Riley and Kendall Had Several Connections

The news of Rivals100 quarterback Austin Kendall's commitment to Oklahoma on Tuesday shines as a ringing endorsement for newly hired offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Waxham (N.C.) Cuthbertson had a unique connection to Oklahoma's new offensive mastermind.

That connection stems from Riley's time in the same role at East Carolina. However, it's not simply the fact they once shared state lines but in fact Cuthbertson's head coach David Johnson also has considerable familiarity with the Sooners new playcaller.

"Coach Riley and I go way back; he actually recruited my quarterback . We have known each other since 2010," Johnson said. "When he started with Austin, before he and I had talked - he and Austin had communicated. Austin had passed me his number and I sent him a text. I didn't even set my phone down and he was calling me back.

"He put two and two together on who I was because we hadn't spoken in a few years.

"The biggest thing that stood out to me was he was the same guy I talked to on the phone that I talked to in 2010. Sometimes ECU to Oklahoma there can be a different approach, I guess is the way to say it, but there wasn't. He still seems like the same down to Earth guy that I met back in 2010.

"He doesn't blow smoke or give you smoke and mirrors. What he says is what he says, you can appreciate that."

Johnson and Riley may not have conversed in a while but that isn't to say that Cuthbertson's head man didn't remember Riley quite well. In fact knowing Riley as well as the nation's No. 27 overall player gave him a strong indication of what could end up happening in Kendall's recruitment.

" I think knowing what I knew about coach Riley from my previous interactions with him I knew him and Austin would hit it off," he said. "I knew once they started talking that it was going to be hard for another school to get Austin away if he got there - if he visited.

"I mean you are talking Oklahoma, you are talking about one of the top five programs in the history of college football, everything it has to offer. Coach Riley really pursued him hard."

That hard work paid off with Kendall, the nation's No. 3 pro-style quarterback, electing to take an unofficial visit to Oklahoma.

"When he came back from the visit I kind of knew in my heart what I thought it was going to be. But of course you know he has his own thoughts about things," he said. "He went and visited Auburn because he told them he was going to visit, Austin just feels like Oklahoma is the best fit for him and quite frankly I agree. Scheme wise and if he develops like I expect him to be Oklahoma is going to get quite a player."

That success, according to Johnson, stems from Kendall's talent as well as the chance to play for an offensive coordinator with a clear picture of his plan.

"I think that was one thing that was impressive, a guy that has a plan, he knows what he wants to and what he is looking for in a quarterback - what skill set that will work in his system and what skill system that doesn't," he said. "If he is recruiting you, you are probably able to throw the ball pretty well with that system that they run."

Kendall, who holds offer from Auburn, Clemson, Kentucky, and Miami (FL), N.C. State, and West Virginia, amongst many others, is a more than capable passer with more than a passing connection to Oklahoma.

Look for much more on the commitment of Kendall in the next 24 hours.