Last Spots for Last Line

The regular season is in the books for Oklahoma, and the Sooners are rolling with recruiting momentum. Winners of their third consecutive Big 12 championship and facing No. 3 Georgia in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, it’s now time to hit the trail.

That’s where Scoop comes in. All this week we've evaluated what we know and what we don’t know when it comes to OU’s defensive recruiting.

Today it's time for a defensive back group that we expect to end up with six to seven commitments, with five already 'in the boat'.

Tuesday: Defensive line.

Wednesday: Linebacker.

Lancaster, Texas DB Jordon Austin

The initial commit in the secondary is the one everybody is questioning. After a great #ChampUBBQ visit, most thought it was all squared away. Nope. No unofficial visit to OU this season. No official visit to OU this season. No mention of OU on social media. Is he in? Out? Dropped? Have to clear this up.

Tulsa (Okla.) Union S Patrick Fields

You could argue Fields is the MVP of the class. When things looked bleak in April, it was Fields rallying the troops together. When everyone else came back or found OU for the first time, it was Fields there welcoming with open arms. Fields was a bit injured for the majority of his senior season, but he’s someone who is not afraid to mix it up in run support and played well down the stretch.

Deerfield Beach, Fla. CB Miguel Edwards

Edwards was always an enigma because he says nothing. That’s not good. That’s not bad. That’s just Edwards. He committed in late-April, but you’d never know by following him on social media. A great official visit to OU silenced all critics wondering what was what. He’s locked with the Sooners, no issues.

Houston Cypress Falls CB Starrland Baldwin

Baldwin was a nice get for OU in the spring, especially with A&M on its heels the whole time. Unfortunately, a knee injury took away Baldwin’s senior season during the first game of the season. Baldwin has been vocal for OU on social media and has been to Norman multiple times and will sign Dec. 20.

Hempstead, Texas S Delarrin Turner-Yell

There’s always a recruit or two that some fans are iffy on, and Turner-Yell seems like one of those guys for 2018. It’s obvious defensive backs coach Kerry Cooks really likes what he sees, and Turner-Yell’s official visit was great. Might be a bit undersized, but it’s apparent both sides are still fully locked in.

Houston Cypress Springs S Leon O’Neal

What we know is this is one recruit Cooks simply won’t let get away. Committed to A&M for months, O’Neal made his decommitment official last week after Jimbo Fisher was hired. O’Neal has been to OU multiple times and had a tremendous official visit in October. Ol’ mo seems to be with OU.

What we don’t know is why O’Neal hasn’t made the jump yet and how big of a factor Clemson can be in this recruitment. The Tigers are legitimate contenders for just about anybody at this point, and it would be a huge blow for OU/Cooks to not land O’Neal after all the time and effort.

Owasso, Okla. S Josh Proctor (committed to Ohio State)

What we know is OU will do everything in its power to keep Proctor home. The best players in Oklahoma stay in Oklahoma. Cooks and all the OKPreps commits have been working hard on Proctor since his commitment to the Buckeyes in April. He made his official visit for OU’s loss to Iowa State but that won’t be the reason he doesn’t pick OU if it turns out that way.

What we don’t know is, well, just about everything. Proctor gives nothing away in face-to-face or phone interactions so there’s nothing to learn there. When you’re talking to clear second-hand sources, it’s hard. Multiple sources believe Proctor will eventually flip but nobody seems to really know why it hasn’t already happened and when it actually would happen.

Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy CB Brendan Radley-Hiles

What we know is the man known as ‘Bookie’ got OU fans in a tizzy back on his official visit in October. But if you believe he was one of the eye emoji tweets from Lincoln Riley, then you’re frustrated to still be waiting. OU knocked it out of the park on his visit. Longer the wait, the more things get muddled. OU’s ace in the hole might be his friendship with Sooners running back commit T.J. Pledger.

What we don’t know is whether Chip Kelly being hired by UCLA is the one thing that keeps Radley-Hiles home. He’s originally from California before transferring to IMG so he has Cali roots. Maybe the allure of what Kelly can do with Bruins trumps what is established at OU. Bookie keeps you guessing on social media so maybe you’re best bet is to just wait for him to make the call instead of stressing about it.

Bellflower (Calif.) John Bosco S Jaiden Woodbey (committed to Ohio State)

What we know is there was a considerable amount of Woodbey-to-OU talk throughout the early part of the summer before dying down a bit in the fall. Woodbey has never visited OU, and it’s hard to believe he’ll ever realistically be a Sooner if he never sees Norman first.

What we don’t know is whether he wants to visit OU at this point, or if he has finally reached that frame of mind where he is legitimately locked in with Buckeyes. Defensive back is a strange game to play right now for Cooks with targets and the numbers, going to be one heck of a ride to close out this group.