Let me start this blog by saying I’m not advocating that CU stop recruiting in Texas. In fact, it’s just the opposite. I think the Buffs need to do a better job recruiting talent from the Lone Star state, especially in football.
With a possible switch to the Pac-10 Conference in mind, some CU fans have raised concerns that leaving the Big 12 would kill recruting in Texas for the Buffs. I don’t think it would help. That’s for sure, but I’m not convinced it would prevent CU from landing prospects from what is probably the most talent-rich state in the nation, at least when it comes to football.
But I also believe a move to the Pac-10 would only help recruiting in California, where CU has traditionally fared much better.
A lot of CU fans erroneously believe the football program used to pull large numbers of Texans to Boulder every year. That simply isn’t true. Did you know the largest number of recruits from Texas former coach Bill McCartney landed in one year was five? That happened in 1991, just after CU won the national championship.
By the way, all of my numbers in this blog come straight from CU sports information guru Dave Plati.
Former coach Gary Barnett was the most successful recruiter in Texas of any CU coach since 1973. During his seven years in Boulder, Barnett recruited 27 Texas recruits into the program, including 18 prospects in the 2002 and 2003 classes. That is by far the most successful two years in Texas since the program began tracking its recruiting in 1973.
A typical year in Texas recruiting for the Colorado program is signing three or four prospects. I see no reason why that can’t or won’t continue if the Buffs make a move to the Pac-10.
Here are some numbers on Colorado, California and Texas football recruits signing with CU since 1973.
Year Coach Total Colo. Calif. Texas
2010 Dan Hawkins 20 2 8 2
2009 Dan Hawkins 19 5 5 3
2008 Dan Hawkins 20 5 6 2
2007 Dan Hawkins 23 4 7 0
2006 Dan Hawkins 20 4 6 2
2005 Gary Barnett 21 9 6 1
2004 Gary Barnett 17 2 4 2
2003 Gary Barnett 23 5 4 8
2002 Gary Barnett 28 7 6 10
2001 Gary Barnett 13 7 1 3
2000 Gary Barnett 19 8 3 2
1999 Gary Barnett 16 6 3 1
1998 Rick Neuheisel 20 1 9 5
1997 Rick Neuheisel 22 5 9 3
1996 Rick Neuheisel 21 3 9 3
1995 Rick Neuheisel 22 5 10 5
1994 Bill McCartney 18 3 6 2
1993 Bill McCartney 20 7 2 2
1992 Bill McCartney 25 5 4 4
1991 Bill McCartney 20 4 3 5
1990 Bill McCartney 20 6 5 4
1989 Bill McCartney 20 8 7 1
1988 Bill McCartney 22 3 8 2
1987 Bill McCartney 12 1 5 3
1986 Bill McCartney 23 7 12 2
1985 Bill McCartney 23 9 6 2
1984 Bill McCartney 22 12 6 2
1983 Bill McCartney 24 11 3 0
1982 Chuck Fairbanks 13 10 1 0
1981 Chuck Fairbanks 24 3 8 8
1980 Chuck Fairbanks 25 6 7 0
1979 *Bob Cortese 24 9 4 2
1978 Bill Mallory 28 5 3 1
1977 Bill Mallory 21 10 5 0
1976 Bill Mallory 23 2 4 4
1975 Bill Mallory 21 10 5 2
1974 Bill Mallory 23 9 1 6
1973 Eddie Crowder 35 12 5 3
Totals 810 230 206 107
