Recruiting New Mexico: Raw deal for NM prospects? (Part 1)

<strong>Part 1 of a series dedicated to #RecruitingNewMexico </strong> Perhaps unwittingly, former Hobbs record-setting quarterback Gavin Hardison is the poster child for the myriad challenges faced by New Mexico prospects in recruiting. In 2017 Hardison was the nation’s No. 2 passing quarterback in terms of total yardage, throwing for a staggering 5,347 yards and 59 touchdowns in 12 games for the Eagles. However, he barely got a sniff from major college recruiters and ultimately signed with New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI), where he spent the 2018 season before signing with UTEP. He’s now the Miners starting quarterback and has led UTEP to its best start (3-2) in a decade. Meanwhile, the nation’s top passer that year (Layne Hatcher from Little Rock, Ark.) signed with Alabama after initially committing to Arkansas State. The two quarterbacks directly behind Hardison in the rankings signed with Arizona State and Arizona, respectively. The No. 7 quarterback on the passing list signed with Washington State. Three years after graduating from Hobbs, Hardison is finally enjoying the fruits of his labors. But his experience with the recruiting game is one that is all too often told about prospects from the Land of Enchantment. Compared to their brethren in neighboring states such as talent (and population) rich Texas, New Mexico prospects struggle to get noticed by college recruiters. Many do so in vain. In short, New Mexico prospects are getting a raw deal. Why? According to prominent New Mexico high school coaches we spoke with, the reasons are numerous. Basically, geography, perceived quality of competition and depth of talent are three major factors in play. “From a player’s perspective, can New Mexico kids play Division I football? 100 percent,” Cleveland head coach Heath Ridenour told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “We have Division I talent. It’s out there. But New Mexico is a big state. Players are spread out. For the most part, there is one airport coaches can fly into. Or they have to fly into Lubbock or El Paso and then drive to go see the players. As a result, the players here are not getting the attention or the opportunities players in Texas or Arizona get.” Many New Mexico prospects who could play at the FBS or FCS level get cast aside because some college coaches believe the level of competition they face on a weekly basis is too low. Ridenour recalled a conversation he had with former Washington State head coach Mike Leach (now at Mississippi State) a year ago when WSU was evaluating a Storm player. During the recruiting process, Ridenour accompanied former Cleveland RB Dorian Lewis (now at Coffeyville Community College) to the WSU campus in Pullman, WA for a visit. “Leach asked me, ‘Dorian looks really good on film, but how much like (equal) competition is there in the state,” Ridenour said. “Overall, New Mexico is not drowning with Division I talent. So, when those Division I coaches look for like competition, they’re not going to find it on film. That’s when they choose to go in another direction because they’re recruiting guys at the same position from California or Arizona that are going up against like competition. ”Coaches are definitely looking at the overall level of competition in New Mexico.” What’s the secret for players like Cleveland WR [player_tooltip player_id="26156" first="Tre" last="Watson"] (committed to Fresno State) or [player_tooltip player_id="26153" first="Tyler" last="Kiehne"] (committed to UCLA)? Getting the coaches to visit the school so they can see the prospect in person. “When those guys get recruited, it’s because those Power 5 schools have come in and laid eyes on the player,” Ridenour said. “Then they compare him to the talent they have on campus. That’s the trick. If you get the coaches to visit, you can get the offers. Once the first offer comes, they start to snowball. All it takes is for one coach to come in and evaluate the talent.” That’s what happened with former Cleveland offensive lineman Henry Hattis, who signed with Stanford in 2016. He wasn’t getting a lot  of attention from major colleges outside of the state before the Cardinal suddenly offered. After that, Arizona State, UCLA, Washington State and Missouri quickly offered as well. Ridenour says high school coaches in New Mexico are willing to help each other out in recruiting by referring college evaluators to other schools. When numerous college coaches visited La Cueva High School in Albuquerque last year to talk with Connor O’Toole (signed with Utah), Bears head coach Brandon Back told them to check out Watson at Cleveland, among others. The unified front is working, Ridenour said, which is helping the recruiting climate improve. “We’re doing a good job pushing these coaches to other high schools in the state of New Mexico,” Ridenour said. “We’re seeing the results of that. We’re getting more Division I offers for our kids. New Mexico high school football is going in the right direction.” Clovis head coach Cal Fullerton offers a unique perspective because his town straddles the Texas border and the Wildcats often face teams from Lubbock, a two-hour drive east. In addition, Clovis is one of the most heavily recruited programs in the state and 2020 is no different with several players committed to major schools at the next level, including QB [player_tooltip player_id="26155" first="Chance" last="Harris"], who has pledged to Colorado State. Fullerton often talks with college recruiters who prefer to recruit the Lone Star State rather than cross the border and evaluate New Mexico players. Has there a bias against New Mexico players in the past? Fullerton thinks so. “A lot of it has to do with how many kids are in Texas and how it’s such a hotbed for recruiting,” Fullerton told Prep Redzone New Mexico. “The perception is New Mexico doesn’t produce a whole lot of Division I caliber players per capita compared to Texas and that they lack athleticism and speed. Without a doubt, if some of our New Mexico kids were playing in Texas, they’d be recruited a lot more than they are right now.” Relationships between high school head coaches and college programs is very strong in Texas, Fullerton said. Along those lines, Fullerton believes more coaches will spend time recruiting New Mexico when the trust factor rises. “The more kids we get out there, the more college coaches will start trusting us,” Fullerton said. “I tell these coaches all the time that I talk with that I wouldn’t say a kid could play somewhere if I didn’t think he could. New Mexico has taken the next step. Hopefully, it continues going in a positive direction. The more and more it happens, more college coaches will reach out to us. I’m on the phone a ton with coaches.”