Oklahoma's Top 20 recruiting what-ifs, No. 7: Josh Jarboe

One of the most dynamic prospects in the nation out of Ellenwood, GA, Josh Jarboe bounced around before settling in at Arkansas State

John E. Hoover | Jan 28, 2021

When he signed with Oklahoma in 2008, Josh Jarboe had all the tools and the talent to be the Sooners’ next great receiver.

But Jarboe got in serious trouble before he ever arrived at OU, and then didn’t exactly help himself once he did get to Norman. His time as a Sooner lasted just a few days.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Jarboe was a top high school receiver prospect in the nation — behind the likes of Julio Jones and A.J. Green — when he signed with the Sooners. Rivals ranked him as the nation’s No. 69 overall prospect, and 247 Sports had him tabbed as the 43rd-best player in the country.

But shortly after signing day, Jarboe was arrested for carrying a stolen handgun in the parking lot of a high school. That felony charge was eventually reduced to a misdemeanor, and Jarboe made it to Norman that summer. But when he got to OU, he filmed a rap video in which he talked about shooting people, and Bob Stoops immediately pulled his scholarship.

Jarboe transferred to Troy in Alabama, closer to his home in Georgia, but he was kicked off the team there before ever playing a game. Jarboe got a third chance to Northeast Mississippi College, and from there he ended up playing for Hugh Freeze — Big Mike Oher’s high school coach from “The Blindside” — at Arkansas State.

Jarboe had two good seasons in Jonesboro, catching 104 passes for 1,300 yards and six touchdowns.

He performed well at Arkansas State’s Pro Day, and even got an NFL tryout and a rookie contract with Washington, but was never able to stick with a team.

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This series

National Signing Day is around the corner, so SI Sooners is examining Oklahoma’s biggest recruiting what-ifs of the last 20 years.

This is about players who arrived (or almost arrived) at Oklahoma but then, for whatever reason, left well before they reached their potential.

This is what college football recruiting is all about: the risk-reward that comes with not knowing a prospect's potential. For every Adrian Peterson, there's a Rhett Bomar. For every Tommie Harris, there's a Moe Dampeer.

The time period is since 2000, when online recruiting services and the current "star" system became prominent.

The rankings were compiled by SI Sooners publisher John Hoover, Sports Animal host Al Eschbach, KREF host James Hale and Sooner Spectator publisher Jay Upchurch.

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How Hoover voted:

I ranked Josh Jarboe at No. 12 in my top 20. Oklahoma had gotten in the mode of recruiting big, strong wide receivers, and Jay Norvell seemed to have gotten good at it. Todd just seemed to have all the tools that a classic, big-bodied wideout needed, but like so many of the receivers OU signed during that era, it just didn't work out for him.

No. 7 on my list was 2008 running back Jermie Calhoun. Calhoun will appear later in our countdown.

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Top 20 Oklahoma Recruiting What-Ifs

(since 2000)

Published Jan 28, 2021

JOHN E. HOOVER

John is an award-winning journalist whose work spans five decades in Oklahoma, with multiple state, regional and national awards as a sportswriter at various newspapers. During his newspaper career, John covered the Dallas Cowboys, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the Arkansas Razorbacks and much more. In 2016, John changed careers, migrating into radio and launching a YouTube channel, and has built a successful independent media company, DanCam Media. From there, John has written under the banners of Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, Fan Nation and a handful of local and national magazines while hosting daily sports talk radio shows in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and statewide. John has also spoken on Capitol Hill in Oklahoma City in a successful effort to put more certified athletic trainers in Oklahoma public high schools. Among the dozens of awards he has won, John most cherishes his national "Beat Writer of the Year" from the Associated Press Sports Editors, Oklahoma's "Best Sports Column" from the Society of Professional Journalists, and Two "Excellence in Sports Medicine Reporting" Awards from the National Athletic Trainers Association. John holds a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications from East Central University in Ada, OK. Born and raised in North Pole, Alaska, John played football and wrote for the school paper at Ada High School in Ada, OK. He enjoys books, movies and travel, and lives in Broken Arrow, OK, with his wife and two kids.