I Will Definitely Be Back
Oklahoma's 2020 linebacker recruiting may well be done with the commitments of Edgerrin Cooper and Brynden Walker in recent weeks but Brian Odom and the Sooners staff are already working on the future. One of the key pieces could be early 2022 linebacker offer Kobie McKinzie, who picked up an offer from the Sooners back on May 2.
The long-time Texas Tech pledge may be a ways away from his signing day but he took a rip to Norman recently with his family and came away beaming.
"I loved it, I will definitely be coming back to Norman," McKinzie said. "I just loved how everyone came up and spoke to me on this trip and how honest they were, it's crazy, I loved it."
"I went with my family.
"(They) loved it, it was beautiful down there we loved the people especially Annie (Hanson) and coach (Brian) Odom didn’t really see any other coaches because they were at home with family but I did meet Coach (Alex) Grinch and coach (Bennie) Wiley. I loved it, it was more than I expected."
McKinzie's trip began with a Friday arrival and ran through Sunday and the Sooners staffers, even if not at full capacity made it clear that McKinzie was a priority in their recruitment. They also took some time to explain where they see the highly athletic, 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker fits into Grinch's defensive scheme.
"They just emphasized how much they wanted me and they were really good people, I loved them," he said. "They see me at MIKE. (Well, actually) WILL he just said the MIKE has to know WILL and WILL knows MIKE so I would say one of those but mostly the MIKE."
Odom has picked up some recruiting steam with his two 2020 pledges and McKinzie can see the same things that the two future Sooners bought into with the former Missouri assistant.
"He’s a great guy he’s honest and he’s gonna get the best," McKinzie relayed. "And he’s gonna do his best to bring a national championship."
McKinzie, who also holds offers from Oklahoma State, SMU, and North Texas at this extremely early date, has plans to visit Texas and Texas A&M this month and is working on a visit to Norman. In fact he has a pretty clear idea of just when that visit could happen.
"I will be back for sure for the West Virginia game," he said.
So the inevitable question for McKinzie is where things stand on his pledge to the Red Raiders. Did Oklahoma give him something to think about?
"I’ll get back to you on that," he slyly offered about where things stood with his pledge. Regardless of what happens in the immediate future it's safe to say the Sooners are now a presence in the recruitment of the Lubbock (Texas) Cooper star.
