Wanya Morris picks Sooners
The debate when it comes to the transfer portal is usually one of two options. Do you take the player at the biggest position of need? Or do you take the best player available and just make it work?
Why not both?
Because both is indeed the answer for Oklahoma as the Sooners land a massive transfer target that checks all the boxes as former Tennessee offensive tackle Wanya Morris announced OU as his destination Monday afternoon.
Morris will be a third-year sophomore after playing the last two seasons for the Vols. A borderline five-star recruit for the 2019 class, Morris has lived up to his billing and now we’ll see how far he can go under offensive line coach Bill Bedenbaugh.
OU has seen a lot of transfers in the last month, with all of them landing pretty well on their feet. What OU fans hadn’t seen was the other side, when were the Sooners going to take from the portal instead of always giving.
The last month had been a rough patch for OU recruiting. So many close calls with five-star prospects, leaving OU fans to wonder what in the world is going on? Where is the momentum that should have been there following winning its sixth consecutive Big 12 title and dominating Florida in the Cotton Bowl?
In particular, offensive line had become a question mark heading into 2021. The Sooners fell just short in their pursuit of five-star tackle Tristan Leigh (Clemson) for the 2021 class, and Adrian Ealy surprised some by announcing he was leaving OU early to enter the NFL Draft.
Morris now becomes the overwhelming favorite to take over at left tackle and lets OU fans stick out their chests once again.
When Morris entered the portal last week, it felt like a slam dunk for the Sooners. But as the week progressed, Texas A&M became the team to watch. The Aggies have been a thorn in the side for OU in recruiting lately, punctuated by five-star offensive guard Bryce Foster picking A&M last month.
Morris released a top three Friday evening, with USC joining OU and A&M, but almost everybody understanding it was down to the Sooners and Aggies.
Morris made trips to both cities (Norman and College Station) over the weekend. Despite the lack of contact allowed because of COVID-19 protocols, it’s clear Morris had seen what he needed to see with Lincoln Riley’s group.
OU was not completely unfamiliar territory with Morris as he did visit the campus during his initial high school recruitment, but that feels like ages ago.
The ability to close down the recruiting stretch has been an issue for the OU staff, but if ever one victory can silence critics, it’s this one.
It won’t be about wondering if Morris can adapt and become a productive member for the Sooners. He’s already proven that. If you believe OU is knocking on the door toward a potential shot at the 2021 national championship, you need production and not potential.
Morris gives OU just that. There are still some other positions where OU could benefit from portal help, namely running back and safety, but the addition of Morris crosses off the biggest position of need with the best possible player.
Check and check.