On the field, Urban Meyer helped usher in an era of wide-open, spread-option offense. Off the field, his motivational and team-building techniques are unorthodox but proven.
All of these are reasons why Meyer is now the second-highest paid coach in college football. Yet, it's his progressive mentality when looking for a recruiting edge that is as big a reason for his success as any.
While not the first or only of their kind, Meyer hired Mark Pantoni and Brian Voltolini for the football operations department at Florida. Together, they set a high standard which many programs now look up to. As other coaches can attest to, Pantoni relates to high school players in a way which few in his field can.
Meyer and his Gators staff also reinvented the concept of a high school football camp by creating "Friday Night Lights." Rather than simply hosting prospects at the practice facility or at a generic, local high school, Meyer turned it into an event at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Gates were open to the public, the staff invited their top recruiting targets and turned it into a massive showcase for the program.
Since its inception, other schools have borrowed the idea and hold similar events on campus – even Michigan. Meyer brought FNL to Ohio Stadium in 2012, the summer after he arrived in Columbus.
Ohio State also holds several other high school football camps, including the Elite 11 quarterback competition. OSU has been a regional host for several years in a row and, coincidentally, OSU and Oregon are the only two universities hosting it in 2015.
According to NCAA bylaws, football coaches can only conduct camps and clinics within a 50-mile radius of their respective institution's campus. However, some schools are taking advantage of a loophole, which allows coaches to be "guest instructors" at another institution and provide a recruiting advantage in certain areas of the country.
Penn State and Michigan coaches participate in satellite camps off campus, with a heavy focus on the southeast region of the country. Naturally, SEC coaches are not happy about it.
Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh will reportedly take part in six total camps across the country – ranging from Alabama to Texas and California. PSU's James Franklin brought the new trend to the Big Ten, following the lead of several Big XII schools.
Unlike their Big Ten counterparts, the Buckeyes only promote in-state events. Meyer admitted his opposition to satellite camps, either from a veiled moral or purely strategical standpoint.
"Am I fan of that? Not really," he said, during Monday's press conference. "A big lure to Ohio State is getting here on campus."
With the constant need to boost and maintain its recruiting brand, it's surprising OSU coaches haven't found a way to participate in satellite camps. Maybe Meyer realizes this and quickly changed his stance during the press conference.
Meyer may not be in favor of it, personally, but knows it has the potential to help land recruits.
"Our staff ... has much more information than I do because they're in the trenches. I'm really not anymore, because you're not allowed to go out recruiting until next December," he said. "If it helps us, we'll do it. I think we might try one this year. I don't know if it's been finalized, you'll certainly hear about it if we do."
Our Jeremy Birmingham, Director of Recruiting for Eleven Warriors, believes one of the potential satellite camps would take place in Florida. The Buckeyes could use it to help recruit Nick Bosa, Trayvon Mullen or any of the top 2016 targets within the state. 247Sports.com also lists 17 sophomore recruits with interest in OSU.
The staff is still discussing the logistics behind a potential satellite camp, even though Meyer begged the NCAA to close the loophole.
"There is a lot of conversation in our recruiting meetings every Wednesday about making a move and trying one," he said. "I think that should be outlawed. I don't think you should be allowed to do that. I think you just recruit on campus and do a good job."
