Knee-Jerking: Oklahoma Sooners Add Baylor Refugee Parrish Cobb to Roster
A few quick thoughts on today's news that one-time Baylor signee Parrish Cobb would be coming to OU instead:
*I don’t fancy myself an expert talent evaluator, but I really liked what I saw out of Cobb in his high school film. I thought he showed solid recognition, fluidity in coverage and good ball skills. His tackling really stands out for a corner, too.
All things considered, I expect Cobb will contend for playing time immediately this season. Given the added level of uncertainty about the cornerback position following Jordan Thomas’ arrest, Cobb could even finding himself starting in the opening week versus Houston. As such, landing him gives the Sooners a major lift in the defensive backfield.
*Oklahoma originally lost out on Cobb after a late flip over to Baylor close to signing day. Therefore, I’m a little surprised that this worked out. You’d assume there might be some lingering tension on both sides following that kind of separation.
*On a related note, if I were Bob Stoops, I admit that I’d feel somewhat conflicted about bringing Cobb into the program under these circumstances.
On the one hand, Cobb had a shot to sign with OU in February and left the Sooners at the altar. In and of itself, there’s nothing wrong with a recruit wavering that way. However, plenty of other well-regarded prospects hopped in the boat with OU without reservation. It just sounds like a case of potentially inviting problems into your locker room.
On the other, it takes players of Cobb’s caliber to win conference and national championships. It’s also likely that college kids just don’t give a damn about that sort of thing.
I probably put more of a premium on team chemistry and organizational dynamics than most people, but I do think it’s worth considering.