By JOHN KLEIN | Senior Sports Columnist |0 comments
The curious case of Joshua Jacobs.
How does a high school football player go from only two offers to being pursued by every major college program in the country?
How does Jacobs, quarterback/running back at McLain High School, end up with his choice of the nation’s elite football programs when less than two weeks ago his only offers were New Mexico State and Wyoming?
“It is kind of overwhelming,” Jacobs said. “I haven’t had time to really think about all of it because it happened so fast.
“All I was thinking about was whether Wyoming or New Mexico State would be a better fit for me. Now, I’ve got coaches calling from all over the country.”
Literally, the recruitment of Jacobs has gone from a trickle of whispers to a wildfire in less than two weeks.
He now has been contacted by over three dozen schools including some of the major programs in the country including national champion Alabama. All of the schools in this area — Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tulsa and Arkansas — were pretty much ignoring him as recently as two weeks ago. Now, they are all-in for the recruitment of Jacobs.
Wednesday is the first day that high school football stars can sign a national letter-of-intent. Jacobs, inundated by last-second pitches from dozens of schools, is undecided if he’ll sign on Wednesday.
His father told the Tulsa World over the weekend that it is down to three schools — Alabama, Missouri and Oklahoma. He went on short recruiting visits to Missouri and Alabama over the weekend.
“That’s a pretty big decision,” Jacobs said. “I want to be sure. I have a lot to think about.
“In my mind, I may have a few schools on a short list but realistically it is very much open. It all happened so fast and there is so much to consider.”
A group of Alabama fans have set up a Twitter account in an attempt to lure him to the Crimson Tide. His friends and neighbors in north Tulsa are suddenly pitching the Sooners, Cowboys, Golden Hurricane and Razorbacks.
“I don’t know how to explain it,” McLain coach Jarvis Payne said. “It is kind of mind-blowing if you think about it.
“I’ve been sending out tape, talking to coaches, trying to get people interested in Joshua. I was doing everything I could. He’s a great kid, a really fabulous kid who is a good student. He is a sensational athlete. Yet, there just didn’t seem to be much interest.”
That’s when a recruiting specialist told Payne he should start pushing Jacobs in social media, sending out information via Twitter and other outlets.
So, Payne and Jacobs’ father, Marty Jacobs, started sending out tweets, Facebook messages; whatever they could do to drum up some interest.
“It started a flood,” said Marty, who played at McLain back in the 1980s. “It has been incredible the past couple of weeks — actually less than two weeks. People and coaches are constantly calling. They are coming to Tulsa to recruit him.
“I guess recruiting is different these days. Once it started it has been incredible.”
There has been interest from all over the country. Alabama, Missouri, Vanderbilt and Arkansas have come calling from the Southeastern Conference. OU, OSU, TCU, Iowa State and Kansas have visited from the Big 12. Several Big 10 schools are in the chase including Purdue and Indiana.
“I’m completely open,” Jacobs said. “My dad and I talk about it all the time. It isn’t just the next four years for me. It is about the next 40 years. There is life after football and that’s what this is all about for me.
“When I was in the seventh grade I talked with an engineer from Williams Companies. That’s when I decided I wanted to go into engineering. What I do in school, and in football, is all geared about the long view of life.”
Jacobs said his educational interests include natural gas, both exploration and management.
“You know, I’ve invested 17 years into this kid,” Marty said. “I want to know that these coaches and these schools are going to make that kind of investment in him, too. It is important to me as his father.
“I knew he was a good athlete. That’s just a pathway toward his life.”
It is rather amazing that there was so little interest in Jacobs.
He had one of the most sensational seasons in recent Oklahoma high school history. He ran for 2,704 yards (15.1 yards per carry, 245.8 yards per game) and 31 touchdowns this past season.
“What’s more amazing is that every team keyed on him because they knew what was coming and still had a hard time stopping him,” Payne said. “We ran the wildcat. There’s wasn’t much mystery to what we were going to do. He’s a tremendous leader. He’s a very smart player. He’s great at using his blockers, finding the holes, making something happen.”
It isn’t like he was a late-bloomer. Jacobs ran for 5,372 yards and scored 56 touchdowns over four seasons.
However, he did suffer through an injury-plagued junior season when he missed a large portion of six games. Still, he rushed for 948 yards with 13 touchdowns in a little over four games.
But, he’s overlooked no more.
“I never really thought about the recruiting thing during the season,” Jacobs said. “I was more concerned about our team and making the playoffs. I’m from this neighborhood and I grew up wanting to play here at McLain. The only thing I was thinking about during the season was a winning record and making the playoffs (the Titans did both this season).
“To be honest, I was happy with the two schools that were recruiting me. I liked the coaches and the people I talked with. Now, it is completely different. It is kind of fun. But, I know it is still about the education.”
His father, Marty, sitting nearby, could just nod his head in agreement.
“Yes, it is,” he said. “That’s why I’m proud of him. He knows. There’s a whole lot more to life than football.”
The curious case of Joshua Jacobs.
How does a high school football player go from only two offers to being pursued by every major college program in the country?
How does Jacobs, quarterback/running back at McLain High School, end up with his choice of the nation’s elite football programs when less than two weeks ago his only offers were New Mexico State and Wyoming?
“It is kind of overwhelming,” Jacobs said. “I haven’t had time to really think about all of it because it happened so fast.
“All I was thinking about was whether Wyoming or New Mexico State would be a better fit for me. Now, I’ve got coaches calling from all over the country.”
Literally, the recruitment of Jacobs has gone from a trickle of whispers to a wildfire in less than two weeks.
He now has been contacted by over three dozen schools including some of the major programs in the country including national champion Alabama. All of the schools in this area — Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tulsa and Arkansas — were pretty much ignoring him as recently as two weeks ago. Now, they are all-in for the recruitment of Jacobs.
Wednesday is the first day that high school football stars can sign a national letter-of-intent. Jacobs, inundated by last-second pitches from dozens of schools, is undecided if he’ll sign on Wednesday.
His father told the Tulsa World over the weekend that it is down to three schools — Alabama, Missouri and Oklahoma. He went on short recruiting visits to Missouri and Alabama over the weekend.
“That’s a pretty big decision,” Jacobs said. “I want to be sure. I have a lot to think about.
“In my mind, I may have a few schools on a short list but realistically it is very much open. It all happened so fast and there is so much to consider.”
A group of Alabama fans have set up a Twitter account in an attempt to lure him to the Crimson Tide. His friends and neighbors in north Tulsa are suddenly pitching the Sooners, Cowboys, Golden Hurricane and Razorbacks.
“I don’t know how to explain it,” McLain coach Jarvis Payne said. “It is kind of mind-blowing if you think about it.
“I’ve been sending out tape, talking to coaches, trying to get people interested in Joshua. I was doing everything I could. He’s a great kid, a really fabulous kid who is a good student. He is a sensational athlete. Yet, there just didn’t seem to be much interest.”
That’s when a recruiting specialist told Payne he should start pushing Jacobs in social media, sending out information via Twitter and other outlets.
So, Payne and Jacobs’ father, Marty Jacobs, started sending out tweets, Facebook messages; whatever they could do to drum up some interest.
“It started a flood,” said Marty, who played at McLain back in the 1980s. “It has been incredible the past couple of weeks — actually less than two weeks. People and coaches are constantly calling. They are coming to Tulsa to recruit him.
“I guess recruiting is different these days. Once it started it has been incredible.”
There has been interest from all over the country. Alabama, Missouri, Vanderbilt and Arkansas have come calling from the Southeastern Conference. OU, OSU, TCU, Iowa State and Kansas have visited from the Big 12. Several Big 10 schools are in the chase including Purdue and Indiana.
“I’m completely open,” Jacobs said. “My dad and I talk about it all the time. It isn’t just the next four years for me. It is about the next 40 years. There is life after football and that’s what this is all about for me.
“When I was in the seventh grade I talked with an engineer from Williams Companies. That’s when I decided I wanted to go into engineering. What I do in school, and in football, is all geared about the long view of life.”
Jacobs said his educational interests include natural gas, both exploration and management.
“You know, I’ve invested 17 years into this kid,” Marty said. “I want to know that these coaches and these schools are going to make that kind of investment in him, too. It is important to me as his father.
“I knew he was a good athlete. That’s just a pathway toward his life.”
It is rather amazing that there was so little interest in Jacobs.
He had one of the most sensational seasons in recent Oklahoma high school history. He ran for 2,704 yards (15.1 yards per carry, 245.8 yards per game) and 31 touchdowns this past season.
“What’s more amazing is that every team keyed on him because they knew what was coming and still had a hard time stopping him,” Payne said. “We ran the wildcat. There’s wasn’t much mystery to what we were going to do. He’s a tremendous leader. He’s a very smart player. He’s great at using his blockers, finding the holes, making something happen.”
It isn’t like he was a late-bloomer. Jacobs ran for 5,372 yards and scored 56 touchdowns over four seasons.
However, he did suffer through an injury-plagued junior season when he missed a large portion of six games. Still, he rushed for 948 yards with 13 touchdowns in a little over four games.
But, he’s overlooked no more.
“I never really thought about the recruiting thing during the season,” Jacobs said. “I was more concerned about our team and making the playoffs. I’m from this neighborhood and I grew up wanting to play here at McLain. The only thing I was thinking about during the season was a winning record and making the playoffs (the Titans did both this season).
“To be honest, I was happy with the two schools that were recruiting me. I liked the coaches and the people I talked with. Now, it is completely different. It is kind of fun. But, I know it is still about the education.”
His father, Marty, sitting nearby, could just nod his head in agreement.
“Yes, it is,” he said. “That’s why I’m proud of him. He knows. There’s a whole lot more to life than football.”
