Oklahoma’s recruiting lull came to a stop on Monday night.
Soon after Lincoln Riley sent out his patented eye emoji tweet signaling out a new commitment, in-state class of 2021 safety Jordan Mukes went public with his commitment to the Sooners.
A Choctaw, Oklahoma, native, Mukes became the fourth member of Oklahoma’s 2021 recruiting class. He joined another in-state defensive player in Ethan Downs in Riley’s 2021 class.
Originally, Mukes’ tape doesn’t show the high-level potential that Oklahoma garners right now in the secondary. After a report from Brandon Drumm of OUInsider.com that he just recently picked up football again as a prominent basketball player, his junior tape shines a lot brighter.
Here is what Oklahoma is getting in its latest commitment from the state of Oklahoma.
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LENGTH
Listed at 6-foot-4 and 192 pounds, Mukes clearly has the length that defensive coordinator Alex Grinch desires.
This is a defensive back whose arms hang down to his knees. Mukes utilizes that by getting his hands on receivers breaking into a cut in bump-and-run or lined up 10-yards off the ball. He knocks receivers off their desired route and creates an opportunity to turn his head around to make a play.
Grinch searches for speed, length and size and Mukes checks off everything but the top-end speed.
FRAME
Where Mukes ends up on Oklahoma’s defense will be a mystery up until he plays his first snap. Even then, I wouldn’t expect to him to stick anywhere.
The Choctaw, Oklahoma, native can easily carry another 10, 15 or even 20 pounds and maintain his natural athleticism. Mukes long arms and big frame could allow him to play from anywhere deep as the center field safety to being the nickel back.
Oklahoma director of performance Bennie Wylie’s body reformation program should treat him great.
ATHLETICSIM
When football players can really, really dunk on the basketball court, it is hard to stop watching.
What Mukes is capable of on a basketball court has no translation to his football prowess, but it does display a level of explosiveness and athleticism that hasn’t shown up on tape yet. This tends to happen with players who are still green in their fundamentals from not playing football for a long time and not getting the most out of their feet and hips.
This is the part that remains unknown on the football field for Mukes, but luckily, his basketball ground gives him the go-ahead on how much growth can be made between now and when his time comes for Oklahoma.
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