Oklahoma Sooners

There weren’t many defensive players in Oklahoma incoming’s recruiting class more productive in high school than defensive end Matt Dimon. The Katy, Texas, native recorded 55 tackles, 12 sacks and forced six fumbles for Katy High, which captured the Class 5A Texas state championship.

Dimon, who was ranked No. 284 in the ESPN 300, checked in with SoonerNation recently as he prepared to arrive in Norman for summer workouts:

SoonerNation: What jersey will you be wearing?

Matt Dimon: 90. That’s what was available.

SN: Who is your roommate going to be?

Dimon: Christian Daimler. He lives just down the road here in Houston. So that worked out real well.

SN: Have the coaches talked with you about your potential role this fall?

Dimon: No, they just said they expect me to work my hardest. If I do that, everything will work out. I could get an opportunity; if not, I’ll just learn from the guys in front of me.

SN: There were discussions before the spring about OU possibly going to a 3-4 defense. Did the coaches talk to you at all about that?

Dimon: We did talk about the 3-4 before spring ball. I went over the defense with one of the coaches. Once spring ball started, the talk just disappeared. I don’t know what happened, I guess it didn’t work out. I’m comfortable with running any defense. It’s not like we had a bad defense. We had a really good first half, then the second half was not so good, but we also played some really good offenses. The 4-3 will work if we can just tweak it a bit.

SN: What are you most excited about coming to OU?

Dimon: I don’t really have one thing. It’s going to be a whole experience, a whole new lifestyle. Get to meet new friends, get to work my butt off for a great program. Hopefully I’ll have the opportunity to play in a great bowl or a national championship.

SN: What are you planning to get your degree in?

Dimon: Not sure yet. Maybe energy management or business or something.

SN: When did you know OU was the place for you?

Dimon: I went up there for the spring game (in 2012). I went to Baylor’s spring game before, and OU’s facilities were just -- this is personally my opinion, 20 times better than Baylor’s. Everything is just so prestigious at OU, I just really, really liked it. I told my dad I was going to commit soon after that spring game. And I did. I loved it up there.

SN: The game you’re most looking forward to playing in?

Dimon: Probably the Notre Dame game. My family is from Chicago, so I’ll get to see them and stuff. But the Texas game is always crazy. I’m really excited about every game.

SN: What OU player did you like watching most last season?

Dimon: I was a Landry Jones fan. I liked the way he threw the ball around. I thought he was a leader. Liked the way Tony Jefferson played. Thought his pursuit angles, his tackling ability were bar none.

SN: Were you surprised Jefferson didn’t get drafted?

Dimon: I was surprised. I felt for him. It’s a bummer to leave early and not get drafted. I’m sure he’s going to use that as motivation. I would. That should drive him.

SN: What goals do you have at OU?

Dimon: First and foremost want to get a degree. I want to go in there and win football games. I could really care less about personal stats or what happens to me. I just want to win. That’s why you play the game, to win. I hope that we can work hard as a unit, and accomplish what we set to accomplish.

After recruiting them for several months, Oklahoma's coaching staff was finally able to talk publicly about the players the Sooners added to the program on signing day. Over the next week or so, SoonerNation will review some of the key things coaches had to say about the players signed at each position group during their signing day webcast on Soonersports.com.

One of the most intriguing signees for the Sooners is defensive end Matt Dimon (Katy, Texas/Katy). A high-motor defender who matches his energy with production, Dimon could force his way into the lineup as a true freshman. Defensive ends coach Bobby Jack Wright is hopeful Dimon steps right in alongside sophomores Charles Tapper and Mike Onuoha to provide OU quality, yet youthful depth at defensive end.

"[He's] a quick-twitch guy off the edge, good run stopper, good pass rusher," Wright said. "Hopefully he’s a guy who can come in and give us immediate help at defensive end. And we’ll give him the opportunity to do that."

At 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, Dimon brings excellent size to the defensive end spot and could, in the long term, bring some swing versatility similar to David King, who played defensive end and defensive tackle as a senior.

"He’s kind of an old school-type guy," linebackers coach Tim Kish said. "He’ll bring great energy to the program."

NORMAN, Okla. -- Anyone who watched Oklahoma’s defense in the final four games of the season knows that the Sooners were in dire need of help in the secondary and along the defensive line. West Virginia’s Tavon Austin and Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel torched the Sooners’ defense on their way to record-breaking performances, as OU had no answer for the dynamic playmakers.

The Sooners hope they’ve addressed those needs with their defensive line and secondary signees in the Class of 2013 and will see immediate dividends on the field this fall.

“You’re never going to get everyone you want but we feel like we’ve helped ourselves in some critical areas,” defensive coordinator Mike Stoops said.

Cornerback Stanvon Taylor (Tulsa, Okla./East Central) joins safeties Ahmad Thomas (Miami, Fla./Central) and Hatari Byrd (Fresno, Calif./Central East) as signees who appear poised to step right in and play in the secondary. Taylor, in particular, drew a lot of praise from Mike Stoops while drawing comparisons to All-Big 12 cornerback Aaron Colvin from OU head coach Bob Stoops on signing day.

“We’re projecting him to come in and solidify that corner position for us,” Mike Stoops said. “I can’t say enough about this guy, he has all the qualities you want in a superstar.”

Yet those impact signees in the secondary won’t mean much if the Sooners cannot solidify their defensive front. To that end, OU signed seven defensive linemen (four defensive tackles, three defensive ends) on Wednesday, with junior college transfer Quincy Russell (Athens, Texas/Trinity Valley) looming as the biggest potential impact player along the defensive interior.

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Welcome to SoonerNation's live coverage of national signing day for the Oklahoma Sooners. We'll be with you throughout the day providing up-to-the minute updates on OU's class of 2013.

Watch live coverage on ESPNU | Talk signing day on our SoonerNation forum | OU class

Follow the live blog after the jump.

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Oklahoma's top commits have all signed their letters of intent and are locked in to becoming future Sooners. Here's who Oklahoma's bringing in from our ESPN 300, the list of the nation's top 300 prospects:

• No. 27: Keith Ford, RB, Cypress, Texas
• No. 137: D.J. Ward, DE, Moore, Okla. (signed in December, early enrollee)
• No. 178: Cody Thomas, QB-PP, Colleyville, Texas
• No. 199: Stanvon Taylor, ATH, Tulsa, Okla.
• No. 240: Dannon Cavil, WR, San Antonio, Texas (signed in December, early enrollee)
• No. 284: Matt Dimon, DE, Katy, Texas
• No. 293: Hatari Byrd, S, Fresno, Calif.

Not many surprises for the Sooners, though Dimon had some power issues at his high school and couldn't get his letter of intent to the Oklahoma coaches until 8:48 a.m. Oklahoma's class is at No. 20 in the ESPN class rankings, the same spot it began the day. Byrd also made headlines last month when word surfaced that coaches had told him he's likely going to be able to start at safety from the moment he gets on campus. Very interesting stuff. Oklahoma signed a lot of high-quality defensive talent in this class, as you can see, and Taylor is likely to play cornerback for the Sooners.

Mostly a drama-free day across the Big 12 on the recruiting trail.