Stormin in Norman
Fansided

Oklahoma Football: How Oklahoma became a dominant recruiting force

By Christopher Dukes

ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 02: The Oklahoma Sooners pose for a team photo after winning the Big 12 Championship against the TCU Horned Frogs 41-17 at AT&T Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 02: The Oklahoma Sooners pose for a team photo after winning the Big 12 Championship against the TCU Horned Frogs 41-17 at AT&T Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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STILLWATER, OK – NOVEMBER 04: Head Coach Lincoln Riley of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrates with fans after the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 62-52. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)
STILLWATER, OK – NOVEMBER 04: Head Coach Lincoln Riley of the Oklahoma Sooners celebrates with fans after the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium on November 4, 2017 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Oklahoma defeated Oklahoma State 62-52. (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images) /

Lincoln Riley

The Sooners got younger as a coaching staff going into 2015 with the hiring of Dennis Simmons and Kerry Cooks – both have proven to be great recruiters – but no hire changed the landscape at Oklahoma quite like Lincoln Riley.

He is young enough to relate to high school players and also has enough of a presence to be taken seriously as a leader.

Riley is a tireless recruiter and his enthusiasm has proven to be infectious, revitalizing older staff members like Cale Gundy and Mike Stoops and turning them back into the elite recruiters they were a few years back.

It took a year for the results to show up on paper. The 2016 class was defense-heavy and short on offensive firepower, but by 2017 Riley’s might on the recruiting trail was starting to show up. He was an integral part of Oklahoma’s first top 10 class since 2010.

Since Riley became head coach in the summer of 2017 the program has shifted even more focus to recruiting. His first official move on as head coach was flipping in-state commit Ronnie Perkins from Texas to Oklahoma. The 2018 class shored up a large percentage of its recruits on the early national signing day and went after some big defensive guns while still preparing for a College Football Playoff game against Georgia.

The Oklahoma Spring Game used to be little more than a crumb to help hold football-starved fans over through the long days of summer. Riley turned it into a must-attend event for fans and recruits alike.

He brought in famous Sooner alumni like Lane Johnson and Adrian Peterson to serve as surrogate coaches. He helped secure a pregame concert to bring in more fans. Perhaps most importantly, he created an atmosphere of family and excitement for the young, talented high school visiting Norman. As a result, the unseasonably cold April day yielded major results.

Every hire Riley has made as a head coach has been with recruiting in mind. Ruffin McNeil was brought in as an elder statesman and someone who can relate to parents and players. Shane Beamer is one of the best young recruiters in the country as he has proven at places like Georgia and Virginia Tech. Newest hire Chip Viney could be his best hire yet recruiting-wise.

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