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HEATING UP: Hastings’ Orogbo shaking off sleeper tag
Every recruiting cycle, there seems to be one player that comes out of nowhere and becomes one of the top recruits in the city of Houston.
Come on down Hastings defensive end Smith Orogbo. At 6-foot-5, 215-pounds, Orogbo’s size screams DI, Power 5 talent. Pair that with his junior stats 73 Tackles, 17 Tackles for Loss, 7 Sacks, and 2 Forced Fumbles, it's easy to see why the offers are rolling in.
The crazy part about Orogbo’s is that he didn’t start playing the game of football until his freshman year of high school, and he's already has become a dominant force on the field.
“I was a basketball and track athlete before I started playing football my freshman year,” he said. “I loved the sport once I started and I love the feeling of dominating on the field.”
Orogbo’s recruitment has taken off this offseason picking up offers from Kansas, Oklahoma State, Pitt, TCU, Cal, Oklahoma, Texas, SMU, Tulsa, and most recently UTEP, Memphis and Florida. Now at 19 total offers, you could say the junior is enjoying the recruiting process so far.
“It has been amazing," he said. "The love I get from the coaches and getting to know their programs is just a blessing.”
The talented defensive end plans to attend the Baylor, Oklahoma and TCU junior days in coming weeks. He also mentioned that he has heard from Texas Tech, Baylor, Houston, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State the most as of late. Ohio State has been in contact as well.
Smith Orogbo is the diamond in the rough of this 2025 recruiting class and expect his offer list to grow quickly in the coming weeks.
LISTEN UP: The key to unlock the new football recruiting game
RECRUITING 101
After talking with college and high school coaches and athletes over the past few cycles, it has become obvious that the recruiting game has changed. It’s not a subtle change but a complete overhaul of the college football recruiting process.
The COVID “extra year” and the portal has completely turned the recruiting game on its’ head.
Everyone could figure that out, but how and who is it affecting the most?
The three, four and five star recruits are still being offered early by the Power 5 Schools (those are changing as well) during the Spring of their sophomore and junior years. Texas, LSU, Bama, Texas A&M, OU, USC and the likes are still offering those prospects, who are considered can’t-miss.
That’s an elite and small number of athletes who fall in this category. They are fine.
The DII and DIII schools are still recruiting the “good” high school players. High schoolers in Texas, however, see themselves as a cut above this level. There are plenty of opportunities to play at this level, so don’t rule this group out.
The DI-FCS and Group of 5 schools are out of the high school market. OUT OF THE MARKET. That is a huge void for the high school football player.
But why?
The way that the portal is now set up, the DI-FCS and Group of 5 schools have virtually become the landing spot for Power 5 players, who “portal down”. That means that these players are not getting playing time at a high-major DI or are strongly suggested to get into the portal by their existing assistant or head coaches.
Instead of developing high school players, this middle group of schools are more willing to take college athletes who have game file and are already used to the college life.
One flip side, a lot these athletes in the Group of 5 and DI-FCS are able to “portal up”. That means they had solid seasons at that level and use the portal to get to the Power 5 level.
This has become virtually what the junior college training ground used to be.
So, what gives?
What advice would I give to those athletes who still have that burning desire to play football in college?
Market yourself. You are your own marketing program. You can sell yourself better than anyone else can, right?
Get to work.
My other advice is to leave all options open. Do not rule anything out. If you can play, go to a lower-level college program and work your way up… “portal up” to where you want to be. Go somewhere you can play and get some film. That is your “new” resume to the next level.
Understand the new assignment, you have been given the Spark Notes.