Under first-year head coach John Brannen, Northern Kentucky has made a couple of big splashes on the recruiting trail over the course of the past few months. Despite not coaching a game for the Norse, Brannen and his staff have a promising look for the program going forward.

Before being hired in the spring, Brannen’s name was tied with several other regional jobs in the area over the past few years. A native of Kentucky, it was only a matter of time before he landed his first head coaching job, and thus far, it’s looking like the patience is paying off.

Northern Kentucky’s 2016 recruiting class is currently made up of five players: Blake Spellman, Jalen Tate (pictured), Dantez Walton, Mason Faulkner, and Carson Williams.

All of the Norse’s commitments are solid prospects, as several of them displayed their talents at Suwannee Sports Academy this summer. However, the travel team programs that Brannen and his staff have been able to raid in their first year on the job is impressive.

Three of the players played on the EYBL circuit with local Nike programs. Tate played for All-Ohio Red and Walton ran with King James Elite, while Williams played for the Travelers, one of the top programs in Kentucky.

Spellman, a St.Louis native, suited up for KC Run on the Under Armour circuit.

And Faulkner didn’t play on a shoe company-sponsored program, but Team Manimal (KY) is one of the top unsponsored AAU teams in the state of Kentucky. He is also one of the top guards in the state, as he averaged 30 points per game as a junior.

It’s generally unheard of for a first-year head coach and new staff to receive commitments from programs like this at the low and mid-major level. Nevertheless, Brannen and his staff are attacking the recruiting trail. It’s obvious they are targeting in-state guys and the surrounding areas. Heading into the Horizon league, they will need to continue to have success in the recruiting world to compete at a high level.

While it’s still early in the process, Northern Kentucky has done a fantastic job on the recruiting trail. It looks like they could have one of the top mid-major recruiting classes in 2016, and, more importantly, they are setting themselves up for the future by dipping into some of the biggest local AAU programs.