Sooner Rather Than Later

Bishop Carroll junior quarterback Blake Bell ended the recruiting process sooner rather than later, committing to Oklahoma University on Friday after visiting the campus on Thursday. Carroll football coach Alan Schuckman said he made a phone to OU coach Bob Stoops Friday to make known his commitment. Bell narrowed down 25 NCAA Division I offers early in the process; he cannot sign his national letter of intent until 10 months from now on Feb. 3, 2010. He is the second prep football player out of the Wichita City League to made national headlines in the past month for choosing to attend school at one of the nation's prominent football powers. In March, East High's Bryce Brown signed a letter with Tennessee, over a month after 2009 national signing day had passed in early February. According to several recruiting services, Brown was the nation's top running back in the Class 2009; Bell is many services' top quarterback out of the Class of 2010. Bell is the sixth Carroll football player to sign with an NCAA Division I school in the past seven years. Defensive lineman Daniel Howard, a Carroll graduate, enters his senior season at Texas Tech this fall; Bell's teammate last fall and current Carroll senior, Joe Brown, a tight tend, signed with Colorado State on Feb. 4.