Take Two: Could Haselwood push Sooners to national title level?

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

Take Two returns with another offering tackling a handful of issues in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites.

Never in Rivals.com history dating back to 2002 has one school signed three five-star receivers, but that streak could be broken depending on Jadon Haselwood’s commitment in the coming days.

The five-star standout from Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove has a final four of Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee. He was a longtime Bulldogs pledge, but it looks like the Sooners are out in front with only days remaining before his announcement at Saturday's All-American Bowl.

Oklahoma has already signed top receiver Theo Wease and fellow five-star Trejan Bridges, who is fourth in the position rankings.

It’s incredibly rare for one school to even sign two five-star receivers in one cycle.

Clemson signed two - Justyn Ross and Derion Kendrick - in 2018; Florida State had Travis Rudolph and Ermon Lane in 2014; USC had Kyle Prater and Markeith Ambles in 2010; In 2004, LSU signed five-stars Early Doucet and Xavier Carter; and Florida got the top two five-star receivers in the 2003 class - Andre Caldwell and Chad Jackson.

That’s it. Oklahoma could be making history if Haselwood picks the Sooners. But will landing three five-star receivers be enough to get Oklahoma to a national championship? Or are there still so many issues needed to be fixed on defense before the Sooners can win it all?

“Three five-stars, regardless of actual numeric rank, is unprecedented, but to do so with arguably the top three receivers in the country is borderline unfair. Wease and Haselwood are top-five guys regardless of position, which makes what Oklahoma has done all the more unbelievable.

"As far as if it is enough to take them to a national title? Probably not. That isn't to say that the group can't, or won't, be a big part of a title team, but the reality is defense is what has kept Oklahoma away from back-to-back titles. If that side of the ball can get remedied to even a modest degree, then you are looking at a group very capable of bringing Oklahoma its first national title in roughly 20 years.”

“On paper, it would be the best wide receiver class in Rivals history since we’ve never had three five-star wide receivers sign with the same school. The defense just can’t be horrid. The defense can be average and they can win a national championship. They just have to shore up the defense to make sure it’s middle of the pack instead of one of the worst in the country.

“They fell behind 28-0 in the College Football Playoff game and it was over. There was just no way to come back from that. They can win it with offense, but they need the defense to be average.”