- Messages
- 30,265
- Reaction score
- 73
Just a few weeks after the signing of the 2006 football recruiting class, OU has turned its attention toward the 2007 class.
While the 2006 class helped add depth with the signing of 28 players, the 2007 class will focus more on a few key positions and top talent with the lack of scholarships available.
Josh McCuistion, associate editor at SoonerScoop.com, said he thinks that this recruiting class will end up with somewhere around 17 players.
SoonerScoop.com is one of the most in-depth Web sites about OU recruiting.
The number of scholarships available is never a sure thing because so many different things factor in.
While the scholarships of graduating seniors are guaranteed to open up, others open up due to players transferring and players leaving early to go into the NFL draft.
Last year was one of the most talented classes to come out of the state of Oklahoma and this year's class looks to rival that one.
Two Oklahoma natives made the top 100 players in the nation according to Rivals.com.
One of whom is Austin Box from Enid, Oklahoma.
Box currently plays quarterback and free safety in high school, but most schools are recruiting him as an outside linebacker.
The other is cornerback Ryan Broyles from Norman.
Location appears to be in the Sooners' favor, but it might be a 2006 signee that helps the Sooners the most.
Broyles' best friend Mossis Madu was part of OU’s 2006 class.
When talking about most important position for the Sooners to fill with this class, McCuistion said it is defensive end.
“With three players like Larry Birdine, Calvin Thibodeaux, and C.J. Ah You all graduating and no young player that is being talked about as the next big thing you have to think a premier junior college defensive end would be a priority,” McCuistion said.
Another high priority for the class of 2007 is the quarterback position.
The Sooners will look to grab one of the premier signal callers in the country as the heir to Rhett Bomar.
Some of the most important quarterback targets, according to McCuistion, would be Nick Fanuzzi from San Antonio and G.J. Kinne from Canton, Texas.
Kinne might turn into a two-team battle as Kinne really likes the Sooners and his mother is encouraging him to choose OU. However, Kinne's father recently took a coaching position at Baylor and this could factor into Kinne's decision.
As well as OU and Baylor, Kinne also holds offers from Alabama, Nebraska, Tennessee and Texas A&M.
Meanwhile, Fanuzzi currently holds offers from Miami and his father's alma mater Kentucky.
The Sooners are also in the recruiting chase for the quarterback who appears to be the number one-ranked player in the nation next year, Californian Jimmy Claussen.
Claussen has two older brothers who also play college ball, one at LSU and one at Tennessee.
Claussen's list of favorites is the who's who of college football, including Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, USC and many other top teams from around the country.
“Look for this class to be a bit slower in its progression. With so few scholarships to give out, Oklahoma can be a bit more deliberate in the way they handle things rather than throwing out blanket offers as they've done with some of their larger classes over the past few years,” McCuistion said.
No matter the size of their class, OU continues to bring in top talent from around the country each year and 2007 looks to be no different.
Source: OUDaily.com
While the 2006 class helped add depth with the signing of 28 players, the 2007 class will focus more on a few key positions and top talent with the lack of scholarships available.
Josh McCuistion, associate editor at SoonerScoop.com, said he thinks that this recruiting class will end up with somewhere around 17 players.
SoonerScoop.com is one of the most in-depth Web sites about OU recruiting.
The number of scholarships available is never a sure thing because so many different things factor in.
While the scholarships of graduating seniors are guaranteed to open up, others open up due to players transferring and players leaving early to go into the NFL draft.
Last year was one of the most talented classes to come out of the state of Oklahoma and this year's class looks to rival that one.
Two Oklahoma natives made the top 100 players in the nation according to Rivals.com.
One of whom is Austin Box from Enid, Oklahoma.
Box currently plays quarterback and free safety in high school, but most schools are recruiting him as an outside linebacker.
The other is cornerback Ryan Broyles from Norman.
Location appears to be in the Sooners' favor, but it might be a 2006 signee that helps the Sooners the most.
Broyles' best friend Mossis Madu was part of OU’s 2006 class.
When talking about most important position for the Sooners to fill with this class, McCuistion said it is defensive end.
“With three players like Larry Birdine, Calvin Thibodeaux, and C.J. Ah You all graduating and no young player that is being talked about as the next big thing you have to think a premier junior college defensive end would be a priority,” McCuistion said.
Another high priority for the class of 2007 is the quarterback position.
The Sooners will look to grab one of the premier signal callers in the country as the heir to Rhett Bomar.
Some of the most important quarterback targets, according to McCuistion, would be Nick Fanuzzi from San Antonio and G.J. Kinne from Canton, Texas.
Kinne might turn into a two-team battle as Kinne really likes the Sooners and his mother is encouraging him to choose OU. However, Kinne's father recently took a coaching position at Baylor and this could factor into Kinne's decision.
As well as OU and Baylor, Kinne also holds offers from Alabama, Nebraska, Tennessee and Texas A&M.
Meanwhile, Fanuzzi currently holds offers from Miami and his father's alma mater Kentucky.
The Sooners are also in the recruiting chase for the quarterback who appears to be the number one-ranked player in the nation next year, Californian Jimmy Claussen.
Claussen has two older brothers who also play college ball, one at LSU and one at Tennessee.
Claussen's list of favorites is the who's who of college football, including Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, USC and many other top teams from around the country.
“Look for this class to be a bit slower in its progression. With so few scholarships to give out, Oklahoma can be a bit more deliberate in the way they handle things rather than throwing out blanket offers as they've done with some of their larger classes over the past few years,” McCuistion said.
No matter the size of their class, OU continues to bring in top talent from around the country each year and 2007 looks to be no different.
Source: OUDaily.com
