LAS VEGAS — A wide range of topics brought differing opinions from the head coaches who gathered at Allegiant Stadium this week for Big 12 Media Days, but there was a general consensus when it came to recruiting: the conference throne is finally, and realistically, up for grabs.
After seeing Oklahoma and Texas dominate the recruiting standings for decades, the conference members now have a window to climb the charts. There is intriguing parity on the field, as commissioner Brett Yormark boasted during his time on stage. And with the Longhorns and Sooners no longer passing around the recruiting crown like a hot potato, there is certainly a much more competitive race for talent developing on the trail.
TCU and UCF are the only two Big 12 programs inside the national top 25 team recruiting rankings for the 2025 class, according to the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings, as of Thursday morning. Seven other Big 12 teams aren’t far behind in terms of quality commitments.
The path to recruiting success, many coaches projected, goes through the Lone Star State.
“Oklahoma and Texas have historically recruited well and are recruiting well now, but there are a lot of really good high school players in the state of Texas and there are enough to go around,” TCU coach Sonny Dykes said. “You can have a number of programs be successful recruiting the state. When you look at Texas A&M and Texas being in-state schools, and then you look at LSU knowing they’re going to recruit the state of Texas well, right there with Oklahoma as well, those are four historically big brands. We have to do a good job of battling for top players with them, winning some of those battles and, most importantly, you have to do a great job evaluating people, making sure you’re recruiting the right players.”
The Horned Frogs entered Thursday at No. 18 nationally in the recruiting rankings and hold commitments from a pair of Top247 prospects. It’s been a blitz inside the state’s borders — all but four of their 21 commits hail from Texas.
That same blueprint carried Texas Tech to a first-place finish in the conference rankings for the 2024 class. The Red Raiders signed their first-ever five-star high schooler in Temple (Texas) Lake Belton standout receiver Micah Hudson and landed Top247 quarterback Will Hammond, a Mr. Texas Football Award finalist and Elite 11 member from Hutto, to spearhead that impressive group. All 20 of the high schoolers Texas Tech signed were from within the state.
“Even with (Oklahoma and Texas) gone, it’s more about us trending in the right direction,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “The facilities that we’re building are as good as any you’ll find in the country. They’re going to blow you away, and you’ll spend the next week talking about that stadium.
“With everything we have going on, I think that’s what’s going to change more than anything. We’re showing everybody that we’re going to compete when it comes to recruiting.”
