An offer from Oklahoma back on November 9th ignited the recruiting process of Nolensville (Tenn.) defensive end Taylor Wein.

Offers from USC, Ole Miss, Missouri, and Virginia Tech followed, but in the end, the Sooners won the three-star's commitment following a weekend trip to Norman.

"It was the atmosphere and the culture," Wein said of his pledge to Oklahoma. "I think they have a great development program and they are going to do great with the class they have coming in. I think they are going to develop the heck out of kids and it's going to be great."

Along with watching Oklahoma earn a 28-13 win over Oklahoma State in Bedlam, Wein also got to spend a lot of time with the Sooners' coaching staff.

"Coach (Brent) Venables, Coach (Miguel) Chavis, and Coach (Ted) Roof - they all do a great job and are great leaders and men of God. They are great people to guide me and make me a better athlete and make me a better person overall."

"I got to spend a lot of time with Coach Chavis. I had a lot of one-on-one conversations with him and Coach Venables as well. They are just great guys and I want them to develop me and help me reach my goals."

Oklahoma defensive ends coach Miguel Chavis had been in contact with Wein for a while before extending an offer. He thinks the 6-foot-5, 245-pound prospect has all the tools to be successful coming off the edge in the Sooners' defense.

"They said I was a 'diamond in the rough,' Wein noted. "I didn't have the rankings, but I had the talent and the motor and the drive. They think I'm going to be very successful."

For Wein, he's elated to see his efforts toward becoming a better player on the gridiron translate to an opportunity to play big-time football in Norman.

"For me, it just meant that all my hard work paid off," Wein said. "I worked my tail off all offseason and throughout the year too. Being able to produce that on film definitely helped me in them making a decision to believe in me."

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OKLAHOMA FANS OVER AT SOONERSCOOP.COM