More Texas recruits moving out of state for college

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It’s resulted in a booming market for recruits across the state. UCLA coach Jim Mora Jr. was amazed at the number of other college coaches he encountered in a recent visit to a Dallas hotel lobby.

“I was looking around one night and noticed there were some pretty darned good football programs staying at the hotel,” Mora said. “And these weren’t little schools, either.”

Mora has stepped up his recruiting in the Lone Star State, which he considers his second most important hunting ground behind California. With nine players from the state and two recruits in the upcoming class, the word has gotten out about the Bruins. They are among the finalists for Plano West running back Soso Jamabo, Rivals.com’s top Texas recruit who is expected to choose between them and Texas on National Signing Day.

“There is just so much talent down there,” Mora said. “We all know there’s great high school football there. And the kids that we’ve recruited have done very well for us. It’s been a good match.”

Mora’s success has convinced other coaches from around the country to enter a Texas market that is becoming more crowded. Rodgers said Maryland and Rutgers became converts shortly after joining the Big Ten Conference.

“You heard Chad Morris when he was hired at SMU saying he wanted to keep everybody else out of Dallas-Fort Worth and that he was going to surround it,” Rodgers said. “With (Texas State’s) Dennis Franchione, you heard the same thing and you’ve heard (UT’s) Charlie Strong say that, too.

“There’s a lot of terrific players here in the state and Texas schools obviously want to keep everybody else out. But as long as D-FW International Airport and George Bush (Intercontinental Airport) remain open, it’s going to be awfully hard to do.”

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