Mailbag: How will Jon Heacock Hiring Effect 2014 Recruiting Class?

Cornerback Trevon Mathis of Woodland Hills,
Pennsylvania has committed to Toledo.
Photo Credit: www.247sports.com

Following the loss of defensive coordinator Tom Matukewicz to Southeast Missouri State, Toledo had a large void to fill. Lacking a defensive coordinator on the recruiting trail can prove costly for a recruiting class.

However, the Rockets finally filled that void with the hiring of Purdue defensive backs coach Jon Heacock. Credit Matt Campbell and his staff for keeping a majority of the recruiting class together while still searching for a defensive coordinator. Most of the time after losing an offensive or defensive coordinator, recruits tend to decommit and look elsewhere, but not with the Rockets.

The question is, now that Toledo has found their defensive coordinator, how will he effect the 2014 recruiting class?

That question is already answered for the most part. Heacock has already had a large and positive impact on the 2014 class for the Rockets. It is not uncommon for a team to announce to recruits who the new coach is before announcing it to the public, which is what appears to have happened in Toledo's case.

Toledo went out and received two big pieces in their 2014 recruiting class from Millard Creek, NC defensive tackle Ikeem Allen and Woodland Hills, PA cornerback, Trevon Mathis. Mathis is the higher-rated of the two prospects and is a three-star recruit according to several recruiting websites. Aside from the three-star rating, the 5'11, 175 lb. Mathis also had offers from programs such as Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh. For Allen, he flipped his commitment from Ball State to Toledo after being committed to the Cardinals since the summer. The 6'1, 295 lb. defensive tackle has the ability to move around on the defensive line and possibly play some defensive end or even some outside linebacker, making him quite an asset to the 2014 class. The 295-pounder also runs a swift 4.82 40-yard dash.

These two commits have added a lot of talent and depth to this 2014 class for the Rockets. Heacock appears to have already made an impact on this recruiting class, though he hasn't been known as a big-time recruiting guru as of yet. The 53-year old Heacock may bring a lot of discipline and different schemes to the Rockets defense which may help on the recruiting trail. There are still a few big prospects that are still uncommitted which are high on UT's radar, so let's see what Matt Campbell and his staff can get done prior to February 5.