Should offers to UT recruits be honored?

HornSwoggler

HornSwoggler

Horn Fan
With a new HC coming in with possibly (hopefully?) different offensive and defensive schemes to be installed, should Texas feel obligated to honor existing scholarship offers made by Mack's team? Patterson indicated that Texas will honor 2014 scholarship offers.

This seems to be the ethical approach and usually I am in favor of such a stance. However, I can see that this might hamper a new HC and force them to continue some strategies that were part of the reason that Mack was not as successful as
Texas expects or demands. For example, Shaw's run oriented offense might need more power linemen than this recruiting class offers. Or in the case of Briles high octane offense, more speed and better pass blocking may be the desired characteristics.

Along these same lines, would it be improper for a new HC to pursue recruits that were in his fold at his current program? Some recruits go to a school to be coached by a particular coach while some go to a school due to school loyalties regardless of the coach or system in place.

For me, it is acceptable for a new staff to rescind an offer and pursue recruits a new HC pursued elsewhere.

A secondary reason for this thread is to fill the dead period time with something regarding recruiting. 8-}
 
I think it's the right think to do.

The new HC has the right to come in and rescind offers but he does it at his own peril.
I don't think he will want the immediate bad press and reputation from other recruits.
 
Texas currently has 23 commitments for 2014. I think one suffered a serious injury during the season and may end up becoming a medical scholarship. Some have wavered since the recent coaching turmoil and may decide to leave depending on what coach is hired. Two have decommited already, a punter and a juco TE. However there ought to be several spots available regardless of further decommits.

I think Patterson had to announce that the verbal commitments will be honored in order to try to keep the class intact as much as possible. If commits fear they will be jettisoned by a new coach, they may start decommiting to seek safe haven elsewhere even before the new coach is announced. Now that it has been announced by Patterson who is the AD, I would guess UT would have to honor that stance.

It's been so long since Mack has been the main story that I have forgotten how many recruits UT was expected to sign for 2014. My guess is that the new coach will agree not to tamper with any players currently committed to his former school. Since we don't know who the new coach will be, it may be that it's too early for some recruiting guru to write a summary of the situation regarding specific players, but I eagerly await that write-up when it comes.
 
I doubt there will be a ton of guys backing out since any three star recruit is giddy to come to Texas.

It doesn't seem like a good move for a new coach to come in and tell a bunch of kids they are no longer welcome here.
 
Yes, offers to current recruits should be honored; however, this applies to class of 2014 recruits only.

Any Junior, Soph, or other underclassmen who may have received an offer from Mack should be told the new staff will prioritize them, but will continue with their own evaluation and offer a scholarship if the players still looks like a good fit.
 
23 recruits for 2014: 7 - 4 stars, 15 - 3 stars and 1 - 2 star

This includes Shorter who was hurt during the season but I haven't heard anything definite on his playing status. If he can not play, he will likely be given a scholarship but it would not count against the team limits.

Apparently, there are still a few spots open for recruits as there were guys Mack was still pursuing that had not committed... Brown, Adams, Freeman, Thomas, a RB, maybe a TE.

The number (23) already committed is well above the number that have completed their eligibility so there will be some scholarship maneuvers coming soon.... attrition, early exits, transfers, academic casualties, injury shortened careers, etc.

The next month ought to be interesting - new HC, new staff, recruit retention, scholarship juggling, signing day.
 
If the sales pitch is that they should commit to a university and not to a coach then the commitment is between the school and the player, so the offer should stand.
 
Sounds like we're about to be stuck with Charlie Strong. Good HC for recruiting 3 star recruits.

I guess this will give us a chance to beat Conference USA teams. Now we'll be a second tier team behind Texas A&M.

A few 6-6 seasons and losing to OU, TTU, etc and well be looking for a new coach. This is going to be embarrassing.
 
Mack's HS bonds with coaches haven't paid off for us in years. If a HS coach sees dumping his sophomore 3-star athlete as a slight against God and humankind, then we probably didn't need that kid anyhow.
 
I like the selection of Strong. He had a more impressive run at Louisville than Sumlin did at Cougar High. He won with less than 5 star players, won a BCS Bowl and destroyed Miami in this year's Bowl game. He brings to UT what was needed - toughness, no nonsense, and a strong defensive mind. Hook em.
 
Kw: Yeah, according ot rivals, Strong hasn't recruited nearly as well as Mack. Of course on the football field and in the classroom, the Strong recruits have been kicking ***. Who you gonna trust to evaluate talent? Chip? Ketch? Bobby? or a successful football coach?
 
IMO Strong should call each recruit and say Texas still has a place for you. However if for some reason you have changed your mind I understand and good luck.
 
I think he should simply call up the recruits and make sure that they all stay committed. He shouldn't be saying "you can leave if you want".

It is unusual and extremely rare for a new coach to come in when the fired coach has been recruiting till 4 weeks ago and has put in place a top-10 rated class (though on average star quality, it is probably only top15-20). That is a pretty good gift that Mack is leaving him with, in a way, even if the class is not up to Mack's old standards.

If there are any targeted additional recruits that Coach Strong wants to now go out and get, that would be great (probably 2 or 3 spots are still there I guess). If not, just do whatever he needs to do, to keep this class from going away. There are enough players there that he can coach up - he is known to do that anyway. Get the recruiting net all put in place and show some good results next year to show how well he can recruit.
 
KW must be 12. You realize that Kevin Sumlin's first job was at UH right? And he didnt win **** there compared to what Strong did at Louisville. Strong won a BCS game, Sumlin never even sniffed one.

And you think that Sumlin is head and shoulders above Strong by default? Based on what?

You do realize that every successful coach started without having any success at all, right? Nick Saban didnt come out of the womb with 3 NCs already under his belt. He was a nobody that someone gave a chance to.

Strong is a proven DC for a national championship team and took a struggling mid tier university team to a BCS game and beat Florida. Kevin Sumlin never came close to that at UH, so just relax.

Strong has every bit the chance to be as successful or more successful than Kevin Sumlin at Texas.
 
I think Strong needs to get the best recruits available and if he can flip some that are committed to other schools then he needs to do so ala Urban Meyer. If he can get a better player and has to drop one that is committed then he needs to do so. Strong may have a few really good recruits that were going to Lville because he was the coach and now are available.
 
You know how you judge a coach's recruiting skills...how his team performs. Last I checked Strong took a dumpy program sandwiched between Big 10 and SEC country with little to sell recruits on. Picked a group of kids. And his team would have kicked our *** at least 3 of the last 4 years. 2 years in and his teams were competing at the highest level and making BCS runs. At Louisville!!! You don't compare recruiting by stars of coaches selling different products. Picking Louisville over Alabama is like choosing a brand new Mustang instead of a year-old Ferrari. Gimme a break.
 
There's probably enough unproductive deadweight currently on the team that may suddenly transfer to get PT elsewhere. The ones who believe they are "entitled to be a starter and do not want to work harder to earn the position may also disappear. The next couple of weeks will be interesting!
 
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