TU Recruiting Rewind: Running Back
Tulsa was able to sign a quality H-back in the 2013 recruiting period but missed out on getting a tailback due to a late decommitment. ITS takes a look back at how it all transpired.
Who TU Signed
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• Chris Hall (6-0, 235), Tulsa (Okla.) Union - After his junior season, Hall was ranked as the nation's No. 4 fullback in the 2014 class. He finished his senior season rates as one of Oklahoma's top 20 prospects. Hall was more of a pass-catcher in his high school career and was recruited by TU as an H-back.
Hall played tight end and fullback for Union, helping lead the Redskins to a three-year mark of 37-5 and two state championships as a sophomore and junior. He completed his prep career with 107 receptions for 1,057 yards and six touchdowns. He had 46 receptions for 446 yards and three scores as a senior.
Hall committed to Tulsa on May 18, 2012, but received late offers from Arkansas, Memphis and Utah State.
"Arkansas and Utah State kept coming at me," he said in January. "Memphis did until I quit communicating."
However, Hall did not consider any other options and took just one official visit, which was to the Tulsa campus. That visit made him even more comfortable with his hometown university.
"It was awesome," he described. "I had a blast getting to meet some of my future teammates and getting to know how everything works. I couldn't be more excited about Tulsa."
Who TU Missed Out On
St. Louis (Mo.) Christian Brothers tailback Jonathan Parker was the biggest story on the eve of National Signing day. Tulsa extended an early offer to the speedy 5-foot-10, 180-pounder, and he committed to the Golden Hurricane in early September. In January, Parker appeared rock solid with TU -- his Rivals profile still features a photo of him inside the Tulsa locker room.
However, Iowa slipped in a late scholarship offer and asked Parker to make an official visit on February 1. After the visit, he said he was torn between the two schools, eventually putting his decision off until the morning of signing day. Around 7:00 am on February 6, Parker chose Iowa.
Tulsa extended an early offer to 4-star prospect Keith Ford of Cypress Ranch in Texas. He racked up tons of other offers and eventually signed with Oklahoma.
TU also showed serious interest in a few other regional prospects that ended up signing elsewhere. 5-9, 173-pound Phillip Lindsay of Denver (Colo.) South signed with Colorado, and 5-10, 200 pound Bryce Peters of Houston (Texas) Cypress Falls inked with Colorado State. Both were 3-star prospects.
Others evaluated by TU
Dakota Diessner, Durant (Okla.), signed with Air Force
Bryan Driskell, McKinney (Texas) Boyd, signed with Air Force
Darius Graham, Lawton (Okla.) MacArthur, Northern Colorado
Chris High, OKC (Okla.) Douglass, signed with Navy
Jackson Stallings, Moore (Okla.) Southmoore, signed with Yale
Phillip Sumpter, Edmond (Okla.) Santa Fe, signed with Memphis
Tearris Wallace, Bentonville (Ark.), signed with Memphis
Teddy Williamson, O'Fallon (Mo.) Fort Zumwalt North, signed with Ball State
Bottom Line for TU
The Hurricane filled the H-back/fullback spot early with Chris Hall, but they missed out on a tailback when Parker made the last-second switch after being committed for four months. Hall was an excellent addition and will have a year to learn behind senior Cody Wilson. But the lack of a tailback in the class means TU will have more pressure to sign a quality tailback or two in the 2014 class, especially with Trey Watts and Ja'Terian Douglas exhausting their eligibility in the coming season.