Outside of the state of Oklahoma, there were probably few people who were as interested in the news of Bob Stoops' retirement than Nebraska football's coaching staff. The Huskers and the Sooners battled it out over the winter for the services of four-star running back TJ Pledger, with Stoops and company eventually coming out the victors.
As is the case with most coaching changes, Nebraska and the rest of the college football world are now going to start looking at recruits that committed in the last few months to Oklahoma who might be ripe for swaying.
On Wednesday afternoon as the shockwaves were still reverberating through social media, Pledger sent out a tweet that seemed to indicate he was surprised by the news and if emotion can be taken from a simple question mark, not particularly happy about what he was reading.
— TJ Pledger IV (@uno_tj) June 7, 2017
The topsy-turvy world of recruiting
There is an old adage in the college football world that players "don't commit to a coach, they commit to a school." The impetus behind this adage is obvious. Fans of programs hate to see players decide they no longer want to be part of a program just because a coach they formed a relationship with has left. While that desire makes plenty of sense, it's important to remember that these kids are human beings.
They might have committed to the school, but they likely did so because of the relationships they forged with their future coaches.
Nebraska is one school which has certainly come to understand and underline the important of a relationship between a recruit and a coach. Keith Williams has regularly popped up in articles all over the country as someone who is getting some of the best recruits because he's able to forge real friendships with players and potential commits.
The departure of Bob Stoops can and will effect the people Oklahoma is hoping to bring into the fold.
Striking while the iron is hot
The college football world is a cut throat one. It's a safe bet that coaches from USC, Oregon, Florida, and Nebraska are all testing the waters and seeing whether TJ Pledger might be wavering in his commitment.
Even if the four-star running back says he's still solidly a Sooner today, there are several months between now and signing day for the rival schools to work on him. The Huskers would be foolish to have simply given up because he said he was going to Oklahoma. With Stoops gone, we should expect Riley and the coaching staff have renewed vigor in going after this target.
