Take Two: Should OU fans be worried about Jase McClellan?
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling an issue 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 or a regional analyst.
MORE TAKE TWO: Will Ryan Day keep Ohio State a national brand?
THE STORYLINE
Jase McClellan has been committed to Oklahoma since July 2017. He was the first commit in the Sooners’ 2020 class.
But there are three other powerhouse programs coming after the Aledo, Tex., standout and some visits could be coming up.
Recently, the four-star running back who’s ranked seventh nationally at a loaded position said he could visit Georgia in late July and could return to Athens for an official visit.
Texas is also making a serious run at the in-state prospect, who’s ranked third in the state rankings behind five-star running back Zachary Evans and five-star receiver Demond Demas, who’s committed to Texas A&M.
McClellan has been committed to Oklahoma for about two years. And the Sooners have arguably the best offense in the country.
So is McClellan just doing his due diligence in the recruiting game or should Oklahoma fans be at least a little concerned that he’s looking at other programs especially since the Sooners also have four-star RB Seth McGowan committed in this class?
FIRST TAKE: JOSH MCCUISTION, SOONERSCOOP.COM
“It really is a situation where it could go either way. I can understand the arguments for him maybe looking around, but everybody I talk to says his mother has a great relationship with the staff at Oklahoma and that’s going to be a part of the equation. This is not one of those situations where the school they’re involved with don’t have the connections to the people they need to. Sometimes, that can slip away. This doesn’t feel like that. It feels like somebody is going to have to come in and really blow them away.
“I don’t think that school is out there. I can’t help but wonder if there was some concern that Texas seemed half-in and half-out with him for so long and when Evans slipped away from Texas a little bit it, seems their manner changed. It would take someone making a really strong move. He’s going to be a kid who’s been committed to Oklahoma for two years now, so there are a lot of ties to sever there. I know Oklahoma has worked him hard while others were focused on other guys. It’s possible, it’s not outside the realm of reason, but it’s going to take someone hitting all the right notes with him and his mother and the brain trust around him.”
SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM
“They have two four-star running backs in the class, so I guarantee you other schools are saying, ‘Why would you go there when you could come here and be the one guy for us?’ That’s how it works, negative recruiting, and I’m not saying these specific schools are doing it, but that’s the strategy that’s being taken: ‘You’re too good to be in a class with another running back.’
“But I don’t think Oklahoma has anything to worry about. All those programs are going to get really good running backs. If Oklahoma should worry about one of them, it would probably be Texas because they’ll put the full-court press on, but I think he sticks with the Sooners.”