A Heisman-Worthy Visit?
tWith nearly a dozen visitors on campus last weekend the Sooners staff definitely had their hands full showing so many around campus. However one player they made sure to have a gameplan with was Santa Clarita (Calif.) College of the Canyons star receiver Marquise Brown. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound prospect was shown just how he'd fit in around Norman.
In fact, aside from some weather than Brown - a South Florida native - had little familiarity with, the visit went as well as it could have for Brown.
"Everything was great, besides the weather, it was pretty much what I expected and more. All the coaches were cool, the players, I can relate to a lot of those guys – hanging with those guys everything went well," Brown said.
"I haven’t seen rain in a while, it rained twice while I was in California."
Brown, who has been back at his Florida home for several weeks, spent plenty of time eyeing what Dede Westbrook has done this year and just how comparable Oklahoma finds him to be to their current Heisman finalist.
"It went well, I got to hang out with Kyler Murray, Dede, Nick (Basquine), and it was all cool. I got to hang out with them after they won the championship that night – they were all cool," he said.
"The whole time the coaches were talking about, we watched film on them; he wants me to play the z, the position that Dede plays. They are really selling him to me.
"They were showing me, they had this setup, like all of Dede’s film from week one to about week eight and all the plays that they run. All the schemes, all the setup, the routes that they run – it was great that they did that."
While it might be easy to assume the strength of that argument, what does Brown think of the comparison?
"He has a similar build to me, being a smaller, faster guy. A lot of stuff he does, I want to do. Catch screens, chase deep balls and be able to help the team that way," he said.
Though Westbrook was a big part of his recruiting pitch over the weekend Brown is aware the two will never share the same field. However he has started to bond with a few players who, should he choose Oklahoma, would share a roster spot with him.
"Me and Grant (Calcaterra), we got in touch early before my official. I got to meet his family and he met my mom. I talked to Justin (Broiles) and I got to talk to a lot of guys that were committed that were there. With Justin, he talked most of the time (laughing)."
Brown was hosted by Kyler Murray and Nick Basquine, on each night of his visit, but there is no question that one of the bigger issues of his weekend came about unexpectedly. That was the decision made by Baker Mayfield to announce his plans to return for his senior year.
"It means a lot, one year could put you on that map that you want to be one – he throws that thing deep. I’d love to get a chance to play with him," he said.
Brown will visit USC this weekend but not before hosting West Virginia and Oklahoma today and tonight, respectively.
That Sooner in-home visit will be highlighted by Bob Stoops, Lincoln Riley, and Dennis Simmons visiting his South Florida home. Though Riley and Stoops may be the two names most are familiar with - Simmons has been Brown's lead recruiter and is a key piece of his recruitment.
"I like that he just keeps it simple, he is a real laid back coach, tells me what it is and what I can do and what he can do for me. They say they have a plan for me, not just bringing me in because they want me but because they see how I can work," he said. "When coach sat me down to watch film I really liked how I fit in."
Brown plans to announce his college decision on December 15, National Signing Day for junior college early enrollees and says his choice will come down to the three schools he'll have officially visited - Oklahoma, USC, and West Virginia.