-26th


***But, as I’ve said before, this new NIL culture isn’t going to last. The NCAA is already making inquiries and it sounds like their recent inquiry into the situation at Miami has spooked Tennessee. Schools are beginning to understand that the compliance departments are going to be forced to justify that deals brought before them and approved are actual NIL deals and not inducements.

***Again, no need to worry until we see the product on the field. And, I continue to believe it’s going to be good.

***But I also want to offer some notes on why Venables may be turning down the NIL stuff and focusing on substantive recruiting.

***First, coach Venables is trying to build a particular culture and part of that happens in the recruiting process by figuring out what guys actually want.

***Secondly, some of these staffs that are making NIL promises are very likely making promises they can’t keep. And in a world when kids can transfer and play immediately, that short-term sugar high induced by fairy tales told in the recruiting process will cost, potentially big time, down the road. Venables knows he can build something that lasts and that isn’t going to happen by over-promising and under-delivering.

***Lastly, again, the NCAA is just beginning its inquiries. This isn’t the time to get caught with your hand in the cookie jar. Whatever you gain now, could not only cost you the recruit later but perhaps more.

[MichSooner]

OU, Bama, and A&M are sitting at 37, 38, 47 at the moment. I'm not sure why there's panic in June. I'll save my fear for November and December.

There is panic in June of 2022 because LIAR would typically have locked up a bunch of 4 and 5 stars by now.

Of course, many would bail by the week of Signing Day.

[novasooner]

BV has a vision for how he wants to coach. He's been mulling over that vision for at least a decade. He gets to try it his way. I'm a worrywart fan who is a bit skeptical about the approach in this day and age of college football, but if anybody can do it, it's Brent. He's a force of nature. And if he doesn't, I still respect the hell out of a man who refuses to sell out to common practice.

I disagree with some of TFB's framing: I don't think schools like Oregon are making empty NIL promises. I think recruits are getting bags up front, as well. Oregon has been the exact same annoyance for the past fifteen years or so. I also doubt that the NCAA will do anything substantial to stop the chaos. We have a free market AND an underground economy. It's wild out there.

[novasooner]

There is panic in June of 2022 because LIAR would typically have locked up a bunch of 4 and 5 stars by now.

Of course, many would bail by the week of Signing Day.

Muleshoe is taking it on the chin from tOSU and Oregon just as he did when he was at OU.

[SoonerBurglar]

BV has a vision for how he wants to coach. He's been mulling over that vision for at least a decade. He gets to try it his way. I'm a worrywart fan who is a bit skeptical about the approach in this day and age of college football, but if anybody can do it, it's Brent. He's a force of nature. And if he doesn't, I still respect the hell out of a man who refuses to sell out to common practice.

I disagree with some of TFB's framing: I don't think schools like Oregon are making empty NIL promises. I think recruits are getting bags up front, as well. Oregon has been the exact same annoyance for the past fifteen years or so. I also doubt that the NCAA will do anything substantial to stop the chaos. We have a free market AND an underground economy. It's wild out there.

The only thing that makes sense is that BV is first and foremost trying to develop a culture. His focus on that seems to be unyielding. The main concern would be that even if he instills that culture it may not translate to enough W's. Recruiting classes of high character guys that are like a high octane Iowa St just won't be good enough.

[Widescreen]

I follow recruiting at a fairly high level because the pieces move around so quickly that I just don't want to get too invested in it. The one thing that concerns me is that, while BV's approach will probably make it less likely for players to bail on signing day, there is a certain momentum that builds as players start giving their verbal commitments which causes other players to want to follow. I don't think that can happen as much in the "wait and see" method of recruiting. So certain schools are going to start seeing an avalanche of verbal commitments because "I want to play with that guy" is a real thing. And expecting to get an entire class of signing day flips from other schools is not a viable strategy.

[camel at sea]

You can already see it in how cautious OU is being with NIL. Tried to launch the collective and that immediately got reined in. You’ve heard nothing about that for a month or three. Same old OU. Leadership is essentially unchanged except Harroz and player-buying is below his pay grade. The attempts to compensate are getting hard to watch. We’re taking the team to the overpriced steakhouse and giving everyone high-tech recovery equipment and fitting them for suits because they aren’t just getting cash in their pockets. We could carve out a living in the old bagman days with a dynamic recruiter and 11 wins a year. I don’t know how that’ll hold up against the amounts being paid in the open now. These aren’t McDonald’s bags anymore.

The Switzer/Scott Williams collective got announced before it had OU's fingerprints on it. There will be more than just that group involved in the overall package of NIL opportunities. I'm fine with Joe C reigning things in and getting all of our BMDs working above board and in the same direction. That's going to be pay dividends in the chaos of this environment long term. The NIL money at OU will eventually be elite. I'm not worried about that at all. Joe C. has never given me a reason to doubt his commitment to competing in football. In the short term, we signed a great class last cycle despite the coaching change, we've invested heavily in off-the-field staffing, we've got a few good pieces in the '23 boat already (fans keep sleeping on how big a "get" Jackson Arnold is for some reason), and the Scoop guys at least think we're going to have a big run of commitments in July.

Bama's current class is ranked below ours. Does anyone think they're not going to make a run? Same thing will happen here.

[CalSOONER]

OU, Bama, and A&M are sitting at 37, 38, 47 at the moment. I'm not sure why there's panic in June. I'll save my fear for November and December.

Exactly. There is some next-level cuntery in this thread.

[CalSOONER]

Eat a dick

Dude (or ma'am), time to change the maxi. That one's soaked.

[SoonerBurglar]

Bama's current class is ranked below ours. Does anyone think they're not going to make a run? Same thing will happen here.

That's a little misleading. They are ranked below us because they only have five commits but their average commit is a 96.09 with additional CBs of players of that caliber. To have that as your average recruit is the elite of the elite. OU may end up hitting on some big time recruits but as of right now we have one top 50 player committed and one top 50 CB.

[camel at sea]

That's a little misleading. They are ranked below us because they only have five commits but their average commit is a 96.09 with additional CBs of players of that caliber. To have that as your average recruit is the elite of the elite. OU may end up hitting on some big time recruits but as of right now we have one top 50 player committed and one top 50 CB.

They've got five commits and we have 7. Bama wanted all three of our top three recruits. I'm not sure why Bates is rated where he is by the services because depending on who you listen to, he's one of, if not the best, center prospect in the '23 cycle. Two of the guys (McCarty/McIntyre) holding our average down are regional guys that our staff apparently really liked early on. It's pretty normal for guys who aren't camping in the SE to get overlooked by the services early in the process. Jaren Kanak - a guy BV went all the way to KS to look at from Clemson - was that type of guy in the '22 cycle. Another of the guys holding our average back is a 6'3" 200 lb safety from Virginia. They didn't have to offer or take him early, his measurables are elite... so that looks like another situation where our staff evals might be in front of the guys at Rivals and 247.

It's all going to even out by signing day. We're going to end up with a class the service rankings like, too.

[BirtDurglar]

I follow recruiting at a fairly high level because the pieces move around so quickly that I just don't want to get too invested in it. The one thing that concerns me is that, while BV's approach will probably make it less likely for players to bail on signing day, there is a certain momentum that builds as players start giving their verbal commitments which causes other players to want to follow. I don't think that can happen as much in the "wait and see" method of recruiting. So certain schools are going to start seeing an avalanche of verbal commitments because "I want to play with that guy" is a real thing. And expecting to get an entire class of signing day flips from other schools is not a viable strategy.

Agreed. What also concerns me is Clemson already has 9 very good looking defensive commits, 7 of them committed in June. One would think in many ways OU would be easier to recruit to than Clemson.

[Sooner in SoCal]

They've got five commits and we have 7. Bama wanted all three of our top three recruits. I'm not sure why Bates is rated where he is by the services because depending on who you listen to, he's one of, if not the best, center prospect in the '23 cycle. Two of the guys (McCarty/McIntyre) holding our average down are regional guys that our staff apparently really liked early on. It's pretty normal for guys who aren't camping in the SE to get overlooked by the services early in the process. Jaren Kanak - a guy BV went all the way to KS to look at from Clemson - was that type of guy in the '22 cycle. Another of the guys holding our average back is a 6'3" 200 lb safety from Virginia. They didn't have to offer or take him early, his measurables are elite... so that looks like another situation where our staff evals might be in front of the guys at Rivals and 247.

It's all going to even out by signing day. We're going to end up with a class the service rankings like, too.

Agree with this, just nonsense w/ usual suspects, recruiting sucks right now.

Where was Isaiah Simmons ranked when BV grabbed him out of Kansas? Yeah he was a 3 star. Turned out pretty good. LOL

So much BS with rankings and stars... UGH

[MichSooner]

Anyone know how Venables approached recruiting while at Clemson? Did he tell the recuits not to commit until they had taken all of their visits? Did he give them the definition of the word, commitment?
Anyone know if Dabo had the same philosophy and practiced it with the entire team?

[really]

Anyone know how Venables approached recruiting while at Clemson? Did he tell the recuits not to commit until they had taken all of their visits? Did he give them the definition of the word, commitment?
Anyone know if Dabo had the same philosophy and practiced it with the entire team?

I dunno but I would guess the HC would have to okay if and any changes to recruiting approach

[TheBoots]

Venables talks recruiting.

Here.

Here.

Here.

Here.

[OUrage]

Venables talks recruiting.

Here.

Here.

Here.

Here.

That’s what they think. I swear they said, “I think” 120 times.

[TheBoots]

That’s what they think. I swear they said, “I think” 120 times.

Glad you paid attention to other four links that has Brent's quotes.

[AdonijahAijalon]

Anyone know how Venables approached recruiting while at Clemson? Did he tell the recuits not to commit until they had taken all of their visits? Did he give them the definition of the word, commitment?
Anyone know if Dabo had the same philosophy and practiced it with the entire team?

I heard him say in an interview he made Kanak pay for his first visit to Clemson. It sounded pretty harsh, but apparently it worked.

[AppySooner]

They've got five commits and we have 7. Bama wanted all three of our top three recruits. I'm not sure why Bates is rated where he is by the services because depending on who you listen to, he's one of, if not the best, center prospect in the '23 cycle. Two of the guys (McCarty/McIntyre) holding our average down are regional guys that our staff apparently really liked early on. It's pretty normal for guys who aren't camping in the SE to get overlooked by the services early in the process. Jaren Kanak - a guy BV went all the way to KS to look at from Clemson - was that type of guy in the '22 cycle. Another of the guys holding our average back is a 6'3" 200 lb safety from Virginia. They didn't have to offer or take him early, his measurables are elite... so that looks like another situation where our staff evals might be in front of the guys at Rivals and 247.

It's all going to even out by signing day. We're going to end up with a class the service rankings like, too.

The thing about the evaluation guys is that if our coaches are right about them, they’ll end up with a lot more tempting offers than they had when they told OU they were ready to shut it down. Kid commits to OU when he has like three P5 offers, a year later Saban would like him to come down and take a look…we’re gonna say no?

[camel at sea]

The thing about the evaluation guys is that if our coaches are right about them, they’ll end up with a lot more tempting offers than they had when they told OU they were ready to shut it down. Kid commits to OU when he has like three P5 offers, a year later Saban would like him to come down and take a look…we’re gonna say no?

Some of our higher rated commits already have said no to Alabama. BV beat Bama for kids quite a bit while at Clemson. If Saban ends up going after an OU eval recruit from McAlester or Nebraska... well, I like our chances to hang on to them.

[Empire]

Jaydon Chatman to Texas. BB now 0-3 on three priority Oline prospects.

I’m all for giving him another chance under a new regime, but the results haven’t been pretty thus far. Kyle Flood is kicking his ass on the recruiting trail.

[BoomerAnon]

Jaydon Chatman to Texas. BB now 0-3 on three priority Oline prospects.

I’m all for giving him another chance under a new regime, but the results haven’t been pretty thus far. Kyle Flood is kicking his ass on the recruiting trail.

It's official Oklahoma is now a softball school

[BirtDurglar]

It's official Oklahoma is now a softball school

Not panicking yet, but it looks pretty bad. We arent even on the eadar of any top recruits.

its concerning that we took the core of Clemson's defensive staff yet Clemsons defensive recruiting has chugged right along without missing a beat and ours is basically non-existent.

[soonerbms]

Jaydon Chatman to Texas. BB now 0-3 on three priority Oline prospects.

I’m all for giving him another chance under a new regime, but the results haven’t been pretty thus far. Kyle Flood is kicking his ass on the recruiting trail.

Don't worry. We’re in the lead for Heath Ozeata, a guy who’s ranked 778th in the country on the On3 composite.

Insiders keep telling us to be patient, but at some point, we’re going to have to land some blue chips. Is our staff not aware that Texas is getting whomever it wants this class?

[Ruprecht]

Not panicking yet, but it looks pretty bad. We arent even on the eadar of any top recruits.

its concerning that we took the core of Clemson's defensive staff yet Clemsons defensive recruiting has chugged right along without missing a beat and ours is basically non-existent.

Just not gonna get guys to commit in the summer if you demand that they shut down visits. And I can't really blame them if they like to see new and different places.

[Soonirvana]

Hate to say if but if OU enters SEC with the same goody good shoes attitude they will be eaten alive

I don't know about that, but the recruiting gap between Texas and A&M is about to get much larger. NIL will seem like a blessing for both of them, both have an alumni base with deeper pockets and will pay just about any amount to be the next Bama. Future top recruits won't care about school history, tradition, locker rooms, or culture, It will be about NIL deals.

[Sooner in SoCal]

Don't worry, compliance is doing to NIL what they did with measuring pasta portions...

[IKE93]

*5 WR and usc committ Branch takes a visit to A&M..sounds like snake eyes is dancing to the same tune
BOOMER!

[TheBoots]

Jaydon Chatman to Texas. BB now 0-3 on three priority Oline prospects.

WAT

[novasooner]

Almost certainly going for OU.

[Quik Sand]

OU gets a commitment from Heath Ozaeta.

https://247sports.com/player/heath-ozaeta-46097432/

[soonerbms]

Don't worry. We’re in the lead for Heath Ozeata, a guy who’s ranked 778th in the country on the On3 composite.

Insiders keep telling us to be patient, but at some point, we’re going to have to land some blue chips. Is our staff not aware that Texas is getting whomever it wants this class?

Hooray, we got the guy I mentioned yesterday…

[soonerbms]

We now have eight commits for the 2023 class. Jackson Arnold is the only one who’s ranked better than 400 in the On3 consensus of the four major recruiting sites. Four of the other seven are outside the top 500. The recent TE commitment is outside the top 1000. I really like Brent Venables, but I don’t understand his and his staff’s recruiting plan.

[Colonel O’Truth]

If handwringing were a collegiate sport, OU would be national champs every year.

[LakelandSooner]

If handwringing were a collegiate sport, OU would be national champs every year.

It's a message board, be pretty boring if everyone had the same opinion.

[Colonel O’Truth]

It's a message board, be pretty boring if everyone had the same opinion.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. I’m always proud anytime Oklahoma wins a national championship.