Oklahoma Sooners: Florida Gators
Heading into the spring, it was difficult to imagine any duo in the West region stealing the recruiting spotlight from Gardena (Calif.) Serra's Adoree' Jackson and Dwight Williams. And while the five-star cornerback and four-star linebacker still rank as two of the more highly-recruited players in the country, some of the buzz has shifted to another set of teammates in Southern California. You won't hear much complaining from Jackson and Williams, however, as they share a locker room with the new dynamic duo.
Outside linebacker John Houston and defensive end Rasheem Green -- stars of the 2015 recruiting class -- didn't step into the recruiting process this spring; they dove in. For both, it was outstanding performances at the Los Angeles Nike Camp that catapulted them onto the radars of college coaches. UCLA offered both shortly after the event and they have been on a roll since then.
Outside linebacker John Houston and defensive end Rasheem Green -- stars of the 2015 recruiting class -- didn't step into the recruiting process this spring; they dove in. For both, it was outstanding performances at the Los Angeles Nike Camp that catapulted them onto the radars of college coaches. UCLA offered both shortly after the event and they have been on a roll since then.
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Orlando Brown Jr.'s recruitment is coming to an end.
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#BlueChipBattles: ESPN 150 release edition
April, 19, 2013
Apr 19
11:49
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By RecruitingNation | ESPN.com
Student Sports, ESPN, ESPNSpeedy Noil, Adoree Jackson and Da'Shawn Hand are three of the most coveted recruits in the Class of 2014.
: RecruitingNation summoned its writers from around the country to outline the recruiting battles for the ESPN 150's top 10 prospects.
Plus, rank the battles in SportsNation.
#TopFBMixtapes: Athlete mixtapes are all the rage in this highlight-crazed era of sports. We reached out to our Twitter followers to find out which 2014 football stars had the best highlight reels on YouTube, then had our staff rank and comment on the top submissions.
Tom Luginbill writes
: After talking to many coaches across the country and hearing their frustrations, here are their five biggest complaints about homemade highlight videos.
Over the last few months, ESPN Watch List receiver Armanti Foreman has taken visits to schools, even while committed to Oklahoma.
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ORLANDO, Fla. -- Former Michigan offensive lineman commit Denzel Ward (Bradenton, Fla./IMG Academies) was one of the standout linemen at Saturday's Orlando NFTC.
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ESPN 100 No. 3 overall prospect Julius Randle (Dallas/Prestonwood Christian) has cut NC State and Oklahoma from his list of finalists, ESPN.com's Dave Telep has learned.
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It has been an eventful couple of weeks for ESPN 100 No. 3 overall prospect Julius Randle (Dallas/Prestonwood Christian). First, he returned to the court three weeks ago after being out since November with a fractured foot. Then on Monday he announced he would make his college decision March 20.
And on Wednesday, the McDonald's All American Games announced Randle has been added to the McDonald's roster as a 25th player. He will suit up for the East squad in the game, which will be played April 3 at the United Center in Chicago and televised live on ESPN at 9:30 p.m. ET.
The McDonald’s All American Games released the following statement: “Today, the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee is pleased to name Julius Randle of Prestonwood Christian Academy to the 2013 McDonald’s All American Team. As promised, we’ve been closely monitoring Randle’s play since his return to the court in February, and it’s been an inspiring return to watch. Randle has not only proven that he is capable of competing at the highest level, but truly deserving of the title McDonald’s All American.”
Why did this happen and what does it mean?
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Julius Randle will announce on March 20
March, 5, 2013
Mar 5
11:41
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By RecruitingNation | ESPN.com
ESPN 100 power forward Julius Randle (Plano, Texas/Prestonwood Christian) announced on Monday night he will make his college decision on March 20.
Randle has visited all six schools on his list, which includes Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Kansas, Kentucky and NC State.
Randle led Prestonwood to a Texas private school state title over the weekend.
Offers piling up for OU commit Foreman 
February, 27, 2013
Feb 27
12:54
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By
Sam Khan Jr. | ESPN.com
Things have picked up quite a bit recently for ESPN Watch List receiver Armanti Foreman.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound speedster from Texas City (Texas) High School committed to Oklahoma back in October but is now beginning to see other schools enter the picture.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound speedster from Texas City (Texas) High School committed to Oklahoma back in October but is now beginning to see other schools enter the picture.
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Top recruits Robert Nkemdiche, Kelvin Taylor, Keith Ford, Cooper Bateman and others talk about the one item they'd bring along on an official visit. They thought of everything from a toothbrush to a horse.
Sooners 17th in Way-Too-Early Top 25
January, 8, 2013
Jan 8
5:30
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By RecruitingNation staff | ESPN.com
Streeter Lecka/Getty ImagesAlabama, with three of the past four national titles, is No. 1 in the Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2013.There are still seven months before the start of the 2013 season, and the teams and their order figure to change frequently, but it's never too early to take a look at the Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2013.
And with three national championships in the past four years, there's no reason to change the team that's on top. Oklahoma will try to make it back to the top from the No. 17 spot.
Also see:
Vandy, Ole Miss in front for TE Parsons
December, 16, 2012
12/16/12
2:00
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By
Damon Sayles | ESPN.com
After decommitting from Colorado in October, three-star tight end Mitchell Parsons (Parker, Colo./Chaparral) has been all about finding a college home that fits him. Whether that decision comes sooner or later is still the question.
Parsons said that while he is still open with his process, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss are current front-runners. Both schools have offered the 6-foot-5, 240-pound tight end, in addition to Arizona State, Cal and Northern Colorado.
“I want it over with badly,” Parsons said of the process, "but I’m going to make an educated choice. It’s stressful, for sure, but I mean, I’m glad I opened it up.”
Parsons said that while he is still open with his process, Vanderbilt and Ole Miss are current front-runners. Both schools have offered the 6-foot-5, 240-pound tight end, in addition to Arizona State, Cal and Northern Colorado.
“I want it over with badly,” Parsons said of the process, "but I’m going to make an educated choice. It’s stressful, for sure, but I mean, I’m glad I opened it up.”
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Top WR Laquon Treadwell planning visits
December, 6, 2012
12/06/12
12:32
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By
Jared Shanker | ESPN.com
Ole Miss is the leader for Laquon Treadwell (Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee), but the remaining teams in contention are starting to take shape.
Treadwell told WolverineNation writer Tom VanHaaren on Wednesday he will take his last four remaining official visits to Florida, Michigan, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. He also confirmed a tweet Treadwell posted Tuesday that Ole Miss is his No. 1 program.
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Sooners could have BCS bowl berth spoiled
November, 25, 2012
11/25/12
8:31
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By
Jake Trotter | ESPN.com
NORMAN, Okla. -- After a wild win in Bedlam, No. 11 Oklahoma is on a collision course to meet an old foe in a BCS bowl.
That is, if a team from one of Bob Stoops’ old stomping grounds doesn’t get in the way.
Going into the final week of the season, the BCS bowl picture has begun to crystallize. After the 51-48 overtime victory over Oklahoma State, the 9-2 Sooners have emerged as a prime candidate to snag the Sugar Bowl’s BCS at-large berth, which would pit them against 11-1 Florida in a rematch of the 2008 national championship.
But a pair of obstacles remain: the Sooners’ road trip to TCU; and Kent State.
That’s right. Kent State, where Stoops coached as an assistant in 1988, could knock OU out of the BCS.
Seven of eight teams ranked directly ahead of the Golden Flashes -- Oregon State, Texas, UCLA, Rutgers, Michigan, Louisville and Oklahoma State -- all lost over the weekend, allowing Kent State to surge up to No. 17 in the latest BCS Standings.
If the Golden Flashes beat No. 21 Northern Illinois in the MAC championship game on Friday night -- they’re 5-point underdogs -- there’s a chance they could steal OU’s BCS at-large spot.
Per BCS rules, as a member of a non-AQ conference Kent State clinches an automatic BCS bowl berth if it’s A) ranked in the Top 16 of the final BCS Standings; B) ranked higher than that of a champion from an AQ conference; C) ranked higher than all other non-AQ teams.
That is, if a team from one of Bob Stoops’ old stomping grounds doesn’t get in the way.
Going into the final week of the season, the BCS bowl picture has begun to crystallize. After the 51-48 overtime victory over Oklahoma State, the 9-2 Sooners have emerged as a prime candidate to snag the Sugar Bowl’s BCS at-large berth, which would pit them against 11-1 Florida in a rematch of the 2008 national championship.
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Matthew Emmons/US PresswireBob Stoops and the Sooners need some help to solidify a BCS bowl berth.
Matthew Emmons/US PresswireBob Stoops and the Sooners need some help to solidify a BCS bowl berth.That’s right. Kent State, where Stoops coached as an assistant in 1988, could knock OU out of the BCS.
Seven of eight teams ranked directly ahead of the Golden Flashes -- Oregon State, Texas, UCLA, Rutgers, Michigan, Louisville and Oklahoma State -- all lost over the weekend, allowing Kent State to surge up to No. 17 in the latest BCS Standings.
If the Golden Flashes beat No. 21 Northern Illinois in the MAC championship game on Friday night -- they’re 5-point underdogs -- there’s a chance they could steal OU’s BCS at-large spot.
Per BCS rules, as a member of a non-AQ conference Kent State clinches an automatic BCS bowl berth if it’s A) ranked in the Top 16 of the final BCS Standings; B) ranked higher than that of a champion from an AQ conference; C) ranked higher than all other non-AQ teams.
ESPN 150 S Marcell Harris talks finalists
November, 18, 2012
11/18/12
11:00
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By
Derek Tyson | ESPN.com
ORLANDO, Fla. -- ESPN 150 safety Marcell Harris (Orlando, Fla./Dr. Phillips) announced on Friday he has moved his college decision to Nov. 29. The announcement will be on ESPNU's "Recruiting Nation," which airs at 5 p.m. ET.
The four-star athlete will chose between Florida, Florida State, Texas and Oklahoma. Harris said he wanted to wait until after Thanksgiving to make his decision.
“That’s why I was waiting until after Thanksgiving," Harris said. "So I could sit down, enjoy Thanksgiving and talk about some other things with my coaches, because I didn’t get to talk to my coaches before all of this and everything else. So it will be a great time to sit down with everybody.”
The four-star athlete will chose between Florida, Florida State, Texas and Oklahoma. Harris said he wanted to wait until after Thanksgiving to make his decision.
“That’s why I was waiting until after Thanksgiving," Harris said. "So I could sit down, enjoy Thanksgiving and talk about some other things with my coaches, because I didn’t get to talk to my coaches before all of this and everything else. So it will be a great time to sit down with everybody.”
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ABOUT SOONER NATION
Jake Trotter
Jake Trotter joined ESPN.com in 2011 after four years with The (Oklahoma City) Oklahoman, covering OU and Big 12 football. He's a graduate of Washington and Lee (Va.) University and lives in Oklahoma City with his wife. Email him at trotterjake@gmail.com.
Brandon Chatmon
Brandon Chatmon joined ESPN.com in 2011 after spending eight years with The Oklahoman, covering Oklahoma State University, high schools and recruiting. Chatmon lives in Norman, Okla. Email him at bchatmonespn@gmail.com.
Bob Przybylo
Bob Przybylo joined ESPN.com in 2011 after spending four years with The Oklahoman, covering high schools and recruiting. Przybylo lives in Oklahoma City. Email him at bprzybyloespn@gmail.com.