Sooners Report Card for 2015 is In
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The class of 2015 is now in the books and it's time to take stock of just what Bob Stoops and the Sooner coaching staff, that worked the last month of the recruiting process undermanned, brought to bear in a 24-man class. The group should close National Signing Day as the nation's No. 14 overall team with 14 four-stars, and 10 three-star prospects. Below we go position by position to grade just what Oklahoma's 2015 efforts yielded.
SoonerScoop.com's Class of 2015 REPORT CARD
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QUARTERBACK
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2015 Returnees: 4
Expected No. of Signees: 0
2015 Commitments: 0
2016 Offers: 3
Current Team Status: Uncertain
Top Signee: N/A
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The Skinny: It's tough to grade anything here as there really is only the choice to not take a quarterback. Oklahoma was always an unlikely landing place for the two quarterbacks it pursued most doggedly, Torrance Gibson (Ohio State) and Kyler Murray (Texas A&M). It's not that Oklahoma didn't pursue a few players but with their numbers and the reality that when most of the young quarterbacks made their decision the words 'sophomore Trevor Knight' were a buzz phrase around college football didn't help. This situation becomes one of the team's biggest needs in 2016 as the unit will preparing for the final season of Knight and Baker Mayfield.
REPORT CARD: N/A
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RUNNING BACK
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2015 Returnees: 7
Expected No. of Signees: 1
2015 Commitments: 1
2016 Offers: 2
Current Team Status: Stellar
Top Signee: Rodney Anderson
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The Skinny: There was a time when it looked like Gundy might get serious about a couple of running backs but as time wore on and the Sooners landed the Katy, Texas standout it seemed more and more they were fine with the idea of just one. And the good news is that one is Anderson a player who may have committed to a different style of offense than the one that looks likely to take the field next fall but one that fits the new scheme incredibly well thanks to his ability as a receiver and top end speed.
REPORT CARD: B+
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WIDE RECEIVER
>Position Coach: Dennis Simmons (reportedly)
Offers: 14
Uncommitted: 7
Rivals100 Targets: 7
State of Focus: Texas
Offers: 14
Uncommitted: 7
Rivals100 Targets: 7
State of Focus: Texas
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2015 Returnees: 8
Expected No. of Signees: 2
2015 Commitments: 4
2016 Offers: 10
Current Team Status: Solid
Top Signee: Dede Westbrook
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The Skinny: Obviously we're still leaving the 'reportedly' on Simmons' title for now even though there can be no doubt who will be Oklahoma's receivers coach next year. Beyond that this class had little to do with his work though he had targeted Dahu Green, and landed a commitment from him, while he was still the man at Pullman, Wash. Westbrook is a day one difference maker and John Humphrey has the speed to make an impact on special teams on a similar timeline. The final piece is A.D. Miller who has a lot of potential but may need some time to add bulk to his long frame.
REPORT CARD: B
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TIGHT END
>Position Coach: Jay Boulware
Offers: 9
Offers: 9
Rivals100 Targets: 0
State of Focus: Arkansas
State of Focus: Arkansas
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2015 Returnees: 3
Expected No. of Signees: 1
2015 Commitments: 1
2016 Offers: 2
Current Team Status: Uncertain
Top Signee: Dalton Wood
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The Skinny: It may have taken some moving and shaking but it's clear listening to Bob Stoops on National Signing Day that Oklahoma feels very comfortable with the man they got in Dalton Wood. The big athlete from Eastern Oklahoma has spent the past three years starring for McAlester at quarterback but will make the shift to a multi-tool role as a fullback/tight end/hback/swiss army knife. Wood is a big and broad body who could end up being one of the real surprises of the class but don't be surprised if he moves around until finding his positional home.
REPORT CARD: B
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OFFENSIVE TACKLE
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2015 Returnees: 6
Expected No. of Signees: 3
2015 Commitments: 2
2016 Offers: 11
Current Team Status: Uncertain
Top Signee: Dru Samia
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The Skinny: Oklahoma's two offensive tackle commitments are both of the high school variety and are both quality prospects who figure to help Oklahoma down the line. However, the inability to land a mid-term offensive tackle from the junior college ranks is the group's one true short coming. While Samia is a nasty prospect who figures to end up at right tackle or even slide inside to guard, Bobby Evans is a prototype left tackle who will be a good one down the line as he gets more distance from his ACL surgery that cost him his senior year.
REPORT CARD: B+
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INTERIOR OFFENSIVE LINE
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2015 Returnees: 5
Expected No. of Signees: 3
2015 Commitments: 3
2016 Offers: 2
Current Team Status: Solid
Top Signee: Cody Ford
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The Skinny: As much as any position on Oklahoma's roster this unit met it's needs both in an influx of talent but also a player in Jamal Danley who is already on campus and could/should compete for the vacated starting left guard spot. Ford is a massive pile-moving offensive guard with a nasty streak that seems increasingly rare in offensive linemen. The final piece of the puzzle is Dominique Hearne who hasn't played a lot of football and will need time to fill out but has great feet, athleticism, and thus upside.
REPORT CARD: A
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DEFENSIVE END
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2015 Returnees: 6
Expected No. of Signees: 3
2015 Commitments: 2
2016 Offers: 9
Current Team Status: Strong
Top Signee: Gabriel Campbell
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The Skinny: People will look at the star rankings and see the duo of Campbell and Kenneth Mann as a dissappointing haul but nothing could be further from the truth. The two future edge defensive lineman fit Oklahoma's scheme nearly perfectly and compliment each other well. The reality for both players is that there is plenty of work ahead of them to reach their potential but the good news is that potential most definitely exists.
REPORT CARD: B
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NOSETACKLE
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2015 Returnees: 3
Expected No. of Signees: 1
2015 Commitments: 2
2016 Offers: 5
Current Team Status: Strong
Top Signee: Neville Gallimore
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The Skinny: It's hard to think of a much bigger home run than the one hit here by Montgomery. Not only did he go to Canada to land one of the class's elite defensive lineman but reeled in another of the country's best in Jenks, Okla. star Marquise Overton, and kept him committed for over a year. The two, like most defensive lineman, probably need a year of redshirt to continue developing but both will play a role in the not so distant future.
REPORT CARD: A+
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OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
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2015 Returnees: 4
Expected No. of Signees: 3
2015 Commitments: 1
2016 Offers: 6
Current Team Status: Critical
Top Signee: Ricky DeBerry
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The Skinny: No one should look at the score below and take that as an indictment of DeBerry, that's not at all the conversation to be had. DeBerry is a big-time player from an area that Oklahoma recruits almost never so it's not hard to see how big of a land he is. However, Oklahoma needed a bare minimum of two outside linebackers and probably three considering that they will lose three of their top four outside linebackers following this season. Oklahoma fan find junior college linebackers to help but landing only one outside linebacker makes that a must and as such puts a lot of pressure on a 'make or break' type of recruiting cycle. If Curtis Bolton is indeed playing inside linebacker - Oklahoma will have two outside linebackers on it's roster this time next year outside of any class of 2016 recruits. It's only because DeBerry was such a big recruit for Oklahoma that kept this from being a cataclysmic issues.
REPORT CARD: D
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INSIDE LINEBACKER
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2015 Returnees: 5
Expected No. of Signees: 2
2015 Commitments: 1
2016 Offers: 8
Current Team Status: Solid
Top Signee: Arthur McGinnis
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The Skinny: The score here again, shouldn't reflect on McGinnis but the good news for Oklahoma in only landing half of the needs we felt they had coming into the season is that their needs weren't so pressing as their counterparts on the outside. McGinnis will be a really interesting storyline to watch as he has spent almost his entire career playing defensive line and even when he was standing up it was on the edge of the line of scrimmage. So how quickly can a guy with obvious athletic gifts learn inside linebacker? When he answers that question here is betting he'll find the field very quickly with his violent and aggressive style of play.
REPORT CARD: C+
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CORNERBACK
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2015 Returnees: 7
Predicted No. of Signees: 2
2015 Commitments: 2
2016 Offers: 4
Current Team Status: Solid
Top Signee: P.J. Mbanasor
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The Skinny: You name a spot Oklahoma needed to hit, they did it here. Big defensive backs to get after receivers at the line of scrimmage or come up and play run? Meet Mbanasor and Antoine Stephens both check every item on that list. How about a junior college cornebrack who could come in and compete for the spot opposite Zack Sanchez from the word go? William Johnson is your man and should be, if nothing else, quality depth behind some cornerbacks who have gained valuable experience the last two years. If you're looking for a flaw, maybe there isn't that elite top 10 corner in the country but again, that's nitpicking.
REPORT CARD: A-
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SAFETY
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2015 Returnees: 3
Expected No. of Signees: 2
2015 Commitments: 3
2016 Offers: 3
Current Team Status: Uncertain
Top Signee: Will Sunderland
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The Skinny: On the flip side it's nearly impossible for me to think of any flaws in this group. All three guys are diverse in their talents - making plays both against the pass and the run. Honestly Sunderland and Kahlil Haughton might be the most talented safety duo I can remember Oklahoma signing since at least Aaron Miller and Brodney Pool in 2002 - and I fully expect the duo to exceed the combined efforts of the skilled Pool and long-forgotten Miller. Add in the signing day flip of Prentice McKinney and it's a trio of safeties that memory struggles to find a comparison to amongst Stoops' classes since 1999.
REPORT CARD: A+
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SPECIAL TEAMS
>Position Coach: Jay Boulware
Offers: 1
Offers: 1
Rivals100 Targets: 0
State of Focus: Illinois
State of Focus: Illinois
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2015 Returnees: 1
Expected No. of Signees: 1
2015 Commitments: 1
2016 Offers: 0
Current Team Status: Uncertain
Top Signee: Austin Seibert
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The Skinny: Oklahoma has two jobs opening up and may have found a guy to take both roles on in the signing of Seibert. A guy with an absolutely massive leg Seibert has shined as both a punter and kicker and interestingly enough he was thought of as a kicker when he committed to Oklahoma but as time has gone on he seems more certain to batlte for the punting role as anything.
REPORT CARD: A