NORWOOD MAKES IT OFFICIAL, SIGNS WITH OU

Northside cornerback Tre Norwood de-committed from the University of Louisville in large part due to a shakeup of the defensive coaching staff. So he wanted to find another school which offered a bit more stability in its staff. Norwood didn't have to go very far to look, as he recently decided to play for the University of Oklahoma. On Wednesday, Norwood made it official, signing with the Sooners during a ceremony at the Northside cafeteria which also included five of his Grizzly teammates inking with other schools. "It was (OU defensive backs) coach (Kerry) Cooks and (both head coach Bob and defensive coordinator Mike) Stoops; they're great coaches and great guys," Norwood said. "It's a winning program, and it's a place I felt comfortable with and it's closer to home. I just felt like it was the best opportunity for me. "(I also liked the coaches') relationship with the players. They're always around, and they're always interacting with the players, so I took that to heart and I felt like they have the best interest in their players, and I felt like that was the best fit for me." Norwood (5-foot-11, 168 pounds) was ranked the No. 4 player in the state of Arkansas and the No. 53 cornerback in the country by 247Sports. He was one of the final commitments for the Sooners, whose class ranked among the top 10 nationally, including No. 7 by Rivals and No. 8 by ESPN. "It feels good, all those guys are great, and we're all chasing the same goal, win a national championship and win another Big 12 championship, so I feel like we'll come in and work hard and do our best to achieve our goal," Norwood said. Before and during his senior season at Northside, Norwood had been committed to play at Louisville, but several coaches left the staff during the offseason, most notably defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, who took a similar position at Mississippi State, and secondary coach Keith Heyward, who left to join the staff at Oregon. So Norwood decided to look elsewhere. "I just wasn't comfortable with the whole coaching changes, so I felt like I wanted to re-open my recruiting and see what was best for me," he said. Norwood considered Notre Dame, Oklahoma State and Tennessee before deciding to commit to OU, even before he took his official visit to the campus in Norman. "Some people thought that was kind of weird, but I was very confident," he said. "I felt in my heart I know that's where I wanted to be." Norwood finally took his official visit to OU this past weekend. "It was great; I enjoyed it, getting to hang around the guys, the coaches, everything about it," he said. "I loved it." Another highlight to Norwood's visit was his opportunity to meet ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale, who was in Norman to do Saturday's OU basketball game against Florida. "(Vitale) happened to be in the same hotel as I was. ... We just kind of ran into each other, and it's something that doesn't usually happen, so I'm thankful for that, it was a good opportunity," Norwood said. As a senior for Northside, Norwood recorded 35 total tackles, intercepted two passes and broke up six more. He also played quarterback during the second half of the season, helping the Grizzlies earn a trip to the 7A quarterfinals as Norwood rushed for 785 yards and nine touchdowns while passing for 281 yards and a TD. Norwood also became the first high school player from Arkansas to sign with OU during the Bob Stoops era, which began in 1999. "I didn't know that until a few days ago, but I guess that's great to start something new," Norwood said. "I guess you could say I'm starting a trend in Arkansas, and hopefully, more kids in the Arkansas area can (come and play for) Bob Stoops because he's a great coach."

NORWOOD MAKES IT OFFICIAL, SIGNS WITH OU

BUCK RINGGOLD

Times Record | 2/2/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Times Record