Stoops talks recruiting philosophy

NORMAN, Okla. -- There were some questions about Oklahoma's recruiting class in 2012. Some restlessness among the OU faithful about the way the Sooners conducted their business.

That was only a harbinger of things to come as few OU classes under coach Bob Stoops have been as scrutinized as the Sooners' Class of 2013.

OU coaches have practiced a patient, methodical and honest approach. It has led to some big-time hits but also some huge misses. The entire time, though, the Sooners have stayed consistent.

And OU coach Bob Stoops, speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the season, said he has no problem with the way he and his crew are piecing together their future squad. (Under NCAA guidelines, coaches cannot talk specifically about recruits who haven't signed National Letters of Intent.)

"I don't know, maybe in some cases it has [hurt to not have offered early]," Stoops said. "It's hard to say which specific instance it may have. I still don't believe in just going out without any evaluation, and just because a few other people have offered, we need to get in the game."

The most notable recruit in this case is ESPN 150 defensive tackle Justin Manning (Dallas/Kimball). The younger brother of former OU defensive tackle DeMarcus Granger, Manning believed the Sooners would be among his first offers. But the Sooners had a plan to offer Manning in person at junior day in February 2012. Problem was Manning didn't have a ride to Norman. The plan never changed, and OU offered Manning at junior day in March.

But in that one-month span, Manning picked up new offers. The Sooners played catch up and he ended up choosing Texas A&M.

That's not to say the persistence and patience hasn't paid off. And that's not to say that seeing a recruit in person doesn't have its benefits.

"He's 5-foot-10 instead of 6-3, well we're out of it now," Stoops said. "But [sometimes] we could tell enough on tape. We've watched five games, and he's three inches taller than every single guy out there. OK, he's 6-4. You know what I mean? Those are the kinds of things you're trying to gauge."

Sticking at defensive tackle, there are two examples illustrating this point. Last spring, three-star defensive tackle Antonio McGhee (Bossier City, La./Parkway) was blowing up. He was listed at 6-2. When OU measured him, he was 5-11.

Conversely is the case of three-star tackle Matthew Romar (Port Arthur, Texas/Memorial). Listed at 6-3, there was some speculation because he also played running back. OU defensive tackles coach Jackie Shipp visited Romar two weeks ago and saw he was indeed 6-3, 265 pounds. Romar is just one big running back.

The lifeblood of recruiting for schools used to be summer camps. But as things have evolved, so, too, has Stoops.

"It's just really hard, as you know, to really get the great evaluation of them," Stoops said. "I think as much as anything, we're like everyone now. We spend a lot of time in schools trying to evaluate and gather information.

"What's he really like? It's just tough to have the time to make a great evaluation. We do like them to come in the summer to camps as much as possible."

Of OU's 20 commits, just four resulted from summer camps, or at least where camp performances got the recruit more on OU's radar.

The obvious one is three-star Austin Bennett (Manvel, Texas/Manvel), who starred so much at OU's satellite camp in Houston in June that he was offered on the spot. A week later, he committed.

Three-star wide receiver Jordan Smallwood (Jenks, Okla./Jenks) was the same way. After a great one-day camp in Norman, he was a Sooner within three days.

Three-star linebackers Jordan Evans (Norman, Okla./North) and Dominique Alexander (Tulsa, Okla./Booker T. Washington) both excelled at OU's camp in June and eventually committed to the Sooners in November.