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Two of the top players in Oklahoma are holding offers from SMU, and would be welcome additions to the SMU roster. These to HS teammates are on almost every list I've seen of the top 10 players in Oklahoma.

Michael Tate (6-4, 240, 4.52) is a stud defensive end at Tulsa (Booker T. Washington) who also plays some linebacker at BTW, but he's projected as a college DE all the way. His head coach, Antwain Jimmerson, says he's better than former teammate Mark Anderson, who now plays at Bama. He's not huge - yet - but for a DE to run a 4.52 at any size is smokin'. His coach thinks he's going to keep growing (taller), and can add a ton of weight and strength. And that speed is unreal. He's also a very good student. He'll be a hard sell, though - in addition to SMU, he already has been offered a scholarship by Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Arkansas and Kansas State.

Wide receiver Quentin Chaney (6-6, 210, 4.5) is impossible to defend, at least at the high school level. He already has offers from SMU, Oklahoma, Colorado, Oklahoma State, Southern Cal, Georgia, A&M and Tulsa. Coach Jimmerson said he's just as good an athlete as Robert Meachum (top Oklahoma WR last year) and has better hands and better receiving technique. Coach Jimmerson also said that as fast as he is in the 40, he has great make-up speed, that you basically can't over throw him. He's a great basketball player (are you reading this, Coach Dement?) and a big leaper, so if you throw the ball up in the air, he'll go get it. Chaney has added 20 pounds in the last year, and benches over 300. a

If SMU was to land either of those guys - let alone both of them - Coach Roark would challenge Jerry Bennett as SMU's top recruiting assistant coach.

Seeing 6'5" Richard Bartel throwing to 6'6" Chaney would give new meaning the term "vertical passing game."

The list I got those updates from has these guys listed as the top 10 recruits this year in Oklahoma.

1. Tulsa (Union) DT/DE Nathan Peterson (6-4, 240, 4.63)
2. Lawton (Eisenhower) TB/FS D.J. Wolfe (6-0, 190, 4.4)
3. Tulsa (Booker T. Washington) DE Michael Tate (6-4, 240, 4.53)
4. Tulsa (Booker T. Washington) WR Quentin Chaney (6-6, 210, 4.5)
5. Lawton (Eisenhower) DE Avery Fennell (6-4, 212, 4.6)
6. Lawton (Eisenhower) WR Marcus Henry (6-4, 190, 4.6)
7. Moore TB/SS Tarrion Adams (6-1, 190, 4.5)
8. Ponca City TE/DE Justin Waller (6-4, 220, 4.7)
9. Moore RB/LB Ted Curtis (6-2, 220, 4.5)
10. Marietta WR/CB Tranile Washington (5-11, 185, 4.5)n

Just because a school offers a scholarship doesn't mean the player who receives the offer necessarily reciprocates with interest in the school. I'm hearing that while SMU has in fact offered Quentin Chaney a scholarship, his interest lies elsewhere. Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are his clear front-runners, and he also is considering Arkansas, Kansas State, Nebraska, Southern Cal, Texas A&M and Texas Tech. Likewise, Michael Tate might be sitting on a stack of scholarship offers, but I'm not hearing SMU mentioned among his choices. The last I heard, Tate was leaning heavily toward Nebraska, but continues to consider Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and even Tulsa (although most people I've talked to think that's very marginal interest in Tulsa - but it is his hometown school).

Sorry to dampen the enthusiasm here. But rest assured, SMU has made monstrous strides in Oklahoma in the last year, and should continue to increase its recruiting presence north of the Red River.p

Aw, come on, Guru! At this time last year, did you really give SMU a chance of landing Richuel Massey? I doubt it. Justin Boren? I doubt it. Chris Phillips? I doubt it. Avery Cleveland? I doubt it.

It's extremely early, and I'm going to believe in this coaching staff after the great class they put together in February. Besides, you have to commend Coach Bennett and his staff for going after these kids. The previous regime didn't even call or visit some top players, assuming they would go elsewhere. There were some players who got scholarship offers without hearing from the old coaching staff first. This staff is busting tail, and they're clearly building relationships with coaches around the state of Texas - and apparently Oklahoma. Coach Roark is doing a hell of a job up there.

Me too - I'm not giving up on getting top kids until they actually end up somewhere else. Are we going to get all the best players out there? Of course not. But the improved recruiting of the past year and a half, and the enthusiasm with which Coach Bennett sells SMU is contagious, and has made me more confident in the future of the program than I have been in a long, long time. Go after these top kids, coaches. If you get a couple of them, all of a sudden more top kids will consider SMU. You can't sign a kid if you don't at least go after him. If he says no, fine - move on to the next one. But until these kids say no, chase 'em all!

The competition for Chaney is getting even stronger. In addition to SMU, he now has scholarship offers from:
Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Colorado, Texas A&M, Nebraska, Arkansas, Tulsa, USC, Texas Tech, Mizzou, K-State and Georgia.
He has not yet designated any schools as his favorites.

While we're working on that Irving-to-SMU pipeline, it sounds like we need to blaze a path from Tulsa -- specifically from Booker T. Washington High -- to SMU, as well.
Tulsa's almost local, right?

Say Coach Bennett and Coach Roark pull off a recruiting coups and land this Chaney guy. And that Vincent Chase and Bobby Chase jump on board.

Sometime early in the 2004 season, SMU faces a long third down. We take the RB off the field, and 6'5" Richard Bartel has his choice of five targets: 6'4" TE Vincent Chase, 6'5" TE Ryan Kennedy, 6'4" WR Jay Taylor, 6'5" WR Bobby Chase or 6'6" WR Quentin Chaney.

That is an offense I'd want to play for .... in a heartbeat.

That sound you hear is the sound of opposing defensive coordinators hurredly resigning, throwing off their headsets, and stampeding out of Ford Stadium in favor of a more relaxed profession - like bomb de-fusing.

(OK, it's a bit of a stretch - but seriously, how appealing would that lineup be?)

Look, I'm as enthusiastic as any PonyFan out there, but I'm afraid even I don't see that last scenario happening. That's a lot of if's you outline there.

while i cant speak for those other tall recievers, Vincent Chase is actually 6'5 also, and i can say that i've personally seen both Chase brothers (Vincent and Bobby) catch balls that should have been impossible. These two will be the future of recieving yards at SMU. I guarantee it.

Hey wardog, that last sentence makes it sound like a done deal that they're coming! True?

Get Vincent Chase to call these guys and convince them to join him at SMU. All of a sudden, we would have the makings of a superior class.





[This message has been edited by Hoss (edited 06-03-2003).]

Coach Antwain Jimmerson was coached by Jerry Bennett in High School.

VERY interesting! Is there no limit to Coach Jerry's connections? If he could somehow get one or more of those players down to Dallas .... what a steal that would be.

Has anyone got an update on these guys? Any new developments?