ChampUBBQ: What They Said
Oklahoma's ChampUBBQ had nearly 30 visitors, both official and unofficial, and plenty have weighed in with their thoughts on what the Sooners showed them during the big visit weekend. Each raved about his trip to see the first massive weekend under Brent Venables. We take stock of each player we've talked with and will continue to add as more word comes in.
The Situation: Evans is a player that looks very close to a decision with many eyeing the Georgia Bulldogs as the primary competition for Oklahoma though several others could play a role down the stretch.
What he Had to Say: "(The visit) was crazy. Everything, I mean from the conversation with coaches and players to talking to other recruits. The vibe was real. Everyone was genuine."
Reaction: Evans has been high on the Sooners for a while with this being his third trip to campus since being offered in the spring. The work isn't done but the Sooners felt slightly ahead coming in and may have built a little breathing room.
The Situation: Formby has always been pretty open to the recruiting process but obviously it's always a bit up in the air how OU is going to do for an Alabama product from the shadow of Nick Saban and with numerous SEC favorites.
What he Had to Say: "I really enjoyed the quality time I got to spend with the coaches but I got to spend significant time with Coach (Brent) Venables which stood out.
"Also I had a great time talking ball with the staff and watching film with Coach (Bill) Bedenbaugh. They have a great plan in place for the future of the program."
Reaction: Formby has always felt like a tough win but he definitely enjoyed himself in Norman.
The Situation: Many have felt Oklahoma has led for Green for quite some time and the Sooners did nothing to hurt their standing with him this weekend. He really enjoyed Nebraska as well and has trips left to LSU (June 10), Michigan (June 17), and Missouri (June 24).
What he Had to Say: "We weren't sure how much time we were going to have to spend with the people we needed to but they did a great job making it really personalized. I think one of the biggest things for me was seeing what a workout was like for an offensive lineman, they took us to an o-line/d-line workout and they did a great job."
Reaction: Green mentioned really liking his Nebraska visit but the Sooners still feel like a heavy favorite here.
The Situation: Hill, one of the nation's most coveted defenders, has been big on Oklahoma for quite a while but it's felt like everyone is chasing Texas A&M. The fact the Aggies look likely to get his final official visit doesn't do much to hurt that idea.
What he Had to Say: "Right now, they think I can play, SAM, MIKE, or WILL but mostly it will be MIKE. We talked about that, their scheme, and just all their NFL guys."
Reaction: Oklahoma has real work to do in order to catch up with Texas A&M.
The Situation: Howland came to the spring game, the point in time that he was offered, and has been big on the Sooners ever since. He is set to make his decision in July after some more trips to Iowa, Miami, and Michigan.
What he Had to Say: "I loved the weekend. Seeing the coaching staff again was great and being able to spend time with the players you get a feel for their side of football as well as school."
Reaction: Howland keeps it pretty close to the vest but the Sooners would probably be considered the favorite at this point.
The Situation: Johnson has been thought a heavy Sooner lean almost since he was offered in late April of 2020. Others are going to battle but Oklahoma has impressed him since Brent Venables' arrival.
What he Had to Say: "It was really, really good. There was so much good stuff, just the whole weekend was so awesome! I got to spend some time with several of the current players and also got to meet some of the other recruits. Coach Venables was telling us that he is concerned about developing the whole man, not just a football player. All of the coaches were all so pumped up and excited the entire time."
Reaction: Johnson will still want to take some visits but there's absolutely a feeling Oklahoma is in good shape here.
The Situation: Kirkland is one of the most enigmatic recruitments the Sooners are involved in largely because he has so many schools who feel they are legit contenders. In-state schools like Miami and Florida have been discussed along with Alabama and Michigan State but the Sooners have long been legitimate contenders.
What he Had to Say: "(The visit was) surreal."
Reaction: Kirkland is still going to be a drawn out recruiting battle with upcoming visits to Michigan State and Florida amongst others. Still though it felt like the Sooners really hit a note with him this weekend.
The Situation: Omosigho is another that has long been seen as someone very bullish about Oklahoma. That said, expect more visits, including one to Florida on June 24 that could be interesting.
What he Had to Say: "(The visit) went very well. The family feeling was awesome to see."
Reaction: Some had thought Omosigho could be a sneaky possibility to make a decision over the weekend and while that didn't come to pass the Sooners are still, seemingly, in great shape.
The Situation: Smothers seemed a distant possibility coming into the weekend with many thinking some more regional schools were going to play a bigger role in his recruitment.
What he Had to Say: "(It was) AMAZING. The people there are amazing, especially coach (Brent) V(enables) and coach (Demarco) Murray - great guys."
Reaction: Smothers seemed like a longshot but the Sooners really made an impression and might be able to pull a steal here.