Take Two: Is Texas wasting its time recruiting the West Coast?
MORE: Where top uncommitted Texas-based prospects stand
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling an issue in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network of team sites or a regional analyst.
THE STORYLINE
Texas has had impressive success recruiting the West Coast under Tom Herman as four-star Jake Smith should be a star in the Longhorns’ offense and four-star Brayden Liebrock is an athletic mismatch at tight end.
Defensive back Chris Adimora could be a sleeper in the 2019 class, as Pac-12 powers missed on him and he ended up choosing Texas.
The 2020 group could have some superstars as well as the Longhorns are one of the favorites for five-star cornerback Kelee Ringo, they’re in it for five-star linebacker Justin Flowe and many others.
Prospects in California and across the region have said they have a lot of interest in Texas as 2021 quarterbacks Jake Garcia and Miller Moss among others worked out at the Longhorns’ satellite camp at Cal Lutheran this past weekend.
But let’s consider the fact that Texas put so much time and effort in getting Bru McCoy, only to see him leave after a few weeks to return to USC. Former four-star quarterback Cameron Rising left Texas and transferred to Utah. Is it worth the Longhorns’ considerable time to keep recruiting California and the West region?
Or would Texas’ efforts be better spent elsewhere?
FIRST TAKE: JASON SUCHOMEL, ORANGEBLOODS.COM
“My feeling is that Texas will continue to target kids out west. They’ve had good success in California despite the McCoy thing, despite some bad luck with DeGabriel Floyd’s health, but you still have Adimora on campus already, they have Smith and Liebrock from Arizona.
“The week after the McCoy news came out, four-star California WR Johnny Wilson was in Austin for an unofficial visit and he’ll be returning for an official visit. My feeling is they’ve had some bad news recently, but they’ll continue to target top talent in California and Arizona.”
SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS.COM
“Texas has to continue to recruit California and the West Coast. They’re in it for Ringo and a few other players in the region. They have to stay out there. California is wide open right now with USC not being a major power and everybody wondering whether Clay Helton is going to be around.
“If everybody is marching in there to pull kids out, even though you got bit by the McCoy situation, even though you see the Chris Steele situation and these kids gravitate back to USC, Oklahoma is recruiting well in California, so Texas needs to recruit well in California. Everything Oklahoma does as the leader of the Big 12, Texas has to do equally or better, so they have to stay in California.”