College Football Recruiting: TCU Lands A Quarterback Commit Over Alabama And Oklahoma State

Oct 20, 2012; Fort Worth, TX, USA; A view of a TCU Horned Frogs chrome helmet during the game between the Horned Frogs and the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Amon G. Carter Stadium. The Red Raiders defeated the Horned Frogs 56-53 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

TCU Horned Frogs

The most significant challenge TCU faced in moving from the non-BCS Mountain West Conference into the Big 12 is recruiting head-to-head with nationally prominent programs. The Horned Frogs scored a recruiting coup against the nationally prominent program, the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Rivals network TCU site Purple Menace reports Gary Patterson landed a commitment from 2014 quarterback prospect Foster Sawyer. Sawyer is a three-star local product out of Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal, and Rivals’ No. 12 ranked Pro Set quarterback prospect in the class.

Sawyer spurned both college football recruiting maven Nick Saban, as well as TCU’s new in-conference rival, Oklahoma State. Both teams appeared in BCS bowls recently; Alabama has won three of the last four national championships, and Oklahoma State was in contention for the 2011 title. Patterson is pushing ahead in building TCU into similar national contention.

Sawyer is just one piece in a larger puzzle of local recruiting, per ESPN.com Big 12 blogger David Ubben.

Ohio State Buckeyes
Nov 17, 2012; Madison, WI, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. Ohio State defeated Wisconsin 21-14 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Urban Meyer has scored several noteworthy recruiting wins in his short tenure as Ohio State head coach. He’s won battles against other Big Ten schools, gone into SEC Country and pilfered prospects, and this week he even beat out another sport.

Ohio State gained a verbal commitment from Sam Hubbard, a three-star linebacker who is also a coveted lacrosse prospect. Hubbard entertained lacrosse offers, including from Notre Dame, The Columbus Dispatch reports.

Hubbard bolsters a 2014 Buckeye signing class already ranked No. 9 on Rivals.com.

Northern Illinois Huskies
Jan 1, 2013; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Northern Illinois Huskies head coach Rod Carey talks to his team during the game against the Florida State Seminoles at the 2013 Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium. The Seminoles defeated the Huskies 31-10. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Among the many perks in Northern Illinois reaching the 2013 Orange Bowl is the opportunity to parlay its new-found, national recognition into recruiting advantage. Huskie head coach Rod Carey is apparently taking advantage in pursuit of in-state quarterback prospect Bret Mooney.

Mooney, a 2014 recruit, visited NIU’s DeKalb campus this week per EdgyTim.com. The Algonquin (Ill.) Jacobs product has garnered interest from other Mid-American Conference programs, as well as the Big Ten Conference’s Illinois Fighting Illini, Northwestern Wildcats and Purdue Boilermakers.

Stealing away Big Ten caliber recruits is exactly what Northern Illinois needs to take the next step on its progression as a football program.