South-Central Spotlight: How surprise teams are faring on recruiting trail
We’ve ventured deep into the SEC and Big 12 schedules. The same goes for American Athletic Conference and the Sun Belt, giving us a good grasp on the 2020 college football season amid all of the spontaneous distractions that have followed suit.
Here’s a look at some of the surprise teams across the South Central region and how it’s helped on the recruiting trail.
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MORE RECRUITING UPDATES FOR SURPRISING TEAMS: Midwest | Southeast | East Coast | West
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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TEXAS A&M
AP Rank: No. 5
Record: 5-1
2021 class rankings: 13
Synopsis: Jimbo Fisher has settled in at Texas A&M and after consecutive talent-laden recruiting classes, the Aggies are beginning to play like SEC contenders. In 2020, the Aggies inked five-stars Demond Demas and Jaylon Jones, which was good for the No. 6-ranked class.
Texas A&M is again in the hunt for a top-10 class with 18 pledges in the boat so far. Highlighting the haul are in-state four-stars like Deuce Harmon, Reuben Fatheree, Shadrach Banks and Marcus Burris, along with Oklahoma’s No. 1 player Kendal Daniels.
The impressive performances on-the-field this season could lead to more fireworks with elite remaining targets like LJ Johnson, Shemar Turner, Tunmise Adeleye, Bryce Foster and Brian Thomas.
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OKLAHOMA STATE
AP Rank: No. 14
Record: 5-1
2021 class rankings: 51
Synopsis: The Cowboys were a preseason darling, but now Mike Gundy’s team is playing like one of the more talented, competitive teams in the entire Big 12 with a signature victory over Iowa State on its resume. Oklahoma State came up short at home to Texas, but has a chance for another resume-builder when they battle in-state rival Oklahoma in Bedlam later this month.
Oklahoma State’s class is headlined by in-state three-stars Ty Williams and Aden Kelly, who are promising defenders for Gundy to plug in next season. Oklahoma State also won the recruiting battle for Allen (Texas) twin wide receivers Bryson and Blaine Green over a slew of Big Ten and Big 12 teams. Perhaps their in-season momentum can help Gundy land a quarterback target late down the stretch.
SMU
AP Rank: No. 19
Record: 7-1
2021 class rankings: 64
Synopsis: SMU ranks fifth among Group of Five teams represented in the Rivals national recruiting rankings with another impressive haul on the way to Dallas. The class begins with Rivals100 quarterback Preston Stone, who committed to the Ponies in January at the All-American Bowl over a handful of Power 5 options.
With the help of a young, driven recruiting staff, Sonny Dykes and SMU have successfully recruited their Dallas hometown with notable gets like Isaiah Nwokbia, Montaye Dawson, Jadarius Thursby all choosing to stay home. SMU also has a quality three-star receiver committed in Dylan Goffney and recently beat out several Power 5 and Group of 5 foes for late-bloomer defensive end Je’lin Samuels.
LOUISIANA
AP Rank: No. 25
Record: 6-1
2021 class rankings: N/A
Synopsis: Billy Napier’s Cajuns drew the attention of the nation with a Week 1 defeat of Iowa State. After a close loss at the hands of Coastal Carolina last month, Louisiana is sitting at 6-1 and back inside the AP Top 25 with a winnable schedule in front of them.
Napier, who is on the short list of potential Power 5 head coaching candidates, has done a fantastic job of plucking talent from high schools inside Louisiana and the neighboring states he used to recruit while at Alabama and Clemson. Former Texas A&M tight end Glenn Beal is set to transfer to Louisiana. The team also holds promising commitments from in-state talent like 6-foot-8, 350-pound Mackey Maillho, edge-rusher Cam George and safety Cejae Ceasar.
TULSA
AP Rank: N/A
Record: 3-1
2021 class rankings: N/A
Synopsis: Tulsa’s high-flying offense has helped the Golden Hurricanes race out to a 3-1 start with the only loss coming at the hands of aforementioned Oklahoma State. Tulsa will see a major test on Saturday hosting SMU, the No. 19 team in the country, and has a showdown with No. 7 Cincinnati at home to close out the season.
Tulsa’s on-field success has translated to some sparks on the recruiting trail. Prospects from Texas, Louisiana and Missouri have all jumped on board, including three-star St. Louis running back Bill Jackson, the highest-rated player in Tulsa’s 2021 class, as well as Frisco (Texas) Independence quarterback Braylon Braxton, who earned a three-star grade from Rivals.