No. 1 Sets New Mark
In terms of quarterback commitments, June 27 has been the odd date where things have always come together for Oklahoma.
It was June 27, 2015, when Chris Robison committed for the 2017 class that turned into #SoonerSquad17 and a No. 7 Rivals ranking.
It was June 27, 2017, when Spencer Rattler committed for the 2019 class that turned into #NewWave19 and a No. 5 Rivals ranking.
So it’s not June 27, but instead June 20 as the Sooners once again get ahead of the quarterback curve with the commitment of Bogart (Ga.) Prince Avenue Christian’s Brock Vandagriff on Thursday.
By beating Robison and Rattler to the punch by seven days, Vandagriff, the No. 1 overall prospect in the Rivals 100 for 2021, becomes the earliest quarterback commit of the Lincoln Riley era at OU and becomes the firm foundation for the 2021 #LincUp21 class.
It’s a limited sample, but what has been proven for OU is when you can get that quarterback nice and early, the entire class prospers from that point forward.
Look no further than receiver. With Robison in the fold, OU was able to snag CeeDee Lamb, Charleston Rambo, Grant Calcaterra and find a diamond in the rough with Marquise Brown.
See a pattern here? With Rattler in the fold, OU was able to snag Trejan Bridges, Theo Wease, Austin Stogner and then make a strong late push to earn Jadon Haselwood.
When the cornerstone piece is in the class early, the rest of the dominoes seemingly have a much easier time falling into place.
It doesn’t matter that Robison obviously didn’t work out in Norman because the goal in recruiting is to keep the class together and earn as high of a ranking as possible. Once they’re on campus, we all know those high school rankings go out the window, and it’s up to the individuals to figure it out.
The great ones do just that, while others fade away.
It’s sort of been the elephant in the room for the 2020 class as the quarterback question continues to linger with there not being a clear-cut answer. There’s trust in Riley, which he has earned, but it’s still a waiting game.
No waiting with Vandagriff, no waiting for 2021. Already with one four-star receiver commitment in Richmond (Texas) Foster’s Cody Jackson, adding someone like Vandagriff this early in the game will definitely make it a lot easier to keep Jackson around, too.
Not exactly breaking news here when you say great players want to play with other great players. Recruits gravitated toward the confidence that bordered on cockiness of Robison and Rattler. They gave you the impression you were missing out if you didn’t pick OU and play with them.
It remains to be seen if Vandagriff is that boisterous personality, but he’s definitely someone who could let his play do all the talking, if nothing else.
Great players want to play with great players? Can’t really top playing with the No. 1 overall prospect. The Sooners have that in Vandagriff, who now becomes the face of the 2021 class.
