Oklahoma's recruiting has had the feeling of living under a bit of good fortune over the last 12 months and it's hard to ignore the relationship that Lincoln Riley has had with that good fortune. That reality may have been put in it's most clear light to date with Sunday's commitment of Manvel, Texas defensive end Kori Roberson.
Actually though Roberson announced his pledge on Sunday he made his plans plain to Oklahoma on Saturday evening.
His way of announcing came, again, by a bit of fortuitous timing for the Sooners head man.
"Coach Riley, I was thrilled with how good Oklahoma was, I didn’t expect it to be how it was," Roberson said. "I was talking to my mom and my dad about it and I said ‘I really love this pace and I think I want to go here’ and that’s when coach Riley said ‘anytime you want to commit you let me know’.
"I said ‘coach I want to commit right now’. He said ‘really?’ and I said ‘yes sir, sign me up'."
So what was it about the Sooners that made him think he was ready to make a commitment just weeks after picking up his Oklahoma offer?
"It just felt right, coach (Calvin Thibodeaux) has showed me a lot of love, the weight room, the locker room, everybody else, the players, they really convinced me that Oklahoma is the place to play at," he said. "Norman is a quiet place, where I can not get in trouble, can concentrate on my major [business] and play football.
"Coach Thibs is like a second dad to me, he talks to me everyday, sends me bible verses, talks to me about right and wrong. He is a great guy.
"(Also), it was the history and the tradition of Oklahoma, I feel like I can help them win another national championship."
Thibodeaux made the offer to Roberson without much hesitation and in spite of several other familiar names in Houston area recruiting not having yet jumped on board. According to the current three-star, part of the appeal for Oklahoma was Roberson's versatility and ability to fit into multiple roles within Oklahoma's various defensive fronts.
"They run a hybrid defense, coach Thibs he knows I’m an elite defensive line player so I can play the whole line. So we can play in a 4-3 and switch to a 3-4 and I won’t have to come off the field because I can play multiple positions," he offered.
When Oklahoma offered Roberson, on Feb. 5, they did so on his birthday and from that moment on the 6-foot-4, 265-pound knew he would be visiting Norman soon.
"Since day one when they offered me I told (Thibodeaux) I’m coming to your junior day," he said. "One, that was probably the best gift I ever got, to get an Oklahoma offer on my birthday that is something to remember.
"I was really waiting on my visit to commit, I just really love it up there."
Roberson traveled to Norman with his parents and sister and following letting Riley know of his choice the family made their way to Austin, Texas to see what the Longhorns had to offer. He left Texas's capitol confident in the previous day's decision.
"I just wanted to make sure I was making the right decision for me and my family and I just think Oklahoma is the place for me to go, get better, and go to the next level with."
In spite of the visit, according to Roberson there is zero cause for concern.
"I’m really closed down, I’m stuck to Oklahoma now. I’m stuck to it."
