Football recruiting notebook: Busy official visit weekend for OSU

In truth, bigger developments were taking place in Stillwater this weekend, where at least 19 prospects were scheduled for their official visits, making for one of OSU's biggest recruiting weekends of the year.

The group consists mostly of players already committed to the Cowboys, with 17 players already pledged. But the two known uncommitted visitors — running back Rennie Childs and defensive end Tyus Bowser — are biggies.

With Joseph Randle's early exit for the NFL Draft, the Cowboys find themselves stretched thin at running back. And next year's starter — Jeremy Smith — will be a senior. So adding depth, if not players who can contribute immediately, has become a front-burner issue for the Pokes.

OSU has a commitment from Atlanta, Texas, back Corion Webster, who is on the visit list for this weekend. But Cowboys coaches are intent on taking another, if not two more backs in the class. Childs is 5-foot-10, 185-pound back who runs with strength and speed and also catches the ball well — a major plus in the Cowboys' system.

Bowser is a three-star defensive end from John Tyler High School in Tyler, Texas. Bowser is an athletic and quick end who — get this — was also featured at the wildcat spot in John Tyler's offense.

Also potentially visiting this weekend, according to Scout, is highly touted receiver Devin Lauderdale.

The four-star prospect could be back on OSU's radar after Treadwell committed to Ole Miss. He has more than 30 offers, including California, Ohio State, West Virginia, Oklahoma and Texas Tech.

Rivals.com reports Lauderdale will make an official visit to Ohio State Monday.

FOUR OU EARLY ENROLLEES ARRIVE

Four of the five early enrollees Oklahoma expected for its 2013 recruiting class have arrived, according to the university's online people search.

Receiver Dannon Cavil (San Antonio), defensive back Ahmad Thomas (Miami), defensive end D.J. Ward (Southmoore) and junior-college transfer punter Jed Barnett, from Laney Community College in Oakland, Calif., are all enrolled in classes for the spring semester.

Cavil flipped from California to commit to Oklahoma just last weekend.

Defensive tackle Quincy Russell, who signed with Oklahoma from Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas, was expected to enroll for the spring semester but has yet to do so.

Ward was an All-State defensive end from Lawton as a junior and was cleared to transfer to Douglass just before his senior year. Before the season began, though, he suddenly enrolled at Southmoore. The OSSAA ruled him ineligible there.

JUNIOR DAY RESCHEDULED

Oklahoma was supposed to host 2014 recruits last weekend for a junior day event, but decided to postpone it to focus on the 2013 visitors it hosted the same weekend.

“We figure we've got all our spring dates open as well as other ones here in February,” coach Bob Stoops said last Friday. “We just thought, why push it and not make it as good as it ought to be, meaning we're going to be split too much with all the kids we've got coming in.”

The decision appears to have paid off; Oklahoma earned commitments last weekend from defensive tackle Charles Walker (Garland, Texas) and receivers K.J. Young (Perris, Calif.) and Cavil.

Oklahoma rescheduled the junior day for Saturday, Feb. 2, according to a team source.