2017 Texan Recruits Discuss Why Many Are Choosing to Play Outside Home State
The state of Texas. Proud. Strong-willed. One that thrives on tradition and exudes confidence.
And one that loves its football. On all levels.
So when a proud, strong-willed, confident, tradition-laden state has a football recruiting class that's dominated by a bunch of athletes who choose to play college ball elsewhere, questions arise.
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Of the top 25 players from the state of Texas in the 2017 class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings, only seven are committed to play in-state college ball. Of the top 10 ranked players, only two—4-star offensive lineman Jack Anderson (Texas Tech) and 4-star defensive end Lagaryonn Carson (Texas)—have committed to play in-state.
Compare these statistics to previous years. Fifteen of the top 25 Texans in the 2016 class stayed in-state. Fourteen from the 2015 class and 15 in 2014 did the same.
What is it about the 2017 class that makes playing in-state not as attractive? Is there a legit reason?
"You're seeing a trend over the last few years where more out-of-state schools are being considered," said Jason Howell, senior recruiting analyst for TexAgs.com. "There are a lot of factors and a lot of schools these athletes get to work with now."
Venturing out
In speaking with several Texans, there's nothing against schools like Texas, Texas A&M, Houston, Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech or the other in-state choices. This class just happens to know its options and has made it a priority to weigh all opportunities.
"I just think that's a coincidence. Kids just want to go to the college that best fits them," said 4-star tight end Brock Wright, who committed to Notre Dame in June 2015 and called it his "dream school."
The fact is, athletes in Texas—and in other states—have more access to schools than they would have five or 10 years ago. With the power of online researching and social media, athletes now are able to get to know college coaches and see virtual tours of campuses without leaving the state.
Unofficial visits also are more common for athletes. They are using their own money to visit campuses and attend camps. Part of that can be attributed to building relationships with coaches by way of social media sites like Twitter and Instagram.
And what many athletes are finding, once they make these trips, is a new horizon outside of their comfort zone.
"Players that have been in Texas want to see the rest of the world," said 4-star running back Eno Benjamin, who committed to Iowa in April. "When you speak to a person that is from out of state, a place that everyone want to see is Texas, and they want to see what all the hype is about. But Texas is what we've known for so long, and people want to take the chance to settle somewhere else for a bit.
"I've been in Texas my whole life and thought this was a good opportunity to do something new."
Having the chance to experience a new world is one of the reasons 3-star wide receiver Jaylon Jackson's decision was so easy. Despite having options to play closer to home, Jackson verbally committed to Colorado in April.
Jackson said the relationship he built with Darrin Chiaverini was key in his decision. In addition to serving as co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, Chiaverini is the recruiting coordinator for the Buffaloes.
"Coach Chev played a major part, and the place is wonderful," Jackson said of Colorado. "They have top-of-the-line facilities, and it's different then any other school I have been to.
"Knowing that a lot of the top talent comes out of Texas, out-of-state schools make you feel more wanted. To me, people look at Texas guys differently out of state than in-state. If you go to school out of state, you're not just another guy from your home state."
Texans crossing the Red River
Texas and Texas A&M used to be no-brainer staples for in-state athletes. With Texas still in rebuilding mode under coach Charlie Strong and Texas A&M still looking for its identity in the SEC post-Johnny Manziel, athletes are looking at alternatives.
Oklahoma has benefited, particularly this year. Being north of the border, on the other side of the Red River, the Sooners have been a staple in Lone Star State recruiting during Bob Stoops' successful tenure. This year seems to be one of the more successful years of Oklahoma recruiting.
Robert Barnes, a 4-star safety, is one of eight Texans committed to Oklahoma, which currently has a top-five recruiting class nationally. He committed to the Sooners last September.
Oklahoma is a school that annually recruits the state of Texas well. The team's 2016 roster features 42 players from the state—which is nearly 40 percent of the team's 110-player roster.
"Oklahoma is one of the most tradition-rich programs in the nation, and every year, they are in that national championship discussion," Barnes said. "The coaching staff is, in my opinion, the best in the country, and they treat every player like they are their kid and a part of their family."
Wright (Cypress, Texas), Benjamin (Wylie) and Barnes (Southlake) all added that distance and being far away from home didn't play a role in their decisions. For Barnes, proximity served as an advantage.
"Oklahoma is out of state; however, from where I live, it is closer than Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech," he said. "It makes it an easy drive, which is super convenient for all of my family."
Barnes said Oklahoma's winning reputation played a role, but how much of a factor can success rate on the field play? To those used to winning, consider it a high priority.
In the last five years, Texas A&M, Texas, Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech and Houston have combined for a record of 257-133 (65.5 winning percentage). Only Baylor, Houston and TCU are averaging at least nine wins per year in that span. For some athletes, nine wins aren't enough.
Baylor has been the winningest team of the six, but the program's negative publicity—including rape allegations involving players and the firing of coach Art Briles—have made targets want to look elsewhere. Baylor's 2017 class only has two commits as September inches closer.
"When you look at the Big 12, it's down, and OU is looking pretty dang strong," Howell said, referring to Oklahoma's string of seasons with double-digit victories (13 of the last 16 seasons). "That's a program that's going to be attractive to kids. They're killing it in Texas. I think it goes back to the stability of Coach Stoops and them being in the [College Football Playoff] last year."
Of Oklahoma's 19 commits, 13 are rated 4-star athletes. And of those 13 4-stars, six are Texans. In fact, the Sooners' three top-ranked players are offensive lineman Tyrese Robinson (McKinney, Texas), Barnes and wide receiver Jalen Reagor (Waxahachie, Texas).
A trio of factors
Player development, campus environment and academic reputation: three additional factors that play into an athlete's decision-making process.
J.K. Dobbins is a 4-star athlete rated the nation's top all-purpose back. In March, Dobbins ended his recruiting process by committing to Ohio State.
While Dobbins said he strongly considered playing in-state, it was difficult turning down an offer from an established program like Ohio State, one that just saw running back Ezekiel Elliott taken fourth overall by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2016 NFL draft.
"It's just the player development," Dobbins said. "And then, [it's] the winning tradition. I'll have a chance at winning a national championship every year. I just feel like they will get me right."
For 5-star offensive tackle Austin Deculus, an LSU commit and a teammate of Wright's, the decision was easy for him after visiting the Baton Rouge campus. He suspects the game and campus atmospheres at other out-of-state locations win over players looking to view something different.
"Texas talent wants to expand the horizon of play and excel in other areas," Deculus said. "To me, the atmosphere on game night [at LSU] is better than something I could find in Texas."
One of the most coveted, uncommitted athletes in the 2017 class is 5-star Jeffrey Okudah, a top-five national player and the nation's top-ranked cornerback. While schools like Texas and Texas A&M are on his list, Okudah is also strongly considering Ohio State, Alabama, Stanford, Oklahoma and Florida State.
In addition to wanting the full-package athletic program, Okudah also wants to get a good degree that will prepare him for whenever his playing career comes to a conclusion.
"I want to see if a coach can develop [defensive backs], not necessarily what the school is," Okudah told Bleacher Report's Sanjay Kirpalani at The Opening. "I also want to have a great plan for life after football. I want to get into the sports marketing field and be successful in it."
Still time remaining
For those fans of Texas schools, the good news with the 2017 class is there's still time to land big talent. The state's top four athletes—defensive tackle Marvin Wilson, Okudah, linebacker Baron Browning and offensive tackle Walker Little—all are uncommitted 5-stars who are interested in playing college ball close to home.
Wilson has told Bleacher Report multiple times that Texas and Texas A&M are two schools he's high on. Little is considering Texas, among other schools. The Longhorns would love to land both athletes, as they are teammates at Episcopal High School in Bellaire, Texas, outside of Houston.
Browning likes Texas and TCU. The one-time Baylor commit lives minutes away from TCU, and the Horned Frogs would love to grab one of the nation's most versatile athletes. His father played football at TCU. His older brother played at Stanford, also a school to watch in Browning's recruitment.
"— Baron Browning (@baronbrwnng) April 7, 2016"
Another player to keep an eye on is 4-star linebacker Anthony Hines III, an athlete with 90 reported offers. He trimmed his list from 90 to 10 in July and included Texas, Texas A&M, TCU and SMU as his finalists. Oklahoma, Ohio State and UCLA are three schools that could score his commitment and steal away another in-state pledge.
"Honestly, it's opportunity," Benjamin said. "Players just may have a better opportunity elsewhere in a different state."
National signing day is in February, and a few athletes are considering waiting until then to announce their verbal commitments. The process for all of the elite athletes will be well-monitored, and Dobbins said he expects the members of his class to give every school its due diligence.
If that means choosing an out-of-state school, so be it.
"I think my class knows," Dobbins said, "that sometimes you have to go a little further to be the best you can be. You don't always have to stay home."
Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles
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