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Texas Recruiting Notes 2021


Reese Bennett

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While 2020 recruiting has operated in fits and starts, the 2021 class is traveling down the tracks at dangerous speeds. They might actually want to slow things down a little with some recruits not named Billy Bowman.

While interacting with prospects in the class it feels like the earlier part of the decade when you could blindly predict most players to be in the class. It'll never go back to the way it was when Mack Brown would offer 40 kids and 25 would accept, but it almost felt like that on Friday night as it was written on the faces of a few prospects where they'd likely end up.

While the Sugar high was fleeting for the 2020's it's clear the big win over Georgia has staying power with the 2021 prospects. The staff has ridden that win into recruiting those players more aggressively than the previous cycle has allowed Texas to narrate. 

Of course there's also the commitment of Jalen Milroe, who is reaching near mythical status. One coach mentioned under his breath on Friday evening that Milroe is the best recruiter in the program. What happens when you combine the qualities of Malik Jefferson and Sam Ehlinger, but instead of him recruiting for only a month or anchored to a transition class he has a year-and-a-half to build things out? We're going to find out.

Milroe is getting help, of course. Quaydarius Davis in Dallas has a presence and Hayden Conner is using his voice in Houston. Conner, along with Milroe, made it to campus on Friday evening.

Hayden Conner, Taylor (Katy, TX): The new Texas commit has been a welcome addition not just because he's a very good offensive line prosepct, he's also an active recruiter. You know he wasn't going to miss an opportunity to come help his buddy recruit.

Did it feel different being at UT as a commit?
"Nothing really, it felt the same as all the other visits. I'm committed now, so, there was a little bit different vibe. It felt good."

Did you camp?
"I did, I did the camp. We got to do some new drills with the new equipment that they got for the offensive linemen so that was real nice."

How does it feel to have the decision out of your way?
"It feels weird to be done. A weight has been lifted off my shoulders in a way. It feels nice and I'm ready to just focus on high school now."

Did you and Jalen recruit much today?
"Me and Jalen did a lot of recruiting today. We talked to everybody that we could have."

Anybody in particular?
Billy Bowman.

What aspect of his game does he want to improve the most this season?
"Just football IQ overall. Just understanding every position on the offensive line so I can better help my team and be more versatile in college."

What did I say recently about offensive linemen being selfless and just wanting to get on the field? That's exactly what he's saying when he mentions versatility. He could be anything from a starting left tackle to a combo guard/tackle.

Derrick Harris Jr., New Caney (New Caney, TX): He's in the mold of Malik Jefferson and Jeffrey McCulloch as edge players in high school who project to traditional linebackers in college. I'm not saying he's the same level of prospect as those two, but he's a good one and he's a priority. When you find linebackers in this state you have to be aggressive and Texas was recruiting him hard well before he was offered. 

He's a great program fit. His mother teaches at Houston Community College (I think, I know it's a CC) and his father is a campus police officer. He's a hard worker ("no vacation this summer, just worked out a lot") who also swims for his high school. His dad sent me footage and he's a good swimmer. So maybe he is Shark-like.

How was the visit (he visited Saturday)?
"It went very good. Showed me around campus and got to see more of the education side. Then got to talk with all the coaches and stuff. Favorite part was taking pictures with Kam (2022 OT Kameron Dewberry)." 

[Dewberry said the visit was off-the-chain and I was happy to hear that phrase being used by a young]

Are they pushing for a commitment?
"No, they're just whenever you're ready we're ready. I'm going down to the LSU game. That could be big for my recruitment."

Originally you were wanting to decide after the season. Is that still the case?
"I might decide in September now."

Harris is a long 6-foot-2.5, 215 pounds. There may be a hint of tightness on change-of-direction in his sophomore film, but he's quick, physical, and profiles to being a great blitzer. After I see how Joseph Ossai looks at Rover, that might be the better comp for Harris -- the true linebacker version of Ossai.

Texas is in a good position here with A&M having the best (only?) chance for the upset. He's currently a composite .9215 and that's in the ballpark based on his sophomore tape but as he gets stronger we may see more growth in his play and the need for a ratings bump. He's a bit quiet but is well known and liked within the class and would be another solid recruiter.

By: @josephcook 

Lake McRee, Lake Travis (Austin, TX): The tight end commit made the short trip over to campus to compete and bond with future teammates.

What did you show at the camp?
"I really showed them how versatile I was and that I can line up with my hand in the dirt and block as well as I can go beat cornerbacks and linebackers in routes and catch the ball over them. I really showed them that I can do really well.

Who impressed you?
"I was really impressed by Jalen Milroe, the quarterback. I had never seen him throw, and I know he just committed. I met him out here. I talked to him through social media after he committed, and we talked about it a little bit. I was really impressed on how he threw. He puts a lot of velocity on the ball and it was almost perfect placement every time. I was really impressed by him."

On meeting Milroe: 
"It's definitely cool being able to meet him and being up here with him because I know we're going to be up here working our butts off for the next few years because we're going to be future teammates. It was definitely cool to meet him."

CLOSING NOTES from Joe and Eric
- We heard Beck was raving about Milroe's arm strength, calling it one of the strongest arms he's seen at that age. Milroe was pretty accurate too, but the arm strength is what stood out
- I liked Billy Bowman before Friday but now I'm entirely smitten. While some Mackovics want to put him on offense because he's explosive on that side of the ball, I think his calling is on defense. His 5-foot-10, 175 pounds is a whole lot different than D'Shawn Jamison's when mini-Shark was that size. While Jamison was wiry, Bowman has a thicker build in the trunk with wider shoulders. He'll play comfortably at 205 pounds. With nickels being so hard to find you have to try him there first. Of course he could play receiver in college, and maybe the pros, but his ceiling is on defense without a doubt. Bowman is supposed to return for the LSU game with five-star teammate Ja'Tavion Sanders.


 

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New Top247 rankings are out:

 

1. JT Tuimoloau

4. Tommy Brockermeyer

21. Tony Grimes

22. Brock Vandagriff (OU commit)

23. Camar Wheaton

26. Savion Byrd

35. Donovan Jackson

40. Ja'Tavion Sanders

48. Landon Jackson

49. Marcus Burris

53. Preston Stone

54. Cody Jackson (OU commit)

68. Jalen Milroe (Texas commit)

70. Tunmise Adeleye

75. Dametrious Crownover

78. Sawyer Robertson

85. Reuben Fatheree

90. Clayton Smith

92. Theodore Knox

100. Quay Davis (Texas commit)

101. Jordon Thomas

106. LJ Johnson

111. Bryce Foster

112. Ketron Jackson

121. Ishmael Ibraheem

122. Latrell McCutchin (Alabama commit)

124. JoJo Earle

131. Kendrick Blackshire

135. Shadrach Banks

136. Dematrius Davis

139. Derrick Harris Jr.

146. Billy Bowman

184. Landyn Watson (LSU commit)

188. Eli Stowers (A&M commit)

194. JD Coffey

199. Latrell Neville

202. Behren Morton

215. Hayden Conner (Texas commit)

222. Brandon Campbell

234. Jonah Miller

236. Bryson Green

 

Edited by Machinator
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11 minutes ago, Machinator said:

New Top247 rankings are out:

 

  Hide contents

 

1. JT Tuimoloau

4. Tommy Brockermeyer

22. Brock Vandagriff (OU commit)

23. Camar Wheaton

26. Savion Byrd

35. Donovan Jackson

40. Ja'Tavion Sanders

48. Landon Jackson

49. Marcus Burris

53. Preston Stone

54. Cody Jackson (OU commit)

68. Jalen Milroe (Texas commit)

70. Tunmise Adeleye

75. Dametrious Crownover

78. Sawyer Robertson

90. Clayton Smith

100. Quay Davis (Texas commit)

106. LJ Johnson

111. Bryce Fostser

121. Ishmael Ibraheem

122. Latrell McCutchin (Alabama commit)

124. JoJo Earle

131. Kendrick Blackshire

135. Shadrach Banks

136. Dematrius Davis

139. Derrick Harris Jr.

146. Billy Bowman

184. Landyn Watson (LSU commit)

188. Eli Stowers (A&M commit)

194. JD Coffey

199. Latrell Neville

202. Behren Morton

215. Hayden Conner (Texas commit)

222. Brandon Campbell

234. Jonah Miller

236. Bryson Green

 

 

There's a hell of a lot of guys on that list that seem like Texas leans at this point. 2021 could be huge. 

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1 hour ago, Machinator said:

Who impressed you?
"I was really impressed by Jalen Milroe, the quarterback. I had never seen him throw, and I know he just committed. I met him out here. I talked to him through social media after he committed, and we talked about it a little bit. I was really impressed on how he threw. He puts a lot of velocity on the ball and it was almost perfect placement every time. I was really impressed by him."

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1 hour ago, Huckleberry said:

He should jump another 106 before he's done unless I have no idea what I'm looking at on film.

Which, admittedly, is a possibility.

For real. I’m having trouble understanding how’s there’s 40 better 2021’s. Much less 140. Some of those plays on his hudl are so instinctive. Then throw in the athletic ability and the level of competition and the sky is the limit. 

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Just now, GRHorn said:

For real. I’m having trouble understanding how’s there’s 40 better 2021’s. Much less 140. Some of those plays on his hudl are so instinctive. Then throw in the athletic ability and the level of competition and the sky is the limit. 

Dude was created in a factory to play the nickel and special teams at Texas

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The one thing I thought was missing from Bowman's hudl was tackling, but he mentioned in an interview with Suchomel that he's moving from corner to safety this season and he's glad he'll be able to play downhill more often and improve his tackling. I love it when kids have an understanding of things they need to improve on. 

Also his hudl song choice was a classic so I'm giving him bonus points for that. 

Spoiler

Coming out of Friday night’s Stars at Night camp, 2021 Rivals100 athlete Billy Bowman was playing it pretty low-key. Don’t get me wrong … the two-way standout from Denton Ryan clearly enjoyed his time with the UT coaches but he really got everyone riled up on Sunday when he posted this tweet:
 



As he was leaving campus, Bowman listed Texas as one of his “top schools” and said the plan, as of then, was to wait until after his junior season to release a list of favorites. Could things suddenly be heading for a very early commitment? I’ve talked to a couple people who believe it’s trending that way, but nobody seems to know for sure. It could very well be a commitment announcement, it could be Bowman just trimming his list. Either way, this one is trending well for Texas.

The 5-11, 175-pound Bowman is being recruited by Texas as an athlete and he said on Friday he’s willing to line up on either side of the ball.

“To be honest, it’s really the best fit for me. Whatever fits me best. But I’m an athlete so I’m willing to play whatever I need to play,” Bowman said. “We’re building a strong relationship here (at Texas). Every time I come up here, we’re building a stronger one.”

One potentially key sign … Bowman already has plans to be at the LSU-Texas game, and be a guest of UT’s for the Texas-OU game in Dallas. He said those are the only two games he currently has mapped out, although he did mention that he may see others as well.

Bowman, who ranks No. 88 on the Rivals100, is a jack-of-all trades on the football field who is an exceptional DB, WR and special teams talent. He shows terrific awareness, ball skills and athleticism in the defensive backfield, and this year will make the transition from corner to safety where he’ll have a chance to be even more involved.

“I really want to improve my tackling ability. I didn’t really get that many (opportunities) last year to get a lot of tackles because I played corner out on the outside. But this year, I’m pretty sure I’m moving to safety so I’m going to have a lot more opportunities to show my ball skills and how I can come downhill and hit people,” Bowman said.

We’ll see what Wednesday holds because Bowman is doing a good job of keeping everyone guessing, but if Texas can reel him in early, it would yet another outstanding pledge to add to a skyrocketing 2021 recruiting class.

 

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1 hour ago, squeegeedegg said:

What is Neville moving up based on?  As far as I can see, not much... I like Conner quite a bit at guard, hard to believe he's ranked lower than Parr and Majors this year.  Of course, the rankings probably reflect him as an OT which makes little sense

I agree on Neville, I'd like to see junior film before we take him.

On that topic, Neville made it to campus yesterday, and right now he's planning to announce in September. He seems to change his announcement dates every so often, though.

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Barton Simmons article on the updated 247 rankings: https://247sports.com/Article/Recruiting-rankings-2021-247Sports-update--134041943/

What they said on Bowman:

Quote

Billy Bowman, ATH, Denton (Texas) Ryan - A three-sport athlete with two-way traits on the football field, Bowman has impressed our team in camps but he’s also posted verified speed with multiple sub-11 second 100 meter times and has landed a flood of powerhouse offers. He’s up to No. 146 nationally.

 

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2 hours ago, Machinator said:

And in Preston Stone #TankWatch, he fell 30 spots.

And this is not meant to be overly critical but you have to wonder if you are a recruiting analyst when Texas, A&M, OU and LSU target other prospects over Stone. 

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1 minute ago, Keef said:

3 players from Washington state in the top 10.  Wonder if that has ever happened before

Yeah, if UW wants to upgrade from perennial Pac-12 champion and playoff contender to true national title contender, this is the class that could put them over the top.

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17 minutes ago, Machinator said:

Yeah, if UW wants to upgrade from perennial Pac-12 champion and playoff contender to true national title contender, this is the class that could put them over the top.

And at a time where USC is weakest. Oregon bout to clean up.

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16 minutes ago, Machinator said:

Yeah, if UW wants to upgrade from perennial Pac-12 champion and playoff contender to true national title contender, this is the class that could put them over the top.

Texas should do a home and home with the Huskies. Makes for a more exciting out of conference schedule and stronger SOS.

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14 minutes ago, Machinator said:

Yeah, if UW wants to upgrade from perennial Pac-12 champion and playoff contender to true national title contender, this is the class that could put them over the top.

JTT is supposed to be a heavy Husky lean.  Seen him play -- he is the real deal.

Huard is just another Washington HS QB -- very overrated because of quality of competition (see Jake Heaps, Max Browne, etc.), though he does have good bloodlines.

The WR plays against even worse competition than Huard.  No idea how they can justify ranking him in the top 10. 

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2 minutes ago, UDontKnow said:

Texas should do a home and home with the Huskies. Makes for a more exciting out of conference schedule and stronger SOS.

I don't like playing good teams with no name recognition. Beating Notre Dame or USC or Michigan is always better for your ranking than beating Washington or Boise State or Wisconsin. I would rather play the former.

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2 minutes ago, Bevo said:

I don't like playing good teams with no name recognition. Beating Notre Dame or USC or Michigan is always better for your ranking than beating Washington or Boise State or Wisconsin. I would rather play the former.

Washington has played in the CFP, something neither USC or Michigan have accomplished.  Additionally, Seattle is a fabulous destination for an away game.

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13 minutes ago, UDontKnow said:

Texas should do a home and home with the Huskies. Makes for a more exciting out of conference schedule and stronger SOS.

I am assuming you wrote this without even looking up our schedule in the coming years? 

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2 minutes ago, Newy25 said:

I am assuming you wrote this without even looking up our schedule in the coming years? 

Mostly a pipe dream to have two "marquee" out of conference matchups in one season. Could technically do it in 2022-2023. I never suggested dropping any of the big names already scheduled - maybe except for Arkansas in 2021.

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7 minutes ago, cafe society said:

Washington has played in the CFP, something neither USC or Michigan have accomplished.  Additionally, Seattle is a fabulous destination for an away game.

And I guarantee losing to Washington would harm your ranking than losing to USC or Michigan. And beating Washington would benefit your ranking less than beating USC or Michigan.

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7 minutes ago, Machinator said:

I get that Washington is not a blue blood or particularly close, but in what world do they deserve to be lumped in with Boise State?

Until Washington got a new coach, Boise State was a better program.

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32 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

JTT is supposed to be a heavy Husky lean.  Seen him play -- he is the real deal.

Huard is just another Washington HS QB -- very overrated because of quality of competition (see Jake Heaps, Max Browne, etc.), though he does have good bloodlines.

The WR plays against even worse competition than Huard.  No idea how they can justify ranking him in the top 10. 

Huard looks like a stud to me

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3 minutes ago, texifornia said:

I'd love a UDub series as a fan, that stadium is fabulous and Seattle is great. Just like my other dream OOC opponent, Wisco. Understand the football reasons to prioritize the real bluebloods, though.

I think both would pass as decent A level opponents.  But yes, not quite Michigan or bama.   Bama scheduled whiskey though. 

 

 

I happen to live in seattle.  Uw works for me

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20 minutes ago, closetohumping said:

I think both would pass as decent A level opponents.  But yes, not quite Michigan or bama.   Bama scheduled whiskey though. 

 

 

I happen to live in seattle.  Uw works for me

Bama also scheduled UW a few seasons back and it ended up being #2 vs #4.

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1 hour ago, Machinator said:

I get that Washington is not a blue blood or particularly close, but in what world do they deserve to be lumped in with Boise State?

Shouldn't happen. I'll also argue that they fit well in the level below blue blood. They've won a title more recently than Georgia (by a decade+), Notre Dame, or Penn State. They've obviously done more than ATM, Arkansas, or Oregon over the last 50 years. 

1 hour ago, Bevo said:

Until Washington got a new coach, Boise State was a better program.

This reflects the fact that either you're very young or you lack perspective, and probably both. Washington is a historically esteemed program. Tyrone Willingham and Rick Neuheisel tumbled them down into the toilet starting about 15 years ago, but they've been a respected program for 100 years. DKR was poached from there. They won/split a MNC in 1991 with ... Miami? I don't remember. Miami/Ga Tech/Colorado (5th fucking down ripoff game be damned)/UW split titles in 1990 and 1991. Don James was a CFB icon before being run off for rampant cheating. 

Meanwhile, BSU was a fucking FCS school until like 20/25 years ago and has no legitimate history of anything other than being a flash in the pan. 

I'd fucking love to do a home and home with UW and anyone who's spent time in Seattle would agree. On top of it all, they're not cheating under Petersen. They're well-coached and they do it right. Academically, the two schools are also aligned. I think it would be fucking awesome to play them early in November in Austin some year and play them in Seattle in September the year before or after that.

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