First are the ground rules. For you new corral members, this is a special feature for subscribers only. The reason why it is posted on the premium board (as opposed to a normal story) is because it is the only way to ensure that the info stays exclusive to Cowboy fans. This will only work if everyone helps make it work.
Furthermore, we're serious about this being a Corral-only piece. Everything that is reported in the Cowboy Roundup must stay in the Cowboy Roundup. That's the way this deal works. Sometimes the info is sensitive enough that it simply doesn't need to be passed on beyond the doors of this thread.
We’ll start off with the fact that there was a lot of discussion (and disagreement) about what really happened with Dexter Pratt and LSU, specifically whether the problem was an NCAA Clearinghouse issue or some problem that occurred while Pratt was waiting to enroll. As best we've been able to figure out, the answer is both. Up until last night, Pratt was still waiting to be cleared at OSU, so that part was obvious. While in Baton Rogue, Pratt was put on the couch at a current player's apartment and that didn't go too well. We won't go into details, since we don't know the facts...but it's safe to say that situation played a part in Pratt ending up with OSU. (JJ)
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Regarding the Dexter Pratt situation, I was able to converse with Navasota Head Coach Lee Fedora last night regarding Dexter and how he came about ending up in Stillwater. Here are his responses to the questions I asked:
I’m curious to get your thoughts regarding the conclusion of Dexter’s recruitment in terms of how he ended up at Oklahoma State?
“I think it speaks for itself in that LSU was selling it as a clearinghouse issue and just some things took place there. He was committed to them for ten months, he didn’t talk to any other schools, and that tells you what kind of young man he was. Once he realized what was going on with some things he realized that wasn’t the place for him and now he’s cleared with the clearinghouse and he’ll be enrolled at Oklahoma State [Friday] and he’s very, very excited about it,” he replied.
What exactly was the issue that forced Dexter to have to wait until Friday to enroll at OSU?
“We just had to get the paperwork to the clearinghouse,” he said. “There was certain paperwork that we were not told was needed and we got that to them and they went through the evaluation of a review and cleared him as a qualifier for division one and we found that out [Thursday].”
Talk a little bit about Dexter as a person.
“Well, I’ve got a real good relationship with Dexter. He’s a kid that was a freshman when I got there so we got to go through the entire four years together. As his coach getting to watch him grow into a fine young man, I think the thing that is most impressive outside of football is just his leadership skills in that he’s probably one of the most unselfish people I’ve ever met. He’s always obsessed with the team and not worried about himself and I think you can see that in the last two years of our seasons. Both years we made it three rounds deep [in the playoffs] to the quarterfinals and he was never one of those players that didn’t feel like he was getting the ball. He just wanted to win, whatever it took to win, if that meant we had to throw the football 30 times a game then great. Just to see him develop into that type of young man says wonders about him,” said Coach Fedora.
How about as a football player?
“As a football player, wow, I mean what can you say? The kid is 6-foot-2, plays at 228 pounds, runs a 4.4, unbelievable hands out of the backfield, and people often ask what kind of runner he is. Well, he can make you miss if he needs to and he can run you over if he needs to. He’s just a kid that I think brings a lot to the table, you know, to me he’ll be one of the bigger backs in the Big 12, probably one of the bigger backs in the country when you look at his size, and definitely is a kid that I think is going to excel at this next level,” he said.
Lastly, is there anything else you’d like to add about this whole situation?
“I think one of the big things, and I’ve always heard this, and I’m kind of fortunate in that I’ve got a brother at that level that when I need to talk to somebody to find out what needs to be done next and this and that, I’m a phone call away from talking to somebody that I trust. This is my first player that was a midterm enrollment guy and you find out that it’s a tough thing to do to get them in and get them in on time and do those types of things. It’s just something you put in the back of your mind for that next kid that does it to make sure that everything is done correctly and I think sometimes you’ve got to go a little bit further and beyond than what some people are telling you to get done and do. I can say one thing about Doug Meacham and the Oklahoma State staff, you know, Doug was the one recruiting Dexter and they’ve been phenomenal. They’ve done a tremendous job to kind of take your steps through it and do the things that puts it in the best interest of this kid and I think that was one of [Dexter’s] selling points when he came down on his visit. He loved the town, loved the facilities, and loved the head coach and his assistant coaches and could see that they had a relationship with the kids just like myself with the relationship we have with our kids at the high school level,” he finished. (RC)
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Much of the OSU assistants' road work in the month of January has been focused on the 2010 class. There are still a handful of targets for '09, and keeping the verbal commitment list together is always an ongoing battle. More than any year under Mike Gundy, his staff has a huge head start on next year's recruiting. That's good because the state of Texas should rebound from an average year, while Oklahoma is poised for another big-time group of prospects. (JJ)
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There was something interesting not included in our interview with Jordan Barnes earlier this week that is pretty intriguing. Simply put, he has a leader and admitted to it when I asked him, but he would not tell me who it was.
“Yeah, I have a leader but, you know, I don’t want to say just now,” he said.
Now at first I thought that was bad news for OSU in that he knew I cover the Cowboys and I figured that he didn’t want to tell me that Purdue was his leader. Having analyzed further though, I’ve convinced myself that it actually means the opposite and here is why: the timing of his OSU in-home visit with respect to when he would like to make his decision.
First as a point of clarity, Jordan didn’t mention anything about the Purdue coaches coming to see him, they very well could have something scheduled but he didn’t say as such nor did I ask about it.
As far as OSU is concerned, if anybody was questioning whether Jordan is a high priority prospect, rest assured as he said that the following coaches will be in his house tonight: Mike Gundy, Joe DeForest, Glenn Spencer, and Bill Young. That’s the entire known defensive staff minus Jason Jones.
My take is that Barnes wants to wait to see how tonight goes and if things go well then its ball game. I could be wrong on this but I just have a hunch from the way that Jordan spoke about the upcoming visit and its importance that he is waiting to commit either in person to the coaching staff or he is wanting to meet the new defensive coordinator before doing so later in the weekend. Sit back and watch. (JF)
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This was mentioned in a post earlier this week, but new on-field assistant Robert Matthews is not necessarily going to be OSU's quarterbacks coach. He'll definitely be on the coaching staff, but could end up with a different offensive position, or even wind up with the defense. That designation was waiting on the defensive coordinator hire and has probably been firmed up. We'll probably know officially what Matthews' responsibility will be later today when he, Bill Young, and Robert Gillespie meet with the media for the first time. (JJ)
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One name that has always been in the back of the minds of OSU recruiting fans is that of Tyler Tettleton. While it never worked out for him as far as a Cowboy offer, it’s no secret that because of his father Tyler grew up an avid Oklahoma State fan.
When we talked to him last, the topic actually arose as to whether or not he would consider walking on to the Cowboy football team if they invited him to do so. Tyler has received an offer from Central Oklahoma and some strong interest from Sam Houston State, and at the point when we talked to him it appeared that the opportunity to receive a free education would likely be too much to pass up.
“Well, I believe if it came down to if I had an offer from a I-AA school or some other offer and OSU asked me to walk-on I would probably take the offer. I’m a huge OSU fan and I’ve always wanted to go to OSU but I just feel that I’d take the offer,” he said.
Needless to say, Tettleton’s perspective and approach to it all is understandable. He’s a competitor and it makes sense that he would want to go somewhere he can contribute right away and make a big impact on a team. Throughout the recruiting process it became more and more evident that OSU did not see him as that type of prospect and decided to go another direction. Nevertheless, he is definitely one to root for wherever he chooses to continue his career as I have no doubt he will do the same for the Cowboys. (RC)
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Some are expecting 24 or 25 signees in the '09 class. It could go that high, but could also stop at 22 or 23. (JJ)
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To finish, here are a couple of quick hitters on some current Cowboy commitments as these last two weeks wind down towards February 4.
At this point the only current Cowboy commitment that the coaches might worry about having a wandering eye is Joe Mitchell of all people who did not enroll early at OSU for what I’ve heard are core G.P.A. issues. He needs to retake some classes to boost it high enough to pair with his test score to gain eligibility and it shouldn’t be an issue. I believe this was posted on the board somewhere but keep an eye on Missouri as Gary Pinkel recently offered him a scholarship during an in-home visit and has told him that they will try him at quarterback first. Pinkel is smart so I’m guessing that is more about what Mitchell wants to hear than it is factual truth but nevertheless he might take an official to Columbia this weekend or next. It will be interesting to see how that turns out.
Anthony Rogers was another name being tugged at and was flirted with by Ole Miss. As was also posted on the board, the coaches appear to have shored him up as he doesn’t appear likely to take any trips over these next two weeks which is a relief for the staff as they are very high on him and did want to risk the potential of losing him to a great salesman in Houston Nutt.
The last prospect that at one point was probably the most likely to have a wandering eye even though he committed less than a week ago is Demontre Hurst. His affinity with The U is well documented and it seems realistic that should he take an official visit to Coral Gables that there is a pretty good chance OSU might lose him. I can’t see Gundy letting him take that trip and he now ironically has about as convincing of a bullet in the chamber for the simple fact that the defensive coordinator Demontre was being recruited to play under at Miami is now the one he is committed to play under at Oklahoma State. (JF)
Furthermore, we're serious about this being a Corral-only piece. Everything that is reported in the Cowboy Roundup must stay in the Cowboy Roundup. That's the way this deal works. Sometimes the info is sensitive enough that it simply doesn't need to be passed on beyond the doors of this thread.
We’ll start off with the fact that there was a lot of discussion (and disagreement) about what really happened with Dexter Pratt and LSU, specifically whether the problem was an NCAA Clearinghouse issue or some problem that occurred while Pratt was waiting to enroll. As best we've been able to figure out, the answer is both. Up until last night, Pratt was still waiting to be cleared at OSU, so that part was obvious. While in Baton Rogue, Pratt was put on the couch at a current player's apartment and that didn't go too well. We won't go into details, since we don't know the facts...but it's safe to say that situation played a part in Pratt ending up with OSU. (JJ)
********************
Regarding the Dexter Pratt situation, I was able to converse with Navasota Head Coach Lee Fedora last night regarding Dexter and how he came about ending up in Stillwater. Here are his responses to the questions I asked:
I’m curious to get your thoughts regarding the conclusion of Dexter’s recruitment in terms of how he ended up at Oklahoma State?
“I think it speaks for itself in that LSU was selling it as a clearinghouse issue and just some things took place there. He was committed to them for ten months, he didn’t talk to any other schools, and that tells you what kind of young man he was. Once he realized what was going on with some things he realized that wasn’t the place for him and now he’s cleared with the clearinghouse and he’ll be enrolled at Oklahoma State [Friday] and he’s very, very excited about it,” he replied.
What exactly was the issue that forced Dexter to have to wait until Friday to enroll at OSU?
“We just had to get the paperwork to the clearinghouse,” he said. “There was certain paperwork that we were not told was needed and we got that to them and they went through the evaluation of a review and cleared him as a qualifier for division one and we found that out [Thursday].”
Talk a little bit about Dexter as a person.
“Well, I’ve got a real good relationship with Dexter. He’s a kid that was a freshman when I got there so we got to go through the entire four years together. As his coach getting to watch him grow into a fine young man, I think the thing that is most impressive outside of football is just his leadership skills in that he’s probably one of the most unselfish people I’ve ever met. He’s always obsessed with the team and not worried about himself and I think you can see that in the last two years of our seasons. Both years we made it three rounds deep [in the playoffs] to the quarterfinals and he was never one of those players that didn’t feel like he was getting the ball. He just wanted to win, whatever it took to win, if that meant we had to throw the football 30 times a game then great. Just to see him develop into that type of young man says wonders about him,” said Coach Fedora.
How about as a football player?
“As a football player, wow, I mean what can you say? The kid is 6-foot-2, plays at 228 pounds, runs a 4.4, unbelievable hands out of the backfield, and people often ask what kind of runner he is. Well, he can make you miss if he needs to and he can run you over if he needs to. He’s just a kid that I think brings a lot to the table, you know, to me he’ll be one of the bigger backs in the Big 12, probably one of the bigger backs in the country when you look at his size, and definitely is a kid that I think is going to excel at this next level,” he said.
Lastly, is there anything else you’d like to add about this whole situation?
“I think one of the big things, and I’ve always heard this, and I’m kind of fortunate in that I’ve got a brother at that level that when I need to talk to somebody to find out what needs to be done next and this and that, I’m a phone call away from talking to somebody that I trust. This is my first player that was a midterm enrollment guy and you find out that it’s a tough thing to do to get them in and get them in on time and do those types of things. It’s just something you put in the back of your mind for that next kid that does it to make sure that everything is done correctly and I think sometimes you’ve got to go a little bit further and beyond than what some people are telling you to get done and do. I can say one thing about Doug Meacham and the Oklahoma State staff, you know, Doug was the one recruiting Dexter and they’ve been phenomenal. They’ve done a tremendous job to kind of take your steps through it and do the things that puts it in the best interest of this kid and I think that was one of [Dexter’s] selling points when he came down on his visit. He loved the town, loved the facilities, and loved the head coach and his assistant coaches and could see that they had a relationship with the kids just like myself with the relationship we have with our kids at the high school level,” he finished. (RC)
********************
Much of the OSU assistants' road work in the month of January has been focused on the 2010 class. There are still a handful of targets for '09, and keeping the verbal commitment list together is always an ongoing battle. More than any year under Mike Gundy, his staff has a huge head start on next year's recruiting. That's good because the state of Texas should rebound from an average year, while Oklahoma is poised for another big-time group of prospects. (JJ)
********************
There was something interesting not included in our interview with Jordan Barnes earlier this week that is pretty intriguing. Simply put, he has a leader and admitted to it when I asked him, but he would not tell me who it was.
“Yeah, I have a leader but, you know, I don’t want to say just now,” he said.
Now at first I thought that was bad news for OSU in that he knew I cover the Cowboys and I figured that he didn’t want to tell me that Purdue was his leader. Having analyzed further though, I’ve convinced myself that it actually means the opposite and here is why: the timing of his OSU in-home visit with respect to when he would like to make his decision.
First as a point of clarity, Jordan didn’t mention anything about the Purdue coaches coming to see him, they very well could have something scheduled but he didn’t say as such nor did I ask about it.
As far as OSU is concerned, if anybody was questioning whether Jordan is a high priority prospect, rest assured as he said that the following coaches will be in his house tonight: Mike Gundy, Joe DeForest, Glenn Spencer, and Bill Young. That’s the entire known defensive staff minus Jason Jones.
My take is that Barnes wants to wait to see how tonight goes and if things go well then its ball game. I could be wrong on this but I just have a hunch from the way that Jordan spoke about the upcoming visit and its importance that he is waiting to commit either in person to the coaching staff or he is wanting to meet the new defensive coordinator before doing so later in the weekend. Sit back and watch. (JF)
********************
This was mentioned in a post earlier this week, but new on-field assistant Robert Matthews is not necessarily going to be OSU's quarterbacks coach. He'll definitely be on the coaching staff, but could end up with a different offensive position, or even wind up with the defense. That designation was waiting on the defensive coordinator hire and has probably been firmed up. We'll probably know officially what Matthews' responsibility will be later today when he, Bill Young, and Robert Gillespie meet with the media for the first time. (JJ)
********************
One name that has always been in the back of the minds of OSU recruiting fans is that of Tyler Tettleton. While it never worked out for him as far as a Cowboy offer, it’s no secret that because of his father Tyler grew up an avid Oklahoma State fan.
When we talked to him last, the topic actually arose as to whether or not he would consider walking on to the Cowboy football team if they invited him to do so. Tyler has received an offer from Central Oklahoma and some strong interest from Sam Houston State, and at the point when we talked to him it appeared that the opportunity to receive a free education would likely be too much to pass up.
“Well, I believe if it came down to if I had an offer from a I-AA school or some other offer and OSU asked me to walk-on I would probably take the offer. I’m a huge OSU fan and I’ve always wanted to go to OSU but I just feel that I’d take the offer,” he said.
Needless to say, Tettleton’s perspective and approach to it all is understandable. He’s a competitor and it makes sense that he would want to go somewhere he can contribute right away and make a big impact on a team. Throughout the recruiting process it became more and more evident that OSU did not see him as that type of prospect and decided to go another direction. Nevertheless, he is definitely one to root for wherever he chooses to continue his career as I have no doubt he will do the same for the Cowboys. (RC)
********************
Some are expecting 24 or 25 signees in the '09 class. It could go that high, but could also stop at 22 or 23. (JJ)
********************
To finish, here are a couple of quick hitters on some current Cowboy commitments as these last two weeks wind down towards February 4.
At this point the only current Cowboy commitment that the coaches might worry about having a wandering eye is Joe Mitchell of all people who did not enroll early at OSU for what I’ve heard are core G.P.A. issues. He needs to retake some classes to boost it high enough to pair with his test score to gain eligibility and it shouldn’t be an issue. I believe this was posted on the board somewhere but keep an eye on Missouri as Gary Pinkel recently offered him a scholarship during an in-home visit and has told him that they will try him at quarterback first. Pinkel is smart so I’m guessing that is more about what Mitchell wants to hear than it is factual truth but nevertheless he might take an official to Columbia this weekend or next. It will be interesting to see how that turns out.
Anthony Rogers was another name being tugged at and was flirted with by Ole Miss. As was also posted on the board, the coaches appear to have shored him up as he doesn’t appear likely to take any trips over these next two weeks which is a relief for the staff as they are very high on him and did want to risk the potential of losing him to a great salesman in Houston Nutt.
The last prospect that at one point was probably the most likely to have a wandering eye even though he committed less than a week ago is Demontre Hurst. His affinity with The U is well documented and it seems realistic that should he take an official visit to Coral Gables that there is a pretty good chance OSU might lose him. I can’t see Gundy letting him take that trip and he now ironically has about as convincing of a bullet in the chamber for the simple fact that the defensive coordinator Demontre was being recruited to play under at Miami is now the one he is committed to play under at Oklahoma State. (JF)
