Every Top 25 Team's Best Recruiting Sales Pitch to Their Top 2016 Target
College football recruiting is far more than just seeking out the best players who fit well into a program and then offering them a scholarship. That's the easy part.
Nowadays is takes a strong sales pitch to convince the country's top high school prospects to pick one school over (several) others, and just offering playing time isn't enough. That's something they're likely able to get from most of their suitors, and oftentimes they end up going somewhere in spite of the competition they face to get on the field immediately.
In order to convince an impressionable teenage athlete that his best move is to pick School X over University Y and Z State, it takes the kind of proposal that would sway a dyed-in-the-wool Republican to cross the aisle and vote Democrat or vice versa
Using Bleacher Report's Post-Spring Practice Top 25 as a guide, we've come up with a strong sales pitch for each school to use on its top remaining 2016 target.
No. 25 Boise State
1 of 25
The target: TE Jacob Kizer
The pitch: Blue turf enhances size
Jacob Kizer could end up choosing between Boise State and Washington, an ironic set of finalists since one (Washington) is coached by the man (Chris Petersen) who left the other one two years ago.
Petersen and his new staff are likely trying to convince Kizer, a 6'5", 235-pound standout from Salem, Oregon, that what they're doing in Seattle is the same as what goes on at Boise but at a higher level. But Boise still has the blue turf, and that is one of the many things that gets that program on national television more than other programs.
No. 24 Georgia Tech
2 of 25
The target: ATH Mecole Hardman Jr.
The pitch: Our offense provides far more options
Georgia Tech isn't currently getting much attention, if any, from experts who have made picks for 247Sports' Crystal Ball Predictor when it comes to Mecole Hardman Jr., as all of the picks to this point have been for Georgia and Tennessee. But the Yellow Jackets could offer the 5'10", 175-pound prospect from Elberton, Georgia, something that those schools can't: the choice to block, run or catch on nearly every play.
Tech's triple-option offense needs a lot from its receivers, even if they're not receiving the ball, and they also have the ability to get carries depending on where they line up.
Hardman, a dual-threat quarterback in high school, could even end up as the successor to Justin Thomas in Atlanta.
No. 23 Nebraska
3 of 25
The target: OT Matt Farniok
The pitch: The family in Sioux Falls have a short drive
Matt Farniok is part of an offensive line family, with his father, uncle and two older brothers having all excelled at the college level as either a lineman or tight end. They've all stayed relatively close to their Sioux Falls, South Dakota, home, none going further than Oklahoma.
Farniok's main choices include Arizona State, Florida State, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Stanford and Wisconsin. Nebraska would make for the shortest drive for Saturday home games, only 240 miles away in Lincoln, and that should be a huge factor in the decision this 6'6", 290-pound tackle will soon be making.
No. 22 LSU
4 of 25
The target: LB Keion Joyner
The pitch: SEC > ACC
Keion Joyner is down to three schools for 2016: Florida State, LSU and in-state suitor North Carolina. The nation's fifth-best outside linebacker had planned to make his choice at The Opening, but he's still getting around to visiting all of the schools.
He's making his first trip to LSU on July 23, per Shea Dixon of 247Sports, and he'll also be checking out FSU this summer. He's been able to make several trips to UNC.
When comparing the three schools, there are two things LSU should use in its favor: First, Joyner has family in Louisiana, per Dixon, but more importantly the SEC has had a much-better history of producing NFL defensive talent than the ACC has.
No. 21 Oklahoma State
5 of 25
The target: RB D'Vaughn Pennamon
The pitch: Compare our rushing track record to our competitor
While he just named Ole Miss his top choice at this point and told Sam Khan Jr. and Max Olson of ESPN he could be making a commitment soon, the door isn't shut yet for Oklahoma State to woo D'Vaughn Pennamon from his Texas home up to Stillwater. To do that, though, the Cowboys must convince Pennamon that Ole Miss doesn't have the tools needed to get him to the next level as a running back.
OK State has had two rushers drafted in the past four years, Joseph Randle and Kendall Hunter, while Ole Miss' last running back selected (who actually played that position in the NFL) was Rick Razzano in 2005. Dexter McCluster was converted to a receiver by the Kansas City Chiefs.
No. 20 Arizona
6 of 25
The target: ATH Chase Lucas
The pitch: You fit the mold of a RichRod skill-position star
In his time at West Virginia, the tail end of the ill-fated Michigan tenure and now at Arizona, Rich Rodriguez has sought the kind of players he can use in as many ways as possible. Chase Lucas is already doing that in high school, so why not continue that at the college level?
Lucas plays running back, receiver and cornerback for Chandler High School, and last year the 5'11", 166-pounder had more than 1,300 all-purpose yards.
Arizona is in Lucas' top seven along with Arizona State, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Texas, UCLA and Washington.
No. 19 Texas A&M
7 of 25
The target: OT Gregory Little
The pitch: Remember why you chose us in the first place
Texas A&M has been hit by several notable decommitments in the past few months, none bigger—literally and figuratively—than 6'5½", 305-pound lineman Gregory Little. He'd been pledged to the Aggies for quite some time, but on July 13 he re-opened his commitment.
Little's mother, Terry Lacy-Little, told Bleacher Report's Damon Sayles that "because this is such a life-changing event, (Gregory) feels he has to go through the recruiting process to evaluate where he wants to go."
She also added that "at the time he committed, he knew (A&M) was the place he wanted to be," and that's a key statement. There was something about the Aggies that made them stand out a year ago, and the coaching staff will look to remind Little of those things as they continue to work to lure him back.
No. 18 Arkansas
8 of 25
The target: DE McTelvin Agim
The pitch: You look more like a Hog than a Bear, Rebel or Aggie
Arkansas' top-rated prospect has a final four of the Razorbacks, Baylor, Ole Miss and Texas A&M. He'd be a great fit on any of those teams' defensive lines in 2016, but there's something about 6'2", 268-pound McTelvin Egim that just screams a Bret Bielema-type player.
The Razorbacks' resurgence has been built on big men in the trenches, and Agim would keep that trend going. The 247Sports Crystal Ball Predictor has Arkansas as an 83 percent favorite, but expect the Hogs to continue pushing hard to keep him from showing too much interest in his other finalists.
No. 17 Oklahoma
9 of 25
The target: LB Caleb Kelly
The pitch: We discovered you, and that's just the beginning.
Based on Caleb Kelly's list of finalists, it's looking pretty good that California's No. 2 prospect is going to leave the West Coast. Stanford and USC are the only in-state schools on the list, which also features Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Oregon.
When he made that announcement earlier this month, Kelly cited Oklahoma as the school that's "been there since the beginning, and they'll probably stick out until the end," per Erik McKinney of ESPN.
Oklahoma offered Kelly in April 2014, the first of 23 schools to extend a scholarship to him.
No. 16 Florida State
10 of 25
The target: DE Nick Bosa
The pitch: Carve your own path rather than follow your brother's
It's very likely that the top defensive player taken in the 2016 NFL draft will be Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa. Four years from now it might end up being his brother, Nick Bosa, the No. 9 overall recruit in 2016.
That could end up happening no matter where he ends up playing in college, based on the 6'4", 265-pound defensive end's skills. He's very likely to end up going to Ohio State and following in Joey's footsteps, but if he wants to be known as more than just the younger Bosa brother, he'd be best served to pick a different school.
This is the kind of pitch Florida State and other schools recruiting him would use. FSU would have this as only part of its pitch, though, as it could also point to the record number of players drafted from the program the past three seasons.
A Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native, Nick Bosa is scheduled to unofficially visit the Seminoles this weekend.
No. 15 Tennessee
11 of 25
The target: S Nigel Warrior
The pitch: Be the back-line weapon that completes our new-look defense
Tennessee's amazing recruiting haul the past few years under Butch Jones has brought in plenty of stars at the skill positions and on the front side of its defense. The secondary is still an area that can stand to get better and would do just that with Nigel Warrior.
The 5'11", 188-pound prospect from Georgia is rated as the No. 4 safety in the country. The Volunteers are in for a battle to get him out of that state and away from the Bulldogs, not to mention other SEC schools like Alabama and Auburn as well as recent offerer Oregon.
Warrior is coming off a great performance at The Opening, making 247Sports' dream team.
No. 14 Arizona State
12 of 25
The target: WR Dylan Crawford
The pitch: We're not buying what the experts have to say
Dylan Crawford was one of the lucky ones to earn an invite to The Opening, the top high school football event in the country that was held earlier this month in Oregon. Unfortunately, though, he didn't have the best of performances there, and his reputation took a hit.
"He was quiet during the 7-on-7 portion and never really asserted himself," 247Sports' Barton Simmons wrote.
Arizona State would probably disagree with that sentiment, because they'd seen enough to this point from the Santa Margarita, California, product to know he could be a valuable weapon for the Sun Devils in the future. ASU had Jaelen Strong last year and will be turning to converted running back D.J. Foster in 2015, but next year Crawford would be the go-to guy if he came to the desert.
No. 13 Georgia
13 of 25
The target: DT Derrick Brown
The pitch: The best Georgia players stick with the Bulldogs
Mark Richt hasn't lost control of his own state, as he's signed the top-rated player in Georgia in four of the past five recruiting classes. The one he missed was a big one, Robert Nkemdiche, but he got Lorenzo Carter in 2014 and No. 1 overall prospect Trent Thompson this past February.
Derrick Brown is the next on that list and No. 7 overall in the 2016 class. He's one plenty of other programs want as well. The nation's top-rated defensive tackle has 26 scholarship offers, including offers most of the SEC. Of note, last month he made a visit to Tennessee.
Whether with the Volunteers or the Bulldogs, he'd be joining a stellar defensive line, but with Georgia he'd be continuing the tradition of the best from the state staying at home.
No. 12 Clemson
14 of 25
The target: WR Darnell Salomon
The pitch: There's a lot of orange in the NFL
Clemson's rise the last few years has resulted in a bumper crop of players in the pros, particularly at the wide receiver position. The 2014 draft saw two Tigers, Martavis Bryant and Sammy Watkins, go in the first four rounds, and the year before DeAndre Hopkins was a first-round pick.
Current Clemson standouts Mike Williams and Artavis Scott figure to join that list in the next few years, with Darnell Salomon a good fit to add to that haul if he were to play in Death Valley. At 6'3" and 210 pounds, the No. 14 receiving prospect in the 2016 class has the size that the previous Clemson receiving stars have had.
Salomon has 26 offers, with the strongest push coming from Alabama.
No. 11 Ole Miss
15 of 25
The target: DE Jeffrey Simmons
The pitch: Be the next Robert Nkemdiche
When recruits are looking for where they want to play, the opportunity to get in and compete for a starting spot right away is often a key. Jeffrey Simmons likely wouldn't have to battle to be in the starting lineup in 2016 if he went to Ole Miss, though, since the person the Rebels have in his position now is likely going to be playing on Sundays next year.
At 6'4" and 262 pounds, Simmons currently plays defensive end but could easily be transitioned to the middle and play tackle at the college level. That's the route Ole Miss took with Nkemdiche in 2013, and that's helped him become a huge pro prospect who is faster than most interior linemen.
Simmons has both the Rebels and Mississippi State hot on his trail, as are Alabama and LSU.
No. 10 UCLA
16 of 25
The target: DT Boss Tagaloa
The pitch: The prom after parties are better near the beach
One of the more unique recruiting tactics we've seen this year involved Boss Tagaloa, a northern California prospect who is rated as the No. 10 defensive tackle in the 2016 class. Most of the teams after the 6'3", 295-pounder are from out West, but Michigan is also involved, and Jim Harbaugh got creative in trying to lure him to the Midwest.
Playing off a homemade sign that Tagaloa used to ask a girl to prom, Harbaugh made his own version of that sign for his recruiting pitch.
UCLA hasn't gone to such lengths to sway Tagaloa, though if it wants to it could just send him pictures of the Pacific Coast and compare it to Michigan winters.
No. 9 Auburn
17 of 25
The target: WR Nate Craig-Myers
The pitch: You were right the first time
When dealing with impressionable high school athletes, it shouldn't be a surprise to see that many end up making a decision about their future way too soon and then change their minds, sometimes more than once. Nate Craig-Myers apparently did this when he originally committed to Auburn last July, because in May he re-opened his recruitment.
The top-rated receiver in 2016 and the No. 16 overall prospect has picked up a few more offers since that decommitment, though he's no closer to making a decision. Auburn remains heavily involved in his recruitment, though Florida State is also doing a lot of work in that area.
No. 8 Oregon
18 of 25
The target: ATH Devin Asiasi
The pitch: Pick your poison and your position
At 6'5" and 260 pounds, Devin Asiasi has the size and shape that would make for the perfect college defensive end, though he also could be a tight end. Maybe he could do both?
If so, Oregon would be the place to go. The Ducks' top recruit from 2015, Canton Kaumatule, was a standout offensive lineman and defensive end in high school and could find himself working on both sides of the line with the Ducks, so there's the possibility of a precedent being set for Asiasi.
From Concord, California, and ranked as the fourth-best athlete in the 2016 class, Asiasi has a top eight that includes Oregon as well as California, Miami (Florida), Michigan, UCLA, USC and Washington.
No. 7 Notre Dame
19 of 25
The target: LB Ben Devis
The pitch: Prove Gus Malzahn wrong and be a trendsetter
The subject of satellite camps was brought up several times this week at SEC media days, and most coaches said they weren't a big deal. Auburn's Gus Malzahn took that one step further, saying those camps wouldn't have any impact on recruiting when it comes to the region's top players.
"The chances of a team up north coming into our state and getting a player us or Alabama wants is slim to none," Malzahn said, per the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer.
Ben Davis would be the perfect player to help Notre Dame disprove that statement, though at this point it appears that Alabama, Auburn, Florida State and LSU are his top choices. Notre Dame has commitments from Florida, North Carolina and Virginia but hasn't yet managed to pull anyone out of deep SEC territory.
No. 6 USC
20 of 25
The target: DE Oluwole Betiku
The pitch: Be part of USC's reclaiming of Los Angeles
There are six teams still officially in the running for California's top-ranked prospect, but USC isn't one of them. It didn't make the cut when Betiku announced his final list (Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas A&M and UCLA) on May 29.
But don't think that means the Trojans will stop pursuing the nation's top-rated weak-side defensive end, especially when he could be the difference between remaining on the losing side of the city rivalry with UCLA or turning it back in its favor.
Betiku, originally from Nigeria, came to the U.S. with the help of former Penn State linebacker LaVar Arrington.
No. 5 Alabama
21 of 25
The target: LB Lyndell Wilson
The pitch: Playing at Alabama is what the state's top recruits (almost) always do
Alabama has signed the top-rated player from its own state in seven of the previous eight recruiting cycles, the only exception coming in 2012, when Florida State swooped in and landed someone named Jameis Winston. He went on to win a national championship and go first in the NFL draft.
Whether Lyndell Wilson can do the same during his college career remains to be seen, but the linebacker from Montgomery is still a high priority for the Crimson Tide as well as several other schools. Auburn, Florida State and LSU all have had plenty of contact with the 6'2", 220-pound Wilson over the past few months.
No. 4 TCU
22 of 25
The target: WR Tyrie Cleveland
The pitch: Be a part of the Horned Frogs' Texas takeover
When Tyrie Cleveland decommitted from Texas A&M in April, all of the teams that had previously recruited in (and several others) came out of the woodwork hoping to convince one of the most dynamic receivers in the country to come on board. That includes TCU, which made Cleveland's top 10 in June.
Also in the running: Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Georgia, Houston, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. The Houston native has clearly shown he wants to go somewhere that's established a reputation for producing great receivers, and TCU has joined that group based on how it performed in 2014 and the recruits who have pledged to the Frogs since.
TCU has two 4-star receivers committed for 2016 but can always use more. Last year it had five players catch at least 30 passes, so there's more than enough touches to go around.
No. 3 Michigan State
23 of 25
The target: WR Donnie Corley
The pitch: There's no need to leave the state; we have everything you want in East Lansing
Michigan State has already loaded up on players at nearly every position of need for 2016, including defensive end, quarterback and even wide receiver. What it doesn't have yet, though, is a signature player from within the state to cap off an amazing class.
The Spartans were the first team to offer Detroit star Donnie Corley last fall, and a few months later Ohio State and Tennessee jumped into the race. All told, he has 31 offers, but those are the main suitors.
"Those are the big schools that are going to be in my top five for sure," Corley told MLive.com's Jared Purcell.
Of its 20 commitments for 2016, only 20 percent come from the Great Lakes State. Eight come from Ohio and another five are from Illinois. Corley is the state's third-rated player and the No. 113 overall in the 2016 class.
No. 2 Baylor
24 of 25
The target: S Brandon Jones
The pitch: Help make Baylor known as much for lockdown defense as it is for high-octane offense
The numbers speak for themselves when it comes to Baylor's offense, which last year led the nation in scoring (48.2 points per game) and yardage (581.5). It's been that way for several seasons, and because of this not much attention gets paid to what the Bears are able to do on defense.
Other than massive defensive end Shawn Oakman, most of Baylor's defenders aren't that recognizable partly due to some games where they either gave up big leads or came close to doing so.
Brandon Jones would be an answer to both the visibility and performance issues. He's the top-rated safety in the country, and every major program in Texas is after this 5'11½", 193-pound in-state product. Texas A&M appears to be the clear leader for Jones' services, based on 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions, but with Baylor he could establish a new identity for its defense.
No. 1 Ohio State
25 of 25
The target: DT Rashan Gary
The pitch: Add to our defensive line's great lineage
The reputation that Ohio State's defensive front four has created in the past two years is one that can only be matched by a few teams in college football history. One of those happens to be another that Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer had, back at Florida in the midst of its two national titles in three seasons.
Gary could help continue that lineage if he were to choose OSU over the likes of Alabama, Auburn, Michigan and Notre Dame.
The 6'4", 311-pound New Jersey native is the top-rated player in the 2016 class. He had 14 sacks and 55 tackles last season for Paramus Catholic, the same school that produced Jabrill Peppers.
Though ranked as a defensive tackle, because of his speed he could end up playing on the outside with some weight loss. Either spot would be beneficial for OSU, which will surely lose end Joey Bosa after this season and also is set to graduate both starting tackles.
Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports, unless otherwise noted.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
