Sooners New ’25 DL Offer Set to Visit
– Charlie S – Posted on: May 31, 2024
Earlier this morning ’25 Defensive Lineman Makhi Williams-Lee (6’2 270) out of Atlanta, Georgia (Lakeside) announced he picked up an OU offer.
I was in touch with Makhi and he let me know that the Sooners just started communicating with him recently and the relationship is just beginning.
However…he also told me he already has a visit set up for the June 14th weekend.
Right now he holds around a dozen offers with the most significant offers coming from Texas Tech and NC State, but now that OU has offered, you can expect that to change.
Feels like a kid who has really flown under the radar of the ranking services.
His tape shows a really good burst off the line, lots of strength, good speed and really nice lateral movement as well.
Really nice eval by Bates and company and OU being the earliest big offer certainly should carry some water in this one. Getting him on campus so quickly shows that OU is serious about him.
Sourced Quick Hitter | ’26 QB Jaden O’Neal
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 1, 2024
Just a quick recruiting note…
While we generally stay focused on the current cycle at this point of the year, wanted to pass along a note on ’26 QB Jaden O’Neal (6’3 200) out of Harbor City, CA. (Narbonne)
Spoke to a source this afternoon who told me that earlier today O’Neal said OU is “Number one, without question”.
O’Neal will be camping in Norman on June 13th and will get the chance to check in with the staff and see the campus.
He already holds a couple dozen offers from power programs around the country and if things check out for both OU and O’Neal, it would not be shocking to see this one come together.
Quick Hitter | Pair of Walk-Ons
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 3, 2024
The Sooners added a pair of notable walkons to the roster this weekend as the new players arrive on campus for summer workouts.
***Over the weekend, we discussed the Sooners addition of former Akron QB Steele Wasel (6’3 215) to the roster in various threads, but I just wanted to mention the addition in a post for those who were not around or didn’t read all the comments in all the threads (I do not blame them lol). He is walking on at OU and will provide nice depth for the Sooners as they go through summer and fall camp. Wasel is a Choctaw, Oklahoma grad and he was in line to challenge for the Akron starting spot this year, but chose to come home.
***OU also added running back Gabe Sawchuk (5’10 – generously -182) to the roster as a walk-on. Thats a pretty good pickup for OU as Sawchuk has some nice speed. His size is what has likely limited his options, but the Sooners add a solid player who is also a quality human. Sawchuk showed some nice offers, but he chose to head to Norman. He reunites with his brother, Gavin, who is OU RB1 as we head into the season.
I think it is far more likely that you will see Gabe Sawchuk on the field at some point than you will ever see Wasel play in a game for OU.
Sourced | Confidence in DL Growing
– Super K – Posted on: June 4, 2024
Earlier this week, I spoke with a source regarding the defensive line and how the staff seems to be feeling about that position.
I noted back in the spring that the feeling I got was the staff feels like they have some guys but I could sense the uncertainty (not really a big surprise given the turnover).
I’m definitely getting a different vibe now.
I’m told the staff feels really good about their starting two interior guys in Dajon Terry and Damonic Williams. I don’t blame them. When you have a feature guy, your number two guy can be that much better within his role. The Sooners have that now.
Additionally, I’m told the staff feels really good about Ethan Downs manning one side of the line. At this point, Downs has played a lot of football and they seem to feel confident that’s going to give them far more consistency at that position.
As far as the other side, I’m told they like the guys they have but it’s still a competition. Ideally R Mason can become the NFL guy they’ve been hoping for. He certainly has that upside. But as one source said, he has to stay healthy.
Overall, definitely sensing there is a lot more confidence in the DL – which really was the only defensive question mark – from inside the building.
Sourced | Head Down and Grinding
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 4, 2024
Wanted to pass along a note on a couple defenders that actually compliments what Super K reported this morning in regard to the defensive line.
Source told me that new OU defensive tackle Damonic Williams has wasted no time in getting after it in the weight room. Source said “Since the minute he arrived, he (Williams) has been busting his ass with and without Schmidty”. Source complimented Williams’ work ethic and called him very ‘self-motivated’.
Source went on to say that Williams has formed quite a bond with Ethan Downs as well as Gracen Halton. The trio apparently spend a lot of time working out together on their own.
If you recall, when he was going through the portal process, I had a source tell me Williams had a little ways to go to get back in shape. Sounds like Damonic understood the task at hand and wasted no time in taking care of business.
Sourced | ’26 QB Recruiting
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 5, 2024
***As you know,Last Week(June 1st) I passed along a sourced note about ’26 QBJaden O’Neal.
In the note I wrote:
“While we generally stay focused on the current cycle at this point of the year, wanted to pass along a note on ’26 QB Jaden O’Neal (6’3 200) out of Harbor City, CA. (Narbonne)
Spoke to a source this afternoon who told me that earlier today O’Neal said OU is “Number one, without question”.
O’Neal will be camping in Norman on June 13th and will get the chance to check in with the staff and see the campus.
He already holds a couple dozen offers from power programs around the country and if things check out for both OU and O’Neal, it would not be shocking to see this one come together.“
Some in the community have noted that they have seen some predictions come in today from some national guys, including Steve Wiltfong who is now at On3 for OU to land O’Neal.
Our position has not changed and it would not shock us to see this one come together in the near future.
***This leads me to ’26 quarterbackDereon Coleman(6’1 165) out of Orlando, Florida.
Coleman has long been a fan of OU and he is currently set to arrive on campus today. Coleman will be in town through the 7th and he will camp for OU tomorrow.
I spoke to a source this morning who mentioned that the Sooners are open to taking two QBs in the ’26 class but they do not believe that OU will make any move toward any other QB until O’Neal makes his decision, so long as it comes in a timely fashion.
So, in other words, once again, it is my informed opinion that OU is in as good of a place as they want to be with Coleman and I expect them to show him a good time this weekend and continue to build that relationship…but I would be a bit surprised if he were to commit prior to O’Neal’s visit next week.
Sooners Getting Heat From Both Coasts
– Super K – Posted on: June 6, 2024
In the past, when the Sooners had a strong position in a recruitment, they had to watch for Nick Saban to swoop in. Saban is gone but they are picking up some reoccurring pressure…
As the Sooners target a certain profile – athletic, well-disciplined, sharp young men – they’re running into some heat from two programs that do the same.
***Earlier this week, Stanford swooped up a DL (Kole Briehler) that would’ve otherwise ended up at OU. Stanford is a unique school with a prestigious education. When that’s something a family decides on, there just aren’t any arguments the Sooners or almost anyone else can make to win them over.
***The Sooners are now facing pressure from Standford for one of their top OL targets in Andrew Babalola (Overland Park, KS). Again, if Babalola’s family decides that the Stanford education is important, there just isn’t much you can do.
***But the Sooners also took an unexpected blow from the opposite coast when Sooners top (and perhaps only) CB target left who has ties to the Sooner state, Graceson Littleton (Tampa, FL) committed to Clemson on his visit. Littleton was high on the Sooners and expected to visit OU. Clemson has the same no visit policy as OU. So that would appear to be that.
***Clemson certainly doesn’t have the academics of Stanford but as Charlie can tell you, it’s one of those schools that can capture a player in a single visit. We saw that happen last year with one of the top WRs out of Dallas who was leaning heavily towards LSU and TCU prior to his Clemson visit.
***As far as I was told, Littleton was the Sooners only CB target. In fact they had passed up on a couple of targets they had leads for. So, my sense was that OU wasn’t so much looking for another CB as they were uniquely interested in Littleton. I plan on circling back to see if the Sooners will now stand pat or if they consider taking on more.
***In terms of the OL, this potential Babalola move puts a lot more pressure on OU landing Ty Haywood (who we have been told they were leading for). I am told Haywood’s Alabama visit went really really well…
Softball, anyone?
Official Visitors This Week | June 7th
– Charlie S – Posted on: June 6, 2024
The Sooners are expecting to host three official visitors this week.
***TE Da’Saahn Brame – 6’6 235 – Derby, KS
***DL Kade Pietrzak – 6’4 240 – West Fargo, ND
***OL Darius Afalava – 6’5 320 – Kehi, UT
Getting Afalava on an official will help the Sooners navigate the offensive line class as he has become quite the priority for Bedenbaugh and crew. The fact that he will get all the one on one time with the staff could go a long way. Afalava visited earlier this spring and the Sooners made a really big impression, in part because of the family atmosphere and faith-based environment that Venables fosters.
Pietrzak is a guy whose recruitment is one that the Sooners could wind up running away and hiding. Right now OU, Nebraska, and Wisconsin are at or near the top of his list and he recently OV’d to Wisconsin. If the Sooners push here, they could certainly find themselves in the pole position.
Brame, yeah, I’m not gonna try to sell you something I don’t believe in on my own. Source indicates that Brame currently does not have OU in the top part of his top schools, but hey, as long as OU is in it, maybe they can pull some magic out this week and move up the list and find themselves in legitimate contention. As of right now, I would not expect much, but if there is movement, that would be a pleasant surprise.
