Mizzou's Pinkel: Recruiting Has Never Been Better, Believes Kansas Game Will Return
By Abby Lemons
Missouri HC Gary Pinkel appeared on our 3HL radio show today and was positively giddy about the impact of the SEC on his team’s recruiting.
Pinkel says that joining the league had brought very positive feedback on the recruiting trail. "Recruiting right now is going as well as it has ever gone for us," Pinkel said.
Pinkel said that some of the benefits could be related to the consistency of the Mizzou program over the past few years, but that the majority of it could be credited to joining the SEC. In particular, Pinkel said, "has been a tremendous plus for us, even more so than I could have imagined." He also felt strongly about the recruiting of the nations' number one recruit, Dorial Green-Beckham.
Pinkel confirmed that DGB has been on campus for the past two weeks and is already working out with the team. Pinkel stated, "Green-Beckham comes in with extremely high expectations, more expectations than any player that I have ever coached."
Another major question for Mizzou is the health of quarterback James Franklin. Mizzou's Franklin has been battling a shoulder injury similar to Drew Brees, whose injury was worse, recovered after five months. Per Pinkel, Franklin “is throwing a nerf ball right now and is doing very, very well.” Pinkel says that if all goes well, he is expected to be ready to play in the first game against Southeastern Louisiana.
With leaving the Big 12, fans may have been concerned with losing one of the biggest rivalries each year against Kansas. Pinkel indicated that he is very hopeful that in the next few years, the rivalry will remain on their non-conference schedule.
“I think it will,” Pinkel said, discussing the return of the Kansas rivalry.
How does being in the SEC feel after all the uncertainty in the Big 12?
“It’s refreshing,” says Pinkel on his new home in the SEC, “and you can see why they’re as successful as they are.