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As signing day approaches, Alex Grinch elaborates on challenges of recruiting in 2020

Oklahoma Sooners defensive coordinator says that in the era of Zoom recruiting, "what you don't want to do is oversimplify it"

As national signing day draws ever nearer, there aren't many question marks on defense for Oklahoma in this recruiting cycle.

The Sooners have eight defenders pledged in the 2021 class, and may add another in January when safety Jardin Gilbert announces his decision. But beyond Gilbert, the Sooners don't really appear to be in position to make any huge unexpected splashes on signing day. With that in mind, the most difficult season of recruiting in Alex Grinch's coaching career is effectively over.

Granted, some of the challenges that the pandemic has created will no doubt roll over into the recruitment of the 2022 class, but there's little argument that it's been a logistical nightmare to recruit players who fall amongst the class of 2021. Some athletes saw their senior season cancelled, while some didn't get the opportunity to display their talents at camps and showcases across the country. Grinch says that while tape is a good starting point in this particular situation, projection also becomes paramount.

"You’re depending on a lot of things," Grinch noted. "Do they play multiple sports? Do you have the video of them playing basketball where you see some explosion? Do they have track times? ... Then you kind of play the game in your head, OK, well if they ran that this particular year, you’ve got to assume a little bit of maturation, they’ll be a little bit faster. So you’re trying to connect dots, and as I describe it I don’t mean to make it sound like this is a dramatic process, a matrix. [But] what you don’t want to do is oversimplify it."

What exactly does oversimplifying look like? Well, in Grinch's mind, a coach can't allow one prevailing characteristic to define his opinion of a player.

"What you can’t do is you can’t simplify it to the point where everybody that’s 6-2, we’re going to recruit and say that’s the one attribute," said Grinch. "I’m 6-2, and I shouldn’t play at Oklahoma. You don’t want to simplify it to that extreme. It’s the same thing if, well this kid’s really fast. That’s part of the conversation. Not every fast guy deserves to be at Oklahoma."

The Sooners have remarkable physical diversity across their class of 2021 commits, from 6-foot-7 defensive end Nathan Rawlins-Kibonge, to beefy 315-pound offensive lineman Cullen Montgomery, to diminutive but dynamic wideout Mario Williams. There aren't any obvious stereotypes in this signing class for Oklahoma, a testament to the staff's intentionality about evaluating each athlete individually and thoroughly.

"You’ve got to be honest with yourself and just keep thinking about it, and we’ve talked about it as a staff... if you don’t know, don’t pretend like you know," Grinch added. "A lot of times, that’s when you get yourself in a trap."

Several 2021 recruits have spoken highly of Oklahoma's dexterity and fluidity in adapting to virtual recruitment. In fact, it was a virtual visit that swayed Rawlins-Kibonge to choose the Sooners over Stanford. Lincoln Riley and his staff were quick to the punch amidst turmoil, and it's paid dividends. However, Grinch emphasized that the whirlwind evolution of recruiting in 2020 has also forced coaches like himself to come to terms with what they can't see on film.

"It’s very unique and, once again, I keep going back to it: be honest with yourself," Grinch reiterated. "Don’t pretend that you know something that you don’t and make decisions based on that, again, to the best of your ability."

Barring a signing-day surge from the likes of Texas or Oklahoma State, the Sooners will ink the building blocks of the Big 12's top recruiting class next Wednesday, at least half of which will consist of defensive prospects.

Clearly, the best of Grinch's ability has proven more than enough for Oklahoma.

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