Big 12 Spotlight: Five programs with recruiting buzz
The college football season is in full swing, but we here at Rivals.com always have an eye toward the recruiting trail. With that in mind, we take a look at five Big 12 programs that have positive buzz on the trail, even if the results aren't necessarily matching it on the field.
RELATED: Five Big Ten teams with recruiting buzz | SEC teams | ACC teams | Pac-12
OKLAHOMA
The transition from Baker Mayfield to Kyler Murray has gone pretty smoothly in Norman, with the Sooners running to a 5-0 record on the field and receiving plenty of buzz off it among recruits as well.
The Sooners have been mentioned with recent Georgia decommitment and five-star wide receiver Jadon Haselwood, and while it’s still a long shot, it shows the national reach that the program now has in recruiting. With 18 commits, including commitments from nine different states, the Sooners sit at No. 5 overall in the nation.
That’s before this weekend’s big matchup against Texas, in which Oklahoma will be the home team and be able to host recruits. A number of elite prospects are expected to be in attendance, especially in the 2020 class, so if the Sooners can impress it could help them get the ball rolling on next year’s crop of talent.
TEXAS
After a Week 1 trip up against Maryland, the Longhorns have righted the ship and now find themselves in contention for the Big 12 title heading into this week’s game against Oklahoma. The Longhorns are also a close second to the Sooners in the Rivals.com Big 12 team rankings and currently sit No. 9 nationally.
Those rankings went up due to a nice close to the month of September, which included commitments from Rivals250 running back Derrian Brown, three-star defensive back Tyler Owens and three-star linebacker David Gbenda. Obviously, this weekend’s showdown looms large for the school, especially because of how frequently they are battling Oklahoma for top-level recruits. But win or lose, prospects have taken notice of the school’s progress in Year Two under Tom Herman.
WEST VIRGINIA
The Mountaineers have one of the nation’s best quarterbacks and best all-around offenses and are opening eyes with their play so far in 2018. After picking up a flurry of commits just before the start of the season, things have slowed a bit in the fall, but that doesn’t mean the school is done.
West Virginia’s hot start has led to increased traction with recruits, including four-star defensive back Marlin Devonshire. If things keep going well and the team keeps pushing for a spot in the College Football Playoff, it might open the door to more recruits and perhaps a finish inside the Top 25 of the Team Rankings.
TCU
The Horned Frogs have the conference’s third-best class and currently sit inside the Top 25 of the Rivals.com team rankings. If they can hold that position, it would be the highest finish since 2016, when TCU finished No. 20 overall. Consistent improvement on the field has led to improved results in recruiting, and while this year’s team is off to a 3-2 start, it can be argued that the groundwork is being laid for success going forward, especially considering the amount of young talent on the team. Finishing strong in recruiting is going to be important, especially with a prospect like prime target Peyton Powell, who is also considering Oklahoma and Ohio State.
BAYLOR
The Bears haven’t had any commits since the season started, but still find themselves with a chance to push into the top five of the conference by the time Signing Day rolls around. Right now, the Bears have 16 commits and their average star ranking is good enough for fourth overall, trailing only Oklahoma, Texas and TCU.
The road back following a coaching change and a number of departures is long, but Baylor has already tripled its win total from 2017 and will have a chance to return to a bowl game after missing one last year for the first time since 2009. The lingering NCAA investigation into the school is still an issue, but a winning season and a resolution could help ease recruits' minds going forward.
