Hicks: ‘Can’t wait another second to be a Sooner’

For most attendees of the #ChampUBBQ, it was their first go-round at the event. Wasn’t the case for Wichita (Kan.) Northwest defensive end Marcus Hicks.

Hicks was a major OU target at last year’s BBQ and goes to show that just because you didn’t commit to the Sooners right then and there, it can build that bond necessary for the future.

The four-star prospect committed to OU more than two months ago and is not looking back. With his second BBQ in the books, well, he knew what to expect.

“Last year, I didn’t really know what was going on,” Hicks said. “I was really going there to look at the facilities and see what was going on with the football program.

“This year I knew exactly what was happening. I was really excited about meeting my future teammates. These are the guys I’ll be spending the next 4-5 years with, so it was very cool getting to meet them.”

And not getting pied in the face.

“No, not this time,” Hicks said. “I got pied in the face last year. I learned.”

Sometimes you forget that despite the #NewWave19 guys being close, it doesn’t mean they all have a strong connection. Hicks being from Kansas and quarterback commit Spencer Rattler being from Phoenix means, yea, the BBQ was the first time they’ve met.

“Spencer Rattler, for sure,” said Hicks about who he was able to get to know better. “I knew of him, you could say, but we really only started talking that day. I could definitely build a friendship and connection.”

Was also a chance to get to know his stablemate in Manvel (Texas) High defensive end Kori Roberson. Right now, they are the two commits for OU at the position, and Hicks and Roberson were seen taking a lot of pictures together last week.

“He’s a really cool guy,” Hicks said. “He was. They all were. It was great.”

Hicks made the call in late-May, but OU had been putting in the work for a solid year before that. And Hicks certainly didn’t cheat himself, making one unofficial visit after another all across the country.

But in the end, he kept coming back to Norman.

“It’s the connections I have with the coaches,” Hicks said. “It’s a brotherhood atmosphere. They made me feel like I was a part of the team already. I really liked that.”

Leading the way in that is defensive ends coach Calvin Thibodeaux. Now in his third year as an OU assistant, it’s clear Thibodeaux is rolling on the field and on the trail. He knows who he wants, and he’s building the bonds to make it happen.

“He’s just one of those guys you can talk to,” Hicks said. “I can text him, call him and just talk about anything – not just football. That’s not something you a lot in coaches. He has become like a second father figure to me.”

With the BBQ wrapped up, Hicks is moving on toward his senior season. He said his goal is to put on as much weight as possible. He weighed 250 pounds heading into his return trip to OU. Although he’s trying to put on more weight, Hicks was told the 250 pounds is solid. Any additional work can be done once Hicks arrives for good.

When will that be? Don’t expect Hicks to be a mid-year enrollee. He’s got some unfinished business next spring.

“I’m going to come next summer,” Hicks said. “I want to do track as a senior. It’ll be hard, but that’s what I want to do. I can’t wait another second to be a Sooner. It’s killing me.”

Hicks said his initial thoughts are to take his official visit the first chance he can – Florida Atlantic weekend.