Oklahoma State Starts Out Hot On The 2021 Recruiting Trail

Oklahoma State recruiting the class of 2021 starts out strong

With the 2019 season over and most of the 2020 recruiting class taken care of, the Oklahoma State coaching staff has started to heavily recruit the class of 2021, a start that should have the Oklahoma State faithful excited.Over the past week or so, I have spoken with multiple high level recruits about their interest in Oklahoma State and the status of their recruitment.

Here are 4 prospects Oklahoma State fans should be watching over the recruitment process:

Cam’Ron Valdez -

Valdez is a 4 star running back out of Rockdale HS (TX) that has held an offer from Oklahoma State for about two months now after a very successful junior season. According to Maxpreps, Valdez finished the season playing in 10 games with 1,697 rushing yards with 30 touchdowns on only 183 carries. His averages were outstanding, boasting 9.3 yards per rush and 153.7 per game. Valdez was named District Offensive MVP.

Valdez has a very impressive blend of vision and patience at the line of scrimmage, and when the hole opens he hits it hard and downhill with no regard for what defenders may be trying to bring him down. He runs straight through arm tackles and will even make defenders bounce off when they try to form tackle.

At 5’10 and 180 pounds, Valdez possesses the frame to excel at the Power 5 level with both speed and power.

Early on, Oklahoma State has left a great impression on Valdez, enough for him to give a very strong quote.

“I have A Lot of interest in OkState, I personally think they’re RBU (Running Back University), and I’m planning on getting up there soon for a visit!” Cam’Ron said in a recent text message to me.

He does not have a date set as of yet for a visit but believes it will be in January. The earlier the staff can get him on campus, the better. It would be ideal from a recruitment standpoint for Chuba Hubbard to be in the building and still with the team for Valdez to see the nation’s leading rusher and the role he would be looked at to fill in the future. Valdez has expressed that he expects to make a decision in the summer time and I expect OkState to be heavily in the mix if not the favorite to this point. 

Shemar Turner -

Turner is a 4 star defensive end at Desoto HS in Dallas, home of 2020 commitment Jabbar Muhammed and now former cornerback AJ Green. According to Maxpreps Turner finished the season playing in nine games, missing a few games presumably due to a minor injury. His season totals were 54 total tackles, 8 sacks, and 10 tackles for loss. He also added a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

Turner is your typical d-end at 6’4 and 260 pounds with room to add more when he could potentially move inside down the road. As a pass rusher he has shown an impressive arsenal of moves, especially for as young as he is. He has shown the ability to utilize a bull rush, swim move, push/pull, and also has great hand action swatting away lineman enabling him to get around the edge or fill his gap.

On a phone call with Shemar he expressed to me that has “legitimate interest in Oklahoma State” and that he loves “the coaches and the program overall, it’s a good place for sure.” He did admit that something he was getting lots of attention from other schools but I expect Oklahoma State to always be on his mind.

Jeffrey Bassa -

Bassa is a recruit I believe Oklahoma State is in great position to land. Bassa is a 3 star athlete out of Salt Lake City, Utah. An important note to his recruitment is that he is good friends with 2020 signees Mason Cobb and Nick Session, who have spoken with Bassa about teaming up in Stillwater. Bassa plays both ways for Kearns HS but projects as an outside linebacker/safety hybrid on the defensive side of the ball. During his junior campaign, he racked up 54 total tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 3 blocked field goals, 5 pass deflections and two interceptions, one of which he took back for a touchdown.

Because Bassa plays both ways, he is able to flash great balls skills on the defensive backend, turning himself into the receiver when the ball is in the air. One thing I love from Bassa is his willingness to engage contact, usually being the first one to react to the ballcarrier, quickly engaging, and finishing tackles. He is a very anticipatory and instinctive player, seeming to know where the ball is going before it happens. Another thing I love is the passion and fire he plays with. When he blows up a play he hops up and beats his chest, hugs a teammate, etc showing the importance of the game to him.

In a text exchange with Bassa, he said “They’re still recruiting me heavily and it’s going really good. I’m actually going down there to visit on the 17th and stay the weekend down there.” Bassa said that his recruitment has been a joint job by the defensive staff. “Coach Duffie, Coach Reynolds, Coach Hammerschmidt, Coach Koy, and Coach Gundy. So basically the whole defensive staff has been showing me a lot of love.”

Bassa told me he will probably be making a decision after his senior season and that the two signees have played a role in his recruitment and I expect that to keep going. I would not be surprised if the staff told Cobb and Session to make sure he knows OkState wants him. Bassa is definitely one to watch for this cycle.

Hal Presley -

Presley is the definition of a deep ball threat. He is also a recruit I feel is underrated by most ranking sites, who have him as a 3 star. I feel he is better than this but he will have the opportunity to boost his stock during the summer camp circuit. During his junior season, Presley hauled in 45 receptions for 874 yards, good for 19.4 yards per catch. 9 of his 45 receptions resulted in him finding the endzone.

Presley is an exciting receiver to watch. At 6’3 and 190 pounds, he is able to overpower nearly every corner that lines up across from him. Every snap you can bet he’s going deep and when the ball is thrown his way, rarely does it hit grass. He is able to hit a second gear in his route, leaving his corner playing catch up. One thing he seems to grasp well is how to find and exploit a corner’s blind spot, causing the corner to look lost while Presley makes a catch or finished his route. Presley reminds me of a taller Tylan Wallace in his after the catch physicality. He will run through defenders and keep going. It usually takes more than defender to drag him down and even then he fights for more.

The Oklahoma State fan base will be excited to know that Presley told me in a text that “Oklahoma State is my top school for sure!”

Presley said Coach Dunn and Coach Gonzalez have been the two in contact with him the most so far. I feel Presley is the exact type of receiver that has the most to gain in the summer circuit. A big bodied receiver with long arms will not face many corners who can compete, leading to rankings boosts and most importantly, boosted confidence going into his senior season.

There are other recruits I will be speaking with over the next few days/weeks that have expressed serious interest in Oklahoma State and it’s coaches. The best recruiting tactic is winning and with the team that will be on the field for 2020, winning should be coming in abundance.