It was a big SEC recruiting weekend. Top players nationwide were hosted on campuses across the SEC this past weekend. We all know that when it comes to SEC recruiting, it literally just means more. In today’s rapidly evolving college football landscape, landing the best recruits requires a strong social media presence and a good NIL collective. Both topics can have college football fans and stalwarts clutching their pearls and discussing how the end is near for college football. Rather than take on the doom-and-gloom perspective, we wanted to celebrate the Masterclass three SEC programs put on over the last week, transforming their social media channels from a simple broadcast platform into a powerful recruiting tool.
SEC Recruiting Recap
Everything is Bigger in Texas
Steve Sarkisian has elevated the Longhorns’ recruiting game. He has taken an “All Gas, No Brakes” mentality to recruiting, which has enabled Texas to return to a Top 5 recurring program and utilize the transfer portal to enhance his roster further. While many have joked about Texas being “back,” Sarkisian demonstrated in 2023 that he has the Longhorns ready to return to the college football elite. The Horns won the Big 12 Championship and came up just short in the College Football Playoff.
Last year, Sam Khan of the Athletic wrote an excellent story about how Sarkisian and the Longhorns laid out the red carpet for Arch Manning‘s recruitment. The Longhorns were back in the headlines this weekend, but this time, it wasn’t for the ice sculptures at dinner or the $70 glass of Johnny Walker Blue. The team put Lamborghinis out in front of the football building to greet their first batch of official visitors. At the same time, many on social media and message boards called it the end of college football. The message resonated with Longhorn recruit Josiah Sharma. Sharma is a four-star defensive line recruit from California.
Georgia Runway
We have written repeatedly about Kirby Smart and his relentless pursuit of excellence in recruiting. Smart has elevated Georgia to the point where it is almost shocking when the team is not ranked #1 or #2 in the country. The secret to Smart’s success is hiring excellent recruiters who know how to build and leverage relationships with some of the top talent in the nation but also have some fun with the recruits. Case and point: this video from 4-star WR Travis Smith. The 6-4 191-pounder from the class of 2025 is another big body and asset for Smart. Smart in the video showcases a different side than we see on the sidelines. He is not afraid to ham it up with the players, but it is about them at the end of the day. This is also evident when the players get to try on their uniforms.
Georgia has some of the most iconic uniforms in college football. Sure, they’ve worn black a time or two, but the red and white uniforms start barking when you see them. Georgia has also mixed white and black accents into their helmets and pants for recruiting photos. This has drawn plenty of excitement from top recruiting, including the prize quarterback of 2025, Ryan Montgomery.
#ComeToTheSip
Oxford, Mississippi, or #TheSip, which has become affectionately known under Lane Kiffin, was hopping this weekend. We don’t usually talk about high school recruiting with Kiffin, who has learned to thrive in the new Portal Era of college football. The Rebels’ social media gave fans and recruits a birds-eye view of the game-day atmosphere at Vaught Hemingway stadium. The video is set to Travis Scott‘s “My Eyes”. Kiffin appears poised to outsmart the opponent, set against a backdrop of an electrifying crowd, complete with fireworks, a cheerleader, and linebacker Raymond Collins primed for action. The stadium has been an electric atmosphere for Ole Miss, boasting a 21-2 record over its last 23 games.
SEC Recruiting Lessons Learned
When looking at how these three approaches recruit, you can see the influence of Pete Carroll and Nick Saban. Carroll dominated college football in the early 2000s. The Trojans won big on the field and had a larger-than-life sideline, with Snoop Dog and Will Ferrell regularly appearing. Sarkisian and Kiffin are Carroll’s disciples, and their flashes show this. All three coaches worked for Saban, who ran his Masterclass on recruiting and its importance. Each has learned from their predecessors and adapted it to become the college football elite.
If they were to teach their own Masterclass, here are three lessons that we can take away from this weekend:
- From Texas: Leverage the Power of Visuals: Attention spans are short. Captivate recruits with eye-catching graphics, dynamic videos, and behind-the-scenes glimpses into your program’s facilities and gameday atmosphere.
- From Georgia: Let Your Recruits Shine: Give your student-athletes a voice! Feature them on social media, showcasing their personalities and passions.
- From Ole Miss: Become a Storyteller: Don’t just tell recruits what you can offer, show them!
