Take Two returns with a daily 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 a local expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites.
MORE TAKE TWO: Will Pickens finish as the No. 1 WR in the 2019 class?
THE STORYLINE
Oklahoma’s recruiting class has a five-star quarterback in Spencer Rattler, two five-star receivers in Theo Wease and Trejan Bridges and another receiver, Arjei Henderson, who was a five-star but is now a high-four star recruit heading into his senior season.
The Sooners are killing it with skill players - they’re one of only three teams along with LSU and Auburn that have three five-stars in the class and the only one that has all three on the offensive side of the ball.
So here’s the question: Is this the best offensive unit Oklahoma will ever sign in the Rivals.com era dating back to 2002?
Some other classes certainly make an argument. In terms of star power, the 2004 class boasted five-star quarterback Rhett Bomar and five-star running back Adrian Peterson. The 2006 group had big names Sam Bradford, Demarco Murray, Jermaine Gresham and Trent Williams, but none of them were rated as five-stars.
Two other classes to consider would be 2008 and 2011. But this group is special, with three five-stars already and some other prospects who could be in that conversation before Signing Day.
Everyone knows coach Lincoln Riley is doing a phenomenal job recruiting. Is this the best-ever offensive group at Oklahoma during the Rivals.com era?
FIRST TAKE: JOSH MCCUISTION, SOONERSCOOP.COM
“It's a really interesting question to debate when you compare some of Oklahoma's prior classes to this 2019 group. Offensively, the one that jumps off the page as able to keep pace with what Oklahoma is doing this year is the 2006 group. That was a group that included Sam Bradford, Trent Williams, Demarco Murray, and Jermaine Gresham. Murray and Gresham were very high-level recruits much like the 2019 group in its entirety, although Bradford and Williams, who eventually became the highest draft picks of the class, were only three-star recruits at the time.
“I think if you went purely by skill, you would probably give the edge to the 2019 group largely based on the depth of the wide receiver position, a position where 2006 really didn't do anything exemplary, but when you add in the offensive line recruiting which was a group that included several NFL offensive linemen it feels a little like a stalemate.
“However, if Oklahoma can close on a couple more big offensive linemen before Signing Day I think you have to say this 2019 group is the best offensive unit that Oklahoma has recruited in the Rivals era.”
SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM
“This is probably Oklahoma’s best recruiting class at least in terms of star power of offense.
"It’s really hard to say any class is better than the one with Adrian Peterson, but with a five-star quarterback in Spencer Rattler, two five-star receivers in Theo Wease and now Trejan Bridges, a former five-star receiver in Arjei Henderson, who can push back up the rankings, one of the best tight ends in the country in Austin Stogner, Oklahoma’s skill position recruiting is really off the hook right now.”
