El Paso area FB recruiting

[MinerInWisconsin]

The El Paso area is increasingly a good division 1 football recruiting area. Last year I believe there were 7 fbs signees and this year, El Paso alone had 9 players sign fbs LOI's. Add Las Cruces and there are 11 total. One more El Paso player has fbs offers but has not signed yet. Also, McFarland returns from the Longhorns but I'm not counting him as a new El Paso signee.

The entire state of New Mexico had 7 players sign with fbs schools by comparison.

Football is obviously improving in El Paso and that's good for UTEP.

Rashad Still, WR Andress, Minnesota
Q'Drennan, WR Americas, UNM
Chris Barnwell, ATH Horizon City Eastlake, UTEP
Markos Lujan, OL Americas, UTEP
Greg Long, OL Eastwood, UTEP
Steven Montez, QB Del Valle, Colorado
Jonathan Vogt, OL Canutillo, Air Force Academy
Baylor Romney, QB Franklin, Nevada
Nick Bingham, RB Franlin, Texas St
Gustavo Mendoza-Dorsett, WR Franklin, has offers from UTEP, NMSU and Air Force Academy

Did I miss any El Paso players that signed with fbs schools?4

 

[Rot]

I believe El Paso HS football has shown great improvement over the last few years. El Paso high schools have advanced deeper in the playoffs as was demonstrated by Canutillo this past season. They made it to the state's final four and lost to the eventual state champion. I think schools like Montwood, Franklin, Canutillo and Coronado are scheduling games with out of town power houses and this has helped raise the level of football in El Paso. Additionally, El Paso High School recruits like the Jones brothers and Skelton have shown that there are quality athletes in El Paso. I remember when Midland, Lubbock and Odessa schools dominated El Paso schools. Things are different now and our top schools are beating them. I believe we will continue seeing great athletes coming out of El Paso. I hope UTEP continues to keep the best recruits in town.

 

[LaserCoog]

Originally posted by Rot:
I believe El Paso HS football has shown great improvement over the last few years. El Paso high schools have advanced deeper in the playoffs as was demonstrated by Canutillo this past season. They made it to the state's final four and lost to the eventual state champion. I think schools like Montwood, Franklin, Canutillo and Coronado are scheduling games with out of town power houses and this has helped raise the level of football in El Paso. Additionally, El Paso High School recruits like the Jones brothers and Skelton have shown that there are quality athletes in El Paso. I remember when Midland, Lubbock and Odessa schools dominated El Paso schools. Things are different now and our top schools are beating them. I believe we will continue seeing great athletes coming out of El Paso. I hope UTEP continues to keep the best recruits in town.

Do you REALLY think El Paso football competes straight up against their counterparts from Austin, San Antonio, Houston, the Golden Triangle (Port Arthur, Beaumont, Orange), Dallas, Fort Worth?

 

[MinerInWisconsin]

Your golden triangle was not mentioned. El Paso high school football improvement is the gist of this thread. Do you not think there has been improvement even with evidence through increased fbs recruitment of El Paso players and increased competitiveness with out of area schools?

 

[utep2step]

Originally posted by LaserCoog:

Do you REALLY think El Paso football competes straight up against their counterparts from Austin, San Antonio, Houston, the Golden Triangle (Port Arthur, Beaumont, Orange), Dallas, Fort Worth?

Today, hell yes. Twenty or so years ago, no.

Did you not see the news a high school from here made it to the semi finals? Second, did you know that large high school 6A division for this region of Texas needs to go through the Permian Basin during playoff time? Ask Coach Price about how those high school coaches from his recruiting area feel about playing Odessa/Midland high schools come playoff time? El Paso's large high schools play them every year.

San Antonio? Sweet jeezus Coug! It should be the other way around. Can they compete with El Paso schools? Can they compete against Las Cruces and Mayfield high out of the Southern New Mexico? Both state champs year after year who play two to three of our local high school teams every year.

Third, the 5A schools have been travelling down to the Austin area and have competed quite nicely. Four, Orange? Really?! Straight up with the Port Arthur, Beaumont and Orange? Any given Friday, IMO.

Finally, good athletic talent comes out of the Texas Gulf Coast that Coach Price recruited so heavily, but how did that work out for this program?

 

[jdubb66]

Coaching, off season programs, facilities and equipment have all improved locally and the results are on the field. I grew up in the permian basin region and every Jr. High had its own weight training room and off season agilities program. When I move here I was surprised to see that that was not the case in EP. That has changed. My nephews for example have a weight room at their middle school. They also have offseason conditioning as well.

 

[utep2step]

Not trying to be a debbie downer...


...but at the expense of special needs and Arts programs.

I have a special needs child in the EPISD and the staff and budget are cut constantly, while budget allocations for football fields and supporting facilities has increased.

But on the bright side, we can now compete with Permian Basin and Dallas/Ft. Worth area schools.
This post was edited on 2/11 11:02 AM by utep2step

 

[Minerforlife]

Re: Not trying to be a debbie downer...

El Paso football has improved greatly in the last ten years. The El Paso schools are now better than the Permian Basin, Lubbock and Amarillo schools. They are still behind The DFW,Houston and San Antonio schools as well as the golden triangle schools. Dont sell the Golden triangle short 2step those kids come out of the womb running and can flat out play.

The good news is that now we can get 4-5 quality recruits from El Paso a year where as in the past we may have gotten one every five years. The most overlooked advantage of the improved football in El Paso is our walk on program. As a result of our isolation we dont get near the amount of quality walk ons as other schools. Any successful program has a good walk on program. UTEP's pool of walk on canidates is now greatly expanded and it will help our depth and scout team. I think we can count on three or four walk ons a year contributing on Saturdays. In the past El Paso did not have the talent to support a good walk on program, thats now changed and its only going to help UTEP.

 

[minermx07]

Minerforlife and UTEP2Step are right.

I remember El Paso football High School football easily being the worst in the entire state. Now, El Paso is solidly in the middle of the pack. I consider that level of improvement impressive.

Yes, improvement in football has come at a cost. Head Coaches make six figures (although they work ungodly hours and also work Athletic Coordinators). Also, assistant coaches need to teach as well as coach and quite frankly, some coaches don't care for the classroom and teach accordingly.