No time to waste OU football coaches are already working on next year's recruiting class No time to waste OU football coaches are already working on next year's recruiting class
By Scott Wright
Published: June 4, 2007
So it's June, still a bit early to be yearning for fall Saturdays and all they bring.
It's more about cold beverages and long-distance vacations than long-distance runs by Sooner tailbacks.
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At least for us.
For Oklahoma coaches, it's about recruiting. (As if it isn't always.)
This is a critical time for recruiting. Commitments pop — the Sooners added one last week in defensive end David King of Houston — and coaches continue breaking down analysis of prospects for 2008 and beyond.
OU coaches entertained several prospects over the weekend with their annual football camps playing out in Norman. Camp offers opportunity to pitch those hot names sought to bolster the squad as soon as next year. And it's a time to make a mark with those just hitting the radar as juniors — or even sophomores-to-be.
One player the Sooners covet for '08, linebacker prospect Jon Major of Parker, Colo., was in for a first look at the campus and the program. Word is he left impressed, which is good news with linebacker a key focus for this next class.
Already, the Sooners are making a statement in the recruiting race.
OU holds nine commitments, three of whom are five-star guys ranking among the top 25 players in the country — at any position — according to Rivals.com. That's running back Jermie Calhoun at No. 10, defensive end R.J. Washington at No. 13 and offensive lineman Stephen Good at No. 24.
Yeah, Texas is at it, too, out front with 19 pledges. But so far, none of the Longhorns' commits fall in the Rivals top 25.
The Sooners are already addressing their most pressing needs. With a group of offensive linemen about to enter their junior seasons, it's time to work on the next generation. OU has commitments from three.
Washington and King project nicely at end. And there's another elite caliber quarterback to add to the mix in Landry Jones.
One to watch in the coming weeks: Arthur Brown, a linebacker out of Wichita who ranks No. 15 overall nationally, again by Rivals. The Sooners are in the hunt along with Florida, Notre Dame, Southern Cal, Nebraska, Michigan, Georgia Tech and Kansas State.
Brown represents a possible bonus. His brother Bryce, a running back, will be one of the nation's top prospects for 2009.
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