Biggest Week of the Year?

End of July used to not mean much of anything on the recruiting calendar for Oklahoma, but that all changed three years ago with the inaugural #ChampUBBQ.

Nobody knew what to expect, but it was a huge hit that the Sooners have used to their advantage ever since. This weekend marks the fourth edition, and once again, OU is attempting to bring a who’s who in commits and top-tier targets.

Obviously, the No. 1 question is who’s jumping next? If ever there was a weekend where OU fans get excited about the potential of commitments, this is it.

History has shown they’re not wrong.

Here’s a small sample of some of the recruits who weren’t committed to OU at the time and either made the call right then and there or waited to ultimately commit to the Sooners.

2016

*LB Kenneth Murray

*S Patrick Fields

2017

*2020 RB Jase McClellan

*EDGE Jalen Redmond

2018

*OT Stacey Wilkins

As recruits begin to focus on their high school seasons and OU will do the same, this truly is one last hurrah before the attention goes toward games once again.

*SoonerScoop.com recruiting editor Josh McCuistion has compiled an incredibly extensive list for this year’s event on the Crimson Corner.

So… what to watch this weekend?

Let’s start with the easy one. Everybody wants some sort of immediate gratification from the event, and the two names to circle have to be Monheim and Arinze.

Both have already made trips to Norman so this isn’t a feeling out process. They know what to expect. Both have felt to be on the cusp of adding their respective names to OU’s commitment list, and the stars could align here.

OU has felt like the school to beat for each guy for a few months now. It’s not as drastic to say if Monheim and/or Arinze don’t commit, OU will move on, but it would certainly open the door toward the Sooners entertaining other options at those spots.

The smart money is on the Sooners adding to #20Deep and keeping the ball rolling.

You’re looking for the emoji eyes from Lincoln Riley. We’re looking for the eyes. But to be honest, this is a building block weekend more than anything.

Especially as it pertains to the 2021 and 2022 classes. You begin with someone like Wheaton at a position where OU has done so, so well at running back. This could be that weekend, in hindsight, when we say that’s when the Sooners became a player in so-and-so’s recruitment.

It does help that OU will have Jackson on campus once again. Just like having so many 2020 commits could help with Monheim and Arinze, Jackson could lead a charge here to get some others to join him and No. 1-ranked overall Brock Vandagriff for OU’s 2021 class.

It wouldn’t be a huge shock if eyes were sent by Riley, and it turned out to be for a 2021 prospect. The safe bet, though, is planting the seeds for eyes of the future.

Oh my, here comes the in-state bunch. Last year’s BBQ felt incredibly strange in terms of the lack of in-state participation. It returns to normal this year with seven confirmed attendees from the Sooner State, including summer commitments Brynden Walker of Oklahoma City Bishop McGuinness and Broken Arrow offensive lineman Andrew Raym.

What this event shows is how first-year inside linebackers coach Brian Odom gets it. He understands what recruiting in your backyard means, and he is making sure there are no unanswered questions left with the state’s elite.

Downs, Green and Daniels have already been offered for the 2021 class, while Williams and Horn are the same for the 2022 crop. Still two years away, but getting someone like Williams on campus in this type of environment could mean a lot moving forward.

OU has had a strange, for lack of better term, relationship with some of the Tulsa-area schools in recent years. That’s changing for the positive. Raym is in the fold, and a big-time school like Tulsa Booker T. Washington isn’t being sent mixed signals.

If you wanted to take a stab at a surprise 2021 commitment, looking in-state and maybe someone like Downs sounds like the best shot.

OK, maybe not the biggest storyline, but there are some newbies on this front. It helps to get a breath of fresh air as most coaches on the staff have been through this weekend a time or two.

So now enter defensive coordinator Alex Grinch, cornerbacks coach Roy Manning and Odom to the show, and the energy they’re bringing.

Guess you almost have to highlight Manning because of his outgoing personality that you feel would be perfect in a setting like this.

Grinch has a fiery personality, too, but a laidback event like this has let coaches just chill. One of the most memorable photos from years past is then-coach Bob Stoops pitching as recruits were playing whiffle ball.

You’re not going to see that during the grind of the season or recruiting chaos. But the #ChampUBBQ allows recruits and families to really get to know the coaches outside of just football.

You’re not the only game in town. As schools across the country all vie for that one last shot at a top recruit before the season, it’s a free-for-all to get them to your campus.

And OU has serious competition in College Station and Texas A&M as well as Austin and Texas. Some recruits, such as Blackshire and McKinzie, are going to attempt the double trip of A&M on Friday and OU on Saturday.

That’s a lot to ask of the prospect and his family to make back-to-back trips, so it will be incredibly interesting to see if those who show up in College Station one day still end up in Norman the next.

Going to one event instead of the other doesn’t mean that recruit will commit to that school, but you definitely want to have the opportunity to leave that lasting impression heading into the season.