The crowd outside Skyline football coach Reginald Samples' office the last six months has resembled a scene from a doctor's office visit or a trip to the Department of Public Safety office to renew a driver's license.

The line was so backed up – this one with notable college football coaches – you needed to take a number.

Why all the fuss? Skyline is bursting at the seams with talent. The Raiders already have nine players who have orally committed to NCAA Bowl Subdivision schools, from Oklahoma and Texas A&M to LSU and Michigan. Scouts from coast to coast have made their way to Dallas to put their school's name in the hat for one of the star prospects.

"There have been times when we've had coaches in two or three different offices," Samples said. "It's been crazy, really crazy. It gets a little hectic when you get into the office and you have Oklahoma inside the office and Texas outside the door and Texas A&M across the hall in another office. And everybody is looking at you wanting to talk about a kid."

During spring practices, college coaches also lined the sidelines at Skyline's practices.

"You would see USC, Oklahoma, LSU, Texas, Texas Tech," said Joe Powell, who has committed to Oklahoma. "And you say, 'Dang, all these dudes are out here to see us?' It was just really crazy."

Powell and Mike Davis, who has committed to LSU, give Skyline a dynamic duo at wide receiver.

Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Jeremy Crabtree said that despite more and more scholarship offers being made earlier and earlier and football players committing sooner than ever, Skyline's preseason haul is uncommon.

"To have that many this early is extremely rare," Crabtree said. "There is no question about that at all. It's a credit to everyone associated with the Skyline program."

But with talent comes expectations. And for Samples, therein lies the burden.

Everyone seems to be jumping on the Skyline bandwagon. Even Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine made Skyline its preseason pick to win the Class 5A Division I state title.

"All of this sounds well, but I've been coaching long enough to know that this is going to be one of the hardest coaching jobs I've ever had," said Samples, who is entering his 29th season as a coach in the Dallas ISD. It is his 16th as a head coach.

COURTNEY PERRY / DMN

Skyline football players (clockwise from center front) Javia Hall, Domonique Patterson, Rodney Williams, Mike Davis, Adrian James, Joe Powell, Graylin Hawkins and Tony Drake have already committed to NCAA Bowl Subdivision schools, as has Corey Nelson (not pictured).

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"People tend to think when you have the talent it should be easy. But it's really not. First of all, we're fighting egos. It seems like we're going into the game 20 points ahead, and that's not the truth."

Samples has a solid track record for handling talent. In 2004, before he took the job at Skyline, Samples led Lincoln to the Class 4A Division II state title game. A Lincoln team led by dynamic playmaker Byron Eaton lost in double overtime to Kilgore, 33-27.

Samples said he believes Skyline stacks up well with that Lincoln team and is excited at the chance to make a run at the DISD's first recognized UIL state football championship since Sunset won in 1950.

Freddie James, who coached Carter to a Class 5A state win over Converse Judson in 1988 before the title was stripped from the Cowboys in 1991, said he's impressed with Skyline.

Many DISD historians believe Carter's 1988 team was the most talented in school district history. Fifteen of the 36 seniors earned major college scholarships, and linebacker Jessie Armstead, safety LeShai Maston and cornerback Clifton Abraham went on to NFL careers.

But James, who even in his early 70s can still be found at a DISD football game every Friday night, said this Skyline team ranks in talent with any of his Carter squads.

"That Skyline team they had last year had just as much talent as any team I had. And this year might be even better," James said. "It will stack up with some of the best ever in the history of the DISD."

Despite receivers pledged to Oklahoma and LSU and a running back – Tony Drake – who is committed to Michigan, the face of this Skyline team is the linebackers.

The headliner of Skyline's nine major college commitments is Corey Nelson, rated by Rivals.com as the nation's No. 3 outside linebacker recruit in the Class of 2010. Nelson and fellow senior Domonique Patterson have committed to Texas A&M. Skyline's other starting linebacker, junior Anthony Wallace, has a scholarship offer from LSU and is considered a top target for scouts in the Class of 2011.

"We have to stay level-headed and motivated in order to win," Nelson said. "We want to surpass what hasn't been done in the Dallas district for a long time."

Samples said with so much talent this year, Skyline will get every team's best effort.

"Everybody we play will be revved up to play us now," Samples said. "You can't walk around smelling yourself because someone has given you an offer and expect everybody you're playing to lay down. I know exactly what I'm up against. I'm not naïve enough to think it's going to be easy just because I have some players. Just like what my grandpappy used to say, the same things that make you laugh will make you cry."

Samples has to replace his entire starting secondary from last year's team that finished 12-2 and lost in the fourth round of the playoffs to Round Rock Stony Point. But he said perhaps one of his biggest obstacles this year will be keeping his players grounded.

"They come up here and I'm fussing and all over them and chewing them out, and as soon as they get in the car, someone is on the phone telling them how great they are," Samples said. "So which one are they going to remember?"

Despite the challenges faced by Samples, he said he doesn't feel pressure.

"I have a burning desire to do well," Samples said. "One of the reasons is because sometimes as a whole people look at us like we don't play good football. I want to do well so people understand that we do play good football in Dallas."