Courtney Gardner: The many travels of a JUCO standout the Sooners swiped from Arkansas
News that California junior college wide receiver Courtney Gardner signed with Oklahoma can’t be sitting too well with Arkansas. First the Hogs lost out on the nation’s top prep receiver (Dorial Green-Beckham) to Missouri. Then, in Gardner, they lost the nati0n’s top JUCO pass catcher to the Sooners.
But its cause to celebrate in the Sooner coaching offices. Co-offensive coordinator Jay Norvell has restocked his receiving corps quite well.
Here’s the receivers on the OU roster before classes were in session: Kenny Stills, Jaz Reynolds, Trey Franks and Kameel Jackson. That’s it.
Here’s the receiving corps Norvell and the Sooners since have signed:
– Trey Metoyer, perhaps the nation’s top receiving recruiting last year, returns to Norman from Hargrave Military Academy as the top prep school recruit. The five-star recruit probably has a different perspective on campus life now, having worn a military uniform to class last fall.
– Duron Neal of St. Louis spent his prep career playing in DGB shadow and comes to Norman with a bit of a chip on his shoulder, looking to prove he’s underrated — hence the Twitter handle @UnderratedNeal. Norvell calls him a student of Sooner football history and one of the favorite kids he’s ever recruited.
– Those of us who have watched Sterling Shepard’s career and know his background wonder if Norvell wasn’t actually talking about the Heritage Hall star, who signed Wednesday. Norvell made it clear in his segment on OU’s signing day webcast that he was looking for ways to the ball in the hands of late Sooner receiver Derrick Shepard soon.
– Derrick Woods of Inglewood, Calif. grew up just blocks from the Fabulous Forum, former home of the Los Angeles Lakers. Norvell enjoyed talking about Woods’ Los Angeles roots, and holding off a late charge from USC to sign him.
– And then there’s Gardner, who along with fellow juco standout Damien Williams (a running back from Arizona Western) provided the Sooners with a couple pleasant signing day surprises.
Norvell said when he was in the NFL for six years as an assistant he spent time looking for receivers like Gardner, a 6-foot-3, 215-pounder with speed. The guy was a state champion in the long jump (25-7) and triple jump (48-6). Other measurables: 10.67 100 meters, 21.4 200 meters, 315 bench, 425 squats.
You can watch him in action in the video above.
And after watching him and seeing Norvell’s words its natural to wonder what a guy like that is doing at Roseville (Calif.) Sierra Community College. Academic eligibility issues usually play a role for juco standouts. In Gardner’s case, the impact of Hurricane Katrina can’t be dismissed in his travels, which took him from Louisiana, to Reno, Nev., to prep school in North Carolina to the northwest outskirts of Sacramento and now, apparently, to Norman, Oklahoma.
Beyond signing day, this is the kind of story we like to tell in The Oklahoman and on NewsOK. Looking forward to learning more about Courtney Gardner.
Noon update: Sooners close class with JUCO RB Williams
CAMPUS CORNER — Oklahoma finished its 2012 recruiting class the way it started it, by signing a pair of junior college players.
The additions of receiver Courtney Gardner of Sierra College in California and running back Damien Williams of Arizona Western brought the Sooners’ total to 25 signees. Only Florida tight end Laith Harlow‘s is outstanding. Harlow is recovering from a back injury.
The athleticism of Gardner and Williams has been very highly regarded. Both have good size for their respective positions. Gardner is 6 foot 3 and 215 pounds. Williams is 6 foot 1 and 215 pounds.
The players become the fifth and sixth junior college players in the class. They join defensive back Kass Everett, tight end Brannon Green and defensive end Chaz Nelson, who all enrolled in January. This week, offensive lineman Will Latu committed, before Gardner and Williams’ decision.
ESPN reporter that Gardner, originally pledged to Arkansas, committed Tuesday night to the Sooners. Williams was choosing between OU, Texas Tech and Arizona State.
= Trav
10:30 a.m. update: Sooners snag WR Gardner
CAMPUS CORNER — There aren’t many big signing-day ceremonies for junior college transfers, but that did not reduce the impact this morning of Courtney Gardner‘s decision to join the Sooners.
The receiver from Sierra College in Rocklin, Calif., sent in his LOI to OU at 10:22 a.m. He had committed to Arkansas in December, but the Sooners felt more and more as if he was leaning their way. Turns out he was. It’s a good signing-day get for OU. Arkansas was already dealing with the top-ranked receiver, Dorial Green-Beckham, choosing Missouri over it.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Gardner joins a loaded WR class for OU. Seventeen letters are in today (not counting the players who enrolled in January), and four are from receivers. Derrick Woods, though, could wind up playing defense. Sterling Shepard and Durron Neal are the others. Neal’s letter was the first in this morning, at 7:01 a.m.
Twenty-three total letters are in, leaving only a couple out there – a couple of Florida prospects, TE Laith Harlow and LB Eric Striker. They’re thought to be firm commitments. The only other prospect that OU is really in the mix with is Arizona JUCO RB Damien Williams, who will choose between Texas Tech and the Sooners.
Curious to hear Bob Stoops later today about the JUCO aspect of this class. It’s rare OU would lean this heavily on that route, but it could turn out to be very productive in the near future, this year and next.
= Trav
Dorial Green-Beckham signs with Missouri
Not even the most optimistic Sooner fan started today thinking OU had any chance of signing Dorial Green-Beckham today. And it’s only worth mentioning here because there was a time a month ago when it looked like OU was running strong in the race for the nation’s top receiving recruit.
But the son of Springfield, Mo., has decided to stay close to home, picking Missouri over Arkansas, Texas — and yes, Oklahoma. He made his announcement this morning at his high school.
Apparently, the “MIZ-DGB” chants worked.
Pledger collects Big 12 honor
Oklahoma junior guard Steven Pledger has been named the Big 12 Player of the Week after scoring 30 points in a 63-60 win at then No. 22 ranked Kansas State.
For the week, Pledger averaged 23.5 points and 5.5 rebounds, including a loss to No. 6 Baylor.
Pledger, among the league scoring leaders, averaging 17.8 points a game, shot 56.3 percent in OU’s two games last week. He’s had six games with 20 or more points this season after having just three 20-point games his first two seasons.
One of the top 10 free throw shooters in the country, Pledger is 24-of-24 at the line in conference play and has missed only six free throws all season.
From NT: Transferring OU TE speaks
Former OU tight end Austin Haywood
CAMPUS CORNER — Some good stuff in this story about Austin Haywood from the Norman Transcript.
Of particular interest to me, though you had to read a ways to find it, was Haywood accepting blame for how things turned out at OU.
“The main reason was I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to do,” Haywood said. “I just had a bad attitude about things. It was my fault it didn’t work out.”
It’s nice to hear young people – heck, anyone – taking responsibility. We reported that, as a final straw, Haywood got into a shouting match with his position coach, Bruce Kittle. He left the team, attempted to come back and then ultimately told us he was heading to Central Arkansas.
I thought the Central Arkansas coach’s comment about what happened at OU was interesting, also.
“It was addressed directly,” Clint Conque said. “We are all human. We all make mistakes. But we live in a society of second opportunities. But his situation at Oklahoma was addressed directly.”
Tight end already would have been a recruiting priority for the Sooners, who lost James Hanna and Trent Ratterree to graduation, but Haywood’s departure made it an even bigger need. Freshman Taylor McNamara, who was cleared Wednesday for enrollment, is expected to help, as is JUCO transfer Brannon Green. OU is still targeting other tight ends, both in the 2012 and 2013 classes.
= Trav
Power Lunch Chat with Mike Baldwin
OU freshman tight end: “CLEARED!”
CAMPUS CORNER — Incoming freshman tight end Taylor McNamara told me last week he was hopeful the NCAA would clear him by Monday, at the latest. Took until Wednesday, but the Californian tweeted “CLEARED!” this afternoon. Guess that means he’s in.
Some sort of class credit required the NCAA’s attention, but it sounds as if McNamara – the only high school early enrollee – got a thumbs up for it.
McNamara, who was staying at a hotel with his family last week, was concerned about how long he would be holed up waiting. OU found a way to allow him to stay in Bud Wilkinson dorm, where McNamara told us all about his love of ping pong. He also reported his unfortunate defeat early Wednesday morning — at the hands of a, gasp, girl.
Now he can get to class and catch up on what he has missed the past week.
At last check, receiver Trey Metoyer was still tying up loose ends at Hargrave prep in Virginia. But he is expected to arrive and enroll any day.
Speaking of receivers, a note on top-rated Dorial Green-Beckham. According to his high school coach, Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino may have erred when he “bumped into” Green-Beckham in San Antonio. Petrino was in town for the coaches’ convention, Green-Beckham for the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.
The significance here is that Petrino will not be able to visit DGB this week as a result of whatever happened.
Here’s a thought: Don’t have hundreds of college coaches in the same place where high-profile recruits are playing an exhibition game. It’s a big country.
Earlier this afternoon, ESPN’s Tom Luginbill was on the Finebaum radio program in Alabama. He said DGB was down to Arkansas, Missouri and Texas as his final three. That’s something that has been going around the past week, but OU has not given up. Sooners coach Bob Stoops and co-offensive coordinator Jay Norvell went Monday night to Green-Beckham’s high school basketball game. It’s the second time in as many weeks that Norvell has done that. He went with co-OC Josh Heupel in the last visit.
= Trav
Sooners announce spring football dates
CAMPUS CORNER — Oklahoma has tentatively set its spring football dates.
The Sooners will begin March 5 and conclude April 14 with the annual spring game. OU will take a respite for spring break, which is March 19-23.
Pro Day will take place March 14 at 9 a.m. inside the Everest Center.
= Trav
Updated: Mike Stoops’ contract details
CAMPUS CORNER — Let’s just start over.
I cited a report earlier today that said Mike Stoops would make $245,000 a year as OU’s new defensive coordinator. It seemed way low, but I thought it might have had something to do with his Arizona buyout.
It didn’t. Turns out that was the base salary, and the reporter neglected to add the personal services/fundraising portion.
Splashing in that measly $355,000, Stoops will make $600,000 in 2012.
Yeah, that sounds more like it. I apologize for running with the wrong info while I worked on the Tim Kish story.
It’s a three-year deal. If Stoops stays for the 2013 season, he will earn a $50,000 bonus. He’ll receive another $50K the next year, if he stays.
That takes the total value of the contract to $1.9 million, or $633,333 a year.
One more incentive-based bonus: Stoops is also eligible for another $60K, should OU win a national championship.
= Trav
