For several years now Oklahoma has tried to find recruiting success at traditional Texas high school powerhouse Aledo with no real luck to speak of. So the Sooners are hoping to change their luck with a move-in from California, Rivals250 offensive tackle Chuck Filiaga. The massive 6-foot-6, 335-pound move in from Southern California has found a nice home with the 9-0, and No. 3 ranked, Bearcats and last weekend took an official to nearby Oklahoma.

And it seems that things went well with his second trip to Norman since the Sooners offered back on Feb. 2. And as Oklahoma hoped Filiaga was impressed by the changes since his last trip to

"I enjoyed myself at Oklahoma, being there a second time was really great for me. It was a chance to get a feel for it and with the new stadium that was under construction, and now that it’s not, it’s complete and it really is amazing," Filiaga said.

"It’s huge and the facilities within the stadium, it’s astonishing.

"The gameday was great, (it) definitely felt like the atmosphere was great."

Apart from the stadium reaching, largely, it's completion in his absence from Norman Filiaga also had a very different experience due to being able to be around the players on his official visit.

"Just actually seeing the players and talking to them after, my host was Cody Ford and I asked him questions about coach (Bill) Bedenbaugh and he spoke very highly of coach B and the guys," he said. "(Also) it was just being around the coaches more, and the football players. Getting their feel on how they feel about their coaches and they all spoke very highly of the coaches.

"I’m not trying to go to a staff that is fake with you when they are recruiting you and then when you get there they are different."

Filiaga was the lone official visitor this weekend which gave him not only ample time to be around Ford and the Oklahoma roster but the coaching staff who brought up a familiar name to Oklahoma, and offensive line, fans around the country.

"With me being the only recruit it was really nice, I got more time with the coaches, got to experience more of the stuff. Everybody being there, and the visit was really good," he said. "We talked about the lineman who have come from there because Oklahoma has been producing great offensive lineman – Trent Williams.

"Really though when I did have questions the coaches could answer it without the distraction of another recruit."

And what was the message of Oklahoma's staff?

"They definitely said that I could come in and compete, I just have to do the work, I’m looking for a place that can help me get to the next level," Filiaga admitted.

Filiaga, who will be announcing his decision at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Jan. 7, 2017, says that he is sure of one school that will get one of his two remaining officials.

"I've already visited Michigan and Oregon, Nebraska is next, but I don’t know the date," he said. "The fifth is going to be hard to decide, I’m definitely taking all of my official visits (though)."

But with three down the Sooners are clearly a school that has the relatively new Aledo arrival's full attention.

"They’ll definitely be up there but I’m still going to keep looking at the other colleges. So really I don’t know when I’m going to get down to five," he said.

Part of Oklahoma's perceived advantage has been their proximity to his, now, West Fort Worth area based family. And though he was joined by his mother and step father he says that his family has been clear that his choice will be his own.

"My parents definitely loved the trip but they do want me to go to a school, wherever I pick," he said.