Class of 2008 gets started this weekend

With the class of 2007 on the verge of completion it has become time to look at the star-studded class of 2008. The Sooners will get an up close look at some of those prospects this Saturday as they play host to many of the top players in the class both from Oklahoma as well as Texas.

Leading that charge of prospects is of course current Sooner commitment, and future five-star defensive end R.J. Washington. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound pass rushing extraordinaire will be making his first visit to Norman since committing to the Sooners on Nov. 26. He has talked about taking some visits, and seems interested in finding this weekend just where things stand in regards to Oklahoma's comfort with those possible visits.

Washington will be joined by talented sophomore teammate Terrell Williams.

Unfortunately for the Sooners he will not be joined by Oklahoma first commitment from the class of 2008 Mt. Airy (Ga.) Habersham Central linebacker Daniel Franklin.

While Franklin's lengthy trip from Georgia was postponed so that the player and his family would be able to come to more games during the Sooners 2007 season; several players from nearby had no such concerns.

Some of the top local talent that will be attendance includes Midwest City's talented pair of athletes John Flanders and Hezekiah Robinson. The two may be in direct competition to be the state's fastest players on the gridiron, as both are not only gifted football players but also among the state's best sprinters.

While Flanders and Robinson battle for speed honors, Lawton Ike running back Harrison Jeffers and Booker T. Washington offensive guard John Williams will battle for Rivals100 status as well as potential Sooner offers this weekend. The two are among the state's most ballyhooed juniors, and Oklahoma has talked to both about offering in the near future and could use their first junior day as a great opportunity to do so.

Could a commitment follow? In either case it's not out of the realm of possibility.

Another of the state's top players has also long been believed to be a real candidate to be an early Sooner, Muskogee potential five-star wide receiver Jameel Owens. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound pass catcher has had college coaches excited since bursting onto the scene as a freshman in 2004.

Now his time has come and many figure him as a linchpin of Oklahoma's success in 2008. Owens is the type of talent that draws others with him, including teammate Stacey McGee.

While Owens is nearly a lock for the state's top honors, a battle is brewing in Texas between the afore mentioned Washington and Paris offensive tackle Stephen Good.

Thankfully for the Sooners Good will be in attendance this weekend, a weekend that will be of great importance to the Sooners as most expect Good to be committed before the end of the spring semester, and with a trip planned to Austin next weekend for Texas' junior day it could be the Sooners last chance to leave an impression.

Two other players who figure to compete for five-star honors are Van, Texas running back Jermie Calhoun, Gilmer, Texas two-way star Justin Johnson and Klein, Texas massive offensive tackle J.B. Shugarts. Calhoun is an explosive back that lives with the inevitable comparisons to former Sooner Adrian Peterson, meanwhile Shugarts is considered one of the nation's top 10 offensive tackle prospects so athletic that he's even seen ample work at tight end.

Meanwhile Johnson is the chief player that most feel will be among the Sooner ranks come Sunday, and with his relationship with many prospects both in Texas, Oklahoma, and even a few in Kansas he could play a huge role in how Oklahoma's class of 2008 comes out.

Three other names, among many others that are not as of yet known, to remember from this weekend are Argyle (Texas) Liberty Christian offensive center Ben Habern, Celina, Texas defensive tackle Troy Franklin, and Sam McGuffie of Cy-Fair in Cypress, Texas.

Habern is one of roughly 20 Sooner offers in the junior class while Franklin and McGuffie are hopeful of joining the group with McGuffie being an interesting prospect due to his respect among his peers, including Shugarts, in the Houston area high school ranks.

SoonerScoop.com will have full coverage of all of these prospects throughout the weekend and into next week as several potential commitments come up with the final say of their weekend in Norman.