Young Sooners Star Selling 5-Star on OU

For quite some time the Sooners have been working on five-star Lewisville, Texas offensive tackle Michael Fasusi . And though Bill Bedenbaugh , Brent Venables , and the Oklahoma staff have maintained considerable relationship. However, there is a new arrival in Norman that has been busy making a real impression on him. And with that connection, and beyond it, some of the talk of the Sooners slipping in his recruitment is something that the On3 Industry’s No. 18 overall scoffs at.

That thinking was backed when Fasusi made his way to Norman on Friday. When asked about any thought of Oklahoma sliding in his eyes, Fasusi immediately shot down the thought.

“I would put OU very high on my list, there’s a reason they are in my top 7 of course. It’s always love when I go there. And this time, I just I felt more of that love,” Fasusi said. “Watching their practice, I love what I saw, I love their culture, their staff, the brotherhood. It’s a player-led team. They are still high on my list. I don’t see them coming down any time soon.”

Part of that ‘player-led team’ is freshman safety Jaydan Hardy , Fasusi’s former teammate at Lewisville. The two had a chance to catch up while Fasusi was on campus. Interestingly enough he also had a chance to spend some time around another talented young offensive lineman as well.

“I started by spending the day with Daniel (Akinkunmi) , he was injured, we were at the field together. I think he gave me a really big insight, same with Jaydan Hardy, speaking the truth, that helped me figuring this out,” he said.

And while not every high school teammate is a close friend, according to the nation’s No. 4 offensive tackle, he truly looks up to Hardy.

“Hardy is my dude, that’s my guy, he’s going to keep it real with anyone, that’s the type of guy he is. You can tell he loves it at OU, he is having a great spring. I see him as kind of the man, same as in high school. One of those guys I look up to – a great leader,” he explained. “He has helped me a lot in the recruiting process. He loves OU, but football wise and academic wise. The brotherhood comes back into play with him.”

In fact when Fasusi went to see Oklahoma’s head man, Brent Venables , Hardy was along with him.

“I had a meeting with coach Venables and Hardy was there. It was good to have my brother up there,” he said.

Fasusi was part of a well-attended practice due to a coaching clinic, a large alumni presence, and a large media contingent that was allowed to be there. But even with so many opinions on the practice, Texas’s No. 6 prospect weighed in with his.

“I like the energy, I think it could have been a little better, but they are deep into the spring. Everyone is going to be tired, injured, I saw a lot of intensity,” Fasusi said. “The players that are injured, the same thing with Daniel, even with him he was still calling out the plays. There’s a brotherhood for sure – it’s one of the reasons I like OU so much, it’s love. Nobody is going to hate anyone.”

Fasusi Talks About NIL Realities and Impact on his Decision

Not surprisingly for one of the nation’s elite prospects, NIL is a part of every meeting he has with most schools. The offers are, undoubtedly, prodigious from one school to the next. For Fasusi though there’s more to the equation. He has NFL aspirations and says there is a balancing act in his mind about how those two things factor into his decision.

“The way I balance that out, I find a school that does have a good [NIL] number and can get you to the NFL. At the end of the day that’s what matters. For me, it all comes down to development,” he said. “At the same time I’m trying to take care of my family, for four years, trying to do the right thing, trying to have that home feeling.

“Somewhere that I can come in and make me a better man and a better football player. NIL is going to be a great factor in recruiting but I’m counting on development. ‘Can you help me get to the league?’ It comes down to trusting a coach – there’s no doubt coach (Bill) B[edenbaugh] can be that guy. He has put a lot of guys in the league, helped them make a lot of money.

“That [NIL] money now is nothing right now compared to what it can be [in the NFL].”

What’s Next for Fasusi?

On April 1 Fasusi released a top seven that consisted of Oklahoma, Texas, Texas A&M, Missouri, Oregon, USC, and Georgia. Now though he says he’s starting to toy with the idea of further narrowing of his focus.

“I’m looking forward to narrowing schools down. I don’t think it’s going to stay a top seven forever,” he said. “I’m looking at getting it to a good top four or five.”

Are there any schools that are starting to emerge from the field?

“I got a good idea, it’s a few schools that are up there for sure.”

The post Young Sooners Star Selling 5-Star on OU appeared first on On3 .