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Texas Recruiting Notes 2021

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1 in coaches were made aware late last night 

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WBT

WBT 20422

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1 hour ago, Dbeasy said:

There was the dreaded D word in Noofola’s article. Drinking. It would be one explanation for a coach going from seemingly very very good to crap overnight. Just speculating.

When was this now?  He didn't do anything at UH that Briles and Sumlin didn't do.  Maybe you're talking about as OC at OSU?

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 48980

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2 hours ago, satyanash said:

 The 3 big websites are all calling for Herman’s head. This is remarkable for two different reasons.  First is credibility. Sophisticated football information has pivoted from newspapers to online forums. I don’t know anyone who really knows about UT football that doesn’t get most of their info here, or from the other 2 big ones. The newspapers just don’t have space or the resources to do what OB does. I know a lot of folks that have a single paid periodical: this one.  Second is unanimity. While the 3 websites use different words, they all basically say the same thing. Fire Herman. I have never seen anything like it. And, there are only two possible reasons. A. It’s either totally obvious to them. Or B. UT’s press department is unleashing a coordinated attack on Herman, and using the websites to do it. I am pretty sure its A, although you can probably sprinkle a little business model protection in that. “Get rid of Herman now so we can save recruiting, as recruiting is what drives a lot of the value in the websites”

 

So the big 3 websites...

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texashorn13

texashorn13 227

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1 hour ago, futureman said:

pretty amazing considering the way he bent over for the players during their tantrums this past summer. 

Do none of you have experience dealing with teenagers and young adults?  Bending over and caving to their demands wasn't going to do anything but give them more power and respect Herman less.  It's teaching and coaching 101...even though they can act like assholes about it, teenagers and young adults actually crave discipline and structure.  They push, rebel and test boundaries, it's what they do.  They respect the people who are clear and concise and stand firm.  The key is not to be a complete dickhead about it.

Herman has failed at all of the above, most importantly the not being a dick about it.

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Dijon Robinson

Dijon Robinson 1511

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3 minutes ago, texashorn13 said:

Do none of you have experience dealing with teenagers and young adults?  Bending over and caving to their demands wasn't going to do anything but give them more power and respect Herman less.  It's teaching and coaching 101...even though they can act like assholes about it, teenagers and young adults actually crave discipline and structure.  They push, rebel and test boundaries, it's what they do.  They respect the people who are clear and concise and stand firm.  The key is not to be a complete dickhead about it.

Herman has failed at all of the above, most importantly the not being a dick about it.

The comparison to rearing a child doesn't really hold when you consider that players could have (and would have) dipped out of the program en masse if Herman had told them to sit down and shut up like so many of y'all are pussy rubbing to the thought of. Plus it would have been a terrible look on the university and would have made it really difficult to attract top talent in the future (for those who think we'd be better off if 95% of the current team transferred).

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Sgt. Slaughter

Sgt. Slaughter 2841

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4 minutes ago, texashorn13 said:

Do none of you have experience dealing with teenagers and young adults?  Bending over and caving to their demands wasn't going to do anything but give them more power and respect Herman less.  It's teaching and coaching 101...even though they can act like assholes about it, teenagers and young adults actually crave discipline and structure.  They push, rebel and test boundaries, it's what they do.  They respect the people who are clear and concise and stand firm.  The key is not to be a complete dickhead about it.

Herman has failed at all of the above, most importantly the not being a dick about it.

Just to be clear, this topic can’t be summed up with a simple “teenagers being teenagers” statement. A social movement took place this summer and many of us applauded the response by players and staff. This whole “Eyes” conversation needs to die like our hopes of watching a competitive team, it’s trivial.

However, Herman unequivocally deserves to be fired for fielding a progressively declining team that seems to forget how to play football many times a game.

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texashorn13

texashorn13 227

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8 minutes ago, Sgt. Slaughter said:

Just to be clear, this topic can’t be summed up with a simple “teenagers being teenagers” statement. A social movement took place this summer and many of us applauded the response by players and staff. This whole “Eyes” conversation needs to die like our hopes of watching a competitive team, it’s trivial.

However, Herman unequivocally deserves to be fired for fielding a progressively declining team that seems to forget how to play football many times a game.

Just so I'm clear, I didn't say anything about any social movement or The Eyes.  I applaud his handling of the SJM issues, and standing with his team.  But so did many other coaches across the country.  I am indifferent on The Eyes, because frankly I see both sides of the argument.

I stated earlier in this thread that Herman's handling of player personnel issues would be his downfall because of the damage it would do in the locker room.  Allowing players to enter the portal and begging them to return, quit during a game and return, skip weeks of team events because they "didn't feel like being here", etc. are what I'm talking about.  Frankly, Herman has no backbone, has no respect in that locker room, and then tops if off by acting like an asshole.  All while throwing players and assistant coaches under the bus publicly.

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dcar00

dcar00 14035

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6 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

I rarely comment on the inter-workings of the administration, but reading that Nahlin article pissed me off. He’s got a lot of that article right but the one thing that he’s failed to highlight is the absolute, complete disfunction of the entire University of Texas. Not because CDC is bad. He’s not. He’s a high quality AD. It’s because all of the administrative disfunction makes it very difficult for him to do his job effectively.

Think about it. You have a BOR that over-meddles. You have the university administration that historically has been difficult to deal with. You have not only influential boosters, but separate groups of them. CDC has to deal with an organizational mess right now. Firing someone is extremely difficult, for example. And no, this is not what it’s like at every state school. I personally believe the guy is savvy enough to navigate it, and hopefully we don’t lose a high quality AD over it.

so the bb's are out of the box again?

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Ricky's one-hitter

Ricky's one-hitter 9084

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Everybody can sit back and proselytize for why they were so dead on about the inner workings of the program, why TH lost the locker room, etc.

 

Tom Herman is a fucking asshole. Fin. If you want to blame it on politics and SJWisms, take it to the CR. It's not complicated. Tom Herman is a fucking asshole with no one in his corner. That's it. Wallow in your satyasads, but please don't pretend to have some gleaming insight into the psychology of young men. There's nothing beyond the glaringly obvious that needs to be mulled by all on the fucking recruiting board. 

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ClubWhatever

ClubWhatever 12087

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9 minutes ago, Ricky's one-hitter said:

Everybody can sit back and proselytize for why they were so dead on about the inner workings of the program, why TH lost the locker room, etc.

 

Tom Herman is a fucking asshole. Fin. If you want to blame it on politics and SJWisms, take it to the CR. It's not complicated. Tom Herman is a fucking asshole with no one in his corner. That's it. Wallow in your satyasads, but please don't pretend to have some gleaming insight into the psychology of young men. There's nothing beyond the glaringly obvious that needs to be mulled by all on the fucking recruiting board. 

Saban is a Grade A jerk.  But he can coach.  Fin. 

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Coach pop a bitch

Coach pop a bitch 5459

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1 hour ago, TexasRenegade said:

Saban can be smooth as silk when he wants to though. I think Saban would probably be a cool guy to sit and talk with.  Herman not so much.

That's where you are wrong. Dude does coke off of strippers ass. How is that not somebody you would not hang out with. Shit that's 93% of surly 

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SydneyCarton

SydneyCarton 47884

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What a fucking beating. For the first time I can remember, every topic on this board is bolded because I don't have the fucking energy or desire to wade in and engage, to find out what is going on. Definitely not the aTm threads. Definitely not the OU threads. Fuck Tom Herman and Texas threads. 

I think I might be taking the rest of the fall off. 

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Burt Macklin

Burt Macklin 18998

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3 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

What a fucking beating. For the first time I can remember, every topic on this board is bolded because I don't have the fucking energy or desire to wade in and engage, to find out what is going on. Definitely not the aTm threads. Definitely not the OU threads. Fuck Tom Herman and Texas threads. 

I think I might be taking the rest of the fall off. 

What’s Fall? This is coaching search season. 

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SydneyCarton

SydneyCarton 47884

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Just now, Burt Macklin said:

What’s Fall? This is coaching search season. 

Fall is something my wife gets on my ass about all the time for not participating in enough outdoor activities. 

As for coaching search season, when I hear anything that indicates there's actually forward progress worth a shit on that front, then I'll get excited. 

This is Texas from the last decade plus. I'll believe we're not going to find a way to fuck a duck when it actually happens. 

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Burt Macklin

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Just now, SydneyCarton said:

Fall is something my wife gets on my ass about all the time for not participating in enough outdoor activities. 

As for coaching search season, when I hear anything that indicates there's actually forward progress worth a shit on that front, then I'll get excited. 

This is Texas from the last decade plus. I'll believe we're not going to find a way to fuck a duck when it actually happens. 

I am actually looking forward to getting to watch football on a Saturday without Texas fucking up the whole experience. 

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satyanash

satyanash 14281

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(Justin Wells) Recruiting: Temperature check on UT's C/O 2021

Quote

By: Gerry and Justin

When there's instability within the coaching staff, recruiting is usually one of the first things to suffer. It'll be very interesting to see how UT handles its 2021 class moving forward. A transition class might be imminent, but depending on who potentially replaces 'Hot Seat' Herman, if it comes to that, will have a major stake in how this class shakes out. Let's get a pulse on some of the more important commits and targets. (Any commits we don't mention are likely locked in no matter who is coaching them next year, like Hayden Connor, Juan Davis, and Gunnar Helm)

Ja’tavion Sanders, DE/TE - Denton Ryan (TEXAS)

Prior to the Oklahoma loss, Sanders wasn’t even entertaining calls from other college coaches. And he's not too interested in doing so now, which is why we feel comfortable he'll stick around. But don't think OU and others aren't going to make a push. Schools smell blood in the water and Sanders is UT's top prospect in the 2021 class.

JD Coffey, S - Kennedale (TEXAS)

Oregon has been making a real push for Coffey, but the Ducks could get in a numbers squeeze thus helping the Texas cause. They picked up a safety from Utah yesterday, so it'll be interesting to see what their next move is. Right now, we think Coffey loves the Longhorns just enough and that might be enough to secure his signature on NSD.

Jamier Johnson, CB - John Muir (Pasadena, CA) (TEXAS)

The four-star from Cali isn't playing his senior season, and plans to enroll in January. UT beat out USC and Oregon for Johnson, but if there is a threat, watch Arizona State. Herm Edwards assembled one hell of a recruiting staff.

Morice Blackwell, LB - Arlington Martin (TEXAS)

The four-star from DFW has remained solid to Texas since committing on Mother's Day. If there was a threat, Arkansas is the main one to consider. The Razorbacks are going to play quality defense with Barry Odom as defensive coordinator and do surprisingly well in the Metroplex.

Casey Cain, WR - Warren Easton (New Orleans, LA) (TEXAS)

Cain is less solid since the TCU loss. There are others pushing for him, including a serious look from Mississippi State. To say Cain has been looking around would be an accurate assessment.

Jaden Alexis, WR - Monarch (Pompano Beach, FL) (TEXAS)

Alexis is the type player that will have crossover appeal. This staff or the next might want to keep the three-star speedster, but watch for a strong push from Miami. They are recruiting very well this cycle and remain in Alexis' ear, even though I feel like he's determined to leave Florida.

Michael Myslinski, C - Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville, FL) (TEXAS)

This is one committed prospect asking members of the current staff what their future looks like in Austin. We think he's still a take, being a natural center on a team without them. Even though he's got ties to Herb Hand, we think a new staff might want to hold onto the Sunshine State offensive lineman.

L.J. Johnson, RB - Cy-Fair

This one is slipping with Texas A&M surging. Texas went into the season on the verge of receiving a commitment from the best running back prospect in the state, but that momentum is all but gone.

Shemar Turner, DL - Desoto

Texas A&M was surging after Texas' early struggles in the win over Texas Tech and loss to TCU. Now, the Aggies lead is only continuing to grow after the win over Florida.

Terrence Cooks, LB - Alvin Shadow Creek

The most highly sought after linebacker in-state for 2021 has long loved the Horns and its staff. Coleman Hutzler could not have done a better job cultivating this relationship and bonding with his mother. But there's pressure to give LSU the long, hard look. He's tried to end his recruitment on a couple of occasions but was slowed in both instances. I think Texas is the call if this staff returns. If not, that's a whole other story.

If or when changes are made, we'll have a list of the top prospects that could immediately be pursued by the new staff. No reason to delve into that just yet, though.

 

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Ricky Butler

Ricky Butler 2661

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46 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

What a fucking beating. For the first time I can remember, every topic on this board is bolded because I don't have the fucking energy or desire to wade in and engage, to find out what is going on. Definitely not the aTm threads. Definitely not the OU threads. Fuck Tom Herman and Texas threads. 

I think I might be taking the rest of the fall off. 

Make sure you keep us posted.

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NoName

NoName 16305

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The Athletic: Big 12 football recruiting: Expectations and reality

Texas Specific section:
 

Spoiler

 

94de6uhr

Reasonable expectations: Top-10 classes

The data: If you take out the two transition classes after head coaching changes (2014 and 2017), Texas has signed on average the No. 6 class in the country since 2009. Mack Brown set an extremely high standard. Charlie Strong brought in two top-10 classes. Tom Herman’s first two full recruiting classes ranked No. 3 nationally.

Even in a volatile decade for the program, Texas’ recruiting ultimately did not suffer much. Herman and his coaches aren’t afraid to trust their evaluation and take three-stars whom they believe in. But they’ve recruited at a high enough level that the Longhorns now rank fourth in the Blue-Chip Ratio. That’s what it takes to contend for championships.

The outlook: Should the standard be top-five finishes? That’s probably tough to achieve when Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State claim three of those five spots year after year. LSU and Clemson look as though they’ll regularly finish at that level there, too. It’s also fair to say Texas has to fight harder for elite recruits than it did in the Brown era. There have been classes such as 2018 when the Longhorns went out of state a bit more to fill out their class, but the state of Texas always has more than enough high-end talent, and continued on-field success should keep them in that 5-to-10 range on a consistent basis.

 

Full:

 

Spoiler

 

Big 12 football recruiting: Expectations and reality

Ari Wasserman and Max Olson 6h ago comment-icon.png 14 save-icon.png

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a five-part series. Click here for part 1, the ACC. 

The national perception of the Big 12 has taken a hit over the past decade. Sure, Oklahoma has been one of the top programs in the nation, reaching the College Football Playoff four times in the six-year history of the event on the strength of some of the most potent offenses in the history of the sport. But as any SEC — or Ohio State or Clemson — fan is quick to point out: The Sooners are 0-4 in the Playoff, with three of the four losses by double digits.

Other than Oklahoma, the league has had a team ranked in the final AP top 10 only six times in the past 10 years — three by TCU (2014, ’15, ’17) and one each by Oklahoma State (2011), Baylor (2014) and Texas (2019).

The league’s struggles can be traced back to recruiting. Simply put: Big 12 teams aren’t bringing in enough high-end talent to compete on a national stage. Over the past 10 years, Oklahoma (No. 7) and Texas (No. 10) are the only two Big 12 programs with an average national recruiting ranking in the top 25. Every other Power 5 league has at least four teams among the top 25, led by the SEC with nine.

So until Texas starts playing up to its recruiting rankings — the Horns are only fourth in Big 12 wins over the past decade — and a few other teams begin landing higher-ranked prospects on a consistent basis, the league will have a difficult time raising its national profile.

With that in mind, let’s take a team-by-team look at recruiting in the Big 12, focusing on the data over the past 10 years and what the expectations should be going forward.

(Note: All rankings are from the 247Sports Composite unless otherwise stated.)

Texas
9.2
9.6
2 (2012)
25 (2017)
1.2
1.3

Reasonable expectations: Top-10 classes

The data: If you take out the two transition classes after head coaching changes (2014 and 2017), Texas has signed on average the No. 6 class in the country since 2009. Mack Brown set an extremely high standard. Charlie Strong brought in two top-10 classes. Tom Herman’s first two full recruiting classes ranked No. 3 nationally.

Even in a volatile decade for the program, Texas’ recruiting ultimately did not suffer much. Herman and his coaches aren’t afraid to trust their evaluation and take three-stars whom they believe in. But they’ve recruited at a high enough level that the Longhorns now rank fourth in the Blue-Chip Ratio. That’s what it takes to contend for championships.

The outlook: Should the standard be top-five finishes? That’s probably tough to achieve when Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State claim three of those five spots year after year. LSU and Clemson look as though they’ll regularly finish at that level there, too. It’s also fair to say Texas has to fight harder for elite recruits than it did in the Brown era. There have been classes such as 2018 when the Longhorns went out of state a bit more to fill out their class, but the state of Texas always has more than enough high-end talent, and continued on-field success should keep them in that 5-to-10 range on a consistent basis.

sterns-rank-scaled.jpg
 
Defensive back Caden Sterns was the top-ranked prospect in Texas’ 2018 class that ranked No. 3 nationally. (William Purnell / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Oklahoma
10.8
12.4
6 (2019)
19 (2016)
1.8
1.7

Reasonable expectations: Top-10 classes

The data: Bob Stoops proved the ceiling for Sooners recruiting can be extremely high. He signed the No. 3 class in 2005 and No. 1 overall recruit Adrian Peterson in 2004. He kept OU recruiting at a top-10 level for pretty much that entire decade. Over Stoops’ final five years as head coach, Oklahoma’s recruiting classes ranked, on average, 14th nationally. When he handed the keys of the program to Lincoln Riley in the summer of 2017, his young successor immediately gave the Sooners’ recruiting a boost.

Riley loves recruiting almost as much as he does calling plays. He’s been extremely formidable in recruiting battles. He’s made the Sooner brand much cooler. And he’s made Norman a preferred destination for elite quarterbacks and offensive talent.

The outlook: Continuing to recruit at a top-10 level seems very attainable. Stockpiling offensive firepower as he did in 2019 with five-stars Spencer Rattler, Jadon Haselwood and Theo Wease is probably going to be the norm for Riley.

The more interesting challenge will be balancing this by winning out for blue-chip defensive recruits and holding on to elite defensive pledges such as Drew Sanders, Dontae Manning and Edgerrin Cooper who got away in last year’s class. Defensive coordinator Alex Grinch has the Sooners’ defensive recruiting pointed in the right direction. That’s the missing piece that can turn all of the College Football Playoff bids into rings and more top-five classes.

TCU
25.8
30.3
21 (2016)
43 (2014)
3.0
4.4

Reasonable expectations: Top-30 classes

The data: The Horned Frogs have signed top-25 classes in three of the past five years. There still seems to be a lingering perception that TCU finds a way to win with low-rated recruits. And, sure, the Horned Frogs’ staff is still excellent at discovering under-the-radar talent throughout the state of Texas and Louisiana. But the success of four-stars such as Jalen Reagor and Ross Blacklock combined with the success of the many players Gary Patterson has put in the NFL gives them a shot to battle for bigger names.

TCU has two five-star recruits (Zachary Evans and LSU transfer Marcel Brooks) on its roster for the first time. Its 2020 class featured six top-300 recruits. The Horned Frogs have steadily built their program over the past decade into a viable destination for blue-chip recruits.

The outlook: TCU should almost always finish in that 25-to-35 range as long as Patterson is there, given all the advantages they’ve built over the years. Patterson is always going to find and sign lots of freaky three-star athletes with upside who fit into his defense, but the Horned Frogs will continue to be able to sign touted offensive playmakers and contend for the best players in the DFW Metroplex.

They probably don’t get enough credit for the caliber of out-of-state players they’ve found and brought to Fort Worth. Getting the program back into Big 12 title contention can help their future classes get even better, too.

Baylor
38.8
35.4
25 (2014)
50 (2020)
5.2
4.7

Reasonable expectations: Top-30 classes

The data: Baylor used to be a school that recruits picked because they didn’t have better offers. That’s changed over the past decade. During the rise of Art Briles, the Bears brought in top-30 classes three consecutive years from 2012-14. His success was built on three-star gems and transfers (both four-year and junior college), but their high-scoring offense gave the program a chance to land blue-chip receivers and quarterbacks. Baylor was on the verge of signing a top-20 class in 2016 before Briles got fired and half of the class bailed.

Matt Rhule got Baylor back to recruiting at a top-30 level early in his tenure, even with the cloud of potential Briles-era NCAA sanctions hanging over the program throughout.

The outlook: An 11-win season and trips to the Big 12 title game and Sugar Bowl could have really boosted Baylor’s recruiting hype and results, but Rhule left for the NFL. New coach Dave Aranda’s first full recruiting class is already looking a lot like the ones Rhule signed, full of athletic three-stars with upside thanks to sharp early evals.

The Bears have to out-evaluate their in-state peers, identifying and landing less-hyped, high-potential players who aren’t yet on the radar of schools such as Texas and Texas A&M. There’s more than enough talent in Texas to consistently piece together top-30 classes with this approach, and more stability and success can get them in the mix for more four- and five-star talent.

BU-FB-Cannon_KD-2016-Rice1-mm_73039-scal
 
Class of 2014 wide receiver KD Cannon is one of two five-star prospects to sign with Baylor. (Courtesy of Baylor Athletics)
Oklahoma State
39.0
34.9
25 (2011)
45 ('16, '20)
5.2
5.2

Reasonable expectations: Top-40 classes

The data: Oklahoma State’s recruiting has become quite consistent over the course of the past decade. The Pokes have been hanging out in the 35-45 range of the national rankings with each of their past six classes. Mike Gundy and his staff have a blueprint and don’t stray from it much. Their reputation on offense and the NFL talent they’ve produced gives them a chance to sign four-star skill players and QBs. They develop three-star defenders from Oklahoma, Texas and their surrounding states. They’ll add good transfers to fill needs.

The last time the program inked a top-25 class was 2011. That’s never seemed to be a big concern to Gundy, who values fit over hype and knows exactly what he’s looking for to be successful.

The outlook: Well, there’s room for some debate here. “I would approach recruiting a little differently than he does because I would want to finish up higher in those recruiting rankings than we consistently do,” Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder said in 2018. Those remarks, as unproductive as they were, are a reflection of their recruiting ceiling. Oklahoma State wants to contend for Big 12 titles and CFP bids. The best programs in college football have a Blue-Chip Ratio of 50 percent or better. Oklahoma State is at 9 percent this year. Six 10-plus win seasons since 2010 haven’t brought them a lot closer to signing classes on par with Oklahoma and Texas.

But they’ll keep discovering and developing three-stars such as Chuba Hubbard into superstars, and they’ll keep winning. If you want to argue top-25 classes are a reasonable ask for a program that’s been this successful, there’s some merit to that. But when your recruiting results become this consistent, you’re probably doing about as well as you possibly could.

West Virginia
43.2
40.7
30 (2013)
57 (2017)
5.8
5.8

Reasonable expectations: Top-40 classes

The data: In seven of the past nine years, West Virginia has finished with a recruiting class ranked between No. 30 and No. 39 nationally.

The Mountaineers’ recruiting circumstances are unique to the rest of their Big 12 peers. They recruit against Big Ten and ACC schools and are rarely going head-to-head with their conference foes. Like TCU, they’ve done a nice job of leveraging their move to the Big 12 into recruiting results. Neal Brown’s first full class included a lot of players from the region as well as areas where the coaching staff built strong ties at Troy: Florida, Georgia, Alabama and the junior college ranks.

The outlook: After he left for Houston, Dana Holgorsen said you can’t win the Big 12 with the high school recruits you can get at West Virginia. That’s a strong statement about WVU’s recruiting ceiling, made after eight years of trying to build a contender. Holgorsen pivoted to going heavy on transfers and junior college players after his first few years in the Big 12, believing it gave the Mountaineers the best chance of staying consistently good. And for a bunch of programs in this conference, that kind of thinking probably makes sense.

Still, being in a totally different region than its league peers does provide some benefits. Brown’s staff will try to make the most of those as they continue to get the hang of recruiting to Morgantown and figure out what it takes to win in this conference.

Texas Tech
55.0
44.0
19 (2011)
72 (2018)
7.4
6.0

Reasonable expectations: Top-50 classes

The data: Did you know Tommy Tuberville once signed a top-20 recruiting class at Texas Tech? Yep, that actually happened in 2011. As we wrote last summer, Texas A&M bolting to the SEC and that round of conference realignment has changed where top Texas recruits are going.

Texas Tech signed the fourth-most blue-chip recruits in Texas (15) from 2008-12. But from 2013-19, a dozen other programs signed more blue-chip Texans than the Red Raiders. So although landing top-25 classes is not impossible in Lubbock, it has become more difficult to accomplish. Kliff Kingsbury and his staff sure knew how to evaluate QBs and receivers, and their defensive recruiting showed improvement over time.

Matt Wells and his coaches have a good sense of how to recruit effectively. Patrick Mahomes is going to be a superstar in the NFL for a long time, and that could help put Texas Tech on more recruits’ lists.

The outlook: Under Wells, the Red Raiders have added more than 15 FBS transfers to their roster to fill needs and try to upgrade the talent level. It’s important to point out those efforts are not accounted for in a team’s recruiting class rating. So unless the recruiting sites change their policies on that, Texas Tech’s classes will probably continue to gravitate in that top-50 range in the near future.

The Red Raiders are going to find solid developmental three-stars in West Texas and throughout the state and more talent in Oklahoma and the junior college ranks. They have a ton of confidence that their culture and their strength program are going to pay off over time.

Feldman_Mahomes_01.24.jpg
 
Patrick Mahomes was a three-star recruit in Texas Tech’s 2014 class. (Andrew Dieb / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Iowa State
50.8
56.6
46 ('19, '20)
67 (2012)
6.8
8.0

Reasonable expectations: Top-50 classes

The data: When Matt Campbell took over Iowa State in 2016, he vowed his program would become the “Midwest option of the Big 12.” The Cyclones’ recruiting efforts have matched that philosophy and the steadily improving talent level of their roster is really starting to show.

This coaching staff has landed several Midwestern four-stars such as Breece Hall (Kansas) and Jirehl Brock (Illinois), and further on-field success will get the Cyclones in the mix for more of those blue-chip players in their region. But Campbell and his coaches are fully aware they’re not going to get five-stars to Ames. After winning 23 games over the past three seasons, they’re not looking to change their ways. “We can’t forget what’s winning here,” Campbell told The Athletic last year. “The quality, the character, the type of person that fits Ames, Iowa, might not fit everywhere else. You can’t get lost in that high-end recruiting ranking and lose what’s allowed us to really have success.”

The outlook: During the Paul Rhoads era, Iowa State’s recruiting classes ranked 63rd nationally on average. Campbell’s classes so far have ranked 51st on average, with the past two finishing 46th. As long as Campbell is there, they’ll continue to sign top-50 classes with a focus on three-star Midwestern kids with upside, sleepers from bigger states (such as Brocky Purdy, from Arizona) and top junior college transfers.

The staff has worked hard to effectively rebrand Iowa State as a cooler version of its former self, too, which should help future staffs continue to recruit in that top-50 range.

Kansas State
62.8
60.5
49 (2014)
73 (2012)
9.2
8.9

Reasonable expectations: Top-60 classes

The data: Kansas State’s 10-year class average ranks fourth-lowest among Power 5 programs. The Wildcats’ classes never ranked higher than eighth in the Big 12 during the past decade. And they went 81-48 during that span.

The Bill Snyder era was one of the great outliers in this “stars matter” world. Snyder’s teams played so much better and tougher than the sum of their parts. K-State’s success has been built on three-stars, junior college transfers, grayshirts and walk-ons who maxed out their potential. Chris Klieman and his staff are excellent talent evaluators. They’ll build on this proven blueprint, and the Wildcats will probably continue to be the exception to the rule in recruiting.

The outlook: The Wildcats are capable of recruiting at a top-50-to-60 level under Klieman. This staff found under-the-radar superstars such as Trey Lance and Jabril Cox at North Dakota State and built national title teams with players the FBS schools didn’t want. Star ratings aren’t going to factor into their evaluation process. Given their track record, perhaps the recruiting sites should aim to be a little more thorough in their evaluation of K-State commits. Klieman and his coaches will keep finding gems in these low-rated classes.

Kansas
65.4
62.0
40 (2011)
81 (2012)
9.4
9.0

Reasonable expectations: Top-60 classes

The data: Kansas lost 99 football games over the past decade, more than any program in the FBS. Eleven consecutive losing seasons makes it extremely difficult to change your circumstances in recruiting. You can get good players to commit to Kansas by getting in on them early with great evals and effort, but it can be tough to hold on to them.

Past staffs tried to improve through junior college recruiting, which backfired enough that Les Miles has vowed not to employ that strategy. He’ll try to build it up by patiently developing high school prospects in the hopes of finding enough under-the-radar stars to eventually succeed as Mark Mangino did.

The outlook: Kansas landed Pooka Williams Jr., a four-star running back in the class of 2018, because former assistant Tony Hull had strong connections in Louisiana and because LSU wasn’t sure Williams would qualify academically. That’s what it takes to get Big 12-caliber talent to Kansas: relationships and a little bit of risk.

The Jayhawks are going to get some solid three-stars out of Texas and their region. They’re going to get developmental players who could blossom in a few years, and hopefully the staff doesn’t have to rush them into the lineup too early. Miles’ first full class ranked 56th nationally. That’s a solid start. But the challenge for Miles is no different than it was for the three coaches who preceded him. The on-field results are the only thing that can significantly change perception and Kansas’ access to better recruits. Getting to a bowl game in the next few years would surely make a difference

 

 

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Duane Moore

Duane Moore 5236

Posted
Posted
17 hours ago, ClubWhatever said:

Saban is a Grade A jerk.  But he can coach.  Fin. 

Right, and funny how players don’t mind the whole crowd singing “Dixieland Delight” to start the 4th Quarter when they get a Dodge Charger at signing day and have faith that their coach will develop them and get them to the league. 

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Levi

Levi 2576

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, CowboyFred said:

so rumor has it (a buddy just told me but he subscribes to IT, I think, so maybe that is where he got it) that Carrington is poisoning the well and telling recruits (and current players I'd assume) that he's leaving as soon as he gets another job.  

BS rumor that Gerry Hamilton said was completely false. 

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CowboyFred

CowboyFred 1151

Posted
Posted
25 minutes ago, DoneWithit said:

BS rumor that Gerry Hamilton said was completely false. 

I don't subscribe to IT so did not know Hamilton said it was false.  My buddy did tell me that mods were "downplaying it" but didn't know they had already said it was completely false.

5 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Yeah, I'm not sure Carrington shits all over the bird he has in his current hand unnecessarily. Herman has a good shot at getting another HC position elsewhere, perhaps even immediately. And Carrington might not know where his next job comes from at all. Ain't buying it. 

lol if you don't think Carrington can get a recruiting coordinator job at another school rather quickly.  he might be our most important recruiter and I'm positive other schools have taken notice of that as well.  him not being able to get another job is not a reason I wouldn't buy the rumor.  that is just my opinion tho

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Not a Sock

Not a Sock 2308

Posted
Posted
38 minutes ago, CowboyFred said:

so rumor has it (a buddy just told me but he subscribes to IT, I think, so maybe that is where he got it) that Carrington is poisoning the well and telling recruits (and current players I'd assume) that he's leaving as soon as he gets another job.  

Yeah I don’t think BC is that dumb.

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Coach pop a bitch

Coach pop a bitch 5459

Posted
Posted
47 minutes ago, CowboyFred said:

so rumor has it (a buddy just told me but he subscribes to IT, I think, so maybe that is where he got it) that Carrington is poisoning the well and telling recruits (and current players I'd assume) that he's leaving as soon as he gets another job.  

Not buying that. Things like that would scare off anybody that was thinking of hiring you. 

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SydneyCarton

SydneyCarton 47884

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, CowboyFred said:

I don't subscribe to IT so did not know Hamilton said it was false.  My buddy did tell me that mods were "downplaying it" but didn't know they had already said it was completely false.

lol if you don't think Carrington can get a recruiting coordinator job at another school rather quickly.  he might be our most important recruiter and I'm positive other schools have taken notice of that as well.  him not being able to get another job is not a reason I wouldn't buy the rumor.  that is just my opinion tho

He can get another job. But he might not be able to get that job making 6 figures. I'm saying he wouldn't unnecessarily poison that well, he's not stupid.

Additionally, he might realize his best move is to stay at Texas with the next guy and keep making a fuck to of money for a recruiting assistant position. 

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