lots of people complaining right now that we aren't joining the bidding war to see who can overpay the most for some high rated portal OL. My opinion is that would be the worst thing we could do, as it would blow up the locker room and destroy the culture BV has been building - right as we are on the verge of that investment paying off within the next year or two.
OU's strategy of building culture by recruiting kids who aren't putting themselves up for sale to the highest bidder is paying off. BV salvaged the 2022 class in the midst of the Riley departure chaos and managed to finish top 10. 2023 was our greatest recruiting class in probably 20 years, and 2024 is also great with our best DL group ever. Unless coaching is incompetent, you cant keep bringing in this level of talent without it paying off.
I've read plenty of frantic posts in the last days over our avoiding the bidding war game, many suggesting we'll never succeed if we don't accept that we have to join the circus at least at some level. Well, despite a NIL strategy that some are saying doesn't work, our recruiting class rankings say otherwise. I've also read comments about how we're going to lose HS recruits we have over money issues. Well, the facts show different. Of all the BV recruits, I believe 3 who you wouldn't classify as being processed have left. Only Caden Green left to chase a bag. LeBlanc was apparently homesick, and Smothers apparently left because of a crowded RB room (which isn't a bad thing). So one kid so far - doesn't sound like our recruiting and NIL strategies are failing
What we need to do more than spending money is take another step forward in our performance like we did in 2023, and continue to evolve into the exciting team that kids want to play for like Bama, Georgia, etc. As discussed many times everyone is paying NIL, but they get a "winners discount" and have no problem recruiting top HS players who are dying to play for them without having to engage in bidding wars.
I'm just as concerned about our OL as everyone else, but we cant trash everything we've invested fighting to overpay for portal OL guys
OU's strategy of building culture by recruiting kids who aren't putting themselves up for sale to the highest bidder is paying off. BV salvaged the 2022 class in the midst of the Riley departure chaos and managed to finish top 10. 2023 was our greatest recruiting class in probably 20 years, and 2024 is also great with our best DL group ever. Unless coaching is incompetent, you cant keep bringing in this level of talent without it paying off.
I've read plenty of frantic posts in the last days over our avoiding the bidding war game, many suggesting we'll never succeed if we don't accept that we have to join the circus at least at some level. Well, despite a NIL strategy that some are saying doesn't work, our recruiting class rankings say otherwise. I've also read comments about how we're going to lose HS recruits we have over money issues. Well, the facts show different. Of all the BV recruits, I believe 3 who you wouldn't classify as being processed have left. Only Caden Green left to chase a bag. LeBlanc was apparently homesick, and Smothers apparently left because of a crowded RB room (which isn't a bad thing). So one kid so far - doesn't sound like our recruiting and NIL strategies are failing
What we need to do more than spending money is take another step forward in our performance like we did in 2023, and continue to evolve into the exciting team that kids want to play for like Bama, Georgia, etc. As discussed many times everyone is paying NIL, but they get a "winners discount" and have no problem recruiting top HS players who are dying to play for them without having to engage in bidding wars.
I'm just as concerned about our OL as everyone else, but we cant trash everything we've invested fighting to overpay for portal OL guys
