'09 OK RB David Oku (Tennessee Verbal)

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Midwest City (OK) Carl Albert

Ht: 5-foot-8
Wt: 176 lbs
Forty: 4.49 secs
Bench max: 260 pounds
Squat max: 520 pounds
Vertical: 32 inches

Originally Posted by Rivals Bio

Big All-City running back as a sophomore while receiving honorable mention as a freshman.

2005 (FRESH) Offesive Stats: 113 carries 807 yards 6 TDs
2006 (SOPH) Offensive Stats: 179 carries 1,462 yards 19 TDs

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7/16

From the Oklahoma State site...already has verbal offers from Auburn, Minnesota, Tennessee, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. No favorites but grew up a fan of FSU.

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7/25

From the Oregon site...claims verbal offers from Auburn, Tennessee, Minnesota, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State and is hearing from Florida State, Texas, Florida, Virginia Tech, Iowa, Oklahoma and LSU.

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8/2

From the PSU site...talks about his contact with the PSU staff.

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9/1

Recap of Oku's game against Tulsa's Booker T. Washington.

Tulsa World

Carl Albert 34, BTW 14

David Oku ran for 299 yards and four touchdowns to lead the defending Class 5A state champions to a win.

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9/6

By Crabtree...has received written offers form Oklahoma State and Kansas State. Has verbal offers from Auburn, Minnesota, Tennessee and Texas Tech and is also hearing from Cal, Florida State, Ohio State and Texas A&M.

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3/13

From the Michigan site. Michigan has offered. He would like to play early, and lists no favorites.

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3.24

From the GT site. Oku says he doesn't have a favorite, and wants to go somewhere he feels comfotable. He will decide in October or November.

[GoRU]

NewsOK Mobile

Carl Albert running back David Oku has cut several teams, including Oklahoma, from the list of schools he is considering. The junior lists USC, Ohio State, Florida State, Illinois, Tennessee and Michigan as his favorites. West Virginia, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and LSU were among the teams cut from the list. Oku also said Oklahoma State remains in the running.

It’s been an up-and-down relationship between Oku and the Sooners after the 5-foot-10, 174-pounder felt he should have received an offer from OU earlier in the process. He received an offer shortly after one of the Sooners’ main 2009 recruiting targets, Wichita, Kan., running back Bryce Brown, committed to Miami.

Asked if things might have been different had the Sooners approached him in another way, Oku said: “Yeah, I used to see the love (former Carl Albert and OU standout) J.D. (Runnels) got when he came back, and that made me kind of like OU, but they were kind of lax, like ‘we’re going to hold out’... things might have been different if they had a different approach.”

That rocky beginning, combined with the desire to get out of the state, led Oku to officially remove Oklahoma from his list of suitors.

“I don’t have anything negative to say about them, we worked everything out in the end,” Oku said. “I decided to do it now to make things less stressful on myself and my mom (Denise).”

Oku’s reason for the announcement was so schools no longer in contention could focus on other recruits. Another factor was a conversation with Tennessee receiver and former Millwood quarterback Gerald Jones. He told Oku “not to worry about what everyone else thinks.” Oku met Jones when both were students at Millwood in 2003.

Oklahoma State remains in the running because Oku likes Cowboy coaches Mike Gundy and Curtis Luper. Oku said he would like to learn more about the school, particularly its sports broadcasting program. The Cowboys already have received an oral commitment from Tulsa Union running back Jeremy Smith.

Oku is ranked No. 40 overall on the Rivals Top 100, the No. 3 prospect in the Midlands Region on Scout.com and is on the ESPN Top 150 watch list.

He rushed 182 times for 1,628 yards (8.9 yards per carry) and 20 touchdowns last year, earning Oklahoman All-State honors. He has 3,897 rushing yards and 45 touchdowns during his career at Carl Albert.

Oku has expressed his desire to go out of state multiple times. Mother Denise, who was a truck driver for two years and has seen the majority of the U.S., has encouraged him to do so.

“She’s seen more than I have, and she knows what’s best for me,” Oku said.

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Scout.com: Special Advice

By Allen Wallace
National Recruiting Editor
Posted Apr 15, 2008

David Oku is friendly with Tennessee wide receiver Gerald Jones. "He tells me to do what's best for me," Oku said. "He says I shouldn't worry about anyone else. When I cut schools, especially Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, I heard some bad things being said about me and it's upsetting, but he says not to worry about any of that. He also told me to really get to know the coaches well and..."

Continued...

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4/23

Talks about his visit to Tennessee. Will be visiting USC in June, Illinois, Ohio State & Michigan from July 17-24 and then a trip to Florida State that has yet to be scheduled.

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5/1

From TheWolverine...talks about how important it was for UM's chances with him to land some good QBs this year. Talks about his contact with William Campbell and Gabe Lynn. Plans to visit UM this summer.

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5/3

From the Nebraska site....Nebraska has offered. Has a top 7 of Florida State, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee, USC and Nebraska (no particular order). Is planning on a decision around December.

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5/4

From O&B News...discusses his interest in Illinois. Will visit Illinois, Ohio State and Michigan this summer.

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5/5

By Crabtree...has dropped USC from consideration due to lack of possible playing time.