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Texas Recruiting Notes 2021


Reese Bennett

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1 minute ago, GlenFromTheMailRoom said:

I could go eat steak anywhere and syndney would still be a loud-mouth fucking idiot.

I have to chime in on somebody who actually believed Jesus Shuttlecock had any connections. The people at that site asked me, random internet poster they never met to write a column because I know some college coaches. I could have produced pure, unadulterated bullshit and they never would have bothered to check. 

The Humidor also just pumped Kennedy Lewis as “doing all of the right things” right before he got sent to JUCO for a semester. And this article was published after the coaches knew about his grades. The Humidor is complete and total fiction. 100% made up for entertainment and clicks. 

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3 hours ago, Newy25 said:

When Fud came here with the predictable news that we do not lead anymore for all of the chicks we counted before they hatched after a several page discussion last summer on our OL numbers it sparked a memory. I also just heard Darth Roach say Byrd is not feeling Texas anymore, either. I hope he is wrong and I hope us offering guys in AZ is not an indication of how things are trending with the big in state targets. 

And besides, it’s the fucking offseason combined with a dead period so what do you expect to be reading? Our best hope now is to find out Hamm just got nabbed in a child porn ring because nothing good football wise can be happening. 

I'd generally agree with you, but the AZ guys are pretty longstanding offers. The staff is in the tricky position of having to nail down exactly how much they like those ready-to-commit backup offers against long cycle Texas guys with a lot of options.

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14 minutes ago, Fud said:

Another interesting 2021 OL prospect. Some posters on IT were talking about him this weekend. 

Jack Leyrer, Highland Park. 

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13137476/5de288674deb1113b068fbbe

https://247sports.com/Player/Jack-Leyrer-46096349/

What's the story here? It seems unrealistic that a 6'7, 280 OT at Highland Park could fly under the radar without some sort of extenuating factors.

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19 minutes ago, Ricky's one-hitter said:

What's the story here? It seems unrealistic that a 6'7, 280 OT at Highland Park could fly under the radar without some sort of extenuating factors.

Rivals reported that his first offer was SMU 10 days ago (behind paywall)

https://smu.rivals.com/news/smu-is-1st-offer-for-hometown-ol-jack-leyrer-looking-at-march-visit

 

 

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26 minutes ago, Ricky's one-hitter said:

What's the story here? It seems unrealistic that a 6'7, 280 OT at Highland Park could fly under the radar without some sort of extenuating factors.

I guess perhaps sometimes kids fly under the radar even at big schools, despite playing well had being good prospects. See Ojomo at Katy, and Rakestraw at Duncanville. 

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The Stampede: Texas recruiting quick hits to start the spring

The dead period lifted yesterday, and now the next phase of the 2021 cycle is in effect. The Longhorns will be able to host unofficial visitors, and campus should be busy over the next few months. The Longhorns will be launching their new coaching staff in full force for one of the first times with the 2021 class. Spring visits will mix with spring football, and coaches will be hitting the road in a little over a month to begin the recruiting evaluation period. Once those coaches hit the road, we've got a handle on what areas some of them might operate in, though it seems as if the overall recruiting strategy might be changing a bit.

We also picked up some intel on priority 2022 targets, 2021 quarterbacks, and 2021 running backs over the weekend. In this edition of The Stampede, Horns247's weekly gathering of recruiting intel, we scattershoot a multitude of subjects before the Longhorns begin their initial spring recruiting push.

RECRUITING CALENDAR

You may have noticed several schools hosted visitors yesterday as the dead period lifted. So many of the top prospects in the state of Texas headed off to campuses like Oklahoma, Baylor, and TCU. I was told by a source at Texas that the Longhorns preferred not to rush a Sunday visit and only have a half-day with which to operate. With the abbreviated recruiting calendar due to the dead period, Texas will not really host a traditional junior day visit as they have in the past. Instead, expect to see the staff take advantage of each weekend to host visitors during the spring.

I’m told that spring break (March 15-21) will likely mean very few visits as the staff will be able to use that time to get things in order before starting spring practice (March 24th) and hitting the road for the spring evaluation period on April 15th. I’m told that Texas will try to organize a big visit weekend at some point, and I’d expect it to be on March 28thafter the beginning of spring practice so that the visitors can see the team and coaches in action.

REGIONAL COACHING ASSIGNMENTS

In the past, Texas relied on coaches working in the geographical areas assigned to them. From what I’ve been able to surmise so far, it’s likely that Texas will look more to a position-focused recruiting plan. This will allow coaches to focus directly on the prospects they are evaluating and recruiting. There will still be regional ties, and at times, the Longhorns will rely on those staffers and their ties in areas of need. Jay Valai will likely be one of the leading guys in Dallas. A native of Euless, Texas and former Colleyville Heritage standout, Valai has the relationships and regional familiarity to change the way Texas does business in D-FW.

It sounds like new tight ends coach Jay Boulware could be the man in east Texas along with some work in his native Dallas. Outside of the state, running backs coach Stan Drayton will likely resume his role of recruiting Florida while linebacker coach Coleman Hutzler has extensive experience in the metro-Atlanta area. Again, those coaches might be leaned upon to open doors in their specific territories, but I’d expect the individual position coaches to play the bigger role in recruitments of each prospect.

JAY BOULWARE LENDING A HAND TO RUNNING BACK RECRUITING

It sounds like Jay Boulware’s experience at Oklahoma may help Texas in their recruitment of priority running back targets. In speaking with Hopewell (Va.) running back TreVeyon Henderson and Cy-Fair running back LJ Johnson, both had strong relationships with Boulware going back to his time at Oklahoma. Oklahoma was high on Henderson’s list prior to Boulware’s departure, and the new Texas tight ends coach was a big reason why. LJ Johnson also told me that Boulware was a big factor in his recruitment as well. While Boulware will mostly be focusing on recruiting tight ends, he’s intent on providing a helping hand with regards to running back recruiting also.

2021 QB RECRUITING

The Longhorns will turn their attention to quarterback recruiting now that the dead period is lifted. Jalen Milroe is already in the class, but Texas clearly wants to find a second option. They’ve offered Flower Mound Marcus passer Garrett Nussmeier and Lubbock Coronado’s Sawyer Robertson. Nussmeier is starting to take visits, and a decision will come for him in a little over a. month. He made the trip to Waco yesterday, and he will take a full array of unofficial visits during March and early April to help decide where he might commit. Robertson is more of a mystery at this time, but things are beginning to become clear. While he doesn’t talk much, I’ve heard from those close to Robertson that Texas was an offer that grabbed his attention. That said, watch out for Mississippi State in this race. Robertson and his father made the trip to Starkville yesterday at the end of the dead period.

It appears that Mike Leach is still a powerful force for a kid who grew up as a quarterback in Lubbock. I’d expect Robertson to make a Texas visit, and schools like USC are making him a huge priority at this time, but right now this looks like a Texas/Mississippi State battle. Leach has been recruiting Robertson since he was at Washington State, but Robertson’s relationship with Mike Yurcich goes back to his time at Ohio State when the Buckeyes were looking at Robertson.

I don’t expect to see Robertson much on the camp circuit this year because of his involvement in baseball. That might also keep his visits down, but I’m told he will likely make it to Austin at some point during the spring.

WHERE DOES TEXAS SIT WITH PAIR OF ELITE 2022 TARGETS?

I had the opportunity to visit with a pair of elite 2022 in-state targets last week. We’ll start with Southlake Carroll quarterback Quinn Ewers. His recruitment is starting to heat up, and it sounds like Ewers was close to shutting it down a few weeks ago. After some consideration, Ewers now has no real timeline and doesn’t appear to be in any sort of hurry. While Ewers has a multitude of options available to him, and he plans on making the most of his process, it sounds like four schools stand at the top for him right now. Alabama is one of the schools recruiting Ewers the hardest right now, and the Crimson Tide are a difficult program to overlook.

Auburn is also a player and a possible darkhorse with Chad Morris now in an offensive coordinator role with the Tigers. Morris and Southlake Carroll head coach Riley Dodge are close, and former Texas and Lake Travis tight end Cade McCrary is on staff at Carroll and played for Morris in high school. Oklahoma is a school standing out for Ewers right now, and it’s hard to overlook what Lincoln Riley has done with quarterbacks over the last few years. Ewers mentioned the quarterback development at OU specifically as something that stood out to him.

Texas is the childhood favorite of Ewers, and he mentioned his relationship with Mike Yurcich as one that’s growing stronger. Texas is recruiting Ewers hard right now, and they’ve made it clear to him that he’s the top target. There are several pro-Texas folks in his corner, and the Longhorns have the chance to really grab his attention this year.

2022 Arlington Bowie OL Devon Campbell is a name to get familiar with now. Campbell holds 18 offers from programs such as Alabama, Penn State, LSU, Oklahoma, TCU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma State, and many others. Texas did a great job jumping on Campbell early on, and now he’s seeing offers from just about everyone in the country. Campbell is also shaping up to be one of the elite prospects in the state of Texas and possibly the top offensive lineman in 2022.

Early on, it looked like Texas could possibly secure an early commitment from Campbell, but the new offers he’s receiving are opening his eyes to the possibilities he has in front of him. I’d expect Campbell to take some visits and evaluate his offers carefully, but Texas is in a really strong position early thanks to their offer and the recruiting skills of Herb Hand.

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3 hours ago, Ricky's one-hitter said:

What's the story here? It seems unrealistic that a 6'7, 280 OT at Highland Park could fly under the radar without some sort of extenuating factors.

I don’t know about that kid but HP has always had plenty of overgrown white guys playing OL that weren’t good college prospects.  you can be 6’7” 280 and also unathletic and soft. 

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IT Scoop - Nahlin/Wells (percentages)

Spoiler

By: Eric Nahlin and Justin Wells

The Inside Scoop delivers 2021 percentages today, to go with notes/quotes from newest offers and two notes on 2022 targets. It's March in the Scoop.

By: @Eric Nahlin

PERCENTAGES

Texas has more legitimate targets than this, but guys who haven't visited yet are total unknowns. We at least have some useful data on the players below.

QB Garrett Nussmeier, Marcus (Flower Mound, TX) - 30%: I'm on the same page as the conventional wisdom that LSU is the team to beat. Nussmeier appears to be a take for the defending national champions, or at least he will be if Caleb Williams picks a different school. If LSU lands Williams, things could get more interesting with Nussmeier. UT's in a good spot otherwise.

QB Sawyer Robertson, Coronado (Lubbock, TX) - 45%: We know he loves Mike Leach and he just visited Mississippi State. He's a quiet kid and may prefer that dimmer spotlight of Starkville. He does like Mike Yurcich, though, and he's a great fit for the offense. This will get interesting after he visits Austin.

RB Jonathon Brooks, Hallettsville (Hallettsville, TX) - 80%: We believe he'll be a take for Texas as an RB2 or perhaps athlete.

RB LJ Johnson, Cy-Fair (Cypress, TX) - 33%: I still haven't heard back on how big of a threat LSU is. His dad played there but LJ and others have downplayed that aspect. Texas led at one point. A&M is also in the conversation. This percentage could jump back in favor of UT quickly.

RB Camar Wheaton, Lakeview Centennial (Garland, TX) - 10%: I could see him at SMU or out of state.

WR JoJo Earle, Aledo (Aledo, TX) - 20%: The poor Texas season opened up the door for everyone else. The staff needs to get him on campus this spring to have a shot. He was liking LSU but that program looks entirely different than it did a couple months ago.

WR Theodore Knox, The Woodlands (The Woodlands, TX) - 60%: The good news on declining status with Earle is it should force the staff to push for Knox, a player they should want regardless. Middle class Reagor.

WR Quay Davis, Skyline (Dallas, TX) - 25%: Even if he publicly committed to Texas today I'd have my doubts that he'd sign with UT. They need to recruit the class like Davis won't be in it.

TE Elijah Arroyo, Indepedence (Frisco, TX) - 20%: He likes Texas but he's in no hurry and will take his time.

TE Landen King, Atascocita (Humble, TX) - 75%: If the staff pushes they'll get him. Of course they already have Juan Davis committed so may elect to take their time. Tough call because King is good.

OL James Brockermeyer, All Saints (Fort Worth, TX) - 55%: I think Texas wins enough this season to land the legacies. I'm not super confident in that prediction. Tom Herman, man.

OL Tommy Brockermeyer, All Saints (Fort Worth, TX) - 55%: Same as above.

OL Jager Burton, Frederick Douglass (Lexington, KY) - 10%: He may visit again this spring but I don't see things working out. They'd have to recruit him like a priority.

OL Savion Byrd, Duncanville (Duncanville, TX) - 25%: Similar to Camar Wheaton. I see him at SMU or out of state.

OL Reuben Fatheree, Foster (Richmond, TX) - 15%: Texas is still in touch but this will likely be OU or LSU.

OL Bryce Foster, Taylor (Katy, TX) - 40%: I might Texas over any individual school but take the field versus Texas. He really likes Oregon but distance doesn't help them.

OL Jonah Miller, Salpointe Catholic (Tucson, AZ) - 40%: It would probably be Texas if they pushed but they're being judicious and have to leave room.

OL Matthew Wykoff, Magnolia High (Magnolia, TX) - 30%: I think A&M will get him if they push for him.

DE Jordon Thomas, Memorial (Port Arthur, TX) - 70%: This one could still have a wild swing or two in it. As of now I like Texas.

DE Shemar Turner, DeSoto (DeSoto, TX) - 75%: I believe he likes Texas more than he lets on. An issue will be if he takes his time, then UT will be easier to recruit against as others jump in.

DE Landon Jackson, Pleasant Grove (Texarkana, TX) - 60%: I think his heart is in Austin but his recruitment could have twist or turn. You have to like Texas getting his last official visit.

LB Morice Blackwell, Martin (Arlington, TX) - 30%: Placeholder percentage. I need to get back in touch with him.

LB Terrence Cooks, Shadow Creek (Pearland, TX) - 70%: Screams Texas kid and already has a solid bond developing with the staff and commits.

LB Clayton Smith, Texas High (Texarkana, TX) - 25%: It could be higher than this but I see him at LSU right now. I love him but not more than Ja'Tavion Sanders for this defensive fit.

CB Tony Grimes, Princess Anne (Virginia Beach, VA) - 15%: He'll visit in April but out-of-state five-star cornerbacks are an incredibly heavy lift.

CB Ishmael Ibraheem, Kimball (Dallas, TX) - 30%: His interest in Texas seems to have waned but there's time for Jay Valai to build a relationship. Texas is going to have to be very aggressive this spring.

CB Hunter Washington, Katy High (Katy, TX) - 25%: I'm not sure they'll ever push hard enough to land Washington. He has a lot of good options.

CB Latrell McCutchin, LBJ (Austin, TX) - 10%: OU is obviously in front after he de-committed from Alabama. He's going to become quite the foil on Twitter, I suspect.

DB Andrew Mukuba, LBJ (Austin, TX) - 25%: OU offered yesterday. Texas offered Saturday. I do think OU leads but I don't think UT is out of it depending on how hard they pursue. This percentage could jump quite a bit in the coming months but right now there's ground to make up. Hearing from other big programs might persuade him to take his time.

DB Romario Noel, Cypress Ranch (Cypress, TX) - 20%: He'd be a linebacker. We'll know more about him if he visits again later this spring. Committed to Baylor.

DB Isaiah Nwokobia, Skyline (Dallas, TX) - 70%: I think they can shut Nwokobia down later this spring if they want to. Good player

DB JD Coffey III, Kennedale (Kennedale, TX) - 30%: I do wonder if they'll circle back to Coffey, but for now the staff is looking elsewhere.

From: @Justin Wells

CEYAIR WRIGHT

His offseason is full. From studying (1350 SAT), to co-starring beside LeBron James in the upcoming movie, Space Jam 2, playing football might seem like it gets a backseat. Not to Wright though.

“I need to get bigger, faster, and stronger," said Wright. "And hone in on my technique and get ready to have my best season to date.”

For the 6-foot-1, 175-pound athlete from Loyola HS in Los Angeles, the multi-talented four-star is all about that work. Whether it be an appearance on the TV show "2 Broke Girls" or competing at The Opening and Under Armour camps, it's full throttle. He doesn't have a position today, but UT likes him as a defensive back who can play corner, nickel, or safety.

“I think I could be successful either side of the ball, but I think I'll end up being a corner when it all said and done.”

With offers from Oregon, Notre Dame, OU, Stanford, and USC, the Texas verbal invitation caught his eyes.

“It’s a great school with a great defense," Wright said." I’ll be visiting Austin this month.”

Wright has a specific vision on what he wants from his future college.

“A place that's going to develop me as a person and as a player, that will also put me in a position to be successful in my future."

For a kid that works hard at everything, his future might be brighter than most, whether under the lights or on the big screen.

MALICK SYLLA

At 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, the junior-to-be has seen his stock rise recently with Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and USC recently extended offers. Add LSU to the mix too.

For the edge-rusher on defense, Sylla is taking it day-to-day.

“I’ve just stayed humble and continued to work hard and tried not to stress to much," said Sylla. "Texas A&M and LSU are recruiting me the hardest."

Texas got in on the ground floor here with Sylla's potential. He likes what's happening in Austin.

"I love (Texas)," said Sylla. "It’s a good school and not too far from home."

Sylla says he runs the open 200 and the 4x2 for the Katy track team. Pretty impressive for a kid his size. He likes the athlete tag rather than one specific position designation, but defensive end might be his future payday. This guy's first step and explosiveness screams quarterback nightmare.

He’s hoping to visit Texas this spring and build with the staff.

TWO MORE NOTES

Texas will host a handful of prospects this weekend, including Katy’s Bobby Taylor III.

Taylor is one of the top corners in-state for 2022, but might not be a take today. With Denver Harris (Galena Park North Shore), Austin Jordan (Denton Ryan), and Jaylon Guilbeau (Port Arthur Memorial) identified as prime targets, the numbers for CB will be tight. Add Mater Dei’s Domani Jackson (Santa Ana, CA) who wants to visit and you see the obscene talent at the position for the 2022 cycle.

While he likely won't be visiting this weekend, Southlake Carrol's Quinn Ewers is looking forward to getting back to Austin.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound future five-star passer grew up a Longhorn fan. He also has half of America begging for his services. With 20+ offers in hand, it appears UT, OU, Alabama, and Auburn are the four that stand out today.

Ewers was named the MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year, the District 5-6A MVP, and also the Fort Worth Star Telegram Male Athlete of the Year after a stellar season. He notched 3,998 yards and 45 touchdowns through the air, while adding 583 yards and nine scores on the ground.

Texas has a fight on its hands for the stud from Southlake. OU is pushing Baker/Kyler Heisman numbers hard, Alabama calls regularly, and now Auburn enters the fray courtesy of Cade McCrary, the former Lake Travis (and Longhorn) WR under Chad Morris. McCrary is a coach on Riley Dodge's staff.

It's early, but for a kid with his ability, you come correct everyday or get left behind.

 

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WR Quay Davis, Skyline (Dallas, TX) - 25%: Even if he publicly committed to Texas today I'd have my doubts that he'd sign with UT. They need to recruit the class like Davis won't be in it.

Could have sworn just a week or so ago that IT said to bet on Davis being in the class.

Knox could be a big get with his cousin being a stud 2022 LB.

Do they really think 2 potential 5*'s will go to SMU??

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3 minutes ago, Fud said:

Insiders from the Texarkana area think he's a Texas lean 

Just my opinion, but I think he's always liked Texas the most, but not the Orlando scheme.  Now that we are switching to a 4 man front I think he's trending back towards us.  I'd bet the talk of aggy pressuring him to commit last summer when we went on a commit run and it didn't sit well with him are true.  I've never seen or heard anything on the aggy dad involved or going on visits with him.

Edited by Elmer_Fudd
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The IT post on the RB positions feels pretty accurate to me. LJ Johnson might be fucked for good, and Camar Wheaton probably isn't a realistic option for Texas, that is just going to be a really queer recruitment start to finish. 

So the staff better start casting the net for RB wide as fuck, and more than just the 5 star Henderson kid that seems to have a not passing interest. Fortunately, Stan Drayton can be counted on to log the miles. 

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4 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

We are going to need near aggy level of attrition to take a full boat in 2021.

My guess is that we'll see Texas take either a full class in the 2021 cycle or right near a full class with 1-2 spots for transfers. They'll lose some guys to the NFL. There's already some injury-related attrition to factor in between Floyd, Brown, and Cummins. I think they've got, what? 14-15 guys set to graduate? Mix in 2 early NFL guys, the open spots of 2-4, the 3 med retirements, and then normal attrition of 3-5 guys moving on and you're easily able to take a full class. Hopefully one of the dorks that track this stuff less fast and loose than I do can fill in here. 18 months to go before the roster count matters, also.

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9 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

The IT post on the RB positions feels pretty accurate to me. LJ Johnson might be fucked for good, and Camar Wheaton probably isn't a realistic option for Texas, that is just going to be a really queer recruitment start to finish. 

So the staff better start casting the net for RB wide as fuck, and more than just the 5 star Henderson kid that seems to have a not passing interest. Fortunately, Stan Drayton can be counted on to log the miles. 

Is LJ heading to bcs?

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12 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

The IT post on the RB positions feels pretty accurate to me. LJ Johnson might be fucked for good, and Camar Wheaton probably isn't a realistic option for Texas, that is just going to be a really queer recruitment start to finish. 

So the staff better start casting the net for RB wide as fuck, and more than just the 5 star Henderson kid that seems to have a not passing interest. Fortunately, Stan Drayton can be counted on to log the miles. 

And no one can explain the Jonathan Brooks offer. He was at the Houston Rivals regional that a bunch of 995ers were at and there is literally no coverage of his reps. Just a tweet with him in a Texas sweatshirt. 

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6 minutes ago, Goodman said:

Is LJ heading to bcs?

IT Says LSU, I heard Georgia was his current flavor of the month. But he definitely likes the SEC in general. Probably didn't help having most of his peers heading off to college the past few years to SEC schools (except Brock Wright to Notre Dame but he's an outlier) and a red ass coaching staff screaming SEC! SEC! the last 3 years of his HS career. 

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