Programs with SMOKE as we head to June

As we start to hear from our Player Profiles and other prospects, some names are popping up more than others.  There are some usual suspects and some new kids on the block.  There are some old faces in new places.  In some schools, we are just hearing "different tones than we have heard before," and building projects are gaining momentum.  Of course, we never hear everything, but here is a glimpse of the programs that seem to have some more smoke than usual heading into June.

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Kansas: 

The much-talked-about hire of Matt Ulmer and the investment into the volleyball program by the KU Athletic Department have made this our #1 team to watch for this off-season and moving forward for the foreseeable future in college volleyball. Ulmer who built an annual winner with consistently solid recruiting classes and high-level training at Oregon, which was not a volleyball first program, now brings nearly his entire staff to KU and moves to the heartland of volleyball and out of the B1G and into a Big XII Conference that will be much easier to post big winning seasons. This just feels like a perfect fit at the ideal time, and according to many recruits, they are Googling Lawrence, KS for directions to Select Camp.

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Michigan State:  

Kristen Kelsey gets her shot and returns home. This has all the makings of the year's feel-good story in the B1G. Player, Asst Coach during some of the best years, passionate recruiter, NTDP ties, and relationship builder. Leaves and gains her experiences elsewhere, learns, takes some lumps, and boom, a dream job opens up (and similar to KU), the administration ponies up more resources than it gave the previous staff to compete better in the best conference in volleyball. She will get talent to East Lansing, is already upgrading through the portal, and has a staff of recruiters. Winning and moving up the ladder in that conference is tough, but Kelsey is a fighter, and she builds relationships. Watch her start to bring better and better prospects to camp and watch her start to grab 1-2 portal athletes for Sparty to get them in the mix.

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Creighton: 

The Bluejays are facing both ends of momentum this offseason. #1. They are going to benefit in a big way from their huge 2024 season, the deep December run, and all of the TV exposure. Being points away from the Final Four and the W over Texas grabbed recruits' attention, and from what we have seen from Player Profiles, it is helping with Select Camp sign-ups.

They also have the other side, where a legendary coach steps down. Brian Rosen was hand-picked to take over for Coach Booth, but it’s always a wait-and-see situation whenever a long-time coach steps down. Change is change.

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Texas A+M: 

With a smaller talent pool in Texas than in 2026, Texas A+M looks to be sitting pretty.  At least some of the interest appears to be coming from multiple NTDP athletes who have formed relationships with Coach Morrison during the years of camps at USA Volleyball events. This could be a large class for A+M, and many could be connected through NTDP circles, which the Aggie leader is a huge part of on a yearly basis.  Grab a top Lone Star prospect as well, and A+M could be putting together a class to rival the 2025s.

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SMU: 

The Mustangs have made their headlines through the Transfer Portal the past couple of seasons, and in 2024, it paid off on the court with some key wins over some of the top-ranked teams in America. Much like Creighton, that leads to more attention and better attendance at the SMU early June Select Camps. With the portal class brought in, the Mustangs should be able to be selective, and it looks like there will be some nice talent to choose from in Dallas this June.

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BYU: 

Just one of those schools that doesn’t immediately hit your tongue when talking volleyball powerhouses (yet), but with the Cougars' 2025 class stepping on campus, an abundance of talent out West in 2027, BYU is a more popular name with recruits than we have heard in our short history. You keep that 2025 core together and land the right 2-3 2027s to complement, and that is how you get a squad that sneaks up and gives the “Blue Bloods” fits for a couple of years.

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LSU: 

We have mentioned discussing the Tigers more in this recruiting coverage. Coach Johnson and her staff have said, “This is the big year.” Well, they mean it is starting with recruiting? Coach was very transparent when I interviewed her a month ago. They have to find the right fit and evaluate talent accurately right now because they aren’t recruiting top teams in the SEC yet. They are narrowing that gap and bringing higher-level talent to their camps. Volleyball in the state is getting more competitive, which is helping as well. We have seen this as we have added more LSU logos to Player Profiles for Select Camps than in our first 3 years combined. Watch for them to be a surprise team in the SEC and have their best recruiting class in the Johnson era.

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Alabama: 

This might be the hardest-working staff in the SEC. Their Apple Watches have to get a workout. Coach Reed is always moving around at qualifiers and getting noticed. They added Coach Barreau this off-season, one of my favorites (previously Michigan State), and I liked what Bama did with last year’s class. The SEC is no joke in volleyball, and it is hard to make progress, but this is another program that we are at least starting to “hear their name mentioned,” and that was something that never happened even a year ago. When you are building, that is step one. Get recruits to camp.

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Battle of the Rising Sun

Arizona v Arizona State, great year to have a great year—two hardworking programs. ASU has two years, two Sweet 16 rounds. Arizona just missed the NCAA Tournament (not sure how) and then went on to win the NIT. But we feel both are trying to build a foundation with Phoenix recruits. By the way, this may be the fastest-growing hotbed for high-level talent in America.  

So you have an in-season RIVALRY, and now we are making this an off-season recruiting RIVALRY for dominance over Phoenix. Both of these programs have a lot of positives about them right now, and what a year to figure out a way to land a local! Right now, some coach is reading this and saying, “Well, sometimes local kids just want to leave.” How about we have a RIVALRY to see who has the best 2027 recruiting class overall? Because I think both are on the verge of being solid ones!

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Auburn: 

The Tigers are testing out my “Talented Freshman at Select Camp = a great Signing Class the next year” Philosophy. Auburn had a great camp season last year, and despite quite a few coaching changes, let’s see if the two key coaches bring back the key recruits and lock them up, giving the Tigers what would have to be their best class ever.

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Penn State: 

Recruiting is much different in State College this year than in a year ago. The staff worked their tails off last year for that class, and some of us evaluated those prospects very high even before the Lions won the Natty (wink wink). This year it’s going to be much easier. I want to assemble an Elite 8 squad of girls who don’t get scholarships at the 8-Star Camp. It’s been the hottest ticket and at the front of the list when players have updated their Player Profiles with us this year. Just throwing this out there: Coin Toss on PSU or Nebraska of #1 overall class

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Nebraska:  

The DBK effect will pay off in year 1. The coaches still have some decisions on what direction they want to go on a couple of positions, but make no mistake, Big Red Popularity is as high as ever. Culture and feedback from DBK’s first few months at the helm of the Huskers has been as expected… Positive and Player Friendly I talked to a 2027 prospect who told me “I was not considering Nebraska at all a year ago, but I actually camped at Louisville because of Dani, so as soon as she became the head coach they were automatically in the picture for me.” Then in 2028, we talked with said “I wasn’t a Nebraska fan before, but I’ve loved Coach Dani. I’m going to Dream Team Camp, I think I’m both now”. There is a different vibe when people talk about the Huskers already, and it will only help them in recruiting.

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Louisville: 

The ‘Cards have identified their needs and have high-level prospects coming in at each of those positions. The new staff is the old staff; it’s just Meske doing the closing now. Mojo is running high in Louisville, and recruits are responding. You still see high-level athletes showing interest, especially in the Midwest, where Louisville has always made its bread and butter. It’s a special thing they have in their little Athlete Village at the Ville, and you can say what you want; it doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.