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Riley vows to recruit the 'right kind' of people to Oklahoma

Jackson Laizure / Getty Images Sport / Getty

A number of controversial players have rolled through Oklahoma in recent years, but newly installed head coach Lincoln Riley is planning to tighten any loose screws going forward.

In a first-person article published on The Players' Tribune on Wednesday, the 33-year-old said he's focused on bringing the "right" type of people into the Sooners' locker room:

You know, what I've found is that the easiest thing to evaluate in the recruiting process is athletic ability. And that's getting easier all time, as the recruiting industry continues to grow, and to make players' tapes and measurements more available than ever.

But what I've learned is just as important - though much more difficult to evaluate - is the type of person we're recruiting. Who do they surround themselves with? What's their motivation? What direction are they going?

Riley added that he wants to attract young players with aspirations that extend beyond the gridiron:

One of my biggest priorities as a head coach will be recruiting the right kind of football player. I want kids whose main goal isn't to play at OU, but to achieve things far beyond that. We aren't looking for guys who we're going to have to hunt down for academic appointments or workouts. As a program, we simply don't have time for that.

Riley didn't take any shots at his retired predecessor, Bob Stoops, for the number of off-field issues involving Oklahoma players in recent memory, instead praising him for prioritizing character and social issues over football games.

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