It's Report Card Time in Oklahoma

My annual reminder:

"In the midst of the week leading up to the Super Bowl, full of boisterous and unnecessary predictions, I'm reminded of just how nonsensical this aspect of the sports culture is. When did discussing the cultural sandbox, the funhouse mirror to our society, become an endeavor of tarot cards, crystal balls, and erroneously predicting the future? Even the most educated, experienced, rational, and researched pundit can miss wildly in their prognostications - while Paul the Octopus can correctly predict every match in the 2010 World Cup.

These recruits are human beings. They're people. Not just that, they're often teenage people. As a former teenager myself, I can verify that I'm a different person now than I was then and I'm assuming it's the same for most of you.

Attempting to have any confidence predicting how physical and emotional maturity will affect a recruit is an illusion. Judging a class is sometimes difficult to do even three or four years after they sign the dotted line, attempting to arbitrarily do so just a day after signing day would be asinine."

Now that that's out of the way, let's grade the 2017 Oklahoma football recruiting class.

Position Coach: Lincoln Riley

Key Returner: Baker Mayfield

Key Losses: None

Signee: Chris Robison

Mayfield being granted his senior year of eligibility may have actually been a blessing in disguise for Robison, who will now have an opportunity to gain a redshirt year under his belt and catch up on the head start of both backups Austin Kendall and Kyler Murray. The Rivals100 quarterback is already on campus and the more days he spends learning under Mayfield as an understudy, the better. Robison's leadership and playing style are both reminiscent of the cocksure gunslinger currently manning the helm in Norman. Lincoln Riley's quarterback meeting room just added another quality asset and possibly Oklahoma's next starting quarterback.

Grade: A

Position Coach: Jay Boulware

Key Returner: Abdul Adams

Key Losses: Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon

Signees: Trey Sermon, Kennedy Brooks, and Marcelias Sutton (athlete)

Oklahoma, even with their storied history at the position, may have never had a taller task in replacing both production and talent at the running back position with the losses of Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon to the NFL Draft. Nearly 3,000 yards of offense and 75.8 percent of Oklahoma's rushing production must be replaced and the good news for these incoming backs is it's a task that can only be done in the aggregate. Neither Abdul Adams nor Rodney Anderson can fully fill either running back's role, so all three of the Sooner signees at the position will have an opportunity to carve out a place in this offense. Sermon may be the most natural talented runner with his 6-foot-1, 221-pound frame and ability to run between the tackles, bounce it outside, and also catch the ball out of the backfield. Brooks is the technician of the group, his understanding of defenses, how to set up blocks, and instinctive vision allowed him to rush for over 2,800 yards in both his junior and senior seasons while at Mansfield High School in Texas. The 5-foot-10 junior college transfer Sutton will be put in more of a versatile, "athlete" position where the elusive back can get the ball in space on screens, sweeps, and anything really to get him in motion on the edge.

Grade: A-

Position Coaches: Dennis Simmons (outside) and Cale Gundy (inside)

Key Returners: Mark Andrews, Nick Basquine, Jeffery Mead, A.D. Miller, and Mykel Jones

Key Losses: Dede Westbrook, Geno Lewis, and Jarvis Baxter

Signees: Cedarian Lamb, Charleston Rambo, and Marquise Brown

If there was a position where Oklahoma needed most immediate help, it was wide receiver. Fortunately for the Sooners, they landed three four-star playmakers that all have an opportunity to come in and contribute right away. Brown is a versatile junior college transfer that can help inside, outside, and on special teams. Rivals100 receiver Cedarian Lamb and his 33 senior touchdowns make him one of the most explosive players in the entire country. Fellow top-100 receiver Charleston Rambo has been the most productive weapon for one of the Lone Star State's top programs for multiple seasons and was someone that the University of Florida was desperate to come in and flip up until signing day.

Bottom line, Oklahoma needed immediate playmakers and they went out and signed three.

Grade: A

Position Coach: Bill Bedenbaugh

Key Returners: Orlando Brown, Ben Powers, Erick Wren, Dru Samia, Bobby Evans, Cody Ford, Jonathan Alvarez, and Alex Dalton

Key Losses: None

Signees: Tyrese Robinson, Adrian Ealy, Marquis Hayes, and Creed Humphrey

It's rare for a team to return not only its entire offensive line, but eight guys with multiple starts under their belt. Outside of quarterback, there's likely no position where Oklahoma feels more confident than along the offensive line. A team never wants to count on true freshmen to come in and play in the trenches, so the Sooners will have the luxury of allowing all of his signees to develop in a redshirt year. When looking to the near future, Brown is a likely candidate to depart for the NFL after next season, and Powers, Wren, and Samia all only have a year in the program following 2017. Adding depth in the interior and a potential anchor at tackle were the main goals in this class, so being able to land three interior linemen all in the top seven of their position ranks has to feel rewarding for Oklahoma. You throw in a 6-foot-7, 282-pound Rivals250 offensive tackle from Louisiana in Adrian Ealy, that makes Bill Bedenbaugh a happy man today.

Grade: A

Position Coach: Calvin Thibodeaux

Key Returners: Neville Gallimore, Matthew Romar, D.J. Ward, Marquise Overton, Du'Vonta Lampkin

Key Losses: Jordan Wade and Austin Roberts

Signees: Isaiah Thomas, Zacchaeus McKinney, Tyreece Lott, and Troy James

There was a prize piece that could have set this group over the top, but it felt like things never quite came together for the Sooners and their top defensive line targets. Fortunately for Oklahoma, they should return enough along the front that Calvin Thibodeaux could afford to take chances on a few recruits that are just scratching the surface of their potential. The highest ranked signee is homegrown Tulsa (Okla.) Memorial Rivals250 defensive end Isaiah Thomas, who has been committed to OU since May. Thomas is a 6-foot-5, 230-pound lineman that is still learning how to transfer all of his natural talent onto the field. Fellow four-star Troy James was a late addition to the class, but the Louisiana native will be a bull the second he gets on campus. McKinney is a 6-foot-5 mountain that Thibodeaux pulled out of Texas and Lott was a talented in-state player from an area that has produced some of the state's best athletes.

It's an adequate class with plenty of potential, but there is still a feeling of something to be desired here.

Grade: C+

Position Coach: Mike Stoops (outside) and Tim Kish (inside)

Key Returners: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Caleb Kelly, and Emmanuel Beal

Key Losses: Jordan Evans

Signees: Addison Gumbs, Levi Draper, Kenneth Murray, and K'Jakyre Daley

A last minute addition of Tyler Taylor would likely push their grade up to an 'A' and if Jacob Phillips hadn't decommitted, it would likely be an 'A+' group. Despite the lack of cherry on top, the Sooners have landed a parfait of athletes that includes three four-star linebackers and a three-star Floridian with a Florida State offer. U.S. Army All-Americans Gumbs and Draper both impressed in San Antonio, but it was the Rivals100 California native that had everyone in the country talking following his performances in practices and the game. Gumbs, along with Murray and Daley are three tenacious outside linebackers with a high motor. The departure of Jordan Evans and the decommitment of Phillips also opens up a great opportunity for Draper to find playing time as early as 2017, especially since the Collinsville native is already on campus as an early enrollee. Although, Oklahoma sure would love more depth at inside linebacker.

Grade: B+

Position Coach: Kerry Cooks

Key Returners: Jordan Thomas, Steven Parker, and Jordan Parker

Key Losses: Ahmad Thomas

Signees: Robert Barnes, Justin Broiles, Tre Brown, Ryan Jones, and Tre Norwood

This was a group that was almost all but completed fairly on in the recruiting process. Rivals250 defensive backs Robert Barnes, Justin Broiles, and Tre Brown all committed to Oklahoma by St. Patrick's Day. Miami (Fl.) signee Trajan Bandy was also once a part of this corps before switching to his hometown Hurricanes. The Sooners eventually filled that void at cornerback just nine days before signing day with the pledge of Fort Smith (Ark.) Northside three-star Tre Norwood, whose track-star speed qualifies him enough for a late offer. Finally, Kerry Cooks partnered Barnes at safety with four-star wide receiver Ryan Jones, who Oklahoma coaches have referred to as a bigger, more athletic Ahmad Thomas. All in all, how can you argue with four four-stars in the secondary?

Grade: A-

Position Coach: Jay Boulware

Key Returner: Austin Seibert

Key Losses: None

Signee: Reeves Mundschau

Seibert has handled both kicking and punting duties in his first two seasons in Norman, making Reeves Mundschau the first kicker to receive a scholarship for the Sooners since Seibert in 2015. He joins previous kicker signees such as Garrett Hartley and Jimmy Stevens, who all eventually won the starting kicker position. Mundschau backed up the Sooners on the field as a senior by making every single extra point and field goal, including a long of 47. The New Braunfels product also averaged nearly 40 yards per punt with a long of 62.

As with all kickers on scholarships, though, Mundschau will be constantly fighting to prove he is worth one of those 85 slots.

Grade: B