It doesn’t take Lubbock (Texas) Cooper head coach Chip Darden long, not long at to think of the moment he knew linebacker Kobie McKinzie had the potential to be something special.

McKinzie, a Rivals 250 prospect for the 2022 class, has been committed to Oklahoma since January. He’s been a name to watch, especially in the area, for a lot longer.

Even before high school. That moment, said Darden, was in eighth grade.

“He played as a slot receiver, and we threw a bubble to him,” Darden said. “He cut across the grain, hurdled a defender and stayed on the move. At that moment, a lot of our coaches went, ‘oh man, this kid is a little different.’ That’s when I really knew.”

Not uncommon for it be a jaw-dropping play that stands out. During his first couple years of high school, that’s what McKinzie was so good at doing.

Learning on the job, McKinzie knew one thing and that was how to make a play, how to make the highlight play that gets everybody talking.

Can’t say it didn’t work. He was a one-time commit to hometown Texas Tech, before eventually deciding OU should be his home after numerous trips to Norman and earning offers from coast-to-coast.

For McKinzie to take that next step, though, he had to figure out how to do the routine. Highlight plays are nice, but doing your job correctly every single time is always going to work out.

That’s what McKinzie is piecing together this season.

“You can see him getting more comfortable at inside every single game,” Darden said. “The plays he’s making now are always the highlight plays. He’s making that routine play more and more. He’s still making the highlight plays, too, but you can see how comfortable he’s getting.”

Last season was a period of transition for McKinzie. After initially starting as an outside linebacker, it became obvious a change had to be made. Simply put, said McKinzie, teams kept running away from his side.

A change to inside linebacker happened early in the year, and he never looked back. The MIKE position is what the Sooners are gunning for with McKinzie, and it’s obvious inside linebackers coach Brian Odom likes what he sees with McKinzie.

McKinzie said the same thing about Odom, especially considering what Odom was able to do with Kenneth Murray. After flashes as a freshman and sophomore, Odom helped guide Murray an outstanding junior season that eventually had him selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

“That shows, for sure,” McKinzie said. “If you look at K9’s sophomore and junior highlights, there’s a big difference in the way he got around the ball and was flying around and making plays. He was elusive, causing havoc all the way around the field. He (Odom) makes you a dominant player.”

On-field production couldn’t be the only reason, though. After committing to Texas Tech so early in the process, McKinzie had to step back and evaluate everything.

After the decommitment, it was a process. Figuring things out because the next commitment was gonna be the final one.

Following all the trips to Norman, McKinzie knew. The winning tradition is always going to be something OU can point toward, but McKinzie said it was Odom and Lincoln Riley and the genuineness of the program that won him and his family over.

“Coach Odom is the most honest guy you’re going to talk to,” McKinzie said. “I just love honest people. I don’t like people that lie. I won’t lie to you, so don’t lie to me. He’s always been 100 percent. Not selling me on something that can’t be true. He’s not saying I’m going to come in and start, but he’s saying if I come in there, work hard and do everything right, there’s a chance.”

As for Riley, it’s what McKinzie sees around the program

“If you look around with the players, it’s a different kind of bond they have with Coach Riley,” McKinzie said. “He cares about you a lot more than just being a football player. He’s a genuine guy. He’s small town people and genuine guy. Love him.”

McKinzie was contemplating trying to graduate early and be a member of the 2021 class. That won’t happen anymore, content with accepting he will be a mid-year enrollee for 2022.

More time at Lubbock Cooper and more time to show what a leader and all-around player he can be.

“He’s just a great kid,” Darden said. “That’s the best way I can describe him. “Easy to get along with. Acts right, does right. His personality. Those are the things that ultimately have made him so successful.”