The deals are sealed

By Mike Kays and Kenton Brooks
Phoenix Sports Writers

February 07, 2008 01:46 pm

— The most frequent question asked Jameel Owens on Wednesday morning, near a table full of ignored doughnuts and coffee, was whether he’d don the number he wore at Muskogee High School — and the number that wide receiver Malcolm Kelly leaves as an Oklahoma Sooner.
“I’ve asked for it when I (verbally) committed (last month)” he said. “If I don’t get it, I’ll have to change the number on my chain, but if I go down there and show them what I can do, hopefully it will be mine.”
Sooners coach Bob Stoops was asked the same question Wednesday evening.
“Why wouldn’t he?” he responded. “Shoot, I don’t assign numbers on signing day, but if he loves 4, he’ll get it.”
Owens and MHS teammate Stacy McGee made official what they announced last month when they signed their national letters of intent to become two of three in-state recruits in this year’s OU recruiting class. The other was Union kicker Tress Way.
So in anti-climatic form, a journey for the state’s top two recruits came to an end, and a new beginning. And both were quite comfortable making the transition.
“I got too much sleep last night,” McGee said. “Actually, I’m very comfortable today.”
And OU should be a comfortable fit for both. Stoops saw the two at Indian Bowl in September against Union, but has followed them for several years.
On Owens, who was six yards shy of a 1,000-yard receiving season in 2006, there wouldn’t be a comparison between the apparent incumbent No. 4 and the departing No. 4.
“Jameel (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) has the size and presence to be as good as anyone that’s come through here,” Stoops said.
And the 6-5, 265 McGee, who had 98 tackles and six sacks against overloaded blocking last season?
“For a big guy, Stacy has as good of feet as anyone I’ve ever coached,” he said.
And both can make an immediate impact on the roster. OU lost Kelly among three juniors who declared for the NFL draft — linebacker Curtis Lofton and defensive back Reggie Smith being the others. Graduation claims two defensive ends — Alonzo Dotson and John Williams. That bodes well for McGee, who played both defensive end and tackle for MHS but is a more natural fit at end. But Stoops said he could end up inside or outside.
“Whatever fits him best. What you don’t know about him is how big he’s going to get,” Stoops said. “But as far as playing time, they both have an absolute chance of contributing significantly next year.”
Both will join a third Rougher at OU — Jontae Bumpus, who will also compete for time at defensive end after not suiting up as a freshman due to knee surgery.
The three are believed to be the first to play for Oklahoma simultaneously since the 1950s. Kurt Burris, Max Boydston and Eddie Crowder were all teammates in 1951 and 1952. Crowder graduated in 1952 and Bo Bolinger played with Burris and Boydston in 1953. All four were All-Americans.
Nine Roughers signed Wednesday. Wide receiver Andre Anderson is bound for Missouri State, Shjuan Richardson and C.J. Marshall signed with Texas Southern, quarterback Trae Cook to Central Arkansas, linebacker Travon Brooks to Emporia State, linebacker Colton Archer to Central Oklahoma and offensive lineman Billy Rodden to Adams State in Alamosa, Colo.
That brings to 20 the total number of signees in MHS coach Matt Hennesy’s two years. Hennesy played for Stoops when the latter was an assistant at Kansas State.
Stanley to Ole Miss
Nathan Stanley vividly remembers the telephone call.
It was from Houston Nutt, the new University of Mississippi and former University of Arkansas coach. Nutt was calling to tell him that even though he’s at another school, he was going to recruit the Sequoyah High School quarterback.
Nutt’s persistence paid off and Stanley, a 6-foot-5, 195-pounder, signed a national letter of intent with the Southeastern Conference school Wednesday. He was the last of the area’s Division I recruits to make his decision and waited until today to make it known.
“He’s always been real loyal to me and I appreciate that,” Stanley said. “When I told him my decision, he was excited and glad to have me. He was ecstatic.”
Nutt was quite thrilled as Stanley, who completed 130 of 226 passes for 2,153 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2007, was one of only two quarterbacks he signed.
“I’ve been around him a long time and he has a tremendous upside,” Nutt said. “What I love about him is he’s athletic. I first saw him at a summer camp at Arkansas two years ago and I thought right then that this guy could throw it. I was very excited.
“I watched him come back to a camp this past summer and got even more excited. I love his speed and fundamentals.”
Nutt said it is possible for Stanley to play as a freshman.
“Oh yeah, I told him to come on and get on the bus and come to play,” Nutt said.
Stanley chose the Rebels after narrowing his choices to Louisiana Tech, Maryland and Oklahoma State. His mother Gina even got a call from former Louisiana Tech standout basketball player and former NBA great Karl Malone during the recruiting of her son.
“I was surprised (when Malone called) and I’ve always been a big fan of his,” Gina Stanley said. “He introduced himself and offered any information he could for being a former student. We’re still getting calls from coaches. It was hard toward the end to see Nate pulled in different directions. I learned a lot along the way.
“The most difficult part was seeing him struggling to make a decision. Every coach did a fantastic job of recruiting him.”
Wallace to Tulsa
Hilldale’s Zack Wallace didn’t have a tough decision on choosing the University of Tulsa. The 6-2, 235-pounder signed with the Golden Hurricane Wednesday. Wallace committed to the Hurricane in December.
“I’m just excited to play there,” he said. “I was comfortable with the coaches. I’m going to learn the system and I’m willing to work hard, play and help the team win some games. This has always been a dream of mine.”
Tulsa coach Todd Graham said Wallace, who had 367 career tackles including 104 solo with 24 sacks, 57 quarterback hurries and 48 tackles for a loss, reminds him of former linebackers Nick Bunting and Chris Chamberlain.
“Nobody knew much about Zack,” Graham said. “We think he’s a steal and think he has a great future here. We kept looking at him and think he’s a diamond in the rough. Zack’s a tremendous player with great skills.”
Others
Northeastern State and Bacone also went through the area and picked up recruits.
NSU signed Tahlequah linebacker Brent Childs (6-1, 221), Sequoyah wide receiver-running back Hunter Cunningham (5-10, 170) and Eufaula tight end-defensive end Dustin Blackman (6-5, 230). Bacone signed Hilldale graduate Ryan Heppel (6-0, 195).

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