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Would not expect him to make it in for the Texas Junior Day at the end of the month.

Randle is a linebacker from League City Clear Springs who played both ways as a junior, spending time at linebacker and running back and expressing that he wanted to continue doing the same thing in college. Not entirely likely that will happen.

At the linebacker position, Randle draws comparisons to Aaron Benson because of their similar size and speed -- undersized for a linebacker, but possessing excellent speed. Far from a lock for an offer, Randle was probably at the top of the Texas board for outside, "spread" linebackers as the best in the class from that mold.

The takeaway from this is that the Longhorns are going to have to re-think their strategy with the Junior Days because Randle represents the third player to commit to another school before visiting Texas for a Junior Day, joining Brandon Williams and Kolby Griffin. Considering the impact that a visit to Austin and a possible invitation into Mack Brown's office to receive an offer clearly makes, three players now represent a growing and disturbing trend.

It's impossible to say definitively without more information, but the best guess here is that opposing coaches are using a second Junior Day invite to negatively recruit against Texas by telling these players they won't receiver an offer and/or aren't valued by Texas. Similarly, it's impossible to say definitively whether the kids are believing that, but the results speak for themselves.

The bottom line is that Texas can't afford to have kids that would have received offers commit to other schools without visiting -- those players represent major missed opportunities. I'm not sure that the solution is officially offering players earlier or inviting some of the top players to the second Junior Day, but Mack Brown needs to find some way to mitigate the negative recruiting currently being used against Texas.

over 2 years ago Sbnheadshot_tiny Wescott Eberts (GoBR) 11 comments 0 recs  | 

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In your opinion, how much does it hurt

when these kids see 5-stars sign one year ahead? Does it affect potential recruits thought process regarding playing time or how many years downstream before they start?

"Football is an incredible game. Sometimes it's so incredible, it's unbelievable." - Tom Landry

by TXStampede on Feb 20, 2010 6:34 PM CST reply actions  

I think it's a case-by-case basis

Some kids really want to play right away and don’t like a stacked depth chart in front of them and some kids aren’t worried about the competition. Some of it honestly may depend on how much confidence they have in themselves. For some, I think the potential to win a national championship weighs more heavily than anything else.

I think some teams used to negatively recruit against Texas by telling them that even if they were better than the player in front of them, they wouldn’t play early — the prime example was probably the Derry-Bobino-Killebrew combination playing in front of Kindle-Muckelroy-Norton. There was some truth to it, but I don’t think there is any more.

In the case of Randle, it’s also possible that he received some indication from the coaching staff that he wasn’t really in their plans

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Feb 20, 2010 6:47 PM CST up reply actions  

i'm not sure

Bobino deserves to be in that group. He was bad when asked to cover a receiver but overall a much better player than Derry or Killebrew.

by llogg on Feb 21, 2010 7:19 AM CST up reply actions  

Never thought...

Id see a kid from clear springs get on the radar from a school like Texas

Clear Lake represent

by MJY6087 on Feb 20, 2010 6:57 PM CST reply actions  

Unaccustom Feeling

Im not used to all this!!! Losing at a unusually high clip in Basketball, Baseball droping a game to New Mexico… Now losing 3 possible recruits in FEBRUARY!!!

What the hell is happening? 2010 is unravellng all too quickly… Lets get on the War Path HORNS COME ON!

by HornsUpInLA on Feb 20, 2010 7:55 PM CST reply actions  

GBR-Thanks for the Big Boards-They Rock

I have been using them constantly for reference. It would be great if you could do a hyperlink to all of them over in the Post secion.

I just checked your Linebacker big board, and Randle wasn’t listed as being confirmed for a junior day. Could it be that he just didn’t have an interest in Texas and so that is why he didn’t schedule a visit? Or did he confirm for the second junior day and then decide not to since he has committed?

He is your 4th LB and the coaches obviously liked Chet Moss so that probably puts Randle at the 5th LB. With Hicks, Jackson and Benson from last year, all of whom are top tier OLBs, maybe he just didn’t want any part of that intense competition.

I’m not sure that Mack Brown has a Junior day problem yet, but you make a really good point about kids getting a 1st junior day invite vs. a 2nd junior day invite. It must really crush a kid to think they were not a 1st day invite and I definitely can see other coaches using that. to negatively recruit. Texas has forced other schools to make earlier evaluations and offers also, which is probably catching up to us. Williams’ early commit to Baylor was a shocker, but I’m not sure that any of the 3 of these guys were actually really high on the Texas wish list and perhaps they knew it.

by Wrangler86 on Feb 20, 2010 8:01 PM CST reply actions  

He was eventually confirmed for the second Junior Day

May try to do a refresh of the boards to check in on where the Longhorns are at each position, who has received offers and who has committed.

Correct that it is basically impossible to tell where these kids ranked on the Texas board. Makes a lot of this simply speculation.

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Feb 20, 2010 8:11 PM CST up reply actions  

What About PluS Side

I don’t see any other program coming out of February with 13 recruits. If these guys aren’t tops on the list – how do you get around that? Mack uses the numbers and positions signed on day one to tactically adjust. I don’t think going to first jr day and not getting an offer would help.

by realmccoy on Feb 21, 2010 9:18 AM CST via mobile up reply actions  

With 13 committs on the first Jr. Day Texas is playing a numbers game. If a kid hasn’t gotten the word he is at or near the top of the list an offer from LSU becomes a sure thing.

Beside kids committing this early already had an interest in Baylor, LSU or whereever.

by 71grad on Feb 20, 2010 8:40 PM CST reply actions  

Makes perfect sense. Lock it up for a sure thing. Kids have not lived long enough to "roll the dice".

"Football is an incredible game. Sometimes it's so incredible, it's unbelievable." - Tom Landry

by TXStampede on Feb 21, 2010 6:19 AM CST up reply actions  

It's still very early

I wouldn’t be surprised if a couple of these guys end up trying to get the coaches on the phone a few months down the line.

3/19/2009 & 12/15/2009 - Games Where Dogus Balbay Made a Three-Pointer. Never Forget.

by burrito on Feb 21, 2010 4:56 PM CST reply actions  

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