Question for Recruiting Guru, Stallion, Mickey, Lotus

[Otto]

and anyone else who follows recruiting:

There have been a lot of people writing that we shouldn't get too high or too low over who is and isn't considering SMU at this point, because it's very early. That's true. My question is: at what point are lists of schools a player is considering more worthwhile? When can we legitimately start getting optimistic/pessimistic about this year's recruiting?

With the guys we have so far, of course, I'm pretty excited. But like ya'll have said, I don't want to get too carried away too early.

[Recruiting Guru]

Caution is good at this point. Really, this can be looked at two ways, and they're both fairly positive. On one hand, it IS extremely early. So if you read lists and don't see SMU mentioned by each name, remember that the coaches only have seven months to get in on a player. That's a long time, and the SMU coaches have shown an ability to land quality players late in the recruiting process. On the other hand, if you do see SMU by a player's name, chalk that up to the in-roads the coaches have made with high school coaches. Of course, it doesn't mean that SMU will sign those players, but it does show that more HS coaches and players are taking SMU seriously, and that the Mustangs are becoming a bigger player in the recruiting game. It's a gradual process, but they are miles ahead of where they were a few years ago, recruiting-wise.

As for when you should get excited about recruiting lists: I'd say early October. At that point, players have played a few games, and coaches have had a chance to see - either in person or on video - the players in action, and have made up lists of players they really covet. That's when the recruiting season really heats up.

[Mickey]

In my opinion, we should have a pretty good idea where we stand vis-a-vis recruiting on July 26. That is when SMU has its next and final HS JR/SR mini camp. Thereafter, if those same players attend the games at Ford as guests then we are in good shape. Bennett has said that the majority of last year's commitments attended one of the 2 mimi camps Bennett has every summer.