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Texas Recruiting Notes 2020


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14 hours ago, Machinator said:

IT

 

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I caught up with my boy Andrew Spivey at Gator Country to get his thoughts on some guys in the Southeast region who hold Texas offers. We haven't heard much about or discussed some of them, but one never truly knows who the staff is working on behind the scenes.

Here's what Spivey had to say:

WR Leonard Manuel, Vanguard (Ocala, FL): One of the best players that I've
seen in the state for 2020. His recruitment will have twists when he
takes visits but I feel good on saying that Florida keeps him. Now can
he qualify is the question.

OL Jalen Rivers, Oakleaf (Orange Park, FL): UF, UM (Miami) and UGA are all battling
but most think this will come down to UF/UM. Very good player that could
play year-one.

OL Jake Wray, Marietta (Marietta, GA): Ohio State is pretty much out for him
but Alabama and Georgia are the ones to watch. Tennessee is also in the
mix because he's from there.

DE Chantz Williams, Oakleaf (Orange Park, FL): Like Rivers, this is a UF/UM
battle most likely.

LB Derek Wingo, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL): Penn State will be
tough to beat because of his relationship with Ja'Juan Seider who is from
South Florida.

CB Fred Davis II, Trinity Christian (Jacksonville, FL): Overrated and not a
five-star but Ohio State is the one to watch because his 7-on-7 coach is
close with those guys at Ohio State. Florida and Miami are also really
in the mix. Your DB coach just visited him.

CB Jahquez Robinson, Sandalwood (Jacksonville, FL): Throw the rankings out
the door here, Robinson is a stud and will have every offer in the book.
He visits Florida this weekend and they're his dream school but I doubt
he makes any decision until he takes visits.

ATH Jovan Ferguson, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL): Good but not
great player, Miami is trying to keep him home.

ATH Xavier Restrepo, St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL): Not that good 
of a player but gets the St. Thomas boost, he loves Kentucky and Miami
early on.


Hmmm, seems competitive down there.

Texas has also offered T Lee and Seth Mclaughlin, both from Buford, GA., who we've discussed recently.

I caught up with the newly offered Jahquez Robinson myself to gauge his level of interest. Man on fire, he picked up Alabama, OU, and Tennessee yesterday alone.

The 6-foot-2, 180 pound corner said this about a possible visit: "Yes sir I will definitely try my best to get out there, if not definitely for an official."

That aligns with Spivey saying Robinson would be in no hurry. Robinson will see Florida this weekend followed by Miami.

One of the earliest offers in the 2020 class went to Joel Williams from Madison Prep in Baton Rouge -- the same school Malcolm Roach played and his father coaches.

I loved the offer then and still do and struggle to see how he's a 90 on 247. He says he still has some contact with Texas and wants to visit this spring. We'll see, but it doesn't sound like the staff is going all in here. They would of course have all the information they need here.

Moving out west, I checked in with California's Clark Phillips and Arizona's Lathan Ransom.

Phillips, from La Habra, makes everyone else on the field look like they're from the La Brea Tar Pits. Known as a defensive back, his offensive junior tape is pretty filthy. With him wearing #21, I'm guessing somebody will sell him on playing both ways in college. He's the nation's #59 composite player and he picked up a Texas offer on Tuesday.

He told me he knows both De'Gabriel Floyd and Chris Adimora but isn't close to either. He "will definitely make a visit" but doesn't know when yet.

Other schools he wants to visit, "Ohio State, ND, OU, UW, Cal. Few others too."

Clark could project to corner or nickel depending on where his body goes. He probably has the width and density to hold up at nickel. He's currently listed at 5-foot-10 and a shade under 180 but he'll be pretty thickly built with lack of height possibly helping him a la Quandre Diggs. He would bring exceptional coverage skills to nickel if that's where he's destined.

Ransom is a 6-foot-2, 185 pound safety from Salpointe Catholic in Tucson with easy film to like. It shows a number of things: playing physically, fluidly, returning punts, using his eyes, up on the line, playing the run from deep, etc.

A&M and Tennessee offered Tuesday and Texas may be next. "They're showing a lot of interest. I was on the phone with him (Craig Naivar) for quite a while last night."

I think someone said both of his parents were Arizona grads. I asked him if his parents went to Arizona and he replied, "My dad is from California. And my mom was born here but has lived in multiple different states. And they are willing to have me play anywhere in the country." I kind of got my answer even with some slight miscommunication.

He's an interesting player and it does raise an eyebrow that UT is looking out-of-state with instate options, but casting a wider net protects you from the unforeseen.

Back in Texas, Tom Herman swung by Duncanville among many other stops. Duncanville is home to Chris Thompson, Ja'Quinden Jackson and many other future stars.

Thompson missed Elite Day so I wanted to get the latest on where he stands. Some A&M writers have expressed mild optimism in that recruitment but it's hard to sometimes with that lot. Sometimes it's Moro Ojomo who had zero interest in A&M, others it's DeMarvin Leal.

Said Chris Thompson Sr.: "Nothing set in stone. Will possibly make LSU jr day this month. Looking to visit Notre Dame and Stanford in the next few months. He is wide open and would like to make a decision before the season starts...that’s the plan anyway."

That summer timeline aligns with what I've heard all along from someone who has been optimistic about UT's chances all along.

I believe do-it-all athlete Ja'Quinden Jackson will be on a similar timeline with UT still the team to beat.

Ishmael Ibraheem is a name to file away. The loose-hipped with length and speed, the 2021 was paid a visit by Jason Washington a week or two ago. Dallas Kimball has put out a whole lot lately but Ibraheem has the look of a big-timer because of the way he moves.

He said he loved Coach Wash's energy when they met and that he's going to visit this spring. Other schools showing interest: TCU, Arkansas, Nebraska, TexasA&M, Notre Dame, and SMU. Solid start.

 

Wish they had asked about Kobe Pryor. That kid is legit.

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7 hours ago, maninblack said:

Wish they had asked about Kobe Pryor. That kid is legit.

Yep, he has the kind of film I always hope for... making his way through traffic for tough runs. Wide open holes for 60 yd TDs doesn't really tell me much.

247 has him as 6' 200 lbs. I don't know that I believe that.

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58 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Interesting 

Yea it’s been crazy these past few years with the amount of people moving down here. We moved from Austin in the summer of 2013 (wife is originally from Brownsville) and just in our neighborhood we have a good 10+ families move in from out of state. 

With Space X and the Italian metal company opening up within the next 5 years I think the area will see a major increase in diversity and kids who actually have the ability to play sports at the enxt level. 

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1 hour ago, maninblack said:

I gave up trying to make any kind of sense out of OL video years ago but he looks decent enough.

https://helptool.hudl.com/video/3/6521610/5bc6458cda5bbb06444fbedc

Mixed bag IMHO.  Good: footwork, esp his bucket step in zone; balance in pass pro; ability to locate 2nd level defenders in space

Potential issues: combo blocking, he almost always cuts the second man which might be a balance problem; gets grabby at the shoulders trying to sustain blocks (keep that crap inside the frame); not seeing much finish at the whistle (could be editing).

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