Texas Longhorns football: Harnessing recruiting momentum
As I watched Baylor lose to West Virginia last night, a few thoughts swirled in my head.
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First, Baylor losing quarterback Blake Shapen in the second half was devastating for the Bears. They didn’t have a Hudson Card-like back-up to call upon as the Horns did against WVU. Their back-up, though talented, just wasn’t ready.
Second, the Baylor defense was absolutely gashed in the run game. This is not the same defense we saw from them a year ago.
Third, Dave Aranda may end up being a solid coach, but he’s not a miracle worker. His defense looked lost and his offense looks one-deep.
And my last thought is this: Baylor, at 3-3, is yet another local P5 team with very little recruiting momentum. They’re just not going to repeat as Big 12 champs, so last year appears more an anomaly than a consistent expectation.
That bodes well for Texas.
Of all the other in-state schools, TCU is the only one who has any sort of real momentum right now outside of the Horns. And the Horned Frogs just don’t have the national profile of Texas.
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Sure, Texas A&M, despite sputtering, will still be a factor for a lot of desirable recruits.
But the fewer teams legitimately fighting for elite recruits in your own backyard, the better.
I’m not saying Baylor will be eliminated from all of those conversations based solely on last night, but it was definitely a meaningful loss in that way. The idea that some were selling that they are a burgeoning power is just not the case.
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Speaking of recruiting, we’re starting to see Texas step out there with senior evaluations. Texas has now put out two new scholarship offers to seniors, and they’re still evaluating others.
While I don’t think the dam will break this weekend in recruiting, I think it’s getting closer and closer. If the Horns win on Saturday, we might see some real movement next week.
