Take two: Ole Miss on top
Advertisement
Storyline: Stanford welcomes the nickname Nerd Nation, but a bunch of high-end academic schools are sitting atop the Rivals.com team rankings, so bookworms across the country can rejoice.
With the commitment of four-star running back Kareem Walker on Thursday, Michigan moved to second overall, Notre Dame is fourth and the Cardinal sit at fifth in the team rankings.
The Wolverines have 11 four-stars and 11 three-stars committed and Notre Dame and Stanford each have a five-star pledge in linebackers Daelin Hayes and Curtis Robinson, respectively.
One doesn't have to be a genius to see that Michigan, Notre Dame and Stanford are killing it on the recruiting trail.
First take: "Stanford's classes generally come together in the opposite manner of the way their 2016 class has progressed. They start off relatively slowly then pick up steam toward Signing Day as their prospects receive admissions decisions. This year, however, that has not been the case. I don't know that it's a result of any drastic change in strategy or really any single cause. I think part of it is probably a reflection of the accelerated recruiting cycle that is impacting all schools. I also think some of it might stem from a very successful Junior Day Stanford held back in the spring. A number of the Cardinal's future commits were on that trip, and it really kick-started their recruiting class (and sparked the commit group chat). Beyond that, there aren't a ton of concrete reasons that I can think of. It was just the way the chips fell this year." - Andy Drukarev, CardinalSportsReport.com
Second take: "There was a big discussion about our rankings based on the top 20 commits and there were some people who felt it was restrictive but I think it's the perfect number because it gives these schools an even playing ground. Other schools are taking 28 a year and sending kids off to JUCO or they greyshirt and none of that really occurs in the Big Ten or at Notre Dame. It's pretty cool that all three are up there. Recruiting rankings should be based on a combination of quantity and quality and all three of those schools have both." - Farrell
3. Not too Strong
Storyline: Anyone who follows college football knows Texas coach Charlie Strong isn't exactly a hit in Austin. He demoted his offensive coordinator after one game, then had an uneasy approach to hiring a new one this offseason.
Recruiting is downright bad right now. Sure, there is lots of time before National Signing Day, but the top kids in Texas are not jumping at the chance to play for the Longhorns like once was the norm.
Little's commitment to Ole Miss this week is just one example. Nine of the top 12 players in the state of Texas are committed -- none to the Longhorns. Houston has more top 30 commits than Texas, let alone Baylor, Texas A&M and other schools that are dominant in the state.
This is worrisome for so many reasons. Texas is No. 49 nationally in the team recruiting rankings and sixth in the Big 12. The real question is, what will spark a turnaround for the Longhorns to make them national contenders again?
First take: "Texas certainly isn't dominating the state the way Longhorn fans are used to seeing, but Charlie Strong did sign a class last year that was ranked only two spots behind A&M's class, so I'd caution people to not panic just yet. The Longhorns are way behind in the rankings for this year's group, but that's mostly because Texas has taken only 12 commitments. Texas just had its first official visit weekend of the 2016 recruiting season last week and the UT coaches are confident they'll be able to close strong down the stretch, like they did last year. I expect the Longhorns to land a good number of their top remaining targets, especially with all the current turmoil at Texas A&M, so Texas should climb the ranks. All that being said, if Texas wants to truly get back to dominating the state the way it did when Mack Brown was at his best, it has to start with putting a winning product on the field. Get some momentum going in the way of big wins and being competitive in the conference race, and the rest will take care of itself." - Jason Suchomel, Orangebloods.com
Second take: "They keep bungling things. They went after Sonny Cumbie, but then the administration wouldn't give him a clear picture on Charlie Strong's future. Then they go after (Sterlin) Gilbert from Tulsa and they couldn't get him. Then they finally do get him, it's the most awkward thing, and they're hiring two coaches from Tulsa, which is 6-6. Then they tell that guy that Strong will be there after 2016. Tom Herman is turning down interest from jobs because he wants the Texas job. Next year, despite the fact that Texas beat Oklahoma and Baylor, if they don't make noise in the Big 12 and recruiting continues to be the way it is, everybody assumes Strong is gone. Next year he's on the hottest of hot seats." - Farrell
Adam Gorney
National Recruiting Analyst
Mike Farrell
National Recruiting Director
Click Here to view this Link.