As much as Arkansas State Coach Butch Jones lamented the Red Wolves' run of nine games in as many weeks to start the 2022 season from an injury perspective, he also spoke prior to ASU's open date about the impact it had on recruiting.
Although the contact period -- when coaches are allowed to speak to players and conduct in-home visits -- doesn't begin until Nov. 28, Jones and his staff spent the latter portion of last week on the road evaluating players in person.
Jones explained that "there's no substitute" for watching live action in the flesh, rather than on tape, and that extra information is hugely critical as the Red Wolves have high expectations for their second full recruiting class under Jones.
"We're always trying to out-recruit the last class," he said during Tuesday's press conference. "That's how you build a program, that's how you build your mentality, that's how you build depth."
Currently, ASU's 2023 class includes 18 verbal commitments, 13 of them with three stars in the 247Sports composite rankings. That ranks third in the Sun Belt -- behind Appalachian State and Georgia Southern -- but 14th nationally among programs that will compete at the Group of 5 level next season.
Of course, high-school prospects are only a part of the recruiting picture in this era of college football.
The transfer portal window opens Dec. 5, the day after the College Football Playoff is set, and Jones expects that the early signing period will focus more heavily on junior college prospects and transfer options.
The regular signing period in February will then likely be more centered around high school players, with a "third signing period" after spring practice when the transfer portal reopens and college programs are able to plug holes and supplement depth -- either because of existing roster deficiencies or additional departures.
"We like where we're at right now," Jones said. "What I think you're going to see is so many different phases of the recruiting process...more than it's ever been."
Defensive lineman Ethan Hassler expects to play a role in the recruiting process when the Red Wolves begin to welcome players for on-campus official visits.
Hassler noted that he hosted both defensive end Keyron Crawford and linebacker Javante Mackey last year, both of whom later committed to ASU and were jewels of the 2022 class.
"I really sell the point that here, it's a family," Hassler said. "I've got friends all over the place but the thing that they will tell me is, it's not a family -- they hang out with certain cliques. ... The relationships that are built here, it's a bond and I feel like it's forever."
While acknowledging that this class is only part of a multi-year process, Jones knows the Red Wolves need to add "difference makers" this offseason.
"You have 10 full-time coaches that recruit," Jones said. "If [each] coach recruits one difference maker, you bring in 10 difference makers to your program. That's how you can change everything in a hurry."
Adventures on the road
It wasn't entirely smooth sailing for ASU's head coach while out recruiting last weekend.
As Jones detailed on the Sun Belt Conference's weekly call, he was caught in the midst of a police chase while leaving Jacksonville High School Friday night.
"I was driving myself and if you can picture a one-lane side road to get onto the interstate, it's bounded by two cement barriers," Jones said. "The next thing I know, I have a car that's trying to run me off the road and smashing me. I look up and I'm in the middle of a high-speed police pursuit."
According to the Jacksonville Police Department's Facebook page, the driver was arrested after a short pursuit and officers located a .38 caliber handgun in the car.
Jones said the incident caused about $15,000 worth of damage to his car on the passenger side but neither he nor Blake Jackson, the Red Wolves' director of football operations who was with him that evening, were injured.
"That was my bizarre story of the bye week," Jones quipped.
Getting healthier
ASU probably won't be at full strength from a personnel perspective until next season, but the Red Wolves may get some key pieces back ahead of Saturday's visit from Massachusetts.
Right guard Jordan Rhodes, backup quarterback A.J. Mayer, cornerbacks Samy Johnson and Leon Jones and running back Brian Snead all did not play against South Alabama because of a variety of injuries. Jones didn't put a specific status on any player, instead saying that they'll be evaluated on a day-to-day basis and have "a chance" to play.
"They've all put themselves in position to be either midweek decisions or game-time decisions," Jones said. "They've done a very good job, which you would expect from those individuals, of working to get themselves back."
Even if Rhodes can play, ASU may shift things around in order to allow freshman Aleric Watson more snaps at left tackle. Makilan Thomas -- who himself has been playing through a broken foot -- could slide out to right tackle, but if Rhodes is out again, Thomas may again start at right guard, allowing for freshman Elijah Zollicoffer to get his first career start at right tackle.
The open date also allowed quarterback James Blackman time to heal up. Although Blackman was only sidelined at Louisiana-Lafayette, he's been hobbled a majority of the season with an undisclosed lower-body injury.
"I feel pretty good," Blackman said. "It's the best I'm going to [feel] with the period where we're at with three games left."