Concerned about recruiting

[Johnny Rock]

Johnny is concerned that our dismal season will prevent Bennett from sustaining any recruiting momentum that he had from last season. How do you persuade the good players that we want to attend SMU over our Texas rivals when we have had no success on the field? Furthermore, when will coaches at SMU realize that drop back passers fail at SMU? We need mobile quarterbacks that can run the football. Drop back passers do not work at SMU because we have inadequate protection and poor receivers. Bennett or any coach for that matter will not win with drop back passers in a typical pro style offense. Another question--do we have a tight end? Why do we not pass to our tight ends more? It seems logical that if the defense focuses on Kincade that we could run misdirection plays to the tight end for big gains. Will someone with more knowledge than Johnny please attempt to answer these questions. Thanks.

[Mike Damone]

You might've answered your own question.

One of our big selling points is: If you're a lineman, receiver, or tight end who's worth a damn, come to SMU and you can play early.

[Charleston Pony]

each of the early verbals might be guys who could compete for playing time as true frosh. Now, bring on some linemen who can RS and grow to help in the 2 deep by 2005.

[ProudPonyPa]

So this is where the smarter posts are found. All very good points!!!

[PonyFan]

Someone on this site reported that Jessie Henderson might be the fastest player Coach Bennett has ever recruited. If that's the case, and if he plays a slot receiver position, as some have speculated he will, he could play early, because that speed would allow him to get some separation from DBs - which I think is a bigger problem for the current WRs than their perceived lack of height.

You want a tight end? Let me introduce you to Vincent Chase. I've seen Irving play, and this guy looks like a tackle. They don't throw much to him, but I paid close attention in warm-ups -- he has terrific hands, and it looks like he runs pretty well. If they'd throw him in there in a 2-TE set with Ryan Kennedy, you could cause some real headaches for opposing defenses.

WR Bobby Chase is going to add another element to the WR corp: size. He's a legit 6-4 and somewhere around 200 pounds. He's not going to run like Henderson, but he moves pretty well - very well for a big guy. More than anything, from the games I saw last year, he thinks every ball that goes up in the air belongs to him. Remember how Rashaun Woods went up high and snatched the ball over our DBs? That's Bobby Chase. (No, I'm not saying he's the second coming of Rashaun Woods, just that he has the same mentality.) In the games I saw, if the ball went near him, he came down with it.

There's 3 guys who could play as true freshmen. That's how you sell kids on SMU - early playing time. From what I gather, the coaches still are getting welcomed eagerly by HS players and coaches - maybe his next recruiting class still can be be as good as the 2003 crop.

[Stallion]

I've seen reports that Henderson has been promised a shot at RB and that if he committed he would be the only RB prospect they took this year. That could change if we have a shot at another top RB but it looks like Henderson will be tried first at RB.

[FloridaMustang]

If Massey and Munlin do well in two-a-days, I'd surmise that Henderson will probably be redshirted? Barring that he isn't able to be used immediately at any other position...