Sooners Land Hendrickson Rivals250 Star, Again

There seemed to be momentum building for the Sooners in their pursuit of Rivals250 cornerback P.J. Mbanasor and that momentum looked set to turn into something tangible when the big corner made his way to Norman last weekend. However, the Pflugerville (Texas) Hendrickson prospect made his way back down I-35 without having made a pledge.

Then just a few days later proved that the talk of his leanings toward Oklahoma and a potential decision were more than just rumor.

"I called the coaches. They were surprised by it, they had no idea whatsoever, they were hoping I might do it while I was there. They were hoping like everyone else but they didn't know whatsoever," Mbanasor said.

"It was crazy, the staff was all at a little kid's camp, they were going crazy, and the coaches and stuff were around it was exciting."

Though there may have been talk of Mbanasor being high on the Sooners, his decision was not a foregone conclusion until his family had a chance to take a visit to Norman again. The family wanted to see some things up close and then compared their notes and thoughts on things when they returned home to the North Austin area.

"My parents came with me, it was important having their outlook on a couple of things, seeing how they see the academics, and seeing how their interest level related to my interest level," he recalled. "They win games all the time, they know how to produce defensive backs, they have a great staff, a great school.

"It's all those factors that separated them from the rest of the pack. They were my second offer, and they contact me the most out of any of the schools - Ohio State and Oklahoma have stayed in touch.

"Their input was definitely in there, we talked on the way home, and the couple of days since the visit, every factor, every possibility, they were excited and they were behind me 100-percent."

"Factors like that made this commitment make sense."

As Mbanasor alluded to, the pledge to the Sooners isn't his first. He committed to TCU in late January before rethinking things in March but says that in spite of his previous change of heart, don't expect anything of the like to take place with his current decision.

" I'm done," he said.

When it comes to the Oklahoma staff Mbanasor has come to know several staff members quite well but as much as the messenger it's about the message when he talks to Mike Stoops, Bobby Jack Wright, and Courtney Viney.

"We talk about development, footwork, technique, being precise and the steps that make you a great corner and win Thorpe awards," Mbanasor explained.

Though many might expect that Mbanasor, who now says he is working to be as prepared as possible for next month's The Opening in Oregon, has been heavily recruited by former Hendrickson teammate Samaje Perine that's not exactly been the case. However, the two have discussed the chance of being teammates again in the near future.

"[Perine] wasn't really working on me, he was hoping for me, but I would just say that I'm confident and tell him when I was going to visit," he said. "He told me what he liked about his visit. I talked to Samaje, told him how I was feeling and then talked to my head coach (Chip Killian) and make sure we were on the same page."