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Sooners SURGING After FULL CAMPING Weekend! | OU Football | Sooner Or Later (S2 E19) · Sooner or Later Sports

0:20
Yeah, I broke something, so we got everything going. We're up and
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running here on the Sooner or Late Sports Show. We got a special guest.
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We're gonna dive into all kinds of crazy stuff. I'm your host,
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Jay. Thank you all for pulling up here on the YouTube channel and listening
0:34
wherever podcasts are download and listen to while you're here. Please wipe your feet
0:38
like subscribe rate review, give us five stars you think you deserve it,
0:42
give us five anyway, and gifted so special guests joining us today. We
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got George Joy, the hardest working man in the industry right now because everything
0:52
went down when he thought nothing was gonna happen. So George, how you
0:55
doing on this beautiful Wednesday evening. It's been a an eventful day that I
1:03
was not dissipating. I told you guys before we came on here. I
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was like, I woke up this morning, I was like, oh,
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I don't have a whole lot to do today, kind of slow summer days,
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and of course a couple of arrests and spent most of my day on
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the phone with the police. So that's how that's how my day is gone.
1:25
That doesn't sound like a fun time and wait, did you also do
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like the background investigation stuff around like the Lincoln Riley allegations of a black issuev
1:36
driver around his house. Yes, I did do that. I forgot about
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that. That was that was like a year ago. I think that that
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all came out and I called Norman PD for that, uh to find a
1:48
police report, and they didn't have one or something. I can't remember what
1:51
exactly happened there. So that it's funny because the Norman PD and the OUPD
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they know who I am. And it's because I'm often one of the first
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ones to usually get a hold of them. If you know, I know
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you football players arrested. So oh wow, so they know you you arrest
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guy. Yes, they they were like, oh, hey, George,
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are you looking for Dion Perks. Yes, like we have your email on
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file and I said, thanks, all right, we lose we may Jay's
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tonight. I don't know if Jay is using He's got like a blast from
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the past type of an internet set up, but all right, Jay,
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I don't know. Did you switch your internet to T mobiles a little in
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the in the house crap network? Uh? Yeah, Cox has been doing
2:52
me dirty. So if y'all hear me. Cox has been awful. That's
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just that's that's literally what it is. Every Wednesday night I started go through
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hell with them. It's some really really just weird thing. But anyway,
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yeah, I'm back. That's funny. I'm glad that they actually have you
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on record and they're prepared to provide you with the details. I guess we
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may as well start and lead there since that's what everybody's talking about. It
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looks like it's Dion Berts as well as maccary Vickers. Do you I ish
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or misdemeanors. I know they haven't put too many details out there on him,
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so yeah, is that a bad thing for him? Go ahead,
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George, I'll let you lead us off on that. Yeah. So Dion
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Burks, we know for sure was a DUI. On June first, he
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was arrested by Norman p D. Which is a big difference because we'll get
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to OUPD here in a second. But he was arrested by Norman p D
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driving under the influence as well as speeding. I think he was going eighty
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nine in a sixty five, which is why he was pulled over. You
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know, my understanding is that you know he's not going to face a whole
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lot of punishment, at least that we'll see, you know, he'll be
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handling it internally. He could get suspended, we'll see, you know.
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With the season so far away, I don't really know. Like if he
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was suspended for the first game, it wouldn't surprise me necessarily, but I
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don't think that's going to be the case. I know that he was with
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the team this last week or so since his arrest, so I don't think
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there's any issue there obviously, just not a good situation. As for McCary
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vickers, I know there's a lot of speculation going around about why he was
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arrested. I'm just not gonna get into it just yet because I haven't gotten
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a police report. And that's been the tricky thing with him, is that
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he was arrested by OUPD early this morning, I think around two point fifty
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am on OUs campus, and so we don't know exactly. And the reason
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for that is when a player or anybody's arrested by OUPD, to get that
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police report, you have to go through the ou Open Records Office, which
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is just honestly a massive pain in the butt. Whereas when somebody's arrested by
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Norman PD, I can just call, you know, the public information officer
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and they'll give me the police report. I talked to the OUPD public information
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officer today and they were basically like, you have to go through open records
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and that could take several days. So it's a really ridiculous process. I've
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heard certain things about why he was arrested. I have a really good guess
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as to why he was arrested, but just because I haven't seen the actual
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physical police report, I'm just not going to say what his was. But
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I do know that he was with the team this morning for team meetings.
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He posted bond at I think like nine thirty am this morning, made it
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over to team meetings, and I'm sure we'll be spending some extra time Wis
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Shmidty as well as Dion Burk's over these next couple months. Yeah, I
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was about to say, this guy's gonna probably be what's gonna keep him busy.
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He's gonna be a Schmitty built guaranteed. Based upon the way things always
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go, they always end up just seeing Schmidty for a screw up. So
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we know that Schmitdi is gonna take care of them. The good thing is
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well one, I mean, burd situation happened what beginning of June, so
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it's been eleven days. And I guess that that kind of leaked out after
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the McCary Vickers piece came down. Is is that kind of how that got
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Yeah? I think it was because the district county court clerk or whatever didn't
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technically file the misdemeanor in the counts against him until this afternoon, and so
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in the system until then. And my understanding is that McCary the only reason
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it popped up, because it's not if you go looking in the police logs
6:49
or anything, it's not there. Uh. The reason is is because it
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was he was arrested by OUPD and my good friend Ryan Chapman over at all
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sooners. I believe it was tipped off and was able to contact o UPD
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and they confirmed the arrest but wouldn't say what it was for. So so
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that's why they I mean, it's just one of those things coincidence that both
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of them both the news dropped today. Yeah, it's very coincidental. I
7:17
find this ridiculous because I myself never drank alcohol while I was in college and
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so I just know, I mean, it's it's uh, I was definitely
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Uh it's a different world we live in, right, But yeah, it's
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been a while since we've seen any of this with Brent, with Brin's crew.
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Either it's been kept very very well or you know, nobody's really had
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anything. I mean, we had a bunch of weddings last year, and
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so you know, this is this is a little bit of a turn.
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But you know, it just brings up this question, George, do you
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think that do you think that we are now SEC ready and we can also
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put together an all SEC suspension league, like an all suspension team. You
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know, it's it's funny because, uh my coworker Eddie Rodosovich, the infamous
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Edie Redosovich, today was saying that, you know this, he's now going
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to place a bet on Oklahoma to win the national championship because of this news.
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But uh no, I mean, look, I think they you know,
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you never want guys having duys, do you guys are a very serious
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thing. You know. I think that Brent's done a really good job with
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the program in terms of arrests. You know, I haven't looked into it
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exactly, but I know, I would think that the arrests are way down
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from where they were maybe under the previous regime. You know, these are
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the first real to arrests that Oklahoma's had under Brent Vinables. Jalil Farouk was
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arrested last year, if you guys remember, but that was for unpaid parking
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tickets. So I don't really count that because that's just craziness. But you
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know, there hasn't been a lot of discipline issues, and you know,
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I think that Brent's done a good job with that culture, and so it
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is interesting to see how he's gonna handle this because, like I said,
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I don't really know if they're gonna get suspended. Obviously, they weren't kicked
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off the team. I didn't anticipate they'd be kicked off the team. But
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it is going to be interesting to see, you know, does he suspend
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them for part of a game, does he not suspend them at all?
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Is it just a schmitty situation. But I do think that it is kind
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of funny that people are now like, you know, oh, you s
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sec ready because had a couple of guys arrested. But again, you don't
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want these guys. There's too many. There's too many options out there nowadays
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to get arrested for duy, like, don't be stupid. You know that
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sounds about to say, Yeah, I mean you just get an uber,
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get a lift, have a friend that's gonna be designated d D for the
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night. You know, if you're especially hanging out with a group and it,
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you gotta be smarter. Especially I guess the thing that disappointed me when
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it came like McCary, Okay, he's young, he's gonna do something stupid.
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I mean, Dean, you old. You, you're a veteran in
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this game. You should probably know, especially being there Purdue. I know
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they drink up there, Perdue man. I've heard stories of people that have
10:09
graduated from there. They drank and it's cold, so of course they drank.
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So you you should know a little bit better. So I'm not gonna
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really try to bash him too much on that, but y'all go check out
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George's reporting on it. You follow him on the Expert where whatever's gonna be
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called nowadays, now they're hiding all the likes and so it's kind of taking
10:28
away some stuff. But go check out his page all the reports and reporting
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and everything's there as well as on the suit scoop, So I kind of
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want to talk football though. Like last week we had all the camps and
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everything as well as some visits, and it feels like we're moving We're moving
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well with some people, and it feels like this is gonna be a month
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where we potentially closed down his class. So, George, I got one
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question for you. First off, how big of a class you think we're
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gonna take. I'm because I know Venables said that he said it was gonna
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be a smaller one, but it feels like we've got at least ten in
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the chamber that we gon probably take. Do you think that that's too much?
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It's really interesting because when you look at the numbers, oh, you
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could take a bigger class if they wanted to. But I also know that
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they like to be pretty active in the portal in terms of maybe getting some
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experienced guys. So do you leave some of those gaps open? You also
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don't know how many guys you're gonna lose to the portal after every single year.
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And I think that they really like a lot of these guys in this
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twenty twenty five class, especially, I think on the offensive Line like.
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That's where it gets interesting because I think there's certain positions that you could say,
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Okay, they're gonna only take you know, two guys there, or
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they're only gonna take you know, three guys or four guys. I think
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there's like five or six offensive linemen that if they all just said, hey,
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we want to come to Oklahoma, O, you's not gonna say no
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to them, right the you know, Fasuses of the world. Obviously they
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have Ryan Foja in the boat like those type of guys, Heywood, Ty
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Haywood, like any If they are able to land any of those guys,
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they're gonna take them. So I know there's been talk about they want to
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keep it to around twenty two, twenty three, twenty four. If you
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told me ended up being you know, twenty six, it wouldn't surprise me,
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and that would mean that they probably landed some of those guys. I
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also think that there's some spots like offensive Line again, that they want to
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take as many as they can get. So even if they miss out on
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some of those guys I mentioned, don't be surprised if they go get some
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backup options even if they aren't the five star guys that you hear about all
12:37
the time. If they're a three star, four star guy, they're gonna
12:39
take him because they need bodies on the offensive line. Like that's just the
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reality. And the other reality is that they've missed on the offensive line recently,
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and so they need to land some of those high profile guys and just
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get more of them in the in the class. So I think they you're
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gonna see probably end up being a bigger class because I also know Brent that
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Brent wants to take as many guys as he can, and he still believes
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as much as they've used the transfer portal, like he still believes recruiting is
13:09
the lifeblood of your program. And I think that's the right approach. I
13:11
mean, you look at the best teams in college football. You know,
13:15
we'll see what happens with Ole miss and Missouri and those type of programs this
13:18
year, But the teams that are the most successful are still relying on great
13:22
recruiting classes. So I anticipate Oklahoma as much as they keep saying it's gonna
13:26
be a smaller class, that wouldn't surprise me, of course, Like if
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they if they end up only signing twenty three guys or whatever it is,
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that would certainly not shock me. But I'm certainly lean towards it's going to
13:35
be a little bit bigger than maybe what they said, and that doesn't mean
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it's going to be as big as the previous classes. I can't remember how
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many they said this last year. I think it was what twenty seven eight,
13:46
something like that. Like, I don't know if it'll be that big,
13:48
but it wouldn't shock me if they get to twenty five twenty six.
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No, that makes sense because real, real quick got passed to you,
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Koop, because it makes it make sense. FeH an offensive line because it
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did seem like beating Bow had a lot more interest in the offensive lineman in
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the twenty five class and even twenty four. Going through the whole cycle last
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year, that was the one thing I noticed it, especially like at the
14:07
tackle position. It didn't seem like we were really going heavily after the big
14:11
name players. We had, particular players we wanted, and then this one
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looks like we're going to after like every single big name and five star dude.
14:18
I think part of that is, like you mentioned that, I think
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part of that is this class is just better. This twenty twenty five yeats
14:26
is really good. And the other part that benefits in Oklahoma is a lot
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of these guys that are in their backyard. Whereas some of the guys that
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they were going after last year, there was only a select few of them,
14:37
right, So it's a smaller class in terms of talent. And secondarily,
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there wasn't a lot of guys that were like you know in Dallas.
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I mean, there's there's several guys in DFW area that they can go after
14:48
that they have a better chance at makes sense, Okay, So when I'm
14:56
you talked about the offensive line, and you know, you've got names like
14:58
a lot out there, fo j who I think ends up as a five
15:03
star. I mean, you've got to Haywood, Tisus, Rogers, Babolola.
15:09
We talked a little bit about that. But do you see the kind
15:11
of the same thing on the defense of like the edge position too, George,
15:15
because there's just so many names out there that we still are close.
15:18
Do you see the number game right there also with what we did this past
15:24
year, or do you think that eventually that Chavs and Bates and Venables are
15:28
an ali You're gonna have to come together and just find out like first come,
15:31
first serve type of situation. I think this one is similar to the
15:35
offensive line. I think that it like you can't get enough good edge players,
15:41
right like, if you can get Max Granville and some of these other
15:45
guys to jump in the boat, you don't say no. And so I
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think that they're going to try and take as many as those guys as possible.
15:54
Maybe it's a little bit more limited than the offensive line is, just
15:58
because you do have some young guys all already that you feel really good about,
16:02
you know, in your program. You know whether it's a Nigel Smith
16:04
or Dannya Koye obviously PG out of Borrowy, those type of guys. But
16:11
again, some of these guys at the edge again it's a really good class
16:15
in twenty twenty five that if you can get four or five of them,
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I don't think you say no. It's and it's the same with the interior
16:22
defensive line. It's not as talented of a group as the twenty twenty four
16:25
class. Interiorly, you know when you talk about David Stone and Jayden Jackson,
16:29
but those guys are so hard to come by that if you can land
16:33
them you take them, And so that's why again I'm leaning towards their class
16:37
is gonna maybe be a little bit bigger than what they've said, and some
16:41
anticipate just because like if they can get some of those guys, which I
16:45
think they're in good shape with a lot of these guys at least right now.
16:48
We'll see how it plays out. I just don't think they're gonna say
16:52
no. So defensive line wise, who do you like us actually have an
16:57
opportunity to land that we're pursuing, right I know, the Elijah Gibson's of
17:03
the world is one that I still like. That's a high dream, even
17:07
though he's taking a ton of visits, even being the usc UH commit and
17:12
I know George is really knocking hard. I've seen a couple of flips as
17:17
far as predictions, But who do you who do you like us have an
17:22
opportunity opportunity to land on that defensive line because it doesn't seem like the big
17:26
names we were we were after in the beginning are still lining up to today.
17:33
Yeah, it's it's gonna be tough. You mentioned Elijah. I mean,
17:37
I like where ou is with him, but that's gonna be really tough
17:41
there. Honestly, isn't a lot more names out there, just because,
17:44
like I said, interiorly, there's not you know, this isn't a huge
17:48
class and they've landed some you know, nice guys already. But I wish
17:52
I could sit here and give you a bunch of names. But that's a
17:55
Josh McChristian question, probably more than me. You know, I'm trying to
18:00
pull up his his uh scoop from this last week. But I just think
18:06
that it's a It's like I said, I think you're gonna see more guys,
18:08
maybe on the edge, like I, I don't really know where they
18:11
stay. With Max Granville, that's a guy that I thought that that they
18:15
had a really good shot with. I did too. He's what I was
18:19
thinking about like the most, Like I thought because him and Jonah Williams were
18:23
two that like at the beginning of the year, and it seems like a
18:27
tradition for us, we blow the socks off the first day we see them
18:32
and then it just we just slowly drift away. Yeah, and you have
18:36
you know, and I think is Cad trying to remember if yeah, Caid
18:41
h Pittsracks coming in. I think this weekend, past weekend, didn't he
18:51
Yeah, it was last weekend. It was just past again, and his
18:53
visit went really well. I'm pretty sure, you know, I think that
18:56
O You's got a shot at him, and he's kind of I mean,
18:59
he's it says here. I wonder if he's more of an edge guy than
19:04
than interior. I don't know how much more weight he could put on again
19:08
probably a Josh question. Yeah, But other than that, you know,
19:14
they haven't had a ton of guys that I would say are on their list
19:18
again there. I think that they've got quite a few in the twenty twenty
19:22
six class. You know. Joseph Terry, who is camping on Saturday,
19:26
was super impressive. I believe he's a twenty twenty six kid. And so
19:30
I don't think you're gonna see, like I said earlier, that twenty twenty
19:33
four class, you had those five star type of guys up front. I
19:37
don't think you're gonna see as many of those. And that's somewhat because of
19:41
just the talent that's in the twenty twenty five class. That's fair. So
19:48
we see the d I mean that one of the areas of you know,
19:52
defensive recruiting, A lot of people are confused on is the linebacker side we
19:56
think, you know, you got to think that there'd be a lot more
20:00
obsess with BBBND head coach. Is it just a numbers game? Because I
20:06
mean, looking at that room currently on the roster, I mean if you
20:08
are, if you're a top tier guy, like why would you go with
20:12
that much traffic out in front of you? Do you see that changing and
20:17
shifting a little bit in twenty six or what has Josh said about that?
20:21
I think twenty six is gonna be a bigger class at linebacker because, like
20:25
you said, when you look at what they have right now, like you're
20:30
anticipating as much as people maybe don't like the guy or don't think he's played
20:36
very well, Jaron Cannick, I still believe he's going to start at some
20:38
point, And I mean he started last year for half the season, but
20:42
like if he sticks it out another year, I don't anticipate he's going to
20:45
transfer, just because he loves Printvnables that much. And I also think he's
20:48
got the right stuff in athleticism and he's on the right track to eventually become
20:55
that guy and maybe replace Danny Stutsman after this next season, Kip Lewis,
21:00
we'll be back. Kobe McKenzie, we'll see, you know. I think
21:03
that he's gonna want to get on the field this year, and I think
21:07
he can work his way onto the field. But is he a guy that
21:10
maybe transfers. But behind those guys, You've still got Lewis Carter, who
21:15
I think is going to push for playing time this year. You got Samuel
21:18
ol Masigo, right, you still have Phil Pacchatti who is returning from injury,
21:22
but is a guy that they're really high on. Super big guy,
21:26
can run at his weight too. You bring in James Nesta in this this
21:30
freshman class, so you have a lot of linebackers. You're bringing in Marcus
21:34
James in the twenty twenty five class, who I think is one of the
21:38
more underrated linebackers in the twenty twenty five Yes, I think he's going to
21:41
be a stud. We'll see if they add a second linebacker in the twenty
21:45
twenty five class. I don't. I don't think so right now, but
21:51
you could see them take you know, three guys in the twenty twenty six
21:53
classes, because like I said, you still feel good over the next year
21:56
or two. But then after you know, with the Kobe McKenzie, Kip
22:00
Lewis, Jaron Cannick, those guys leave, you probably need to fill in
22:04
some of those spots. And that makes sense to because there's a lot of
22:08
numbers when it comes to the linebacker spot and the beauty of going into next
22:11
season. We talked about it here a few times on the show that when
22:18
ESPN redid their numbers for returning production next year, we're number three in the
22:22
country returning with eighty six percent of our production on defensive side, which includes
22:26
transfers. Right, so it looks like defensively we have no excuse to not
22:33
be a top defense in the SEC AM. I crazy and that thought,
22:38
no, But I do think people need to temper their expectations because as much
22:42
as I think OU's gonna take another leap defensively, there's been a lot of
22:47
talk about, well, they could be top ten defensively. That's gonna be
22:51
really tough because you look at the offenses they're facing. It's gonna be it's
22:56
gonna be a battle. But I do think that this can still be like
23:00
you can say this is gonna be a really good defense and also say it's
23:04
not as good as the two thousand and eight defense or the two thousand and
23:08
three, two thousand and four defense, or the two thousand defense. Like,
23:11
I think that they're more in that category of like, probably better than
23:15
the twenty fifteen defense, which was a good group, you know. I
23:21
think that this is a group when you look at the experience. You love
23:25
Danny Stutsman, obviously, Billy Bowman. Those are the guys you hear about
23:29
all the time. But I love the guys on the edge. I don't
23:32
think we're talking enough about those guys. I think Ethan Downs is someone that
23:37
is gonna have a really good year. I thought he had a really good
23:40
year last year, and we just don't talk about him enough. I think
23:44
our Mason Thomas is gonna be an X factor and he's a guy that you
23:48
know, all last fall camp all I heard was he was tearing him up
23:52
and practice until he got hurt, and so I anticipate him having a big
23:56
year. I think PJ really came on late in the spring, so you
24:00
want to see him continue that, you know, into the into fall camp
24:04
and then interiorally, I think going out and getting a guy like Dominic Williams.
24:07
I know they lost Jermaine Lolay, but getting Dominic Williams this spring was
24:12
massive because you can play him alongside DJ Terry And when's the last time Oklahoma
24:18
was able to play you know, DJ, a guy three hundred and twenty
24:22
pounds next to another guy that's three hundred and twenty pounds. And I'm not
24:26
saying they'll do that a ton, but you're gonna see packages with it,
24:29
and that's that's a nasty duo. Uh. And then behind him you've got
24:33
young guys like David Stone and Jaden Jackson who were over three hundred pounds.
24:37
And then it kind of becomes a toss up of you know, does a
24:40
Grayson Holton step up? You know, does a Devon Sears? Those type
24:44
of guys do you see them? You know, get into that rotation and
24:48
I'm missing somebody there, But I also a yeah, I think it's a
24:53
solid player. And then the secondary. I haven't even mentioned the secondary.
24:57
I think it's the deepest secondary o you's had in a long time they've got.
25:03
I mean it's so deep that you know, Woody Washington, I know
25:06
what he wants to play other positions, but I also think that there's a
25:11
chance what he wasn't gonna start at corner anyways, because you've got Genty Williams
25:15
back and if he's healthy, he's amazing. We've all seen that. Des
25:18
Malone is a guy that I think we haven't talked enough about from them getting
25:23
him in the transfer portal. I think he's gonna start at one of the
25:26
corner spot. One of the corner spots. Jakobe Johnson I think is a
25:30
future star. So I mean McCary Vickers. I know he was arrested today,
25:34
but I still like his potential. You know, I think that they've
25:37
got a lot of guys at corner and safety. I mean I could go
25:41
on and on, you know, Peyton Bowen, Robert Spears, shootings,
25:44
but yeah, I mean, look, I think this defense is gonna be
25:47
really good. Do I think they'll be a top ten No, But I
25:51
do think they'll be a top five SEC defense, which you can win a
25:53
lot of football games with. And funny you say that because if it ends
25:57
up top five in the SCC, chance to finish his top ten in the
26:02
country just because of the history around the SEC and defense. But the only
26:06
problem you run into is you're competing against the Big Ten, in which about
26:11
three quarters of that conference is terrible, and they always just prop up and
26:15
make everybody's defenses look a lot better than what they really are. But well,
26:18
and it depends too, like what statistic you're going off of, because
26:22
a lot of people want to say, oh, well, total defense OU
26:26
is only fifty something in the country last year, and it's like, well,
26:27
that's a really terrible stat because that just means you gave up some yards,
26:33
and like that's hard to judge based on how games go and big plays
26:37
and things like that. Like if you watched OU's defense last year, I'm
26:41
not saying they were great, but they were much improved from where they've been,
26:45
and they got stops when they needed to, they got big turnovers,
26:48
they turned those turnovers into touchdowns when Billy Bowman got his hands on the ball.
26:53
So I think that you have to look at the advanced analytics s and
26:59
p play all of those things, stop rate. Those are the numbers that
27:04
if you look at last year, oh, you had a lot of those
27:07
numbers in the top thirty, and they were really good this year. I
27:10
expect those numbers to jump maybe evento the top twenty. And to add to
27:14
that real quick past to you coop looking at the defensive officiency. And that's
27:18
the reason why I asked the question about the defenses, because they're in venables
27:23
only three stops that he's at from Ou to Clemson and now back you know
27:29
to Oklahoma, you know, Kansas State. I don't really count that because
27:33
he really, you know, cut his teeth here at Oklahoma's defensive coordinator.
27:37
His trend and efficiency moved from the fifties to the thirties, twenties to the
27:44
top tens within like the three year span because of all the additional experience on
27:48
the field. He did that as soon as he got to Clemson, like
27:52
literally the first year they were terrible defensively, next year you saw the thirties,
27:56
and then the year after that they're in the top ten. And he
28:00
had the number one and number two defenses as far as efficiency goes for like
28:03
a couple of years on the line. And so I'm noticing and that's when,
28:06
of course Sinnatis came. I'm seeing that same trend here. We went
28:10
from the fifties to the thirties and in some metrics we were like in fifteen
28:14
top fifteen or well top twenty. I'd say we're around fifteen. So I'm
28:18
thinking having this returning production, having this many people experiencing this system, having
28:22
people that can actually that actually knows the defense and can teach it to other
28:26
people, it seems like and I agree with tempering expectations, but it does
28:32
feel like we have the opportunity even though we are going to get some very
28:36
potent offenses coming up with Calender Boor's offense at Alabama, Josh Eifels at Tennessee,
28:41
you know, even drinks over there at Missouri, and then of course
28:45
Lane Kiffin. We're seeing some and hell you freeze, it's all offensive dudes.
28:49
Geez Louise, We're we are seeing the offensive guys. So, yeah,
28:53
expectations need to be tempered, But I do I agree with you.
28:56
If we can finish in the top five defense in the SEC, think feels
29:00
very much a success. Yeah, you just gotta like, you gotta look
29:03
at it. You gotta get stops. Like that's the biggest thing is you're
29:07
gonna give up some big plays in this league. You know, guys are
29:10
gonna have big moments. I mean, you're, like you said, you're
29:12
you're facing some really good offensive minds. You're also facing some really good quarterbacks.
29:18
You know, Jalen Milroe I think is a baller. You know,
29:22
Quinn Ewers. I know you fans an't like Quinn yours, but he's still
29:25
a pretty good quarterback, exactly exactly. So you just gotta get stops,
29:33
and especially stops some big moments, you know, fourth quarter. When I
29:37
was down in Destin talking to Brent for SEC spring meetings a couple of weeks
29:42
ago, he talked about, you know, they have to be able to
29:47
get stops in the fourth quarter, because he went and watched a lot of
29:49
the games and you said a lot of them came down to the last couple
29:52
possessions and he said the teams that one got stops. And so I think
29:57
that that's gonna be an emphasis you know this summer in terms of their conditioning
30:03
and making sure that when it does come to that fourth quarter, they're not
30:06
tired. And I think that again it comes back to they talked a lot
30:08
last year about that competitive depth, and they didn't have that in year one,
30:12
and you saw it improve in your two. I think you're gonna see
30:15
it take another step in year three, Like I said, there's so many
30:18
guys that you're not gonna The reality is there's gonna be guys that get hurt
30:22
during the season. You know last year is Justin Harrington, Jeni Williams got
30:26
hurt late in the year, Danny Stutsman obviously, like you feel better about
30:30
those guys behind them then maybe you did a year ago. And that's not
30:34
to say, you know, Kobe McKenzie, Kip Lewis, those guys,
30:37
you know, can I Walker weren't great, but they all those guys that
30:41
came in and stepped in in those spots all have a little bit more experience
30:45
or and are more ready for those moments. And so that's why I it's
30:48
not about just the guys that everybody talks about. It's about the guys that
30:52
you feel good that could come in late in the season when they're playing on
30:56
the road at Missouri, right. So that's that's why you feel a little
31:00
bit better about it than you did a year ago when attrition kicks in.
31:03
Now, let's a very good point, and that's that's why I like the
31:07
returning production being so high for us. It's not only the starters, but
31:11
you've got a lot of guys that got up at least two maybe three games
31:15
and they're sitting underneath their belt, plus all of those practices that because I
31:19
know when the team, when Venables first got here, you had him and
31:23
his coaches are the only ones that new the defense, so everybody had to
31:26
learn it. So we look like everybody was trying to figure out how the
31:29
defense works. Next year, you got about fifty percent of the defense knows
31:33
the defense and the other fifty percent are new and they're all coming in trying
31:36
to figure it out the same time. So last season people were teaching each
31:38
other. Now we're got to the point where ninety percent of the defense knows
31:42
the defense and we're teaching the new ten percent that's coming in and getting them
31:47
up to speed. So now that's that's a solid point there, Georgia.
31:52
You know, we have the joke the every time somebody says competitive death,
31:56
you take a drink, you know, right, So that's this is now
31:59
eighteen months old. We're into this, and it just blows my mind because
32:02
I was thinking about the other day and I was talking to a Sooner fan
32:07
lives in a different state, and he was like, I just find it
32:08
funny that you guys do that because it really is just a massive suspect about
32:15
just the program in general that we had no depth at all. So with
32:20
Brent really wanting to focus in on the fourth quarter and having to win that
32:23
fourth quarter, do you see him mixing in and out. I mean,
32:28
we were seeing thirty and thirty five people on defense playing in any game.
32:32
So are you do you think that that's what we're going to see going forward,
32:36
is more guys coming in, mixing a different you know, I got
32:39
to think that early in the year that's where you just go just get out
32:44
there because we want to see that happen. Yeah, I think that's not
32:47
going to change. It's going to be a lot like last year where you're
32:50
seeing a lot of rotation, especially upfront, and you see that you know
32:54
for most teams up front. But I think you're gonna see like last year,
32:59
they start of the year with about a six to seven man rotation on
33:01
the defensive line. By the end of the year that was down about four
33:05
to five. I don't think that's gonna be the case this year. I
33:07
think they're gonna try and stick to around a six man rotation. And I'm
33:09
talking just interior, like I'm not talking Edge guys like I think Edge two
33:15
they're gonna be rotating like five guys, which last year it was a lot
33:20
of Ethan Downs and Rondell Bothroyd. You know, Marcus Stripling got some time
33:24
here and there, but it wasn't there wasn't a huge rotation there. I
33:28
think you're gonna see a bit more of that. I think at linebacker that's
33:30
a spot that I think you're gonna see Danny a lot like last year.
33:35
I mean, Danny didn't come out a ton, but I think that Lewis
33:38
Carter's gonna get a lot of run. I think Kip Lewis is gonna get
33:40
a lot of run. Depending on who they play, you're gonna see Dessaun
33:45
McCullough in some different packages. You know, I didn't even talk about Cheetah
33:49
earlier. I'm really intrigued what they're gonna do there because I love Kendall Dolby,
33:53
but I also love Samuel Macigo and I think that that's a kid that
33:59
is gonna find himself on the field more next year because not only can he
34:02
be physical and come up and stop the run, he's also a guy that
34:07
can run and be someone that can cover. And so I think he's gonna
34:12
see the field. So you're gonna see them rotate, do some different packages.
34:15
I think you're gonna see them run more of a three three five at
34:17
times where you've got Danny Stutzman, Kip Lewis, and Desaan McCullough all on
34:23
the field at the same time running a different package, Like that's gonna be
34:28
where it's gonna get really interesting. I think Woody Washington is gonna play some
34:31
cheetah. He could play some corner, some safety, like you're gonna see
34:35
him all over the field, kind of being that fifth defensive back on those
34:38
long you know, third downs or whatever they are. And so I think
34:43
that I don't even remember what you asked me, but I there's just so
34:49
many guys on this defense, and the competitive depth drink is his rotations been
34:55
is the best it's been under Brent Vinnables. And that's a credit to the
35:00
way they've recruited not only at the high school rinks, but also in the
35:01
transfer portal. So, George, you spent time with Brent down there in
35:06
Destin. I bet that was a good time going around and because I know
35:08
you said, you spent a lot of time with him, actually, so
35:10
you didn't you get to really deviate and see any of the other coaches or
35:14
whatnot. The Jackson Arnold piece is one thing I'm really curious about, and
35:19
this is something I'm gonna start asking all y'all you I'm gonna talk to Colin
35:21
probably when I come up there tomorrow. I'm gonna ask him as well.
35:23
This is something I gotta get a better understanding from all you guys. When
35:27
it comes to the Jackson Arnold piece, it appears that well, let me
35:35
say it this way, Zach Ally is supposedly a straight up clone of Breadventables
35:39
all you all reported there, right, It's like similar intensity. He goes
35:44
one hundred and ten, one hundred and fifty constantly out there when he's coaching,
35:50
intensity, running plays and everything, and the beauty of it. It
35:52
appears that we're probably never gonna get an interview with him until like sec play
35:58
right, it feels like they're hiding him in the back on purpose, so
36:02
nobody right, hopefully the no so nobody thinks about him, and then all
36:07
of a sudden, we played Tennessee, you know, the defense really comes
36:09
out and then he comes to the podium and actually has conversation. Well,
36:14
if he is similar to a I lie breat Venables, I'm sensing here and
36:20
this is where I want to get from you as far as do you think
36:22
that this is gonna be what helps Jackson Arnold. I remember when we played
36:28
Tulsa. I've talked about this a few times. Played Tolsa. That Kevin
36:30
Wilson interview. I believe it was you that did this article. Can remembers
36:34
one of you guys over there school, and the conversation was how in practices
36:40
brit Vinables and Kevin Wilson would go back go at each other non stop.
36:45
They would just go at it to the point of Sam Brafford couldn't even move
36:49
the ball because Vinibles was abusing them with that defense. Do you see Ali
36:53
doing something similar to that with Latreill to groom Jackson Arnold to the point of
37:00
you, this is the best defense you're gonna see in the sec So you
37:02
better be good, get get yourself and get your licks now so that when
37:07
you play everybody else you're better. Because I feel like that might be where
37:10
we're going, since you know the the reviews are up and down, when
37:15
it comes to Jackson. I think that's what you saw in the spring.
37:19
I don't think they held back on Jackson, you know, and not to
37:22
say that they did last year, but he wasn't getting reps against the first
37:27
team defense, and you know, I think that that's why. Again,
37:31
like I think Michael Hawkins is going to be really good, but I think
37:36
everybody needs to take what they heard in the spring with a grain of salt
37:39
because he's not going up against the first team defense in practice every single day,
37:45
right, And we saw what it looked like when he did in the
37:46
spring game. Oh you wasn't able to move the ball very well and Jackson
37:52
Arnold was great, right, And Jackson Arnold I think really turned it on
37:57
in the last half of spring practice. I think offense in general really did.
38:00
And some of that's the offensive line just you know, wasn't there and
38:05
may still not be there just yet. But I think that the biggest thing
38:09
with Jackson is people need to be patient because I think he's got all the
38:15
tools in the world. He can throw it, he's accurate, he's athletic.
38:19
I think that he's a smart kid. It's gonna come down to decision
38:22
making. And the way you get better at decision making is playing football.
38:27
And so I think that you just have to wait and see how he reacts,
38:31
and it might take all year for that to happen, for it to
38:35
finally click. Like that's just something that a young quarterback has to go through.
38:39
But I think, to answer your question, they're not gonna hold back
38:44
again in fall camp because the easiest he's gonna see all year is gonna be
38:49
in fall camp, because they're gonna be playing teams, you know, during
38:52
the season. Not that they're better defensively than Oklahoma, but they're gonna be
38:55
throwing a lot of stuff at him that he's never seen, whereas he's seen
38:58
Oklahoma's defense. He is what Brent likes to do, what Zach Ally likes
39:01
to do, and that they're gonna throw curveballs at him and all that stuff.
39:05
But it's a little bit different facing your own team, facing guys that
39:08
you know, you know, I mean, he knows what Gentry Williams likes
39:12
to do, his tendencies in practice, those sorts of things. So I
39:15
think that they're gonna throw the kitchen sink at him and they're not gonna hold
39:20
back. And I think it's the same with Seth Latrell. They want Seth
39:22
Latrell, you know, to have as many looks as possible in fall before
39:27
he calls a game again for the first time, you know, since you
39:30
know, whenever he was the co oc at North Texas as well as the
39:36
head coach, like because he wasn't people people forget he didn't just call plays
39:39
at North Texas. I think he only called plays one year as the head
39:44
coach, so the first year or one of them, one of the middle
39:47
years when he got I brought in a new offensive coordinator or something like that.
39:50
But yeah, I know what you're talking about. So I think that
39:53
both those guys, it's gonna be one of those things. They're not gonna
39:55
take it easy on him. Brent's that's just not that type of guy.
39:59
Uh and I'm assuming Zach Ally is not either. So I think they're going
40:02
to do that as much as possible because, like I said, they know
40:07
that he's going to go through growing pains, and if they can get some
40:08
of those growing pains out early in fall camp, then obviously it'll help them
40:13
come season ahead. Coming from I mean, coming from the NFL, like
40:19
I was talking about you today with one of our USA Today sports guys,
40:22
and he's a big Denver guy, and I brought up your name and he's
40:25
like, I think I recognize a younger kid, right, And I was
40:29
like, well, I mean you're seventy five, so yeah, he is
40:31
younger. But but we were talking about just Oklahoma's set up is when when
40:40
you look at the NFL where that model of winning is a younger quarterback with
40:46
solid playmakers and a solid defense. So, I mean, is Oklahoma really
40:52
like positive reviews away positive reviews on the offensive line, away from expectations that
41:00
are just kind of lunatic, because I mean, I'm thinking the offensive line
41:05
kind of keeps us at bay. If the offensive lines, you know,
41:09
outlook was super positive or even just really good, I think, you know,
41:14
fans would be thinking national championship at this point. So can you what
41:19
are your thoughts about that? Because I mean Jackson does I mean, he
41:22
looks like Minie Brett Barr, like he just is going to go out there
41:24
and he's just gonna throw the ball. He's going to keep a cruising.
41:28
But does the great defense and great skill position actually make it so much easier
41:31
on Jackson? This year. I think the defense certainly helps him out a
41:37
lot because they I think they are gonna get stops and so they're gonna have
41:40
Jackson's gonna have a lot of opportunities to go score. I think the playmakers
41:45
also help him a lot. I mean, I mean again, Dion Burks,
41:49
I think is going to be a great player, you know. I
41:52
think Nick Anderson, I've heard that he's back full go this summer and his
41:55
has looked phenomenal in summer work out so far. Jaden Gibson, I think
42:01
he's going to take a big step next year. I think the tight end
42:05
room is is gonna be really good. At least they're gonna be more involved
42:10
than they were last year, and partly because Seth Latrell's running the offense,
42:15
and also because they just have more guys than just Austin Stagner, who is
42:19
the slowest tight end I've ever seen. So I think all those things work.
42:23
But the part that's hard for any of this to go, as you
42:28
guys know, is the offensive line. And I think the thing I'll say
42:30
about the offensive line is, and I've been very critical of the offensive line.
42:34
I've been very critical of Bill Beatambow. I think I said after the
42:37
Alamobile game that this was a huge year for him in terms of if they
42:42
can't figure it out, like what does his future look like at Oklahoma.
42:46
And I still kind of believe that because this is like he is really betting
42:52
on, Like he needs this year to just work at you know, around
42:57
average. They just need to be solid this year because I do think he's
42:59
gonna land a really good freshman class and it's eventually gonna come around and they're
43:02
going to be better on the offensive line. But they just this group and
43:07
I hear I'm kind of going all over the place here, but they are
43:10
going to be I think middle of the pack in the SEC. And like
43:15
you said, if they were in that top tier in the SEC, we
43:20
would be talking about College Football Playoff, which I still think they could make
43:22
the College Football Playoff just because their schedules so hard and they win nine games,
43:27
I think they could sneak in. But like that's the difference, Like
43:31
you can't just be okay to be a national title to contender. On the
43:37
offensive line, we saw the teams last year. Texas had a good offensive
43:40
line. At least they turned it on late in the season right, Michigan
43:45
was dominant up front. Alabama had a good offensive line, not a great,
43:52
but a good offensive line. Washington was really really good. I mean,
43:55
I think they won the Joe Moore. Yeah. So I think that
44:00
this group is gonna be better. I think there's some people out there that's
44:02
like, this offensive line is terrible. I don't think they're gonna be terrible,
44:06
but they're definitely not gonna be that Oklahoma standard that you're used to.
44:08
And I also still think though that it is gonna eventually come together and they're
44:13
gonna they're gonna do some things. Seth Littroll and Bill Beatenbau are very close.
44:15
They know each other very well. They're going to have some different things
44:20
in terms of running schemes, running more outside zone things like that that are
44:23
gonna maybe cover up some of the issues they have up front. I think
44:29
they're gonna do a lot of stuff with the guards because I think they feel
44:30
really good about their center and Branson Hickman, and also the two guard spots.
44:36
Uh, it's the tackle spot that you're a little bit worried about,
44:38
but you can cover that up in some schematic stuff. And so I think
44:43
that Seth Latrell and Bill Beidenbau are smart coaches. They're gonna figure that part
44:46
out. So I guess the answer to your question is I love the defense,
44:52
and I think they're gonna help out the offense a lot by getting stops.
44:53
I love the playmakers Oklahoma has. It's just can that offensive line hold
44:59
up and when the guy goes down? Because I really don't think like if
45:02
you have a starting offensive line of Michael Tarquin, Jacob Sexton, Branson Hickman,
45:08
Fabat, you we we Wiu and Uh Taylor or you know, Jake
45:15
Taylor or Jake Taylor, or you move Spencer Brown Jacob Dexton out to I
45:22
don't think Spencer Brown's gonna Spencer Brown. I don't think it a very good
45:23
spring. But at least that's harth it. But we'll see. But you
45:29
know, that's that's not a terrible starting five. I think you can figure
45:32
it out. So I think that they'll be better than I think the expectation
45:37
is so low right now for that group. They'll be better than the expectation.
45:42
But then they also aren't going to be you know, the twenty eighteen
45:45
offensive line, which makes sense. Yeah, the OEU Twitter or expert account,
45:52
you know, drop the typical the typical propaganda. And I saw gay
45:55
and hatchet in there. It looks like he's running. Yeah, he looks
45:59
he's we'll go and I think he's he's one of those guys that's maybe stepped
46:02
up as a leader and we'll see. I don't really know who he's beating
46:07
out on that offensive line, Like I said, I think they really like
46:10
the interior that they've got going right now. But I do think he's maybe
46:15
as a veteran guy has been pretty vocal, uh and is maybe maybe he
46:20
can be that mcaid mantower type, you know, vocal leader. Is that
46:24
does that just blow your mind in the fact, like mccaidemntower fat sunshine was
46:30
a curse word at the beginning of the season last year and we were begging
46:35
for him to get healthy and come back from the field last year like that
46:37
was it was just blew my mind. That was like what we're we would
46:40
be so much better if he was healthy. So what about what about kids
46:45
like ev L Brooks? Akin Kumi is still in the boot and you know,
46:50
still working on that piece. But do you see any of the incoming
46:52
freshmen really, you know, kind of hopping into that rotation because I feel
46:59
like I'm with you on the I think the starters could be a good offensive
47:02
line. It's just the fact that I think that we can maybe absorb one
47:07
injury, probably not two. Yeah, I look, if you're gonna pick.
47:13
If I had to pick one guy to possibly fill that Caden Green role
47:17
where they come in and maybe start as a true freshman halfway through the season,
47:22
it's Eddie peer Louis. And that's just because physically he's ready, Like
47:27
he's he's ready to step in and probably play some guard for you if you
47:30
needed to. Eugene Brooks is probably maybe a little bit, maybe a little
47:36
bit behind Eddie peer Louis. I could see him too, just because he's
47:39
he had a really good spring. Obviously he kind of rose there late in
47:45
his recruitment. Like he's a guy that I could see. But I think
47:49
it's Eddie peer Louis, Daniel Ack and Komi. I liked how he was
47:52
performing in the spring. I think he's, you know, going to be
47:55
a really good player. The injury, I think kind of set him back.
48:00
You know, he's still also learning a lot about college football. Being
48:04
from the UK, like he's never played even high school football at the level
48:08
that it's played in America, So I think that he still has a ways
48:13
to go. But if I had to pick one, I think Eddie Peer
48:15
Louis and and you feel good, like you said, you know, you
48:19
feel good about some of these young guys. It's just are they ready to
48:22
step in and play, you know, right away in this conference especially,
48:27
you'd feel a lot better. Like I would love to sit here and tell
48:30
you Eddie Peer Loui is ready to play in the Big twelve, because I'm
48:32
sure I think he probably is. I don't know if he's ready to play
48:36
in the SEC. You know, I think physically he's probably there, but
48:39
again, he still has a ways to go. And he wasn't here in
48:42
the spring either. Yeah, and a good thing with him and Isaiah Autrey
48:47
dan is there from SEC country, so they high school wise, at least
48:52
played against guys that probably went to a Georgia, went to Obama, you
48:58
know, got pulled nor up to a Michigan. Because going through Florida,
49:02
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, that's you know, the hot ground, especially
49:08
for your bigger players, right that's the one where everybody really is going after
49:12
your offensive lineman. So now that makes sense. I think epl is the
49:15
one that I was thinking was probably ready. I heard Brooks needs to lose
49:19
a little weight or lose the bad weight, get into more of a good
49:23
shape for his position, because like you said, he did rise. He
49:28
rolls up a lot of the rankings and he looks solid. But you still
49:31
gotta be able to move and be in the right conditioning to do that.
49:35
But hopefully with the Gary and Hatchett looking like he's full go, because I
49:37
know Venables mentioned at the press or after the spring game, which, by
49:42
the way, how excited were you guys when they were like, hey,
49:45
y'all come to practice, come check it out. It was awesome. I
49:52
love going to practice, you know. I saw the other day that Ohio
49:54
State's opening up their practice for fifty dollars their first four practices to fame.
50:00
If you want to pay fifty bucks and go see their practice. I sent
50:04
that to a couple of folks over at Ou and said, maybe you guys
50:07
should do this, because that would be awesome. And then you have the
50:10
jet, you'd have the jackwagons down south who were already hacking on OU for
50:15
charging for the spring game, so they've just hopped in and keep doing that.
50:19
The share the story, I don't know if anybody heard. Can you
50:22
share the Lane kip and fake phone story from Uh? Because when I was
50:28
mowing the yard and I literally stopped turn off the mower and stood up and
50:30
was laughing, and I probably looked like a psycho, but I just thought
50:35
that was pretty funny. Yeah. So I'm sitting in Destin, and the
50:40
way these meetings work in Destin is the media, which there's not a lot
50:46
of us there, sit in the hotel lobby and basically right outside the ballroom
50:51
just kind of wait for the coaches and got and athletic directors and all these
50:54
administrators to walk by. And then you try and grab and say, hey,
50:58
coach, you got you know, five minutes or whatever you know to
51:00
talk. And so it's like lunch break or something, and everybody's waiting to
51:07
talk to Lane Kiffen. And Lane sees this kind of congregating out on the
51:13
lobby, and right before he comes out, he like picks up his phone
51:19
and like acts like he's answering the phone, and UH walks right by us
51:24
and then as soon as he gets by us, I see it and he
51:28
there's nothing on his phone. He was not talking to anybody. It was
51:30
blank, and he just puts it back in his pocket and just keeps walking.
51:34
And I'm like, that's just typical Liank Kevin. I can all blame
51:37
it, you know, to us. He ended up talking to us,
51:42
I think later that day, but it was clear he didn't want to talk
51:45
to us in that moment. It's pretty funny. That's actually pretty good,
51:49
and that that is my go to move as well. Put the put the
51:51
phone up to the air and keep walking and pretend you don't see nothing.
51:54
Yep, exactly, just like that, exactly what you do to get away,
52:00
all right? Uh, Andrew Anthony, we got somebody in the comments
52:02
ask the question, how how confident do we feel that he'll him and Troy
52:07
Everett? Do we feel confident that they'll be back by Tennessee Tennessee? Yes,
52:15
I thought you were gonna say, started the season. I don't confident
52:17
first start of the season, just because we know Andrew's kind of had a
52:22
set back. I think he's been much better since then. He's starting to,
52:27
you know, go through someone workouts a little bit, which is great
52:29
news. I don't think he's a full participant just yet, but I do
52:34
think he'll be back and he'll play this season. You know. I think
52:37
he had another procedure done in the last month, which was good, clean
52:44
some things up, So I think he's doing well. Troy Everett. I
52:49
think what Brent said in Destin, you know when he was first hurt,
52:53
the hope was beginning of fall camp, right what he told me in Deston
52:58
was September. So and the home opener in the season opener is August thirtieth,
53:04
So I don't think and I think they'll be cautious with him, especially
53:07
now that you have Branson Hickman and you don't need to rush Troy Everett back.
53:13
And I think Kickman is going to be the starter anyways. But I
53:16
think he'll be back. I would say when is the Tennessee game September what
53:21
twenty first? Twenty first? Probably right around them. I think they'll hold
53:27
him out for a bit and maybe right around then, and he could He's
53:30
another guy that on the offensive line, you get him back. You know,
53:32
he's not just backup center, but you know he played backup guard last
53:36
year too, So you know he's a guy that it's just another good body
53:39
to have. Yeah, I'm glad to put us some way too, because
53:42
yeah, because him at guard that was that was kind of why you play
53:45
Kate and Green, especially against Texas, because Sweat was kind of giving him
53:49
the business because he was under three. He was just barely three. Oh
53:52
I actually wasn't three. I think he's just under three. Did you bring
53:55
Kate and Green? And Kate and Green abuses him and then of course he
53:58
decides to go back home. But yeah, I'm hoping that we can get
54:02
him. I'd say sec Is probably be the nicest. But the good thing
54:07
is, like you said, I mean still at Joshua Bates, who's learning
54:09
the calls and he's I think he'll be he'll be solid going forward. Heath
54:15
U Zata, I think he's got some opportunity. I think Logan Holland's probably
54:20
about another year and a half to two years down the line. It feels
54:22
like he's more of a play my junior play my senior year, in my
54:28
red shirt senior year type guy because it's he you know, transitioning from tight
54:32
end to tackle. He's got a lot to learn. But speaking of which
54:36
I think it's PG I was talking to about that. Couldn't we just move
54:42
Holland over to like an h back or something. I mean, he has
54:44
tight end experience, because now is he too big? He's like three three
54:51
hundred pounds, and I've heard he's actually been really good at tackle, Okay,
54:55
to the point that it wouldn't shock me if he's like the backup leftowt
55:00
this year, especially with Sexton moving inside or Sexton possibly playing some right tackle
55:06
if Jake Taylor doesn't win that job, like I think Hallan could maybe be
55:10
your backup left tackle next year. I they love his potential tackle, So
55:15
let's tall tight ends then Bowers sharp everybody saw my high lead is he's looking
55:22
at Jake Roberts. Both of them were grated very high by PFF for receiving
55:29
last season. Of course, Jake Roberts is oldestef the trail guy played at
55:32
North Texas underneath him left as soon as he got fired, went to Baylor,
55:36
came to US guy Von Mitchell got Joshua Fanuel Hampton Frey. If I'm
55:43
correct, Faye is still somewhere on the roster. I haven't heard his name
55:45
in a while, but I'm correct, the former quarterback is still here.
55:50
But recruiting has been a struggle for JJF Like it's bad, and I feel
55:53
bad for him because I feel like he's kind of collateral damage to like the
55:57
last OC who didn't seem to one of you tight ends for the most part.
56:04
Then we gonna turn that around, you think. So, do you
56:06
feel like baseball in the practices that you've seen, in the way that Seth
56:08
the Troll runs things that we're gonna get a lot more tiny in action.
56:13
Yes. Yeah, I think you're gonna see them run a lot more tight
56:15
end stuff. I think you're gonna see some h back stuff, which you
56:20
know Bower Sharp has done at Southeastern Louisiana. I love Bower Sharp. You
56:27
know I'm buying all the stock in him. I know that I think I
56:30
hyped him up a lot during the spring and then of course he gets on
56:32
the spring game and I don't even think he got one target. But I
56:37
think he just but I love him. I think that his athleticism is going
56:45
to stand out. I think he can run. He's very physical. Is
56:51
what we've heard from practice is that he's somebody that is not afraid of contact,
56:54
which you love to hear as some as a tight end that's gonna be,
56:59
you know, doing some locking. So and he got a lot of
57:00
reps because I think Jake Roberts is going to start for Oklahoma if he's healthy.
57:06
But Revour a lot of reps. I think was important because he hasn't
57:10
played at this level, but he's more than capable. I think you're gonna
57:14
see a lot of Jake Roberts. And Jake Roberts isn't gonna be a world
57:16
beater. He's not gonna go out there and be an All American, but
57:20
he's gonna give you what you need. He's gonna be able to block,
57:22
he's gonna be able to run routes, he's gonna understand the offense very well,
57:27
and he's going to be a leader. So Jake Roberts is going to
57:29
play a lot. The guys that I've heard that could one of these two
57:34
guys I think could be an X factor. And I know everybody thinks I'm
57:37
gonna say Davon Mitchell, I'm not gonna say Devon Mitchell. I still think
57:39
Devon Mitchell has got a little bit of time before he's there. And I
57:44
think he's gonna be I think Cayden Helms or Cade McIntyre is gonna end up
57:52
being a dude, and I think it's I'm leaning towards Kaden Helms. Caden
57:55
Helms when you go out to practice and you watch these guys, he he
58:00
just looks like a stud athlete. He looks like that Mark Andrews type guy.
58:04
He's not somebody that you're gonna line up, put his hand in the
58:06
dirt and you know, tell him to block on the goal line. But
58:09
he's a guy that you can flex out wide and have him do a lot
58:13
of different things and be able to be able to go up, make physical
58:16
catches, be able to run after the catch, and do some different UH
58:21
formations and schemes with So I think he's in Kate McIntyre's the same way.
58:25
I think that those two guys, if they can, if one of them
58:29
can stay healthy and also just kind of make that next jump, they're the
58:32
ones that as much as I love Bauer Sharp and Jake Roberts, and I
58:36
think you're gonna see a lot of them more than anybody else next year at
58:38
tight end. I think that Caden Helms or Kid McIntyre could come in and
58:45
really be a difference maker in that offense. Yeah, we like our Nebraska
58:50
tight ends, so I'm hoping that one of those two decide to go ahead
58:52
and healthy, they just gonna stay. I think we all thought kateen Helms
58:58
was going to be a really good football player. He has been able to
59:00
stay on the field, so I think, and you know, McIntyre we
59:04
saw earlier in the year. Last year, I think it was the Arkansas
59:07
State game. Lay In that game he showed some flashes and then he of
59:09
course broke his arm. So you know, I think that both of those
59:13
guys, if they can just stay on the field, one of them will
59:15
find their way into some playing time because they want to play more guys at
59:19
that position. They just were in a bind last year where they literally had
59:23
one tight end and it was Austin stock one healthy one. Right, you
59:27
had Josh Fanuel come in from D two basketball, which athlete, but the
59:30
same time not in Hampton Faye, which you know, the former quarterback.
59:36
I figured he would have been closer to a Bower sharp athletically, but it
59:38
doesn't appear to be that way since Bower kind of walks in and looks like
59:43
that dude, and everybody's been, like you said, you propped him up
59:45
like crazy. If you others propped him up and have really gassed up how
59:49
good he is. That makes sense. And so as long as Kade stay
59:52
healthy, Yeah, he's the one tight end that he's really the X factor
59:55
at all of them too. I agree Vaughn is too young. I mean,
59:59
technically this the senior year in high school. Now he's playing as a
1:00:01
freshman in college, and I still think he might see the field some next
1:00:06
year. I just think that there's gonna be some growing pains there. I
1:00:08
think you might see some special packages with him where they're in the you know,
1:00:13
inside the red zone or something, and you throw them a jump ball
1:00:16
or you run a play action inside the goal line something like that. I
1:00:21
just don't think, And maybe I'm wrong, Maybe he ends up being a
1:00:23
freshman All American next year and I look stupid. I just think that he's
1:00:28
just so young that it's gonna take him some time to not only get used
1:00:32
to learning, you know, mentally the game and what they're asking him to
1:00:38
do, but also physically. I think he still has some ways to go.
1:00:44
Yeah, DeMarco Murray in his room. I mean DeMarco. He's a
1:00:50
Sooner fan, a Sooner favorite. Do we see Sacha stay the starter?
1:00:58
Do you think that there's anybody else else can really push him at this point
1:01:01
this year? And then what do you think, I mean, is it
1:01:04
gonna be a three or four main rotation or do you think it's gonna be
1:01:07
a little bit shorter. I think Sawchuck's the guy. I think it's pretty
1:01:12
clear he's the guy. Uh. I think the way he finished last season.
1:01:16
I think it was the last five games of the year, he rushed
1:01:19
for over one hundred yards, looked really good. I thought he was very
1:01:22
decisive in his running, which he wasn't early in the season. I think
1:01:25
part of that was that hamstring was was bugging him a bit. But I
1:01:30
think he's the guy. Is he the guy at the end of the season.
1:01:34
I don't know. You know, I think that they've got some really
1:01:37
good talent in there. I really like, you know, guys like Caleb
1:01:40
Hicks. I think that he had a really good spring. I think Sam
1:01:45
Franklin's gonna get some run in this offense. I don't think he'll be a
1:01:47
starter, but I think he'll get to see the field a little bit.
1:01:51
Javonte Barnes is obviously the huge question mark. You know, what the hell
1:01:54
is he doing? We don't know, you know, I still trans no,
1:02:00
but we got that settled, right. I do think he's going to
1:02:04
have some sort of role. We'll see how big it is. And then
1:02:07
the guy that is going to be the most talented guy in the room,
1:02:10
and the question is is he going to be ready? Is Taylor Tatum Because
1:02:14
he's a guy that I think if he gets the chance to go on the
1:02:17
field, which we've seen DeMarco doesn't typically play true freshman, but I think
1:02:23
this might be an exception because he is somebody that can do everything that you
1:02:29
want him to do. Obviously, he's very fast, he cuts, he
1:02:32
sees the field very well, but he's also very good in past protection.
1:02:37
He's also very good at catching the football. So I just feel like they're
1:02:40
going to find a role for him. It might take, you know,
1:02:44
halfway through the season or even further for him to get on the field a
1:02:46
ton and maybe he's doing things like returning kicks or something like that to start
1:02:52
to prove himself. But I think he's the guy that if someone's gonna beat
1:02:58
out Gavin Sawchuk at the end of the year. If you told me it
1:03:00
was Taylor Tatum, it would not surprise me, just because I think that
1:03:05
he's athletically the most gifted guy that they're gonna have in that room. And
1:03:09
that doesn't me and Caleb Hicks and some of those other guys couldn't also do
1:03:13
it. I just it would put my eggs in Taylor Tatum's basket right now.
1:03:19
But I also think Sauchuk, like if you put a gun to my
1:03:21
head, I think Sawchuk starts every game this year if he's healthy, and
1:03:24
I think he has a really good year. I think he rushes for a
1:03:27
thousand yards. I think they're able to run the football, and I think
1:03:30
he does a lot of things that they like. Again, like I said,
1:03:32
I thought he was really seeing the field really well at the end of
1:03:37
the season last year, and with his speed, he's a home run type
1:03:39
of guy. I just think Tatum's ceiling is just obviously higher, and if
1:03:44
he can get on the field, he'll kind of show that. Now that
1:03:47
makes sense that Caleb Hicks piece is the one I'm curious about him, and
1:03:52
Xavier Robinson as well. You know, I think x rob especially because he
1:03:57
slimmed down so much, right. I know, when I to him at
1:04:01
the state championship game, he's telling me his goal was to get down to
1:04:03
like he wants to play at two fifteen, and supposedly he's getting close.
1:04:08
Like I think the last way and He show was like two nineteen or something
1:04:10
like that. I really like him. He's just kind of in that same
1:04:14
same area as Devon Mitchell where it's like, yeah, is he ready,
1:04:18
and it's I mean Tatum, Tatum is is there too? I mean Tatum.
1:04:23
He didn't get to play in the spring. He didn't get to practice
1:04:25
in the spring with OUs, so you know, is he going to be
1:04:28
physically ready? You know, I think Xavier has got a great future at
1:04:31
Oklahoma. It's just who's he who's he playing over? That's the hard part
1:04:35
because I also love Philip Picks and I think Caleb Picks could could end up
1:04:40
playing a lot of football this year. But I do think Sawchuk, you
1:04:45
know, going into the season, it's it's Sauchuck's, you know, a
1:04:47
job to lose, and I think he's going to start the season and unless
1:04:51
he doesn't perform, I think He's going to be the guy they ride with,
1:04:55
you know, the majority of the season. I like that. Okay,
1:04:58
so lineup wide receiver wise, we'll wrap this up with this. For
1:05:04
our receivers. You have him out there, who who's your definite line up?
1:05:12
Oh boy, because that's the hardest room to kind of pig with with
1:05:15
so many options, And we'll disregard the arrest. We'll say that he's gonna
1:05:20
definitely play Who who's that deafline for you? It's Burk's for sure. In
1:05:27
the slot, Nick Anderson, Jaden Gibson, and Joeil Faruke. I think
1:05:35
those are the four and that's just based on I'd love to put Andrel Anthony
1:05:41
in there, but I just don't know. You know, when you talk
1:05:45
about speed guys and coming back from injuries like that, it's tough. And
1:05:50
you know, I hope and if Andrel comes back and he's got that same
1:05:54
same speed and ability to cut and all the things that he showed us early
1:05:58
in the season last year, he's in that group over probably a Jelil for
1:06:01
Ruk or Jaden Gibson. But since I just don't know, I'm not gonna
1:06:05
put him in there. Forruk's also coming off an injury. I think he'll
1:06:09
be fine. I also think everybody has this bad taste in their mouth because
1:06:13
of the way the season ended for Jelil Faruk. He's still a really good
1:06:15
football player. I mean, they don't beat Texas without Jelil Farouk. They
1:06:19
don't win a lot of games without Jelil Farouk. You know, I think
1:06:23
he's a guy that can do a lot of different things for you. He
1:06:26
can play in the slot, he can play outside. You know, I
1:06:29
would play him in the slot. We'll see if they end up playing him
1:06:31
there some this year alongside Dion Burks and then Nick Anderson. Look, he
1:06:36
just scores touchdowns, you know. I think he physically looks the best he's
1:06:41
ever looked. I saw him at one of the camps the other I think
1:06:45
it was last Thursday, and he just looks awesome, looks physically really good.
1:06:49
I love the buzz cut on him too. That's a good look for
1:06:53
him. But I think that he's gonna have another monster year. And it's
1:06:57
the thing with him too, is like how many touchdowns he scored last year
1:07:00
he finished the I don't know if he'll score ten again because teams now know
1:07:04
to scheme for him. But that's gonna open up so many other guys because
1:07:10
they're gonna go turn on the tape to last year Tennessee is right, and
1:07:13
they're gonna say, man, we gotta put an extra guy on this guy,
1:07:15
or we gotta put our best guy in this guy. Well, then
1:07:17
who the hell are you putting on Dion Burks? And if you're then you're
1:07:19
putting your next best guy on Dean Burks, or you're putting your best go
1:07:23
on Dion Burks and then your next best guy on Nick Anderson. You're talking
1:07:26
about putting your third or fourth best guy on Jayden Gibson. I'll take Jaden
1:07:29
Gibson in that matchup every day because I think Jayden Gibson is gonna have a
1:07:32
huge year. And we saw it last year when he got opportunities the BYU
1:07:38
game, you know, the Alamo bole like, he made big plays that
1:07:44
I think you're gonna see again this year. The other guys too, you
1:07:45
and then you know after that, it's just an embarrassment of riches at that
1:07:50
position. I think Petaway still has a lot of potential as a guy.
1:07:55
You're gonna see a little bit more this year. Britton Thompson, if he
1:07:58
could just stay healthy, is the fastest guy on the field. Right,
1:08:01
So I love the freshman too, ive and carry on, had a really
1:08:05
good spring. He's massive. We'll see how much playing time he gets.
1:08:09
But he's so tall, you know, you've got like and he's actually a
1:08:15
larger guy too. Like I heard that he's actually a size when I saw
1:08:17
him a spring game, I was like, Damn, he's actually kind of
1:08:20
big. He's a biscuit. Wait, he's a biscuit away from a tight
1:08:24
end. I mean, yeah, he just is. They so they've got
1:08:28
some dudes there, man, Emmitt Jones like two HighRes. I just want
1:08:32
to say this before we leave. EMMITTT. Jones and Zach Ally the two
1:08:36
hires that Brent Vinimils has made. And we'll see what ends up with Zach
1:08:40
Ally, but I'm a believer in Zach Ally. Those are two home run
1:08:43
HighRes. I mean, Emmitt Jones, he's gonna get an offensive coordinator job
1:08:47
at some point and maybe even a head coaching job at some point. That
1:08:50
dude can recruit. Uh, And he also has done a great job developing
1:08:55
guys. You know, Drake Stoop spent one year with him. But the
1:08:59
way Drake spoke about Emmett, you know, tells you that he was a
1:09:03
lot. He was behind a lot of the success that Drake had last season.
1:09:09
So I anticipate and it's a big reason why Dion Burks came to Oklahoma.
1:09:13
So I anticipate that group to have a really big year, And especially
1:09:16
with Jackson, you know, being somebody that's unafraid to throw the ball down
1:09:20
the field. He's going to turn the ball over some, but he's also
1:09:24
going to make some big time throws down the field with guys that I think
1:09:27
are going to be able to get behind the defense. Yeah, as long
1:09:30
as we get the battle of Jay and Gibson deep so he can try to
1:09:33
run people over again like he did at in Iowa State. Totally there for
1:09:38
that. Andrew, and as you mentioned about Emmett, I mean Andrew Anthony
1:09:41
comes in like the day that he gets hired, and then he becomes our
1:09:45
best receiver in our receiver room, becomes the strong one of our strongest units.
1:09:47
Right. You were so concerned about the wide receiver last season until and
1:09:53
that's what That's what I tell people that all the time. I say everybody's
1:09:57
worried about the offensive line, and I think rightfully so myself and included.
1:10:00
It's the number one concern. Last year, all the talk in the off
1:10:03
season was the wide receiver rooms just isn't good enough. There's just that's gonna
1:10:08
be the thing that holds back Oklahoma. They ended up being maybe the best
1:10:12
unit on the team. Now, I'm not saying the offensive line is gonna
1:10:14
turn around and be the best unit on the team next year, but don't
1:10:16
be surprised if they exceed your expectations, because that's what often happens. Last
1:10:23
year, we talked a lot about the running back room. Oh, it's
1:10:25
the best, it's the best room on the team. They've got all these
1:10:28
guys, and it was it was maybe the worst. You know, it
1:10:32
was maybe the worst group on the team atways. I will say everybody was
1:10:41
going to be bad too. Everybody knew when they just took Austin Stogner like,
1:10:45
Okay, that room is not good. Yeah, it just can't stay
1:10:47
healthy or whatnot. But no, I I and that's you know, the
1:10:50
rabbit up properly. I've still have faith in beat and Bow being able to
1:10:56
do what he did with the player like a Tyler guy and be able to
1:10:58
get a guy that was a three starting things of linemen and tournam into a
1:11:00
first round draft pick tackle right now. Granted, getting had the athleticism for
1:11:05
it, but you have to have the technical sound to get there. And
1:11:09
I think beating both figured out with a lot of the young players. But
1:11:12
as you mentioned, the most important thing is we need more experience. We
1:11:15
just lost so much experience on the line of actual players that now we've got
1:11:20
to refigure all that out. So uh cool, last thing for you and
1:11:26
then we'll let's toy again. That's investigating. Yeah, George, And I
1:11:30
appreciate you hopping on pride to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Uh town, baby.
1:11:35
Next time you sneak down here, let me know and I'll go. But
1:11:40
uh but man, George, I mean you're you're. Your ascension over the
1:11:45
past year at Sooner Scoop is well deserved. And man, I just uh,
1:11:47
I just appreciate everything you do. I appreciate you coming on here.
1:11:51
I mean freaking ball flying bomb a couple of days ago and now on with
1:11:55
us. I know right you're going You're going places. Are you downgraded?
1:11:59
Bro? But yeah, fine, Bomb fine, Bomb's not a subscriber to
1:12:01
Sooner Scoop. I I I'm a loyal Scooper guy, so uh, you
1:12:06
know, I I have to jump on for you guys. But yeah,
1:12:10
appreciate you guys having me on. It's been awesome. Man. I tell
1:12:12
people this all the time. I'm the happiest I've ever been being back in
1:12:15
Oklahoma. I love covering OU football. I love working for Sooner Scoop and
1:12:19
and Carrie and Josh and Eddie Bob, like, we have a great staff
1:12:23
over there. Got a new studio coming, so you know, hopefully you
1:12:28
guys can come by and check it out because it's gonna be awesome. Uh.
1:12:31
But yeah, thanks for having me on. Guys. Anytime you need
1:12:34
me, just hit me up. Yeah, we'll schedule it again. Man,
1:12:39
definitely. Ob weekend is gonna be huge. It's coming weekend. The
1:12:43
weekend afterwards. This is one party at the Palace and next week barbecue whatnot.
1:12:48
I thought you were talking about the SEC party, but that's no no.
1:12:51
But what are y'all doing anything to go with the SEC party? Are
1:12:56
y'all gonna be setting up like we'll do some shows you know from the studio
1:13:00
we're trying to get Fine Bomb actually to come into the studio. We'll see
1:13:04
where we can we can do that. He's pretty busy, but uh,
1:13:06
we'll be out and about that day because we know a lot of fans will
1:13:11
be out and about with Love's Field open and you know obviously at the Barry
1:13:15
Switzer Center and all the stuff that's going on. But we'll be around.
1:13:17
So if you want to stop by campus corner because that's where we're right next
1:13:23
to the deli, right on that corner. Yes, yeah, we we.
1:13:27
We banged on your door after the spring game. Uh, and I
1:13:30
thank you guys. You're texting me and I was like, so locked in
1:13:35
Yeah, yeah that's no, no, I just uh it looks great and
1:13:41
uh, you know I heard Carrie say that the money has all been spent,
1:13:44
so Josh can smile and so man. But yeah, I appreciate you
1:13:46
hopping on with us. Brother. Yeah, thanks for having me. Guys.
1:13:49
All right, everybody, y'all have a good evening. Thanks to story
1:13:53
you. We will be back, of course on Sunday. We'll talk about
1:13:58
the camps, we'll talk about the visits, and hopefully we get a commitment
1:14:02
or two. I mean it seems like somebody wants to be a sooner.
1:14:05
We gotta tell them to go ahead and do it, so all right,
1:14:08
We'll tapped up with y'all later