When Chad Morris arrived at SMU in December, 2014, there was no end to the list of things he had to do to fix the 1-11 program left in June Jones' wake. But at the very top of the list was repairing SMU's damaged recruitment network.
After his near departure to Arizona State in 2011, Jones and his staff became lazy when it came to recruiting. Offers went out to kids without any others from FBS programs. Visits to high schools to meet coaches and players became few and far in between.
In a state like Texas, where local schools are filled with prospects looking for the chance to stay close to home, such lackadaisical effort in recruiting is unfathomable.