.png)
First impressions after the first day of college football's December signing period (which needs to be abolished because of its unintended consequences, but that's another screed for another day):
What did we learn? This Freeze warning wasn't kidding.
Hugh Freeze is a better recruiter than Bryan Harsin. Nick Saban is a better recruiter than Hugh Freeze and every other head coach in the history of the sport. Kirby Smart is a better recruiter than anyone currently at work in the profession not named Nick Saban.
Like recruiting rankings, those words may not mean what you think they mean. Let's explore.
Aubie the mascot, Spirit the retired bald eagle and every pitcher of lemonade ever made at Toomer's Drug Store is a better recruiter than Harsin. So was Freeze by a country mile the day he was hired. It's a low bar, which Freeze and company cleared with ease, in large part thanks to the dedication of Carnell Williams and Zac Etheridge.
It's hard to overcome a head coach's indifference to the ways, means and fundamental importance of talent acquisition in the Southeastern Conference. Hiring a veteran with Freeze's demonstrated knowledge of and attention to that subject was a necessary course correction, and so far so good. Auburn's class jumped about 40 spots since he was named head coach to No. 20 in the 247 Sports composite rankings as of Wednesday evening.
As this Auburn staff flipped commitments from the likes of Ohio State and Florida State and addressed the critical need for more quality and quantity along the offensive line, among its numerous accomplishments, a Twitter query arose: What exactly was Harsin doing the last two years when recruiting should've been Nos. 1-9 on his top-10 list of priorities?
It is best left as a rhetorical question.
Read the rest of Kevin's evaluation of the early signing period. Only in The Lede.
Comments