Numbers Crunch: SEC 5-stars, War for Texas
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The number alone doesn't prove that the Aggies are now the premier football program in Texas. It does, however, help drive home a point that is already clear: Little brother no more, A&M is out-playing and out-recruiting Texas, and these things tend to snowball. The Longhorns haven't signed a five-star since February of 2012, which seems like an eternity for one of college football's most famous teams. A&M, on the other hand, locked up three in last year's class alone. Point is, the fact that the two rivals don't play anymore hasn't stopped Kevin Sumlin from conquering UT. That's been clear for a while.
6
Texas A&M's highest ever finish in the Rivals.com recruiting rankings.
The number will be somewhat difficult to topple this year. The Aggies currently rank fifth for this cycle, but the average star ranking of 3.55 is significantly lower than the 3.71 it boasted a year ago. A&M will have to land a handful of five-stars in order to finish higher than sixth. That said, it seems as though it's only a matter of time until the program cracks the top 5. Perennial SEC powers seem to populate that space, and the Aggies suddenly don't seem too far away from becoming one of those.
364
Days between losses to BYU for mighty Texas.
Fire Mack Brown! Or something like that.
Getting blown out at home by a non-Power Five school isn't an indictment of Charlie Strong's staff. It probably didn't set the pace for his reign as head coach, either. It's one game. Upsets happen, and nobody thought this season would be easy. What it does, however, is alter perception. And getting blown out by BYU twice in the course of two seasons is a hit for the perception Texas, a program that hadn't lost to a school not in a BCS conference in the 19 years. Perception is reality in recruiting. And if the prospects on your recruiting board view your program as major rebuilding project, then that's what is.
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Five-star Keisean Lucier-South will visit Oklahoma this weekend for the Tennessee game.
The Sooners will host 12 known official visitors total. It represents the program's biggest visit weekend since 2012. A lot of the credit for the talent that has been persuaded to visit Norman this weekend goes to defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery, who has stepped out of his position and his region to get involved with many of the Sooners' top targets. Of the prospects expected on campus, four-star junior college offensive tackle Jamal Danley seems most likely to commit on the spot, but the weekend could also carry its share of surprises. Five-star linebacker Keisean Lucier-South is OU's highest-ranked visitor. The California product has official visits to Michigan and Oregon set for next month.
2
Straight years Oklahoma has finished on top of the Big 12 recruiting rankings.
The Sooners have made a habit of closing strong in recent years, so while they currently rank fourth in the league in this recruiting cycle, it will likely be a head-to-head battle with Texas for the top spot down the stretch. With the Longhorns' current state, it's not hard to imagine a scenario in which OU takes the conference recruiting title for a third straight year.
2011
The year in which Clemson last signed multiple five-star prospects in the same recruiting class.
Five-star Mitch Hyatt has Clemson sitting at No. 2 in the recruiting rankings.
The Tigers currently have commitments from a pair of five-star recruits in wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III and offensive lineman Mitch Hyatt. In 2011, Clemson landed four five-star recruits, including current Buffalo Bills wide receiver Sammy Watkins. That class finished No. 8 in the recruiting rankings. Clemson's current class ranks No. 2.
68
Combined points by which Vanderbilt has been outscored by its first two opponents, Temple and Ole Miss.
The Commodores have managed just 10 total points this season. And if anything near this sort of pace continues for much longer, some of Vandy's nine verbal commitments will start to look around. In fact, some already have. Coaching changes are rough on most programs, but the speed at which the on-field product in Nashville has transitioned from hot program to hot garbage in downright impressive. The perception of Vanderbilt football has already been altered and that's bad news for recruiting.
5
Years since a school not named Ohio State hauled in the Big Ten's best recruiting class.
Penn State landed the league's best class in 2010 and Ohio State sort of took it from there. Nearly five years later, the Nittnay Lions sit on top of the conference rankings once again. Penn State head coach James Franklin has made his name as a recruiter, and for good reason. Holding off Ohio State -- and Michigan to a lesser extent -- won't be easy, but if anyone can do it, it's Franklin, who looks quite dangerous when selling a national brand.
Rob Cassidy
Midlands/Southwest Recruiting Analyst
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