Sooners pick up new tight end for 09

Mr. Telephone man? There's something wrong with my line….

Yes, that was the song by New Edition back in 1984.

I know Bobby Brown and Bel Biv Devoe came out of that group somewhere along the way….

But on Tuesday night, the telephone man put us in touch with Lane Johnson, the 6-foot-6, 252-pound tight end prospect, from Groverton, Texas, via Kilgore College, that found a scholarship offer from Oklahoma out of thin air.

"It's been about the past few months," said Johnson of a whirlwind recruitment by Kevin Wilson and the OU coaching staff. "It's been probably since May. I went to Oklahoma State and visited Southern Miss, but the last few weeks is when (OU) saw me and got interested in me.

"I went up there, showed them my film and stuff like that. They were wanting me to walk-on at first and it was the same thing at TCU.

"TCU eventually offered me and once they heard that TCU offered me, then (OU) did too."

With so much emphasis on a pass-catching tight end to replace Jermaine Gresham over the last several months, the Sooners seemed to be at a standstill.

Xavier Grimble's commitment to USC seemed to slam the door on OU's hopes of landing a true receiving tight end to replace Gresham in the future.

But the memory of Joe Jon Finley, the former high school QB, wouldn't die as OU tabbed a tall, no longer lanky, high school QB to take over their duties as the tight end receiver of the future.

"I played quarterback and during the spring I was playing quarterback and tight end and I started subbing in and that's what I would play (at Oklahoma)," explained Johnson. "I was sort of under the radar and I came from Kilgore College and my head coach kind of knew some of the people up there at Oklahoma and he actually played there back in the 70's, so he introduced me to Coach Wilson and Coach Stoops.

"They knew me from high school and had seen some of my film and they knew me and liked me and they basically offered me, but when I was at Kilgore I had Southern Miss and Rice there but nobody has really heard of me because I'm not on anybody's radar."

The Sooners have taken a flyer on a player that has just one-year of junior college playing experience under his belt. He'll actually have four years to finish his final three years of eligibility.

The now-former quarterback will take over as a full-time tight end.

That means he's likely to redshirt during his initial season in Norman.

"I need to work on my blocking skills. I need some work on that," said Johnson. "More than likely (I'll redshirt)."

The Sooners aren't shot on tight end prospects heading into next season, so that could also potentially contribute to a redshirt season for Johnson in 2009.

With Jermaine Gresham returning for his senior season, the Sooners will have plenty of other capable players to fill crucial roles.

Brody Eldridge has already been recognized as an All-Big 12 performer, while James Hanna figures to be a capable substitute for Jermaine Gresham.

Marshall Musil and Gabe Ikard figure to be capable replacements for Eldridge and Matt Clapp in 2010.

But a lackluster crop of tight ends in the 2010 class could pave the way for Johnson's emergence in seasons to come.

"I'm just going to go in and compete and do what I can," said Johnson. "If it happens, it happens. I'm going to try and fit in right away, but if I have to redshirt, I'll redshirt. I'm just going to do whatever is best."

Only time and opportunity can determine what course Johnson's emergence will do for this Oklahoma football team.

But the inclusion of Johnson is a notable one, last-minute surprises have been few and far between over the years.