Area coaches look for ways to keep schools from out of state away from Texas talent.
Local coaches forced to bring their ‘A game’ for homegrown talent
LSU sent a shot across the border this summer.
The school thwarted satellite camps in Louisiana from featuring out-of-state teams — namely the University of Texas — in hopes of negating outsiders’ efforts to poach Louisiana talent.
Meanwhile in Houston, Texas Southern finished hosting a satellite camp that not only featured Texas coach Tom Herman, but also included Ohio State’s Urban Meyer and Arizona’s Rich Rodriguez in the Third Ward.
The camp benefits TSU coach Michael Haywood’s efforts in discovering talent not suited for Power Five football but perfect for the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Haywood’s camp could also be seen as an open door for out-of-state teams to continue poaching Texas talent, something LSU coach Ed Orgeron was trying to keep from happening with moves that helped block out-of-state schools at camps in Louisiana.
Recruiting hotbed
What if that open door leads to a conference foe encroaching on TSU’s recruiting base? Haywood has been at enough stops to know it’s part of the game.
“I welcome them in,” Haywood said at the Texas High School Coaches Association convention Tuesday. “You just have to have your ‘A game’ on and do a much better job than they do.”
Local college coaches have to bring their ‘A game’ on the recruiting trail with seemingly every program in the country at every level on the state’s doorstep.
Twelve of the top 15 players in Texas, according to 247Sports, signed with an out-of-state school in February.
So far for the 2018 class, the trend has taken a turn favoring in-state schools.
But, each recruiting cycle goes by with more realization Texas FBS coaches are no longer just jousting against each other for instate recruits, and the same can be said for FCS programs.
Arizona State and Florida State are just as appealing to instate players, and Memphis and Southeastern Louisiana have no issues planting a flag in Dallas or Houston these days. It’s a different recruiting climate.
“That’s a constant for everybody in-state,” said University of Houston coach Major Applewhite, whose program takes pride in building a fence around the city in recruiting terms. “This is a very highly recruited state. There’s two airports in both major cities. It’s very easy to get in and get out of. The (high) schools are put together really well. They’re coached really well. Therefore, a lot of schools want to send their assistants here to get these products. I totally understand.”
As a Houston native, Haywood understands, too. He’s been on both sides and says there is enough talent to go around.
“I was one of those out-of-state guys at some point in time,” Haywood said. “I was with LSU coming into Houston. I made a name by coming into Houston and recruiting. Then I move to Texas, and I’m the recruiting coordinator. And I have to make sure that I do a better job to make sure that I keep LSU and Alabama and everybody else out of the state of Texas. Then I go to Notre Dame, and then I have to come back here to recruit again.”
HBU coach Vic Shealy and Rice coach David Bailiff point to another reason out-of-state schools have so much clout in Texas these days — technology.
Shealy said there will always be value in being a hometown school and easily being able to foster and keep close relationships with coaches and recruits — something Applewhite noted as well.
“This is a very highly recruited state. The (high) schools are put together really well. They’re coached really well. Therefore, a lot of schools want to send their assistants here to get these products. I totally understand.” UH coach Major Applewhite
‘The power of media’
Twitter changed the game like TV did decades ago and shortened the distance between Houston recruits and out-of-state programs.
“Kids feel like they can go out of state, and they can feel like they know coaches and know programs because of the power of media,” Shealy said.
Rice often recruits in different circles because of its rigorous academics. But Bailiff said another positive for out-of-state schools is paying the full cost of attendance, making travel plans to and from home easier.
“I wish everybody stayed in the state of Texas, but we’ve got so many great players, you can only sign 25 maximum,” Bailiff said. “They’ve got to go somewhere.”