Thursday Recruiting Mailbag

"How many games must be won to get and keep the attention of 'difference makers' in the next class?" - NMHOGG

It may surprise you to learn that, based on some recent examples, what happens on the field this fall may not have much impact on what happens in recruiting for the Class of 2019. There's usually a year delay between the two. In other words, the momentum in recruiting typically trumps or lasts longer -- however you want to put it -- than what just happened in a season.

Let's look at some examples:

In 2008, Bobby Petrino went 5-7 in his first year with the Razorbacks. A few months later he signed Arkansas' highest-rated class in the Rivals era with a No. 16 finish. In 2013, Bret Bielema went 3-9 in his first year and then signed a top 25 class (No. 25 overall) in February.