Why Kevin Sumlin’s Recruiting has been Better than Expected at Arizona
We’re in the midst of June, and the Wildcats have just four commits in the class of 2019, but here’s why Kevin Sumlin’s recruiting has been better than expected.
Star watchers, people expecting quick results beware, this take may bother you. It’s been five months since Arizona’s new football coach has taken over, but Kevin Sumlin’s recruiting has been better than expected so far.
Committed are; four-star quarterback Grant Gunnell, three-star running back Michael Wiley, three-star lineman Jordan Morgan and two-star punter, Kyle Ostendorp. The class ranks 72nd nationally according to 247Sports, which is about ninth currently in the Pac-12.
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Anyone writing off this class, or calling it underwhelming so far needs to temper their expectations, and also need to be patient. If you’re strictly star-watching, that’s the wrong way to go about it, especially if you’re an Arizona Football fan, after all, even big name players have under-performed again and again while here.
Regardless, I would be more concerned with the product on the field and how that talent is getting developed.
Since 2013, Rich Rodriguez’s first draft impacted while at Arizona, the Wildcats had just six players drafted. The previous six drafts, Arizona had 18 draft picks…18!!!
Now, this isn’t a defeatists attitude I have, it’s a realistic one, and here’s why.
Arizona is far from a traditional football power. Our greatest success in the latest 15 years was a 10-4 season where we won the Pac-12 South, and played in the Fiesta Bowl. Our record in the 2000’s has been 103-118.
Since 2008, the Wildcats have experienced their best stretch of football in the past 20 years, winning 70 games, while losing just 59 games. During that stretch, we also appeared in eight bowl games in the last ten seasons.
However, that winning has not quite been enough, and former head coach Rodriguez wasn’t exactly the best recruiter at Arizona.
While the changing of coaches certainly helps to breath life into the program, the verdict is still out on Sumlin. Perceived as a good recruiter, keep in mind, its far easier to recruit to Texas A&M in football than it is to Arizona.
While recruiting to Tucson hasn’t always been the easiest, the teams of the 90s were built off blue-collar-type players that came in, worked hard, and played within the system. Additionally, the external challenges we face now, didn’t quite exist back then.
Up until 2012, Arizona has been behind most other programs in terms of its facilities. Fast forward to 2018, and the school is just now getting on an equal playing field. The facilities arms race, along with the school having virtually no tradition is why the program is where it is.
Only things that are gonna change that, are good recruiters and winning. Those things take strong relationships, effort and development, things that we will see if this staff can change in the coming seasons.
Relationships and having a good staff are vital to recruiting success, a factor that seems to have paid huge dividends in securing the commitment from Gunnell so far. The Houston-based QB picked Arizona over LSU, Ohio State, Alabama and Michigan among others. Why? It was the relationship he had with Sumlin and Noel Mazzone.
While we can be frustrated that Arizona’s recruiting looks similar so far to Rodriguez’s, in terms of ranking, please note it is early. It is also completely unfair to judge players long before they arrive on campus.
So far, getting Gunnell has been a huge success, and undoubtedly highlights the class. Also, Ostendorp comes from our own backyard, and is a highly regarded punter in the class of 2019!
Additionally, the Wildcats have a number of big time offers out, and it is only June. The higher-rated players typically don’t commit until later in the recruiting process and Arizona has just four players committed thus far, to call it underwhelming is a bit foolish and premature.
Arizona is recruiting based on need, and rather than stock piling the class with a number of athletes, it’ll be interesting to see how the rest of this class pans out.
Must Read: More on Arizona Football Recruiting
At Zona Zealots, we encouraged with what the staff is doing and only hope they can continue to find success! Bear Down, Arizona!