When new coaches were hired after the 2017 college football season, some were taking over programs needing a rejuvenation, some were restarting at new schools and some were just starting their head-coaching careers.
No matter the situation, they were all tasked with the challenge of recruiting at their new programs and building their ideal teams. With the 2018 and 2019 recruiting classes under their belts, and 2020 well underway, here is a look at how some of the second-year coaches are performing on the recruiting trail.
Chad Morris, Arkansas
2018 recruiting rank: 51
2019: 23
2020: N/A
Morris immediately brought excitement to Arkansas, reviving a program that became stale on the recruiting trail and jump-starting a foundation to build on. He and his staff have been active on social media and brought the Hogs some attention right from the start.
Morris was able to leap up to No. 23 in the class rankings in 2019, signing four ESPN 300 commitments, which was as many as the program had in 2017 and 2018 combined. Fast forward to the 2020 class and Arkansas already has three ESPN 300 commitments, including Morris' son, Chandler, who is the No. 9-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the class. The staff was able to do all of this in recruiting while going 2-10 in 2018. If that isn't showing the ability to get recruits to buy in, I don't know what is.