Seriously folks, I know we ended our season 5-7. There is a serious dearth of excitement though. If we can't get all ******* over this recruiting class, and see tha the future is bright, there is something wrong with us!!!! We should be talking about forearms ad nauseum, who we're going to move to linebacker, destructive backs, naming the defense, etc etc like the fanboys we are. That is all.
I'm excited! I took the day off work and have spent it ensconced on my den couch, watching LHN and enjoying the hell out of it! Hook 'em!! Let's ride!!
Thump, thump. Spent the day on the couch also. Had to get a towel just in case I had an accident. Seems like all of our needs are met assuming we have a center. Looking forward to playing for it all year after next and beyond.
DKR said to act like you have been there before. I expect to continue doing this in the future, as it should be. The 2017 class while smaller, should be loaded with talent, in positions of need. It was a great haul and now it's time to translate this talent to success on the field. This kind of talent makes it easier to coach. Coach Strong made a loud statement today, that the University of Texas is still a force to be reckoned with.
Okay, Charlie has started to climb out of the dog house. If he can win 8 games next season, then we may have a coach.
It awaits to be seen whether this recruiting class will translate into conference championship(s). Yes, there's reason for optimism but actual game wins will be the true measure of whether this class was great.
I am very pleased with this class. Especially amid the negativity among our own fan base, and following a losing season. Of course no one is happy with our record, but to beat OU, to finish out by beating Baylor, and now to recruit the best class in the conference gives us a surprising chance to actually have "momentum" going in to next season. It could have been so different. Badly so. Also, this gives Strong more credibility with the team already on campus that things are going right. So, yes, it is a great day to celebrate.
I am happy with the class. A top 15 class after back to back 5-7 seasons is a good sign that Charlie is a great recruiter and we should be back to top 5 classes if Charlie turns it around this year. That said, as far as chest thumping goes, rivals gave us the 13th class overall. Last year, they ranked our class at 12th. We just came off a streak of often having top 5 classes.... so while I am happy with this class, I am not sure why I would get necessarily worked up over the 12th and 13th highest classes. We beat A&M and Baylor in the recruiting rankings, but ultimately our goal is to be competing with Alabama in recruiting, not A&M. I think if Charlie can make the wins happen on the field, he definitely will make the top 5 classes happen. However, while we can all be excited, there really is no reason to begin chest thumping yet as you don't get trophies for recruiting. While I may not be for chest thumping at this point in time, the fact that Charlie Strong stole away the recruit that aggy loved so much that Texags produced an entire documentary about him, may be the single greatest recruiting story I have ever heard. Thank you Texags for being dumb enough to make a film about ANY recruit before they sign and thank you Coach Strong for producing a preseason flood of aggy tears!
Yesterday was absolute proof that the team and recruits believe in Strong. Some of the 30 year old plus internet experts who aren't can always find a way to "but" to bring back doom. Yes this is huge and it still puzzles me that some felt that the housekeeping Strong did, would result in a NC year two. Huh? This is a 3-4 year project. Yes, I too was firmly planted on said couch on LHN. I felt like a kid at Christmas and any "fan" who cannot be excited about the future and get on board is puzzling. I get the critism some feel the need to vent, but sick of when things go REALLY well, like yesterday and the "Yeah But" bunch rides into town. Great day for me. Period. No "buts" enter into my picture.
I hear ya, H-Town, but recruiting rankings don't mean squat. The recruiting services are not scientific at all. They are just fan boys with $9.99 subscription websites. Fact is our recent top 5 classes had been very over-rated. Extremely so. While I think these last two classes, as good as their ranking is, are going to end up being under-rated. I was more excited about last years recruiting class than any haul we had for 3 or 4 years prior. And they proved us right. Also, I am as excited about many of the three start players as I am the 5 star players. I think Charlie has a type of player he likes, and its not about tangibles like 40 time and vertical, so much as it is mentality and versatility. Its important to get some impact 5 star players in every class. But its the three star guys rounding the class out that will be the backbone of the team. When I look at the 3 star guys Charlie gets, I see a lot of under-rated guys with high upside. Charlie is just using a different playbook, and I like it. I like it a lot. The next few years are going to be a lot of fun to watch as these new kids mature and take owner
The big needs on defense were for defensive tackles and a game changer at safety. We have 3-4 guys ready to plug into the middle of the defensive line from this class and 2-3 superlative safeties that will play in the NFL someday. It's really nice to keep the pipeline full of big, fast hard hitting linebackers and DEs who can hold the edge and rush the passer. On offense, we start with a potential All-America quarterback, two tall, fast, versatile wider receivers and a speed merchant, an excellent running back and plenty of muscle at TE and OL. Next year, Charlie will have the luxury of holding out for the best available players. Barring attrition there will be no glaring weaknesses on the roster though we will have to be mindful that 3-5 stalwarts from the 2015 class (the frosh All Americans, Warren and a db or two) that will be prepping for early entry into the NFL draft after the 2017 season.
This class has me pumped! Especially with this incoming talent that will be working with the 2015 class. Strong & Co. reeled in another top talented class, so 2015 was not an aberration or enigma. It was the first of what will be, or rather is becoming, the norm. I know we'll have mostly True Frosh, RS Frosh and Sophs on the field this coming season, but look at how many put their cleats on the field last season and saw significant playing time including the number of our youth that was on the turf against Baylor. At some point, that win, in Waco, may be looked at as a turning point for the program. Am I saying we're gonna win 10 or 11 games this year? No, but these guys are beasts to play and show just how good they are, and want to contribute to the rise of the program. And we'll see this pattern again in the future, by Coach and his Staff. So, yes I am beyond excited, both for this coming season and for the future of this program.
Great class, but I can't help thinking that 3 of the top 5 players in Texas (per 247Sports) left the state, including the top guy who went to Ole Miss. Meanwhile, the top 5 players in Alabama stayed in state with Roll Tide getting four of them including the top guy. I wonder if Alabama really, really wanted any of the guys we got, what would the story be this morning? We still have work to do.
While trying not to be a Debbie Downer, I've tempered my enthusiasm over the years about the decisions a bunch of 17-18 year old kids make on the first Wednesday in February. This appears to be a great class, especially considering the losing records for the past two seasons. Recruiting rankings are extremely subjective so I try not to get caught up in them. It's great to have a top 10 class at this point but what are they going to be in 2-3 years? That's the real test and remains to be seen. Obviously, you have to get the horses if you want to win the race, and it seems like Charlie got several thoroughbreds. Hopefully, the program has turned the corner to being respected again. I'm looking forward to seeing what this new crop of kids can accomplish. Hook 'em!
No doubt, and winning big will get us there. 2016 needs to be a very good year if we are to maintain recruiting momentum. The fact that Charlie sold the program (again) to great players who had (arguably) "better" offers from winning programs is very impressive.
The second I learn how to create a video cap of Prince Ibeh getting pumped after one of his dunks, I am posting it to this thread. Someone with more skill, feel free to get on that!
I think the takeaway from this and from last year's class is the depth. I don't think this program is in as much danger of being set back by a couple of "misses". The OL and DL talent we brought in is going to yield D-I solid contributors at worst. Our DB recruiting the past two years has been as good as I can remember. We didn't get a lot at LB, but we didn't need a lot. We're playing 4-2 almost exclusively - we've got the people to make that work now. RB and wide receiver are flat-out stacked - I don't even know where we'd put another receiver in next year's class, so we can afford to go all-in on a really special player there. QB pipeline is in good shape for the first time in a long time (although someone still has to step up and prove it, we've got a lot of options that look up to the task.) I feel better about our roster and pipeline than I've felt in a long time. Now it's time to get them ready to play. I expect that whatever happens this year (and I do expect good but not great things), next year is going to be serious trouble for the Big XII. I don't know if our QB play and all the youth on the DL will get us there this year. But it's coming.
Very happy with both the coaching additions and recruiting class. As far as the offseason goes, CS is handling his business very well. Aside from the high star studs of this class, I see at least three 3-stars who are gonna make their rating look ridiculous in a year or two. The #13 grade doesn't do the real potential of this class justice, IMHO. Not to mention, we added a large number of players at positions of desperate need. So yes, very excited about this class for sure. We'll just have to see how well the team comes together on the field before ND. So far, so good.
