Hayes joins best Oklahoma OG/C commits in Rivals era

Mark Pszonak contributed to this report.

Interior offensive linemen don’t get the attention that tackles get or, for that matter, any other position on the field. However, a strong interior offensive line can pave the way to victories. The addition of Marquis Hayes to the 2017 Oklahoma class is key as he teams up with Tyrese Robinson to form a wall in the middle for years to come. Here’s a historical look at how Hayes stacks up in Rivals.com history with other big-name interior linemen to commit to Bob Stoops and his staff.

Note: These are just guards and centers since our first available rankings in 2002.

RELATED: Hayes jumps on Oklahoma offer

The skinny: Robinson pulled the trigger on his commitment during the Oklahoma junior day event at the end of January. His commitment came as somewhat as a surprise considering before his visit to Norman, he was steadily picking up additional offers and had discussed taking additional visits to schools this summer. However, since his commitment to the Sooners he has been very solid and shows no signs of wavering.

Farrell’s take: Robinson has terrific upside, but his ranking is fluid as we have three more ranking cycles before we finalize the 2017 class. His senior year will be big for him when it comes to his final ranking, but based on his size and big frame, he could end up starting off inside and moving outside with some improved technique. He’s a great 1-2 punch with Hayes on the inside (for now).

The skinny: After taking visits to Oklahoma, Michigan State, NC State and Ohio State, Joseph trimmed his list down to the Sooners and Spartans before committing to Oklahoma on National Signing Day. Joseph had an impressive career in Norman, playing both guard and tackle. After four seasons with the Sooners, Joseph was drafted with the 23rd overall pick of the 2006 draft by Tampa Bay, where he played his first eight seasons and earned two trips to the Pro Bowl. After being released prior to the 2014 season by the Bucs, Joseph signed with St. Louis and played one season before seeing his career come to an end in 2015.

Farrell’s take: Joseph was ranked in our infancy where VHS tapes were all the rage, but we did get to see him in person a few times, especially in the Cali Florida Bowl, a game I wish still existed. He was an accomplished run blocker who played to the whistle and was very physical and aggressive out of high school. He had a drive unlike many others and was also a beast on defense at times. This was a massive recruiting win for the Sooners because Joseph had all the offers and his career in college and the NFL was outstanding.

The skinny: Hannan was originally an early commitment to Oklahoma State before re-opening his process, which was quickly followed by an official visit to Oklahoma and a commitment to the Sooners. After two lackluster seasons in Norman, Hannan decided to transfer. Making the move to Texas State, which was a FCS school at the time, Hannan played two seasons with the Bobcats before going undrafted in 2012.

Farrell’s take: Hannan was ranked pretty high for a center back in 2007 but busted out at Oklahoma as he never really adjusted to the power and speed of big-time college football. Ironically, he was passed up on the depth chart by our No. 6 player on this list as Hannan had the smarts and feet but never had the physical want-to or aggressive nature needed to lead from the middle. He played mostly tackle and guard in high school, so perhaps the adjustment was too much.

The skinny: When McGee picked up an offer from Oklahoma after a Sooners summer camp in 2010, he was likely destined for Norman. While there was a push for him to attend either Texas or Arkansas, McGee stuck with his word and signed with the Sooners. However, a couple of months after arriving in Norman, McGee had a sudden change of heart. In early August he made a public announcement that he was giving up football. While he gave up playing at Oklahoma, he did re-emerge at Division II Henderson State, where he is currently preparing to play his senior season.

Farrell’s take: This was an odd one, at least for me. At one point McGee, who had exceptional feet and athletic ability, was our No. 2 guard in the country and a Rivals100 guy. But he dropped after a tough week at the US Army Bowl where he struggled with the rise in talent level. However, I never saw a true lack of love for football, so when he quit the game and emerged at a much lower level, it surprised me. He was never the most aggressive lineman, but he could move very well and had excellent technique.

The skinny: While offers rolled in from across the country, Darlington was always seen as a huge Oklahoma lean due to his ties to the program, which included his mother attending and being a cheerleader at the school. Finally, despite a serious push from Stanford, Darlington committed to the Sooners during the summer leading up to his senior season. With the Sooners, Darlington started every game during his last two seasons, but went undrafted this spring. He signed a free agent deal with Tennessee, where he will be battling for a roster spot this summer.

Farrell’s take: Darlington, the son of a coach, was an aggressive kid who played the position with passion and anger out of high school. He was an excellent second-level blocker who could hit moving targets and was a solid pass protector with good feet. His size was a bit of a question mark as was his drive blocking in short yardage, but his leadership and athleticism made him a big get.

The skinny: Habern took a very aggressive approach with his process during the spring after his junior season, with visits to several programs. A few of the schools that began to stand out were Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Miami, with the Sooners being the one that pulled away. Because of his close relationship to the coaching staff, Habern finally committed to the Sooners in early April. Battling through injuries, Habern still had three successful seasons in Norman until a neck injury during the Insight Bowl in 2011 required surgery and resulted in his retirement from football in 2012.

Farrell’s take: This was a shame because Habern was a very good player, not only out of high school but also in college and the injury that shortened his career ruined a chance at the NFL. The only thing truly holding him back was constant injuries (toe, ankle, arm and finally neck), but this kid was a nasty lineman on both sides of the ball in high school who wasn’t happy unless his opponent was on his back. Like most centers out of high school, he didn’t have great size, but he played bigger than he was and was one of my favorite kids to watch on film in his recruiting year.

The skinny: After taking several visits during the winter and spring of 2013, Dalton trimmed his list down to Oklahoma, Nebraska and Indiana. Multiple visits to Norman was more than enough to put the Sooners over the top though, as Dalton decided to commit to Oklahoma in mid-May and stayed firm with his word. After being moved to center and redshirting in 2014, Dalton played in seven games last fall. He missed this spring with an ACL injury but should be back this fall as the backup center.

Farrell’s take: Dalton was another nasty, aggressive lineman coming out of high school. He played tackle for the most part, but with his run blocking ability at the line of scrimmage and at the second level, he projected as a guard who could also play center. He will play a key role with the Sooners in a year or two.

The skinny: Hayes committed to Oklahoma on Wednesday over many other big offers, including home state Missouri. He emerged for us at the Kansas City Rivals Camp stop and more than held his own at the Rivals100 Five Star Challenge presented by Under Armour.

Farrell’s take: I like Hayes better than anyone in this industry and I honestly think his 190 ranking is too low. However, we rank as a group and he will show everyone he belongs higher on this list in the end, perhaps up near the top and possibly ahead of Robinson if he keeps developing. If he played in Florida or Georgia, he’d have 40 offers. He has good size, resets so quickly and his punch is aggressive and effective. He needs to redistribute some bad weight, but this kid is a steal.