The Kliff Kingsbury Era at Texas Tech has ended with the young head coach’s dismissal, leaving the Red Raiders in search of a new leader. A coaching change this close to signing day almost always creates uncertainty that could extend through part or all of the next recruiting cycle. It’s why, today, Rivals.com takes a look at four teams that stand to reap the rewards of a coaching change in Lubbock.
ARKANSAS
Arkansas has long recruited in Texas with differing levels of success, so its inclusion on this list is no shock. Razorbacks head coach Chad Morris was hired away from Dallas-based SMU and has spent much of his coaching career in the Lone Star State. The Dallas Metroplex and Houston are paramount recruiting grounds for Morris, who will find himself clashing with Tech in both of the aforementioned cities. While the Razorbacks looked dreadful in year one of the Morris Era, he certainly could snatch a recruit or two away from an unstable situation in Lubbock.
BAYLOR
With uncertainty taking hold at Texas Tech, four-star defensive end commit Steven Parker could open his recruitment and have a look around. The Texas-based defensive end has a somewhat limited offer list for a highly-ranked player, so Baylor may have a real chance to snatch his letter of intent if it presses to do so. The ways in which Matt Rhule’s program could benefit from this change, of course, go well beyond Parker. The Baylor staff is stocked with coaches with strong ties to Texas high school football and will see things open up in the year ahead, as a rebuild at Tech will create some level of uncertainty among prospects that would normally choose the Red Raiders.
SMU
The Mustangs find themselves bowl eligible for a second straight year, which is no small victory considering the program went five seasons without landing in the postseason before snapping the streak a year ago. Winning is a powerful selling point, and the team’s recent on-field success may give it the power it needs to steal a recruit or two away from the Power Five-backed Red Raiders. Landing those kinds of prospects is a quick way for a Group of Five program to take the next step forward, and the door to do so is now open. The next two cycles will be key for SMU, as the stars have aligned for them to snatch a player or two that would previously be Big 12-bound.
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TCU
TCU and Texas Tech wade in the same recruiting waters, recruiting a similar level of prospect from a similar geographical region. Three-star wide receiver La'Vontae Shenault is currently committed to the Red Raiders and holds and from the Horned Frogs. So while it’s unclear if TCU intends to push for his commitment with Kingsbury out in Lubbock, there are a handful prospects like him every cycle. The Horned Frogs and Red Raiders tend to class for players inside the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex and beyond, and the Horned Frogs now have possession of most conceivable selling points in such recruiting battles.
