The problem is that Charlie had a little over 30 days to build a relationship with recruits and families that had a relationship with Mack Brown and liked the rock star treatment and family style atomosphere (borderline coddling) players recieved at Texas under Mack Brown. Mack and Co were harder on players pre-2005 than post-2005. There's been a lot of credit given to "letting VY be VY" however relaxing for one group does not = success for all...especially young groups you can't trust. It's the post 2005 treatment that has led us right where we are and it started with big misses beyond that 2005 class up until now. Development of players fell off the table considerably a long time ago. Consider this, name me 10 players who left the University of Texas phsyically and fundamentally changed after the 2006 season. I'll start you off with Colt McCoy. You can probably grab some defensive guys who played under WM, but try and find the offensive ones not named McCoy and Shipley. Take a big look at Garret Gilbert, Mike Davis, Jaxon Shipley, MJ McFarland, Carrington Byndom, Case McCoy, David Ash, RB's, the O-line, D-line, DB's, so and and so forth. Does Mack have a single skin on the wall over the last 4 years like turning a former QB in to an NFL Draft pick on the defensive side of the ball? Mack was not out recruited so much as he was out coached and his players were out developed. Those players listed previously are the same players they were since they stepped foot on campus. Great talents poorly developed.
2) Charlie had to recruit against coaches who had at least one year to build a relationship with players and families committed and not committed to Texas. The reason why Poona Ford is considering Texas? His relationship with Strong and Co, and nothing else.
Bottom line is that you dance with the devil you know. And these players have known a whole lot of other devils longer than they have known Charlie Strong. So ya, new relationship, new rules, new culture... all of those things are going to cause doubt and frankly, I don't want anyone who is scared or uncomfortable with those things, no matter their star rating.
It's amazing we haven't even played a game yet and some are already starting to question Charlie Strong on the recruiting trail and discarding his track record. 2015 will be a little easier than 2014 but don't forget... the same coaches who are poaching the Texas committment list are the same one's who have a year put in with the 2015 class as well. Winning will certainly help Charlie on that front and there is plenty of talent on the roster to win with. Recruiting will take care of itself if you win. And Charlie was brought in to change what was wrong with the Texas football program.... coaching and culture. And the man can coach.
IMO - we need to back off the ledge on the 2014 class. Bill Snyder has the same amount of conference titles as Mack Brown with not nearly the same recruiting power. Why? Because he can coach and has an eye for talent. That's not to say that we don't need top players to win, because we certainly do. However we do have top talent on the current roster with back to back top 10 classes as juniors and seniors. Charlie's work was always going to be difficult but his real work begins with what is on campus, not with what might or might not be.
