The first reason is obvious as Gary Pinkel's Tigers were able to hold of a very good Central Florida team in a 21-16 win.
The second is that Pinkel also picked up a recruiting commitment from a linebacker from the Tampa area.
Darren Hambrick of Hernando High School committed to the Mizzou program during the weekend. The six foot, two inch, 235 pound linebacker is a pass rushing specialist, recording 5.5 sacks as a Junior and is having similar success during his Senior season.
Hambrick told the Tampa Bay Times that the decision to choose Mizzou was easy.
“I should have done it a long time ago,” Hambrick said. “They’ve got me in the palm of their hands right now."
While Hambrick is just two-star recruit according to most scouting reports, his commitment to Mizzou signals that Pinkel and the Tigers are already making moves in their new territory.
While in the Big 12, Mizzou had a lot of success recruiting second tier talent in the state of Texas. Talent that was overlooked by Texas and Texas A&M, among others.
Now, with their new home in the SEC, Pinkel is trying to establish a similar base in the states of Florida and Georgia, picking off mid-tier prospects that could develop into very nice collegiate players.
Hambrick's verbal commitment to Mizzou is a good sign for Pinkel and the future of the program. Hopefully there are several more similar stories like this one coming in the near future.
Comments
Post a Comment