Ok, so the following is what I was told by a couple of well placed sources regarding some things we saw on the recruiting trail.
Kevin Murray and Kevin Sumblin do not get along. I suspect they will continue to not get along. I think Sumblin loses either way (MLB or helicopter dad). The two have had several conversations that did not end well. In fact, around early December it became a heightened sense of frustration on the Murray side.
Murray has sent four QBs to play for Sumblin. All four have transferred away after disappointing experiences with Sumblin.
So dad made some calls to Charlie and the possible visit was talked about. It was supposed to happen in late December, then early January, before it finally happened. If you follow HIg, this is what he was talking about back then when he said "you'll know it when you see it."
Dad prompted the whole idea of Lodge coming with them to Austin. Dad contacted Mack while the visit was going on in Austin. Papa was showing Sumblin whats up. He made his point, I think.
In the end it still came back to Kyler and there was just too much time invested by Sumblin and too much growing up aggy for Charlie to overcome.
Mack was literally a Texas commit when he left Austin. That changed quickly, too quickly, when it came down to the wire. And once decided, Texas was shut out. I'd love to go further into this but it would be harmful, IMO, if I did. This will resurface, IMO, at some point in the not so distant future.
It's too bad Lodge could not make that second visit to Austin. If he had, I'm fairly certain he'd be a Horn right now. His visit really shook up his perception of Texas. On that last weekend though, instead, Ole Miss got more time in his ear and in his living room. Lodge fell in love with one of our coeds during the evening's festivities. She could have closed the deal for us had he been able to return lol.
Soso is the one who ended up in love on one of his visits. But again, he left Austin sold on the Longhorns. In this case, it was some pure gut-wrenching recruiting by UCLA staff that swung him (plus a trainer and a large population of beautiful asian ladies). He went back to UCLA in the end.
There was an abundance of dirty recruiting going on this year and the primary offender was easily identified. Next year's recruiting strategy could be very interesting as a result.
Laughingly, I think the Paysites made some news this recruiting cycle. OB's management jumped about as far on a limb as you can get – only to have it break in half on them. IMO, Longhorns were so grateful to be considered by Murray that they really didn't care that NO PC took place as OB reported it would with great certainty, or that Kyler Murray would not be a Horn as they proclaimed he would.
Then some England-base jihadist decides to take down a Texas recruiting site right at the most inopportune time on the calendar. In fact, the site is still being hacked as I type this. I have a membership there but can't even get to the site to log out and end my membership.
On a serious side, I think Hornsports did some pioneering this go-round. A great idea was converted into reality with the fabulous NSD board/chatroom. No one else had this feature, not even close. HS literally removed the need to click anywhere else. Bravo! . . . A thread that ended up being the talk of the message-board universe was graciously allowed to sail along without delay by HS decision makers. Some people here now found us because of that thread. And what a thread it was . . .
What a way to end a recruiting season. Friggin wow.
