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Odom's staff has deep ties to the states of Texas and Oklahoma
The lifeblood of any successful football program is recruiting.
In the case of Missouri, the talent pool from the state isn't overly deep. As a result, previous staffs have had to venture to the fertile lands of Texas, Oklahoma, and other states in the region in order to put together the best collection of talent as possible.
In Barry Odom's case, the current staff at Missouri looks primed to hit the Lone Star State with immense fervor and zeal. This is due in large part to the experience and deep ties many of the staff members have to Texas.
Defensive coordinator DeMontie Cross previously coached at TCU. He understands the landscape of the area -- having undoubtedly built relationships with many of the major high school programs in the state. As he told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, "Having recruited there all those years and now having spent some time at TCU, there's not a doubt in my mind there's players there that can play and can help us win now."
Tight ends coach Joe Jon Finley and defensive line coach Chris Wilson are both from Texas. Secondary coaches Greg Brown and Ryan Walters, and offensive line coach Glen Elarbee all have experiences playing in or coaching at programs located in the state.
Interestingly enough, Missouri also has ample ties to the University of Oklahoma. Offensive coordinator Josh Heupel starred as a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback. His name certainly holds credibility and prestige within the entire Southwest region. Finley was a tight end at OU, Walters previously coached at Oklahoma, and assistant coach Jon Cooper also played as a center in Norman.
What does all of this mean?
For one, Missouri should have no excuse not regularly and routinely pulling prospects from both Texas and Oklahoma/the surrounding areas. The existing deep roots should make this a feasible endeavor.
Secondly, it should enable Missouri to jump in on multiple prospects in the 2016 class -- despite National Signing Day being only two weeks away. While the Tigers may not end up with a highly-ranked recruiting class in '16, they'll be able to lay the groundwork for the 2017 cycle.
In a sense, Odom and his staff will already have a leg-up on other programs due to the preexisting relationships built between his staff and prominent high school institutions.
