Important visitor this weekend – Herschel Sims
Published: 1/21/2011 1:54 PM
Last Modified: 1/21/2011 1:54 PM
Last weekend, 22 football recruits visited the Oklahoma State campus. One of those visitors – 6-foot-3, 290-pound defensive tackle Alex Villarreal of Hidalgo, Texas – reportedly has switched his commitment from Houston to OSU.
This weekend, it is believed that only one recruit is visiting, and he is an extremely important figure in the Cowboys’ 2011 recruiting effort.
The visitor is Herschel Sims, a five-star running back from Abilene (Texas) High School. Sims committed to OSU in April, but recently has expressed interest in TCU.
With OSU offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen and running backs coach Robert Gillespie having moved to West Virginia, and with receivers coach Gunter Brewer having departed for Ole Miss, Cowboy coach Mike Gundy is attempting to fill two staff vacancies.
Gillespie recruited Sims for OSU, and they had developed a solid friendship.
Before the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Sims was quoted as saying, "I still believe that I am going to end up (at OSU), and then again I want to still get he feel of who (will succeed Gillespie).
“I hope that they bring somebody in quick because signing day is (Feb. 2). I don't want them to bring somebody in a week or two before signing day, and me not like them and I end up changing."
As of Friday – 11 days before national signing day – Gundy apparently has not hired a coordinator, a running backs coach or a receivers coach. If any of those staff positions has been filled, neither Gundy nor OSU has confirmed it.
Five weeks have passed since Holgorsen announced that he would be leaving, and OSU still does not have a coordinator.
In the attempt to sustain Sims’ commitment, Gundy himself had better turn on the charm this weekend. OSU needs Sims not only because he may emerge as a big-time college talent, but because the Cowboys are extremely thin in the backfield. When spring practice begins in early March, OSU will have only two proven backs – sophomores Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith.
-- Bill Haisten
Written by
Bill Haisten
Sports Writer
