Holgorsen playing catch-up
Just a week into his new job, University of Houston coach
Dana Holgorsen hit the road recruiting.
With the UH campus in the backyard of one of the most fertile recruiting grounds in the nation, Holgorsen vowed to reestablish relationships with high school coaches he has known for decades and introduce himself to others after spending the past eight years in West Virginia.
With so little time — he was officially hired Jan. 2 — before Wednesday’s national signing day, Holgorsen spent the past few weeks in a mad dash to fill the remaining few spots in the 2019 class. More than anything, Holgorsen used the time to lay the groundwork for the 2020 and 2021 classes.
“With the early signing period, it’s difficult for any new coach to make a real impact on the current class unless they’re hired before the early signing in December,” said Tom VanHaaren, a recruiting analyst for ESPN.
Coming and going
Of the top prospects in the ESPN300, only 41 entered the final recruiting weekend unsigned, according to VanHaaren, and about 75 percent of all FBS prospects signed during the 72-hour window in mid-December.
“So there just isn’t enough left to make a big impact,” VanHaaren said.
Holgorsen inherited 14 early signees from the previous staff. He brought the group to campus in early January for a meetand-greet and hinted there could be some departures. Five of the sig- nees opted to be let out of their national letters of intent: Smithson Valley quarterback Levi Williams, Hightower cornerback Isaiah Essissima, Elsik defensive end Rason Williams, Mansfield Legacy wide receiver Ife Adeyi and Fort Worth Wyatt wide receiver De’Corian Clark.
Those departures left Holgorsen with 11 spots to fill.
While not unheard of, VanHaaren said, releasing signees out of national letters of intent following a coaching change is unique but can be in the best interest of players who might be spared a move down the road.
“We have seen coaches who were hired before the early signing period tell recruits they don’t fit with what they want to do in the future and part ways,” VanHaaren said. “We haven’t seen a lot of coaches come in after a prospect has signed and tell them they don’t fit, so that is unique. It can be a controversial topic because it can put the recruit in a bind in terms of finding a new destination.
“On the other hand, if a prospect doesn’t fit what the new coach wants, it’s probably in the recruit’s best interest not to attend that school anyway. If the coach knows that prospect won’t fit, it’s probably creating a transfer situation later down the road anyway. So why not get your college career started on the right foot at a place where you are wanted?”
UH added mid-year enrollees Demarion Williams, a top junior college prospect who flipped his commitment from SMU, and defensive lineman Olivier Charles-Pierre (6-2, 345) from New Mexico Military Institute. Redshirt freshman safety Jordan Moore, a transfer from Texas A&M, also will count against the 2019 total.
Handful of spots to fill
Over the weekend, UH picked up commitments from a pair of high school players — Harvey (La.) running back Terrell Brown and Shadow Creek offensive tackle Cam’Ron Johnson. On Tuesday, Holgorsen landed commitments from two defensive linemen: Jamykal Neal, a 6-2, 318-pounder from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, and Atlias Bell of Iowa Western Community College.
That leaves a handful of spots, which Holgorsen could save for potential transfers this summer.
In the meantime, Holgorsen and his staff spent every possible minute out recruiting, casting a wide net on prospects in the 2020 and 2021 classes. No recruit, regardless of ranking, was off limits as UH made offers to 23 four-star and three fivestar prospects in the 2020 class and four five-star prospects in 2021, according to 247Sports.
“It’s just increasingly important in general to offer earlier in today’s recruiting world,” said Gabe Brooks, who covers recruiting in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas for 247Sports. “I often see fans complaining about issuing offers too early, but the reality is that most everybody does it now and it’s a necessary tool in recruiting.”
VanHaaren and Brooks agree name recognition could help Holgorsen when it comes to pursuing top-rated prospects.
“There’s the possibility his name could help Houston have a larger geographic presence, but it’s simply too early to tell,” Brooks said.
That does not mean Holgorsen will land fivestar prospects, which have historically bypassed Group of Five programs and signed with Power Five schools. Holgorsen may not need to, instead targeting players who fit his system, specifically his up-tempo offense. In the last four years at West Virginia. Holgorsen’s classes were ranked No. 37 in 2016, No. 56 in 2017, No. 35 in 2018 and No. 44 in December.
“If he can recruit his type of athlete and mix in some four-stars and some top junior college prospects, it isn’t difficult to think he could get that offense rolling,” VanHaaren said.
Only time will tell. At least Holgorsen is off to an early start.