Prep football: Kenyon Frison chooses Oklahoma over Utah

Granger offensive lineman Kenyon Frison struggled for several months in deciding whether to play football at a local college or head out-of-state, where several high-profile programs waited with offers.

Things changed for the highly sought-after recruit two weeks ago when his mother gave him her blessing to leave. Frison announced Wednesday that he will play at the next level for Oklahoma, signing a national letter of intent with the Sooners.

"It was really hard for me to make that decision to let him go," said Frison's mother, Bambi Sims. "I think when I expressed that to him, that's when it opened up for him. I want him to go see the world. He's getting the chance right now to do that and it's amazing."

Frison, widely considered a four-star recruit, had been committed to Utah but recently opened up his recruitment. Big-time programs such as Oklahoma, Nebraska and Arizona State stepped in, but ultimately his decision came down to the Sooners and Utah.

"It was really really close," Sims said. "He was stressing all the day until [Tuesday] night, when he gave the call to Utah to let them know.

"He's very excited. It's kind of a little bittersweet because he leaves his family to go there. He's sad to leave his family. I know this is a hard decision for him to make. It's the hardest decision he's ever made."

Frison played for just two years at Granger and quickly became one of the hottest recruiting targets in the state. While Sims is surprised at just how good he's become so quickly, she always believed he could find success on the gridiron — just like his father, who died while Sims was pregnant with Frison.

"I always told him football was in his blood," Sims said. "I don't think he understood it until now. For him to be where he's at right now is amazing. I kind of always knew he was tied to football, and I can't wait to see where it takes him."

Granger coach Cecil Thomas said Frison has all the tools to become an impact player for the Sooners and that he will only get better as he gets more experience on the field.

"His best football is in front of him," Thomas said. "He gets better every time he steps on the field. He's got the work ethic and the attitude to do it."

- Bubba Brown