The 2OT: This recruiting class may not be flashy, but it gets the job done

The thought.

National Signing Day is upon us. As far as recruiting classes go, the 2018 class has been nothing to write home about. According to Rivals.com, Techs recruiting class ranks number 62 nationally and is dead last in the Big 12. It’s easy for fans to feel frustrated over the numbers. We are football fans, after all. Whether it’s game day or signing day, we want to win.

Just because a class isn’t as highly touted as others across the country doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad class, or that it won’t translate into on the field production later on. I’m reminded of a quote by the great U.S Olympic hockey coach, Herb Brooks

“I don’t want the best players, I need the right players. You win with people, not with talent. So the quality of the people is very important in building your team. I always looked for people with a solid value system. Then I recruited kids from a cross-section of different personalities, talents and styles of play.”

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Too often fans get too worked up about the ratings assigned to recruits they forget (or ignore) the player behind the rating actually brings to the table.

So what does this class bring to the table?

The take

As I mentioned before, this class isn’t anything flashy. But flash doesn’t always win football games. When it comes to recruiting, even the best classes can fall short if they don’t meet the needs of the team. So while this particular class isn’t the highest ranked, it addresses the current needs of the team very well.

For example, even after four-star receiver Gabriel Douglas decommitted, the Red Raiders picked up five solid receivers which will replenish a receiving corps that will be almost entirely graduated by next year.

The Red Raiders also add five offensive linemen including four-star Demarcus Marshal. Even with all five starters returning this year, the additions provide some much needed depth in a position that is historically injury prone.

The late addition Ta’Zhawn Henry provides an answer at the running back position after the loss of Justin Stockton.

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Also, three-star quarterback Allen Bowman will provide some much needed competition to a position which clearly suffered from a lack of options last season.

The biggest concern about this class is the size. The Red Raiders only have 18 commits going into signing day, which has a lot to do with why the class is ranked so low. There are a lot of quality players, however, specifically on offense that could make an immediate impact next year. I do wish there were more defensive commits, particularly in the cornerback position, but with nearly all of David Gibbs’ starters returning next year, the defense should be fine until the next recruiting cycle.

What’s your take?

Let us know in the comments what your thoughts are about this recruiting class.