If I were a recruit, I wouldn’t necessarily look at how well the team is doing at that moment but, it matters some. What it looks like for me as a player and how I would fit into the scheme, playing time, development, etc, is what really matters to most I assume. And of course, “the bag”. I’m sure everyone is different.
With that being said, when an offensive player is being recruited at this moment by Oklahoma and they look at OU’s offensive identity or the lack of an identity, it would definitely make me to start thinking about other options.
Players want to be developed and/or used in a way that highlight their abilities. There is not one position on offense right now where anyone can say “I can’t wait to go showcase what I can do” outside of the offensive line. I don’t think anyone has Seth Littrell on their radar as an OC they’d want to come play for. Kids wanted to play for Bob Stoops and Oklahoma; under Leach, Mangino, Long, Wilson, Heupel, Riley, Gundy and Lebby.
Seth Littrell has had 8 weeks, technically he’s had 1 full year the end of next month to implement his legacy as an OC. To install an offensive strategy that can at the very least move the ball consistently against opponents. Instead this team has struggled from the jump, week in and week out with the likes of Houston and Tulane. Losing games the defense has done all they could to keep us in as long as they could to Tennessee and Texas and nearly losing to a down and out Auburn.
I don’t expect BV to fire his OC mid-season but, if BV wants to avoid the hot seat after it’s end he will replace Littrell with someone else. And find someone that knows how to move the ball downfield.