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Texas Recruiting Notes 2020


Reese Bennett

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4 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

So where is CTJ projected for Texas, Joker or LB?

Countdown on his announcement is at 3 Days, 3hrs, and 30 minutes... 🎤

https://247sports.com/player/chris-thompson-jr-46041974/

surprised 247 dropped CTJ to 3 star.  apparently he was pretty big in containing Zach Evans during the Duncanville vs North Shore championship game.

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46 minutes ago, westexhorn said:

just read this interview on evans on 247.  kid is quite the enigma, almost like a tortured artist soul since his grandpa died.  he is definitely missing something and im not gonna judge him on that.  but objectively speaking, i would not want him to be part of the locker room though.  he is extremely antisocial

This strikes me as an overreaction. Sounds like he’s a kid that has had a lot thrown at him without a lot of guidance available so he’s trying to handle it himself. He’s still to me the best talent in the class at RB. 

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4 minutes ago, westexhorn said:

surprised 247 dropped CTJ to 3 star.  apparently he was pretty big in containing Zach Evans during the Duncanville vs North Shore championship game.

pretty huge drop all things considered, don't know what his score points wise was before but wonder if they have questions about his ability to stick at safety vs spin down to LB or aren't really sure how to handle him?

either way, going to be interesting to see how the other folks handle it and what happens when they update 

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The Stampede: Latest on Robinson, Bunkley-Shelton, 2021 surge

This week’s edition of The Stampede, Horns247’s weekly collection of insider recruiting notes, begins with the twists and turns in the recruitment of Bijan Robinson, who’s set to make his decision this week. The five-star running back out Tucson (Ariz.) Salpointe Catholic has a date set for his commitment on Friday and news broke on Sunday that Ohio State would not be the pick. The Buckeyes have been in the pole position for a while, but it appears that Robinson will be headed elsewhere. While the natural inclination has been to project Robinson to head to Texas, I haven’t received any solid intel that the Longhorns are a lock to win him as of the publishing of this piece.

Texas was certainly in a great position going into the summer and there was a lot of confidence from the Texas side coming out of his official visit. I spoke to a source in Arizona who told me that USC is still very much a part of this race and the family would likely prefer him to stay closer to home. He also has an official visit scheduled to UCLA during the season. Robinson’s gone a bit silent as is usually the case during the week of a commitment. This story will be a priority for our staff and several other 247Sports analysts this week, but I don’t believe this is an open and shut case for Texas.

If it does turn out that Robinson picks Texas, it’s worth filing away what Stan Drayton hold Horns247 a week ago. Following his press conference at the Texas High School Coaches Association Convention & Coaching School in Houston last week, Drayton was asked by Horns247’s Jeff Howe that when the dust settles on the 2020 cycle if he feels the Longhorns will land a running back who can make the pro-spread offense go. “Absolutely,” Drayton said. “There’s enough in this state, obviously across this country where we will find a system fit. We will find a system-fit back.”

Again, we’ll keep tracking this one closely and on Friday everyone should know for sure if Robinson is the back the Longhorns will secure a commitment from in a loaded class.

--------------------------------------------

For most of this recruiting cycle, the biggest point of confusion has surrounded why Texas wasn’t getting more of a recruiting bump from the victory over Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. As we’ve seen over the past week, that impact might reveal itself to be more powerful in the 2021 cycle. I went back and looked up some of the recruit reactions following the Sugar Bowl and the underclassmen gave the more impactful quotes following the win.

One of the newest Texas commitments, four-star Katy Taylor offensive lineman Hayden Conner, said that the win would open some eyes. I think it did more so with the sophomores and freshmen at the time and the addition of four-star Katy Tompkins quarterback Jalen Milroe to the class and has given the Longhorns the kind of juice the program needs to put together an elite 2021 haul.

We talked before Milroe’s decision about his potential as a recruiter and leader. You’re starting to see some of these things play out because Milroe is an alpha type that players naturally want to follow. His skill and work ethic make kids believe in his future, but his confidence makes them believe he’s the baddest dude on the field. The 2021 class is up to five commits with Milroe, Conner, four-star Dallas Skyline wide receiver Quaydarius Davis, Lake Travis tight end Lake McRee and Everman tight end Juan Davis. I think you could see a few more additions to the class this fall, but I think it will also slow down.

The bottom line on that last point is it’s not great for business to fill up half the class a year and a half before signing day. There’s a lot of excitement brewing in the 2021 class right now, and the ceiling on the class can only rise with a big season in 2019. With Milroe at the helm, expect the Longhorns to win their fair share of battles.

--------------------------------------------

Texas hosted a few visitors over the weekend and they’ll have a few more during this week before camp starts. One of those prospects was four-star Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra wide receiver LV Bunkley-Shelton. I first met Bunkley-Shelton at the Cal Lutheran Rising Stars camp where the Texas staff was in attendance. It was clear that Bunkley-Shelton was one of the best players at the camp, and the Longhorns offered there.

I spoke with him after the camp and he said he had a legitimate interest in the Longhorns. He doubled down on that by making an unofficial visit to Texas on his own dime over the weekend. Bunkley-Shelton came in late Friday night with his family and I’m told the visit went really well for Texas. Bunkley-Shelton and Drew Mehringer have been building a strong relationship over the last two months and I was told that the family was impressed with the program and with Austin.

I’m told Bunkley-Shelton isn’t sold on the future at USC and Texas had the chance to grab some momentum in this recruitment with a good visit. After speaking with a few folks, I think that Texas jumped near the top of his list coming out of the weekend. Bunkley-Shelton will take some official visits in the fall, and I’d expect the Longhorns to get one.

--------------------------------------------

Texas was also able to host four-star Pearland Shadow Creek safety Xavion Alford on Saturday. Alford was at Texas A&M for their pool party, but his mother picked him up and brought him to Austin so that they could make another visit to Texas. Alabama is the school that has been generating the most buzz for the four-star prospect, but I’m told that he’s being urged to stay close to home. He could still very well choose Alabama.

If he doesn’t pick the Crimson Tide, Texas would be one of the logical choices for him since they’ve been on him for quite some time. Texas A&M also made a big push over the weekend, but I believe that there are members of his family who want him at Texas. Alford’s recruitment bounced around a lot during the spring and summer, but Texas remained a constant. I’m sure there will be many more twists and turns down the stretch, but I’d expect Texas to stay in it with Alford until he makes his decision.

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6 minutes ago, satyanash said:

We talked before Milroe’s decision about his potential as a recruiter and leader. You’re starting to see some of these things play out because Milroe is an alpha type that players naturally want to follow. His skill and work ethic make kids believe in his future, but his confidence makes them believe he’s the baddest dude on the field. The 2021 class is up to five commits with Milroe, Conner, four-star Dallas Skyline wide receiver Quaydarius Davis, Lake Travis tight end Lake McRee and Everman tight end Juan Davis. I think you could see a few more additions to the class this fall, but I think it will also slow down.

The bottom line on that last point is it’s not great for business to fill up half the class a year and a half before signing day. There’s a lot of excitement brewing in the 2021 class right now, and the ceiling on the class can only rise with a big season in 2019. With Milroe at the helm, expect the Longhorns to win their fair share of battles.

Whose business?

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50 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

So where is CTJ projected for Texas, Joker or LB?

Countdown on his announcement is at 3 Days, 3hrs, and 30 minutes... 🎤

https://247sports.com/player/chris-thompson-jr-46041974/

Hard to say at this point. He’s got potential to be great at both. Really just depends on how much he can fill out.

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7 minutes ago, Vertigo said:

Don't sleep on Kennedy Lewis either, that is the kind of kid that TCU tortures us with for 4 years. 

KL waited patiently while Texas kept him on the back burner as a back-up plan for Higgins, Bru, and Wilson.  Kennedy LOVES TEXAS like Ehlinger loves Texas.  So as soon as the Horns coaches gave him a commitable offer, KL visited one last time and accepted. 

Thrilled to have another player on the Horns roster that loves Texas as much as Kennedy does... 🤘  

 

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1 hour ago, Machinator said:
Quote

Antoinette described her son’s contrarian mindset in these situations as “like looking at TV.” She’ll watch Law and Order and the lawyers’ line of questioning reminds her of the way Evans speaks. Often, Evans will watch with her and ask: “Why didn’t they ask this?” She can see Evans going to law school one day.

Can't believe our law school wasn't enough to sell him on coming here.

Edited by KYHorn
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1 hour ago, Machinator said:

“It wasn’t football for Zachary,” Sterling said. “It’s really still not. He’s really good at it, but football is just not him. He don’t watch football. He don’t talk about football. None of that. I won’t say it’s not something he doesn’t want to do, because of course he wants to do it. But he just wasn’t attracted to it. It just didn’t catch his attention.”

Obviously Evans is an incredible talent and he will be a star in college no matter what.  I find it hard to believe that he will be very successful in the pros. 

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5 minutes ago, Luka Skywalker said:

“It wasn’t football for Zachary,” Sterling said. “It’s really still not. He’s really good at it, but football is just not him. He don’t watch football. He don’t talk about football. None of that. I won’t say it’s not something he doesn’t want to do, because of course he wants to do it. But he just wasn’t attracted to it. It just didn’t catch his attention.”

Obviously Evans is an incredible talent and he will be a star in college no matter what.  I find it hard to believe that he will be very successful in the pros. 

Curtis Martin wasn't a very big football fan either.  He was able to look at it like a very high paying job.  

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9 minutes ago, Luka Skywalker said:

“It wasn’t football for Zachary,” Sterling said. “It’s really still not. He’s really good at it, but football is just not him. He don’t watch football. He don’t talk about football. None of that. I won’t say it’s not something he doesn’t want to do, because of course he wants to do it. But he just wasn’t attracted to it. It just didn’t catch his attention.”

Obviously Evans is an incredible talent and he will be a star in college no matter what.  I find it hard to believe that he will be very successful in the pros. 

I thought that was pretty apparent from his thought about the Georgia game. 

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his mom has yet to visit any school.  his brother no longer goes on visits with him.  his mom said she would be shocked if he stayed in state.  good luck to whatever school he chooses.  he will be a nightmare player to deal with for those coaches.  even fucking bama's RB coach told him he's too immature to start for them.  except aggy.... they will do whatever to sign him.  they'll tell him he doesn't need to go to class, show up to meetings, etc as long as he signs.  

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8 minutes ago, victory88 said:

his mom has yet to visit any school.  his brother no longer goes on visits with him.  his mom said she would be shocked if he stayed in state.  good luck to whatever school he chooses.  he will be a nightmare player to deal with for those coaches.  even fucking bama's RB coach told him he's too immature to start for them.  except aggy.... they will do whatever to sign him.  they'll tell him he doesn't need to go to class, show up to meetings, etc as long as he signs.  

MV5BMTk1ODA2MDI0OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwOTAy

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1 hour ago, satyanash said:

The Stampede: Latest on Robinson, Bunkley-Shelton, 2021 surge

 

  Reveal hidden contents

This week’s edition of The Stampede, Horns247’s weekly collection of insider recruiting notes, begins with the twists and turns in the recruitment of Bijan Robinson, who’s set to make his decision this week. The five-star running back out Tucson (Ariz.) Salpointe Catholic has a date set for his commitment on Friday and news broke on Sunday that Ohio State would not be the pick. The Buckeyes have been in the pole position for a while, but it appears that Robinson will be headed elsewhere. While the natural inclination has been to project Robinson to head to Texas, I haven’t received any solid intel that the Longhorns are a lock to win him as of the publishing of this piece.

Texas was certainly in a great position going into the summer and there was a lot of confidence from the Texas side coming out of his official visit. I spoke to a source in Arizona who told me that USC is still very much a part of this race and the family would likely prefer him to stay closer to home. He also has an official visit scheduled to UCLA during the season. Robinson’s gone a bit silent as is usually the case during the week of a commitment. This story will be a priority for our staff and several other 247Sports analysts this week, but I don’t believe this is an open and shut case for Texas.

If it does turn out that Robinson picks Texas, it’s worth filing away what Stan Drayton hold Horns247 a week ago. Following his press conference at the Texas High School Coaches Association Convention & Coaching School in Houston last week, Drayton was asked by Horns247’s Jeff Howe that when the dust settles on the 2020 cycle if he feels the Longhorns will land a running back who can make the pro-spread offense go. “Absolutely,” Drayton said. “There’s enough in this state, obviously across this country where we will find a system fit. We will find a system-fit back.”

Again, we’ll keep tracking this one closely and on Friday everyone should know for sure if Robinson is the back the Longhorns will secure a commitment from in a loaded class.

--------------------------------------------

For most of this recruiting cycle, the biggest point of confusion has surrounded why Texas wasn’t getting more of a recruiting bump from the victory over Georgia in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. As we’ve seen over the past week, that impact might reveal itself to be more powerful in the 2021 cycle. I went back and looked up some of the recruit reactions following the Sugar Bowl and the underclassmen gave the more impactful quotes following the win.

One of the newest Texas commitments, four-star Katy Taylor offensive lineman Hayden Conner, said that the win would open some eyes. I think it did more so with the sophomores and freshmen at the time and the addition of four-star Katy Tompkins quarterback Jalen Milroe to the class and has given the Longhorns the kind of juice the program needs to put together an elite 2021 haul.

We talked before Milroe’s decision about his potential as a recruiter and leader. You’re starting to see some of these things play out because Milroe is an alpha type that players naturally want to follow. His skill and work ethic make kids believe in his future, but his confidence makes them believe he’s the baddest dude on the field. The 2021 class is up to five commits with Milroe, Conner, four-star Dallas Skyline wide receiver Quaydarius Davis, Lake Travis tight end Lake McRee and Everman tight end Juan Davis. I think you could see a few more additions to the class this fall, but I think it will also slow down.

The bottom line on that last point is it’s not great for business to fill up half the class a year and a half before signing day. There’s a lot of excitement brewing in the 2021 class right now, and the ceiling on the class can only rise with a big season in 2019. With Milroe at the helm, expect the Longhorns to win their fair share of battles.

--------------------------------------------

Texas hosted a few visitors over the weekend and they’ll have a few more during this week before camp starts. One of those prospects was four-star Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra wide receiver LV Bunkley-Shelton. I first met Bunkley-Shelton at the Cal Lutheran Rising Stars camp where the Texas staff was in attendance. It was clear that Bunkley-Shelton was one of the best players at the camp, and the Longhorns offered there.

I spoke with him after the camp and he said he had a legitimate interest in the Longhorns. He doubled down on that by making an unofficial visit to Texas on his own dime over the weekend. Bunkley-Shelton came in late Friday night with his family and I’m told the visit went really well for Texas. Bunkley-Shelton and Drew Mehringer have been building a strong relationship over the last two months and I was told that the family was impressed with the program and with Austin.

I’m told Bunkley-Shelton isn’t sold on the future at USC and Texas had the chance to grab some momentum in this recruitment with a good visit. After speaking with a few folks, I think that Texas jumped near the top of his list coming out of the weekend. Bunkley-Shelton will take some official visits in the fall, and I’d expect the Longhorns to get one.

--------------------------------------------

Texas was also able to host four-star Pearland Shadow Creek safety Xavion Alford on Saturday. Alford was at Texas A&M for their pool party, but his mother picked him up and brought him to Austin so that they could make another visit to Texas. Alabama is the school that has been generating the most buzz for the four-star prospect, but I’m told that he’s being urged to stay close to home. He could still very well choose Alabama.

If he doesn’t pick the Crimson Tide, Texas would be one of the logical choices for him since they’ve been on him for quite some time. Texas A&M also made a big push over the weekend, but I believe that there are members of his family who want him at Texas. Alford’s recruitment bounced around a lot during the spring and summer, but Texas remained a constant. I’m sure there will be many more twists and turns down the stretch, but I’d expect Texas to stay in it with Alford until he makes his decision.

 

It's getting a little late,  but I wouldn't be shocked if Robinson puts his commitment off a little longer.

There seems to be a lot going on,  and I'm pretty sure the $9.95'rs are just going with how things stood when all the tosu stuff heated up.  

Hope he commits this week,  but I believe he will still be recruited hard by the West Coast schools.  

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Just now, Laga4 said:

It's getting a little late,  but I wouldn't be shocked if Robinson puts his commitment off a little longer.

There seems to be a lot going on,  and I'm pretty sure the $9.95'rs are just going with how things stood when all the tosu stuff heated up.  

Hope he commits this week,  but I believe he will still be recruited hard by the West Coast schools.  

Ideally, he would commit here soon, and still evaluate based on the upcoming seasons. Surely that will give Texas a huge edge, esp if Ingram and Whittington have productive seasons. 

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1 minute ago, BigBenBamboozle said:

Ideally, he would commit here soon, and still evaluate based on the upcoming seasons. Surely that will give Texas a huge edge, esp if Ingram and Whittington have productive seasons. 

Yes.  I agree 100%.

This just seemed to have come up pretty fast.

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25 minutes ago, Laga4 said:

It's getting a little late,  but I wouldn't be shocked if Robinson puts his commitment off a little longer.

There seems to be a lot going on,  and I'm pretty sure the $9.95'rs are just going with how things stood when all the tosu stuff heated up.  

Hope he commits this week,  but I believe he will still be recruited hard by the West Coast schools.  

It's been a while since we've heard any news about him at all. A flurry of 9.95 activity doesn't directly infer a flurry of prospect activity or a sudden change. He's been pretty deliberate thus far and I would assume that this news is a result of his deliberate process.

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41 minutes ago, Happy Gilmore said:

“It wasn’t football for Zachary,” Sterling said. “It’s really still not. He’s really good at it, but football is just not him. He don’t watch football. He don’t talk about football. None of that. I won’t say it’s not something he doesn’t want to do, because of course he wants to do it. But he just wasn’t attracted to it. It just didn’t catch his attention.”

Uh...I think I know a guy like this

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