Mr. Washington Goes to Norman

Following his official visit Sooner commit Cooper Washington says it couldn't have gone any better. The Muleshoe, Texas product is in the middle of a big senior season in which he is starring at quarterback for the Mules but managed to make it to Norman for his first trip to Norman since his work at Oklahoma's summer camp.

"It was a pretty good weekend. Anytime I can get to go to Norman it's a good time. It is a place that I will be spending the next four to five years of my life," said the 6-foot-4, 225-pound weakside defensive end.

"I talked to pretty much every coach and shook their hands and then this morning my parents and I were able to eat breakfast with coach (Bobby Jack) Wright. He's got a pretty good personality," he said.

As for the weekend in which the Sooner nation saw their team struggle with the Air Force option attack it was a time for Sooner commits to build relationships, and none were more prevalent for Washington than the ones of his 2011 classmates.

"Max Stevenson and Nathan Hughes stayed in the same hotel as me. They got in on Friday night too so we were able to hangout all weekend. They took us through the weight room and down onto the field through the tunnel and then I was able to stand behind the defensive ends as they went through their pre-game," he said.

And despite the performance of the Sooner football on the field it was the walk through the tunnel that stuck out to the oversized signal caller.

"Me and Nate were actually talking about how it's not even a year away that we will be running through the tunnel as teammates and we will be going there," said Washington.

But for now he returns home to Muleshoe where, yes you read it correctly, he will be receiving snaps from center. And the pressure on Washington isn't slight as state championships are on the menu in Muleshoe.

"Yeah it's a little new (playing quarterback). I played there my freshmen and eighth grade year but it's a little different playing at the varsity level. I got to watch our quarterback my sophomore year when we went 15-0," he said.

"A lot of it has to do with how small our school is. Being so little we play every possession whether it be at quarterback, defensive end, waterboy or sometimes we even coach a little bit," he joked. "Very rarely do we come off the field which helps me stay in really good condition."

His success at quarterback through three games even had the West Texas talent offering his quarterback expertise to the Sooners' head man himself this weekend.

"I mentioned it to coach Stoops that I would be coming to play quarterback next year but he just laughed it off," said a laughing Washington, whose biggest game this year saw the Sooner commit pass for 272 yards while adding 54 yards on ten attempts on the ground.

When given the chance to throw or run the 'dual threat' knows exactly what he would like to do.

"I'd probably rather run it," admitted Washington. "It's fun running the option. We run a spread offense but we run the option as well."

And even though the likelihood that Sooner fans see him playing quarterback when he walks on campus are very minimal there is no question the Sooner coaching staff has an idea of where they would like to use him.

"It's pretty much set in stone that they want to bring me in at defensive end."

Following an open week that allowed the Washington family to travel to Norman. Washington and his Muleshoe Mule teammates return to the gridiron this Friday when they open district play against Roosevelt looking to stay unbeaten.