Why not wait?

[BUS]

It reads as if there are people not happy that we have not signed a bunch of recruits. ( OK received verbals )

If SMU wins 7, 8 or maybe 9 games this year, another level of recruits will open their door to P. Bennett and the coaches.

Keep in mind that P.B. has built this team to a point that we have talent. Back up talent, Skill position players and REAL LINEMEN. ( I want Serge to be able to play this year ) P.B. has learned how to be a head coach and now is the time to shine.

SMU does well this year, and the recruitng takes another step UP.

[RGV Pony]

BUS, I see your point. But "Why not wait" sounds a little too much like PB's battle cry of "Why not us" last year. Of course, "Why not us" was answered by two statements: 1) because we can't stop 3rd and 30 (twice) and 2) because we can't convert first and goal.

However, if there are 7,8, or 9 wins, December through February could get interesting.

[MustangIcon]

I agree. Why not wait? We have been waiting 5+ seasons for PB to show us that he is anything more than a "good guy" so why shouldn't we continue to wait for an improvement in recruiting?

While I am no recruiting expert by any means, every other D1 coach in our entire state seems to think its important to get verbals sooner rather than later except for us. Does that make you wonder or worry any at all? It sure does me, especially based on our track record of misery.

[OC Mustang]

Bennett has to produce or will be gone...limits scholarships to folks who want to do SMU with or w/o Bennett and his assistants.

Kinda tough spot to be in, if you ask me.

I don't expect any commits until we line up in September. If we have a good Sept, we shall see a couple early. Otherwise, we will have to finish strong...either with Bennett and a good year...or another coach and hopefully a better name.

[Cadillac]

Here's a horrible idea: Why does it have to be one or the other? The point that SMU has no commits at this point should have no real bearing on what commits they do ultimately receive depending on the way the season breaks.

Now, if we're talking about offering a bunch of scrubs just to get a commitment, then no. Why bother? But getting offers out to quality players and having them commit early on can't possibly be a bad thing can it? Are we worried about running out of scholarships before we can sign all of those 4 star players that are lining up?


-CoS

[EastStang]

Bennett did not get a contract extension last fall, he was told that he could keep his job. Given that, I suspect that many recruits are taking a wait and see approach to SMU. They are either making verbals with the idea of changing those if Bennett is retained, or not making any committment at all. Many schools will press for a verbal to hold the slot open. So in order to keep options open, some may verbal elsewhere, while asking Bennett to hold open their slot. I suspect many other schools are telling recruits that Bennett will be gone after this season. If we lose, he's gone, and if we win, they'll say that he'll go to a bigger program. Recruits hear this and don't want to go to a program where they don't know who will be there coach next fall. Let's just hold our water until December. Bennett may be holding off on offers to lesser recruits in hopes of having slots open for better ones or he may be giving provisional offers. I hope we start strong and get bowl eligible early, so recruits will be anxious to committ. Otherwise, its going to be a long fall and winter.

[Billy Joe]

Excuses, excuses, excuses.....same old garbage.

[PonyPride]

I have yet to see a football player sign in July. Hell, even one of Coach February's future hall of famers changed his mind. Commitment lists will matter Feb. 6.

[Stallion]

75% of the best players will be committed by the end of the season. Players want to tie up their future as soon as possible. You can't wait until the end of the season because the talent pool is significantly depleted. I am fully aware SMU doesn't recruit exclusively off the Top 100 Lists-but it is instructive that 61% of the Texas Top 100 has already committed. The higher caliber the recruit-the more likely he is to commit early. This is an argument for failed recruiting.

This is not 1980-next question. Schools like Tulsa, UH, UTEP and now even Rice are becoming increasingly aggressive and are early offers to the same players we are going after. Rivals reports that Rice has made over 55 offers and they don't even have a Rivals website. Tulsa has 58 and UH has 60 reported offers on the table. Good recruiting classes almost universally have early commits in Texas.

The only possible exception is TCU which has always recruited better than SMU BOTH early and late-but admitedly doesn't seem to be very concerned about publicizing their early commitments. BUT they also do better than SMU with early recruiting every year even if some are not released early. Recruits look at class momentum-they want to know that they will be playing with a good group of players. Schools that get early commitments have a much higher chance of getting a better class-been shown over and over again. Good recruiting is built on momentum.

Plus players cab be your best recruiters if they commit early. Josh Lereibus served that role last year-Craig James reportedly lured several players to SMU in his day.

[Mexmustang]

everyone will have a good read on the coach's future midway into September. If he doesn't go all out to try to beat Tech, pull out every stop, and losses to NTU, he will be gone by November and coach the last game as a lame duck. I love Bennett, but he won't deserve more.

[PK]

Rivals reports that Rice has made over 55 offers and they don't even have a Rivals website. Tulsa has 58 and UH has 60 reported offers on the table. Good recruiting classes almost universally have early commits in Texas.

You are implying by ommission that SMU has made no offers which we know is not true. What you are really saying is that you don't know how many offers SMU has made because Rivals hasn't reported a number. You also don't really know if we have any verbals or not because maybe just like TCU, not all commitments are announced. Well, I don't know either, but I will bet you money we are out their recruiting hard and making offers. SMU has not been an easy school to recruit to for a long time and we all know why. Our worrying about it and wringing our hands over it isn't going to change anything so just put all the sharp objects in your homes out of reach...take a deep breath... and chill.

[Stallion]

Rivals reports 24 offers for SMU

[RGV Pony]

How many scholarships do we have to give?

[HFvictory]

The players know what kind of staff there is at SMU and what to expect if they went to school here. Winning a couple of more games may help confirm that things are headed in the right direction, but a few more losses could possibly have more of an effect.

Basically the coaches do their research, put on the sales cap and work down their lists. A few spots may be left for those HS kids that flew low but turned in great years, but almost every coach would love to have the bulk of their class in place before the end of summer. Only a few can actually do that, but that would be the ideal so you can concentrate on the next class but keep things flowing with the commits to make sure they know they are still wanted.

[Billy Joe]

Fact: every Div. 1-A school is beating SMU in recruiting.

Letting Bennett stick around for another year was a mistake. You can bet the farm the other schools are telling the recruits that they will not even know who their coach will be next season at SMU. Will Bennett be back next year? Who knows but history tells us that he won't. When was the last time SMU had a winning record / bowl game appearance in the same season? It has been a long, long time.

It would be nice to have had T. Dodge as the coach and the players he will bring to N. Texas.