A loss for the Arkansas Razorbacks has turned out to be a gain for the Oklahoma Sooners after Alvin (Texas) Manvel wide receiver Austin Bennett committed to head coach Bob Stoops and his program on Wednesday, several months after decommitting from the Hogs following the Bobby Petrino scandal.
WR Austin Bennett Commits To Oklahoma
The Sooners picked up their 11th verbal commitment on Wednesday.
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Bennett had committed to Arkansas at a Junior Day in early March and was still considering the Razorbacks prior to his second commitment. After emerging on the Oklahoma recruiting radar following a strong performance at the Sooner satellite camp in the Houston area last week, Bennett picked up his offer and needed less than a week to decide.
A Wednesday visit to Norman sealed the deal for him ($), as he told OU Insider:
Our visit today really showed me what OU was all about and what I thought it would be. The thing about it is that of course the facilities are great, the coaches are great and the offense is just the best fit for me.
Coming in for the visit I thought if things were like I thought they were going to be that I would commit to OU. That is what I wanted to do at least and I knew that Coach Stoops was going to stick with the program and be there for a very long time. I want to see what his thoughts were on that and many coaches on his staff have been with him at OU for a long time as well.
A consensus three-star prospect who held offers from SMU, TCU, Utah, and West Virginia prior to his Arkansas pledge, Bennett had also picked up offers from Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
At 6’0 and 170 pounds, he has prototypical size and speed (his 40 time is listed as 4.45) to play in the slot at the next level. As such, Bennett complements fellow 2013 Oklahoma pledge Jordan Smallwood, who has the build of a college split end. There is only limited film on Bennett, which shows him catching passes in traffic underneath but provides little evidence of his top-end speed, though he does show strong burst in short areas.
There are several high-profile receiving targets still left on the Sooners board, including top target Laquon Treadwell, a wideout from Crete (Ill.) Monee, but it remains unclear at this time how many spots are still available at the position.
For more on OU football, visit Oklahoma blog Crimson And Cream Machine.
