Fruits of New Recruiting

[varrichione]

Several of the writers have mentioned how different (and better) Morris and staff are recruiting compared to the former staff.  This past weekend, we got a commitment from a DT that Clemson, among others, wanted.  Something else I saw today which I think is very encouraging is that five of the top 13 uncommitted players (247), including the nation's #1 player, have Arkansas in their top 5.  None of those players are projected to select us, but I think it's a huge step in the right direction.

We know Morris is going to be recruiting Texas hard and heavy, but if he sees a big fish he wants, he's going to offer him.  Those five players attend high schools in five different states.  You want national recruiting?  They are from CA, FL, MI, TX, and LA.

Spring practice can't get here soon enough.

[redeye]

Something else I saw today which I think is very encouraging is that five of the top 13 uncommitted players (247), including the nation's #1 player, have Arkansas in their top 5.  None of those players are projected to select us, but I think it's a huge step in the right direction.

Well, that's certainly encouraging.

I noticed something too.  We're all used to seeing highly rated recruits visit and then say nice things about Arkansas, but this weekend seems different.  We usually hear how they were surprised or how it helped Arkansas or how the fans are great, but many seemed truly excited among this weekend's visitors.  Considering how we had the most 4-star recruits ever on campus, you can't say it's a fluke, either.  Anyone else notice a different feeling or is it just me?

I also want to note how many of those players were from Tennessee.  Chavis, Caldwell and Tuohy must be capitalizing on their history there.  Which is nice, because Tennessee seems to be producing a lot more 4-star players than in the past.

[ArkansasI]

I think recruiting is largely a reflection of attitude. When you see an expectation and complete buy in from the top coach down to the last player on the team, you are likely to find a program that recruits want to be part of. Thus far, it appears the coaches are raising no doubts, and the players are honeymooning - no reasons to question. We'll have something if this continues a couple of years. Looking forward to watching it play out. Go Hogs!

[Rynohog]

Something I have noticed about CCM...he seems extremely hungry. He just strikes me as the type of individual that has never gotten comfortable or complacent in any position he's been in. I get the feeling that he is one of those that always has that feeling that someone could be out there working harder than me today ...I cant allow that!  His staff and their recruiting seem to really seem to all have this attitude. That up-n-comer that is always out to prove something feel. Which to me isn't a bad thing. I'm loving the Vibe this coach and his staff put out. Can't wait to see them in action when the lights come on this season.

[Flrazrback]

These Coaches are full of energy, have a great exciting demeanor, and care about players beyond football. They understand how to sell the wonders and excellence of our program to these young men. It's an exciting time to be a Razorback.. We are in good hands.

[opineonswine]

Getting recruits on campus is job one and they're doing that.  Because so many express surprise at what they find:

"It caught me off guard because it's nice up here," Otey said. "I didn't expect it to be this nice. It's a college town. Everybody here loves Arkansas sports and they're all about Arkansas."

"They're going to be up there now because I actually love it here," Otey said. "It's raised them up there now. I didn't know much before coming up here, but I know a lot now and I love it."

[AugustaHog]

I love the peripherals of what we are seeing with this staff.  We haven't landed a ton of the very highly touted kids just yet.  The signs are pointing positive though.  They are really getting kids on campus and they are getting them to consider us early on in the process.  If they add in winning football games to the mix, they are going to land some really nice players.

[31to6]

Getting recruits on campus is job one and they're doing that.  Because so many express surprise at what they find:

"It caught me off guard because it's nice up here," Otey said. "I didn't expect it to be this nice. It's a college town. Everybody here loves Arkansas sports and they're all about Arkansas."

"They're going to be up there now because I actually love it here," Otey said. "It's raised them up there now. I didn't know much before coming up here, but I know a lot now and I love it."

The Hill should feel like home to kids from middle TN. Lots of similarities.

[oldfart]

i grew up in eastern tenn been in nwa 52 yrs. very similar location and people

[opineonswine]

I've always said the people in Tennessee are the most like us of anyone in the SEC.

[Paul]

I've always said the people in Tennessee are the most like us of anyone in the SEC.

for better or worse!

[jgphillips3]

I've always said the people in Tennessee are the most like us of anyone in the SEC.

Lots of people in Arkansas have Tennessee roots.  My grandmother, since passed, remembered coming to Arkansas in a covered wagon at the turn of the last century.  Just like Kansas City and St. Louis were the gateway to the West at one time, Memphis was the gateway to Arkansas for a long time.  If you were an early Virginia settler, Tennesse was a logical extension of the frontier for you and then later so was Arkansas with it's fertile farmlands in the Delta.

[Richard Davenport]

Several of the writers have mentioned how different (and better) Morris and staff are recruiting compared to the former staff.  This past weekend, we got a commitment from a DT that Clemson, among others, wanted.  Something else I saw today which I think is very encouraging is that five of the top 13 uncommitted players (247), including the nation's #1 player, have Arkansas in their top 5.  None of those players are projected to select us, but I think it's a huge step in the right direction.

We know Morris is going to be recruiting Texas hard and heavy, but if he sees a big fish he wants, he's going to offer him.  Those five players attend high schools in five different states.  You want national recruiting?  They are from CA, FL, MI, TX, and LA.

Spring practice can't get here soon enough.

Not sure the kids have Arkansas in their top five. Often Arkansas is listed because they're one of offers and the offers are in alphabetical order.

[aloha_kid]

  for better or worse!

Truth.

[aloha_kid]

Not sure the kids have Arkansas in their top five. Often Arkansas is listed because they're one of offers and the offers are in alphabetical order.

C'mon Richard, you got scooped. LOL

[bphi11ips]

Lots of people in Arkansas have Tennessee roots.  My grandmother, since passed, remembered coming to Arkansas in a covered wagon at the turn of the last century.  Just like Kansas City and St. Louis were the gateway to the West at one time, Memphis was the gateway to Arkansas for a long time.  If you were an early Virginia settler, Tennesse was a logical extension of the frontier for you and then later so was Arkansas with it's fertile farmlands in the Delta.

Many settlers of the Ozarks came from the east Tennessee mountains.  The old families in Newton County are almost all from there.  Life was very similar in both regions.  My great-great grandfather was a doctor from east Tennessee who learned his trade on Civil War battlefields before settling in Clarendon.

[oldrazorband]

If you were an early Virginia settler, Tennessee was a logical extension of the frontier for you and then later so was Arkansas with it's fertile farmlands in the Delta.

Ha!  You just traced my family tree.

[HogFoo]

It is a different feeling now. Seeimg these kids on twitter talking about how nice it was. To me they seem more excited. Genuinely seem surprised and actually considering the Hogs.  We've always said, if we could just get them on campus that we'd have a chance with these kids. That doesnt seem to be a prob now. Now we just need to close on some, and i believe we'll be able to do it if we can add winning to the equation.  Which, as we all know, next season was kind of built to be a winning season. So that will truly help us. 

   When Morris says that Arkansas reminds him so much of Clemson, i believe it!  They are indeed very similar. Clemson wasnt killing it on recruiting trail. They gradually got better. Got a little talent at a time, won. Little more talent, won. Gradually increased wins, and climbed up recruiting rankings. Morris was a major cog in the Clemson rise. He has the blueprints on how to build a program. He has the offensive mind  and the defensive mind. He has the top conf. In america to help pull in recruits. He has some of the top facilities in america to help pull recruits, has best fanbase to help with recruiting.  All of our other sport peograms are doing well too.  That helps.  Arkansas being top 5 places to live in America  as well as the top in SEC helps with recruits and their parents.  Morris being a genuinely good dude helps with receuiting as well.  Morris having a staff full of energetic coaches helps recruiting.   Like i said, just adding winning to the equation on a consistent pattern and i have no doubt that morris can bring us the same success that Clemson is living and has lives over the last 8yrs or so. No doubt!  Its a good time to be a hog fan!

[rljjr]

It does feel different. It feels like we're building deeper relationships with all of the recruits -- elite and otherwise -- and that the recruits see this and realize it's genuine.

It also feels different because we're getting more of the 4-star variety kids on campus much earlier, which helps build those relationships. It's much easier to have a kid come for a junior day event (whether 2019 or beyond) to sow those Razorback seeds. Now they can take those memories home with them and as they are continuing to be recruited (some negatively) they can parse fact from fiction because they know the truth about the coaches, campus, Fayetteville and the fans.

We will, soon than later, see a shift for the positive, because as somebody posted above, it's all about the attitude -- and this staff has positive in their core because it's who they are. You can't fake that. Woo Pig!

[East TN HAWG]

Many settlers of the Ozarks came from the east Tennessee mountains.  The old families in Newton County are almost all from there.  Life was very similar in both regions.  My great-great grandfather was a doctor from east Tennessee who learned his trade on Civil War battlefields before settling in Clarendon.

This is my story.  My great, great, great, great, great grandfather (Andrew) settled in Surgoinsville, TN (Kingsport, TN ).  His grandson moved to Gateway (NWA).  The funny is that I moved back to the area in TN that my family settled from Ireland.

Upper East TN is very similar to NWA in population and geography.  We have fewer mountains here, but they are much larger than home (NWA). 

[redneckfriend]

These Coaches are full of energy, have a great exciting demeanor, and care about players beyond football. They understand how to sell the wonders and excellence of our program to these young men. It's an exciting time to be a Razorback.. We are in good hands.

Time will tell about that. I assume Morris is no fool- if not he "knows" he is in one of the toughest P5 jobs in the country because he is competing against the SEC west. Even if you recruit "pretty well" (say top 20) that is probably three expected losses a year and Arkansas has not recruited well enough in the past to reach that standard.  If he recruits pretty well, develops well, and schemes well and keeps his losses to those three, and maybe one or two more, he can be successful here but that is a big if. So he will try hard to get off the dime and establish the right pattern but he has a lot to overcome and the only measure will be results. He knows that too. I'm just not quite sure he fully he "knows" just how hard the job he has is. Coaches obviously all have significant egos to get where they are and it can cause them to underestimate what they have bitten off (see Bret Bielema).  Stay tuned.

[Oklahawg]

I posted this somewhere else, but it is worth repeating here:

I don't want Morris to be a reprise of Nutt - all rah-rah all the time. I don't want the hard-ass attention to detail of Petrino - all hard-ass all the time. I don't want the depth of personal development of Bielema - all bigger picture all the time. I want the best of each of these to combine together, a complete package.

If all Morris is doing is getting players excited then he is just another Nutt or Gus. Harder working than Nutt, but maybe Nutt had reality hit quickly and set his sights more modestly and we only remember the modest efforts. Gosh, I am not a Nutt apologist! Glad the man is gone, but I feel the need to tap the brakes with the Morris-love when it is essentially Nutt 2.0 - charisma and energy and unbridled optimism - and we haven't seen if he can get the Petrino-esque tactical wizardry or be able to retain Bielema's "complete package" approach to developing men not just football players.

[Vantage 8 dude]

I posted this somewhere else, but it is worth repeating here:

I don't want Morris to be a reprise of Nutt - all rah-rah all the time. I don't want the hard-ass attention to detail of Petrino - all hard-ass all the time. I don't want the depth of personal development of Bielema - all bigger picture all the time. I want the best of each of these to combine together, a complete package.

If all Morris is doing is getting players excited then he is just another Nutt or Gus. Harder working than Nutt, but maybe Nutt had reality hit quickly and set his sights more modestly and we only remember the modest efforts. Gosh, I am not a Nutt apologist! Glad the man is gone, but I feel the need to tap the brakes with the Morris-love when it is essentially Nutt 2.0 - charisma and energy and unbridled optimism - and we haven't seen if he can get the Petrino-esque tactical wizardry or be able to retain Bielema's "complete package" approach to developing men not just football players.

Well a major problem with Nutt's "rah-rah" as you call it is that far too often the enthusiasm and emotions displayed by Houston was often NOT backed up by either actions on the field and/or his actual handling of players across the full spectrum of the team. We all remember the stories or allegations that certain of his "favorites" were allowed certain privileges/leeway that was not necessarily afforded others that weren't necessarily his "darlings".

Actions DO speak louder than words. It's up to CMM and his staff to translate that enthusiasm and supposed sense of fairness to ALL the players and do so consistently. Yep, much needs to be proven both on and off the field. Only time will tell.

[Paul]

I posted this somewhere else, but it is worth repeating here:

I don't want Morris to be a reprise of Nutt - all rah-rah all the time. I don't want the hard-ass attention to detail of Petrino - all hard-ass all the time. I don't want the depth of personal development of Bielema - all bigger picture all the time. I want the best of each of these to combine together, a complete package.

If all Morris is doing is getting players excited then he is just another Nutt or Gus. Harder working than Nutt, but maybe Nutt had reality hit quickly and set his sights more modestly and we only remember the modest efforts. Gosh, I am not a Nutt apologist! Glad the man is gone, but I feel the need to tap the brakes with the Morris-love when it is essentially Nutt 2.0 - charisma and energy and unbridled optimism - and we haven't seen if he can get the Petrino-esque tactical wizardry or be able to retain Bielema's "complete package" approach to developing men not just football players.

I agree completely.  I am impressed by his efforts thus far but hope he can translate enthusiasm into results on & off the field.

[Grizzlyfan]

Several of the writers have mentioned how different (and better) Morris and staff are recruiting compared to the former staff.  This past weekend, we got a commitment from a DT that Clemson, among others, wanted.  Something else I saw today which I think is very encouraging is that five of the top 13 uncommitted players (247), including the nation's #1 player, have Arkansas in their top 5.  None of those players are projected to select us, but I think it's a huge step in the right direction.

We know Morris is going to be recruiting Texas hard and heavy, but if he sees a big fish he wants, he's going to offer him.  Those five players attend high schools in five different states.  You want national recruiting?  They are from CA, FL, MI, TX, and LA.

Spring practice can't get here soon enough.

Who is this player?  2019 class?

[radar]

Kayvon Thibodeaux wde/ Thousand Oaks, CA

[opineonswine]

Well a major problem with Nutt's "rah-rah" as you call it is that far too often the enthusiasm and emotions displayed by Houston was often NOT backed up by either actions on the field and/or his actual handling of players across the full spectrum of the team. We all remember the stories or allegations that certain of his "favorites" were allowed certain privileges/leeway that was not necessarily afforded others that weren't necessarily his "darlings".

Actions DO speak louder than words. It's up to CMM and his staff to translate that enthusiasm and supposed sense of fairness to ALL the players and do so consistently. Yep, much needs to be proven both on and off the field. Only time will tell.

What's Morris got that the previous ones ain't got?  Morris vs. BB...energy and a likely more successful offensive/defensive strategy
Morris vs. Petrino...a personality
Morris vs. Nutt...sincerity and actionable plan
Plus importantly Morris vs. all 3 (it appears)...a better staff.
AND I believe he has a better recruiting philosophy...where, who, when.

Isn't that the right combination to overcome, to some degree at least, the Arkansas demographics?

Obviously we'll know more when the games start.  2018 season could speak volumes.  BB's first year may have been more predictable of what was to come than we wanted to believe at the time.

[jgphillips3]

Many settlers of the Ozarks came from the east Tennessee mountains.  The old families in Newton County are almost all from there.  Life was very similar in both regions.  My great-great grandfather was a doctor from east Tennessee who learned his trade on Civil War battlefields before settling in Clarendon.

Clarendon huh?  My family is from Holly Grove.  Small world.

[Muskliketusk]

Kayvon Thibodeaux wde/ Thousand Oaks, CA

We ain't even in that kids top 12.

[The_Hog_Father]

.

[SooieGeneris]

I posted this somewhere else, but it is worth repeating here:

I don't want Morris to be a reprise of Nutt - all rah-rah all the time. I don't want the hard-ass attention to detail of Petrino - all hard-ass all the time. I don't want the depth of personal development of Bielema - all bigger picture all the time. I want the best of each of these to combine together, a complete package.

If all Morris is doing is getting players excited then he is just another Nutt or Gus. Harder working than Nutt, but maybe Nutt had reality hit quickly and set his sights more modestly and we only remember the modest efforts. Gosh, I am not a Nutt apologist! Glad the man is gone, but I feel the need to tap the brakes with the Morris-love when it is essentially Nutt 2.0 - charisma and energy and unbridled optimism - and we haven't seen if he can get the Petrino-esque tactical wizardry or be able to retain Bielema's "complete package" approach to developing men not just football players.

Fair enough, but we also need to "tap the brakes" on the comparisons to former coaches, especially to TCWWF, the guy who talked a good game and coached a P-poor one.

The take away, my main point is: not only do we need to not anoint Morris before he coaches a game, we also don't need to disparage the guy with comparisons to that tool you named.

We will not KNOW what we have until we see the product on the field vs other SEC teams, maybe for more than one season...

For now, we can only judge by the tone setting in recruiting, conditioning, spring practice, etc. Things seem very positive, but only time will tell as to whether that translates into more wins. But being positive hurts no one as long as one doesn't develop unrealistic expectations.

Comparisons to that former "coach" are cringe-worthy however, even if his mediocrity was better than the last guy's ineptitude..

[SooieGeneris]

Lots of people in Arkansas have Tennessee roots.  My grandmother, since passed, remembered coming to Arkansas in a covered wagon at the turn of the last century.  Just like Kansas City and St. Louis were the gateway to the West at one time, Memphis was the gateway to Arkansas for a long time.  If you were an early Virginia settler, Tennesse was a logical extension of the frontier for you and then later so was Arkansas with it's fertile farmlands in the Delta.

That is where my ancestors came to Arkansas from in the early 1800s after forays into Virginia and NC originally. I'm not sure how long they were in TN, part of their time in that state was in Memphis, then they kept going west as was the custom back then. I just hope there is no relation to Clay Travis..

[jgphillips3]

That is where my ancestors came to Arkansas from in the early 1800s after forays into Virginia and NC originally. I'm not sure how long they were in TN, part of their time in that state was in Memphis, then they kept going west as was the custom back then. I just hope there is no relation to Clay Travis..

Clay Travis: We all hope that.  My Phillips clan, landed in Virginia about 1640 and slowly made their way across and into East Arkansas by the early 1900's.   Some of them were there earlier.  According to genealogy research one of my great, great, great uncles owned a huge chunk of land in East Arkansas and Phillips County is named for his branch.

[cram224]

Many settlers of the Ozarks came from the east Tennessee mountains.  The old families in Newton County are almost all from there.  Life was very similar in both regions.  My great-great grandfather was a doctor from east Tennessee who learned his trade on Civil War battlefields before settling in Clarendon.

Who do you consider the old families in Newton County.

[Con el Cerdos]

Time will tell about that. I assume Morris is no fool- if not he "knows" he is in one of the toughest P5 jobs in the country because he is competing against the SEC west. Even if you recruit "pretty well" (say top 20) that is probably three expected losses a year and Arkansas has not recruited well enough in the past to reach that standard.  If he recruits pretty well, develops well, and schemes well and keeps his losses to those three, and maybe one or two more, he can be successful here but that is a big if. So he will try hard to get off the dime and establish the right pattern but he has a lot to overcome and the only measure will be results. He knows that too. I'm just not quite sure he fully he "knows" just how hard the job he has is. Coaches obviously all have significant egos to get where they are and it can cause them to underestimate what they have bitten off (see Bret Bielema).  Stay tuned.

Actually, I think he does know how difficult the job has been and will be for him.  The ego thing you mentioned probably drives him.  Lots of folks don't like hearing or reading this, but I don't believe Arkansas is the job he really wants.  I think he is willing to take the risk of getting the Razorbacks to a 9 or 10 wins by his third or fourth year here and be in a position to move on when a better a position opens up.

[Pig in the Pokey]

Folks from Texas who adopt The Hogs dont have Poorlilolearysaw syndrome. He'll get it done.

[Hogtimes]

I posted this somewhere else, but it is worth repeating here:

I don't want Morris to be a reprise of Nutt - all rah-rah all the time. I don't want the hard-ass attention to detail of Petrino - all hard-ass all the time. I don't want the depth of personal development of Bielema - all bigger picture all the time. I want the best of each of these to combine together, a complete package.

If all Morris is doing is getting players excited then he is just another Nutt or Gus. Harder working than Nutt, but maybe Nutt had reality hit quickly and set his sights more modestly and we only remember the modest efforts. Gosh, I am not a Nutt apologist! Glad the man is gone, but I feel the need to tap the brakes with the Morris-love when it is essentially Nutt 2.0 - charisma and energy and unbridled optimism - and we haven't seen if he can get the Petrino-esque tactical wizardry or be able to retain Bielema's "complete package" approach to developing men not just football players.

Agree.  Hogvlle fans tend to get carried away to easily....whether it be good or bad.   Maybe they just like to ride the roller coaster.   There is an old saying "nothing is as good as it seems and nothing  is as bad as it seems."

[liljo]

Agree.  Hogvlle fans tend to get carried away to easily....whether it be good or bad.   Maybe they just like to ride the roller coaster.   There is an old saying "nothing is as good as it seems and nothing  is as bad as it seems."

Not all old sayings are true. Some things are far better than they seem. And, of course, some are far worse. There is room for both the hopeful, and the skeptics. No need to declare that the hopeful are easily carried away. Life is short. Try to have a little faith.

Yes, this is going to take some time. But I think this team can be far better than they seemed the last two years.

[Con el Cerdos]

Clay Travis: We all hope that.  My Phillips clan, landed in Virginia about 1640 and slowly made their way across and into East Arkansas by the early 1900's.   Some of them were there earlier.  According to genealogy research one of my great, great, great uncles owned a huge chunk of land in East Arkansas and Phillips County is named for his branch.

Well, I found this for you from Wikipedia. 

"Phillips County is Arkansas's seventh county, formed on May 1, 1820, and named for Sylvanus Phillips, the area's first-known white settler and representative to the first Territorial Legislature of the Arkansas Territory."

[Pig in the Pokey]

Well, I found this for you from Wikipedia. 

"Phillips County is Arkansas's seventh county, formed on May 1, 1820, and named for Sylvanus Phillips, the area's first-known white settler and representative to the first Territorial Legislature of the Arkansas Territory."

cool stuff!

[OneTuskOverTheLine™]

 Back to the recruiting thing. What I have noticed from Morris is that he refuses to accept that Arkansas is not the greatest place on earth for recruits to attend school. He won't even allow any of the recruiting disparagement put out for years about our school, state and program's inability to compete. He understands history, but won't accept that it is because of anything other than previous efforts by people that are not himself. This single mindedness leaves the recruit with a 1 to 1 ratio for why he either will or will not come to Arkansas once a relationship between the coach and the recruit has been established. It removes all of the bull crap and cuts to the chase of either you want to work with me or against me. If you come to Arkansas you are working with me. If you go anywhere else you are working against me.

[MuskogeeHogFan]

Back to the recruiting thing. What I have noticed from Morris is that he refuses to accept that Arkansas is not the greatest place on earth for recruits to attend school. He won't even allow any of the recruiting disparagement put out for years about our school, state and program's inability to compete. He understands history, but won't accept that it is because of anything other than previous efforts by people that are not himself. This single mindedness leaves the recruit with a 1 to 1 ratio for why he either will or will not come to Arkansas once a relationship between the coach and the recruit has been established. It removes all of the bull crap and cuts to the chase of either you want to work with me or against me. If you come to Arkansas you are working with me. If you go anywhere else you are working against me.

This isn't any different than any other HC who has assumed the reins since the departure of HDN (with the lone exception of JLS). They all try to promote the same notion. Bottom line, what will help Morris' recruiting more than anything else is the same thing that would have significantly helped every other HC that preceded him...sustained winning at a higher level over the course of 3-5 years. To do that initially, Morris is going to have to find a way to "do more, with less" until he is in a position to win more recruiting battles and "do more, with more". JMO

[Inhogswetrust]

Many settlers of the Ozarks came from the east Tennessee mountains.  The old families in Newton County are almost all from there.  Life was very similar in both regions.  My great-great grandfather was a doctor from east Tennessee who learned his trade on Civil War battlefields before settling in Clarendon.

My family ancestors came from right outside Chattanooga TN. Settled in and around Camden and Chidester.

[presidenthog]

Back to the recruiting thing. What I have noticed from Morris is that he refuses to accept that Arkansas is not the greatest place on earth for recruits to attend school. He won't even allow any of the recruiting disparagement put out for years about our school, state and program's inability to compete. He understands history, but won't accept that it is because of anything other than previous efforts by people that are not himself. This single mindedness leaves the recruit with a 1 to 1 ratio for why he either will or will not come to Arkansas once a relationship between the coach and the recruit has been established. It removes all of the bull crap and cuts to the chase of either you want to work with me or against me. If you come to Arkansas you are working with me. If you go anywhere else you are working against me.

We are hearing from recruits talking about winning a NC. We are hearing them say things like getting arkansas back to where they were.

The deal is Caldwell was here when we were #3 in the country. Chavis and his DB coach were at lsu for that #1/#3 match up that was for an SEC title and national title spot. They both are telling recruits that is where arkansas should be and they are going to get us back to that. The kids are believing them, and that is a huge improvement over bert.

[jgphillips3]

We are hearing from recruits talking about winning a NC. We are hearing them say things like getting arkansas back to where they were.

The deal is Caldwell was here when we were #3 in the country. Chavis and his DB coach were at lsu for that #1/#3 match up that was for an SEC title and national title spot. They both are telling recruits that is where arkansas should be and they are going to get us back to that. The kids are believing them, and that is a huge improvement over bert.

Yep.  Coach Morris talked that way in his Press Conference too.  About how we ARE going to be the popular school and looking for those kids who want to be the ones to make it that way.

[redneckfriend]

This isn't any different than any other HC who has assumed the reins since the departure of HDN (with the lone exception of JLS). They all try to promote the same notion. Bottom line, what will help Morris' recruiting more than anything else is the same thing that would have significantly helped every other HC that preceded him...sustained winning at a higher level over the course of 3-5 years. To do that initially, Morris is going to have to find a way to "do more, with less" until he is in a position to win more recruiting battles and "do more, with more". JMO

This is, unfortunately, true. Unfortunate because it is hard to do and is not a "quick fix" even if it can be done.

[BallHog1]

This isn't any different than any other HC who has assumed the reins since the departure of HDN (with the lone exception of JLS). They all try to promote the same notion. Bottom line, what will help Morris' recruiting more than anything else is the same thing that would have significantly helped every other HC that preceded him...sustained winning at a higher level over the course of 3-5 years. To do that initially, Morris is going to have to find a way to "do more, with less" until he is in a position to win more recruiting battles and "do more, with more". JMO

This, and if he doesn't manage it, no doubt we will fire him and start over again.