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With our latest comittments, SMU has the 36th ranked class on Rivals, right ahead of Florida. However, with a 2.38 star average, we are the 62nd ranked class, if that matters to anyone

I just wanted to post this link:
<A HREF="http://www.smumustangs.com/football/2000/gamephotos/kansas/" TARGET=_blank>http://www.smumustangs.com/football/2000/gamephotos/kansas/</A>

For those of you who were at that game...I envy you.

What a glorious day that was.
The SigEp pool was a mainstay at last year's Boulevard. SMUMustangs.com webmaster Ben Guthrie made quite an .... impression when he landed.

9-2-2000 was a great day in SMU football history...not the greatest, as Mike Cavan proclaimed that night...but it ranks right up there. Most programs just don't get to open many stadiums! At least this year's seniors will take that memory with them.

But...back to recruiting. By my count, we now have 14 commitments: 5 OL, 2 WR, 2 RB, 2 QB, 1 DL, 1 LB & 1 DB. By my count (I could be wrong here) we have either 63 or 64 returning scholarship players, so should have 7 more to give...unless they are going to reward some of the walk-ons? Someone mentioned a JC fullback and William Dowdy, a 6-5, 215 WR from Denton Ryan with 4.7 speed (one of James Battle's favorite targets?). While we clearly need more offensive production and those 2 spots would help, 5 of the last 7 spots need to go to defensive players. We are in on some good looking LBs & CB/S types...but not much mention of anyone who might come in right away and contribute on the DL. I wonder if we are still after Cedric Cofer? The DFW Recruiting site gave the 6-4, 295 DT from DeSoto with 5.2 speed it's highest rating (5 stars) coming into this season. I thought I'd read that he broke his leg or suffered some type of season ending injury early in the year? Could be just the break (no pun intended) that SMU needed to keep the big boys away. Would love to see the big guy become one of the "steals" of this recruiting class.

We are still after Cofer. While that site gave a 5-star rating, maybe that's based on players in DFW only. Most recruiting services have Cofer listed as a 3-star guy - a strong player, but not a top-tier blue-chip guy. And like you, I also hope that his broken leg pays off for us - maybe he could be this year's Robert Gilmore. Gilmore was being pursued by everyone in the country until he ripped up his knee, and we grabbed him. All reports are that his rehab is going well, and that he could become the player most coaches thought he was when they were recruiting him before he got hurt. Cofer is the real deal - he's big, he's strong and he plays with a real nasty streak, whether its at DT or on the OL. Wherever he ends up will get a hell of a player.

I think Robert Gilmore is going to suprise a LOT of people. I know Coach Bennett loves him. He's a sensational player and a great kid. They call him "Happy" for a reason, ya know. Look for him to be an emotional leader in the coming years and a perfect replacement for KG.

Is Happy Gilmore going to be a safety or a corner?

corner

What I would like to know is who put these so call "experts" in authority. All of these rankings are trivial if you can play you can just play no matter your rank according to rivals anyone with the skills can be a play-maker

I prefer to trust the coach's judgement on recruits rather than the services. Someone along the way realized that sports fans crave bragging rights and to be able to brag that they had the number one recruiting class, there needed to be a ranking of individuals. Thus began a lucritive business. I'm not saying it's all bunk, but there is no way any one group can have initmate knowledge about all the players out there. So the ranking services have a place, but I prefer to let the players demonstrate their expertise on the field and let the coaches decide who is best for their program.

BTW, I'm not totally immune to the bragging disease....if we continue to get the quality of kids to commit that we have already done this year, I'll thump my chest a bit too to some of the fans of other schools that I know.

[This message has been edited by PK (edited 12-11-2002).]