So, How did we do?

[ozfan]

Did Coach Morris bring home the bacon? Did he pull any rabbits out of a hat?

Average? Above Average? Below Average?

Depends on how you look at it, below average on balance of need. We need both offensive and defensive knuckle draggers in a big way we picked up two on offensive and one on defensive. Linebacker and defensive back ok . Flash and trash due to the numbers of receivers and backs signed from the mid part of the 2016 season we should see a good production from this class .
Morris still has at least 3 ships left maybe he can still augment the lines abit.

[PlanoStang]

Same old same old

SMU TCU

2002 #69 #80 <--- Bennett
2003 #62 #69
2004 #144 #89
2005 #82 #54
2006 #110 #60
2007 #99 #81

2008 #91 #97 <--- JJ
2009 #81 #46
2010 #76 #46
2011 #50 #26
2012 #90 #37
2013 #71 #30
2014 #99 #50

2015 #74 #31 <--- Morris Think we've fallen a little to #78 or so.

So now does all the energy equate into coaching

[Treadway21]

Just went up 25 spots. Yeah more of the same b

[PlanoStang]

See Bennett's last class, and JJ's last class.

[fifty]

Perception is reality. Damn the numbers! Full speed ahead!

[Stallion]

Did Coach Morris bring home the bacon? Did he pull any rabbits out of a hat?

Average? Above Average? Below Average?

Depends on how you look at it, below average on balance of need. We need both offensive and defensive knuckle draggers in a big way we picked up two on offensive and one on defensive. Linebacker and defensive back ok . Flash and trash due to the numbers of receivers and backs signed from the mid part of the 2016 season we should see a good production from this class .
Morris still has at least 3 ships left maybe he can still augment the lines abit.

No No No

That is not correct-its based on your understanding from June Jones regime

We are not running a Run N Shoot or a 3-4 any more

You ought to listen to the Coach. I knew exactly what he was going to do as soon as he got here and predicted it before it happened.

The area of greatest needs were to transition from the 3-4 to 4-2-5 and from Run N Shoot to the Spread. He checked off the biggest areas of need except perhaps DT. Any Coach will tell you the transition from that damn Run and Shoot with its Mini-me receivers and June's slow FBs in the backfield is one of the more difficult to make. The transition from 3-4 to the 4-2-5 is similarly difficult.

Taller, more athletic WRs on the outside
TE/HBs
Speed and athleticism at RB
Athletic Flanker/Receivers who can contribute to running game in his deception/jet sweep formations
QB
Safety and Hybrid Safety
Mike and Sam Inside LBs who can stuff the run
Defensive End
Kicker

The remaining players many of which don't fit into the future plans or QBs, Mini-me Receivers, slow RBs and OLB whose positions really don't exist anymore are going to have to fill gaps or find new positions to get playing time.

Morris was recruiting for his system and he did an unbelievable job players in positions of need ESPECIALLY at every single offensive skill position but also at Safety Inside LB and DE(although they are going to take a couple of years to develop at DE). THANK GOD he got one of the better Offensive Skill position classes in 25 years-I really believe that. His OFFENSE will sell the recruits all by itself once he gets the skill position players incorporated into the offense. See Art Briles.

He has 3 more scholarships to give to fill remaining needs and he has about 6 months to do it. I'm amazed how many positions of needs he checked off to transition to his new offense and defense. I'm going to predict that more kids in this Class will contribute next year than any in recent SMU history

[Planter's Punch]

Same old same old
SMU TCU
2002 #69 #80 <--- Bennett
2003 #62 #69
2004 #144 #89
2005 #82 #54
2006 #110 #60
2007 #99 #81
2008 #91 #97 <--- JJ
2009 #81 #46
2010 #76 #46
2011 #50 #26
2012 #90 #37
2013 #71 #30
2014 #99 #50
2015 #74 #31 <--- Morris Think we've fallen a little to #78 or so.
So now does all the energy equate into coaching

Even if you are being pessimistic, it is way to early to say same old same old. HCCM turned a recruiting class headed for a nose dive #94+ into a respectable starting point (currently 81 on rivals), and acquired key players to transition to his offense. He has also actively laid the ground work for a even better class next year. It would be interesting to see the average number of P5 offers per recruit, and average G5 + P5 offers per recruit each year. If we see a reversion back to 75+ classes and full of no offer recruits in a few years, then it would be fair to say same old. The fact that SMU beat out some P5 schools for kids, and was even in final consideration for top players in such little time is already a positive sign for the future. We haven't even seen a game on the field!

[ebrooks11]

See Junes first class and tha Chads first class.

[Junior]

Did Coach Morris bring home the bacon? Did he pull any rabbits out of a hat?

Average? Above Average? Below Average?

Depends on how you look at it, below average on balance of need. We need both offensive and defensive knuckle draggers in a big way we picked up two on offensive and one on defensive. Linebacker and defensive back ok . Flash and trash due to the numbers of receivers and backs signed from the mid part of the 2016 season we should see a good production from this class .
Morris still has at least 3 ships left maybe he can still augment the lines abit.

No No No

That is not correct-its based on your understanding from June Jones regime

We are not running a Run N Shoot or a 3-4 any more

You ought to listen to the Coach. I knew exactly what he was going to do as soon as he got here and predicted it before it happened.

The area of greatest needs were to transition from the 3-4 to 4-2-5 and from Run N Shoot to the Spread. He checked off the biggest areas of need except perhaps DT. Any Coach will tell you the transition from that damn Run and Shoot with its Mini-me receivers and June's slow FBs in the backfield is one of the more difficult to make. The transition from 3-4 to the 4-3-5 is similarly difficult.

A 4-3-5 will get you 5 yards...

[SMU 86]

See Junes first class and than Chads first class.

True, Chad's first class is better than June's first class. Plus I believe they had more P5 offers than June's first and last class had.

[SMU 86]

http://www.smumustangs.com/signingday/

No surprises thus far.

General consensus is that this staff absolutely kicked [deleted] in the short amount of time they had to work with and have tremendous momentum going into next year after having set solid foundational relationships for what should be a monster 2016 class. Last I checked we were 3rd in AAC and about 75 in the nation. So, what's that, in the top 20% of G5 programs?

We ended up 4th in the AAC on Scout. Not bad considering how little time the staff had. Next couple of years will be the time when they can really do well.

http://smu.scout.com/a.z?s=357&p=9&c=14&view=2&yr=2015

247 and Rivals have us 6th.

http://247sports.com/Season/2015-Footba ... erence=AAC

https://rivals.yahoo.com/smu/football/r ... 15/AAC/all

[ozfan]

Did Coach Morris bring home the bacon? Did he pull any rabbits out of a hat?

Average? Above Average? Below Average?

Depends on how you look at it, below average on balance of need. We need both offensive and defensive knuckle draggers in a big way we picked up two on offensive and one on defensive. Linebacker and defensive back ok . Flash and trash due to the numbers of receivers and backs signed from the mid part of the 2016 season we should see a good production from this class .
Morris still has at least 3 ships left maybe he can still augment the lines abit.

No No No

That is not correct-its based on your understanding from June Jones regime

We are not running a Run N Shoot or a 3-4 any more

You ought to listen to the Coach. I knew exactly what he was going to do as soon as he got here and predicted it before it happened.

The area of greatest needs were to transition from the 3-4 to 4-2-5 and from Run N Shoot to the Spread. He checked off the biggest areas of need except perhaps DT. Any Coach will tell you the transition from that damn Run and Shoot with its Mini-me receivers and June's slow FBs in the backfield is one of the more difficult to make. The transition from 3-4 to the 4-3-5 is similarly difficult.

Taller, more athletic WRs on the outside
TE/HBs
Speed and athleticism at RB
Athletic Flanker/Receivers who can contribute to running game in his deception/jet sweep formations
QB
Safety and Hybrid Safety
Mike and Sam Inside LBs who can stuff the run
Defensive End
Kicker

The remaining players many of which don't fit into the future plans or QBs, Mini-me Receivers, slow RBs and OLB whose positions really don't exist anymore are going to have to fill gaps or find new positions to get playing time.

Morris was recruiting for his system and he did an unbelievable job players in positions of need ESPECIALLY at every single offensive skill position but also at Safety Inside LB and DE(although they are going to take a couple of years to develop at DE). THANK GOD he got one of the better Offensive Skill position classes in 25 years-I really believe that. His OFFENSE will sell the recruits all by itself once he gets the skill position players incorporated into the offense. See Art Briles.

He has 3 more scholarships to give to fill remaining needs and he has about 6 months to do it. I'm amazed how many positions of needs he checked off to transition to his new offense and defense. I'm going to predict that more kids in this Class will contribute next year than any in recent SMU history

I am not looking at systems but at the basics of football. You
must be able to stop runners at the line or jam the running lanes so the lb and db can make the stop. You must be able to rush the passer. If a good passer has more that the 3 count he will complete about 50% of his passes if your give him a 5 count look at 70%. With out a good defensive front it make for a long day on defense and your offense does not have time to score much. Same on offense if Your tackle to tackle positions are weak in pass or run blocking or you lack in depth, look for a lot 3 and outs. A lot of these guys may see the field next year but will not add much to play 2016 should see a difference in the way they play because they will
have picked up the step and half from hs to D1 ball. If they were 5* they could start and contribute but not many Julio Jones around.

[ozfan]

Please do not take my earlier comments of the unbalance of this recruiting class as a shot at the coaches. I think they did a great job in the time they had, also the number of good defensive and offensive linemen they had to pick from was right at the bottom of the barrel as most had already committed. The lack of line talent is the cause of the unbalance. Next year if we can get a good start on the line I think 2017 should be a really good season.

[Stallion]

The fact is that SMU is returning its top 9 Offensive Lineman plus several more redshirts-only 2 are graduating after next year. When you have to rebuild at basically 22 positions while trying to transition from radically different offensive and defensive schemes then taking more than 3 Offensive Linemen was very low on the totem-pole of needs in this class. Offensive Lineman are built in Strength and Conditioning programs anyway where I guarantee you we will see great improvement. No freshman except for David Richards should ever start as a freshman. Again, the spread utilizes a TE, HB sometimes a FB, sometimes double TEs so its not going to be the Run and Duck Offense June ran with 5 Lineman and a Back. The Spread by its very nature provides more protection than the Run and Duck

I already conceded (as did Morris) that perhaps the biggest missing piece was DT. There were 8 quality DT/NGs in Texas this year-we went hard after all 3 uncommitted DTs in play but didn't hit on them. That's not a shock-SMU never signs polished DT/NGs out of high school. Just not enough to go around. We still got 4 scholarships to give-so the class is likely not finished and I'm sure Morris would like to pick up one more DT and OLM

[GreenbeltPony]

Same old same old

SMU TCU

2002 #69 #80 <--- Bennett
2003 #62 #69
2004 #144 #89
2005 #82 #54
2006 #110 #60
2007 #99 #81

2008 #91 #97 <--- JJ
2009 #81 #46
2010 #76 #46
2011 #50 #26
2012 #90 #37
2013 #71 #30
2014 #99 #50

2015 #74 #31 <--- Morris Think we've fallen a little to #78 or so.

So now does all the energy equate into coaching

These numbers are more relevant:

2008: #91 <--- JJ had limited time to recruit
2009: #81
2015: #74 <--- Morris had limited time to recruit

Morris has already put together a better class in less than 2 months than JJ did with a full season (and then some) of "recruiting".