Mack Won't Follow Franchione, Opts Not To Recruit Toddlers

by Peter Bean on Feb 8, 2007 10:56 AM CST in Texas Longhorns Recruiting

Don't think Mack Brown's revolutionized recruiting in the state of Texas? Think again. As Mack continues to dominate the state by hand picking his guys during February of their junior years, other teams in the mix for Texas talent are scrambling to get an edge.

The latest tactic? Offering scholarships to sophomores, a tactic Mack has wisely said he won't touch. The reverberations from Mack Brown's power in the state are being felt at schools like Texas A&M, where coach Dennis Franchione has already picked up commitments for 11 kids for his 2008 class. That's about half his class, and most of the state's top talent is still up for grabs, with Mack yet to extend a single offer.

The race to grab commitments from players before Mack's decided to bring them in to Texas for junior day workouts is a slippery, dangerous slope for the competition. Franchione might wind up with a haul of early commitments who ultimately prevent him from filling out a robust class with better talent, while the best in the state aren't likely to make commitments prior to getting word of whether they'll be receiving a junior day invite from Brown.

Still, I expect this trend to continue, rather than fade away. Desperate competitors will continue to look for ways to beat Mack Brown at his own game, but the reality of the situation is that Mack is the one who's making the rules, and trying to skirt them is far more likely to lead to a backfire than to force Brown to react differently than he wants to.

In the meantime, keep an eye on your freshman son's cell phone. Coach Fran may be sending him a text any day now.

--PB--

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Comments

the curve

Mack doesn't learn from the learning curve. He is the learning curve.

by UTeed on Feb 8, 2007 11:16 AM CST reply actions

Mack

Mack isn't so much the learning curve as he is the learning asymptote. Fran is just pissed that he can't divide by zero like Mack can.

by whoopspat on Feb 8, 2007 11:46 AM CST up reply actions

my advice to Mack

is, whatever Fran does. Do the exact opposite. Seems to be logical.

Gravy Train with biscuit wheels.

by kicker @ Burnt Orange Nation on Feb 8, 2007 3:51 PM CST up reply actions

but still...

Sorry PB, even though I agree that there is a slight chance that the A&M kids might decommit after they get scholarships from better programs, nevertheless the Texas program should not hinge its hopes on such a last-minute change of heart. I do think that Texas needs to counter Fran's approach by doing something affirmative--maybe bring kids in early for their junior workouts or something.

by deysmak on Feb 8, 2007 11:24 AM CST reply actions

Didn't Bob Knight

pull a senior's schollie after he failed to perform well?
They were high on him his soph and junior year, then he hit the wall his senior year.

Early offers in basketball seem to happen more often.

It will be interesting to see the attrition of Fran's early commitements. I'm guessing about 50% actually sign and only a small number of them see the field.

Cats and dogs sleeping together.

by EYESofBEVO on Feb 8, 2007 11:25 AM CST reply actions

but still...

by deysmak on Feb 8, 2007 11:26 AM CST reply actions

shoot why not head for the MIddle Schools?

stop the madness...anything earlier than Jr. year is a joke...to many things happen to the program and to the recruit. what happens if you have some soph WR on the hook and then your backup QB gets hurt/transferred (or in the case of of our friends in OK and FL arrested!!!) and now you're one schollie down because of a two year crap shoot. kids also tend to grow alot in that timeframe and change physically in that timeframe. can you really recruit an OL when he's 15?

Fran's move is more a function of the ongoing desperation just around the bend for his program than a solid counter to Mack's craftiness.

by longhornJ on Feb 8, 2007 2:35 PM CST up reply actions

Screw middle school....

get 'em while they're still in the womb - just add the commitment form to the other 300 forms you have to fill out when you have a baby.

by Screw O.U. on Feb 9, 2007 6:14 PM CST up reply actions

Early Signing Period

That's where we're going. Coaches aren't going to stand for recruiting sophomores. The amount of de-commits pisses off a few more coaches every year. A verbal doesn't mean anything now-a-days. If anything, coaches recruit a kid harder after he's given a verbal to another school. Instead of locking up a kid and moving on to the next one a coach has to defend his turf and ward off those trying to steal his recruits. You think you got your QB of the future lined up so you stop recruiting other kids. Then Florida or USC swoop in and take him a week before signing day and you're screwed. You watch, within a few years we'll have an early signing period like basketball and there will be new rules about talking to a kid after he has given his verbal commitment.

Mike

Black Shoe Diaries

by PSUMike on Feb 8, 2007 11:59 AM CST reply actions

3 things need to happen

(why 3 you ask? it sounds good)

Early signing period
Limit to juniors and older
Put the cabash on text messages, smoke signals, faxing LOI after a kids says "no" and attendance of pro-day workouts (any and all pro contact).

Seriously, the text message stuff is just creepy and the other stuff puts young kids in bad positions.
They had an article last year on text messages sent to local Chicago recruits by Notre Dame, Mich and others.
If my kid received something like that I'd ask for a restraining order.
- "hey, I'm just thinking about ya, can't stop picturing you here"
- "you are good, but I can make you special...I'll make you a star"

Cats and dogs sleeping together.

by EYESofBEVO on Feb 8, 2007 1:09 PM CST up reply actions

Totally agree

ont only signing juniors and earlier. I don't think it is anyone's best interest (schools, coaches or kids) to be recruiting sophomores, or earlier. It is hard to imagine that it would be good for a 16-yr old making a decision like that 2 years before he graduates. Too bad the NCAA is just a joke. They should step in a do the right thing. Instead, they're too busy keeping college atheletes from trying to take care of their little brothers so their crack-addict mother doesn't.

by SaintBevo on Feb 8, 2007 2:22 PM CST up reply actions

just a thought

lots of development takes place at that age, if ya ask me, JR's are a bit risky, but sophomores? Those kids have a lot of growing to do and a couple injuries ahead of them still

by Crash03 on Feb 8, 2007 2:27 PM CST reply actions