Spring Practice Heating Up in Norman, Along With Sooners' CFB Recruiting Prospects

[00:00:00] We've been watching a lot of these guys at Oklahoma practice and I gotta tell you I can't freaking believe they're Feisty and fight. I mean you had stoopes little Drake stoopes was going at it with Billy Bowman yesterday, man

[00:00:13] They got into a scuffle. I love it when players fight with each other out on the field I know you used to love that during practices when they you know, you don't want it to get too far Right, but you let it go a little bit, right?

[00:00:25] You gotta let them you know number one You know, you're having some good intensity of practice when you have something like that break out and and then the other thing You know what it tells you those players have a little bit of I

[00:00:42] Don't know what word. I want to you know, man But you know they got a little fire to a little pepper little pepper, baby. Yeah Yeah, so I know I love I now like you said you don't want to happen in every day

[00:00:55] But can't be getting hurt and doing all that kind of stuff. Yeah, yeah, but but a little bit of that helps Hey Sure does sure does and I think that it definitely did I know it had the it had that effect on people on Oklahoma fans today

[00:01:15] They were loving seeing it. I mean it was that I mean little Drake stoopes man And I mean Billy's not huge, but you want to talk about athleticism

[00:01:23] And I mean he he popped them and they they I mean Drake didn't give up the block. They just kept on kept on kept on

[00:02:16] Welcome back to the Hall of Fame College football podcast. I'm your host Jason Watkins He's the coach Philip Roy ball and if you love college football, you know, you're in the right place

[00:02:27] So before you forget smash that red subscribe button like our videos and don't forget to ring that bell So you don't miss one moment of the Hall of Fame College football podcast Like to welcome back to the show the coach Philip Roy ball. How you doing today coach?

[00:02:43] You know what every day that I wake up my eyes open up and I climb out of bed. It is an excellent day Now that's some of the crap that happens during the day may not be so excellent

[00:02:56] But you know what at the end of the day, it's a great day just like every day Yeah, yeah, I feel you man. It's been kind of one of them days around here today too. I had a decent day, but it was

[00:03:09] You know sometimes you just find yourself in situations where you and you should have get in them It's the juice ain't worth the squeeze, but you do it anyway

[00:03:19] And there's just been stupid it's stupid on my own part, but Twitter Wars man. I'll tell you Twitter Wars. Oh God man It's bad and it's bad enough when it comes from oaky light or sir Texas or something this isn't even that this is coming

[00:05:01] You know on a positive note here, I really like the work you've done on on the site It looks incredible brother you've done a lot of work I can tell

[00:05:15] We're getting there and you know, I don't want to tell them to go to the site just yet because it isn't done But if we're getting there and it's you know, obviously we got we're kind of going through with the branding and stuff and

[00:05:27] folks, I actually I know everybody sees I got my little this is right in there up above me there You see that the official podcast merchandise. I have dropped prices on everything in the store pretty much I

[00:05:43] Would tell everybody get out there and get it while it's hot and we're actually coming up I'm waiting to have a conversation with with a certain family member of A friend of ours or player of OU's. I've got a pretty cool design

[00:06:00] I'm gonna toss it over to you Adele and see what you think about it, but got a cool design that I'd love to to To leave for everybody to be able to purchase as well

[00:06:09] If you guys have designs if there's an idea that you have something that we say or something that you want to see said I mean, we always say horns down and all I can't put anything you want to put in there

[00:06:20] Let me know if it's within a reason I mean as you can see the hats that I've got in here I mean, I'm pretty pretty leaning about what we sell for Texas but I don't think we can I don't think it's number one. Yeah to put on there

[00:06:36] We might be able to do it. We might be able to do it like Let's see We can do it as a hashtag maybe let's see what y'all think Might do that one. What do you think? How about that?

[00:06:57] Is that what you were thinking? Yes, sir. Is that what you were thinking? All right something along those lines anyway Hey read between the lines

[00:07:06] Perfect perfect. Yeah, and um, you know, but and and I will say that you know when it came to all this stuff with Peyton Bowen's family you saw a bunch of people from Texas, which was cool that they were very supportive

[00:07:18] You know about it, you know, there's a couple that weren't but it's always outnumbered by the ones that are great You know what I mean? It's just so yeah Something like that. Yeah, most people are decent people even if they're Texas fans. They're usually decent people

[00:07:33] So, you know That would be you know something that I look at and Yeah, yeah, oh and then what were we saying? Oh, yeah, Hank is it you that caused USC suck?

[00:07:45] I like that one. We could change what we can do. We can flip it around and even do the colors or whatever That'd be kind of cool, right Yeah That's right, you can't you can't

[00:08:01] Thank you Hank love it love it love it. So yeah, let me know what you guys think it will get some stuff in there But check out the check out the site we've dropped the prices on everything, you know

[00:08:12] We're not selling a whole lot so you know, but the thing is guys anytime you want to help us out on the show You know let us know with right through Venmo cash app or the super chat heart we do still have our

[00:08:26] I'll pop it up there here in just a few minutes, but it's our Fanatics partner store as well up to 65% off everything you want. I'm actually starting to get some new partnerships with some of these other

[00:08:39] Sponsors type of deal more like be more like affiliate stuff, but yeah, I've got one that says T-bow right now Kim if you look at that one, it's just above coach here So yeah, you can check that one out there and it's in all different colors

[00:08:54] We do have some Otis Taylor stuff in there as well anything that you buy on the Otis Taylor stuff I actually did get one of those hats as well yesterday So this is one of the forever 89s hats

[00:09:10] Anything that we sell that has anything to do with you know the forever 89 obviously this is our hashtag something that we've used Way past do the same thing We will definitely be putting that towards Getting him into the Hall of Fame

[00:09:24] So what you know, we would like to do some advertising some paid advertising on some stuff like that We've talked about doing even like you know a Historia so amazing I mean his book his

[00:09:37] Everything that you read in the things that you hear about him. It's just this story is so amazing And so we'd love to finally get the man in the hall Anything that we sell that has anything to do with Otis Taylor will go directly to that

[00:09:52] But again, you know, we got to kind of pay the bills around here, too So don't forget to hit a so the tip if you feel the need We will open up the line here and just a little bit for you guys to jump in with us

[00:10:05] Wanted to talk a little bit today About well couple things How about this? I mean, we were just talking about it on a tie show in there earlier and man

[00:10:16] We've been watching a lot of these guys at Oklahoma practice and I gotta tell you I can't freaking believe they're Feisty and fight. I mean you had stoopes little Drake stoopes was going at it with Billy Bowman yesterday

[00:10:29] Man, they got into a scuffle. I love it when players fight with each other out on the field I know you used to love that during practices when they you know, you don't want it to get too far Right, but you let it go a little bit, right?

[00:10:45] You know, you're having some good intensity at practice when you have something like that break out and and then the other thing You know what that tells you those players have a little bit of I don't know what word I wanted you

[00:11:00] Oh man, but you know they got a little fire to a little pepper little pepper, baby. Yeah Yeah, so I know I love I now like you said you don't want to happen in every day

[00:11:12] But can't be getting hurt and doing all that kind of stuff. Yeah, yeah, but but a little bit of that helps Hey Sure does sure does and I think that it definitely did I know it had the it had that effect on people on Oklahoma fans today

[00:11:31] They were loving seeing it. I mean, it was I mean little Drake stoopes man And I mean Billy's not huge but you want to talk about athleticism And I mean he he popped them and they they I mean Drake didn't give up the block

[00:11:43] They just kept on kept on kept on a lot of moxie You know, I enjoyed seeing it and you're sitting and then you know You're seeing these linebackers are bigger than they've been it's so long They're gonna faster and stronger. I'm telling you I'm telling you these guys

[00:11:58] It's just to see the difference just in a year of right now. I was just telling those guys on Tash show Coach a year ago They were so thin along the defensive line and there's still a little thing at the tackle position

[00:12:11] But they're gonna they've got some parts to move and do some different things And you know how it is with the 335 you can do some things. Yes, um also

[00:12:19] But the secondary I just sat there started writing it down and the guys that are really just kind of showing out You've got the incumbent would be Woody Washington is you know, he's he's still there. He's great player himself

[00:12:33] But you got Kendall doby coming in from the Juco ranks for the you know corner But we've talked about McCary vickers He's lighting it up playing great out there Peyton Bowens looking good as himself up until obviously up until the weekend

[00:12:46] He had his first interception the other day But you've got guys like Josiah Wagner and and day McCullough that you know is coming from You still got that up there or you froze up a little bit there coach But day McCullough

[00:13:01] Who's gonna be a safety you've got you know Billy Bowman as I talked about you've got and it just goes on and on and I Mean this is a great Problem to have sure it is a great problem to have because before

[00:13:19] You don't got enough guys running out there to really kind of and now they're wondering who's gonna play the cheetah you know and Just hey on standby. Are you ready to come on? You can come on with this anytime you'd like to a dollar anyway the

[00:13:38] You know these guys and then we're not even talking about the some of the linebackers and stuff like that But they're loaded everywhere. They've you're not sure who's in and now I think they're starting to wonder how are we gonna get all of these guys? some time

[00:13:54] right because And then you know how that is how do you make that and I was that's what I was gonna ask you is when you've got a bunch of guys And particularly they're young guys you want to develop them and you don't want to get them

[00:14:06] I mean obviously it can't play itself out if they're struggling with the with the defensive calls Stuff like that, but we're not really seeing a lot of that We're seeing a lot of athleticism a lot of guys that are doing some amazing things

[00:14:18] And so you're starting to wonder how do you juggle that I tell you what it's a great problem to have and You know our interior linemen we loved having a good rotation with those guys Because now if you've got enough guys to get in that rotation, you know

[00:14:40] Right you're gonna be late in the game You're really gonna be ahead of the ball game because they're gonna be fresh and be strong And and no, I think it's a great problem to have and like you said you got some of the young ones that

[00:14:59] You know, they may be struggling a little bit, but you put them you put them down there with the other three And and sub them in that way And and you know during the week

[00:15:10] You'll you'll prep during the week depending on who you're playing and and you know what? We're gonna get this is gonna be the guys we start with one of them Maybe one of those young ones so so he gets some of that work with the older guys

[00:15:25] And they can talk to him coachy mom, but hey, I'm telling you if you If you can go into that with with at least eight bodies that can Can get it from you know interchangeable and just kind of getting out of that right? Yeah

[00:15:44] Well, just looking at their defensive backs Yeah, I mean just saw a Wagner he's a freshman coming in You know came came out of Washington State now they were calling I mean they were calling him pit bull the other day

[00:16:00] You know what I mean because and this is a kid who's mixing it up And he's not a big guy, but he's in there mixing it up and then Kindle Dolby apparently from ever from everything

[00:16:09] I've seen and heard this is another cornerback that is just a flat out stud athlete You you know you've got the younger McCullough brother who probably gonna get some safety time except for you've got safeties

[00:16:22] In you know, we were just talking about Billy Bowman that guy's a stud He's established himself is you gotta put him in right and and then like I said with Woody Washington

[00:16:32] He's been the best corner on on the defense for the last two two years at least and and definitely he's Obviously got a lot of experience. You know, he's had made big plays at big times I mean he had two interceptions against Texas two years ago

[00:16:49] It's important that he's gonna obviously play but you're gonna see guys like I mean he just size probably gonna get in there For sure at corner. I think with very you're probably gonna see him playing some nickel as well

[00:17:01] Because he's a big kid, you know, even though he's playing corner You're gonna see a lot of nickel out of him and he can and I think that's really what they're trying to see more of and something that they've been talking about a lot is that a

[00:17:13] Lot of these secondary coaches like Jay Adai He does he wants you to just call them defensive backs because he wants to move them around and they're gonna move them around So, you know, they're

[00:17:25] Yeah, and I agree with you here on that Kim that they are gonna have some guys that they're gonna have to go They're gonna have to you know, mix some snaps up and stuff like that

[00:17:35] And maybe it's the hot hand for a day or whatever somebody that's doing whatever they're doing But again, this is if for all of us. Oh you fans They have been watching great offense for all this time and then hoping that it's enough because you just

[00:17:48] Weren't stopping anybody This is an awfully cool thing to start seeing if you're an Oklahoma fan because now We're still got a good offense and now we're gonna go out there and be able to stop some people

[00:18:02] And this is going into the SEC next year. You got to do it. You just got to do it. So I am Yeah Maybe maybe Hank, but I tell you that he's out there kicking ass And I mean they're calling him pit bull because he's mixing it up

[00:18:18] So Wagner is one of those guys that you know I don't know that he's gonna get a ton Because there's just there's only so many spots on the field But your linebackers you start talking about that Samuel almost see ho is probably gonna get some playing time

[00:18:32] Louis Carter is not even there yet, but if you've watched that kids film Florida kid fastest hill he gets to the football when you saw the all-american game the underarmor game that he was in

[00:18:44] He was all over the field just like in you know one of those guys that One of those guys that just like well and we haven't even brought him up yet

[00:18:53] But out of a worry who you know, his brother ran a freaking what did he run a 4-4 and he's 290 pounds, you know at the combine this year played at Northwestern. He's got a seven foot week span

[00:19:05] I don't see how you can keep him out that he's gonna play flat out. He's gonna play. He's a game record So I mean we It's it's a beautiful thing. It's a beautiful thing. So

[00:19:17] Just kind of excited about that you are starting to see a lot of traction in the recruiting as well They picked up their first commitment now and I know a lot of people are a little worried about this

[00:19:30] Why are we not getting commitments? I tell you why and I think most people do know this Coach Venables does not want you committing and you're still gonna be taking visits So he doesn't want him. He wants him to go take your visits

[00:19:42] Don't commit and then you know go visit somewhere else, you know I don't want you dating me and dating somebody else basically, you know I think that there was times last year that I thought that that was a little much to ask

[00:19:54] Who in the hell am I to question it whenever he got a top four recruiting class? It worked, you know And they are really working on Relationship building more than we're gonna pay you if you get here, right? Yeah Well, and I go ahead Jason

[00:20:10] I really I really liked that mentality because you know, let's be honest I mean it's about building those relationships With those players and it doesn't make a crap if they Commit or they don't commit because at the end of the day until that names on the dotted line

[00:20:34] You know and again, why do you want why we don't talk a lot of recruiting here? Exactly? And and why do you want what in my opinion? You know what this is what I have to sell I have something good to sell here

[00:20:48] So go look at all that other crap that's out there because ours is the best I mean and to me that's the way that that ought to be the mentality people have instead of saying You know what sign with us and then you're you're done commit to us

[00:21:05] And and you're done. Well, you see what that did to Jimbo's team last year. I mean they didn't get fits They just got guys that they were athletes They got athletes all over the field and then what most of those five stars that they got

[00:21:18] Last season are gone now. They're gone Yeah I think all but one of them all but one of the five stars that they picked up in that class are gone and

[00:21:27] Because they just weren't fits and money and on top of that who's to say what they're doing with the money They're promising this and not delivering I mean, I could see a booster cutting off payments when they only had four wins

[00:21:40] Yeah, you know towards the end of the season I could see that happening and and on top of that he's suspended players for you know I mean obviously there was just some bad fits where you could I was hoping that you know

[00:21:52] Obviously they needed some more bodies in Oklahoma last year, but I'll tell you He is Staking to the plan and here's what here's what something that we were talking about on the show a few minutes ago And this is something that I had

[00:22:06] It I think more about this all the time When you start thinking about real recruiting and like elite recruiting you're thinking about SEC teams first obviously Georgia Alabama LSU, but who else Clemson? Clemson has been recruiting elite now

[00:22:25] Guess what the biggest part of the Clemson staff is now at Oklahoma particularly defensively anyway They got players that came from Clemson James James Skalski's been out there, you know getting after it with the with the linebackers help BV's been out there

[00:22:42] Getting after it with the linebackers too. It's been kind of fun to watch these guys It is just what we've seen on television and stuff like that because not everything's been open, but These guys are in the room. There's right now they're in on

[00:22:57] Probably I mean, they've got a list of about five five star defensive tackle guys and there's not a ton of those dudes around anyway They're in on almost every one of them

[00:23:06] Obviously we're talking about David Stone would be the biggest one even Gerald McCoy is helping recruit him because he's an Oklahoma kid as we talked about but if Williams-Waneri There's just I mean there's a list of guys and every one of them

[00:23:23] Has Oklahoma in their top three, you know or in their top 11 depending on where they're at on there on their stuff They picked up Jeremiah. Oh man, I have that written down Defensive back out another defensive back that they was their first one

[00:23:40] And again, he's been telling a lot of these guys. They're ready to already say yeah, we're coming We're gonna go ahead and you know, we want to go ahead and commit And he's been like don't because if you're gonna go to some of these other places

[00:23:52] I don't want you to do that I would rather you go and then commit whenever you're ready Whenever you've seen it all because that way we're good to go and and I agree with that

[00:24:02] I mean, you know, if you if you know that you've got the goods like you said coach If you've got the goods you've got the best coaches for the defensive line You've got one of the best coaches and secondary coaches and coached a great recruiter

[00:24:15] I mean every one of these guys can recruit You know every one of these guys is recruiting great and this is again This is the same staff that was recruiting guys like you know

[00:24:28] Well, what's his name? Isaiah Simmons and you know, they had three first rounders in 2020 off the defensive line I mean, it's just one after another after another Yeah, we were just talking about that Jimmy where We're Billy and the and stoopes for getting into that fight

[00:24:44] Yeah, they've got five star crystal balls right now that are in favor of Oklahoma seven of them I don't again when pin hits paper, but this is a difference in Even a year ago. We weren't in the room with these guys

[00:25:03] Oklahoma was not getting in the room to have these conversations and You know, you can go get a Heisman quarterback if you want to and that's great And I think that they have a Heisman quarterback type right now that they just brought in

[00:25:17] They've got Michael Hawkins who's a crystal ball and he's gonna be another five star that'd be eight He'll be five star by the time this is all said and done I'm almost sure that he's going to Oklahoma him him his dad and Levy are best friends

[00:25:31] They were in the same recruiting class at Oklahoma too. So, you know, that's probably gonna work out in that favor They already got a 20 25 Quarterback that you know is already committed to Oklahoma as well

[00:25:45] This is a different thing what we're used to seeing it's a great thing to see And for the for the haters that are out there that are saying oh well, they were six and seven

[00:25:58] It just goes to show you how much how little people pay attention to what's really happening if it's not on their team You know, it's easy to just look at the paper, you know, look at what happened on paper

[00:26:09] You didn't you don't even realize that five of those losses were by a touchdown or less four of them by three points What's the difference? I mean if you win three of those games, that's nine wins Well and they were

[00:26:24] 124th out of 131 on defense to total defense exactly and and you know Again, I tell you and and we're we're seeing some of the same things happen over in our program at Notre Dame And it's a yes. We're I was getting recruiters

[00:26:43] coaches can coach and and I tell you what guys and And some going to what we were talking about the other day on on Cody's show was culture and that was something He wanted to talk about and that's exactly what's happening in Oklahoma

[00:26:57] And I want to hear about that with Notre Dame too because I agree with you No, it's the same thing in the bottom line is guys It's you know and people will call me crazy and with every right to but but I would rather hire a great recruiter

[00:27:13] Then a great coach because if I have the Jimmy's in the Joe's You know what my coaching has to be this much Compared to if I'm if I'm playing you with a bunch of three stars

[00:27:27] I got to coach them up and you know what the the hard part about that is I can coach my Buttoff and be the greatest coach in the country And I'm gonna get a three star to play a little bit better, but I'm competing against five-star players

[00:27:43] So I'd rather have great recruiting coach and we're seeing that at the University of Notre Dame And but here's the thing I Compare it to oh you and and I'd look at Notre Dame now

[00:27:56] We have both great coaches and great recruiters which is gonna I think we're gonna see the fruits of that life Sure, sure, and I mean, you know well and I've said this too. I think Marcus is a great coach

[00:28:11] I mean and everybody that's had to say had anything to say about him. I mean he's been at Everywhere he's been they loved him. I think that it was pretty clear when Kelly decided to leave

[00:28:25] You know that there was nobody else at those kids wanted now to coach them you know and To me, I think that and you know Again, I feel like when you start looking at you look at Miami

[00:28:40] They got you know now he was having a jettison a lot of people and I know a lot of people were talking a lot of Smack-about crystal ball. I mean Cody likes to of course. He's a Florida fan, but I

[00:28:50] Mean that guy you it takes you have to replenish the tree man You got to cut the branches the dead stuff has to fall away and in the end So if they if you didn't recruit them to begin with

[00:29:02] How much how much are you when you come in and you want to do things different than what the last coaching staff was doing? It it's not always as easy as saying

[00:29:11] You know, hey, you're gonna do it and then they just buy in right away. They just don't know and Particularly when you know when things do get tough and you're used to having a

[00:29:22] Well, you've got this high you had a high has been quarterback the year before that saved their ass out of at least six games Then yeah with Lincoln, you know if it won for Caleb Williams, they for sure lose Texas

[00:29:33] They for sure they probably lose to they definitely almost lose Kansas. Yeah. I mean I still