Missouri Football: Tigers could experience a windfall of recruits

Surprisingly, the NCAA may have done teams like the Missouri Tigers a favor by allowing programs an early signing period for recruits.

Back before the Tigers’ football season truly got underway, the recruiting season was promising for Missouri. Then, the Tigers reeled off a multitude of losses, and recruits dropped like flies.

As the season progressed, many of us wondered, “How will Barry Odom salvage Missouri’s recruiting efforts?” Last spring, Odom held the “Missouri 10 – Tiger 10” in high regard. The 10 in-state recruits which Odom had hoped would commit to Mizzou, mostly didn’t.

With the Tigers’ six-game win streak to end the season with a 7-5 record and a bowl game against much-despised Texas, things are looking up for Odom and the Tigers in the recruiting department.

Missouri Tigers Football

What’s more, Odom is no longer on the hot seat, having received a contract extension, which will keep him around five more years, until at least 2022. Odom’s contract extension was probably the second-biggest key in revamping Missouri’s recruiting futures.

In an interview with Dave Matter of the St. Louis Post, Odom is excited with the direction in which his program is headed.

"For us it looks really favorable for Wednesday, but I’d like a few more hours in each day because you run out of them. The thing that our recruiting department has done and our assistant coaches really worked to develop close, true relationships. We feel really solid with the number that we’re going to get."

The extension, while some still may not be in favor of, shows recruits that there is stability in Columbia, and barring a huge meltdown, the coach they are committing to play for isn’t going anywhere, while they’re there.

While a 7-5 season doesn’t bring Missouri to the championship game that Odom (and fans) pine for, it’s a step in the right direction. The Tigers are bowling in Houston, Odom has a new contract to work under, and recruiting should become more of an exciting time, and less of a worry.