The proposed change to the college football playoff format is coming, and when it does recruiting, depth and roster balance will be even more important.
Coaches will have to have a plan and a vision for their team in order to survive the rigors of a potential 17-game season. That's what the road to a championship will require.
In the PAC-12 a team like Oregon will have to have the talent and resolve to win a late November road game at Arizona State or Utah, the PAC-12 Championship in December, then beat four perennially elite teams over the four weeks of the playoff, maybe a gauntlet of Georgia, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Alabama.
If championships are the ultimate goal, Mario Cristobal has to think big. Real big.
One of the great charms of college football is that it isn't a cookie cutter league like the NFL. Teams run vastly different systems and forge distinct identities. The best teams are known for something; they have a signature brand, a style.
Mario Cristobal has said he wants to build his team around a strong and consistent offensive line, be a team that takes pride in winning the line of scrimmage and driving the opponent off the ball.
These are four of the premier targets in the entire country, one from Florida, two from Texas, one from the Pacific Northwest.
Cristobal and assistant line coach Alex Mirabal have to capitalize on the Outland Trophy and NFL first-round success of Penei Sewell, create a legacy around that success. Sewell is powerful proof of their ability to teach the position, the fine and blunt points of offensive line play in a detailed and superior way.
Banks visited last week. Booker is in town yesterday and today. Cam Williams toured Eugene and the academic and practice complexes the first weekend in June. Conerly made an unofficial visit in October 2019, did a virtual tour in February and is likely to return for an official visit in the fall. He has the Ducks in his most recent update, a top 12 issued in May.
The competition for these four will be as heated as the playoff chase itself. Alabama, Oklahoma, LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, Washington, Florida, Florida State and many others heat up the phones of one or all of them on a daily basis.
Cristobal relates to the big guys. He's a fraternity brother and mentor to them. They speak the same language and value the same creed, a creed of hard work, unselfishness and the desire to dominate and win.
More importantly, he has the knowledge and skills to teach them how to reach their potential. To be great. To reach the NFL and get paid first round, life-changing money.
Four of the five last Outland winners were coached or recruited by Mario Cristobal:
Alex Leatherwood, Alabama, 2020
Penei Sewell, Oregon, 2019
Quinnen Williams, Alabama, 2016
Cam Robinson, Alabama, 2014
This spring Sewell signed a $25 million contract as the 7th pick in the NFL draft.
The success he's had in training and teaching offensive linemen, and the respected place offensive line play has in his design for the program are huge selling points.
The sincerity and directness he shows during the recruiting process cement the deal. Players know he won't sugarcoat their value, He appeals directly to families and builds relationships. The genuineness stands out in what can be an overwhelming experience, the burden of a monumental life decision at age 18, 17 in some cases.
Asked about his relationship with the Oregon head coach by Rivals national writers Woody Womack and Adam Gorney, Booker said, “The thing I like about Oregon is they’re really down-to-earth, the whole entire staff. Whenever I talk to coach Cristobal, he always calls me back in like 20 minutes. When I went to the Alabama camp when I was younger, he was the offensive line coach so I see 10-year-old me as a defensive lineman and I saw coach Cristobal. It’s cool to see that and that he’s the same.”
The sameness is rooted in authenticity. That's the heart of why Oregon has a better chance with these four than all the scoops, leans, predictions and forecasts give them credit for. It just might happen, and if it doesn't, trust that the four who do sign will develop to a very high degree of their potential.
