'09 OK RB David Oku (Tennessee LOI/Transfer to ?)

[Svoboda]

All Purpose Back
Midwest City (OK) Carl Albert

Ht: 5-foot-10
Wt: 180 lbs
Forty: 4.49 secs
Bench max: 260 pounds
Squat max: 520 pounds
Vertical: 32 inches


Star Ratings
Rivals.com: ****
Scout.com: *****

Rankings & Accolades
Rivals 100 #82/ #1 All Purpose Back
Scout 100 #36/ #6 Running Back

[Svoboda]

http://vmedia.rivals.com/IMAGES/PROSPECT/PHOTO/DAVIDOKU11_20200C.JPG

[gallup21]

says his school choice is wideopen (as it should be) and seems to like every school at this point for different reasons

[Svoboda]

Got his Oklahoma offer. I'd be shocked to see him elsewhere. He is very underrated.

[irishunclebill]

Profile Updated with Rivals & Scout 100 Ranking , Position Ranking, and Star Rating.

Rivals considers Oku to be the #3 Running Back in the Class of 2009, behind only the much more visible presences of Cierre Wood & Bryce Brown.

[irishunclebill]

Profile Updated with Latest Rivals 100 Ranking, drops 20 spots.

[irishunclebill]

Oku has sent film to the Irish and is hoping to get an ND offer soon.

[GhostSpirit]

Grades are a BIG question.

[irishunclebill]

Profile Updated to reflect latest Rivals & Scout rankings.

Oku continues to drop on the Rivals board, while conversely he continues to rise on the Scout board.

[5th Horseman]

Will ND even take a 3rd RB???

[daytonirish]

If we do it won't be him.

[IrishGrizz]

This is one who won't ever be Irish, (we don't need him at rb) so good luck to him at another school.

[zimmsbg78]

Just a little update I found.

http://newsok.com/recruiting-notebook-oku-finalizing-list-of-official-visits-ou-looking-at-wrs/article/3266177/?tm=1215225969


Oku sets visits: Carl Albert running back David Oku is finalizing his list of official visits for the fall.

The 5-10, 170-pounder plans to visit Florida State when the Seminoles host Clemson on Nov. 8; travel to Tennessee when the Volunteers host Florida on Sept. 20; head to Nebraska when the Cornhuskers host Virginia Tech on Sept. 27; visit Michigan on Oct. 25 when the Wolverines host Michigan State; and travel to Illinois on Nov. 15 when the Illini host Ohio State.

Oku is the No. 82 player in the nation and top-ranked all-purpose back on Rivals.com, the No. 36 player overall on the Scout top 300 and is on the ESPN top 150 watch list

[irishunclebill]

Profile Updated to reflect latest Rivals and Scout rankings.

Oku is now listed by Rivals as an All Purpose Back and they have him #1 in that category.

[zimmsbg78]

David has changed his official visits to.... Aug. 31 — Louisville hosts Kentucky, Sept. 6 — Florida State hosts Western Carolina, Sept. 20 — Tennessee hosts Florida, Sept. 27 — Nebraska hosts Virginia Tech, and a "secret" official on Sept. 13th....... uummmm maybe when U$C hosts tOSU.

[zimmsbg78]

Oku has now replaced Free Shoes U with scUM. He feels that scUM is recruiting him harder and that FSU wants to go in a diferent direction. He will now attent the scUM/Illinios game on Oct. 4th. Also Clemson is trying to gain ground for Oku's signature.

[zimmsbg78]

http://newsok.com/carl-alberts-oku-is-no-longer-considering-playing-football-for-florida-state/article/3292399


Carl Albert running back David Oku has dropped Florida State from the list of schools he’s considering. The 5-10, 186-pounder also said Michigan is back into consideration.

“They are playing games,” Oku said of Florida State. “The recruiting game is a business and you have to treat it like a business.

“You can’t fool around when you’re talking about were you’ll spend the next four years of your life.”

Oku felt he was getting the run around from the Seminole coaching staff, thus decided to cut ties with the team which was his childhood favorite.

Michigan joins Tennessee, Nebraska and Louisville in Oku’s top four.

The senior said he is hoping to visit Michigan on Oct. 4 when the Wolverines host Illinois. He changed his mind about the Wolverines after watching Rich Rodriguez’s spread offense against Utah.

It was a busy weekend for Oku, who visited Louisville during the Cardinals 27-2 loss to Kentucky last Sunday.

“It was cool,” Oku said of his visit to Louisville. “The only thing was it seemed a little dead, I think because it was a Sunday game.”

[zimmsbg78]

http://newsok.com/carl-alberts-oku-will-announce-his-college-choice-next-wednesday/article/3295567


Carl Albert standout David Oku will announce his college choice live on Newsok.com at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 17.

The Titans' running back initially planned to announce after his senior season but decided to make a decision sooner after the recruiting process began to get tiresome.

Oku will decide between Louisville, Michigan, Nebraska and Tennessee. The senior holds several offers, including Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, but trimmed his list to four schools last week by eliminating Florida State.

"The recruiting game is a business, and you have to treat it like a business,” said Oku, who ran for 100 yards and one touchdown in Carl Albert's 40-7 loss to Tulsa Washington last Friday. "You can't fool around when you're talking about were you'll spend the next four years of your life.”

Word is he will be a VOL.

[zimmsbg78]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/recruiting/briefingroom


Change of plans for ESPNU 150 RB David Oku
David Oku was schedule to announce his intentions on Wednesday, but after speaking with his father Bo Oku, who is currently serving in Iraq and will be back in October, The Oklahoman reports.
Oku said, "I thought I was ready. But when he said he was coming back, I started thinking about it a little more and figured I'd wait until he got back."
Louisville, Michigan, Nebraska and Tennessee are the finalists for the No. 13-rated ball-carrier.

[zimmsbg78]

http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2008/oct/05/oku-says-he-hasnt-committed-ut-yet/


By Dave Hooker (Contact)
Originally published 06:36 p.m., October 5, 2008
Updated 06:36 p.m., October 5, 2008

David Oku has not publicly committed to play football for Tennessee despite reports in his hometown to the contrary.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound tailback from Carl Albert High School in Midwest City, Okla., has long said he will make his announcement later this month when his father returns home from serving in Iraq.

Fox 25 television in Oklahoma City reported on its Web site Saturday that Oku had committed.

In a text message to the News Sentinel, Oku said, "They said I did but I didn't."

Oku said the miscommunication could have been from being seen wearing a UT cap.

Oku, one of the top 100 players in the nation by several recruiting services, has long been thought to be leaning heavily towards committing to UT.

IMO it's only a matter of time.

[NDChatt]

Between your post on 07-07 and today's post he grew 3 inches and put on 15 lbs. Not saying you made a mistake, just pointing out how recuiting stats vary.

[zimmsbg78]

In a huge surprise (j/k)

David is now a volunteer........committed to Tennessee.

[NDIRISH44]

In a huge surprise (j/k)

David is now a volunteer........committed to Tennessee.

for now, LOLOLOL.

[zimmsbg78]

Oku has decommitted from Tennessee, stating he doesn't think that Tenn. will hire a coach that fits him.
The main criteria for his school of choice will be......a head coaches job security. Schools that David was looking at prior to his committment were Clemson (Head coach fired), Free Shoes U, Louisville, scUM and Nebraska.

[zimmsbg78]

Oku still remains a committ to the Tennessee program but he has recently scheduled two more official visits. Oku is going to officially visit Syracuse this weekend and then Auburn the following week.

[zimmsbg78]

WTF!!!!!!!......Are you serious?

http://govolsxtra.com/news/2009/feb/01/oku-may-delay-decision-after-making-visit-auburn


It looks as if David Oku’s recruiting journey will go longer than expected.

The Tennessee tailback commitment from Carl Albert High School in Midwest City, Okla., has said he might postpone his final announcement until after National Signing Day on Wednesday.

The extra decision-making time is “because of the opportunity of coming down here,” Oku told The Birmingham News following his official visit to Auburn this weekend.

Oku was very complimentary of Auburn’s offense under first-year Tigers offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who led Tulsa to a high-scoring offense as its coordinator for the past two seasons.

“Basically his offense is not fair from what I’ve seen,” Oku told the newspaper. “It’s not fair with some of the trick plays he has done. I was laughing at the plays because the defense didn’t know what was going on.”

Oku committed to UT in September but has since taken official visits to Auburn and Syracuse, where former UT running backs coach Stan Drayton is coaching.

Oku is considered the top all-purpose back by Rivals and one of the top 100 prospects in the nation.

Also 4 * OL Morgan Moses's High School's HC, said that Morgan will not sign his LOI this Wednesday because he now wants to visit tOSU before a decision.

[irishunclebill]

Oku no longer considers himself a UT commit, although he may still send his LOI to them, or Syracuse, or Auburn at some point in time.

This is starting to become a disturbing trend. It used to be that NSD was the end of this, then Pryor turned it into a circus last year. Now we have close to 10 recruits saying they may not send their LOI's tomorrow. The coaches can stop this real fast by simply saying the schollie offer is off the table if you don't send in the LOI on NSD. This is probably exactly what Slick Rick told Thigpen, and I can't really blame him on that one.

[NotreDameNate]

I'm with you IUB. Hopefully they can figure out how to get this under wraps with recruits wanting to extend their decision. Barring any bad circumstances they have plenty of time to figure out where they would like to go. I really hope this gets nipped in the bud and a good way for that to happen would be to pull the scholarship. Hopefully all coaches could agree to this too.

[Synoptico]

I agree. My fear is that we will end up having two signing periods that most of us want. Unfortunatley I think it may turn into a situation where Feb is the early signing period.

[publicola]

This is probably exactly what Slick Rick told Thigpen, and I can't really blame him on that one.

The problem in that situation, however, is that Thigpen was basically screwed late in the game by Tennessee. If Slick Rick told him that they might not have a scholarship for him after signing day, I totally understand, but Thigpen isn't playing for drama -- he's pretty blameless. Is Oku's situation similar to Thigpen's? Was he basically told to piss off by Tennessee? If so, Kiffin is a real class act. In any event, recruiting is a shady business.

[irishunclebill]

The problem in that situation, however, is that Thigpen was basically screwed late in the game by Tennessee. If Slick Rick told him that they might not have a scholarship for him after signing day, I totally understand, but Thigpen isn't playing for drama -- he's pretty blameless. Is Oku's situation similar to Thigpen's? Was he basically told to piss off by Tennessee? If so, Kiffin is a real class act. In any event, recruiting is a shady business.

Don't know for sure but I would guess Oku was given a similar spiel as Thigpen. Of course he could be looking for the same reason as Stokes, he simply doesn't care for the new UT regime.

I don't blame Thigpen or Slick Rick for their decisions. They are both looking out for their own welfare. Slick Rick because he picks up a speed guy with absolutely no effort at all, and Thigpen because he gets to land on his feet at a much nicer place than UT with a solid chance at getting a great education. You can't blame Thigpen for not waiting if Slick forced the issue either because there is no way that the kid could possibly know whether he would like it at Notre Dame. Why risk losing your UCLA schollie for a place that you have never seen and that you might not end up liking at all.

What would his choice have been then? Mississippi State? Let's see UCLA or possibly having to settle for Mississippi State? Yes, Virginia that is a rhetorical question.

[Griff Cannon]

If he had gone past NSD I was more worried about a school coming in who didn't fill out their class and wooing Thigpen that way. Guess I don't have to worry anymore

[zimmsbg78]

Oku had officially decommitted from Tennessee and doesn't look he will be faxing a LOI to anybody today.

[Griff Cannon]

yeah he said not untill February

[irishunclebill]

After all the huffing and puffing of Oku, no doubt generated by his guru Brian Butler, he ended up signing his LOI with Tennessee today anyway.

[Revolver]

After all the huffing and puffing of Oku, no doubt generated by his guru Brian Butler, he ended up signing his LOI with Tennessee today anyway.

The coaches ripping off their shirts must have done it for him.

[Griff Cannon]

The coaches ripping off their shirts must have done it for him.

:rofl:

btw there was some rumors that he had knocked up his "hostess" while on his nebraska visit and that he was going to end up there. He said it was an awesome visit

[SpanishElite]

Thank goodness this is over. Im all for kids taking their time and finding the best places for them. But this is ridiculous. Hopefully we dont have more prospects take the "Oku route"

[Synoptico]

BFeldmanESPN Bruce Feldman
RT @ESPN_SEC David Oku to transfer from Tennessee - http://es.pn/gnxavM


I remember Tenn had a big recruiting year for the RB position. Now they are all gone.

[luckofirish8]

I remember Tenn had a big recruiting year for the RB position. Now they are all gone.

The two that were above Oku on the depth chart this season are better players at this point.

[Synoptico]

The two that were above Oku on the depth chart this season are better players at this point.

Not doubting it at all.... Just pointing out that when he and Bryce choose UT it was considered the best RB haul in the country, now neither are there.

Appreciate the insight onto their depth. Who are the two in front of him?