CFB's Most Feared Defense?

It's been widely discussed how Oklahoma reeled in two key, and former, commitments in five-star receivers Arjei Henderson and Theo Wease. What hasn't had as much discussion is that Oklahoma landed a third former commitment when Derek Green rejoined Oklahoma's commitment list and does so at a key position for the Sooners 2019 class.

After an early decision, based largely on his relationship with Ruffin McNeill, Green backed away and had announced a top three of Oklahoma, Georgia, and Tennessee. From that point forward the Sooners seemed to be a bit in limbo.

Green may not have expected himself to commit on the trip but he admits he wasn't surprised it happened.

"I didn’t know it was going to happen but I wasn’t really surprised that it could happen," Green said. "Knowing the coaching staff and how everyone is around there, I kind of lost the feel and I got it back and realized that’s where I want to be. Being 19-hours away you want to have people like coach Ruff and coach (Lincoln) Riley that you can trust.

"When you go to these other schools, these guys will talk to you about football. They just bang your head with ‘football, football, football’ as son as I saw (McNeill) there was no football being talked. He was making sure my family was doing good, asking how I as doing in track and said that no matter where I got he was always going to stay in contact with me. Instead of him just being in contact with me, why not play for him?

Though Green knew he had a special relationship with McNeill and Riley it was the chance to spend some time around a couple of Oklahoma's class of 2018 defensive lineman that really seemed to have turned him onto the idea of being a Sooner.

"I talked to (Ronnie Perkins and Jordan Kelley) a little bit prior and everything was just smooth and we hung out and relaxed. They just started me like a little brother. Ronnie was my host, I saw Jordan at the spring game and we just started talking.

"Ronnie told me, 'of course the pace of the game is different but being there, the coaches are going to coach you hard but they are going to love you hard and make sure you are taken care of. They are going to push you in practice and make sure you are ready'."

Even beyond the obvious relationships encountered by the nation's No. 26 defensive tackle there were others during his visit that helped sell him on the idea of joining the Sooner ranks.

"It was the whole family feel, wherever I go, people are talking. Some fans you go to each other’s schools, you’ll hear stuff like ‘if you don’t want to come here you may as well go home’, you don’t hear that at Oklahoma," he said. "I got off at the airport and people were reading tags and they were like ‘oh man, that’s who you are!’ Everybody just treats you well."

As mentioned, Oklahoma hasn't been foreign to the idea of former commitments jumping back on board and for Green he was, like Wease and Henderson, compared to current Sooner star receiver Ceedee Lamb.

"(When I decommitted) everything was really smooth and they compared me to CeeDee. His was kind of different, but they said they were going to recruit me harder than they ever had and that they loved me and that meant a lot," Green said.

"I’m done, OU is where I’m going. I had a conversation with a few schools today that I won’t be contacting them anymore and that Oklahoma is where I’m going. They wished me the best of luck but Oklahoma is where I’m going."

Being 'done' is something that should help Green's social life as well.

"Everywhere I go, the store, softball, soccer games, people are always asking where I’m going. It could be people from the other school, I think them knowing that I’m going to Oklahoma and it’s all over will calm things down. They’ll continue to wish me well and support me," he said.

"I can focus on my team and not have to worry about the process anymore."

Green, who has always been somewhat reserved, says that now that he is fully on board with the Sooners, he has big plans for what the next two Oklahoma recruiting classes could be - and just what they could mean to the future of Oklahoma football.

"I’m trying to bring in as many as possible. Anybody that coach Riley or coach Ruff would like to have, any guys for NewWave19 or the 2020 class, I can try my best to help.

"It’s pretty easy to sell, I know what Oklahoma has to offer, and I know how they treated me. I know I can talk to someone and I’ve been to other schools and know how they work. They’ll know from talking to me that I’m telling them the truth. They’ll know how I talk about Oklahoma and how much it means to me.

"I can’t tell you what else is coming but we are, Oklahoma is, really building. The defense is getting better but by the time we’re done the ’19 class and 2020 class are going have Oklahoma on the move.

"It’s going to be one of the most feared defenses in college football."