The Lone Star Sooners
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - All three Oklahoma commits had two things in common when they arrived for the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl last Sunday – each was from Texas and this would be the first time they actually talked to one another.
After spending the last three days at practice and at activities, offensive lineman Jason Hannan, cornerback Jamell Fleming, and safety Desmond Jackson finally all had a chance to meet. While they each shared something different about their personal achievements, they all shared similar reasons why they're heading to Oklahoma.
Advertisement
"It was just the best place for us," Hannan said. "That's how the decision came about really. It wasn't anything special. It just worked for us."
Hannan said the first time he ran into one of his fellow Sooner commits was during check-in in Fort Lauderdale. Fleming happened to walk in to the equipment room and the two struck up their first conversation.
Heading to Norman, Okla., next year, it will be the first conversations of many. Jackson also had a great time finding out more about his future college teammates.
"Everything has been cool with all of us practicing together on the West team," Jackson said about this past week. "We talk about everything together. It has been stuff like our positions and our stats, to a little bit about Oklahoma."
Jackson says he doesn't hesitate teaming up with Fleming and Hannan to do a little talking to the Texas recruits either.
"Yeah, we talk back and forth to the UT guys," Jackson said. "It doesn't get too serious though. Everything is just cool."
Both Jackson and Fleming will get a chance to possibly play together in the Sooners future defensive backfield. They've already got a plan.
"We talked about what we want to do to make OU better," Jackson said.
"We just want to get bigger, stronger, and faster. It's whatever we have to do to play."
Fleming says that don't just think of him as a corner that excels in zone coverage. Both he and Jackson apparently have proven their abilities to cover man-to-man this past week at the All-American Bowl practices.
Fleming says Sooner fans will get to see that and more in the next few years.
"I come down hard on press and everything," Fleming said. "Also watch out for my ability to return kicks and punts. I'm not too bad at that either."
The 6-foot-4, 277-pound Hannan says that he's just excited to see what he, along with Fleming and Jackson, can do when he arrives at his future college home.
"There is a lot of young talent in this recruiting class and we're coming too," Hannan said. "We're just going to keep this thing at OU going."