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Bobcats Searching for a "Pair and a Spare."

SAN MARCOS - When Texas State head coach Everett Withers came to San Marcos, he preached building the team from the ground up. Citing that it “starts with recruiting” on multiple occasions.

He reiterated that fact this past Saturday after a tough loss to Appalachian State.

“If we keep recruiting guys like the ones we have in the locker room right now, this program will go far,” Withers said after the game.

While Withers is just at the start of his second season in San Marcos, he has already made a major impact in the infusion of talent on the Bobcats’ roster.

Offensive line coach Eric Mateos, a new addition to Wither’s staff this summer, preached the value of recruiting at media day in August.

Mateos, a former coach at LSU and Arkansas, praised the city of San Marcos. “ When I look at a job offer, I consider two things.” Mateos said, “Can I coach for this head coach? Absolutely. Can I recruit here? When I drove into San Marcos, I realized I can recruit the hell out of this place. Might be easier than anywhere else. We are talking central Texas with a gorgeous landscape.”

It would appear that high school players have taken note as well. The Bobcats’ 2017 recruiting class was ranked 92nd in the nation, a ranking that topped Sun Belt Conference. The atmosphere in San Marcos is attracting more and more recruits.

Three games into this season, the Bobcats have had 14 freshmen play in a game already.

After the loss to Appalachian State, Withers reiterated the overall value of depth on the defense.

“We need a pair and a spare on defense,” Withers said. “We need more depth on defense but that comes with recruiting. We are getting closer to hitting our goal.”

Withers has preached since day one the value of recruiting and, while the product on the field may not show as much in the win columns, it is showing up on the field. The Bobcats have been in every game up until at least midway through the third. They have beaten the spread in their two losses - even if it was only by half a point against Colorado.

There is a renewed excitement in San Marcos that revolves around the football team. While the average fan may not have recognized it, the recruiting markets have. The Bobcats have caught the eyes of high school prospects. Their 2018 recruiting class already has six three-star prospects committed and rank 90th in the nation with plenty of time to build onto it.

“When I was in the SEC, we looked at recruiting like a win against Saban,” Mateos said. “If we get a guy they[Alabama] wanted, we win. It is a small win, but small wins add up to real wins. That’s what we are trying to do here.”

The Bobcats are getting wins off the field in the recruiting field, and soon it will lead to wins on the field. Withers is trying to build a team that will last for years to come, and a winning program only goes as far as it’s recruiting. While there has been obvious progress seen early on this season, the growth is expected to continue in San Marcos on the field.

Look more into the box scores, and into the team as a whole. You don’t want to be the fan sleeping at home during the game and miss out on a football program-altering game. The Bobcats have shown they are getting better, and soon they will be for real.

(Discuss this article in the War Room.)

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