Just a day after five-star linebacker [autotag]Sammy Brown[/autotag], the No. 14 overall prospect, committed to Clemson, the Sooners are working on what is next.
This is the second big piece at linebacker the Sooners were hoping to land who chose to play elsewhere. Four-star [autotag]Peyton Pierce[/autotag] committed to Ohio State.
We know the Sooners are still in contact with Pierce, so a flip is possible.
Could a flip also be possible for Brown? It’s possible but unlikely. As of right now, he’s scheduled to be in Norman for the ChampU BBQ, but it’s unclear if he has canceled that visit.
Now, would Brent Venables recruit against his old team after a player has committed there? He previously didn’t, but I think he would in this scenario since he’s now been gone for a little more than a year.
So, if the Sooners can’t flip either of those prospects, what do they do next? Some names we’ve heard are three-star [autotag]Michael Boganowski[/autotag], four-star Tyanthony Smith and, more recently, three-star [autotag]Easton Baker[/autotag].
None of those three bring the same hype as a five-star, but one thing Venables knows very well is linebacker play. That’s something I would trust him on regardless of a rating.
So let’s break down each player, starting with Boganowski.
Some people see him as a hybrid. He’s 6 feet, 2 inches and 200 pounds and lives in Junction City, Kansas, an area Venables has had success in. The main competition will be Kansas State. According to On3, the Sooners hold a slight lead.
When talking about Oklahoma, he told Rivals a week ago, “They are going to the SEC, and they have made it clear that I am a priority. Coach Brent Venables is a winner, and it would be cool to play in one of his defenses.”
Smith’s recruitment is going to be a dogfight. He’s a highly-talented player from Jasper, Texas. He’s 6 feet, 1 inch and 205 pounds. Several schools are after him; Texas and Texas A&M appear to be Oklahoma’s main competition.
[autotag]Baker[/autotag] is a 6-foot, 190-pound linebacker from Tooele, Utah. He has come up quite a bit recently. Washington State looks to be the Sooners’ main competition. He was originally committed to BYU and will be in Norman for the ChampU BBQ on June 16.
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