Big 12 spotlight: Inside the recruiting numbers

With a conference championship game back on the schedule this season and three new head football coaches coming into the Big 12, recruiting has been interesting to watch over the past few weeks. Now as the conference teams ready themselves for Week 2, what sort of trends should be tracked for the rest of the fall?

INSIDE THE NUMBERS: SEC | Big Ten | ACC | Pac-12

Texas has landed commitments from 8 of the 27 in-state recruits in the 2018 Rivals250. Many would say that running back Keaontay Ingram and defensive back DeMarvion Overshown also belong in that category, and could add their names to that list by the end of fall. As it stands, that’s nearly a third of the state’s most elite prospects and the Longhorns hold commitments from nearly 20-percent of the state’s total group of four-stars, which stands at 48.

Texas might not be done, either, as it is in the running for high school teammates and Rivals250 defensive backs Anthony Cook and D’Shawn Jamison as well. Malcolm Epps fell out from the bottom of the Rivals250 in the most recent rankings update, but he is certainly a player that falls within the discussion of how much top talent from Texas that the Longhorns have added to their class.

As mentioned, Texas has done its job of securing much of the state’s top talent and has found itself with a Top 5 recruiting class to start the season. Oklahoma checks in at No. 10, after August commitments from Rivals250 offensive tackle Darrell Simpson and three-star defensive back Delarrin Turner-Yell. TCU also had a pair of August commitments in high three-stars Teavailance Hunt and Ta’Zhawn Henry to land in the Top 20 with 18 commits for 2018. Baylor and Oklahoma State are the other two teams in the group with 18 commitments apiece. The Bears have three four-star commitments in running backs Stanley Hackett and Joshua Fleeks as well as defensive end Joshua Landry.

The good news for Oklahoma fans is that the Sooners are easily the early success story within the conference when it comes to recruiting. The bad news is that they could have been in an even better spot than they are now. After the commitment this week of wide receiver Trejan Bridges, Oklahoma currently has three 2019 Rivals100 prospects committed, as Bridges joins quarterback Spencer Rattler and tight end Austin Stogner. Optimism is high for three-star commit Jeffrey Carter to also develop into a four-star prospect as well. If Arjei Henderson and Theo Wease didn’t decommit, Oklahoma would have two five-star receivers in its class as well. The only other team in the Big 12 to have more than one commitment in 2019 is Texas Tech, but Iowa State, Kansas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State are all yet to pick up their first pledge in next year’s class.

And he belongs to Kansas. Many are still wondering if Devonta Jason’s commitment to the Jayhawks will last through National Signing Day, but for now, he is the only five-star player committed to a Big 12 program. Much of the draught can be explained by the fact that there is just one five-star prospect in Texas so far in Cook. He very well could commit to Texas. And between the Longhorns and Sooners, six committed players are ranked as 6.0 four-stars, which is just slightly below five-star status. Kansas has never signed a five-star recruit in the Rivals Era, so holding on to Jason would be a historic feat. His commitment came with those of fellow Louisiana prospects Anthony Williams, Corione Harris, Ja’Marr Chase, and Aaron Brule, of which the latter two have since decommitted.