No Father's Son

[ShireNiner]

Hook ‘em! Best team in the Red River rivalry. Best colors. Best program. No doubt.

Good luck losing to them every season.

[redsox907]

Hook ‘em! Best team in the Red River rivalry. Best colors. Best program. No doubt.

Good luck losing to them every season.

if I had to claim a CFB team, it would be the Longhorns

[redsox907]

Maryland Terrapins 2028 Season Stats

PassingStats

Name	Comp	Att	Comp %	Yards	TD	INT	YPG	YPA	Sacks
Malik Washington	312	474	65%	3,555	36	6	253.9	7.5	20
Jerry Stoddard	5	7	71%	46	0	0	46.0	6.5	1

RushingStats

Name	Attempts	Yards	Avg	TD	AVG.G	20+	BTK	YAC	Long	FMB
Iverson Howard	162	1,031	6.4	9	73.6	5	10	257	69	3
Malik Washington	125	787	6.3	9	56.2	7	4	131	44	8
Paul Colon	115	741	6.4	6	57.0	5	8	225	27	1
Zymear Smith	35	194	5.5	3	64.7	1	3	50	41

ReceivingStats

Name	Receptions	Yards	AVG	TD	AVG/G	Long	RAC	Drops
Emanuel Ross	80	1,136	14.2	15	81.1	64	584	9
JT Taggart	51	659	12.9	7	47.1	46	253	8
Za'Ron Collins	49	470	9.6	4	33.6	35	228	7
Bryce Randolph	43	462	10.7	3	33.0	61	227	8
Iverson Howard	37	314	8.5	4	22.4	53	423	2
Zymear Smith	10	165	16.5	1	55.0	58	147	0
Marco Strong	11	162	14.7	1	11.6	23	66	2
Rico Rugamba	23	151	6.6	1	10.8	21	66	4
Paul Colon	11	50	4.5	0	3.8	13	86	0

Blocking

Name	Position	Sacks	DP
Lamar Williams	LT	1	871
Clarence Montrosse	LG	1	589
Evan Parker	C	2	878
Bubba Van Martin	RG	1	910
Logan Bennett	RT	8	887
Jayden Mann	G	2	359

DefensiveStats

Name	Tackle	TFL	Sacks	Interceptions	TD	PBU	FF/FR
FS Byron Baldwin Jr	87	8	0	1	1	6	0/0
MLB Keyshawn Flowers	83	22	6.5	1	1	6	2/1
CB Kevyn Humes	75	3	0	5	0	11	1/0
SS La'Khi Roland	68	4	0.5	1	0	5	1/1
MLB Gordon Paul	60	12	5.5	1	0	2	1/0
CB Jayden Shipps	60	7	5	1	10	0	0/0
CB Braydon Lee	58	3	0	6	1	13	0/0
LB Jordon Robinson	38	17	3.5	0	0	0	0/0
DE Garrison Dobbs	37	28	9.5	0	0	0	3/0
SS Judah Jenkins	30	2	0.5	0	0	2	0/0
CB Lloyd Irvin III	26	1	0	0	0	2	0/0
DE Isaiah Patterson	25	10	3.5	1	1	0	0/0
FS Gavin Edwards	23	1	0	1	1	0	0/0
LB Dawson Merritt	22	7	2	0	0	0	0/0
DT Caleb Williams	16	8	5	0	0	0	0/0
DT Davin David	15	7	3	0	0	0	0/0
DE Sedrick Smith	12	5	3	0	0	0	0/0
DE Keion Flowers	4	2	1	0	0	0	0/0
DE Dante Recker	2	2	0.5	0	0	0	0/0

KickingStats

Name	FGM	FGA	FG%	XPM	XPA
Donald Byler	17	22	77%	69	69

PuntingStats

Name	Punts	Yards	AVG	In 20	TB	Long
Carter Jula	28	1,119	40.0	11	0	49

ReturnStats

Name	KR	Yards	AVG	TD	Long	PR	Yards	AVG	TD
Bryce Randolph	17	344	20.2	1	95	47	457	9.7	0
Iverson Howard	18	282	15.7	0	21	2	15	7.5	0

[redsox907]

---

2028 Coaching Carousel Finally Stops Spinning

---

Boone Tillman // Sooner Born • Published: January 20th, 2029

The 2028 college football season officially came to an end yesterday with the unfortunate result of the Texas Longhorns hosting their second championship in three seasons. Now, just a day later the coaching carousel that started spinning in early December has finally come to a full-tilt stop as well.

Armando Leon is the most significant news for Sooner fans, but he is far from the only coach changing teams this offseason. Bob Chesney left the James Madison Dukes after four seasons to replace Leon, a move that was announced shortly after the Maryland Terrapins were eliminated by the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl.

Our own former coach, Brent Venables, landed on his feet as he replaced Kirk Ferentz at Iowa, who comically enough joined Venable's replacement here in Norman as the defensive coordinator. Other notable moves include Charles Huff going from Southern Miss to Stanford, Scott Abel staying in the state of Texas after moving from Rice to SMU, and Willie Simmons earning a promotion to the big leagues with his 34-19 record at Florida International earning him the head coaching gig at Illinois.

With the college football season officially over and the carousel teetering to a halt, all eyes are now turning to the transfer portal which is expected to start in full swing tomorrow.

Name	Previous School	New School	Reason
Austin Board	SMU	NFL	Left
Armando Leon	Maryland	Oklahoma	Hired
Bret Bielema	Illinois	Kennesaw State	Fired
Bo Blade	DC	Florida Atlantic	Hired
Bob Chesney	James Madison	Maryland	Hired
Buck Gilliam	DC	James Madison	Hired
Blake Harrell	East Carolina	Syracuse	Hired
Barry Odom	Purdue	UTEP	Fired
Brent Venables	Oklahoma	Iowa	Fired
Brody Warmsley	DC	Kent State	Hired
Charles Huf	Southern Miss	Stanford	Hired
Dexter Mama	DC	Southern Miss	Hired
Drew Narmour	Louisiana-Lafayette OC	Rice	Hired
Eddie George	Bowling Green	Florida International	Fired
Jaxson Anderson	Kent State	Bowling Green	Fired
Joel Gordon	USC OC	East Carolina	Hired
James Likely	DC	New Mexico State	Hired
Jason Semore	DC Southern Miss	Wyoming	Hired
James Ward	Akron OC	Colorado State	Hired
Leo Chancey	DC	Buffalo	Hired
Lance Taylor	Houston	Vanderbilt	Fired
Mohammed Zavala	Vanderbilt	Arkansas State	Fired
Nick Coleman	FIU OC	UAB	Hired
Ryan Beard	Missouri State	Purdue	Hired
Robbie Davis	Charlotte	Missouri State	Fired
Ricky Rahne	UTEP	N/A	Fired
Scott Abell	Rice	SMU	Hired
Scott Frost	UCF	N/A	Fired
Tony Elliott	Syracuse	Charlotte	Fired
Tony Sanchez	New Mexico State	N/A	Fired
Tyson Summers	Colorado State	UCF	Hired
Willie Simmons	Florida International	Illinois	Hired
Zach Kittley	Florida Atlantic	Houston	Hired

[Captain Canada]

Maryland replacing you with JMU's coach is comedy gold.

[redsox907]

Maryland replacing you with JMU's coach is comedy gold.

you missed us hiring Jerry "Bubba" Mack

but yeah, I chuckled when I saw Chesney at the top of the list

[redsox907]

Chapter Thirty-Nine: El Legado del León

After the loss in the Rose Bowl to Oregon, I’d flown back to Maryland to spend New Year’s with Jessica and the kids. A short two days later and I was on the move again, hopping on a plane to Norman while Jessica, Tara Lydia, and AJ stayed behind at our home in College Park. I’d thought about asking Jessica to reconsider her decision to keep herself and the kids in Maryland until I’d gotten everything settled in Oklahoma, but I was already asking so much from her.

Not only was she picking up and moving for the fourth time with two toddlers in tow, but now with the added layer of shattering her dreams of transitioning from a stay-at-home Mom back into her career, it felt like more than she should sacrifice. But more than that, I feared what her answer would be. I may not have recognized it in real time, but the more I replayed our conversation on the deck, the more the realization dawned on me; she wasn’t mad at my decision. She was disappointed that she’d expected more of me and I’d let her down. She’d drawn a final line in the sand, separating what she’d already accepted, and what she was unwilling to. What if I pushed her to concede the last barrier between who she thought I was and who she was accepting me as. And even worse, what if she simply conceded and didn’t fight?

So, I swallowed my pride and took the plane to Norman alone, blurring the line between who I thought I was and who I was becoming. I’d fought tooth and nail to drag myself out of the pit of despair I’d buried myself in after my dismissal from the academy, and now I was willingly leaving the family I’d built behind to pursue ambition.

‘Am I running toward ambition, or away from failure?’

Ever since my mind had proposed the question on the snow-covered deck in Maryland, moments after Jessica’s disheartened acceptance of our eventual departure to Oklahoma, it had never fully withdrawn, sitting just at the edge of my consciousness until it was quiet enough to slowly re-introduce itself.

I’d been in Norman for two weeks and the most unsettling thing was the quiet. I could spend my day fully immersed at work, poring over scouting reports, calling recruits and boosters, drafting up new schemes and game plans, but no matter what; the only thing that greeted me when I returned to the hotel was silence. No commotion from the kids, no music drifting out of the kitchen as Jessica cooked dinner, none of the familiar creature comforts that made home feel like home. The fridge at the hotel was stocked, a picture of Jessica and I sat atop the nightstand by the bed—in a special frame she’d picked out as a gift before I’d left—and drawings from the kids littered the front of the fridge. Yet no matter how much I tried to make it seem more like a working vacation, the loneliness always smacked me in the face just the same when I walked through the door into the silent Embassy Suites hotel room.

I was flying back to College Park every weekend to see the family, which helped, until it didn’t. One full night and two half-days was enough to remind me what I was missing without giving me enough to hold onto through the week.

It was no different on the night of January 15th. The highlights of the Texas Longhorns defeating the Oregon Ducks for the 2028 National Championship—my nightmare scenario with Dan Lanning, the man who Oklahoma wanted first, playing the Sooners’ biggest rival—was playing in the background as I sat hunched over my desk. Scouting reports of uncommitted high school recruits and portal eligible players were stacked on one side with pamphlets of “For Sale” homes in the Norman area sat on the other. Sitting atop the “For Sale” stack was a pamphlet for a six-bedroom home in Ashton Grove with a showing time scrawled across the front: January 16th @ 3PM. With any luck, Jessica would approve of the house through the FaceTime call during the viewing, and within a few weeks I could start officially moving the family down, this time for good.

I’d decided after the first week in Norman without my family that I was never willingly going to suffer through the isolation again. Until Jessica was ready to move on from Oklahoma, if the opportunity ever arose, she would be the one making the call. It wasn’t going to fix the schism that had slowly separated us since my impromptu decision to take the job in Norman, but it would be a start. Once the family was whole again, I could start planning on how I was going to permanently mend the fissure between Jessica and I, hopefully to never crack again.

Despite the excitement of potentially finding an exact date when I would have my family back and could begin a somewhat normal life, the night of January 15th found me at my desk, with the pequeño león letter in my hand as I continued to contemplate exactly where it had come from. I hadn’t sat down intending to obsess over the letter that had made its way from my desk at Jones-Hill House into the front zipper of my travel bag, a last minute decision to keep it with me instead of packing it with the rest of my binders. I rationalized keeping it in my travel bag, rather than packing it, by saying it would give me something to do when I was bored late at night. But I knew the sobering truth—I simply didn’t want to explain what it was should a staffer, or even worse Jessica, find it. Explaining it to Jessica wasn’t the problem, explaining why I hadn’t told her sooner would be. And with the weight of our move to Norman already threatening to flatten our marriage, it seemed justified to keep this one small secret until the bridge had been rebuilt.

At least half of my rationale rang true, the letter had become a welcome distraction while in Norman without the family, if anything to keep me from obsessing over the litany of slanderous articles and discussions about the future of myself and the Sooners program. Since the loss to Dan Lanning in the Rose Bowl, there wasn’t a college football ‘expert’ who hadn’t tried to use the matchup as a measuring stick for how my career at Oklahoma would go versus the alternate reality of if Dan Lanning had taken the job. That was only the beginning. ‘Lane Leon’ was trending on twitter for a week, “put your rings on the table” was quoted in multitude as Dan Lanning continued his quest to bring the first national championship to the Oregon Ducks. Then the Longhorns fans had started to pile on after Lane Kiffin and the Texas Longhorns won their second National Championship in three years with a ‘#TemuLane’ trending following their win over Oregon.

Now with the Longhorns celebrating in the background, the letter had found itself back into the forefront of my thoughts, instead of the new batch of scouting reports I’d sat down intending to analyze deep into the night. I was so absorbed in thought, I barely heard the whisper of movement near the front door of the suite and surely wouldn’t have noticed the letter on the floor, at least until the morning, if room service hadn’t rung the bell a few moments later.

I hid the letter back into the front zipper of my bag, as if someone seeing it would be another mark on my record, before quickly crossing the room to answer the concierge bringing me a slice of cheesecake before the kitchen closed. That’s when I saw it, just in front of the door. A single envelope with my name emblazoned across the front. Well, almost my name.

“Armando Leon-Orozco”

Suddenly, my mind went blank. The concierge waiting at the door, the constant heckling from Oregon and Texas fans, even the discontent at how things had unfolded with Jessica was suddenly nothing but white noise in the background. A second ring of the bell snapped me back to my senses. I scooped up the letter as I closed the final few steps to the door, swinging the door open swifter than I’d thought and fast enough to startle the concierge and make him nearly drop the plate of cheesecake.

“Did you deliver this letter,” I demanded, holding it up like Gambit did a card before throwing it.

The concierge, whose name was Adam I would find out the next morning when I sheepishly apologized, was still collecting himself and was barely able to stammer out a no.

“So, it’s just coincidence this letter is under my door moments before you ring the bell?”

Before he could answer, I had taken a step closer, lowering my voice to something more menacing at the same time, “Did someone put you up to this? Cause I could get you fired for that, breach of confidential information, or something.”

The threat seemed to slap him back into duty as he stood up and straightened himself, turning the look of shock into something more neutral before answering.

“Sir, I’ve never seen that letter. I’m merely bringing you the cheesecake you requested.” Before I could ask my next question, he quickly spoke back up. “No, I did not see anyone vacating the premises outside of your door as I approached with the cheesecake. Now if you will, sir, either take the cheesecake or I can return it, but I have other guests to attend to.”

The outrage I’d felt at seeing my father’s last name next to mine had waned to a low simmer, giving me enough clarity to see that I had accosted the wrong individual. I blurted out a quick apology before taking my plate of cheesecake and slinking back into the desolate suite again.

Instead of eating the cheesecake while reviewing scouting reports, a decision I’d made more out of longing for Jessica than actual hunger, I simply deposited the plate on the counter, making my way back to the desk with the letter in my hand.

I laid it on the desk before pulling out the first letter and laying them aligned vertically. Same hand writing, same loops in their Ls. It was definitely the same person. Before I’d even opened the letter I was suddenly filled with more questions than answers. Who knew I was here, at this hotel, in this room?

Oklahoma staffing had booked the room for me and handled all of the travel details, assuring me the room was booked under a random staffers name to keep any fans from heckling me as the Longhorns and Ducks continued their march to the championship and the despairing comments in the media intensified. Jessica, the kids, Roger Denny, and his staff were the only ones who really knew where I was. Well, and the staff obviously I thought, before making a mental note to apologize to the concierge in the morning with a generous tip for his troubles.

Before I’d even read the contents, I’d eliminated all of the usual suspects. It was highly unlikely to be Mike Locksley or Jonathan Smith, they wouldn’t have been able to know what hotel I was at, let alone the room, without making some calls that would have alerted someone. And while I wouldn’t put it past a member of the media being bought, they didn’t know where I was.

‘I could use a drink right now.’

The thought came unprompted and without warning, another jarring event in an already eventful and unsettling evening. I forced myself to put the letter down, walk into the tiny economy kitchen, and eat the cheesecake, if nothing more than to give myself time to mentally acknowledge the statement and the consequences of going down that path again. It had been over a decade since I’d genuinely wanted a drink, even through all the stress of coaching collegiately, and even longer since the first reaction at the thought had been relief. And that’s what scared me. For a brief moment, it sounded like the best option. By the time I had finished the slice of turtle cheesecake—which was nowhere near my favorite, but beggars can’t be choosers in Norman, Oklahoma at 10PM—I’d reasserted control on my own inner thoughts. Just to be safe, I took my phone, opened the contact to Jessica, with the picture of us on our honeymoon as the contact picture, and set it on top of my keys. If whatever was in the letter triggered me further, at least I had one final barrier between myself, my keys, and the eventual stop that would follow.

I sat back at the desk and picked up the letter again. ‘Armando Leon-Orozco.’ Not my father’s name, and certainly not my name, but the intent was clear. Memories of sitting in a briefing room in Colorado Springs, being briefed about a man I thought I knew, and finding out I knew nothing at all. That was the last, and only, time I’d seen that name. Until now.

With a trembling hand, I opened the letter and pulled out another note folded in half on plain white card stock, just as the previous.

“Armando,

Your father would have appreciated the ambition. The name on this envelope is yours whether you claim it or not.

Both names are a part of your legacy.

We should talk soon.”

They know my father’s name. His real name.

I couldn’t tell you how long I sat at that desk, rereading those four lines until they were seared into my memory. Both names. My legacy.

I thought about calling Jessica, surely she could find a rational meaning behind the letters. But that would mean explaining the first letter and the decision to hide it from her, from thousands of miles away. I picked up the phone over a dozen times, imagining how the call would go, but each time I softly locked the screen and set it back down.

That was a conversation for another time, when things were whole again. Until then, I would just have to wait for the next letter, hoping with it came more clarity at who knew my history almost better than I did.

I tried my best to hide my exhaustion the next morning as I guided Jessica through the sprawling 8,000 square foot home nestled in Ashton Grove, although she clearly noticed.

“Are you sure you’re getting enough sleep, Flyboy?”

I simply nodded I’d be fine, before panning the camera back out around the massive master bathroom, which was all marble with a built-in Jacuzzi along side a fireplace and a mounted TV.

The gasp from Jessica confirmed she was falling in love with the house, especially after I’d assured her it was well within our price range.

“We’ve got Crumbl Cookie money now, babe,” I laughed after confirming for the fifth time we could afford the house.

While Jessica and the realtor talked neighborhood, school districts, and pediatricians in the area, my mind drifted back to the letter.

“Leon-Orozco. Two names, one legacy.”

“Helllllooooooooo, Flyboy,” Jessica’s voice cut through the fog in my brain.

“Huh,” I stammered, quickly turning my attention back to the conversation between Jessica and Rob Schaerer, the realtor the university had suggested.

“I was just giving you the common courtesy of asking your thoughts before I told Rob here that we wanted the house.”

She said it playfully, but I could sense the hurt still festering under the surface. I’d have my work cut out for me once we were all settled in Norman.

“Happy wife, happy life,” I smiled, earning a heavy eye roll from Jessica and a laugh of approval from Rob.

After we’d finalized the plans to get all of the paperwork signed and faxed over to Rob’s office, Jessica and I were saying our goodbyes as I made my way back to the rental car, a Chrysler 300.

“Y’know, I’m really starting to like this car, I might have to get one once everything with the house gets settled.”

Jessica let the comment slide, knowing full well that we’d agreed to sell her car in Maryland and get a new Suburban when they moved to Norman—one less thing to worry about moving, I’d told her. Instead, she pivoted back to my lack of sleep.

“Before you go, Armando, are you sure you’re getting enough sleep? I haven’t seen you look this tired since Tara Lydia was teething.”

The truth was, I hadn’t slept that night, not soundly at least. I’d fallen asleep at my desk still trying to decipher the meaning behind the letter, before startling myself awake from the dream image of my father’s severed head penning letters with a fountain pen in his mouth. If not for the events of the night before, the dream would have been almost comical.

“Yeah. I’m fine babe,” I lied, choosing to add more detail to make it sound believable. “Just the flight back from College Park felt longer than it was with the time change and now I’m flying to Hopkinsville, Kentucky tomorrow to meet with the Jahleel Sweat, 5th overall prospect this year who’s still deciding between us and SMU, then stopping in Oklahoma City on the way back to talk to another quarterback who has yet to commit.

“Can you believe this kid is from Oklahoma City and is considering Duke? Just shows how much this program has slacked in local recruiting.”

I’d started rambling, a bad habit of mine when I was trying to steer the conversation away from an uncomfortable topic. Jessica knew the signs, but didn’t pry.

In retrospect, I should have told her everything there. Maybe we could have gotten in front of it, instead of falling behind it. But at that moment, adding one more burden on top of our already strained relationship seemed like the worst decision I could make.

‘I’ll tell her as soon as there is something to tell,” I reassured myself as we said our goodbyes.

[redsox907]

---

Sooners Watch 19 Players Leave After Suggs and Rochel Declare For NFL Draft

---

Boone Tillman // Sooner Born • Published: January 20th, 2029

When a new head coach comes in, it is not uncommon to see a massive exodus of players as the regime change typically signals schematic changes as well. In this aspect, the Sooners made out like bandits. While sophomore Matt Suggs—a projected 2nd-round pick—was expected to depart Norman no matter what, the early draft declaration by Marquez Roche certainly turned heads, mine included. Roche is projected as a 6th-round pick; you've gotta wonder if he is even going to earn more with his first NFL contract than his current NIL deal, if that draft position holds.

Roche must have someone in his camp hyping up his draft evaluation, 'cause it don't make a lick of sense to me. Coach Leon and Coach Mack made it clear they want to establish the run this season, meaning Roche was in line to have a landmark season. Just don't make sense to leave college when the new coaching staff has already committed to utilizing him early and often.

Outside of that surprising news, however, the Sooners are only losing a handful of fringe freshmen at best, leaving much of the roster still intact.

Karlos Vigil, the 6'3", 309-pound monster inside the Sooners defense, never even tempted the portal, despite early speculation he might look to move closer to his home of Keller, Texas.

"You think I ain't wanna play for the #1 defensive coach in the country? Y'all buggin," posted Vigil on X when a Texas fan tweeted him asking when he was joining the Longhorns via the portal.

"We bout to run y'all off the block," added Vigil, igniting a brief firestorm on Twitter between the two rivals.

The other big, and I use that term literally, player not entering the portal was quarterback Cole Welliver. The former New Mexico Lobo joined the Sooners via the portal prior to last season, but the 6'7" quarterback from Flower Mound, Texas struggled in his first season in Norman. Welliver threw for 3,402 yards and 26 touchdowns—both career highs—but also absorbed 31 sacks and only completed 52% of his passes during the Sooners' rocky 6-6 season.

When asked about his confidence in Cole going into the next season, Coach Leon didn't mince words.

"Cole is our guy. We fully believe in him and his ability to lead this offense," declared Leon.

With 19 scholarships open and only 9 recruits signed, Leon has at least 10 positions to fill going into the final recruiting period for the season.


Oklahoma Sooners 2028 Departing Class

Class	Position	Overall	Name	Reason
SO(RS)	T	91	Matt Suggs	Pro Draft (2nd)
SO(RS)	HB	89	Marquez Roche	Pro Draft (6th)
SR(RS)	HB	89	Rodney Fields Jr	Draft (6th)
SR(RS)	DE	87	Wyatt Gilmore	Graduation
SR(RS)	MB	86	James Nesta	Graduation
SR(RS)	DE	84	Danny Okoye	Graduation
SR(RS)	QB	84	Michael Hawkins Jr	Graduation
SR	DE	83	CJ Nickson	Graduation
SR(RS)	G	82	Daniel Akinkunmi	Graduation
SR(RS)	CB	82	Devon Jordan	Graduation
SR(RS)	T	82	Jeremiah Newcome	Graduation
SR(RS)	G	79	Davon Watkins	Graduation
SR(RS)	DE	77	Jaedon Langley	Graduation
JR(RS)	QB	75	Edward Griffin	Playing Time
SR(RS)	G	74	Paul Clark	Graduation
FR(RS)	SS	73	Walter Session	Champion Contender
SR(RS)	K	73	Liam Evans	Graduation
SR(RS)	QB	73	Whitt Newbauer	Graduation
FR(RS)	TE	70	Keeston Devries	Playing Time

[redsox907]

---

Oklahoma Targeting Former SEC Standouts In Transfer Portal

---

Boone Tillman // Sooner Born • Published: January 20th, 2029

The old saying goes, "If you can't beat them, join them." But in this case, Leon may be tweaking the mantra a bit, instead leading with "If you can't beat 'em, steal 'em."

And that's exactly what he is aiming to do in his first offseason as the head man in Norman. According to those close to the program, of the top five players atop Leon's wishlist this portal cycle, four of them are from rival SEC programs.

The name atop the list is former Texas A&M halfback Oscar Robledo, the human blur who left defenders grasping on his way to 1,154 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Aggies last season. With the departure of Marquez Roche for the NFL Draft, replacing his playmaking ability is priority #1 for Leon and Co.

"You look at a guy like Robledo and he fits everything Jerry Mack and Armando Leon want to do. He's fast, elusive, and has the size at 6'0 and 215 pounds to survive the wear and tear of a full SEC plate, he already proved that. If they can swing the former Friendswood, Texas recruit to their side, it'll go a long way in shoring up the massive hole in their rushing attack without Roche."

It wouldn't be an Armando Leon draft class without some top-notch defenders and Leon has his eyes set on the speedy Cedrick Works out of Kentucky. Think Manu Hasty two years ago under Leon. For those who forgot, Hasty damn near cleaned up the award show single-handedly, winning a litany of defensive awards as the anchor for the #1 defense collegiately. And those close to the Sooners say Leon sees that same type of impact from Works.

"He's not as quick as Hasty, few are, but he has a different level of physicality with how he hits. He's the type of dude who'll lay the lumber on you and you'll be feeling it weeks later still. Leon has proven he's great at scheming open his linebackers; if he can find ways to get Works clear lanes to the quarterback?"

"Scary," added the anonymous source, noting that Works' 9.5 sacks from last season would easily reach 15 with Leon's tutelage.

The wildcard of the group is former Missouri four-star prospect Alex Kumar. Kumar was one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks coming out of high school two years ago and the former Louisville High standout chose the Tigers over UK and Tennessee. With Matt Zollers entrenched as the starter, it was viewed as a way for Kumar to get his feet under him in the pros before taking over for Zollers.

Kumar played in two games each season, with lackluster results, but when Zollers declined to enter the NFL Draft, choosing to stay for his senior season, the writing was on the wall. Kumar couldn't afford to waste another year on the bench as his collegiate career ticks away.

Problem is, that's exactly what he'd be doing in Norman. Cole Welliver isn't getting unseated before the season kicks off, meaning at best Kumar waits for Welliver to falter before getting a shot. At worst, he's sitting on the bench for another year and forced to fight any new quarterbacks Leon brings in during the process.

It's easy to see why the Sooners are high on Kumar, but hard to see the reasoning behind Kumar leaving the Tigers for more playing time, only to sit behind Welliver.

Other notable names include Florida CB J'Vari Flowers, Utah FS Nathan Timmons, and speedy SMU WR Jason Lee.

With the national championship over, the portal is officially underway tomorrow—a new rule added over the offseason to ensure teams playing deep into the College Football Playoff had a chance to see how the results would shape their roster before diving into the fracas.

One wildcard for Leon is the presence of Jahleel Sweat, the 5th-overall prospect who remains unsigned. According to sources close to Sweat's family, he wanted to see how the coaching situation shook out in Oklahoma before making a decision. Those same sources say the 6'6", 232-pound power rusher from Hopkinsville, Kentucky has the SMU Mustangs atop his list, for now, with Leon and the Sooners hoping to quickly close the gap.

Oklahoma expects to be aggressive this portal cycle, a trademark of Leon and building through the portal early in his career, and can ill-afford to strike out after the tumultuous offseason they had.

With Texas collecting their second National Championship in three years, the pressure in Norman is ratcheting up to unseen levels, but to his credit Armando Leon refuses to crack, stating:

"Pressure does two things. Bursts pipes and makes diamonds. And I don't see no damn pipes."

[djp73]

I have also only read the last few pages so maybe I am missing things.