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Texas Recruiting Notes 2021


Reese Bennett

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3 hours ago, NorLa Horns said:

Foster is wanting the throwing/ football combo. now, thatd be Texas hands down If not for mom. 

Oregon is  next in line. the question is. does mom hate TU bad enough to make her baby go that far away?

I think we know the answer to that question.

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IT from Wells

 

21 Lakeview Centennial RB Camar Wheaton is on campus, source says.

This is a positive towards his pursuit.

UPDATE: 5:40pm

Wheaton enjoyed the one-day trip.

It looks like a Texas-OU battle right now. There’s a sense he stays close to home.

SMU is throwing its hat in the ring.

No timetable on commitment, no idea when he’ll take OVs.

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3 hours ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Wiltfong just crystal balled a RB to tOSU.  That's two he's crystal balled to them.  Weren't they one of the main programs for Henderson?

Is that the kid from Michigan he CB'd?  Buck fan I know say they are getting 2 in this cycle.. He thinks it's that kid from Michigan and the local kid here in VA, Henderson.

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Nahlin - OL/DL + Recruits

Spoiler

For going on two years now we’ve known Texas had to strike oil on the offensive and defensive lines in the 2021 recruiting class. The materials are championship caliber across the board. There are plenty of edge rushers, offensive tackles, interior O-linemen, and grow 'em D-tackles. A good challenge, and one that Texas fans hope truly materializes, will be to make the pieces fit within class numbers.

Every year there are countless kids who are “good enough” to play at a school like Texas, but “good enough” isn’t good enough. Texas needs to maximize the class. Doing so will require strong recruiting, great evaluation, guile, and for the players on longer decision timelines, winning some damn football games in the fall.

As the cycle begins to ramp up, Texas is off to a good start. Of course, it has been off to a good start for some time with defensive end Ja’Tavion Sanders and offensive lineman Hayden Conner committing to Texas last summer.

These are foundational pieces to the 2021 class.

Ja’Tavion Sanders, Ryan (Denton): For my money, edge rusher is the biggest positional need in the class. Having Sanders committed is no different than desperately needing a talented running back and landing Bijan Robinson. Typical of elite talent, Sanders is a high floor, high ceiling player who will immediately upgrade the pass rush at a time where options are thin.

Hayden Conner, Taylor (Katy): Hayden is a tale of two prospects. At a minimum he gives you a swing tackle or upside guard. His long-term upside may be much greater than that, however. Watching him run around during 7 on 7, while looking more svelte, is a reminder that he may have the talent to eventually play left tackle. I’d need odds to take that bet but it’s not out of the realm of possibility. We usually view him as a high floor prospect but there’s more upside than people are accounting for. In a way he’s the perfect “early start” commitment. He protects you from missing across the board and keeps the staff from feeling the need to reach too early.

If Texas can build out the rest of the class with similar quality, overall program trajectory improves that much more. Let’s look at the candidates and how they fit. I’m thinking we’ll see a total of five defensive linemen, though that may include a Jack outside linebacker.

Landon Jackson, Pleasant Grove (Texarkana): He’s a pure four-man front defensive end. He’ll outgrow outside linebacker, but not so much that he’d be a 4i. UT’s change in front comes at the perfect time to maximize the class, with Jackson and the other defensive ends being a great example. This one comes down to Texas and A&M with UT holding the edge. If Texas can land him, Sanders would be the weak-side defensive end, and Jackson will likely grow into the strong-side.

Jordon Thomas, Memorial (Port Arthur): When I first saw Ta’Quon Graham he was about 220 pounds and I thought he’d be an edge terror. But he didn’t quite have as much length as I thought, he put on a lot of muscle, and he wasn’t the greatest fit for the four-man front. After putting on mass to survive at 4i, the natural move is to swing him down to 3-tech. If Thomas picks Texas, he would have much more fortunate timing. He’s one they’ll want to keep lean and between 260-270 pounds. I’d expect him to be a highly active swing player, though we still don’t quite know what his upside is. We could be selling him short. The word “freak” is thrown around with him pretty commonly. Like Sanders and Jackson, he’s a pure edge player.

If the staff can land these three the class is an A+. The narrative switch in a year’s time from run-stopping three-man front to getting after the passer with your front four should pay huge dividends.

While one of them would likely grow into a useful situational interior player for sub-packages, the staff still needs to add an interior player or two. With the addition of Alfred Collins, Sawyer Goram-Welch, and to a lesser extent (because I think he’ll stay at defensive end for a while) Vernon Broughton, the need here isn’t as profound as it is with edge players.

Shemar Turner, DeSoto (DeSoto): His growth trajectory is clearly trending towards the interior. He’s similar to T’Vondre Sweat in that regard, though Turner has more bounce. I can write this opinion because I don’t have to recruit him. D-lineman often don’t want to hear they’re interior players and Turner would prefer to stay outside. That would be more likely in a three-man front. I’m bullish on Turner and Texas but there will be some things to overcome, especially if Turner is undecided while Sanders, Jackson, and Thomas are already in the class. The pitch here should start with, “You’re not as big as Vernon Broughton and we’re starting him off at defensive end.”

Despite it not being a major need, I think the staff would prefer two players who project to the interior. Rest assured A&M is going to push for Jackson’s teammate, Marcus Burris, to commit to the Ags in order to help them with Jackson. UT will try to make things as interesting as possible with Burris to keep that from happening. He’s a prize in his own right and if you’re Texas you take him even if it bumps the positional number up and costs you a player elsewhere.

If things go as expected and numbers get tight, what happens with Clayton Smith? That’s a good question without a good answer. The Texas High (Texarkana) athlete is a pure Jack linebacker. Finding an analog is easy — just watch Joseph Ossai this season. That should be a good pitch. The only equal or better pitch in the region was at LSU when Dave Aranda was there and he’s at Baylor now. If Smith bites on that pitch what do you do with all these defensive ends you’re trending well with? While the Jack gives your scheme more versatility, I think Chris Ash prefers playing two traditional defensive ends. Recruiting Smith makes sense because: A) he projects to play the same position as your best defensive player and they should want to capitalize on that, and B) that position isn’t the hardest to find year over year. They could be recruiting on two different tracks here just to see what they come up with.

We’ll hear about more defensive linemen along the way, particularly out-of-state options, but if things go as planned the staff shouldn’t have to move too far down the board.

Interestingly, the defensive line haul could help with the offensive line.

Tommy and James Brockermeyer, All Saints (Fort Worth): One thing Blake Brockermeyer has heard from professional scouts is the importance of picking a school with a good S&C program as well as one with good defensive linemen for the twins to practice against. Texas should be able to check those two boxes. The biggest issue, as many of you understand, will be to win this season. Texas should expect to win but the staff has to recruit and plan for all scenarios. Late cycle offensive line recruiting is already setting up to be quite intriguing. Aside that whole winning thing, Texas has an excellent pitch for the brothers. Tommy would arrive with the chance to compete immediately at tackle, and James would be arriving with an unsettled depth chart at center.

Needs in the class are 5-6 but the staff will want to recruit four of those independent of the twins while lining up a good contingency to push the number to five in the event the Brockermeyers head out-of-state. You can’t necessarily replace losing Tommy, but there will be a number of good contingencies for the staff to evaluate. Maybe one of those contingencies is for Savion Byrd instead.

Savion Byrd, Duncanville (Duncanville): Proximity and having Ja’Quinden Jackson in the class will give Texas a chance, but I’m not bullish. I’m sure they’ll want Byrd to take his official visit during the season when Jackson is on campus and it’s a good plan to have this play out as long as possible anyway. Regaining in-season momentum is probably UT’s best chance.

Bryce Foster, Taylor (Katy): I wrote about him in the Scoop. My feeling is we’re going to find out just how important being good at throwing is to Foster. If it’s as important as I’ve heard, then Texas is going to be difficult to beat. Even though he’s guard specific he has a very high floor. Texas is currently setting itself up to host Foster right before the dead period in June, and presumably before the Rivals Five-Star Challenge where all hell broke loose with Texas targets last June. If having Foster take his official visit in June prevents us from having to deal with that again I’m all for it!

Bram Walden, Saguaro (Scottsdale, AZ): As a likely tackle but possible guard I view him as the Donovan Jackson replacement in the class, but he’s going to prove difficult to pull. We need to hear about him loving Austin like we did with Bru McCoy two springs ago and Bijan Robinson last year. It could happen but for now I’m leery of Oregon. Of the out-of-state players UT has a legit chance with, he’s at the top of my wish list.

Matthew Wykoff, Magnolia (Magnolia): There’s a lot of cycle left but for now I think Wykoff will head elsewhere. I’ve long been a fan of Wykoff but I think by the time Texas needs to really line up contingencies it will be too late. Also, I think options that are just as good or better will emerge.

I expect more offers to go out or to see some old recruitments rekindled. At this point, Texas doesn’t look headed for a similar numbers crunch to the one on the defensive line but that could change quickly and they’re mindful of that.

Texas typically finds itself in the precarious position of beginning each cycle with about as much upside as any school in the country, only to see that momentum lost throughout the off-season and/or season. Because of this they justifiably don’t want to settle early. Where they get in trouble at times is keeping players warm and building relationships even if it’s unlikely they’ll need to pursue players. Hopefully this becomes a thing of the past with the new recruiters in town.

Along the lines I expect Texas to land a fair number of key pieces with things looking especially promising on defense. Improved narratives and adding Mark Hagen to the mix with Oscar Giles should help tremendously. If Texas can pair the All Saints duo with the Katy Taylor duo, then the O-line class will be right where it needs to be as well. Herb Hand has his work cut out for him this cycle but the on-field offensive product should give him a boost when he needs it most.

 

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Today’s shit sandwich for you guys:

The geniuses running the program, the Hermancipator and everyone here’s dearly beloved Yurcich have decided to outsmart themselves at QB. Apparently they’re going to find better fits for their awesome offense than the pied piper of Katy. Basically not paying much attention to him and offering everyone else in sight. He’s feeling the love from the SEC and I don’t mean Bama. 

But hey, some dude named Nussmeier or Robertson will be just awesome. 

 

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22 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Today’s shit sandwich for you guys:

The geniuses running the program, the Hermancipator and everyone here’s dearly beloved Yurcich have decided to outsmart themselves at QB. Apparently they’re going to find better fits for their awesome offense than the pied piper of Katy. Basically not paying much attention to him and offering everyone else in sight. He’s feeling the love from the SEC and I don’t mean Bama. 

But hey, some dude named Nussmeier or Robertson will be just awesome. 

 

Cmon, you liked the Yurcich hire, too.

But wow Herman picked a hell of a cycle to finally fuck around with QB recruiting. Maybe Beck was more important on the recruiting side of things than we thought.

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4 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Cmon, you liked the Yurcich hire, too.

But wow Herman picked a hell of a cycle to finally fuck around with QB recruiting. Maybe Beck was more important on the recruiting side of things than we thought.

Dude, I like a lot of things at a snapshot in time. I liked the Charlie Strong and Shaka Smart hires. I liked seeing how many waitresses and hostesses and female bartenders I could hook up with without any of them knowing about the others. Then new data comes to light and your football and basketball teams can’t sustain a winning record in conference or you’ve got multiple women threatening to permanently disfigure you within minutes of each other in public. 

So, yeah, I liked the Yurcich hire. If he buttfucks the 2021 class for Texas as the Hermanitard leads the program into another 7-6 tumbledown while breathing copenhagen breath into our collective faces and telling us to like it, my view on the Yurcich hire will have changed promptly. 

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On ‎1‎/‎4‎/‎2020 at 11:01 AM, Fud said:

Before the Milroe hype gets going, he does need to work on his passing consistency. He's got a huge arm and spins the ball well, but right now he's closer to Mond at passing than someone like Card. Word is his football and off the field character are off the charts, so I'm bullish on him getting there, and if he does become a significantly better passer, I think we're looking at someone like Mariota. 

I guess they want a better passer. If it's true that they let Milroe go, hopefully it doesn't hurt recruiting in the rest of the 2021 class. 

Some of the guys Herman decided to pass on prioritizing who were either ranked high early or who the boards loved; Shawn Robinson, Spencer Sanders/Mordecai, King Haynes, and Preston Stone (and maybe Milroe). It'll be interesting to see how this works out. 

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39 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Today’s shit sandwich for you guys:

The geniuses running the program, the Hermancipator and everyone here’s dearly beloved Yurcich have decided to outsmart themselves at QB. Apparently they’re going to find better fits for their awesome offense than the pied piper of Katy. Basically not paying much attention to him and offering everyone else in sight. He’s feeling the love from the SEC and I don’t mean Bama. 

But hey, some dude named Nussmeier or Robertson will be just awesome. 

 

Is tomorrow's shit sandwich going to be that Quay got Noah Cain'd? The evidence is......overwhelming

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1 minute ago, Fud said:

I guess they want a better passer. If it's true that they let Milroe go, hopefully it doesn't hurt recruiting in the rest of the 2021 class. 

Some of the guys Herman decided to pass on prioritizing who were either ranked high early or who the boards loved; Shawn Robinson, Spencer Sanders/Mordecai, King Haynes, and Preston Stone (and maybe Milroe). It'll be interesting to see how this works out. 

Guys I know were not high on any of those guys and they were mostly right. The same dudes like Milroe. Maybe your folks can find out locally, but I’d be shocked if losing Milroe isn’t a pretty big problem for this class. Milroe has a cannon.

Surely a coach getting paid $1.7million in part to coach QBs can get a guy with the intangibles and raw materials to take on proper form? I’ve seen enough to believe that if they’re really going to let Milroe walk, they’re going to do it in as buffoonish and hamfisted a way as possible. 

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16 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Cmon, you liked the Yurcich hire, too.

But wow Herman picked a hell of a cycle to finally fuck around with QB recruiting. Maybe Beck was more important on the recruiting side of things than we thought.

Narrator: He was.

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9 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Guys I know were not high on any of those guys and they were mostly right. The same dudes like Milroe. Maybe your folks can find out locally, but I’d be shocked if losing Milroe isn’t a pretty big problem for this class. Milroe has a cannon.

Surely a coach getting paid $1.7million in part to coach QBs can get a guy with the intangibles and raw materials to take on proper form? I’ve seen enough to believe that if they’re really going to let Milroe walk, they’re going to do it in as buffoonish and hamfisted a way as possible. 

I love Milroe's hudl, but I did hear from someone in the area who thinks he's overrated, but I was thinking that his value as a class builder is such that he's worth taking even if that's true while hopefully being sandwiched between Card and Ewers, although now some concerns about the Ewers recruitment are starting to come out, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ . Maybe they salvage the Milroe recruitment, or maybe they replace him with a great prospect who's a much better passer. Or maybe a different head coach picks the next QB. We'll see. 

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2 minutes ago, Fud said:

I love Milroe's hudl, but I did hear from someone in the area who thinks he's overrated, but I was thinking that his value as a class builder is such that he's worth taking even if that's true while hopefully being sandwiched between Card and Ewers, although now some concerns about the Ewers recruitment are starting to come out, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ . Maybe they salvage the Milroe recruitment, or maybe they replace him with a great prospect who's a much better passer. Or maybe a different head coach picks the next QB. We'll see. 

I like the last part of your post. I would have written is similarly. Something like “Or maybe Hermeh can go fuck himself and die after fucking us. We’ll see. “

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

Is tomorrow's shit sandwich going to be that Quay got Noah Cain'd? The evidence is......overwhelming

Eh, Quay seems to be trying to avoid/mitigate a circus recruitment while Cain was more of an "is he a good RB?" (he is!).

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1 hour ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

IT sure feels good about Jackson.

Wells does keep writing like he is a sure fire, can't miss guy which I disagree with. He's a strong side DE who has a long way to go in filling out his frame and learning to play that position IMO.

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hayden connor has a GREAT relationship with milroe. connor is working hard on foster. we fuck up milroe, we most likely lose connor and foster. milroe also has a great relationship with many other recruits. it will be pathetic and interesting to see the shit show fallout from this.

herman can't even land legacies. why the fuck is he trying to un-recruit the biggest and probably best recruiter for the 21 class?

herman simply cannot not step on his own dick. 

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2 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

hayden connor has a GREAT relationship with milroe. connor is working hard on foster. we fuck up milroe, we most likely lose connor and foster. milroe also has a great relationship with many other recruits. it will be pathetic and interesting to see the shit show fallout from this.

herman can't even land legacies. why the fuck is he trying to un-recruit the biggest and probably best recruiter for the 21 class?

herman simply cannot not step on his own dick. 

I don't think we'd lose Conner. He seems pretty bought in with everything Texas has to offer 

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14 minutes ago, Goodman said:

Wells does keep writing like he is a sure fire, can't miss guy which I disagree with. He's a strong side DE who has a long way to go in filling out his frame and learning to play that position IMO.

17 sacks this season seems pretty good for someone still filling out and learning the position 

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4 minutes ago, crash_davis said:

hayden connor has a GREAT relationship with milroe. connor is working hard on foster. we fuck up milroe, we most likely lose connor and foster. milroe also has a great relationship with many other recruits. it will be pathetic and interesting to see the shit show fallout from this.

herman can't even land legacies. why the fuck is he trying to un-recruit the biggest and probably best recruiter for the 21 class?

herman simply cannot not step on his own dick. 

ctj told us what he heard, does not mean that is the case. yet.

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1 hour ago, texifornia said:

Eh, Quay seems to be trying to avoid/mitigate a circus recruitment while Cain was more of an "is he a good RB?" (he is!).

There was a pretty drastic shift among the 9.95ers from "Quay is basically a silent" to "Don't expect Quay in this class".

To me, that screams of Quay trying to get back in the class and Herman saying, "what is a commitment to you, Quay? You've already decommitted twice, so we aren't going to take your committment until signing day", or some other holier than thou, bullshit. Maybe Quay backed off, but I doubt it. 

Milroe is valuable as a recruiter, team leader, and qb prospect in that order. Quay offers more hard skill impact. I can't decide which is worse to fuck up. 

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Steve Wiltfong: Tracking the toppling 2021 QB recruiting dominos

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In other quarterback news… Texas could take two signal-callers for a second year in a row if say a guy like Nussmeier or Sawyer Robertson wanted in. Herman and company are certainly excited about Milroe, but we’re not far removed from a 2017 season where the Longhorns had two scholarship quarterbacks on the roster and both were playing through injury. I wouldn’t expect Texas to take a second guy just to take one but if it’s someone that’s going to elevate the competition in the room they may consider it. Robertson is also giving a hard look to Mike Leach and Mississippi State. Cedar Hill (Texas) High Top247 passer Kaidon Salter was considered a Baylor lean early but his recruitment has skyrocketed and now includes the likes of Ole Miss, Arkansas, Auburn, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Tennessee, UCLA and Michigan State. That one is one of the more wide open courtships moving forward.

 

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Mike Roach: Four-star OL James Brockermeyer preparing for official visits

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James Brockermeyer is approaching his final spring in high school. The four-star center from Fort Worth (Tx.) All Saints Episcopal is looked at as a leader on his team. Brockermeyer told Horns247 that it’s a surreal feeling to be entering his last year. “It’s pretty crazy,” he said. “It feels like yesterday I was starting out. It went by so fast, but it’s crazy to think that it’s here. It’s my last chance to make a run at state with all of my friends. It should be fun.”

James and his brother Tommy Brockermeyer recently released their official visit schedule. The two have been on multiple official visits, and they have a pretty good idea of what they are looking for. “Just want to get to know the coaches and see the place for sure,” he said. “The main part is the culture of the place. You want people who buy in to the program and do whatever it takes to win. I think that plays a huge part. The strength and conditioning program is huge. They are the ones that develop your body on and off the field.”

Tommy and James are often lumped in together because they are twin brothers. They will take their visits together, but James isn’t sure if they will commit at the same time or not. “I don’t know,” he said. “I have no idea honestly. It’s a possibility but I can’t say for sure.” Texas has been a constant in his recruitment since the Longhorns offered last spring. As a Texas legacy with a brother on his team, James said that he knows everything Texas has to offer. “They are still in a good spot,” he said. “My brother’s there and my dad went there. I know what I’m getting with Texas both on and off the field and it’s really good stuff.”

Texas offensive line coach Herb Hand was one of the few Texas assistants to retain his job after massive staff changes were made. Brockermeyer said that his relationship with Hand is strong and they stay in constant contact. “My relationship with coach Hand is still really good,” he said. “He texts me and stuff all the time. Nothing’s really changed with him and we have a good relationship.” Hand’s coaching style is familiar to Brockermeyer, and it mirrors the way he’s coached at his high school. Brockermeyer said that watching Hand work in practice shows what type of coach he is. “We went to a practice and he gets after it,” he said. “He’s going to get every ounce of energy out of you and do what it takes. He’s going to hold you accountable and care for you as a player on and off the field.”

As James makes his final round of visits, there are a few items he has on his checklist. “It’s probably just validation of the program,” he said. “It could be the final time you go to one of these schools on a visit. You just want to make sure you fit in with the players and spend quality time with the people who are going to be there.” At 6-foot-3, 273 pounds, Brockermeyer is ranked as the No. 2 center in the nation and No. 34 overall prospect in Texas, according to 247Sports Composite.

 

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

There was a pretty drastic shift among the 9.95ers from "Quay is basically a silent" to "Don't expect Quay in this class".

To me, that screams of Quay trying to get back in the class and Herman saying, "what is a commitment to you, Quay? You've already decommitted twice, so we aren't going to take your committment until signing day", or some other holier than thou, bullshit. Maybe Quay backed off, but I doubt it. 

Milroe is valuable as a recruiter, team leader, and qb prospect in that order. Quay offers more hard skill impact. I can't decide which is worse to fuck up. 

I interpreted IT and other 9.95er comments more as Quay being a huge question mark as a prospect (not talent wise), rather than Herman went full Herman. 
 

I also don’t really blame the staff for telling Quay to hold off (if that’s what happened) if Quay is saying he wants to take more visits. If Quay’s going to commit again, he needs to be ready to shut it down and not visit elsewhere. 
 

3 minutes ago, satyanash said:

Steve Wiltfong: Tracking the toppling 2021 QB recruiting dominos

 

I’ll be very curious to see if Salter lands any big time P5 offers before the season starts. The “skyrocketing” offer list Wiltfong put in that article doesn’t scream top 100 prospect or best QB in the state by any means. 

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