When new coaches were hired after the 2017 college football season, some were taking over programs needing a rejuvenation, some were restarting at new schools and some were just starting their head-coaching careers.
No matter the situation, they were all tasked with the challenge of recruiting at their new programs and building their ideal teams. With the 2018 and 2019 recruiting classes under their belts, and 2020 well underway, here is a look at how some of the second-year coaches are performing on the recruiting trail.
Chad Morris, Arkansas
2018 recruiting rank: 51
2019: 23
2020: N/A
Morris immediately brought excitement to Arkansas, reviving a program that became stale on the recruiting trail and jump-starting a foundation to build on. He and his staff have been active on social media and brought the Hogs some attention right from the start.
Morris was able to leap up to No. 23 in the class rankings in 2019, signing four ESPN 300 commitments, which was as many as the program had in 2017 and 2018 combined. Fast forward to the 2020 class and Arkansas already has three ESPN 300 commitments, including Morris' son, Chandler, who is the No. 9-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the class. The staff was able to do all of this in recruiting while going 2-10 in 2018. If that isn't showing the ability to get recruits to buy in, I don't know what is.
Dan Mullen, Florida
2018 recruiting rank: 13
2019: 9
2020: 8
Mullen and his staff started out slow and steady in the 2019 class and got a big boost from how the season played out, winning the last four games, including beating Michigan 41-15 in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The Gators were ranked 25th in the July class rankings, moved up to No. 11 after the early signing period, before eventually finishing with the ninth-ranked class after the February signing day.
The staff had some momentum in that early signing period by getting commitments from Keon Zipperer, Deyavie Hammond and Lloyd Summerall, and continued to build going into the 2020 class. Mullen and his staff already have nine ESPN 300 commitments in 2020, just four shy of the 2019 total, and has the trajectory of Florida recruiting heading up.
Willie Taggart, Florida State
2018 recruiting rank: 11
2019: 22
2020: 11
Taggart's time at Florida State has been up and down in recruiting. The most glaring negative was that the staff didn't sign a quarterback in the 2018 and 2019 classes despite the position being a big need. Taggart had ESPN 300 quarterback Sam Howell committed in 2019, but he flipped to North Carolina before signing day and the spot was never filled.
The actual recruiting classes haven't been bad, but considering Florida State finished ranked No. 4 in 2017, No. 1 in 2016 and No. 2 in 2015, there has been a significant drop-off after Taggart took over. The 2019 class was the lowest Florida State has ever finished since ESPN started its rankings in 2006, but the staff seems to have some momentum in 2020. There are already nine ESPN 300 commitments, the same amount as the entire 2019 class.
It won't be a top-five class, but Taggart has an opportunity to get into the top-10 range. A better season than 2018 would do wonders, but if things go sour on the field again, recruiting could go down with it.
Scott Frost, Nebraska
2018 recruiting rank: 21
2019: 18
2020: N/A
Frost went to Nebraska and immediately targeted, and landed, ESPN 300 quarterback Adrian Martinez. That proved fruitful, as Martinez led the offense in 2018 and improved throughout the season.
The staff hit the recruiting trail as soon as they were signed as coaches and were able to land four ESPN 300 recruits as well as three ESPN JC 50 junior college prospects to provide some quick help. While the 2018 season didn't start the way Frost had hoped, his team showed a ton of improvement in the second half that built up a lot of excitement for 2019.
The coaches were able to put together an excellent class in 2019, including ESPN 300 dual-threat quarterback Luke McCaffrey and Kentucky athlete Wandale Robinson, who could be an explosive playmaker in this offense. While the team is outside of the top 25 rankings in 2020 for now, the class is already shaping up to be another that will help fill this roster and improve the overall team. Frost seemingly has full control in recruiting to build what he wants in Lincoln.
Joe Moorhead, Mississippi State
2018 recruiting rank: 27
2019: 24
2020: 20
Moorhead's recruiting efforts in 2019 were impressive, especially along the offensive and defensive lines. The staff loaded up with ESPN 300 defensive tackle Nathan Pickering to go with ESPN 300 defensive ends De'Monte Russell and Ani Izuchukwu. On offense, the staff landed two four-star lineman in Charles Cross and Brandon Cunningham, as well as ESPN JC 50 recruit LaQuinston Sharp.
Linemen don't always move the needle for recruiting fans, but Moorhead is building a good foundation from the inside out and is seeing more and more success as he goes. The 2020 class already has 23 total commitments, including two ESPN 300 recruits, and the staff has one ESPN Junior 300 receiver committed in 2021 with Deion Smith. It isn't happening at light speed, but Moorhead has the ship headed in the right direction with recruiting.
Matt Luke, Ole Miss
2018 recruiting rank: 33
2019: 21
2020: 18
Luke had the task of navigating Ole Miss through NCAA sanctions and is now on the other end without any stipulations. Recruiting has progressively improved each year under Luke and his staff and is still climbing in the 2020 class.
The Ole Miss coaches had a big win in 2019 when they were able to secure a commitment from ESPN 300 running back Jerrion Ealy, who decommitted from the Rebels and then recommitted and signed with Ole Miss. The staff has made quarterback a priority, landing ESPN 300 dual-threat signal-caller John Rhys Plumlee and four-star Grant Tisdale in 2019, as well as ESPN 300 quarterback Robby Ashford in 2020. This 2020 class won't be a really flashy group and likely won't climb much higher than the current ranking, but it is a solid foundation for the future.
Jeremy Pruitt, Tennessee
2018 recruiting rank: 23
2019: 11
2020: N/A
Pruitt has been impressive at Tennessee so far, considering some of the big names he has been able to land in his short time as head coach. Moving up from 23 to 11 in the class rankings was quite the accomplishment given what the product has looked like on the field. It was also a necessity to help turn the program around.
Pruitt landed some elite-level national prospects in 2019 and beat out such teams as Alabama and Clemson for some of his top recruits. That included two five-star offensive tackles in Darnell Wright and Wanya Morris, athlete Quavaris Crouch and linebacker Henry To'oto'o. The 2020 class has gotten off to a slower start, but it still has the potential to be very good, and Tennessee already has three commitments in the 2021 class. A positive outcome on the field in 2019 will help push the Vols up a level, but Pruitt has his tenure off to a good start in recruiting so far.
Jimbo Fisher, Texas A&M
2018 recruiting rank: 16
2019: 3
2020: 10
The improvement up to No. 3 in the class rankings in the 2019 class says a lot about the recruiting success for Fisher so far at Texas A&M. That finish was the highest ranking for a Texas A&M team since ESPN started its class rankings in 2006, beating the No. 4 ranking in 2014. Fisher and his staff were able to land the top in-state prospect in offensive tackle Kenyon Green, who was also the top tackle in the country. The Aggies signed 11 of the 37 ESPN 300 prospects from Texas, which was seven more than Texas.
The Aggies have gotten themselves in the conversation with the No. 1-ranked recruit in 2020, an in-state prospect in running back Zachary Evans. The staff is going to have to fend off Georgia, Alabama and a few other programs, but it has a shot. Currently with 17 commitments, some big names are still on the board, and if Fisher can improve on the season he had in 2018, the Aggies should be near the top of the rankings year in and year out with Fisher as the head coach.
Chip Kelly, UCLA
2018 recruiting rank: Not ranked
2019: 53
2020: N/A
Kelly is trying to take a slow approach with recruiting and evaluating prospects, but it is still yet to be seen if that style will be successful. UCLA has signed only five ESPN 300 commits in the 2018 and 2019 classes and has only one committed in 2020. Kelly's Oregon teams weren't filled with ESPN 300 recruits and five-star prospects, so those numbers aren't yet a reason to panic for Bruins fans, but they are troubling given the amount of talent surrounding him in California.
Oddly enough, Kelly's former team, Oregon, has come in and cleaned house in California the past few recruiting classes, and a lot of the top national talent is leaving the state. Kelly could be recruiting the guys for his system and eventually develop them into what he wants, but on paper there hasn't been a lot to look at, especially considering UCLA was ranked 18, 15 and 11 in the three class rankings prior to Kelly's arrival. Finishing 3-9 on the season in 2018 won't help the recruiting efforts, but a turnaround season in 2019 could show Kelly has his own system that works.