Perception of Big 12 lagging in recruits' eyes

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O’FALLON, Ill. – Ezra Miller’s take on the Big 12 isn’t scathing. It’s not even particularly derogatory.

Instead, the Iowa-based sophomore, who immediately chose Iowa over Iowa State and is fielding interest from other Big 12 programs, offers a quick-but-telling response when asked about the league’s current reputation with recruits.

Said response – maybe more than some hyper-negative monologue -- illustrates the problem at hand.

“I don’t really think anything about the Big 12,” Miller said. “I don’t ever think about the Big 12, to be honest.”

Here at the St. Louis stop of the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp presented by adidas, there are honest takes to be found. Many of the campers hold offers from Big 12 programs. Some will choose member institutions. Others won’t. Nearly all of them have an opinion, though. This extends to Micah Jones, a four-star wide receiver committed to Notre Dame.

“I don’t think [the Big 12] has fallen behind necessarily, but it takes a certain kind of top player to go to there,” Jones said. “Usually, it’s a place for a kid from that region that’s, like, a wide receiver that wants the ball a lot. It’s the passing league. It’s the place for that. It’s just for a different type of player. Being in that region, It’s hard for them to go national and go up against other conferences.”

Big 12 programs have combined to sign just four five-star prospects in the last five years (an average of 0.4 per program), a sharp contrast to the SEC’s 80 (5.7), the Pac 12’s 27 (2.3), the ACC’s 33 (2.4) and the Big Ten’s 22 (1.6). The facts that no Big 12 team has won a national title since 2005 and the league has had a member school finish in the top 10 of the recruiting rankings just three times since 2011 aren’t exactly enticing prospects, either.

Texas’ run of failure and instability is certainly a factor, but recruits don’t often concern themselves with reason. Their world centers on perception, and this is a league with a perception problem. It doesn’t take an investigative documentary team to uncover the reasons why. The shift in reputation isn’t lost on four-star wide receiver Kamryn Babb, a Missouri-based prospect.

“They need to improve on the field overall,” Babb said of the league. “I mean, players here see the SEC, and then they see the Big 12. People see the championships. They see the players the SEC puts in the league. It’s more about the championships, though. We see the big SEC teams and the big Big Ten teams playing for championships.”

The top player in the state of Texas, a region once dominated by the Longhorns, has signed with a school outside of the Big 12 each year since 2011. The No. 1 player in the state of Kansas, a place with two Big 12 schools, has left the league in three of the last four years.

Kansas-based defensive end Miles Emery may not agree with the shifting narrative, but he’s certainly aware of its existence. A niche belief this is not.

“I think other kids see the Big 12 schools as getting smaller and not being as notable as some of these other schools,” said Emery, who lists offers from Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa State. “That’s a change for them. I don’t agree on that outlook. I think it’s about fit and any school can be perfect, but that’s what other people think. In my opinion, it’s fine to stay here.”

Then, there’s a reason you don’t see the word “fine” in marketing campaigns.