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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.
One of the names that most people are going to want to follow throughout his recruitment is obviously Jenks, Oklahoma product Gabe Lynn. At 6-feet and 180-pounds, he possesses a frame which college coaches covet at the cornerback position.
With 10 scholarship offers already on the table, Lynn evidently does a lot right on the field and he commented on what he felt were some of his best attributes that might best translate to the division one level.
“My [physicality] and my size as a corner,” he said. “That is one of the things that Oklahoma State was talking about when I was down there was just that they like my size at corner and that they like bigger corners. I think right now in high school the main thing I’ve got to work on getting better as far as covering, because every week I’m not playing against a guy that is going to give me a test, so it is easy to fall asleep but I’ve just got to stay on top of that. Talent-wise I think I’m better than a lot of people I’ll play in high school but I’ve just got to keep working on my game because everybody in college is going to be the best of the best.”
While admitting that his focus could improve when facing an inferior team, which likely happens a lot when you have won as many state championships as the Trojans have at the 6A level, Lynn further detailed what he most definitely would like to improve upon throughout his senior year.
“I think I need to work on just, like I said, right now where I play a lot of teams just run the ball a lot. Certain teams will throw the ball but I’ve just got to stay awake because it is easy to fall asleep and you know I want to get this big hit or something so I’ve got to be smart because if you come up to too hard on a fake or something then they are right behind you. If you mess up at corner then it is a touchdown whereas if you mess up at any other position they might get five yards or a first down. So I’ve just got to really pay attention to just not falling asleep and just being prepared,” he said.
After talking with Lynn following junior day of last weekend, he seemed to be pretty impressed with the experience and more notable new defensive backs Coach Jason Jones. That is certainly a good sign if the Gundy was able to hire another quality recruiter to go along with the more notable names that have an established reputation.
If Coach Jones is able to lure in a top prospect of Lynn’s caliber then that answers a question that many people were unsure of the answer to when he was hired away from Tulsa and that was if he could recruit. I do not know if Jones’ territory is going to be the Tulsa area but it certainly makes sense as he has been living there for the past couple of years prior to getting hired in Stillwater.
As far as Lynn is concerned, I think his recruitment will draw out for a while as he is being nationally recruited and I’m not sure he expected to be. He gave one of the more glowing reports I’ve heard of any OSU junior day since I’ve been doing this and while it was fresh on his mind at the time I still got the sense that if Lynn ultimately picks the Cowboys that it was the first impression made by the OSU coaching staff that instigated the whole thing. (JF)
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Unfortunately the only basketball prospect that was able to make it to Stillwater for OSU’s upset of KU last weekend was Duncanville, Texas product Roger Franklin. The 6-foot-6, 217-pounder has started to really come on of late and his game has really improved over the past several months.
Franklin and teammate Shawn Williams lead a Duncanville team that may arguably be the best high school team in the country this season which is mighty impressive. As for what Franklin brings to the table, he talked about some of the strong points in his game that help him succeed the way that he does.
“I think my strong points are leadership, you know, I want to be a great leader for the team,” said Franklin. “My father always told me don’t follow, you should always try to lead so I always try to be the leader and get the crowd into the game, get my teammates pumped up to want to play harder and harder. Then also just being able to go out there and just play hard for my team, making the key plays that will win a basketball game, doing the little things, and also hitting big shots and stuff like that.”
While he clearly does many things well, Franklin was quick to point out that there is one thing that he feels needs the most work before he can make his biggest impact at the division one level.
“Ball handling,” he said. “I can shoot, I can rebound, I can pass, I just really need to work on my ball handling. That is going to improve by this summer.”
Being recruited to Stillwater by recently appointed assistant coach Mike Hatch, Franklin commented on how he developed an appreciation for the way that Coach Hatch handles himself.
“I think Coach Hatch is a great coach,” he said. “He takes care of me when I come up to visit. He’s real hard on the guys, he is very disciplined, you know, that is what I really like about Coach Hatch. He wants the whole entire team to really do good.”
In the end, I think there is a great chance that Franklin could end up in Stillwater. He seems to be a very humble yet impressionable kid and I think the game he attended will be something that will stick in the back of his mind.
It was his second unofficial visit to Oklahoma State ever but something that I did not know to keep in mind that Franklin did mention was that he is originally from the state of Oklahoma and that he grew up watching the two Bedlam rivals play ball. That familiarity could be something that helps OSU’s cause down the line when the early signing period approaches.
“I’m originally from Oklahoma so I was always watched Oklahoma State and OU,” he said. “I lived in Oklahoma City and then I moved to Edmond. I moved from Edmond to Duncanville when I was seven years old.” (RC)
********************
The other basketball prospect that we talked to this week has an intriguing story as he is one that has ventured around quite a bit. Thomas Manzano is currently redshirting at Garden City CC with plans to play his freshman year next year thus allowing him to play three seasons at the division one level.
The kid has bounced around a lot for whatever reason but I don’t think there is any doubting his ability as the one thing that most experts have mentioned that is that Manzano possesses a great deal of sheer athleticism which as Manzano confirms doesn’t necessarily help you with your free throw shooting.
“I rebound, I can jump and finish around the basket, I can shoot it,” he said. “I’m not going to lie my free throw shot is not consistent but I’m working on it, you know, I’ve got a good work ethic and I think it will pay off if I just keep working hard.”
At this point I don’t believe that there is a great deal of interest from Oklahoma State’s side of things but that could certainly change. I think the fact that Manzano is not playing right now has something to do with that but the fact that Kansas State and a couple of other solid schools are keeping an eye on him shows that he can play.
One thing that Manzano admittedly struggles with at this point though is his defense but he mentioned that it is an aspect of his game that he knows needs to improve and as all OSU fans area aware it is something that the Cowboy program has taken pride in over the past several years.
“I need to work on playing more defense, you know, I feel if I just put the effort to it then I could do it. It is nothing that if you don’t put effort to then you are not going to be able to do, it just depends on how hard you work at it,” he said.
Ultimately, I think Manzano is a name to keep and eye on but feel that there are probably higher targets on the priority list for the 2009 class. The numbers for the coaching staff will be a little tight as three or four isn’t a huge number but I would look for the coaches to be very selective about who they try and get commitments from.
One thing is for sure, while the struggles early in the season are never going to help, the recent turnaround and possible run towards a post-season tournament will undoubtedly help the recruiting cause as it shows that not only the coach but OSU’s current players can coach and compete at a high level. (JF)
********************
As expected, the update that created a little stir this week came from San Antonio, Texas product Calvin Howell and his mentioning that OSU was his favorite school growing up and that his contact with them had been virtually non existent.
While the coaches obviously have their sights focused on spring ball right now I would be shocked if there wasn’t some contact established soon to at least try and get a foot back in the door. With the scholarship offers that Howell has he is clearly becoming a high level recruit and I did not get the sense that many bridges had necessarily been burned with OSU but more Howell was just disappointed that the communication stopped.
Nevertheless, the Warren High School product is a very good player and he attributes his mentality on the field as something that helps him play at the level he does.
“For my strong points, I have a real nasty first step coming off the defensive line, you know, I just have that mentality that I’m a beast and I’m a monster and I won’t be stopped. I’ve just got my first step but I’ll tell you some of my weak points, I do have weak points. Because I’m such a big strong guy I tend to block into the bull rush and just run over everybody. My defensive line coach has been working with me though, I’ve got good hands, stay low, and I just dominate the defensive line, that’s my job, I live, sleep, and eat defensive line,” said Howell.
Once the spring semester winds down, Howell is hoping to show off his talents a few football camps and he commented on how he is going to have to be selective about which one’s he attends for financial reasons.
“Oh yeah, as a matter of fact, on April 26 I’m going to be at TCU for the NIKE camp and this summer I’m really trying to save some money because my mom is going to let me go to two so I’ve just got to pick out the one’s that I really want to go to,” he detailed.
One question that has to be asked is if Howell could possibly improve upon some of the numbers that he claims to have previously put up at school as it appears that his athleticism is off the charts for someone his size.
“I have a good pro agility [drill], I’m real quick as I’ve got a 4.47 shuttle. I don’t know how that is but I can dunk a basketball off my vertical leap with two hands so my coaches always tell me I’m a pretty weird athlete,” he laughed.
This recruitment will be interesting to watch, especially if OSU does try and make a push to get back in the race. I was very surprised when talking to Howell, first that he said that he had grown up an OSU fan and second that OSU had not talked to him in a while.
I would be even more shocked if the coaching staff does not at least throw out some feelers to test if Howell would be receptive to OSU recruiting him again as I think he would be. Nevertheless, one might think with the offers he has that OSU would make a run at him but if not then there are certain to be reasons for it. (RC)
********************
Jeremy Smith's commitment to OSU may have come about due to OSU's win over Kansas. Smith wasn't there, but sent a text to coach Curtis Luper that and said if "we win this game, I'm going to commit." Two days later, he called Luper and gave him the good news. (JJ)
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.
One of the names that most people are going to want to follow throughout his recruitment is obviously Jenks, Oklahoma product Gabe Lynn. At 6-feet and 180-pounds, he possesses a frame which college coaches covet at the cornerback position.
With 10 scholarship offers already on the table, Lynn evidently does a lot right on the field and he commented on what he felt were some of his best attributes that might best translate to the division one level.
“My [physicality] and my size as a corner,” he said. “That is one of the things that Oklahoma State was talking about when I was down there was just that they like my size at corner and that they like bigger corners. I think right now in high school the main thing I’ve got to work on getting better as far as covering, because every week I’m not playing against a guy that is going to give me a test, so it is easy to fall asleep but I’ve just got to stay on top of that. Talent-wise I think I’m better than a lot of people I’ll play in high school but I’ve just got to keep working on my game because everybody in college is going to be the best of the best.”
While admitting that his focus could improve when facing an inferior team, which likely happens a lot when you have won as many state championships as the Trojans have at the 6A level, Lynn further detailed what he most definitely would like to improve upon throughout his senior year.
“I think I need to work on just, like I said, right now where I play a lot of teams just run the ball a lot. Certain teams will throw the ball but I’ve just got to stay awake because it is easy to fall asleep and you know I want to get this big hit or something so I’ve got to be smart because if you come up to too hard on a fake or something then they are right behind you. If you mess up at corner then it is a touchdown whereas if you mess up at any other position they might get five yards or a first down. So I’ve just got to really pay attention to just not falling asleep and just being prepared,” he said.
After talking with Lynn following junior day of last weekend, he seemed to be pretty impressed with the experience and more notable new defensive backs Coach Jason Jones. That is certainly a good sign if the Gundy was able to hire another quality recruiter to go along with the more notable names that have an established reputation.
If Coach Jones is able to lure in a top prospect of Lynn’s caliber then that answers a question that many people were unsure of the answer to when he was hired away from Tulsa and that was if he could recruit. I do not know if Jones’ territory is going to be the Tulsa area but it certainly makes sense as he has been living there for the past couple of years prior to getting hired in Stillwater.
As far as Lynn is concerned, I think his recruitment will draw out for a while as he is being nationally recruited and I’m not sure he expected to be. He gave one of the more glowing reports I’ve heard of any OSU junior day since I’ve been doing this and while it was fresh on his mind at the time I still got the sense that if Lynn ultimately picks the Cowboys that it was the first impression made by the OSU coaching staff that instigated the whole thing. (JF)
********************
Unfortunately the only basketball prospect that was able to make it to Stillwater for OSU’s upset of KU last weekend was Duncanville, Texas product Roger Franklin. The 6-foot-6, 217-pounder has started to really come on of late and his game has really improved over the past several months.
Franklin and teammate Shawn Williams lead a Duncanville team that may arguably be the best high school team in the country this season which is mighty impressive. As for what Franklin brings to the table, he talked about some of the strong points in his game that help him succeed the way that he does.
“I think my strong points are leadership, you know, I want to be a great leader for the team,” said Franklin. “My father always told me don’t follow, you should always try to lead so I always try to be the leader and get the crowd into the game, get my teammates pumped up to want to play harder and harder. Then also just being able to go out there and just play hard for my team, making the key plays that will win a basketball game, doing the little things, and also hitting big shots and stuff like that.”
While he clearly does many things well, Franklin was quick to point out that there is one thing that he feels needs the most work before he can make his biggest impact at the division one level.
“Ball handling,” he said. “I can shoot, I can rebound, I can pass, I just really need to work on my ball handling. That is going to improve by this summer.”
Being recruited to Stillwater by recently appointed assistant coach Mike Hatch, Franklin commented on how he developed an appreciation for the way that Coach Hatch handles himself.
“I think Coach Hatch is a great coach,” he said. “He takes care of me when I come up to visit. He’s real hard on the guys, he is very disciplined, you know, that is what I really like about Coach Hatch. He wants the whole entire team to really do good.”
In the end, I think there is a great chance that Franklin could end up in Stillwater. He seems to be a very humble yet impressionable kid and I think the game he attended will be something that will stick in the back of his mind.
It was his second unofficial visit to Oklahoma State ever but something that I did not know to keep in mind that Franklin did mention was that he is originally from the state of Oklahoma and that he grew up watching the two Bedlam rivals play ball. That familiarity could be something that helps OSU’s cause down the line when the early signing period approaches.
“I’m originally from Oklahoma so I was always watched Oklahoma State and OU,” he said. “I lived in Oklahoma City and then I moved to Edmond. I moved from Edmond to Duncanville when I was seven years old.” (RC)
********************
The other basketball prospect that we talked to this week has an intriguing story as he is one that has ventured around quite a bit. Thomas Manzano is currently redshirting at Garden City CC with plans to play his freshman year next year thus allowing him to play three seasons at the division one level.
The kid has bounced around a lot for whatever reason but I don’t think there is any doubting his ability as the one thing that most experts have mentioned that is that Manzano possesses a great deal of sheer athleticism which as Manzano confirms doesn’t necessarily help you with your free throw shooting.
“I rebound, I can jump and finish around the basket, I can shoot it,” he said. “I’m not going to lie my free throw shot is not consistent but I’m working on it, you know, I’ve got a good work ethic and I think it will pay off if I just keep working hard.”
At this point I don’t believe that there is a great deal of interest from Oklahoma State’s side of things but that could certainly change. I think the fact that Manzano is not playing right now has something to do with that but the fact that Kansas State and a couple of other solid schools are keeping an eye on him shows that he can play.
One thing that Manzano admittedly struggles with at this point though is his defense but he mentioned that it is an aspect of his game that he knows needs to improve and as all OSU fans area aware it is something that the Cowboy program has taken pride in over the past several years.
“I need to work on playing more defense, you know, I feel if I just put the effort to it then I could do it. It is nothing that if you don’t put effort to then you are not going to be able to do, it just depends on how hard you work at it,” he said.
Ultimately, I think Manzano is a name to keep and eye on but feel that there are probably higher targets on the priority list for the 2009 class. The numbers for the coaching staff will be a little tight as three or four isn’t a huge number but I would look for the coaches to be very selective about who they try and get commitments from.
One thing is for sure, while the struggles early in the season are never going to help, the recent turnaround and possible run towards a post-season tournament will undoubtedly help the recruiting cause as it shows that not only the coach but OSU’s current players can coach and compete at a high level. (JF)
********************
As expected, the update that created a little stir this week came from San Antonio, Texas product Calvin Howell and his mentioning that OSU was his favorite school growing up and that his contact with them had been virtually non existent.
While the coaches obviously have their sights focused on spring ball right now I would be shocked if there wasn’t some contact established soon to at least try and get a foot back in the door. With the scholarship offers that Howell has he is clearly becoming a high level recruit and I did not get the sense that many bridges had necessarily been burned with OSU but more Howell was just disappointed that the communication stopped.
Nevertheless, the Warren High School product is a very good player and he attributes his mentality on the field as something that helps him play at the level he does.
“For my strong points, I have a real nasty first step coming off the defensive line, you know, I just have that mentality that I’m a beast and I’m a monster and I won’t be stopped. I’ve just got my first step but I’ll tell you some of my weak points, I do have weak points. Because I’m such a big strong guy I tend to block into the bull rush and just run over everybody. My defensive line coach has been working with me though, I’ve got good hands, stay low, and I just dominate the defensive line, that’s my job, I live, sleep, and eat defensive line,” said Howell.
Once the spring semester winds down, Howell is hoping to show off his talents a few football camps and he commented on how he is going to have to be selective about which one’s he attends for financial reasons.
“Oh yeah, as a matter of fact, on April 26 I’m going to be at TCU for the NIKE camp and this summer I’m really trying to save some money because my mom is going to let me go to two so I’ve just got to pick out the one’s that I really want to go to,” he detailed.
One question that has to be asked is if Howell could possibly improve upon some of the numbers that he claims to have previously put up at school as it appears that his athleticism is off the charts for someone his size.
“I have a good pro agility [drill], I’m real quick as I’ve got a 4.47 shuttle. I don’t know how that is but I can dunk a basketball off my vertical leap with two hands so my coaches always tell me I’m a pretty weird athlete,” he laughed.
This recruitment will be interesting to watch, especially if OSU does try and make a push to get back in the race. I was very surprised when talking to Howell, first that he said that he had grown up an OSU fan and second that OSU had not talked to him in a while.
I would be even more shocked if the coaching staff does not at least throw out some feelers to test if Howell would be receptive to OSU recruiting him again as I think he would be. Nevertheless, one might think with the offers he has that OSU would make a run at him but if not then there are certain to be reasons for it. (RC)
********************
Jeremy Smith's commitment to OSU may have come about due to OSU's win over Kansas. Smith wasn't there, but sent a text to coach Curtis Luper that and said if "we win this game, I'm going to commit." Two days later, he called Luper and gave him the good news. (JJ)
