3 Biggest Recruiting Busts in Recent Oklahoma Football History
By Carter Owen
Oklahoma has dominated the Big 12 under Lincoln Riley, putting together high-flying offenses year after year. The Sooners have been a consistent force in recruiting, a tradition that dates back quite a number of years at this point. Riley may be continuing the hot streak, but that doesn't mean OU doesn't have some truly famous misses to their name, including this unfortunate trio.
1. QB Rhett Bomar
Adrian Peterson and Rhett Bomar are the two highest-rated recruits in OU history, and both arrived headlining the class of 2004 backed to become to most talented offensive duo in all of college football. Bomar, the No. 4 overall recruit in the country, won the starting quarterback in 2005. He proceeded to play 12 games, winning eight but posting a dismal 1:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio... only to be kicked off the team for accepting money from a local car dealership for work he did not actually do. Oklahoma's national title hopes quickly fizzled. Bomar would transfer to Sam Houston State, but his football career at OU was ruined -- and he never threw a single pass in the NFL.
2. RB Jermie Calhoun
One of the very best prospects to enroll at Oklahoma since Adrian Peterson, Jermie Calhoun had a very disappointing career in Norman after arriving in 2008. He's the sixth-highest-rated commit in Sooner history, but rushed for just 242 yards in 16 games and scored one touchdown. After an injury in his second season, he transferred to Division II Angelo State. Getting the No. 2 running back in the country to leave the state of Texas and commit to Oklahoma was a huge recruiting win for coach Bob Stoops, and the Peterson comparisons were inevitable, and he absolutely didn't live up to them.
3. WR Trey Metoyer
Metoyer was the No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2011 according to some talent evaluators, another standout from the state of Texas that decided to go north to Norman. Things were looking good early on during his true freshman season, as he caught 10 passes for 90 yards in his first three games, but he would only log seven catches for the remainder of the season. After grabbing just two balls the following years, Metoyer would eventually be kicked off the team for allegedly exposing himself on multiple occasions. This was a truly massive bust for the Sooners program.