This is not a point that you addressed but I bring it up since it is relevant to recruiting.

Mack’s model of very early signing has been great for UT recruiting but I wonder if this approach needs to be rethought.

Nowadays, there is a greater risk that UT will lose a guy early to the NFL or that a recruit do something criminal (or criminally stupid) and get kicked off the team. Injuries also introduce a level of uncertainty in the personel situation.

Maybe it is time that for Mack to sign fewer early recruits and reserve more scholarships for late signees. This would enable him to respond just in time to personnel requirements that change late in the recruiting season.

It would also be hugely advantageous to be able to sign a JC guy in an emergency. This would be especially helpful when you desperately need a lineman because a JC guy has had two extra years to get big and strong enough to compete in the Big 12.

OU’s Loadholt was a JC guy and so was the awesome nose tackle for Alabama this year, so there are some quality JC guys available.

Also, large classes should grade higher than small classes. The more players you bring in, the more busts you can stand, and the greater the odds you “hit” at a position.

I believe that had USC(with their uber talent), or ANY of the underachievers(I count 5 in that list above) had our TEAM’s cohesiveness & consistent, dogged attitude to fight back, there would have been considerably more controversity in selecting who was to play in the MNC game this year…granted, save Georgia’s Stafford, there was a common factor amongst them–a glaring lack of experience or talent at the QB position…all the more reason for us to celebrate Colt McCoy’s return for next year!!

I contend that attitude & effort trumps talent many times and use USC post 2005 as a very good example of underachieving teams(not that they did not “look” good in a considerably weaker Pac 10 conf, even if they did well in bowls this year)…we had a similar experience back in the era of the 2000 recruiting class…Mack will likely tell you(privately) he understands this as well…yet, it might be some time before there will be two teams as loaded with NFL talent as were our 2005-2006 NC team & USC’s as well…that is still a record that will likely stand over time!

Both Rivals and Scout also have a tendency to uprate players who are being recruited by more top programs – getting an offer from USC and Florida virtually guarantees a player at least 4 stars regardless of onfield performance.

Texas recruiting class rankings tend to suffer because most of them commit so early that Rivals and Scout have no vested interest in pumping up their ratings.

Attrition is the real reason this team is not as talented as some (Particularly in the skill positions and defensive backfield)

Jamal Charles
Jermichael Finley
Jerrel Wilkerson
Myron Hardy
Robert Joseph
Michael Houston
James Henry

And guys that did not work out or aren’t going to work out:

George Walker
Philip Payne
Montre Webber
Bobby Tatum

I don’t see a talent drop off anywhere else from teams in the past. This OL was as good as any except the 04-06 group, and the D line is the as good as any but the Hampton/Rogers group.

Thank God for Muschamp and the Colt-Quan-Ship triumvirate.