Oklahoma Recruiting: 5 Recruits to Watch in 2012

The Oklahoma Sooners are looking for a bounce-back year in 2012. They were handed the preseason No. 1 ranking in 2011, only to suffer devastating losses to Oklahoma State and Baylor, and had to watch the former compete in a BCS bowl.

With QB Landry Jones returning to school and a Top 10 recruiting class so far, the Sooners will look to control the Big 12 and be a contender for the BCS championship once again.

OU is losing one of the best receivers in school history in Ryan Broyles, and WR and the secondary will once again be a place where freshmen can make their mark.

Here are five recruits you could see making big noise for the Sooners come September. 

CB Kasseim Everett, JUCO Transfer

The secondary has been a major area of concern for several seasons now. They were exposed in the losses to Oklahoma State and Baylor, and with Flemming leaving they need playmakers.

Demontre Hurst and Aaron Colvin will be slated to start in the spring, but a solid prospect like Everett could push for time in the nickel and even be an impact player as soon as he walks on campus.

Everett has already enrolled, so Sooner fans should see him in the spring game and make their own judgement as to if he is going to contribute right away or take another year to develop. 

WR Courtney Gardner, JUCO Transfer

Gardner is widely considered the best junior college receiver in the country, and has to be considered a steal for the Sooners, considering he was looking at FSU, LSU and Arkansas. 

He is big (6'3"), fast (4.4 40-yard dash) and considers his game to resemble that of Julio Jones and A.J. Green—both who had good seasons in their rookie NFL campaigns.

Gardner will line up on the outside, potentially allowing Kenny Stills and Jaz Reynolds to exploit matchups in the slot more often. 

WR is a pivotal position to stockpile for OU, and Gardner could be an impact recruit for the Crimson and cream. 

OT Will Latu, JUCO Transfer

Latu, who almost ended up at Auburn before taking a late visit to Norman and signing with the Sooners, is exactly the kind of elite tackle the Sooners have lacked since Trent Williams and Phil Loadholt. 

At 6'5" and 315 pounds, Latu has the body frame to be a major force on either of the ends of the offensive lines. He also shows quick feet in pass protection, which is encouraging for his ability to play quickly.

Like Gardner, he's considered one of the best prospects at his position—another steal for Bob Stoops and Co. in maintaining a steady stream of talent coming into the program. 

TE Taylor McNamara, Westlake HS, California

McNamara recently came to the OU campus permanently, and he is competing with a long line of players trying to earn time at a TE position with no experience.

He's listed at 6'5" and 235 pounds, and is known around recruiting circles as the kind of pass-catching TE that could hopefully become the kind of target for Jones and eventually Blake Bell not seen in Norman since Jermaine Gresham left.

He'll have some fierce competition, including 6'6" signee Sam Grant and RB/FB combo Trey Millard, who the Sooners will likely use all over the field in 2012.

OU has done their due diligence in California over the past several seasons (Stills, Tony Jefferson), so it will be interesting to see if they can add McNamara to the list of solid Californians to suit up for the Sooners.  

WR Trey Metoyer, Hargave Military Academy, Virginia

Metoyer joined the rest of the early football recruits on campus last week, and more so than any other commitment this year, he will likely be counted on to make an impact early.

Listed as the No. 8 receiver and No. 51 on the ESPN rankings, Metoyer tried to get into OU this fall from Whitehouse, TX, but was unable to do so, forcing him to attend classes at Hargave before coming to campus permanently. 

Like commitments Gardner and Sterling Shepherd, he will make competition at the WR position one to watch for in the spring game and on into the 2012 season.

The 5-star bluechip prospect reminds folks at Rivals.com of Dez Bryant, and his 6'2", 200-pound frame isn't hurting that claim. Throw in a 4.4 40-yard dash and a 38" vertical, and Metoyer could be on the field in crunch time opposite Stills and Reynolds this year in Norman, faster than any of his fellow 2012 committments.