Maclin a rare miss on OU's recruiting hitlist
5/15/2008 10:00:56 PM
It's safe to say that when it comes to recruiting, Oklahoma seldom makes mistakes. Not sealing the deal with Missouri wide receiver Jeremy Maclin, however, represents one of the few.
Maclin will surely join Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree as the two preseason All-Big 12 wide receivers late this summer. Come fall, he should also get national attention as one of the most dangerous multi-purpose players in any league. He already has OU's attention -- gameplanning for him the two weeks the Sooners faced Mizzou last year was a migraine for Brent Venables and staff.
Thing is, it wasn't always going to be this way, not with Maclin once giving the Sooners his verbal commitment as a Kirkwood, Mo., prep star.
Why did switch to the Tigers?
"I fell in love with what Missouri was doing on offense," Maclin told the Dallas Morning News.
That wasn't all.
"(Bob) Stoops never came to my house," Maclin told the paper. "It does say a lot about a head coach that comes into your living room and has a conversation with you."
Gary Pinkel apparently made that effort, and now he is reaping the rewards.
To Stoops' credit, he has been nothing but complimentary of Maclin since his former recruit switched sides. He will continue to take the high road should the Sooners and Tigers meet in another Big 12 championship.
Ultimate kudos, however, to Pinkel and his staff. Maclin was an in-state whiz they couldn't afford to let go, even after he had verbaled to a program the caliber of OU. So they kept after him until they got him.
For that, it's at least two more years of headaches for defensive staffs all over the Big 12 Conference.
-- Guerin Emig
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