Prior to 2023, while Texas has always had some natural recruiting advantages (getting to live in Austin instead of some podunk college town, top-flight academic institution, national name recognition, etc.), there were always a number of ways for opposing programs to negative recruit against Texas:
1. Texas had never made the College Football Playoff, so don’t go to Texas if you want to win at the highest level.
2. Other teams could point to a lack of NFL draft picks (culminating with zero players drafted in the 2022 NFL draft) to plant the seed that Texas players were entitled, soft and not properly developed.
3. Aggy and other SEC schools could point to the Big 12 being a garbage conference.
4. Texas’ facilities were outdated and well behind many other top dogs in college football.
5. Most importantly, top recruits could be offered more in the way of “under the table” cash than they could get by going to Texas (not saying we weren’t paying at all; but we definitely weren’t operating at the level of many SEC schools in the in the pre-NIL days).
Now, in December of 2024, let’s look at those same topics:
1. Texas has made the playoff in back-to-back seasons and is currently tied with Oregon as the betting favorite to win the whole damn thing. Check.
2. The elite development brought to Texas by Sark and his staff resulted in 11 players drafted in the 2024 NFL draft, and it’s highly likely that they’ll approach double-digit draftees again this year. Check.
3. Texas is in the SEC and playing in the SEC title game in our first year in the league. Check.
4. Under the leadership of the Hartzell/Eltife/CDC triumvirate, the last few years have seen a complete remodel of the football facilities and the stadium, with the practice facility next on the docket. Check.
5. Now that paying players is legal, the signing of Terry showed that when Texas places a priority on signing a player, money will never be the reason we don’t get them. Checkmate.
With all that said, it doesn’t mean we’ll always get every kid we want. Some kids will want to stay closer to home, some won’t like Austin or will want a small-town feel, or some will be flat-out brainwashed that they’re better off playing somewhere else (cough…Fasusi…cough). However, the elimination of these negative recruiting talking points means that Texas will be a permanent fixture in the Top 5 of the recruiting rankings for the foreseeable future, and this year definitely won’t be the last time we finish right at the top.
Thank you, Steve Sarkisian (and your entire staff). Thank you, Jay Hartzell. Thank you, Kevin Eltife. Thank you, all the BMD’s and everyone who is a part of the Texas One Foundation (even very small-time donors like myself). We are entering a Golden Age of Texas football that has never been experienced before, and I’m just grateful to be here to witness it.
1. Texas had never made the College Football Playoff, so don’t go to Texas if you want to win at the highest level.
2. Other teams could point to a lack of NFL draft picks (culminating with zero players drafted in the 2022 NFL draft) to plant the seed that Texas players were entitled, soft and not properly developed.
3. Aggy and other SEC schools could point to the Big 12 being a garbage conference.
4. Texas’ facilities were outdated and well behind many other top dogs in college football.
5. Most importantly, top recruits could be offered more in the way of “under the table” cash than they could get by going to Texas (not saying we weren’t paying at all; but we definitely weren’t operating at the level of many SEC schools in the in the pre-NIL days).
Now, in December of 2024, let’s look at those same topics:
1. Texas has made the playoff in back-to-back seasons and is currently tied with Oregon as the betting favorite to win the whole damn thing. Check.
2. The elite development brought to Texas by Sark and his staff resulted in 11 players drafted in the 2024 NFL draft, and it’s highly likely that they’ll approach double-digit draftees again this year. Check.
3. Texas is in the SEC and playing in the SEC title game in our first year in the league. Check.
4. Under the leadership of the Hartzell/Eltife/CDC triumvirate, the last few years have seen a complete remodel of the football facilities and the stadium, with the practice facility next on the docket. Check.
5. Now that paying players is legal, the signing of Terry showed that when Texas places a priority on signing a player, money will never be the reason we don’t get them. Checkmate.
With all that said, it doesn’t mean we’ll always get every kid we want. Some kids will want to stay closer to home, some won’t like Austin or will want a small-town feel, or some will be flat-out brainwashed that they’re better off playing somewhere else (cough…Fasusi…cough). However, the elimination of these negative recruiting talking points means that Texas will be a permanent fixture in the Top 5 of the recruiting rankings for the foreseeable future, and this year definitely won’t be the last time we finish right at the top.
Thank you, Steve Sarkisian (and your entire staff). Thank you, Jay Hartzell. Thank you, Kevin Eltife. Thank you, all the BMD’s and everyone who is a part of the Texas One Foundation (even very small-time donors like myself). We are entering a Golden Age of Texas football that has never been experienced before, and I’m just grateful to be here to witness it.
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