Sooners beef up ' 09 class
By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
Published: 7/8/2008 2:09 AM
Last Modified: 7/8/2008 4:25 AM
OU's 14 commitments help it to a top 10 ranking by Rivals.com Web site.
NORMAN — In the unscrupulous world of college football recruiting, the best way to heal a broken heart is to break another's. So it was recently with the Oklahoma Sooners, who lost one heralded verbal commitment only to potentially gain someone else's.
Safety Will Ford is the one who got away from OU, having switched his college choice to Texas Tech on June 26.
"When I went to (Oklahoma) I fell in love with their facilities," Ford told the Abilene Reporter-News. "But I just feel more comfortable in Lubbock than I would in Oklahoma, because I've got a lot of friends going there."
Ford would have helped the Sooners rebuild their secondary; they lost Reggie Smith, Marcus Walker and D.J. Wolfe off last year's team and face the departure of Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes following the '08 season. Still, OU has secured commitments from four-star defensive backs Steve Williams of Dallas and Javon Harris of Lawton for its recruiting class of '09.
That is reassuring, but far from the best news on the Sooners' recruiting front. Chris Henderson, a touted defensive lineman from tradition-rich Dallas Carter, provided that last week when he hedged on a previous commitment to Texas A&M in the wake of a scholarship offer from OU.
"I like OU a lot, and getting that offer is making me rethink everything," Henderson told
Scout.com. "I may want to open everything back up and start over again."
The Sooners already are finalists for defensive tackle Jamarkus McFarland of Lufkin, Texas, along with Texas and LSU. McFarland is considered the "Tommie Harris" of this year's recruiting class. And across the defensive line, OU has earned verbal commitments from ends Justin Chaisson, a four-star prospect from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman, and Mansfield, Texas, star Terry Franklin.
OU also is trying to score again at Missouri's expense. The Sooners reeled in Strafford, Mo., offensive lineman Tyler Evans despite the Missouri leanings of Evans' family. Now they are after Ronnie Wingo, the four-star running back from St. Louis University High.
"Before I visited Oklahoma and Arkansas, I was about to commit to Missouri and was sure about it," Wingo told the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. "But I went to Oklahoma and Arkansas, and it's wide open now."
The Sooners' most recent commitment came courtesy of Marshall Musil, a safety/fullback from LaCrosse, Kan., who made up his mind June 19. That upped OU's commitment total to 14.
Two weeks later,
Rivals.com national recruiting director Jeremy Crabtree placed the Sooners ninth on his revised recruiting rankings for 2009.
"While this group might not contain the typical star power we've seen in years past for the Sooners, this group still is solid enough to rank in the top 10." Crabtree wrote on
Rivals.com.
Five of the 14 commitments are linebackers, Dewar's Ronnell Lewis and Wagoner's Gus Jones among them. Lewis, Texans Brandon Mahoney and Tom Wort and Jaydan Bird of Conway Springs, Kan., all have received four-star ratings from at least one recruiting service.
Guerin Emig 581-8355
guerin.emig@tulsaworld.com
By GUERIN EMIG World Sports Writer
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