Scott Shelton
Staff Writer
Since taking over as head coach at Troy, Chip Lindsey is already hitting the ground running with recruiting, and he’s taking Troy to the next level.
Neal Brown did wonders for Troy and put the Trojans back on the map, but Lindsey has the chance to catapult Troy to an even higher level.
So far in 2019, with National Signing Day still pending, Troy has the 71st-ranked recruiting class nationally, and the Trojans are ranked second in the Sun Belt only to Louisiana.
To put it in perspective, Troy had the 98th-ranked recruiting class in 2018 according to 247sports, the fourth-best class in the Sun Belt Conference.
To be fair, the 2019 recruiting class was already one of the best in Trojan history before Lindsey’s arrival.
After winning the Dollar General Bowl, Brown said that the 2019 team is going to be special, and the team has the talent to do it.
One of the biggest pickups this year in recruiting has been Khalil McClain, who is the fifth-ranked wide receiver of all junior college receivers.
Since Lindsey’s arrival in January, the recruiting class has just only gotten stronger.
This week, Lindsey picked up a big transfer from Texas A&M, running back Charles Strong.
According to ESPN, Strong was a four-star recruit. Strong was the 71st-ranked running back of the 2018 class.
In 2018, Strong also had offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson and more before deciding on the Aggies.
Strong only played one game last year before not playing the rest of the season.
If Troy’s waiver request goes through with the NCAA, Strong will be able to play next season and will have four years of eligibility left as a Trojan.
On Jan. 19, the Trojans picked up a three-star cornerback from Decatur, Reddy Steward.
Steward also had offers from Michigan, Southern Miss, Memphis and Florida Atlantic.
According to the Dothan Eagle, Troy has flipped the 16th-ranked placekicker, Jack Martin, who originally committed to South Alabama, to come to Troy.
Lindsey’s recruiting success should not come as much of a surprise.
He has worked in high school coaching in the states of Alabama and Georgia for over two decades.
At his press conference, Lindsey emphasized recruiting, and it could pay off—even if it means expanding Troy’s range in recruiting.
While it’s not uncommon for Group of 5 schools to go after highly touted recruits, Lindsey and his staff have already made offers to some star high school juniors.
One of those is Myles Slusher, a four-star cornerback from the state of Oklahoma, who tweeted two weeks ago that he received an offer from Troy University.
National Signing Day in 2019 is Feb. 6, so keep an eye out for Troy’s list of commitments as the list completes.
While most recruits have decided on their next school, there are still recruits who have not made a decision.
2019 is just the beginning of the Chip Lindsey era of Troy football, and the bright spots are showing already in recruiting.
Coach Brown took Troy back to days of winning, but the Trojans in 2019 and beyond have the chance to take an even higher leap.
