And they’re never wrong so we can totally go ahead and count this game as won.

Back in March, a super duper early line out of Vegas had NC State as a seven-point favorite over South Carolina, which was at least mildly surprising in a matchup of the lowly ACC against its imminence the Southeastern Conference. (Imagine trumpets blaring, as though a king were being introduced on the premises, each time you read the phrase “Southeastern Conference.”)

But that line has not moved much so far: the latest from 5Dimes has NC State -5.5 against the Gamecocks, which is still a pretty healthy margin. Not surprising it’s lower than it had been, though now it almost feels too low. Don’t mind me; it’s about this time of year when the 100% pure Colombian optimism starts to take hold.

I’m addicted to optimism and these sportsbooks might as well be a dealer. (If you’re low on optimism, don’t worry, I know a guy who knows a guy.)

The line is likely to fluctuate more in the coming months, once we hit unexpected preseason injury season at the start of August. I’d be fine with that not being a factor either way this year, if it’s cool with everybody.

Pitt lands a highly coveted local lineman

Pat Narduzzi tweeted earlier that Pitt received a new commitment. That commitment kept everyone guessing for the past few hours, until recently. Jake Kradel confirmed he was the newest member of Pitt’s 2018 recruiting class with that tweet just moments ago.

Jake Kradel is a 6’4” 290 pound offensive lineman from Butler, PA. He is graded as a three-star recruit by all four of the major recruiting services. ESPN goes as far as to call him the 15th ranked recruit in the state of Pennsylvania. Kradel chose Pitt over offers from Ohio State, UCLA, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin most notably. In all, Kradel had 25 division one offers, with most of them coming from power five schools.

Here is a better look at Kradel’s 2016 season for Butler High School.

Kradel now becomes Pitt’s fourth recruit in the 2018 class. He joins defensive end Noah Palmer as the second prospect from the WPIAL in the class. He is the third offensive recruit, joining quarterback Nick Patti and tight end Jay Symonds.

Pitt’s recruiting efforts typically pick up in late May and June under Pat Narduzzi, and it appears that trend may continue this season. Pitt’s class was off to a very slow start, but things look like they can snowball a bit in the coming weeks with visits and prospect camps on the horizon.

Landing Kradel is a pretty big deal for this staff. Not only is he a quality player, they were able to beat out national power Ohio State for his services. Pitt is always able to land some local prospects, but Notre Dame and Penn State made some serious in-roads last season on Pitt’s home turf. Landing a player of Kradel’s caliber is a strong win for Pat Narduzzi and his staff.

USC has three junior tailbacks ready to unleash on the Pac-12

After a resurgence in the later half of the 2016 season, the USC Trojans are now poised for a breakout campaign in 2017. The Trojans boast a young, talented wide receiver -corps with a Heisman-level quarterback in Sam Darnold – that will look to set Pac-12 secondaries on fire come fall.

However, the group that’s going to determine whether USC can make a CFB playoff push will be the running backs. Luckily for the Trojans and their fans, the position group is loaded.

Gone are the days of thunder, lightning and the traditional pro-style offense we’ve grown accustomed to for the USC offense. In its place, a high-powered spread attack, predicated on one cut, and speed backs. This fall USC will be powered by a trio of juniors who are absolute speed merchants, which I have decided to nickname: Mach 3.

Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Ronald Jones II

The unquestioned leader of the Mach 3, the 6’1” 195 lbs. junior has led the team in rushing yards since he set foot on campus in 2015 – a trend likely to continue in the 2017 season, as Jones is likely to be the starter in the fall. The shiftiness and burst that Jones possess are phenomenal – he is a legitimate threat to take any handoff to the house.

That ability was on full display in 2016 when Jones had a 61-yard touchdown run vs the Cal Bears, followed by a 66 yard run against the Oregon Ducks a week later. Then, against USC’s two biggest rivals, UCLA and Notre Dame, he ripped off a 60-yarder and a 51-yarder. With talented and speedy wide receivers on the outside, and a Heisman trophy candidate QB, defenses are going to have their work cut out for them and Jones might have an easier path than last season.

Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

Aca’Cedric Ware

With Justin Davis now in the NFL and Ronald Jones II ascending into the full-time starter position, the former four-star recruit Aca’Cedric Ware is poised to be the number two back in 2017.

Ware showed a lot of promise in the 2016 season, tallying 397 yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. Ware’s skills were on full display vs Arizona where he racked up 103 yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries. He followed up his breakout performance with 130 yards on 20 carries against Cal just 5 days later. I expect Ware to get a lot more carries this season (he only received 78 in 2016) but with the up-tempo spread offense likely to become faster now that Darnold is more comfortable, you can look for Ware to get 100-150 carries this season.

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Dominic Davis

Dominic Davis is the final – and fastest – member of the Mach 3. Davis is also the one that excites me the most when I think about how Coach Tee Martin will deploy these three in his offense. Davis has primarily taken snaps as a running back but has also filled in at wide receiver as well.

Injuries kept him limited in 2016, but I expect a higher impact from Davis in 2017. With his versatility and sheer speed, flexing him in and out of the backfield can be a dangerous wrinkle for the rest of the Pac-12 defensive coordinators to think about.

The Deep Reserves

Though the Mach 3 are who I expect to have the largest impact this fall for the Trojans rushing attack, there are a few new faces with the potential to have an impact as well. The first is redshirt freshman Vavae Malepeai. The 6’0, 190-pound tailback missed all of his rookie season after breaking his shoulder blade. However, after seeing him in the spring game, I think Malepeai could provide that tough, short yardage, in between the tackle running to close out games in the fourth quarter.

Another running back to keep an eye on is incoming freshman Steven Carr. Coming in as one of the top backs in the country, and one of the prize recruits of USC’s 5th ranked recruiting class, we’ll have to wait to see how he acclimates to life in Los Angeles. If he handles the transition from high school to Division 1A, with a 6-foot 203-pound frame he could develop into the perfect complement to the Mach 3 late in the year when it’s time to push towards a CFB playoff spot.

Which units are the strongest for Stoops and the Sooners?

As Oklahoma Sooners fans well know, not every unit is created equal.

Winning big requires excellence on both sides of the ball, but unless you’re Alabama it’s tough to make everything great at the same time. In OU’s case, a trendy young coordinator has led to an offensive explosion while Mike Stoops’ early-aughts era defense struggles to keep up with the Big 12. So it goes.

But to be more specific, which position groups really stand out in this 2017 Sooners lineup? OU’s groups aren’t nearly so lopsided as, say, Texas Tech’s, but there’s a definite hierarchy to the talent on Owen Field this year.

Here are OU’s position groups, ranked from first to worst:

1. Quarterback

Even on an offense chock full of talent, there’s no doubt that OU’s quarterbacks — including one Heisman finalist, one five-star recruit and two four-stars — have the most concentrated quality on the whole roster. And while it’s disappointing to have lost out on Cameron Rising, many fans have correctly pointed out that this unit will still be set for years to come barring a mass exodus or some awful busts.

I don’t know about you, but I’m already looking forward to a battle royale for the starting spot next spring.

2. Offensive Line

At the all-important left tackle position, Orlando Brown looks poised to end OU’s streak of first-round NFL Draft shutouts. Ben Powers, Dru Samia, Alex Dalton and Jonathan Alvarez provide crucial positional flexibility, Erick Wren is a diamond in the rough at center and Cody Ford is an absolute beast — who might not even start! Top it off with Bobby Evans at right tackle and you’ve got a reasonably young, talented unit that’s the best in the Big 12. Heck, Creed Humphrey may even prove to be too good to redshirt.

3. Wide Receiver

Minus Dede Westbrook this becomes a tough-ish call, but there’s plenty of returning talent and exciting new faces that make this group one of the best on the team. Mark Andrews is a red-zone handful no matter where he lines up; talented veterans like Jeffrey Mead give this unit a pretty high floor; and there are plenty of reason to get excited about potential breakout players like Marquise Brown and Mykel Jones (as well as freshmen CeeDee Lamb and Charleston Rambo). I think this group is going to be better than fine (again).

4. Running Back

I really almost went with linebacker here — it’s not ideal for the offense to have a clean sweep of the top spots — but with the depth they’ve amassed and the potential they’ve shown, I think these backs have earned the benefit of the doubt. What’s the worst-case scenario here — that Rodney Anderson isn’t a superstar (or, God forbid, gets hurt again)? Give Marcelias Sutton a try. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

5. Linebacker

What this group lacks in proven depth, it makes up for with promise and a couple of big-time guys. I’m leaving out Obo Okoronkwo here — like it or not, his hand will be in the dirt much more often. But Caleb Kelly might turn into the best player on the whole defense, and Emmanuel Beal had an underrated first year. With the recruiting class OU just pulled down, this linebacker unit might be leading the defense for awhile.

6. Defensive Backs

I could have broken this down into corners / safeties, but the whole unit is basically in the same place. It’s a frustrating but potential-filled mix of high-ceiling veterans (Steven Parker, Jordan Thomas), exciting young stars (Parnell Motley, Jordan Parker) and the hold-your-breath-and-say-a-prayer types (Will Johnson, Will Sunderland) who will have to play much better collectively for the Sooners to make the Playoff this year.

Many also all happen to share names.

I’m expecting better things from this group than what we saw in the first half last year. Maybe Parnell Motley and Jordan Thomas can be the lockdown corners OU so desperately needs.

7. Defensive Line

Admittedly, since Obo’s quasi-arrival, this unit isn’t the total basement-dweller it used to be. But beyond him and Neville Gallimore there are still huge questions about this group and how effective it can be at getting after quarterbacks and stuffing runs.

Maybe the transition to a 4-3 is exactly what this group needed to rejuvenate — and start recruiting big-time players — again.

What do you think, Sooner Nation? Share your rankings in the comments and let us know which groups will surprise this season.

The man is a fount of wisdom.

Butch Jones has given us many great lines over the years. Let us take a moment to reflect back on some of his sage words.

Butch on what really matters:

“They’ve won the biggest championship, and that’s the championship of life.”

No other football team in the NCAA understands that there’s life outside of football. Fortunately, Butch is a guy who gets it, and we should all be thankful to have him in our conference. Sure football is hard work, but why play for a coach that’s not interested in winning at LIFE? I’m ready to run through a wall for this guy right now. And by “run through a wall” I mean find pieces of “Life” cereal in my car a week after the VU-UT game.

Butch on recruiting

“We’ve spoken about the competitive nature, and I think that’s really, really big in today’s world. Everyone gets into the whole two-star, three-star, four-star, five-star thing. The only five-star that we even concern ourselves with is a five-star heart. We want five-star hearts and five-star competitors.”

What chance have you at being LIFE CHAMPIONS(TM) if you don’t have the guys who can win you the title? Butch only goes after the guys who can win that life championship year after year. Talent, coachability, program fit are all meaningless. Go out there and recruit that two star LB who cant’ cover the TE. His five star heart will bring you home the only title that matters.

Butch on building a program

“I was on the phone one day and I was watching them lay the foundation, the brick of the steps outside my office, and I was watching the diligence that goes into laying the brick and I thought it’s the foundation and we are going to build a foundation that can stand the test of time, that can weather adversity. And if one brick is out of place and if one brick is missing, you are not going to have a strong foundation and it doesn’t look right,”

He’s right! You need strong players to build your squad. Unfortunately, Butch didn’t mention who is the mortar, without which your foundation of bricks is useless. I guess that would be him and his staff? I’m also unsure how needing overtime to beat a 1-AA team or losing to us fits into this metaphor, but I’m sure Butch could explain it if he were here!

Today Butch has come forward with yet another quote for us to bask in the glory of and it’s possibly his best yet.

Let me just put that into text just in case the tweet and the words are lost to the sands of time.

“The first element that goes into winning championships is contending to win championships and our program has done that.”

That’s right. You have to contend for that championship before you can win said championship. What’s that? Do I hear some Bammer pointing out that Tennessee has not been to a championship under Butch? Champions of life, friend. Champions. Of. Life.

Who’s caught our eye so far this spring?

After Friday’s scrimmage, the Wisconsin Badgers have conducted nine of 15 allowed practices for their 2017 spring sessions.

Spring camp is the time for players to learn more on both sides of the ball and test their limits. Position changes allow athletes and coaches to experiment and strengthen particular groups or plug holes created by injuries.

A number of Badgers have taken advantage of their opportunities and could take momentum into summer conditioning and fall camp in August. Here’s a list of players B5Q feels have impressed nearly two-thirds of the way through spring ball.

Running back Chris James

It’s just spring and I’m not a fan of providing fuel to the hype train [yes, another disclaimer], but there’s something special when the Pitt transfer has the ball in his hands—particularly out of the backfield in the passing game.

James’s top-line speed and agility may be second-to-none on the team, and a Wisconsin offense looking to take the next step in its revolution under head coach Paul Chryst could heavily benefit from a player that can hit a home run out of a single. Case in point: his 48-yard reception on Friday that included a shake of a defender that allowed him to gain many yards after the catch.

James also looks the part after bulking up to 216 pounds (though he’s near 220 now) and despite that size, he still has maintained the ability to juke someone out of their practice pads.

Position coach John Settle said the starter at running back has not been decided, although James appears to lead for the third-down back spot. That doesn’t really mean James would primarily be used just on that down—it could just be one of his many roles.

“I think Bradrick’s, what he did last year and learning from it, I think he’s taking some strides forward, and I think it’s been a good spring for Chris,” Chryst said on Friday. “He’s getting a lot of work and doing some good things, and then there’s areas he’s got to improve on. He’s no different than anyone else, he’s got to take advantage of these next six practices.”

If James shows he can run between the tackles like Shaw and combines that with his pass-catching and blocking abilities, Wisconsin may have another complete back on its hands.

That should terrify Big Ten defenses.

Quarterback Alex Hornibrook

The defense may have played better this past week, but the southpaw starter has shown significantly improved arm strength and tighter “zip” on the ball from last season.

Hornibrook has also continued to showcase a pretty, accurate deep pass to his receiving targets during spring camp, something that turned heads last year and garnered him significant playing time in 2016.

After his winter and spring break training with quarterback guru George Whitfield, Jr., Hornibrook could be poised for a breakout season in leading a potent offense with multiple threats.

There have been some multiple-interception practices, but again, spring is the time to challenge your limits. Some of Hornibrook’s picks have also been off of dropped passes or pass break-ups that were popped up into the air.

Regardless, B5Q is high on the Malvern, Pa., native.

Wisconsin QB Alex Hornibrook on spring break training, arm strength (B5Q/YouTube)

Wide receivers Quintez Cephus and Kendric Pryor

Gone is Robert Wheelwright, who impressed at pro day in Madison last month, and a new complement to redshirt senior Jazz Peavy will be needed. Those who could see their roles increase further in 2017 include senior George Rushing and three second-year players: sophomores Cephus and A.J. Taylor and redshirt freshman Pryor.

Before missing the past week due to the tragic shooting death of his father, Cephus performed very well on the practice field. The 6’1, 201-pound receiver can catch the ball, run the jet/Jazz sweep, and as seen last year, block well enough for a long touchdown run in a key game. From watching practice—and maybe it’s not best to look too deep into it during the spring—he feels like the right player to start opposite Peavy against Utah State on Sept. 1.

Pryor did not play last year, but the Illinois native has made some plays this spring, reeling in multiple catches during a practice primarily with the second-team and taking a jet sweep himself for a long gain during last week’s scrimmage.

On Friday, received some reps with the first-team offense at points.

How he continues his development in fall camp should be interesting, especially when trying to lock down the fifth wide receiver spot and competing against an influx of talent from four-star recruit Danny Davis and Austin, Texas, wide receiver Cade Green.

Tight end Zander Neuville

Redshirt senior (and fellow former walk-on) Troy Fumagalli should be an all-conference pick at tight end this season barring injury or unforeseen circumstances, but Neuville has been a pleasant surprise this spring at a relatively new position.

After transitioning between the defensive line and tight end in 2016, Neuville appears full go on offense, and he’s made the most of it. He isn’t just blocking as that “hand in the ground” tight end as seen previously with the likes of Brian Wozniak and Jake Byrne.

At times this spring, he’s shown the ability to make catches down the field, including one down the seam during Friday’s scrimmage that went for over 50 yards.

If his development continues, it can only help a group stockpiled with talent in Fumagalli and redshirt sophomore Kyle Penniston.

“He’s really embracing tight end now. It’s not just something he’s trying to get through that play,” tight ends coach Mickey Turner said on Tuesday about Neuville’s progression. “His knowledge has grown tremendously. I was telling somebody earlier, he has a 3.9 GPA. He takes tough courses in chemistry, organic chemistry—he comes in with some of these notes and they’re incredible—so he has the capacity to grow and grow and grow. And then you throw it into a body that’s pretty darn big and strong and powerful, and it’s a nice thing to have on your side.

“His confidence level has really grown a lot this spring. In the season, when he knew what he was doing, we’d see him flash and hit somebody pretty good or make a good play. If he didn’t, he played slow. For Z, now he’s feeling comfortable with a lot of the offense, so he’s letting it go a lot more.”

Center Tyler Biadasz

From the practices B5Q has attended, it appears the redshirt freshman has earned a place with the first-team offense, allowing starting center Michael Deiter to move to left guard. Micah Kapoi has also received a good chunk of reps at that same guard position.

Biadasz has held his own when rotated in, and he’s bulked up to 307 pounds—up 16 pounds since the start of last season.

We’ll see how left guard Jon Dietzen returns during fall camp, but the Amherst native’s emergence could allow greater depth to form with another big guy physically ready. That’s something that hasn’t been seen the past two seasons with injuries decimating the ranks of the offensive line, forcing offensive coordinator and offensive line coach Joe Rudolph to become creative.

Honorable mention: Fumagalli, running back Bradrick Shaw, left tackle David Edwards

Michigan comes in at 17th in ESPN FPI Projection

On Thursday, ESPN released their FPI projection of all 130 teams. The Big Ten came in the top 25 as follows:

1. Ohio State

8. Penn State

10. Wisconsin

17. Michigan

Other rankings: 29. Northwestern, 39. Iowa, 55. Minnesota, 58. Nebraska, 59. Michigan State, 61. Indiana, 72. Maryland, 84. Illinois, 88. Rutgers, 99. Purdue

Per ESPN, “The Football Power Index (FPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of a team’s performance going forward for the rest of the season. FPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Projected results are based on 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season using FPI, results to date, and the remaining schedule.”

Ohio State came in with an FPI index of 29, with No. 2 Alabama the closest at 25.9, No. 17 Michigan at 13.7.

Michigan was predicted to win 8.3 games and lose 3.7 for 2017, so somewhere between 8-4 and 9-3 overall. Last year, the FPI projected Michigan to go 11-2 and end No. 11 nationally. The Wolverines finished 10-3 and ended No. 10 in the fin AP Poll.

Credit: Scout.com

Adam WellsFeatured ColumnistApril 8, 2017

Xavier Thomas, one of the top defensive end recruits in the 2018 class, will play college football at Clemson University.

He announced his pledge to the Tigers on social media Saturday morning:

The rise of dominant pass-rushers at every level of football has changed the game, with teams looking to get more versatile and athletic up front to attack the quarterback.

Thomas has all the tools schools look for in dominant defensive linemen. According to Scout, he’s a 5-star prospect, the No. 1 defensive end from his home state of Florida, the No. 2 player at his position overall and the No. 6 player in the 2018 class.

Its scouting report for Thomas is just as glowing as those ratings indicate:

The fact Thomas can still tweak things like his technique and vary his moves speaks to how high his already-large ceiling is.

It’s hardly a surprise he chose to play for head coach Dabo Swinney. The Tigers have been arguably the nation’s best program for the last three seasons, playing in two national title games and winning over the undefeated Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

Beyond the team’s overall performance, the Tigers have done an outstanding job of finding and developing talent on the defensive line. When Vic Beasley Jr. left after the 2014 season, Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd replaced him. After that, Christian Wilkins, Carlos Watkins and Dexter Lawrence took over.

Swinney has an embarrassment of riches to play with now, as Thomas is just another elite edge-rusher he can use to overwhelm opposing quarterbacks and shut down the running game.

Defensive players don’t come in much better packages. Thomas is 6’3″ and 263 pounds with room to add more bulk to his frame, but he’s already strong enough to compete against offensive linemen at the next level.

As Thomas gains experience, he is going to be one of the most dominant and imposing forces in college football.

For more news, rumors and related stories about the future of Tigers football, check out the college football recruiting and Clemson streams on Bleacher Report’s app.     

The dismissal of Tylin Oden is a sign of Ash’s high standards and expectations.

Rutgers football had its worst record last season at 2-10 since the beginning of the Greg Schiano era in 2001 & 2002. There were a lot of contributing factors to the struggles on the field, including trying to fit personnel not suited for the rigid spread offense that was newly implemented, a buzz saw of a schedule in the first half of the season, a lack of depth and talent on the roster overall, as well as some young coaches learning on the job. It resulted in some brutal losses on the field. However, the most encouraging part of the changes that head coach Chris Ash made within the program were happening outside of what fans were seeing on Saturdays.

One of the main priorities of any new head coach in any sport and something they all address early on in their tenures is the culture of the program. At Rutgers, the strong foundation built under Schiano in the early 2000’s had since suffered far too many cracks to ever recover under his predecessor, Kyle Flood. I don’t need to rehash the many incidents that occurred off the field in 2015 that not only sabotaged the season, but made Rutgers football the laughingstock of the Big Ten. It was clear the success of the past decade was long gone and it was time to start anew.

Ash made no secret of the fact that many things needed to change within the program upon his arrival. His experience working at two Big Ten powers in Ohio State and Wisconsin enabled him to bring a vision to Rutgers that was sorely needed. While we have seen an uptick in recruiting with the 2017 class, the biggest improvement under Ash so far has been the culture change under his leadership. Structure, expectations, and accountability have be the core of that change and it’s bred competition in everything the players do.

These type of internal changes are less visible for fans, but this week’s dismissal of quarterback Tylin Oden highlighted the difference in how Ash is running the program. A few days later and there haven’t been any reports of an ugly off the field incident. Instead, it appears from a real world perspective, Oden wasn’t holding up his end of the bargain while on scholarship, so the program parted ways with him. Oden said as much himself to Keith Sargeant of NJ Advance Media this week in this article:

“Coach Ash tried many, many, many times to help me and get me on the right track,” Oden told NJ Advance Media in his first interview since his dismissal. “There was only so many times he could try. So no hard feelings. I respect his decision and wish the best of luck to him for what he’s trying to do at Rutgers.”

Sadly, it seems as if Oden had shown the type of maturity in his response during his time with the program, he likely would be on the field today. However, the greater point is that this highlights how much higher the standards and expectations are for the players under Ash. Players were dismissed during the 2015 season with Flood as head coach due to some ugly off the field incidents. In 2017, a 3-star quarterback at a position lacking depth was dismissed for what appears to be not much more than a lack of commitment to the program. As unfortunate as it is to see Oden leave, it marks a significant positive step forward for the culture of Rutgers football. Ash took the high road in discussing Oden’s departure this week:

“I wish Tylin nothing but the best of luck. We have standards and a culture that we expect out of our players. We have to make tough decisions at times. I like Tylin and we will do anything we can to help him down the road.”

In terms of the current culture of the program, Ash seemed genuinely pleased with how things have progressed in the early stages of year two of his tenure:

“I really like the brotherhood that we have on this football team right now. The chemistry is really strong. Guys are hanging out together, working out together, and practicing really hard for each other. I’m really happy where we are at from that standpoint right now.”

In terms of tangible changes within the culture, Ash has implemented the Champions Club, which rewards players who handle all of their responsibilities and perform at a high standard in all that they do. There is a banquet to celebrate those players and reinforces competition in every aspect of the players lives. Another positive change has been a continuing speaker series the program terms “Life Beyond The Game”. On a regular basis, speakers with all types of backgrounds present to the team about important aspects of life after college and football.

This reinforces Ash’s emphasis on the complete development of his players. These type of programs are so valuable for the players, but is also an important factor in keeping the culture strong. Another is what seems to be regular activities between the players and their position coaches, such as movie and golf outings, which the program has documented on social media. A far better support system exists.

Rutgers has a long way to go on the field and Ash talks about the lack of depth at positions such as quarterback, wide receiver, and linebacker in his below presser with the media from Thursday. More talent needs to be infused into the program through recruiting. The current players need to continue to develop and improve. Another positive is that Ash made an important change this offseason by upgrading the coaching staff with the hires of Jerry Kill, Lester Erb, and Henry Baker.

Patience is needed from fans heading into next season, but there have been a lot of positive signs that Ash has the program moving in the right direction. He has a plan and it has helped to form a new, solid foundation for the program to continue building on. Losing Oden is disappointing, but it also sends a clear message to players and recruits that the demands for greatness are extremely high. Without a leader like Ash ensuring that the culture being built is rock solid within it’s foundation, a house of cards results. He showed this week that making tough decisions is necessary in protecting that foundation and that there are no shortcuts to turning the program around. It will take time, but the culture being built is one of a winner.

This would be a good get for the Cowboys

Some potentially good news for Oklahoma State football. On Friday, Union High School 4-star receiver CJ Moore named the Cowboys among his top six schools.

Oklahoma State joins Oregon, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Nebraska, and Mississippi State. The 2018 prospect had offers from 21 schools. He made an official visit to Stillwater back in July

What’s interesting is that 247sports had Oklahoma as the favorites to land the 6-foot-5, 175-pound receiver. However, as you can see above, the Sooners didn’t even make Moore’s list.

It would good for the Cowboys to keep a talent like Moore close to home. Let’s be honest, more often then not the top talent in the state heads down the road to Norman, or out of Oklahoma completely. While OSU’s receiving corp is deep and talented, it would be a huge win for Mike Gundy and Co. to add a kid like Moore to the roster.

Check out Moore’s HUDL highlights below.