Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here with a look at the programs that are underachieving the most, some bad happenings in the Mid-South and some recruiting odds and ends…
MIND OF MIKE: Thoughts on FSU's firing of Willie Taggart
1. PROGRAMS DOING THE LEAST WITH MOST
Last week I looked at some coaches doing the most with the least amount of talent, and this week it’s time to call out some coaches who are doing the least with the most. Yes, recruiting rankings are subjective and not always indicative of future success, but it has been proven over and over again that the more four- and five-stars a program has, the easier it is to win. These programs are in a bit of trouble right now.
Florida State and the dismissed Willie Taggart – It’s hard to fathom how Florida State can ever be this bad, but here we are. The ‘Noles are consistently in the national top-10 in recruiting and talent isn’t the problem. Player development and coaching have been awful and someone needs to come in and save this once proud program. The program's next hire will be very important.
USC and Clay Helton – It was kind of sad watching all the four- and five-stars out there for USC get dominated in every way by Oregon. Things haven’t been great on the field for awhile but now recruiting has become a joke compared to the glory days of Pete Carroll. USC needs Urban Meyer badly.
Texas A&M and Jimbo Fisher – I know Fisher hasn’t been there long, but look at the recruiting rankings. The Aggies always recruit well so the roster has a lot of talent. But they continue to disappoint and it doesn't look like Texas A&M is very close to turning a corner. This was supposed to be the year the Aggies snuck up on some teams, but they continue to plod loudly through the schedule with mediocrity.
Miami and Manny Diaz – Yes, the Hurricanes beat Florida State and could still make a run at the ACC Coastal, but is this team really so devoid of talent that it lost to Georgia Tech and some others? Mark Richt did a solid job recruiting while he was there and landed one of the best classes for Miami in recent memory in 2018. The Hurricanes should be playing better.
Michigan and Jim Harbaugh – Yep, I’m putting Harbaugh in here because recruiting at Michigan has not been a problem at all since he arrived. But the Wolverines still haven’t won their division or taken the next step many expected. This roster is loaded with four- and five-stars and will once again lose the Big Ten East.
Texas and Tom Herman – Herman, like Fisher, hasn’t been around that long but better things were expected by this time in Austin. Yes, Charlie Strong didn’t leave a ton of talent behind, but should Texas really be struggling with Kansas and losing to TCU at this point? The answer is no.
2. STRUGGLES IN THE MID-SOUTH
What is the Mid-South first of all? I consider the region, at least in recruiting terms, to be made up of Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. However, there are others who consider Mississippi, Missouri and even Tennessee as part of the region. However you define the area, there are a lot of programs in the region struggling on the field despite solid recruiting results. Here are a few of my thoughts.
Let’s start with Chad Morris and Arkansas as things have gotten really bad for the loyal fans of the program. Morris was an odd hire to start with based on a 14-22 record at SMU, but he hit the ground running in recruiting and there was hope on the horizon after disappointing loss after loss under Bret Bielema. While the roster talent appears to be improving, the product on the field is getting worse and there’s very good chance that Morris gets shown the door after his second season. He’s expected to be winless in the SEC once again and Arkansas isn’t really competitive in some games against average opponents. Throw in losses to North Texas, San Jose State and Colorado State and you have a team that might battle Rutgers head-to-head for worst Power Five program. That’s not good.
Oklahoma’s loss to Kansas State was a boon for the Wildcats but pretty much eliminated the Big 12 from the playoff barring an unforeseen undefeated run by Baylor, and the Bears would likely still be passed over for a one-loss SEC team. While the Sooners have been good and recruiting is going well, this appears to be a year they won’t make the playoff and that never helps the reputation of the Big 12. And if the NFL, especially the Cowboys, come calling for Lincoln Riley, what will happen?
Texas has not been holding up its end of the Big 12 bargain for some time now and this season is a wash already. And now Herman, who was supposed to be the savior, is under scrutiny from the fan base after almost losing to Kansas and losing to an average TCU team. Recruiting has suffered as well as the Longhorns have had many decommitments in recent weeks.
Texas A&M continues to beat up on the weak and lose to the good and recruiting momentum that was strong in the early summer has faded. In the SEC West, the Aggies have a long way to go to surpass Alabama, LSU and Auburn.
The only state that can celebrate is Louisiana as LSU has been very impressive. But can they get past Alabama? If they don’t, will this be considered another disappointing year even if they go 11-1? If they get shut out of the playoff, it will be.
3. RECRUITING ODDS AND ENDS
Some recruiting odds and ends..
... Marc Britt to Florida was by no means a surprise, but was a huge commitment for the Gators regardless. He brings speed and versatility to the class, something Dan Mullen covets, and could impact on either side of the football. His speed is coveted on offense but his length and frame could make him a better cornerback or safety. Britt was long considered a Florida lean.
... North Carolina continues to impress and the recent flip of NC State offensive line commitment Jonathan Adorno is a great example. Word on the street is that Adorno didn’t like the way things are looking at NC State and flipped to North Carolina where the future looks a bit brighter. Time will tell if that’s the case. The Tar Heels are still waiting on linebacker Trenton Simpson, who could commit anytime.
... I think Florida State is going to be hit with several decommitments after the loss to Miami and now that Taggart has been fired. Recent decommitment Derek Bermudez said Florid State will still be in the mix, but it’s clear the lopsided loss to Clemson and now the loss to Miami have him headed elsewhere. Now with Taggart gone and a replacement unlikely to be named for at least a month or more, more prospects such as Jaylon Knighton are jumping ship. This could get ugly before it gets better.
... Louisville has been more impressive than some expected this season and the offense has looked very good at times. The commitment of in-state athlete Jordan Watkins, a former Kentucky commitment, is a big deal if you’re talking about a high three-star commit to watch. He will likely play offense at Louisville and he has the athleticism and size to be a star down the line. These are important victories for a team like Louisville that not many will notice.
