Oklahoma, Oregon poised to make history on recruiting trail
Jul 20, 2017
The Sooners went through a coaching change in early June and quickly built positive momentum under new head coach Lincoln Riley, while first-year Ducks coach Willie Taggart has put Oregon in position to do something it has never done before.
Riley, Tatum kick-start Oklahoma recruiting
When Riley took over for Bob Stoops on June 7, the Sooners were in need of momentum on the recruiting trail. Texas and new head coach Tom Herman seemed to be sucking up all of the air in the region by flipping ESPN 300 quarterback Cameron Rising to Texas from Oklahoma and landing defensive end Ron Tatum III out of Oklahoma.
But Oklahoma and Riley flipped the script. Tatum, ranked No. 76 in the 2018 ESPN 300, switched his commitment from the Longhorns to the Sooners less than a week after Riley took over the program, and that provided a much-needed spark.
“I was very pleased in our one-on-one first meeting [with Riley],” Tatum said. “Having watched him, he’s a good coach. He saved OU’s offense, and this year he may change the whole team for the better.”
Ron Tatum III flipped from Texas to Oklahoma and has given the Sooners momentum on the recruiting trail. Tom Hauck for Student SportsFollowing Tatum’s announcement, the Sooners ripped off seven more commitments, including two of 2019’s top prospects in quarterback Spencer Rattler and tight end Austin Stogner, who picked the Sooners over Texas A&M, among others.
Oklahoma has produced back-to-back 11-win seasons and top-five finishes. The Sooners are one of the top programs in college football history and feature identifiable names in college and the NFL that draw recruits to the program. Now there is an added draw to Norman: one of the best facilities in the country.
“The new facility helps a lot,” Tatum said. “OU’s close to Alabama’s facilities now, and [it] shows how OU continues to be a top program in the country.”
When Stoops stepped down, the thought of back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes for the first time since ESPN began ranking classes 13 years ago looked like a long shot. Now, less than two months later, it is becoming a real possibility.
Taggart has Ducks soaring
For all its success on the field, Oregon has never finished with a top-10 recruiting class in ESPN’s rankings. Just a few months into the Taggart era, a top-10 class is a very real possibility in 2018.
The run for the Ducks began with a big visit weekend built around the spring game in late April that netted six ESPN 300 prospects in a three-day period, including Under Armour All-American safety Steve Stephens.
“A lot of great players see that Coach Taggart has Oregon making moves,” Stephens said. “At least, that’s how I feel. And I think that is how other players feel.”
While the successful weekend surrounding the spring game certainly jump-started Oregon's fast rise on the trail, the Ducks weren’t one-trick recruiting ponies. The Ducks' success continued with an eye-opening June that included the flip of in-state ESPN 300 athlete Braden Lenzy from Notre Dame and commitments from three more four-star prospects.
“He’s one of the young coaches that can really relate to players our age. He’s got your back. He talks to me like you are one of his kids,” Stephens said. “He builds a bond with his players and recruits.”
Those bonds have resulted in nine ESPN 300 commitments and the No. 9 recruiting class in the country midway through July. How good is the Ducks' start? The past two classes netted just six total ESPN 300 prospects for Oregon, and the most ESPN 300 players signed by the Ducks in a single class was seven in 2015. The Ducks are on pace to demolish a number of Oregon recruiting records in Taggart's first year.
Jul 20, 2017
- Gerry HamiltonESPN Staff Writer
The Sooners went through a coaching change in early June and quickly built positive momentum under new head coach Lincoln Riley, while first-year Ducks coach Willie Taggart has put Oregon in position to do something it has never done before.
Riley, Tatum kick-start Oklahoma recruiting
When Riley took over for Bob Stoops on June 7, the Sooners were in need of momentum on the recruiting trail. Texas and new head coach Tom Herman seemed to be sucking up all of the air in the region by flipping ESPN 300 quarterback Cameron Rising to Texas from Oklahoma and landing defensive end Ron Tatum III out of Oklahoma.
But Oklahoma and Riley flipped the script. Tatum, ranked No. 76 in the 2018 ESPN 300, switched his commitment from the Longhorns to the Sooners less than a week after Riley took over the program, and that provided a much-needed spark.
“I was very pleased in our one-on-one first meeting [with Riley],” Tatum said. “Having watched him, he’s a good coach. He saved OU’s offense, and this year he may change the whole team for the better.”
Ron Tatum III flipped from Texas to Oklahoma and has given the Sooners momentum on the recruiting trail. Tom Hauck for Student SportsFollowing Tatum’s announcement, the Sooners ripped off seven more commitments, including two of 2019’s top prospects in quarterback Spencer Rattler and tight end Austin Stogner, who picked the Sooners over Texas A&M, among others.
Oklahoma has produced back-to-back 11-win seasons and top-five finishes. The Sooners are one of the top programs in college football history and feature identifiable names in college and the NFL that draw recruits to the program. Now there is an added draw to Norman: one of the best facilities in the country.
“The new facility helps a lot,” Tatum said. “OU’s close to Alabama’s facilities now, and [it] shows how OU continues to be a top program in the country.”
When Stoops stepped down, the thought of back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes for the first time since ESPN began ranking classes 13 years ago looked like a long shot. Now, less than two months later, it is becoming a real possibility.
Taggart has Ducks soaring
For all its success on the field, Oregon has never finished with a top-10 recruiting class in ESPN’s rankings. Just a few months into the Taggart era, a top-10 class is a very real possibility in 2018.
The run for the Ducks began with a big visit weekend built around the spring game in late April that netted six ESPN 300 prospects in a three-day period, including Under Armour All-American safety Steve Stephens.
“A lot of great players see that Coach Taggart has Oregon making moves,” Stephens said. “At least, that’s how I feel. And I think that is how other players feel.”
While the successful weekend surrounding the spring game certainly jump-started Oregon's fast rise on the trail, the Ducks weren’t one-trick recruiting ponies. The Ducks' success continued with an eye-opening June that included the flip of in-state ESPN 300 athlete Braden Lenzy from Notre Dame and commitments from three more four-star prospects.
“He’s one of the young coaches that can really relate to players our age. He’s got your back. He talks to me like you are one of his kids,” Stephens said. “He builds a bond with his players and recruits.”
Those bonds have resulted in nine ESPN 300 commitments and the No. 9 recruiting class in the country midway through July. How good is the Ducks' start? The past two classes netted just six total ESPN 300 prospects for Oregon, and the most ESPN 300 players signed by the Ducks in a single class was seven in 2015. The Ducks are on pace to demolish a number of Oregon recruiting records in Taggart's first year.
