Football Recruiting - Midlands Region: Oklahoma Sooners
Earlier this month, Lewisburg (Tenn.) Marshall County kicker Aaron Medley was thrilled to pick up his first FBS scholarship offer from a power program in the Big 12.
On Monday, the 6-foot-2, 165-pound placekicker and punter was just as excited, adding an SEC program to his offer list.
On Monday, the 6-foot-2, 165-pound placekicker and punter was just as excited, adding an SEC program to his offer list.
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TULSA, Okla. - Tulsa (Okla.) Union wide receiver Jeffery Mead simply doesn’t know how to slow down and doesn’t want to. Mead is a three-sport star for the Redskins at receiver, small forward in basketball and shortstop/pitcher in baseball.
The scary part is Mead was actually doing five sports at one time with soccer and track added into the mix. He eventually cut those out, but the other three sports are all in play, as Mead gets ready to conclude his junior year of high school.
The scary part is Mead was actually doing five sports at one time with soccer and track added into the mix. He eventually cut those out, but the other three sports are all in play, as Mead gets ready to conclude his junior year of high school.
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TYLER, Texas -- East Texas often is considered one of the nation’s most underrated areas in finding elite talent when it comes to college football recruiting. Sunday featured the inaugural East Texas Sports Network combine, which showcased more than 100 players from East Texas.
The event took place at the Accelerate Performance Enhancement Center (APEC) training facility, which has trained professionals such as quarterback Graham Harrell, running back Kendall Hunter and pro baseball pitchers Phillip Humber and Josh Tomlin.
The event took place at the Accelerate Performance Enhancement Center (APEC) training facility, which has trained professionals such as quarterback Graham Harrell, running back Kendall Hunter and pro baseball pitchers Phillip Humber and Josh Tomlin.
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Two months ago junior college defensive end Andre Ross (Corsicana, Texas/Navarro JC) didn’t have any options. But when it was discovered he had done enough to qualify to play in 2013, he was bombarded with offers.
The defensive system of Texas Tech won out, as Ross confirmed Thursday he has committed to the Red Raiders. Ross chose Tech over finalists TCU and Oklahoma.
It was a whirlwind recruitment for Ross, who visited OU two weekends ago. He said following that visit the Sooners were his No. 1 choice. Ross then went to TCU and capped off his week with a trip to Lubbock last weekend to see Tech.
OU and TCU both saw Ross, who is 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, as a defensive end. Ross said Tech saw him as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.
TCU recruited Ross out of Calvert (Texas) High and suggested he attend Navarro Junior College. The Horned Frogs were the favorite last month, but Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury is helping turn things around for Tech. The addition of Ross is another example of Kingsbury building something special in his first year as head coach.
Ross is the fifth linebacker for Tech’s 2013 class and 24th overall member. He has at least two years of eligibility remaining and is appealing for a third.
The defensive system of Texas Tech won out, as Ross confirmed Thursday he has committed to the Red Raiders. Ross chose Tech over finalists TCU and Oklahoma.
It was a whirlwind recruitment for Ross, who visited OU two weekends ago. He said following that visit the Sooners were his No. 1 choice. Ross then went to TCU and capped off his week with a trip to Lubbock last weekend to see Tech.
OU and TCU both saw Ross, who is 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, as a defensive end. Ross said Tech saw him as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.
TCU recruited Ross out of Calvert (Texas) High and suggested he attend Navarro Junior College. The Horned Frogs were the favorite last month, but Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury is helping turn things around for Tech. The addition of Ross is another example of Kingsbury building something special in his first year as head coach.
Ross is the fifth linebacker for Tech’s 2013 class and 24th overall member. He has at least two years of eligibility remaining and is appealing for a third.
MOORE, Okla. -- It has been a couple of years since Oklahoma recruited at Moore (Okla.) Southmoore. OU hit the school hard with prospects like quarterback Kendal Thompson, defensive back Julian Wilson and tight end Austin Haywood.
The Sooners have a reason to return with Class of 2014 wide receiver Jalen Adams. He has made several unofficial visits to OU, including last month for the spring game.
Already with an offer from Tulsa, Adams said schools such as Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Stanford are showing constant interest. Adams, who had 39 receptions for 766 yards and eight touchdowns last season, will be at OU’s football camp in two weeks.
The Sooners have a reason to return with Class of 2014 wide receiver Jalen Adams. He has made several unofficial visits to OU, including last month for the spring game.
Already with an offer from Tulsa, Adams said schools such as Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Stanford are showing constant interest. Adams, who had 39 receptions for 766 yards and eight touchdowns last season, will be at OU’s football camp in two weeks.
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Q&A: 4-star prospect Martin deciding soon 
May, 15, 2013
May 15
1:00
PM ET
By
William Wilkerson | ESPN.com
AUSTIN, Texas -- Versatility is a trait widely admired by college programs, but one that doesn’t always come in the form of someone 6-foot-6 and 247 pounds.
Koda Martin’s size alone makes him an attractive prospect, but couple it with his ability to play on either side of the ball and it’s easy to see why the four-star recruit from Manvel, Texas, has close to 20 offers.
Martin, who is rated as the No. 21 offensive tackle and No. 43 player in the state of Texas, was in Austin on Saturday to get a better feel for one of those schools that offered him.
We caught up with Martin at the Texas State track and field meet to see how everything went with the visit with Texas, and where he stands overall.
Koda Martin’s size alone makes him an attractive prospect, but couple it with his ability to play on either side of the ball and it’s easy to see why the four-star recruit from Manvel, Texas, has close to 20 offers.
Martin, who is rated as the No. 21 offensive tackle and No. 43 player in the state of Texas, was in Austin on Saturday to get a better feel for one of those schools that offered him.
We caught up with Martin at the Texas State track and field meet to see how everything went with the visit with Texas, and where he stands overall.
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TEXAS CITY, Texas -- These days, it's all smiles for ESPN 150 receiver Armanti Foreman.
Life is good for the Texas City (Texas) High School star. Offers are coming left and right. He's preparing for a banner senior season with his twin brother, 2014 running back D'Onta Foreman. He's enjoying the final weeks of his junior year of high school. On Tuesday, Armanti was sprinting past defensive backs and juking defenders out of their shorts, showing the playmaking ability that has so many colleges at his doorstep.
Life is good for the Texas City (Texas) High School star. Offers are coming left and right. He's preparing for a banner senior season with his twin brother, 2014 running back D'Onta Foreman. He's enjoying the final weeks of his junior year of high school. On Tuesday, Armanti was sprinting past defensive backs and juking defenders out of their shorts, showing the playmaking ability that has so many colleges at his doorstep.
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Spring (Texas) Klein Oak High School has a handful of prospects in the 2014, 2015 and even the 2016 classes and plenty of college coaches have made their way to the school in the north Houston area to evaluate them this spring.
One of them is 2014 inside linebacker Josh Mabin, who continues to add schools to his offer list.
One of them is 2014 inside linebacker Josh Mabin, who continues to add schools to his offer list.
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Cedar Hill (Texas) High cornerback Marcus Green was smiling from ear to ear when he picked up an Oklahoma offer last Monday.
He thought about committing but held off. The plan was to take an unofficial visit to campus May 31 and commit then. But when you know in your heart, why wait? Green committed to OU on Sunday afternoon.
Tom Hauck for Student SportsTexas cornerback Marcus Green is the Sooners' second commit of 2014 on defense and the fifth overall.Green had developed a quick bond with OU defensive coordinator Mike Stoops, but the OU offer was only the start of the week for the 6-foot-1, 176-pound corner.
In the 48 hours after the OU offer, Nebraska, Texas Tech, Houston and North Carolina all entered the mix. But he still felt strongly about OU. More importantly, his parents felt strongly about the Sooners, and his mom had no issue with Green making the decision on Mother’s Day.
“When I got the offer, my parents were like ‘Go to OU,’ " Green said. “It’s still close to home, and they feel really good about what OU offers with football and academics.”
Green called Mike Stoops on Sunday and said Stoops told him the commitment made his day. As of early Sunday evening, Green said he hadn’t talked with OU head coach Bob Stoops yet.
Even though Green has yet to see the campus, he feels 100 percent solid with his commitment.
“When you know, you know,” Green said. “I had no reason to be hesitant about committing. I’m not taking any more visits. I’m done.”
Green is OU’s fifth overall commitment for the Class of 2014 and second on defense, joining strong safety Vontre McQuinnie (Lancaster, Texas/Lancaster).
It has been a disturbing trend with OU and the loaded Texas high school defensive backs class with OU not playing a big factor, but Green could be the start of some positive momentum.
“An OU offer is the top of the line,” Green said. “You can’t beat that. I’m so motivated right now, and I’m just going to keep working hard.”
Green said academics played a big part, too. He is looking to major in health science and physical therapy and said OU has one of the best programs in that department.
FRISCO, Texas -- Soso Jamabo (Plano, Texas/Plano West) would have liked to be a part of this weekend’s Nike EYBL series playing with the Texas Titans. With a sling on his right shoulder, however, the 2015 two-sport star was reduced to watching the Titans on the bench, offering instruction to teammates and being the team’s biggest supporter.
For the rest of the spring and most of the summer, Jamabo’s focus will be on rehabbing after undergoing shoulder surgery on April 30. Jamabo broke some bones and damaged some ligaments in his shoulder during a Texas Class 5A Division-I state quarterfinal playoff. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound athlete is expected to miss 6-10 weeks but is projected to return a couple of weeks before Plano West’s first scrimmage in August.
“It’s early in the process, but it’s going well,” Jamabo said of the rehab process. “I’m just trying to get the shoulder back to usual, if not better. Right now, I’m just doing basic stuff and keep everything as minimal as possible.”
Exactly what kind of football player will Plano West look to see back on the field? Jamabo’s first rush as a varsity player was against Flower Mound (Texas) Marcus on Aug. 31. It went for 12 yards. His second rush: A 75-yard touchdown run.
Since then, Soso has been ... well ... anything but.
Only the shoulder injury managed to slow the electrifying 2015 running back down. He rushed for a team-leading 1,697 yards and 24 touchdowns and also caught 20 passes for 453 yards -- an average of almost 23 yards per catch -- and four touchdowns. On the basketball court, Jamabo averaged 13.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 11 games.
For the rest of the spring and most of the summer, Jamabo’s focus will be on rehabbing after undergoing shoulder surgery on April 30. Jamabo broke some bones and damaged some ligaments in his shoulder during a Texas Class 5A Division-I state quarterfinal playoff. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound athlete is expected to miss 6-10 weeks but is projected to return a couple of weeks before Plano West’s first scrimmage in August.
“It’s early in the process, but it’s going well,” Jamabo said of the rehab process. “I’m just trying to get the shoulder back to usual, if not better. Right now, I’m just doing basic stuff and keep everything as minimal as possible.”
Exactly what kind of football player will Plano West look to see back on the field? Jamabo’s first rush as a varsity player was against Flower Mound (Texas) Marcus on Aug. 31. It went for 12 yards. His second rush: A 75-yard touchdown run.
Since then, Soso has been ... well ... anything but.
Only the shoulder injury managed to slow the electrifying 2015 running back down. He rushed for a team-leading 1,697 yards and 24 touchdowns and also caught 20 passes for 453 yards -- an average of almost 23 yards per catch -- and four touchdowns. On the basketball court, Jamabo averaged 13.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 11 games.
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The first time Kingwood (Texas) Kingwood Park tight end Jordan Feuerbacher visited Baylor, he left with a pretty good feeling.
Two days later, he had an offer. On Saturday, he made his return trip to Waco, Texas, for a second visit and gave the Bears his verbal pledge.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound tight end became the sixth commitment of Baylor's 2014 class.
Two days later, he had an offer. On Saturday, he made his return trip to Waco, Texas, for a second visit and gave the Bears his verbal pledge.
The 6-foot-4, 240-pound tight end became the sixth commitment of Baylor's 2014 class.
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Inspired by Florida's "#ComePlayWRFortheJoker" campaign, our recruiting writers looked at other ways schools can sell themselves on the trail. Here's a look at recruiting pitches for the Big 12:
Baylor Bears
What they’re selling: The new 45,000-seat, $250-million on-campus stadium that will open in 2014. Recruiting is an arms race, and players like fancy stadiums and locker rooms, and Baylor’s upgrade puts them finally on the same level playing field as everybody else in the Big 12.
What they're missing: Help on defense -- specifically at defensive line and defensive back.
Iowa State Cyclones
What they’re selling: Paul Rhoads. He grew up miles from the campus and has helped turn around Iowa State with a physical and fundamentally sound style of football.
What they're missing: A true home-run threat at receiver.
Kansas Jayhawks
What they’re selling: Charlie Weis. He’s taken risks (juco infusion), repaired relationships with area high school coaches and widened KU’s recruiting pool.
What they're missing: Wins. When you’ve won only one conference game in three years, a little bit of everything is missing.
Kansas State Wildcats
What they’re selling: Bill Synder. The plan has worked for years in Manhattan. K-State doesn’t care how many stars a player has attached to his name, a player only earns an offer from K-State unless Snyder personally signs off on it after a lengthy review. It’s a plan that produced a No. 1 BCS ranking and a Big 12 championship in 2012.
What’s missing: I’ve been told by coaches for years that the most difficult position to recruit is defensive tackle. That’s why you often see even average defensive tackles rack up double-digit offers, and finding good depth at defensive tackle has been very difficult to do at K-State.
Oklahoma Sooners
What they’re selling: Oklahoma is proud of its football tradition, and few schools can match the Sooners’ track record for success, facilities and ability to prepare you for the next level.
What they're missing: A renewed focus on evaluating players. It’s what differentiated Bob Stoops’ staff when they started, and it’s how they found players like Sam Bradford, Josh Heupel, Juaquin Iglesias and Donald Stephenson. All at the time were considered to be three-star recruits but wound up being impact players for the Sooners.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
What they’re selling: Their ability to evaluate and develop offensive talent.
What they're missing: Elite players in the Lone Star State. With the best facilities in the conference, it might be just enough to get kids to visit.
Texas Longhorns
What they’re selling: Few in the nation can offer up the type of atmosphere, fan base, tradition and total student-athlete package like Texas can.
What they're missing: A true a difference-maker at quarterback. The last two Heisman Trophy winners have come from Texas high schools, and the Longhorns didn’t recruit one heavily and recruited the other as an athlete.
TCU Horned Frogs
What they’re selling: The Horned Frogs recruit to their style of smash-mouth play on both sides of the ball and don’t care how many stars a recruit has. It hurts them some in the recruiting rankings, but it helps them win a lot of ball games.
What they're missing: BCS conference depth. Heading into their second season in the Big 12 after a 7-6 season, the biggest thing the Horned Frogs need to do is to build the roster to be able to compete year in and year out in the BCS conference.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
What they’re selling: The Red Raiders went through a transition that brought Kliff Kingsbury to Lubbock, and the early reception has been nothing short of positive.
What they're missing: The Red Raiders have never had issues putting up points on people, but under Tommy Tuberville and Mike Leach there was little defense being played.
West Virginia Mountaineers
What they’re selling: WVU is a force in the Atlantic region, can recruit well in Pennsylvania and is arguably one of the best schools at identifying offensive talent in the JC ranks.
What they're missing: The 2014 class will have to be all about rebuilding in Morgantown, as the needs are mounting while several impact players have moved on.
Baylor Bears
What they’re selling: The new 45,000-seat, $250-million on-campus stadium that will open in 2014. Recruiting is an arms race, and players like fancy stadiums and locker rooms, and Baylor’s upgrade puts them finally on the same level playing field as everybody else in the Big 12.
What they're missing: Help on defense -- specifically at defensive line and defensive back.
Iowa State Cyclones
What they’re selling: Paul Rhoads. He grew up miles from the campus and has helped turn around Iowa State with a physical and fundamentally sound style of football.
What they're missing: A true home-run threat at receiver.
Kansas Jayhawks
What they’re selling: Charlie Weis. He’s taken risks (juco infusion), repaired relationships with area high school coaches and widened KU’s recruiting pool.
What they're missing: Wins. When you’ve won only one conference game in three years, a little bit of everything is missing.
Kansas State Wildcats
What they’re selling: Bill Synder. The plan has worked for years in Manhattan. K-State doesn’t care how many stars a player has attached to his name, a player only earns an offer from K-State unless Snyder personally signs off on it after a lengthy review. It’s a plan that produced a No. 1 BCS ranking and a Big 12 championship in 2012.
What’s missing: I’ve been told by coaches for years that the most difficult position to recruit is defensive tackle. That’s why you often see even average defensive tackles rack up double-digit offers, and finding good depth at defensive tackle has been very difficult to do at K-State.
Oklahoma Sooners
What they’re selling: Oklahoma is proud of its football tradition, and few schools can match the Sooners’ track record for success, facilities and ability to prepare you for the next level.
What they're missing: A renewed focus on evaluating players. It’s what differentiated Bob Stoops’ staff when they started, and it’s how they found players like Sam Bradford, Josh Heupel, Juaquin Iglesias and Donald Stephenson. All at the time were considered to be three-star recruits but wound up being impact players for the Sooners.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
What they’re selling: Their ability to evaluate and develop offensive talent.
What they're missing: Elite players in the Lone Star State. With the best facilities in the conference, it might be just enough to get kids to visit.
Texas Longhorns
What they’re selling: Few in the nation can offer up the type of atmosphere, fan base, tradition and total student-athlete package like Texas can.
What they're missing: A true a difference-maker at quarterback. The last two Heisman Trophy winners have come from Texas high schools, and the Longhorns didn’t recruit one heavily and recruited the other as an athlete.
TCU Horned Frogs
What they’re selling: The Horned Frogs recruit to their style of smash-mouth play on both sides of the ball and don’t care how many stars a recruit has. It hurts them some in the recruiting rankings, but it helps them win a lot of ball games.
What they're missing: BCS conference depth. Heading into their second season in the Big 12 after a 7-6 season, the biggest thing the Horned Frogs need to do is to build the roster to be able to compete year in and year out in the BCS conference.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
What they’re selling: The Red Raiders went through a transition that brought Kliff Kingsbury to Lubbock, and the early reception has been nothing short of positive.
What they're missing: The Red Raiders have never had issues putting up points on people, but under Tommy Tuberville and Mike Leach there was little defense being played.
West Virginia Mountaineers
What they’re selling: WVU is a force in the Atlantic region, can recruit well in Pennsylvania and is arguably one of the best schools at identifying offensive talent in the JC ranks.
What they're missing: The 2014 class will have to be all about rebuilding in Morgantown, as the needs are mounting while several impact players have moved on.
Darrion Johnson is getting a fresh start at Navasota, and he couldn’t be happier.
The four-star defensive back is in his second week at the Class 3A school after his abrupt transfer from Brenham (Texas) High School, and the move hasn’t hindered his recruitment much.
The four-star defensive back is in his second week at the Class 3A school after his abrupt transfer from Brenham (Texas) High School, and the move hasn’t hindered his recruitment much.
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When 2015 athlete Keke Coutee (Lufkin, Texas/Lufkin) received an offer from Oklahoma last week, he figured another big one was coming next. He was right.
“They’re rivals,” he said. “I figured they were going to offer me sooner or later.”
“They’re rivals,” he said. “I figured they were going to offer me sooner or later.”
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It’s no secret that Oklahoma has been looking to dip into the junior college waters to try to find one more recruit for its Class of 2013.
The Sooners spent a good chunk of February looking for a diamond in the rough. Turns out OU simply had to wait another two months before he emerged.
The Sooners spent a good chunk of February looking for a diamond in the rough. Turns out OU simply had to wait another two months before he emerged.
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RECRUITING NATION MIDLANDS COVERAGE
The Midlands Region consists of the states of Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and
Texas and is where Big 12 programs make a living recruiting. However, with the deep talent pool in the Lone Star State, teams from all over the country flock to the Midlands to find players.
More RecruitingNation blogs
RecruitingNation has the latest recruiting news from across the country:
• On The Trail
• East Region blog
• Midwest Region blog
• Southeast Region blog
• West Region blog
MIDLANDS RECRUITING CONTRIBUTORS
Sam KhanESPN Archive |
Max OlsonESPN Archive |
Bob PrzybyloESPN Archive |
Damon SaylesESPN Archive |
Mitch ShermanESPN Archive |
William WilkersonESPN Archive |
