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McCoy Sparks Interest from Top JUCO DL

Oklahoma sent out a flurry of offers to begin the week, but none were bigger (literally) than 2018 Independence C.C. (Kan.) defensive lineman Emmit Gooden.

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"Coach (Calvin) Thibodeaux reached out to me on Twitter over the weekend and told me he was going to offer me (Monday) once he came to see me in person. So he did."

The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Tennessee native is one of the most touted junior college linemen in the nation. In his first season at Independence, Gooden compiled 55 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.

In high school, Gooden was named Tennessee's Class-4A Lineman of the Year as a senior four-star recruit out of Brownsville (Tenn.) Haywood. He originally committed to Tennessee before switching his pledge to Mississippi State. Even though Gooden was forced to attend junior college, the Bulldogs planned to sign the talented defender once his stint at Independence was over.

However, Gooden threw a wrench in that plan when he re-opened his recruitment in January.

Since that moment, Gooden has seen his recruitment pick up with schools that may not have been that involved in the process out of high school, like the Sooners, who produced his most venerated NFL defensive lineman.

"OU is a one of a kind school. Very rich tradition and many great players have been through that program - like my favorite, Gerald McCoy."

McCoy was a two-time All-American and Lombardi Award Finalist at the University of Oklahoma before being selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the third overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. After two seasons stained by injuries, McCoy made his first of five consecutive (and counting) Pro Bowls after his first healthy season in 2012 - when Wooden was beginning his high school football career as a freshman.

The large and athletic Gooden saw in McCoy a similar style to the one he wished to emulate on the field as a disruptive nuisance constantly derailing plays in the backfield.

"When he went to his first Pro Bowl, I knew he was going to be my favorite player," Gooden recalled.

While the Independence standout holds over a dozen offers, including Alabama, USC, and the two schools he was previously committed to - Tennessee and Mississippi State - Gooden is set on just a trio of official visits as of now, despite previously mentioning a possible summer trip to Louisville.

"Georgia, Memphis, and Oklahoma are my only three."

OU has seen the resonating impact a player like Adrian Peterson can have on running back recruiting and now it appears McCoy could be paying the same dividends in sparking a connection with a highly talented JUCO defender.

"I'm excited to build this relationship with the coaching staff and can't wait to get to Norman."

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