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.”