After recruiting them for several months, Oklahoma's coaching staff was finally able to talk publicly about the players the Sooners added to the program on signing day. Over the next week or so, SoonerNation will review some of the key things coaches had to say about the players signed at each position group during their signing day webcast on Soonersports.com.
Oklahoma offered Dannon Cavil (San Antonio/Madison) late in the recruiting process but it was just in time to land the receiver and get him on campus for spring football. The late addition could be the most physically impressive of the Sooners receivers signees at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds.
“He’s a great player who is already in our program," offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said. "He’s a really mature kid, he approaches things the right way, he’s bright, he’s disciplined, focused, he wants to be a great player. Trevor Knight has talked about how far along he is for a guy coming in mid-year. We feel like we got a steal with him.”
As an early enrollee, Cavil is already working out with the Sooners and participated in testing in various drills and events, impressing the coaching staff.
“We already put our players through testing and he was probably in the top three of our receivers," running backs coach Cale Gundy said. "And here he is supposed to still be in high school. Great 40-yard dash, explosive in the broad and long jump.”
An hamstring injury hampered Cavil during his junior season, resulting in limited game film for the Sooners coaches to evaluate. After a strong -- and healthy -- senior season, Norvell evaluated Cavil and was confident he could help the Sooners.
"He did not play as a junior, didn’t have the film," Norvell said. "We’ve been trying to add size to our receivers. He’s a tremendous athlete for a big kid. How athletic he is and smooth he is is very rare for a kid his size. He’s a guy we absolutely love."
Departing senior Justin Brown showed the Sooners the value of a big physical receiver on the outside who can use his body and ball skills to create plays on third downs and in the red zone. Cavil fits that mold and could be even faster than Brown providing a better deep threat along with his unique size.