DrummBeat: Breaking down some of the bigger targets at ChampUBBQ
ChampU BBQ visitors on June 16-18th:
Three-star ATH Michael Boganowski - Junction City (KS) - Three-star on Rivals/3-star composite:
Oklahoma hosted Boganowski while his brother camped on Thursday. During that time I was able to speak with Boganowski's father, and the Army Master Sergeant told me, "We are sticking with the plan. These visits are designed to make you want to commit, but I want Mike to see everything and have all the information before making a decision."
So, as Sooners safety coach Brandon Hall and company work on moving out further in front, Oklahoma knows at this time they will have to hold off a midweek OV with Florida State and Bogo's last OV with KSU, where his lead recruiter also recruited Mike Sr out of high school the relationships are deep.
Still, I like the Sooners here as of now. One of the reasons for me feeling good about the Sooners' chances is that the elder Bogonowski told me that OU has been circled on the calendar for a while, and added, "This is one we have looked forward to for a long time because Oklahoma is an easy four hour drive and they have as good of a relationship as any with us. That goes a long way."
I don't expect anything this weekend, but early July could be an important time for Boganowski and the Sooners. This weekend could be the beginning, too, if they can hold off the local KSU Wildcats.
Sooners' chances heading into OV: 60%
Four-star S Jaydan Hardy - Lewisville (TX) - OU COMMIT - 145th overall on Rivals/4-star composite:
The four-star Lewisville (TX) safety is in Norman this weekend and Hardy has his recruiting hat on. With players from the DFW area like four-star DL Nigel Smith, four-star RB Caden Durham, 2025 four-star TE Davon Mitchell (from DFW but moved to Cali), and four-star OL Daniel Cruz, the Sooners commit will be in full recruiter mode while also enjoying his OV with Oklahoma.
Sooners' chances heading into OV: COMMITTED
2025 Four-star TE Davon Mitchell - Los Alamitos (CA) - 48th overall on Rivals/5-star composite:
2025 TE Davon Mitchell already has his commitment date set for July 8th, and with reclassification rumors (it's happening in the next month with a announcement) swirling, you start to understand where things are looking at TE in the 2024 class now for the Sooners.
That said, Oklahoma seemed to be battling Miami and Alabama for the TE's services, but with Miami landing some help at TE in 2024 it looks like it's now OU and Bama battling it out.
Mitchell lived in Bama before moving to DFW area, so with he and his family from there you can see why Roll Tide has been a big challenger. Still, the Sooners have really gotten to know Mitchell's family really well, with his father, Markot, visiting Oklahoma without Davon on several occasions. Add their relationship with Sooners QB commit Michael Hawkins and his family and you have to like where things sit with OU -- not mention the fact they are staying in Norman on their own dime for three days this week/weekend.
We will know soon enough, and the July 8th decision is right around the corner, but again, this seems like a two-team battle with OU looking like they are in pole position for now.
Sooners' chances heading into OV: 65%
Five-star DL David Stone - IMG Academy/Del City (OK) - 14th overall on Rivals/5-star composite
Stone is arguably the biggest target the Sooners have recruited at the DT position in over a decade — the last one being Gerald McCoy at.his caliber. Both are/were heralded OKPreps stars, but Stone moved IMG after his sophomore year. Even with the distance from FL to OK, it didn't matter once Todd Bates was hired, with Stone attempting to commit to OU three times with no avail. It wasn't for lack of trying, but those closest to him wanted to him wait it out. Since then, Stone has been to Florida, Miami, Oregon, Texas A&M and Michigan State quite a bit.
Of those listed above, it's Florida and Miami that has most around Norman worried when it comes to competition for the five-star DL.
Stone has taken an OV to both already, but he has also taken four unofficial visits to OU since he’s been back to OKC this summer (and that is the ones we know of). Obviously he has his official lined up to Oklahoma for this weekend as well.
I have a future cast in for Stone to Oklahoma and with the relationship he has with Todd Bates and the whole Sooners' staff, it's really hard to not see him in Norman. That said, I am far from discounting Miami and Florida, but with Stone in Norman for five days this week visiting OU, things do seem to be trending in the Sooners' direction.
Now, if the MSU visit doesn't take place, like some think may be the case (I have not confirmed either way), I might be even more on the side of Oklahoma being the landing spot come decision time for Stone.
Regardless, I will try and talk with him again after his OV and have more.
Sooners' chances heading into OV: 65%
Four-star DL Dominick McKinley - Lafayette (LA) Acadiana - 102nd overall on Rivals/5-star composite
Look, I think the Sooners are in a really good spot for McKinley. I won't deny that at all. I also think Texas and Texas A&M are players, but culturally it is so obvious that McKinley fits the Sooners more than anyone, including the LSU Tigers. You can thank Todd Bates for that, along with them selling him and his mother on the SOUL Mission. According to sources, they love the fact the SOUL Mission is a faith-driven mission that helps players with finance development, and so much more. That has been something McKinley and his mother have really clung to at OU.
Still, Oklahoma needs to blow away momma and McKinley to hold off the Tigers, in my opinion. I get that there isn't an official set up yet, and that he is deciding between LSU/Bama for that final visit, but the five-star is from "The Boot" and Oklahoma doesn't win those battles regularly or at all. Because of that, you just can't discount LSU, but as weird as it sounds, the Sooners are still in a really good spot as well. Maybe even could be at or near the top, with LSU still playing a little catchup after not having a DL coach for all of spring.
To back that statement up, I spoke to a source about that very thing and was told, "I can't believe I am saying this, but if there is a school that is going to beat LSU it's going to be Todd Bates and Oklahoma."
Will that be the case come decision time or NSD? Long way to go before that is know, but the Sooners are going to make a run and see if they can pull off a shocker come NSD. At this point, that's all you can ask for. But it all starts this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the ChampUBBQ.
Sooners' chances heading into OV: 40%
Four-star DE Nigel Smith - Melissa (TX) - 75th overall on Rivals/4-star composite
Four-star DL Nigel Smith has been to Ohio State and Penn State early on in the month of June, so with Smith still having Texas and Texas A&M left after is OV to Norman, this is the prime time for OU -- who has been viewed as the team to beat for a while -- to garner some separation and potentially close the deal with the four-star DL.
Now, I don't think Smith will do that on this trip, but the Sooners can give him a lot to ponder. Smith already will tell anyone that asks that his closest relationships are with Sooners DL coach Todd Bates and DE coach Miguel Chavis. When you add the logistics for his family, who are around two hours from Norman, things start to look even more in the Sooners' favor.
That said, Smith does have some connections up in the northeast and those connections, along with the Buckeyes and Nittany Lions DL history have made them more than two viable contenders. So knowing that Venables, Bates, and Chavis have their work cut out for them to make sure Oklahoma continues to be the perceived leader in the clubhouse.
Sooners' chances heading into OV: 55%
Four-star DL Joseph Jonah-Ajonye - Conroe (TX) Oak Ridge - 221st overall on Rivals/4-star composite
This was once a vey promising recruitment for the Sooners until JJA's "dream school" decided to come after the big-time DL. That "dream school" is UGA, as you all are fully aware of by now. The Bulldogs and Kirby Smart have really made a surge and taken the lead for JJA, and at this point, that lead looks almost insurmountable.
Don't tell that to Oklahoma, though. I continue to get the vibe, from sources around Norman, that Oklahoma has far from given up and still feels like they have at least a puncher's chance with JJA on campus this weekend.
I don't necessarily agree, but I did have one source tell me, "(OU) led each time he has visited (Oklahoma) and [they] are going to try and remind [Joseph] Jonah-Ajone why he had Oklahoma so high on his list before Georgia came calling and picked up their pursuit."
If Oklahoma can do that, then MAYBE the Sooners make a big move with the fast-rising four-star DL. I just wouldn't hold my breath, with UGA getting the last visit as well.
Maybe we will be wrong here. For you all's sake, I hope that is the case. Just not counting on it.
Sooners' chances heading into OV: 20%
Four-star RB Caden Durham - Duncanville (TX) - 159th overall on Rivals/4-star composite
This is another recruitment that OU fans have their collective fingers crossed that the Sooners end up winning this recruitment. The issue will if OU can land, not just his childhood friends and teammates in Xavier Robinson, David Stone, and Mykel Patterson-McDonald, but also some of his Duncanville guys like DL Alex January -- who is slated for a Party in the Palace visit as of now.
Durham is about "relationships" and he made that abundantly clear in a recent tweet when people were questioning why a guy of his caliber was visiting UTSA earlier this week. So, when you see how close those four are, and then you also see how close Durham is with those around Norman (where he used to live), along with the Oklahoma staff, you get a sense that the Sooners could make a strong move for the four-star RB and possibly jump or separate -- depending on how you feel things are trending -- away from LSU.
Speaking of the LSU Tigers, they have a really solid track & field program that is enticing to Durham at the moment. Oklahoma's track program hasn't been on that level, but it's getting better each year and that is something they push, along with his older brother potentially transferring to OU to run track as well. If that was to take place, you'd most certainly feel the Sooners would be a tough out.
At the end of the day, this recruitment is going to come down to Durham being comfortable with the staff, teammates, campus and his ability to play both football and T&F — NIL as well, obviously. It's the latter that is the biggest hurdle for the Sooners and it's something that OU is going to work hard on showing it's getting better at, and that the former few things listed are just as critical, if not more, when it comes time for a decision.
Sooners' chances heading into OV: 51%
Four-star RB Taylor Tatum - Longview (TX) - 62nd overall on Rivals/4-star composite
This one is hard to figure out. On one hand, you have Tatum stating that he is closest with Sooners RB coach Demarco Murray. On the other hand, USC has made a big splash and has also become a major player for Tatum on the baseball diamond as well. Some even feel USC may lead by quite a bit.
We aren't saying they don't, but we also feel the writing off of the Sooners by some was a bit premature. With Oklahoma, they will do all they can to try and land the Longview (TX) star RB and center fielder. Both sports will show their best sides and see if they can use the fact his family wants him a bit closer as well. If Oklahoma can hit on all the right chords, I think there is a world Coach Murray and OU become more than just a hat on the table.
Lastly, Tatum has Michigan as his last visit this month, so the Wolverines are also a player here. Will they be able to compete with two football AND baseball powers like OU and USC? That I just am not too sure of right now. What I am sure of is that this weekend is critical for the Sooners and we will know much more on Tatum following his OV in Norman.
Sooners' chances heading into OV: 45%
Four-star DB Mykel Patterson-McDonald - Westmoore (OK) - Four-star on Rivals/unranked composite
Oklahoma has had MPM on campus quite a bit over the last few weeks and things are starting to really surge for the four-star DB when it comes to OU. All of that was spurned on by a stellar camp performance earlier this month. After that performance, Oklahoma really heated up on MPM and even had him come in for an OV earlier than originally planned — which was during the season.
Finally, MPM has programs like Michigan State, Houston, BYU and UNLV pushing hard after him, but it feels like OU will be and is the team to beat at this time. That’s said, I fully expect the UNLV visit to happen next week and then things start to be narrowed down in July and August with a decision sometime within those two months as well.
Sooner' chances heading into OV: 75%
Three-star QB Samaj Jones - Philadelphia (PA) St. Joseph's Prep - Three-star on Rivals/4-star composite
Oklahoma has been adamant that they would like to take two QB's in the 2024 class. Oklahoma has one QB onboard in four-star and Elite 11 Finalist Michael Hawkins. Jones is the other and he's a QB that has been quietly sitting in the shadows and taking his OV's to Cincinnati and West Virginia over the last few weeks. Penn State is another program that is worth watching, but even with those three being contenders, it's the Sooners that seem to be feeling pretty good about things, according to a few sources with knowledge of Jones' recruitment.
Coach Jeff Lebby has been the ring-leader in Jones' recruitment by Oklahoma. The Sooners OC has made it clear to both Hawkins and Jones that he wanted two in '24.
Distance is also something OU has working against them, but with Jones being from Philly, that has ironically been a positive factor due to Jalen Hurts' success with the Eagles over the last few seasons. Hurts, and the Sooners’ playing style with their QB’s has been a recruiting bullet point for the Sooners as the two QB's from Philly have similar styles.
If things go well this weekend, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Jones start to work on shutting things down. That's at least something we are watching very closely.
Sooners' chances heading into OV: 55%
Four-star DB Devon Jordan - Tulsa (OK) Union - Four-star on Rivals/3-star composite
Jordan visited Okstate last week and the has the Sooners up this weekend for an OV. I really have continued to hear a lot of good things on Jordan and the Sooners' chances, so I will have a higher chance heading into OV than others.
Coach Jay Valai and safety coach Brandon Hall have been his lead recruiters. Both have put OU in a great spot.
Sooners' chances heading into OV: 75%
Four-star DE Jayshawn Ross - Liberty (MO) North - 112th overall on Rivals/4-star composite
We have broken this down all week.
Sooners' chances heading into OV: 70%
Four-star DE Zina Umeozulu - Allen (TX) - 169th overall on Rivals/4-star composite
Umeozulu is quietly one that OU may have a better chance than most think. Even with that being the case, Zu not ending up at Texas is going to be very hard for me to believe. Especially with the Horns getting his last visit in the month of June.
One thing I do know is that Miguel Chavis has done a stellar job with Zu. The four-star EDGE is also very close with Sooners QB commit Michael Hawkins and 2025 TE target Davon Mitchell. With one committed, and the other really looking at the Sooners pretty hard, that has been somewhat of a positive for Oklahoma in his recruitment. Still, can you see Zu lining up against his brother in the Cotton Bowl each October while they are in college? That is going to be the biggest hurdle for OU to overcome.
Sooners' chances heading into OV: 35%