Chandlers Dream is No Longer Deferred

Not long before his eventual decision, rumors began to swirl that Miami (Okla.) Northeastern Oklahoma A&M cornerback Maurice Chandler was considering a commitment to Oklahoma. Talking to Chandler at that point in time there was some indication that the 6-foot-1, 190-pound three-star prospect was simply waiting for a chance to commit to Kerry Cooks in person.

The plan was for that to be taken care of last week with a trip to Norman. That's when Mother nature struck.

"I was supposed to but coach Cooks told me there was a lot of flooding around Oklahoma City. My mom didn't want me to go there. So I shot him a DM (on Twitter) and let him know that I was going to commit," Chandler said.

"He was pretty excited about me committing, had been trying to get me for a while - talking to me everyday, showing that loyalty. I've talked to him a little bit and got a feeling for what type of person and coach he was. Made me see that home was right for me, he really is the kind of coach who would take care of his kids and make me a better player."

Chandler, who was a highly recruited prospect out of high school, could have had a Sooners offer while at Lawton, Okla. if not for the academic concerns that forced him to go the junior college route.

"It was good, you can see them pursuing me a lot harder. I've been working with Mike Stoops - he has been telling me since high school, I just have to get my grades, it feels good to have that and have them excited and the whole staff excited."

That said it's not just his academics that have progressed since his time in Southwest Oklahoma.

"That's my position coach, coach (Maurice) Gray, he harps on that a lot - being a technician. Perfecting my craft, I came in as a raw athlete and him perfecting me. He made it about more than my speed, he has worked with me to be a technician," he explained.

"It's that comfort, coming in, (Cooks) gives you that confidence - he builds you up in all of those aspects, it makes me want to play harder for him and Oklahoma."

Unlike many junior college prospects simply in search of playing time the chance to play in Norman is something that Chandler cares about.

"It's just a big weight off my shoulders. The whole feedback I get from the hometown, it's pretty good. Having everyone support you, so much support from home.

"All I hear is 'Boomer Sooner'.

"It just feels, the quote I always say 'it just feels good to be home'."

With the reality of being a spring enrollee with two years to play two it's no surprise that the chance to compete for a starting spot early on was a big selling point for the Sooners.

"I'll be there in the spring," Chandler said. "They are losing Sanchez and are looking for someone to step in, they are young, they need someone to come in and be a leader, another guy who can lock down a spot, I have a good chance to come in and start.

"Getting there I'll be focusing on just learning coach Stoops' technique, his man-technique. The playbook I can learn that pretty quick - and getting that down first will help"

And with that situation setting up well for Chandler he says that he is locked in on his future being in Norman.

"I haven't talked to anybody, setting up visits, trying to get that out of my head, trying to get these grades right - that's my biggest plan right now. Trying to get the weight off my shoulders," he said.

Chandler's built in advantage is that he not only has a friend already on campus in former Lawton teammate D.J. Ward but the probable late July arrival of NEO teammate Austin Roberts.

"I know a lot of people that go to OU - I know a lot of people up there," he said. "I'm excited to keep playing with Austin. I don't know, we were playing with each other already and now we get to keep playing each other. When I told him I was committing, he told me 'I knew it'," he said.