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Texas Recruiting Notes 2020


Reese Bennett

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3 hours ago, Napoleon said:

 

You know how I know you're stupid?

You can't tell times. Even aggy can tell a hand-held time, so you must be complete shit for brains.


Says right here that Demas' time was Hand-timed.

So Evans' time was HAND-TIMED. So according to this website, Evans' time was probably ~ 0.22 seconds faster because of it being hand timed. How to calculate hand timed vs laser timed: https://www.naseinc.com/blog/hand-timed-vs-electronic-timed-40-yard-dash/

"If the run was hand-timed you can add between 0.22 and 0.26 seconds depending on if it was an experienced or novice coach."

I'll put it in an equation, for complete morons like @cdain3.

4.51 (Evans' hand-timed 40-yard dash)
+.22 ( or even .26 for the difference between hand-timed & laser-timed)
-----------
4.73 (or even 4.77) second 40-yard dash for Zachary Evans, 2020 RB

That's not very fast, but as long as he is quick and strong and has great lateral movement and vision, he can be a college stud and will eventually have a solid NFL career. Emmitt Smith wasn't fast either but he was extremely elusive.

If any dumb shits need help with basic math, please use the google, I don't care enough to help you overcome brain damage.

Or ... hear me out here. Maybe Demas ran more than one 40. Just spitballing here, Demas and Sullivan ran laser timed 40s and then ran a race at the end for bragging rights. 

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LOL oscar fucking giles. So lets get this straight, we finally have an AD who is a legit stud, and we have organized a badass spring game concert. Additionally, we have program momentum so people might actually show up en masse, making for a great experience. And this guy cant even for certain lock up a kid with program ties, who lives 30 minutes down the road, to show up. Much less the fact that he should already be committed.  The only thing more laugh out loud pathetic than his recruiting is the folks on this board who dont want to hear it. The reason kids probably mention their great relationship with Giles is because he doesnt actually recruit their fucking asses, which means they dont have to turn him down or make hard decisions, like picking which spring game to attend. “Yeah, hes great, I never have to say No to anything!” Fucking joke. We’d better keep winning and start putting DL in the league so this fucker can keep his job while doing nothing on the trail. 

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8 hours ago, Reese Bennett said:

I think that was an intentional answer. If so, well played young man.

I think I saw a smirk at the end. Left us out intentionally. 

 

12 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

Evans is a weird dude.

Kind of puts of a Ricky vibe imo. Maybe it’s the avoidance of eye contact. 

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E.J. Holland: Recruiting scoop, observations from Pylon Atlanta

Here is a compilation of notes and observations from today's Pylon Atlanta 7v7 tournament.

— On a team full of studs, three-star Oak Park (MI) wide receiver Maliq Carr was arguably the most impressive of the bunch. Carr is a legit 6-foot-6, 230 pounds and was almost impossible to cover 1-on-1, especially coming over the middle. Carr can stick at wide receiver, but he also has the frame to add weight and move to tight end. Carr recently visited Michigan and Notre Dame, which are in a great position early on. However, Carr is looking at some schools further away from home and will officially visit Texas A&M on April 12.

— Four-star West Bloomfield (MI) defensive back Makari Paige was perhaps the best defensive back at the tournament. Paige is long, rangy and has great natural instincts. He holds 20 offers overall, but it appears Big 10 schools Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State are separating themselves from the pack.

— When his team needed a big play, three-star Waterford Mott (MI) wide receiver Christian Fitzpatrick was always there to make it. Fitzpatrick (6-4, 200) is a big-bodied wide out and won his fair share of jump balls in the end zone. He uses his size to advantage and has strong hands. Fitzpatrick is very high on West Virginia, where he recently visited, as well as Louisville, Purdue and Illinois.

— Detroit Jesuit (MI) outside linebacker Dorian Mausi showed that he could run with smaller wide outs and running backs. This setting is never linebacker friendly, but Mausi more than held his own and was a leader in the middle. Mausi is a stocky backer that will likely move inside at the next level. But he moves well enough to drop back into coverage if he plays in a more pass happy conference. Mausi holds a handful of offers and should rise this spring.

— Rising 2022 Grosse Pointe (MI) cornerback William Johnson has a chance to be one of the best overall prospects in his class. At 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, Johnson looks advanced for his age and is fundamentally sound. What really stands out about his game is his length. It will be exciting to see how he develops over the next couple of years. He already holds offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and others.

— Four-star South Point (NC) wide receiver Ray Grier was unstoppable on the outside and helped lead his team on a deep run to the tournament semifinals. Grier is a physical wide out and is especially dangerous on go routes when he can outmuscle corners and go up and get it. Grier committed to the Tar Heels in February and is happy with his verbal pledge.

— I put in a new Clemson Crystal Ball pick for four-star Phenix City Central (AL) wide receiver E.J. Williams. While he is high on schools like Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee and Georgia, the buzz today was that Clemson has the overall edge in his recruitment. Williams was hobbled by a leg injury today but still made some key plays during his team’s championship run.

— Rising 2021 McEachern (GA) quarterback Carlos Del Rio was absolutely phenomenal today. Del Rio displayed excellent mechanics for his age, a strong arm and an ability to dissect defenses. Del Rio was poised and accurate and was a big reason his team captured the tournament championship. Del Rio is taking his recruitment extremely slow, but he knows he wants to visit Oregon and Ohio State in the near future.

— One prospect that really made a statement today was three-star Morrow (GA) athlete Jimmy Calloway, who was also part of the championship team. Calloway was Del Rio’s favorite target and made some important grabs in the title game. Calloway spent the tournament in the slot and was lethal as a route runner. The dude just knows how to get open. He holds a dozen offers.

— Four-star Atlanta Carver (GA) running back Jo’Quavious Marks said the two schools he plans on visiting next are Mississippi State and LSU. Marks added that he would also like to make a trip to Penn State and is in the process of planning an official visit to Texas. Marks is wide open in his recruitment but plans to release a top schools list in the next couple of weeks.

— Four-star Stephenson (GA) cornerback Javier Morton committed to Alabama back in December, but his recruiting process isn’t over just yet. Morton has made visits to Clemson, Florida and Auburn over the last couple of weeks and is still open in his recruiting process.

— Four-star McEachern (GA) wide receiver Javon Baker made some of the most phenomenal catches of the tournament. He can jump out of the gym and has a knack for high pointing the football. Baker was an absolute monster in the red zone and led his loaded team in touchdowns. Baker is fully committed to the Crimson Tide.

— Auburn wide receiver commits Kobe Hudson and JJ Evans both had extremely solid days. Hudson runs excellent routes and catches everything in his vicinity, while Evans is a long receiver with tremendous athleticism. Both are locked in with their commitments to the Tigers.

— Four-star Grayson (GA) quarterback CJ Dixon made some really eye opening throws. He can certainly laser it in and throws a really good ball downfield. However, he needs to continue to improve on reading defenses and being more consistent overall. Dixon has a lot of potential but also needs a lot of polishing. The Crystal Balls are currently with Georgia, but Dixon is very high on Alabama and will visit soon.

— I put in a flip pick from Oklahoma to Georgia Tech for three-star Buford (GA) cornerback Jalen Huff. He picked the Sooners back in November, but the staff change and family ties to Georgia Tech has the arrow pointing in the right direction for the Yellow Jackets. Huff is a very good technical corner, but his size is a bit concerning.

— Four-star Sandy Creek (GA) safety Brian Branch seems pretty wide open in his recruiting process. Branch will make his first official visit to Oklahoma on April 12 and is extremely excited about the Sooners. Branch also mentioned Tennessee and Indiana as possible visit destinations in coming months.

— One of the more underrated recruits at the tournament today was three-star Sandy Creek (GA) cornerback Joey Hunter. He has good size at corner (6-1, 185) and is extremely physical. Hunter could see his stock boom this spring. For now, he is high on Mississippi State, Indiana and Colorado.

— Speaking of underrated recruits, Bainbridge (GA) athlete Jaheim Jenkins was one of the best overall players at the tournament and led his team on a run to the semifinals. Jenkins holds offers from Colorado and Maryland and is a huge sleeper this cycle. The do-it-all prospect made several game changing plays at both wide receiver and cornerback.

— I put in an early Crystal Ball pick for 2022 Bainbridge (GA) athlete Deyon Bouie to land at Georgia. Along with the Bulldogs, Bouie holds early offers from Florida State, Oregon and South Carolina, but it seems Georgia has done the best job recruiting him at this point in the process. Staying at home and playing for Georgia has been a dream.

— Saraland (AL) quarterback Brett Nezat is a prototypical strong-armed pocket passer. The three-star prospect whipped it during the early part of the tournament and threw some beautiful deep balls. He did have some consistency issues later in the event, but there is a lot to like here. Nezat holds four early offers.

— Two unheralded athletes that really turned some heads today were Wetumpka (AL) athlete Ty Rawls and Everglades Prep (Fla.) athlete Morris Hall. Rawls made one of the catches of the tournament during bracket play and has the potential to play multiple positions at the next level. Hall shined at both defensive back and wide receiver and was a tournament standout.

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We should expect Texas to stay west of Mississippi in this cycle, outside of a random target of opportunity. Too much talent without the bullshit to the north and west for the southeast to be worth it. 

SydneyCarton’s rant about Giles and Collins is funny in that it would have been a whole nother level of unhinged had he read enough of the thread to see that Princely Umainlemen is in the process of becoming an aggie and might very well be committing at their spring game. 

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10 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

We should Texas to stay west of Mississippi in this cycle, outside of a random target of opportunity. Too much talent without the bullshit to the north and west for the southeast to be worth it. 

SydneyCarton’s rant about Giles and Collins is funny in that it would have been a whole nother level of unhinged had he read enough of the thread to see that Princely Umainlemen is in the process of becoming an aggie and might very well be committing at their spring game. 

Until we get a second DL coach or quit having Giles be the main recruiter on these guys, we’re gonna lose 1 or 2 strong leans on the DL every fucking cycle. Herman’s done a good job running this program as a whole, but sometimes he has some serious blind spots. DL recruiting being the largest/longest lasting one.

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14 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

SydneyCarton’s rant about Giles and Collins is funny in that it would have been a whole nother level of unhinged had he read enough of the thread to see that Princely Umainlemen is in the process of becoming an aggie and might very well be committing at their spring game. 

Less about Giles and more about Grinch, Umainlamen seemed OU bound to me. 

So Collin Sullivan was 6'2" 190 and just a shade behind Demas in all the testing. Demas measured in at 6'2.5" and 182. Jaylon Jones was only 6'1.5" and Omiere was 6'3.5" 217. 

D15SKkIXcAUWixB.jpg:large

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Questions for the experts. 

NFL teams run a majority of 4 man fronts. 

UT runs 3 man fronts. 

Can we lie to them and say we are changing? Can we come up with an NFL argument for our style that makes any sense? 

Every single one of these kids dream is to go NFL thus the negative recruitment is going to work until we can get a few guys doing good in the league. 

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IT

From: Eric

On Sunday I attended the Houston Opening. Here are a few interviews from the event. I'll have much more.

PRINCELY UMANMIELEN

A&M negative recruiting Texas on using a four-man front is nothing new to Terry Price and by now he's pretty savvy about it. He might not explicitly say to not go to UT, rather he'll just insinuate a player should go to a school that operates in a four-man front. I'm not saying that's the exact case here, but it wouldn't surprise me.

The funny thing is, of course, is at 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, the Manor defensive lineman shouldn't care about positional designation because he's going to play all over the line regardless of the front. He's not a dip and bend edge rusher. He should look for a defensive line that gives him one on one opportunities regardless of his alignment.

Anyway, he had strong showing as he exhibited good quickness off the ball, as well as what would be pad level if it was real football.

I noted the Opening coaches had him aligned inside: “I was just going inside because there was so many d-ends here. They didn’t want to hop inside, so I was like I’ll just do it. I play in a four-man front. They’re telling me I’m playing strong end in a three man front with the 4i.”

Did he visit LSU yesterday: “No. I’m going March 22.”

What about a visit to Alabama: “I thought I was going to Alabama, but I forgot I had already planned a visit to Oklahoma on March 30.”

Recent A&M visit: “About three weeks ago, I went to A&M. It was fun. I really liked it.”

What he liked about A&M: “Probably their scheme and how they were going to use me. He showed me a lot of that and he was really honest with me. He was critiquing my film, he told me stuff I do really good and why they offered me and stuff I need to work on.”

Relationship with T. Price: “It’s a good relationship. I don’t have to talk to him like a coach. I can talk to him like he’s one of my friends. He’s a real fun person.”

Return to A&M?: “I’m probably going to take visits in September. Early season.”

On the potential of spring game visits: “I’ll probably stay back on those since they’re all on the same day.”

On Texas: “They’re up there at the top. I have a real good relationship with all the coaches because I’ve been there so many times. It’s very close. I could ride my bike there.”

A&M entering top group?: “Yes.”

Umanmielen is likely to make a decision early in the season with it looking like a three-pronged race between UT, OU, and A&M.

VERNON BROUGHTON

Broughton didn't bring it early in the camp but he came alive as he warmed up. Forgive him, as he didn't get home until 3:00 a.m. after visiting LSU on Saturday.

The Cy Ridge d-lineman is prone to a bit of inconsistency due to him still learning the position. Sometimes when he gets off the ball he doesn't have a plan. But, when he does have a plan, his intentions are synced with uncommon movement skills for a young man his size.

They measured him at 6-foot-5, 286 pounds, and there's no disillusion about where he should play on the line.

You went to LSU, did mom go with you: “She did. It was kind of like home. I’m not saying its home, but I stayed there for a minute in Baton Rouge. It was nice looking at the place again.”

Felt comfortable there?: “Yes”

What other places have you been or are you planning to see?: “I’m trying to see which spring game I’m going to go to because there’s a lot of Texas schools on the same day. I’ve got to look at that. Texas, there’s a good chance I’m going May 4th.”

That's JMBLYA (Austin music festival) weekend, right?: “Yes sir.”

At your size, do you care where you play on the line?: “I’m going to be a d-tackle in college, though.”

Does conference affiliation matter: “No. They don’t. I’m going to be honest, I just want to go somewhere I can ball out.”

Texas beating UGA: “It was a good win for them. Georgia is Georgia. They’re good, but that was a good win for Texas, that’s all I can say. Their d-line was cooking that day.”

Relationship with Giles: “Very up there. It’s high. Me and him, we get along well. We’re always talking. It’s well.”

Do you have a decision timeline: “I do. I’m trying to get my top five in the middle of the summer and make my decision toward the end of the summer.”

In my opinion he remains the biggest in-state must-get on defense and I have him predicted to Texas.

DAMIEON GEORGE

The Javonne Shepherd comparison gets more eerie by the camp of North Shore's giant. He moves well, though he's very raw and doesn't play with the strength he has due to flawed fundamentals. But, the traits are there.

I chatted up SB Nation's Bud Elliott a lot over the course of the day. I think Elliott has a good eye and when it was mentioned that George and Zach Evans were a packaged deal he wasted no time opining, "I'd take him anyway." Like I said, the traits are all there.

What he showed in camp today: "That I can pass block, I can dominate the person in front of me, and I can finish my blocks."

On a top-three: "Alabama, Georgia, and LSU."

On what he likes about each and where does Texas sit: "Alabama wins and gets you paid (he's talking about the NFL, jokers). Georgia same. LSU is a winning program and it's home. UT is in the #4 spot, I really like Texas. I like Coach Herman and Hand. It's close to home. I don't have to go that far to play."

On his Texas Elite Day visit: “I didn’t really even want to go to the basketball game. I just talked football with the coach.”

Coach Hand?: “Yeah. He taught me a lot of stuff. He improved my game a lot."

Elite day: “It was good. I didn’t want to go to the basketball game so I just talked football the whole time.”

How often do you talk to Hand: “I talk to Hand like three times a week.” *He also talks to Coach Meekins a lot

On Alabama: “My mom really liked it.”

Other schools he wants to see: “I want to see Oklahoma eventually. I want to see Missouri.”

You must have a good relationship with the Missouri coach: “I talk to their o-line coach every day.”

Visits set for spring games: “I know I’m going to Alabama’s spring game (with Zach)." *That spring game is the same day as UT's, April 13th.

Importance of playing with Zach: "It's very important. We already made that connection. We're just going to carry it on in college and hopefully the NFL too."

If he returns to Alabama for its spring game I'll have him on commitment watch. However, Zach Evans could not be more clear that the two will play in college together and Evans does not have Alabama leading. While some will lament packaged deals rarely work out, it's a pointless statement. If you're not taking these two at their word now you're putting yourself at a disadvantage.

"Whoever gets him (Damieon), gets me." - Zach Evans

ZACH EVANS

The aforementioned Bud Elliott put in two Crystal Balls for Texas after talking with prospects on Sunday: one for Vernon Broughton and the other for Zach Evans. Thanks Bud, come to Texas more often.

My stance on Evans remains the same: I'll take UT over any individual school, but I'd take the field over UT.

Evans is truly all over the place with the schools he likes, though if there's a constant, other than wanting to play with Damieon George, it would be he always circles back to liking Texas. That's good for Texas because he seems to always have a flavor of the month. Of late he's been fond of Clemson and mentioned wanting to play with D.J. Uiagalelei, whose last name reminds me of the SCRABBLE tiles I get when I need a high scoring word. Sunday was the first time I heard him mention Tennessee. He cited the Vols' excellent facilities.

Texas of course has a lot going for it. He mentioned the importance of S&C and singled out Yancy McKnight for his energy. He also mentioned distance, "I don't want to go to a school that's three flights away and I can't get my grandma there."

And of course, there's the packaged deal. On he and George playing together: "It ain't no ifs ands or buts, it ain't no last minute changes."

He frequently mentions wanting to sign with a good offensive line class and quarterback. He mentioned not knowing Logan Parr real well, but knowing of him. He speaks with Hudson Card pretty frequently. He knows Chad Lindberg well but quickly adds but he's not committed to Texas (Evans seems to think Lindberg will end up in Austin, though).

This ride will be every bit as wild as I predicted long ago and my head is spinning from the audio of this interview.

From: Justin 

Hosting recruits for practice is as good as touring the facilities, doting on the potential prospects. Recent ATX visitors talk about their visits, what they’re noticing, and how much this staff really pushes during practice.

KELEE RINGO

When Ringo snuck on campus last Monday, it was one of those nice surprises, for the coaches, not just the fans. The fact he stayed through Saturday morning is a testament to the football and recruiting staff. These guys made Ringo feel involved, part of the process.

It was colder than Ringo expected, but he had plenty of Texas gear to warm him up. He got to watch three practices and interact with the players all week. He came away with a sense of what the Texas program is about. He mentioned the coaches, players, and staffers all made him feel at home.

Coach Washington, in particular, is doing an excellent job cultivating the relationship. Ringo could play a number of spots in the secondary, but made sure I knew he's "a corner first." We know, Ringo.

Saturday was a day of stand-by flights and airports on his way back to Arizona. His mother works as an attendant, so he flies for free under the right circumstances. It's the perfect scenario for a prospect looking to play out-of-state. He also noted it would allow his mother the freedom to attend a lot of UT games if the Horns grab his signature.

The family atmosphere is what stands out the most, in his eyes. From Carrington, to Washington, to Herman, to the team, this group on the Forty Acres is close. Real close.

The only thing bigger than Ringo's smile when he surprised coach Tom Herman on Monday was his smile when he left during the weekend. If Texas wasn't a silent leader before then, they are now.

CHRIS THOMPSON JR.

Thompson has been quiet on the camp circuit this spring, but that hasn't stopped him from running track at Duncanville and collecting new offers. Michigan verbally extended last week.

“I came up to see how well Coach Naivar coached up his players,” said Thompson. “He’s a great coach and knows what he’s talking about. Today I also realized how bad Coach Herman wants me, which is big.”

At 6-foot-1, 185, the four-star safety from Duncanville made a return trip to the ATX, with four-star ATH Ja’Quinden Jackson along for the ride.

At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, JQJ might be the most polarizing of the elite prospect in-state for the 2020 cycle.

Thompson mentioned him, Jackson, and Kendrick Blackshire all had a great time. The Duncanville group have strong ties to UT and its staff. It will be a big benefit when NSD comes closer.

Thompson sees himself as the ideal safety in Orlando's system. Jackson likes that Texas is open to giving him a shot at QB, even if he ends up at H-back or linebacker. And Blackshire has the look, and disposition, of a defensive lineman.

Any opportunity that this trio has in seeing the 40 Acres, they'll take advantage. Texas loves all three and will continue to recruit as such. As for Thompson, Texas is still his leader and that doesn't likely change soon. A return trip for the spring game could be in the cards.

KITAN CRAWFORD

Barely 6-foot but a sturdy 190 pounds, Crawford’s physique and potential for growth and high ceiling might be too much for Texas to pass up. So they invited the recent ETX offer back for practice and one-on-one time.

“Watching practice and the photo shoot really stood out,” Crawford said. “Hanging with the players and coaches, everybody was so cool."

Then he met coach Herman.

“He asked me what did I like about Texas,” said Crawford. “Also where does Texas stand for my standards, when will I plan on a commitment.”

His decision timeline is early-mid senior season. He might take a few visits, but that’s his target date.

For now, CB coach Jason Washington is building a great relationship with Crawford, who the staff is quite fond of. Behind the scenes, Washington might be the staff's top recruiter.

“Yeah, the relationship with your coach is key,” said Crawford. “Everything about Texas just feels like home, no fake love.. it’s all real.”

With the 100, 200, and 4x100 John Tyler sprinter, there’s a decent chance his offer list increases over time, but it's difficult to see Crawford anywhere but Texas today.

He hopes to return for the spring game.

A CRAZY GUESS:

2020 Trinity (St. Louis, MO) four-star slot/APB Mookie Cooper signing with Texas in mid-December wouldn’t really shock me. UT is still recruiting the four-star slot and he's very open to playing in Austin. Store this for later.

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Just now, Shaddie said:

Questions for the experts. 

NFL teams run a majority of 4 man fronts. 

UT runs 3 man fronts. 

Can we lie to them and say we are changing? Can we come up with an NFL argument for our style that makes any sense? 

Every single one of these kids dream is to go NFL thus the negative recruitment is going to work until we can get a few guys doing good in the league. 

Related image

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12 minutes ago, Shaddie said:

I know that but hoping some of the bitches might look at something logically. Too much to ask in this place. 

So you made an impossibly stupid suggestion, got called out for making an impossibly stupid suggestion, decided your impossibly stupid suggestion was "logic", and insulted the entire board because you're a fucking moron. Got it. Well played.

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(Charles Power) The Opening Houston: Top Performers

KATY, Texas– The Opening was back in Texas for the second time in three weeks, this time for its Houston Regional. Several of the Lone Star state's top prospects from the 2020, 2021 and 2022 cycles made their way to Legacy Stadium to take part in what was an event deep with talent, particularly in the skill groups. 247Sports was on hand to catch several impressive individual performances.

Alpha Dog

247Sports Composite five-star Demond Demas was the clear dominant force at the event. The Tomball (Texas) wide receiver showcased an elite combination of athleticism and playmaking ability over the course of the day. The Texas A&M pledge was among the top performers during the athletic testing portion, running a low 4.4 40-yard dash and a 4.2 shuttle before edging out Collin Sullivan in the head to head race for fastest man honors.

At over 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Demas paired that twitch and explosion with top notch ball skills on the field, both in position drills and one-on-ones. Were it not for one concentration drop, he would've had a near perfect day in one-on-one's. Demas scored deep touchdowns on nearly all of his reps, using his top-end long speed to gain separation downfield. Even with the shorter field, he would often outrun the throw, but was able to adjust to late balls and win in contested situations by out leaping and high-pointing over defensive backs with consistency. He also showed some competitiveness. Following a rep that resulted in a breakup due to a late throw, Demas called to run it back and proceeded to score on  a deep touchdown. In short, Demas checked all the boxes as an elite receiver prospect on Sunday.

Next Five on Offense

1. WR Ja'Lynn Polk, Lufkin (Texas)- No wide receiver took–and won–more reps than Polk. Checking in at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Polk had a breakout showing, flashing very good quickness off the ball and perhaps the event's best ball skills. Facing the camp's top defensive backs, the East Texas product showed a large catch radius and sticky hands, scoring deep touchdowns on the majority of his reps. His competitiveness and willingness to take on all comers also impressed. Polk also did well in the athletic testing portion, posting a 4.65 40-yard dash and excellent short shuttle (4.13 seconds) and vertical (35.4 inches) marks. Polk holds offers from Arkansas, Baylor and Houston among others with the Razorbacks holding all four picks in his Crystal Ball.  

2. RB John Gentry, Galena Park (Texas) North Shore- Gentry may play second fiddle to teammate and five-star running back Zachary Evans during the fall, but that wasn't the case on Sunday. The 5-foot-10, 186-pounder was the most impressive running back in open field drills, showing high level cutting and deceleration ability, freezing linebackers with juices and start-stop sequences. Gentry is a name to watch as an offseason riser among Texas running backs and backed up his on-field showing with a 4.56 second 40-yard dash, 4.13 second short shuttle and 38.5 inch vertical in athletic testing. Gentry currently holds offers from Arkansas, North Texas, UNLV and Utah State and should be in line for more Power 5 offers in due time. 

3. QB Jalen Milroe, Katy (Texas) Tompkins- In a relatively deep group at quarterback, it was the 2021 prospect who caught our eye the most. The ball popped out of Milroe's hand for the majority of the day. At 6-foot-2, 184 pounds, he has an athletic build and showcased the ability to drive the ball downfield with ease, consistently throwing a tight spiral with good location. The rising junior more than looked the part as a passer, which is even more impressive when you consider he's equally as skilled as a run threat. To that point, Milroe posted some outstanding testing numbers running a 4.64 second 40-yard dash, 4.38 second short shuttle and jumping 34.8 inches. Florida State, Nebraska and Houston are among the early offers for Milroe. 

4. OL Kam Dewberry, Humble (Texas) Atascocita- The 2022 prospect had an outstanding day, winning multiple one-on-one reps against four-star 2020 defensive lineman Vernon Broughton. The 6-foot-4, 285-pounder turned in the strongest showing at offensive tackle, making the final five and winning the majority of his reps. Dewberry showed advanced foot quickness, flexibility and strength for such a young prospect. Dewberry has an offer from Baylor, the first of many. 

5. WR Ja'khi Douglas, Houma (La.) Terrebonne- The Top247 prospect gets the edge over several other strong wide receiver showings as he was able to win at multiple levels of the field during the one-on-one portion. Other than a pronounced stutter step that won’t translate to the next level, Douglas showed high-level routes and was able to separate downfield and finish with the ability to track the ball over his shoulder. Douglas also turned in a strong day from a testing standpoint, checking in at 5-foot-9, 187 pounds, running a 4.57 second 40-yard dash, 4.31 second short shuttle and jumping 37 inches.

Top Five on Defense

1. DL Princely Umanmielen, Manor (Texas)- While there wasn’t a truly dominant performance on the defensive side of the ball, it was Umanmielen who caught our eye the most consistently. The 6-foot-4, 256-pounder continued a strong camp season on Sunday and was the top defensive lineman at an event for the second time this spring. Umanmielen impressed with his length and get-off and won reps at both defensive end and tackle over the course of the day. The Austin area prospect is still developing from a technique standpoint but is starting to put it together and drips upside. Still 16 years old, Umanmielen ran a 5.10 second 40-yard dash, 4.41 second short shuttle and jumped 34.7 inches- all strong numbers. Oklahoma and Texas account for the three picks in Umanmielen's Crystal Ball. 

2. S Xavion Alford, (Texas) Shadow Creek- Alford gets the slight nod here as he had the cleanest day of the defensive backs, winning all of the reps we caught. Playing cornerback, Alford was smooth in his backpedal and transitions. On the line, he showed strong technique and hand placement while working in man-press. Texas currently accounts for two of the three picks (other is murky) in Alford's Crystal Ball. 

3. S Jerrin Thompson, Lufkin (Texas)- Like his teammate, Ja'Lynn Polk, no player in his position group too more reps than Thompson. The 6-foot-1, 183-pounder didn’t back from facing top wide receivers and acquitted himself well. The strong instincts and toughness Thompson showed during his junior season transferred over to Sunday’s camp setting. In the testing portion, Thompson ran a 4.67 40-yard dash, 4.40 second shuttle and 32.7 inch vertical. LSU is the lone pick in Thompson's Crystal Ball. 

4. CB Jaylon Jones, Cibolo (Texas) Steele- First off, Jones stuck out among the defensive backs group from a build perspective. At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds,the Texas A&M offers an outstanding combination of size, length and athleticism. We didn’t get to see Jones take a ton of reps against top wide receivers due to the different groupings, but he still had a strong day. Jones was at his best playing press coverage and showed good hand strength, at one point driving a wide receiver to the sideline off of the snap. Jones was among the more athletic defensive backs on hand, running a 4.58 second 40-yard dash, 4.32 second short shuttle and jumping 39.8 inches.

5. LB Derrick Lewis, Shertz (Texas) Clemens- The linebacker group was the weakest position on defense, but Lewis stood out within the group. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder was fast, aggressive and decisive in space, moving well using his long arms to wrap up running backs. Holding just one offer from North Texas, don’t be surprised to see Lewis as a name who heats up during the evaluation period.

Around the Camp

***After Milroe, our second quarterback would be fellow 2021 passer Dematrius Davis. The Galena Park (Texas) North Shore standout and reigning MaxPreps sophomore of the year was very consistent on the day, throwing a clean ball and linking up with teammate Shadrach Banks on several occasions. From the 2020 group, Norco (Calif.) four-star Shane Illingworth and Weatherford (Texas) passer Ken Seals stood out in terms of delivery, zip and downfield arm strength.

*** Five-star running back Zach Evans entered the day as the top prospect on hand and certainly didn’t disappoint in the limited time on field. Evans has always been among the 2020 cycle’s top overall athletes and that remains the case. At 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, he possesses an elite build and once again posted some outlandishly good testing numbers- a 4.51 second 40-yard dash, 3.84 second short shuttle (an absurd time) and a 37.2 inch vertical. Top247 running back Seth McGowan was also on hand and had a strong day while fighting through some knicks. After Evans, Katy (Texas) Taylor 2021 back Brandon Campbell posted the next best numbers at the position, running a 4.58 40, 4.07 shuttle and 36.4 vertical at 5-foot-10, 190 pounds.

***In typical Texas fashion, the wide receiver group was the deepest position on hand. After posting one of the top SPARQ ratings in the nation at The Opening’s combine on Saturday, Richmond (Texas) Fort Bend Travis wideout Parker Washington excelled with short routes and won most if not all of his reps. A hyper-productive player, the only thing keeping Washington out of the top performers was his preference to work underneath rarely going downfield. Cibolo (Texas) Steele receiver Daniel Jackson had a strong showing with natural hands and a few ‘wow’ catches. Troy Omeire was perhaps the biggest wide receiver on hand. While he didn’t get quite the separation of some of the other top receivers, the high-hipped, 6-foot-3.5, 217 pounder was effective in boxing out smaller defensive backs. Round Rock (Texas) wide receiver Collin Sullivan finished second to Demas in the fastest man race and had a few impressive deep touchdown catches. Reggie Brown of Houston (Texas) Legacy School for Sports and Sciences was the standout at tight end, making multiple high-point grabs down the seam while also showing nice route-running.

*** 2021 Bellaire (Texas) Houston four-star Donovan Jackson would be our No. 2 performer on the OL following Dewberry. Jackson may be a guard or tackle at the next level and showed well on the day winning multiple reps with feet and finishing ability. At 6-foot-4, 308 pounds, Jackson posted a 4.85 second short shuttle and 30.1 inch vertical. Channelview (Texas) three-star guard Paula Vaipulu had the best day of the 2020 offensive linemen. Working at center, Vaipulu showed a strong anchor at the point of attack. Katy (Texas) Taylor 2021 teammates Bryce Foster and Hayden Conner also turned in strong days and are already physically developed to be rising juniors.

*** Houston (Texas) Cy Ridge defensive tackle Vernon Broughton is impressive on the hoof and had his moments on Sunday. The 6-foot-5, 286-pounder is new to football and is still developing from a technical standpoint but flashed his upside. Also at defensive tackle, Spring (Texas) Westfield’s Nick Booker-Brown impressed with his first step quickness, winning most of his reps on the inside.

*** Top247 prospects Alfred Collins and Chad Lindberg didn’t take part in one-on-ones as Collins was a late arrival and Lindberg is out with an injury.

The Opening Final Invites and Positional MVP’s

***Zachary Evans, Demond Demas, Troy Omeire, Vernon Broughton and Jaylon Jones earned invites to The Opening Finals, to be held during the summer. The following prospects were named positional MVP’s by the event’s coaches:

QB Kade Renfro, Stephenville (Texas)

RB Deuce Vaughn, (Texas) Cedar Ridge

WR Parker Washington (Texas) Richmond Travis

OL Donovan Jackson, Houston (Texas) Episcopal

DL Nick Booker-Brown, Houston (Texas) Westfield

LB Corey Flagg, Galena Park (Texas) North Shore

DB Perry Wells, Galena Park (Texas) North Shore

Rating: Zachary Evans, Galena Park (Texas) North Shore

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29 minutes ago, Shaddie said:

Questions for the experts. 

NFL teams run a majority of 4 man fronts. 

UT runs 3 man fronts. 

Can we lie to them and say we are changing? Can we come up with an NFL argument for our style that makes any sense? 

Every single one of these kids dream is to go NFL thus the negative recruitment is going to work until we can get a few guys doing good in the league. 

Besides your god awful idea of lying to recruits about a scheme change they’ll see doesn’t actually happen next year, your premise is wrong. 3 man fronts are close to half the league at this point and have been increasing in number as more and more teams move to a spread O because it allows more versatility and disguising coverages, so the QB can’t get as clean of a pre-snap read. This is especially helpful in college where a lot of systems are built to go to a single option based on pre-snap reads. 

In other words, this you writing this post:

tenor.gif?itemid=7348973

 

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36 minutes ago, Machinator said:

IT

 

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From: Eric

On Sunday I attended the Houston Opening. Here are a few interviews from the event. I'll have much more.

PRINCELY UMANMIELEN

A&M negative recruiting Texas on using a four-man front is nothing new to Terry Price and by now he's pretty savvy about it. He might not explicitly say to not go to UT, rather he'll just insinuate a player should go to a school that operates in a four-man front. I'm not saying that's the exact case here, but it wouldn't surprise me.

The funny thing is, of course, is at 6-foot-3, 260 pounds, the Manor defensive lineman shouldn't care about positional designation because he's going to play all over the line regardless of the front. He's not a dip and bend edge rusher. He should look for a defensive line that gives him one on one opportunities regardless of his alignment.

Anyway, he had strong showing as he exhibited good quickness off the ball, as well as what would be pad level if it was real football.

I noted the Opening coaches had him aligned inside: “I was just going inside because there was so many d-ends here. They didn’t want to hop inside, so I was like I’ll just do it. I play in a four-man front. They’re telling me I’m playing strong end in a three man front with the 4i.”

Did he visit LSU yesterday: “No. I’m going March 22.”

What about a visit to Alabama: “I thought I was going to Alabama, but I forgot I had already planned a visit to Oklahoma on March 30.”

Recent A&M visit: “About three weeks ago, I went to A&M. It was fun. I really liked it.”

What he liked about A&M: “Probably their scheme and how they were going to use me. He showed me a lot of that and he was really honest with me. He was critiquing my film, he told me stuff I do really good and why they offered me and stuff I need to work on.”

Relationship with T. Price: “It’s a good relationship. I don’t have to talk to him like a coach. I can talk to him like he’s one of my friends. He’s a real fun person.”

Return to A&M?: “I’m probably going to take visits in September. Early season.”

On the potential of spring game visits: “I’ll probably stay back on those since they’re all on the same day.”

On Texas: “They’re up there at the top. I have a real good relationship with all the coaches because I’ve been there so many times. It’s very close. I could ride my bike there.”

A&M entering top group?: “Yes.”

Umanmielen is likely to make a decision early in the season with it looking like a three-pronged race between UT, OU, and A&M.

VERNON BROUGHTON

Broughton didn't bring it early in the camp but he came alive as he warmed up. Forgive him, as he didn't get home until 3:00 a.m. after visiting LSU on Saturday.

The Cy Ridge d-lineman is prone to a bit of inconsistency due to him still learning the position. Sometimes when he gets off the ball he doesn't have a plan. But, when he does have a plan, his intentions are synced with uncommon movement skills for a young man his size.

They measured him at 6-foot-5, 286 pounds, and there's no disillusion about where he should play on the line.

You went to LSU, did mom go with you: “She did. It was kind of like home. I’m not saying its home, but I stayed there for a minute in Baton Rouge. It was nice looking at the place again.”

Felt comfortable there?: “Yes”

What other places have you been or are you planning to see?: “I’m trying to see which spring game I’m going to go to because there’s a lot of Texas schools on the same day. I’ve got to look at that. Texas, there’s a good chance I’m going May 4th.”

That's JMBLYA (Austin music festival) weekend, right?: “Yes sir.”

At your size, do you care where you play on the line?: “I’m going to be a d-tackle in college, though.”

Does conference affiliation matter: “No. They don’t. I’m going to be honest, I just want to go somewhere I can ball out.”

Texas beating UGA: “It was a good win for them. Georgia is Georgia. They’re good, but that was a good win for Texas, that’s all I can say. Their d-line was cooking that day.”

Relationship with Giles: “Very up there. It’s high. Me and him, we get along well. We’re always talking. It’s well.”

Do you have a decision timeline: “I do. I’m trying to get my top five in the middle of the summer and make my decision toward the end of the summer.”

In my opinion he remains the biggest in-state must-get on defense and I have him predicted to Texas.

DAMIEON GEORGE

The Javonne Shepherd comparison gets more eerie by the camp of North Shore's giant. He moves well, though he's very raw and doesn't play with the strength he has due to flawed fundamentals. But, the traits are there.

I chatted up SB Nation's Bud Elliott a lot over the course of the day. I think Elliott has a good eye and when it was mentioned that George and Zach Evans were a packaged deal he wasted no time opining, "I'd take him anyway." Like I said, the traits are all there.

What he showed in camp today: "That I can pass block, I can dominate the person in front of me, and I can finish my blocks."

On a top-three: "Alabama, Georgia, and LSU."

On what he likes about each and where does Texas sit: "Alabama wins and gets you paid (he's talking about the NFL, jokers). Georgia same. LSU is a winning program and it's home. UT is in the #4 spot, I really like Texas. I like Coach Herman and Hand. It's close to home. I don't have to go that far to play."

On his Texas Elite Day visit: “I didn’t really even want to go to the basketball game. I just talked football with the coach.”

Coach Hand?: “Yeah. He taught me a lot of stuff. He improved my game a lot."

Elite day: “It was good. I didn’t want to go to the basketball game so I just talked football the whole time.”

How often do you talk to Hand: “I talk to Hand like three times a week.” *He also talks to Coach Meekins a lot

On Alabama: “My mom really liked it.”

Other schools he wants to see: “I want to see Oklahoma eventually. I want to see Missouri.”

You must have a good relationship with the Missouri coach: “I talk to their o-line coach every day.”

Visits set for spring games: “I know I’m going to Alabama’s spring game (with Zach)." *That spring game is the same day as UT's, April 13th.

Importance of playing with Zach: "It's very important. We already made that connection. We're just going to carry it on in college and hopefully the NFL too."

If he returns to Alabama for its spring game I'll have him on commitment watch. However, Zach Evans could not be more clear that the two will play in college together and Evans does not have Alabama leading. While some will lament packaged deals rarely work out, it's a pointless statement. If you're not taking these two at their word now you're putting yourself at a disadvantage.

"Whoever gets him (Damieon), gets me." - Zach Evans

ZACH EVANS

The aforementioned Bud Elliott put in two Crystal Balls for Texas after talking with prospects on Sunday: one for Vernon Broughton and the other for Zach Evans. Thanks Bud, come to Texas more often.

My stance on Evans remains the same: I'll take UT over any individual school, but I'd take the field over UT.

Evans is truly all over the place with the schools he likes, though if there's a constant, other than wanting to play with Damieon George, it would be he always circles back to liking Texas. That's good for Texas because he seems to always have a flavor of the month. Of late he's been fond of Clemson and mentioned wanting to play with D.J. Uiagalelei, whose last name reminds me of the SCRABBLE tiles I get when I need a high scoring word. Sunday was the first time I heard him mention Tennessee. He cited the Vols' excellent facilities.

Texas of course has a lot going for it. He mentioned the importance of S&C and singled out Yancy McKnight for his energy. He also mentioned distance, "I don't want to go to a school that's three flights away and I can't get my grandma there."

And of course, there's the packaged deal. On he and George playing together: "It ain't no ifs ands or buts, it ain't no last minute changes."

He frequently mentions wanting to sign with a good offensive line class and quarterback. He mentioned not knowing Logan Parr real well, but knowing of him. He speaks with Hudson Card pretty frequently. He knows Chad Lindberg well but quickly adds but he's not committed to Texas (Evans seems to think Lindberg will end up in Austin, though).

This ride will be every bit as wild as I predicted long ago and my head is spinning from the audio of this interview.

From: Justin 

Hosting recruits for practice is as good as touring the facilities, doting on the potential prospects. Recent ATX visitors talk about their visits, what they’re noticing, and how much this staff really pushes during practice.

KELEE RINGO

When Ringo snuck on campus last Monday, it was one of those nice surprises, for the coaches, not just the fans. The fact he stayed through Saturday morning is a testament to the football and recruiting staff. These guys made Ringo feel involved, part of the process.

It was colder than Ringo expected, but he had plenty of Texas gear to warm him up. He got to watch three practices and interact with the players all week. He came away with a sense of what the Texas program is about. He mentioned the coaches, players, and staffers all made him feel at home.

Coach Washington, in particular, is doing an excellent job cultivating the relationship. Ringo could play a number of spots in the secondary, but made sure I knew he's "a corner first." We know, Ringo.

Saturday was a day of stand-by flights and airports on his way back to Arizona. His mother works as an attendant, so he flies for free under the right circumstances. It's the perfect scenario for a prospect looking to play out-of-state. He also noted it would allow his mother the freedom to attend a lot of UT games if the Horns grab his signature.

The family atmosphere is what stands out the most, in his eyes. From Carrington, to Washington, to Herman, to the team, this group on the Forty Acres is close. Real close.

The only thing bigger than Ringo's smile when he surprised coach Tom Herman on Monday was his smile when he left during the weekend. If Texas wasn't a silent leader before then, they are now.

CHRIS THOMPSON JR.

Thompson has been quiet on the camp circuit this spring, but that hasn't stopped him from running track at Duncanville and collecting new offers. Michigan verbally extended last week.

“I came up to see how well Coach Naivar coached up his players,” said Thompson. “He’s a great coach and knows what he’s talking about. Today I also realized how bad Coach Herman wants me, which is big.”

At 6-foot-1, 185, the four-star safety from Duncanville made a return trip to the ATX, with four-star ATH Ja’Quinden Jackson along for the ride.

At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, JQJ might be the most polarizing of the elite prospect in-state for the 2020 cycle.

Thompson mentioned him, Jackson, and Kendrick Blackshire all had a great time. The Duncanville group have strong ties to UT and its staff. It will be a big benefit when NSD comes closer.

Thompson sees himself as the ideal safety in Orlando's system. Jackson likes that Texas is open to giving him a shot at QB, even if he ends up at H-back or linebacker. And Blackshire has the look, and disposition, of a defensive lineman.

Any opportunity that this trio has in seeing the 40 Acres, they'll take advantage. Texas loves all three and will continue to recruit as such. As for Thompson, Texas is still his leader and that doesn't likely change soon. A return trip for the spring game could be in the cards.

KITAN CRAWFORD

Barely 6-foot but a sturdy 190 pounds, Crawford’s physique and potential for growth and high ceiling might be too much for Texas to pass up. So they invited the recent ETX offer back for practice and one-on-one time.

“Watching practice and the photo shoot really stood out,” Crawford said. “Hanging with the players and coaches, everybody was so cool."

Then he met coach Herman.

“He asked me what did I like about Texas,” said Crawford. “Also where does Texas stand for my standards, when will I plan on a commitment.”

His decision timeline is early-mid senior season. He might take a few visits, but that’s his target date.

For now, CB coach Jason Washington is building a great relationship with Crawford, who the staff is quite fond of. Behind the scenes, Washington might be the staff's top recruiter.

“Yeah, the relationship with your coach is key,” said Crawford. “Everything about Texas just feels like home, no fake love.. it’s all real.”

With the 100, 200, and 4x100 John Tyler sprinter, there’s a decent chance his offer list increases over time, but it's difficult to see Crawford anywhere but Texas today.

He hopes to return for the spring game.

A CRAZY GUESS:

2020 Trinity (St. Louis, MO) four-star slot/APB Mookie Cooper signing with Texas in mid-December wouldn’t really shock me. UT is still recruiting the four-star slot and he's very open to playing in Austin. Store this for later.

George looked horrible in that first clip form yesterday, but his other reps weren’t too bad, considering he’ll never play tackle in college. His feet weren’t bad in those other reps and he will stonewall guys he can get his hands on. He’s gonna have to lose a lot of weight and then gain some of it back, but now that we’re consistently redshirting all our OL that won’t be a problem. 

He’s a tough eval because there’s not much film of him available, but I like him a little more after seeing those clips yesterday. Idk if I’d go so far as to say he’s a take regardlsss of Evans but he’s not a wasted scholarship. I’d prefer our 5th OL to be an OT because I’m not convinced Lindberg can be a tackle, but we took 3 tackles in 2019 and there will be plenty of tackles in 2021, so we should be fine.

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1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

We should Texas to stay west of Mississippi in this cycle, outside of a random target of opportunity. Too much talent without the bullshit to the north and west for the southeast to be worth it. 

SydneyCarton’s rant about Giles and Collins is funny in that it would have been a whole nother level of unhinged had he read enough of the thread to see that Princely Umainlemen is in the process of becoming an aggie and might very well be committing at their spring game. 

Eh, I already knew that. Thats not all Giles. That being said, tell me what part of my rant was fucking wrong. 

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9 minutes ago, golfclap said:

satya freaking out AND a Giles recruiting whine session. I'd say to look up your Bingo cards for 2020 but those two have to be freebies already, right? 

I don't know if I can do another entire year of the Giles shit again. 

Coburn - Ossai - Jones - Graham - Ojomo - Mpagi -  Warren - Carson - Sweat - Bimage - Chisolm 

It's fucking March. I may be missing someone but IDGAF. I wish we had a rainmaker that was also a great teacher at every coaching spot. We don't. No one does. Right now, we know what we have with Giles and at this point, the ire should be placed not solely on Giles but on Orlando, Herman, Carrington, Doane, Lewis,  the DL analyst whose name escapes me, etc ... if it's not a team effort it isn't going to happen and WE all know that. The next time I hear a DL recruit talk about Orlando's involvement in his recruiting will be the first. 

So what I'm saying is that I am going to start negging the fuck out of every stupid motherfucker that comes in here and starts fucking whining about motherfucking Oscar Giles. Esp. in fucking March. WE ALREADY KNOW. EVERYONE knows. 

 

 

Yep. Giles recruiting is a known entity. Herman chose not to fire one or both of Mehrhime and get a second DL coach who’s a stud recruiter. He now has way too many offensive position coaches, considering he’s an offensive coach. Orlando is not known as a good recruiter, which isn’t a problem in and of itself because he’s a really good DC. But asking him to be DC and LB coach means he probably doesn’t have much time to help in recruiting. 

Herman should be aware of all this and be making up for it by recruiting DL personally, or assigning someone like Washington (or you know, the highest paid position coach on the team who was thought to be a rainmaker and recruits like 2 guys per year) who only coaches corners, but it doesn’t seem like he’s done that, which is on him. It’s a fine strategy to prioritize great coaching on defense, especially with Herman being an offensive coach, but he needs to do more to mitigate the recruiting shortcomings. This is year 3 of a poor recruiting process on the DL, even if we’ve squeaked out decent results in spite of it.

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1 minute ago, Burt Macklin said:

Yep. Giles recruiting is a known entity. Herman chose not to fire one or both of Mehringer and get a second DL coach who’s a stud recruiter. He now has way too many offensive position coaches, considering he’s an offensive coach. Orlando is not known as a good recruiter, which isn’t a problem in and of itself because he’s a really good DC. But asking him to be DC and LB coach means he probably doesn’t have much time to help in recruiting.  

Herman should be aware of all this and be making up for it by recruiting DL personally, or assigning someone like Washington (or you know, the highest paid position coach on the team who was thought to be a rainmaker and recruits like 2 guys per year) who only coaches corners, but it doesn’t seem like he’s done that, which is on him. It’s a fine strategy to prioritize great coaching on defense, especially with Herman being an offensive coach, but he needs to do more to mitigate the recruiting shortcomings. This is year 3 of a poor recruiting process on the DL, even if we’ve squeaked our decent results in spite of it.

The funny thing is that Washington does a lot of out-of-position recruiting in Atlanta (he owned the Derrian Brown recruitment), but we don't sic him on badly needed local DL.

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1 hour ago, SydneyCarton said:

The only thing more laugh out loud pathetic than his recruiting is the folks on this board who dont want to hear it.

You're not going to get 100% consensus on anything. 90-95% of this board already know Giles sucks, you're screaming at like a couple of people.

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Just now, texifornia said:

The funny thing is that Washington does a lot of out-of-position recruiting in Atlanta (he owned the Derrian Brown recruitment), but we don't sic him on badly needed local DL.

Funny isn’t exactly how I’d describe it but yes. 

I think we did a good job of Identifying good developmental prospects on the DL in 2019, but the reality is we recruited much more like a TCU or Ok St. on the DL than a Bama or a Clemson last cycle and that’s now two years in a row where our recruiting on the DL lags in talent behind the rest of the class. That needs to end in 2020 with guys like Broughton, Princely, Collins, and Dorbah all very high on us. It’s not trending in a great direction now but we’ll see.

If we got 3 of those dudes but lost Princely to aggy, I’d be thrilled. 

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14 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

Herman should be aware of all this and be making up for it by recruiting DL personally, or assigning someone like Washington (or you know, the highest paid position coach on the team who was thought to be a rainmaker and recruits like 2 guys per year) who only coaches corners, but it doesn’t seem like he’s done that, which is on him. It’s a fine strategy to prioritize great coaching on defense, especially with Herman being an offensive coach, but he needs to do more to mitigate the recruiting shortcomings. This is year 3 of a poor recruiting process on the DL, even if we’ve squeaked out decent results in spite of it.

Well, he's recruiting Broughton personally and we're still doing very well in that recruitment. It seems unrealistic to expect Herman to personally recruit all our DL targets every year on top of his normal head coaching duties.

And Washington's done a fine job with his position group, spreading him thin to help with DL might hurt his results elsewhere. We don't know too much about what makes him a successful recruiter so it might be a 'don't fix what isn't broken' mentality.

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32 minutes ago, satyanash said:

(Charles Power) The Opening Houston: Top Performers

 

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KATY, Texas– The Opening was back in Texas for the second time in three weeks, this time for its Houston Regional. Several of the Lone Star state's top prospects from the 2020, 2021 and 2022 cycles made their way to Legacy Stadium to take part in what was an event deep with talent, particularly in the skill groups. 247Sports was on hand to catch several impressive individual performances.

Alpha Dog

247Sports Composite five-star Demond Demas was the clear dominant force at the event. The Tomball (Texas) wide receiver showcased an elite combination of athleticism and playmaking ability over the course of the day. The Texas A&M pledge was among the top performers during the athletic testing portion, running a low 4.4 40-yard dash and a 4.2 shuttle before edging out Collin Sullivan in the head to head race for fastest man honors.

At over 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, Demas paired that twitch and explosion with top notch ball skills on the field, both in position drills and one-on-ones. Were it not for one concentration drop, he would've had a near perfect day in one-on-one's. Demas scored deep touchdowns on nearly all of his reps, using his top-end long speed to gain separation downfield. Even with the shorter field, he would often outrun the throw, but was able to adjust to late balls and win in contested situations by out leaping and high-pointing over defensive backs with consistency. He also showed some competitiveness. Following a rep that resulted in a breakup due to a late throw, Demas called to run it back and proceeded to score on  a deep touchdown. In short, Demas checked all the boxes as an elite receiver prospect on Sunday.

Next Five on Offense

1. WR Ja'Lynn Polk, Lufkin (Texas)- No wide receiver took–and won–more reps than Polk. Checking in at 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Polk had a breakout showing, flashing very good quickness off the ball and perhaps the event's best ball skills. Facing the camp's top defensive backs, the East Texas product showed a large catch radius and sticky hands, scoring deep touchdowns on the majority of his reps. His competitiveness and willingness to take on all comers also impressed. Polk also did well in the athletic testing portion, posting a 4.65 40-yard dash and excellent short shuttle (4.13 seconds) and vertical (35.4 inches) marks. Polk holds offers from Arkansas, Baylor and Houston among others with the Razorbacks holding all four picks in his Crystal Ball.  

2. RB John Gentry, Galena Park (Texas) North Shore- Gentry may play second fiddle to teammate and five-star running back Zachary Evans during the fall, but that wasn't the case on Sunday. The 5-foot-10, 186-pounder was the most impressive running back in open field drills, showing high level cutting and deceleration ability, freezing linebackers with juices and start-stop sequences. Gentry is a name to watch as an offseason riser among Texas running backs and backed up his on-field showing with a 4.56 second 40-yard dash, 4.13 second short shuttle and 38.5 inch vertical in athletic testing. Gentry currently holds offers from Arkansas, North Texas, UNLV and Utah State and should be in line for more Power 5 offers in due time. 

3. QB Jalen Milroe, Katy (Texas) Tompkins- In a relatively deep group at quarterback, it was the 2021 prospect who caught our eye the most. The ball popped out of Milroe's hand for the majority of the day. At 6-foot-2, 184 pounds, he has an athletic build and showcased the ability to drive the ball downfield with ease, consistently throwing a tight spiral with good location. The rising junior more than looked the part as a passer, which is even more impressive when you consider he's equally as skilled as a run threat. To that point, Milroe posted some outstanding testing numbers running a 4.64 second 40-yard dash, 4.38 second short shuttle and jumping 34.8 inches. Florida State, Nebraska and Houston are among the early offers for Milroe. 

4. OL Kam Dewberry, Humble (Texas) Atascocita- The 2022 prospect had an outstanding day, winning multiple one-on-one reps against four-star 2020 defensive lineman Vernon Broughton. The 6-foot-4, 285-pounder turned in the strongest showing at offensive tackle, making the final five and winning the majority of his reps. Dewberry showed advanced foot quickness, flexibility and strength for such a young prospect. Dewberry has an offer from Baylor, the first of many. 

5. WR Ja'khi Douglas, Houma (La.) Terrebonne- The Top247 prospect gets the edge over several other strong wide receiver showings as he was able to win at multiple levels of the field during the one-on-one portion. Other than a pronounced stutter step that won’t translate to the next level, Douglas showed high-level routes and was able to separate downfield and finish with the ability to track the ball over his shoulder. Douglas also turned in a strong day from a testing standpoint, checking in at 5-foot-9, 187 pounds, running a 4.57 second 40-yard dash, 4.31 second short shuttle and jumping 37 inches.

Top Five on Defense

1. DL Princely Umanmielen, Manor (Texas)- While there wasn’t a truly dominant performance on the defensive side of the ball, it was Umanmielen who caught our eye the most consistently. The 6-foot-4, 256-pounder continued a strong camp season on Sunday and was the top defensive lineman at an event for the second time this spring. Umanmielen impressed with his length and get-off and won reps at both defensive end and tackle over the course of the day. The Austin area prospect is still developing from a technique standpoint but is starting to put it together and drips upside. Still 16 years old, Umanmielen ran a 5.10 second 40-yard dash, 4.41 second short shuttle and jumped 34.7 inches- all strong numbers. Oklahoma and Texas account for the three picks in Umanmielen's Crystal Ball. 

2. S Xavion Alford, (Texas) Shadow Creek- Alford gets the slight nod here as he had the cleanest day of the defensive backs, winning all of the reps we caught. Playing cornerback, Alford was smooth in his backpedal and transitions. On the line, he showed strong technique and hand placement while working in man-press. Texas currently accounts for two of the three picks (other is murky) in Alford's Crystal Ball. 

3. S Jerrin Thompson, Lufkin (Texas)- Like his teammate, Ja'Lynn Polk, no player in his position group too more reps than Thompson. The 6-foot-1, 183-pounder didn’t back from facing top wide receivers and acquitted himself well. The strong instincts and toughness Thompson showed during his junior season transferred over to Sunday’s camp setting. In the testing portion, Thompson ran a 4.67 40-yard dash, 4.40 second shuttle and 32.7 inch vertical. LSU is the lone pick in Thompson's Crystal Ball. 

4. CB Jaylon Jones, Cibolo (Texas) Steele- First off, Jones stuck out among the defensive backs group from a build perspective. At 6-foot-2, 190 pounds,the Texas A&M offers an outstanding combination of size, length and athleticism. We didn’t get to see Jones take a ton of reps against top wide receivers due to the different groupings, but he still had a strong day. Jones was at his best playing press coverage and showed good hand strength, at one point driving a wide receiver to the sideline off of the snap. Jones was among the more athletic defensive backs on hand, running a 4.58 second 40-yard dash, 4.32 second short shuttle and jumping 39.8 inches.

5. LB Derrick Lewis, Shertz (Texas) Clemens- The linebacker group was the weakest position on defense, but Lewis stood out within the group. The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder was fast, aggressive and decisive in space, moving well using his long arms to wrap up running backs. Holding just one offer from North Texas, don’t be surprised to see Lewis as a name who heats up during the evaluation period.

Around the Camp

***After Milroe, our second quarterback would be fellow 2021 passer Dematrius Davis. The Galena Park (Texas) North Shore standout and reigning MaxPreps sophomore of the year was very consistent on the day, throwing a clean ball and linking up with teammate Shadrach Banks on several occasions. From the 2020 group, Norco (Calif.) four-star Shane Illingworth and Weatherford (Texas) passer Ken Seals stood out in terms of delivery, zip and downfield arm strength.

*** Five-star running back Zach Evans entered the day as the top prospect on hand and certainly didn’t disappoint in the limited time on field. Evans has always been among the 2020 cycle’s top overall athletes and that remains the case. At 5-foot-11, 200 pounds, he possesses an elite build and once again posted some outlandishly good testing numbers- a 4.51 second 40-yard dash, 3.84 second short shuttle (an absurd time) and a 37.2 inch vertical. Top247 running back Seth McGowan was also on hand and had a strong day while fighting through some knicks. After Evans, Katy (Texas) Taylor 2021 back Brandon Campbell posted the next best numbers at the position, running a 4.58 40, 4.07 shuttle and 36.4 vertical at 5-foot-10, 190 pounds.

***In typical Texas fashion, the wide receiver group was the deepest position on hand. After posting one of the top SPARQ ratings in the nation at The Opening’s combine on Saturday, Richmond (Texas) Fort Bend Travis wideout Parker Washington excelled with short routes and won most if not all of his reps. A hyper-productive player, the only thing keeping Washington out of the top performers was his preference to work underneath rarely going downfield. Cibolo (Texas) Steele receiver Daniel Jackson had a strong showing with natural hands and a few ‘wow’ catches. Troy Omeire was perhaps the biggest wide receiver on hand. While he didn’t get quite the separation of some of the other top receivers, the high-hipped, 6-foot-3.5, 217 pounder was effective in boxing out smaller defensive backs. Round Rock (Texas) wide receiver Collin Sullivan finished second to Demas in the fastest man race and had a few impressive deep touchdown catches. Reggie Brown of Houston (Texas) Legacy School for Sports and Sciences was the standout at tight end, making multiple high-point grabs down the seam while also showing nice route-running.

*** 2021 Bellaire (Texas) Houston four-star Donovan Jackson would be our No. 2 performer on the OL following Dewberry. Jackson may be a guard or tackle at the next level and showed well on the day winning multiple reps with feet and finishing ability. At 6-foot-4, 308 pounds, Jackson posted a 4.85 second short shuttle and 30.1 inch vertical. Channelview (Texas) three-star guard Paula Vaipulu had the best day of the 2020 offensive linemen. Working at center, Vaipulu showed a strong anchor at the point of attack. Katy (Texas) Taylor 2021 teammates Bryce Foster and Hayden Conner also turned in strong days and are already physically developed to be rising juniors.

*** Houston (Texas) Cy Ridge defensive tackle Vernon Broughton is impressive on the hoof and had his moments on Sunday. The 6-foot-5, 286-pounder is new to football and is still developing from a technical standpoint but flashed his upside. Also at defensive tackle, Spring (Texas) Westfield’s Nick Booker-Brown impressed with his first step quickness, winning most of his reps on the inside.

*** Top247 prospects Alfred Collins and Chad Lindberg didn’t take part in one-on-ones as Collins was a late arrival and Lindberg is out with an injury.

The Opening Final Invites and Positional MVP’s

***Zachary Evans, Demond Demas, Troy Omeire, Vernon Broughton and Jaylon Jones earned invites to The Opening Finals, to be held during the summer. The following prospects were named positional MVP’s by the event’s coaches:

QB Kade Renfro, Stephenville (Texas)

RB Deuce Vaughn, (Texas) Cedar Ridge

WR Parker Washington (Texas) Richmond Travis

OL Donovan Jackson, Houston (Texas) Episcopal

DL Nick Booker-Brown, Houston (Texas) Westfield

LB Corey Flagg, Galena Park (Texas) North Shore

DB Perry Wells, Galena Park (Texas) North Shore

Rating: Zachary Evans, Galena Park (Texas) North Shore

 

QB Kade Renfro”

At first, I see a kid with the last name Renfro competing at the Houston opening and wonder if he’s related to the aggy safety, I mean star cornerback, Debione Renfro who’s from Houston.

On the other hand, I’m not sure if two names can be much more different than Kade and Debione, so I’m gonna guess they’re not related.

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Just now, Scholz said:

I see this thread is already in mid season form.  Didn't we just ink 2 top-3 classes back to back?

Are you still going on with this naive logic? Everyone here likes the macro level trends. We still have weaknesses in particular aspects of our recruiting approach. These are not mutually exclusive.

If we recruited our entire classes as well as we recruited DL, we wouldn't have top 3 classes back to back.

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18 minutes ago, golfclap said:

satya freaking out AND a Giles recruiting whine session. I'd say to look up your Bingo cards for 2020 but those two have to be freebies already, right? 

I don't know if I can do another entire year of the Giles shit again. 

Coburn - Ossai - Jones - Graham - Ojomo - Mpagi -  Warren - Carson - Sweat - Bimage - Chisolm 

It's fucking March. I may be missing someone but IDGAF. I wish we had a rainmaker that was also a great teacher at every coaching spot. We don't. No one does. Right now, we know what we have with Giles and at this point, the ire should be placed not solely on Giles but on Orlando, Herman, Carrington, Doane, Lewis,  the DL analyst whose name escapes me, etc ... if it's not a team effort it isn't going to happen and WE all know that. The next time I hear a DL recruit talk about Orlando's involvement in his recruiting will be the first. 

So what I'm saying is that I am going to start negging the fuck out of every stupid motherfucker that comes in here and starts fucking whining about motherfucking Oscar Giles. Esp. in fucking March. WE ALREADY KNOW. EVERYONE knows. 

 

 

 

So on a recruiting board you do not want to discuss the development of key recruits and our position coach’s involvement anymore because it bothers you? 

I think all of that stuff is pretty germane to this thread topic. 

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22 minutes ago, golfclap said:

satya freaking out AND a Giles recruiting whine session. I'd say to look up your Bingo cards for 2020 but those two have to be freebies already, right? 

I don't know if I can do another entire year of the Giles shit again. 

Coburn - Ossai - Jones - Graham - Ojomo - Mpagi -  Warren - Carson - Sweat - Bimage - Chisolm 

It's fucking March. I may be missing someone but IDGAF. I wish we had a rainmaker that was also a great teacher at every coaching spot. We don't. No one does. Right now, we know what we have with Giles and at this point, the ire should be placed not solely on Giles but on Orlando, Herman, Carrington, Doane, Lewis,  the DL analyst whose name escapes me, etc ... if it's not a team effort it isn't going to happen and WE all know that. The next time I hear a DL recruit talk about Orlando's involvement in his recruiting will be the first. 

So what I'm saying is that I am going to start negging the fuck out of every stupid motherfucker that comes in here and starts fucking whining about motherfucking Oscar Giles. Esp. in fucking March. WE ALREADY KNOW. EVERYONE knows. 

 

 

Lol at this post when the same is true of Drayton and you’d push every member of your family in front of a bus to take a shot at Drayton. 

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1 minute ago, satyanash said:

Well, he's recruiting Broughton personally and we're still doing very well in that recruitment. It seems unrealistic to expect Herman to personally recruit all our DL targets every year on top of his normal head coaching duties.

Which is why I suggested assigning guys like Washington and Drayton to the others because those guys coach/recruit the smallest number of players.

but you know what, you’re actually being positive, so 

1XTu.gif

 

 

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4 minutes ago, Machinator said:

Are you still going on with this naive logic? Everyone here likes the macro level trends. We still have weaknesses in particular aspects of our recruiting approach. These are not mutually exclusive.

If we recruited our entire classes as well as we recruited DL, we wouldn't have top 3 classes back to back.

RemorsefulSarcasticFlatfish-max-1mb.gif

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3 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

Which is why I suggested assigning guys like Washington and Drayton to the others because those guys coach/recruit the smallest number of players.

but you know what, you’re actually being positive, so 

1XTu.gif

I think with Washington, he's already a very good recruiter and spreading him thin to help with DL targets might dilute some of that effectiveness. "Don't fix what isn't broken", or something to that effect. If you have a recruiter as good as Washington, it's best to leave him to his own devices.

Drayton is obviously an entirely different story. I don't know how much added effectiveness he'd bring to our DL recruiting, but if it's a nonzero quantity it certainly could be worth it.

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12 minutes ago, Scholz said:

I see this thread is already in mid season form.  Didn't we just ink 2 top-3 classes back to back?

I wonder if you’d be saying this if we inked top 3 classes back to back but had garbage or zero QB takes? Its a lazy, stupid comment/defense on its own. Its head scratching idiocy when you attempt to apply it to specific positional recruiting. 

Also, for all of those saying “everyone knows Giles sucks” I present you this fucking kind of dismissive shit. Ill stop ranting on Giles when he stops forgetting to do his fucking job. 

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