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An Opportunity I Couldnt Pass Up

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What a difference a day makes for Houston Stratford three-star offensive tackle Christian Daimler 24 hours prior to his Wednesday night commitment to Oklahoma offensive line coach James Patton he was a future Arizona State Sun Devil with out an offer from the Sooners.
SCOOPHD: OU COMMIT CHRISTIAN DAIMLER
Then a seemingly normal late night conversation with Patton turned the 6-foot-6, 275-pound Daimler's world on it's head. Though it's a turn he had been hoping for.
"I had been talking with coach Patton over the past few weeks, recruiting with Oklahoma had picked up here lately. We had been talking and I had been extremely patient with Oklahoma. They were waiting and telling me what was going to happen and then it all came together," Daimler said.
"Coach Patton just talked with me last night and it really was a normal conversation and then right at the end he let me know that they were going to offer me and I let him know that I was really excited about it.
"Yesterday, they felt like it was the time to go ahead and give me an opportunity and I couldn't be happier."
Daimler, who will be taking his official visit to Oklahoma on Jan. 11, came to Norman early in the recruiting process when the Sooners were just beginning to entertain the idea of seriously pursuing him. He says Oklahoma was always among his top choices and an offer was something he wasn't sure would ever come.
"OU was one of my top two schools coming into recruiting. I was pumped when they even showed any interest in me and when they offered me last night it was just an opportunity that I couldn't pass up," he admitted.
Of course while it's easy for Daimler to focus on the happiness of landing at a program he had long hoped to play for he couldn't ignore the difficulty of letting go of his previous commitment to the Sun Devils coaching staff.
"I didn't let many people know today what was going on. I talked with you and then I kind of went through that process of letting (Arizona State) know and that's something you don't want to have to do but I ended up having to do. It's definitely not a phone call you want to make," he said.
"They definitely were telling me that they still wanted me and that they said they are going to keep recruiting me but I'm sticking with Oklahoma."
However, it should come as no surprise that just 24 hours after speaking with Patton about his new Oklahoma offer Daimler's conversation with the Oklahoma coaching staff was an easier one to take part in.
"I think they had a feeling that it was coming," he said. "Oh yeah, he and coach (Bruce) Kittle it was just them in the office then and you could hear them both, they were pumped to get two offensive lineman from this class today. They are really excited about what we can do."
Though Daimler talked about building a bond with Patton during his recruitment he says the chance to play for national titles was a huge element in his choice.
"I think it's definitely tradition that Oklahoma has, they are going to be in the national championship hunt year in and year out," he said. "But it's not just that, their coaches - I couldn't ask for any better coaches. They are great recruiters and I couldn't be happier about playing for them next year.
"In the end, it definitely feels like it's somewhere that I fit in really well, I have that gut feeling that's where I need to be."
Some might think that the big prep offensive lineman may have been aided by the presence of the Sooners in Houston with commitments from Manvel's Austin Bennett, Katy's Matt Dimon, Keith Ford of Cy-Ranch[/db], and Alief Taylor's Ogbonnia Okoronkwo.
"I've known of those guys but I haven't had any personal contact with them but that'll be something that I'm sure we'll have some form of contact in the next few days."
But before he and the rest of the Houston Sooners arrive Daimler knows there is work to be done.
"I think just my overall strength, the coaches love where I am with my weight right now, I'm at 275-pounds. That's no big deal with them but I know something that I need to work on is my strength and getting a lot stronger. That's something you can never be; too strong."
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