It appears Cornell Ford will be getting some help from Brick Haley in recruiting the St. Louis area for the 2018 cycle.
That’s why Odom’s one staff hiring this offseason was so crucial. He fired defensive line coach Jackie Shipp late in the season and replaced him with Brick Haley, a 50-year-old who comes with strong recruiting credentials. Haley spent the last eight years at Louisiana State (2009-14) and Texas (2015-16).
At both schools he recruited in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Odom plans to dispatch Haley to those same areas, though he’ll also personally recruit the team’s top defensive line targets.
In 2018, three of those targets go to school within 15 miles of each other in the St. Louis area: Lutheran North’s Ronnie Perkins, Parkway North’s Michael Thompson and Chaminade’s Trevor Trout.
We've talked a lot about how loaded the state of Missouri is in the 2018 class, but it's not a particularly diverse batch of talent. Of the top nine players in the state per the 247Sports Composite, four are wide receivers, four are defensive linemen, and seven are from the St. Louis area. And two of the top three are four-star, StL-area defensive tackles (Thompson, Trout). Looks like we'll be seeing some Ford-Brick double teams.
When I was in New York for the Piesman a couple of weeks ago, I spoke with a writer familiar with the work Haley had done at LSU and (to a lesser extent) Texas. He said Brick is perfectly solid as a defensive line coach but is an A-grade recruiter and relationship builder. The test drive begins immediately.
More Links
- Interested in another “Adam Sparks Commits!” link? Here’s Dave Matter on the Christmas pledge. Meanwhile, PowerMizzou’s film analysis focuses on Yasir Durant.
- East St. Louis’ Jeff Thomas talked to Rivals.com and appeared to suggest that he’s shifting his gaze from Mizzou because the Tigers are full at WR?
- Nine years!
9years ago to ol St. Louis kid help win a game that change MIZZOU forever @jmac___19 #MizzouMade stl2miz pic.twitter.com/lAe7EvDh5t
— Will Franklin (@willfranklin_85) November 25, 2016
- Send some good wishes toward former Mizzou guard Juanita Robinson, who was evidently shot in Chicago on Christmas Eve.