Recent Commitment Reaction, One Late 2020 Already on Campus and the Latest 2021 in Aden Kelley
STILLWATER -- Dominic Richardson wasted no time and the record setting running back from Bishop McGuinness in Oklahoma City is already on the Cowboys campus and working to get cleared through COVID-19 protocols and into working out with the Oklahoma State football team. I actually saw him walking the halls of the West End Zone with running backs coach John Wozniak on Monday afternoon. The more recent commitment from July 19 in Thomas-Fay-Custer defensive tackle Aden Kelley is probably working out because that is what he often does, either with chores or working out to improve for football. Kelley is an "old soul" and kind of a throwback to football players from yesteryear is his attitude about the game and the pride in playing it.
Kelley made his commitment early Sunday afternoon after waiting through days of being on a combine during wheat harvest and then finishing up and getting back to everyday chores. Kelley is a 6-3, 285-pound two-way tackle that most schools, including Oklahoma State liked more on defense. Kelley chose the Cowboys over TCU and had told us in an interview while he was on a combine during wheat harvest that he was looking for a sign before he was going to commit.
Oddly enough, he made that statement right after it came out that TCU had wiggled free of their commitment to Richardson, who had signed with the Frogs. After the running back coach Curtis Luper that recruited him to TCU left for Missouri, Richardson and his mother told The Oklahoman that communication kind of stalled.
“My feelings toward it, was Dominic committed to TCU, I felt that TCU didn’t commit completely to him,” Dominic’s mom, Danita Richardson told Jacob Unruh of The Oklahoman. “I stressed to Dominic when he got a little bit discouraged about going somewhere else what a commitment meant. You stick with it. Dominic stuck it through and kept his word. But TCU, there was total miscommunication toward the end.
“They moved on without Dominic and Dominic didn’t know. He was the last one to find out. I feel like (coach Gary) Patterson could have at least given him a call to give him a heads up on it. He never bothered to call him and I feel like that was a lack of respect for Dominic.”
TCU had picked up a running back for the February signing period after Richardson was their one and only in December. They added Kendre Miller then. Then in May, the topsy turvy recruiting of one-time nationally top-rated running back Zach Evans out of Galena Park North Shore finally was settled with the one-time Georgia signee and commitment to several other schools including Texas A&M enrolling at TCU. Shortly after that Richardson, who rushed for 1,719-yards and 17 touchdowns for the Irish on their way to the Class 5A State Championship Game, was just cut loose by the Frogs.
“I was in a big hole and I had to dig myself out of it,” Dominic Richardson told Unruh and The Oklahoman. “I’m really shocked still that I got this opportunity. It was meant to be.”
In his last two seasons at McGuinness, Richardson ran for 3,140-yards and 36 touchdowns.
Kelley told us that he made his commitment because he was ready and he wanted to salute one of his biggest fans.
"It came down to knowing through all of this that Oklahoma State was familiar for me and there are a lot of people I know there and the staff is good," Kelley said. I know that I will really be comfortable in Stillwater. I also wanted to commit on my little sister's birthday. Here name is Adelen and she's turning 10-years-old."
Kelley has been recruited by the combination of defensive line coaches Joe Bob Clements and Greg Richmond as well as recruiting analyst Victor Irokansi and Ryan Simmons. Besides TCU, those coaches outrecruited the likes of Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Memphis, Minnesota, Army, Navy, Air Force, Nebraska, North Texas, Northwestern, SMU, and Syracuse.
"The tie to Agriculture had some to do with it," Kelley, a 4.0 GPA student said. "They have some programs up there that I know about and like I said, a lot of people that I will be comfortable being around.
Kelley plays offense and defense, but last season had 71 tackles on defense with double digit tackles for loss and roughly seven sacks. He is a workhorse of a football player and extremely strong and should only get stronger. The newest Vype Oklahoma Pigskin Preview Magazine had him rated too low. He is a four-star recruit in our book, but it correctly described him as 'virtually unblockable."
