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Texas recruiting notes 2019


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By: Justin Wells and Eric Nahlin

We hope you enjoyed the Memorial Day weekend filled with commitments and offers. Now back to work and finishing out May and jumping into the summer. 

From: Eric Nahlin

Freshmen arrivals have been oddly quiet. After the holiday weekend hopefully we receive confirmation of who all is in and who isn't. We should hear stuff later today and we'll post immediately when we do. 

WR OFFERS

Three new commitments didn't supply the only excitement this weekend. The staff made an intriguing move when it offered three wide receivers in Cedar Ridge's Jaylen Ellis, Odessa Permian's Peyton Powell, and Midlothian Heritage's Langston Anderson. 

Texas is the best offer for each of three, thus it's easy to predict Texas to land each of them individually. But in a four receiver class (for the purposes of this group) that's not how this is going to work. UT has a commitment from Jordan Whittington, who profiles to slot. Texas is also in great shape for Jake Smith, who is also likely a slot. Each of these guys profiles more to Z (outside to the field) than anything else but Texas must also save room for Dylan Wright a X (outside to the boundary) and any potential stud, most likely with Z ability. 

The class could grow to five, the fifth would either be a known stud, or a breakout player, which admittedly could be one of the three new offers.

Ellis has fantastic track speed at 10.4 in the 100m. That track speed is an attention getter with national elites taking notice. That speed will direct you to tape that's been impressive since his sophomore year when he averaged 30 yards a catch. A lot of track guys don't have the tape to go with the speed but not Ellis. If UT pushes, they will get him.

Powell is switching from Midland Christian to Odessa Permain. Somebody at Midland Christian knows how to identify receivers as they also once had McClane Mannix who predictably tore his freshman year up at Nevada. Like Mannix before him, Powell elected to transfer to a bigger school to showcase his wares for college recruiters. Also like Mannix, Powell tests extremely well. He is Lo-Joe reincarnate, except he has a bit more twitch. If UT pushes, they will get him.

Anderson moved back to Texas after three years spent in Mississippi. His sophomore tape in the Crooked Letter was fantastic -- almost reminiscent of Laquon Treadwell in the way he moved at his size. Tape as a junior in Texas was good, not great. Picking up Oklahoma State last week is a good indicator of potential. He does have burst, as seen on screens and on the track where he posted a 21.46 200m. For reference, Adrian Colbert was often called the fastest player on the team and he won state in what was then 3A with a 21.55. If UT pushes, I think they'll get him.

So the issue is clear. Texas has three new offers out but I doubt they have room for all three. All three profile most closely to Z, so we're likely looking at first-come-first-served here. That adds another interesting element, too, because I think the staff's preference is that this play out for a while.

As mentioned numerous times, the staff wants to play the long-game, but sometimes you swing a little too aggressively and end up having to use your short-game...
From: Justin Wells

JAYLEN ELLIS

In the midst of three pledges within 24 hours, Texas offered a trio of in-state wide receivers on Saturday. All talented that hold multiple big offers, but one might stand out a little more than the rest, Round Rock Cedar Ridge's Jaylen Ellis.

The 6-foot-0, 180-pound speedster and Baylor pledge is no stranger to the 40 Acres. He's visited a handful of times, including this spring, and finally notching that Texas offer was meaningful.

“It meant a lot, being born and raised in Austin," said Ellis. "I grew with a bunch of UT fans. So getting the Texas offer was huge for me.”

Despite his Baylor verbal, it's safe to say Ellis is still open. Things at UT really stand out to the pass-catcher with 22 offers, including Michigan, Oregon, Tennessee, and TCU.

“The tradition (Texas) built," Ellis said. "And just being a Texas athlete, you automatically are known and remembered.”

Sounds like a kid that knows exactly what's on the line. Matt Rhule is doing his best to build a winner in Waco, but this offer might but the Longhorns in the driver's seat.

“I plan on taking an official visit sometime this summer at some point just haven’t had one set yet," said Ellis.

I wouldn't be surprised to see him visit unofficially soon, perhaps during UT's summer camps in June.

JUCO DT OFFER

Butler Community College's Jacoby Jones visited Texas last week. He kind of popped up on the radar for 2019's class. We know the staff wants 4-5 defensive linemen in the next class, and it seems assured one will be from the JUCO ranks.

“It’s amazing," said Jones. "All the schools that offer stand out right now. I'm just taking my time."

The 6-foot-4, 250-pound DE from McCluer North in St. Louis tallied 21 tackles and 3.5 sacks in his first season for the Grizzlies. He hasn't completely unnoticed. He holds offers from Washington State, Oklahoma State, Colorado, NC State, and TCU among others, with Auburn, Ole Miss, and Missouri in pursuit.

The good news here is that he’ll take an official visit to Austin, "right after the season is over,” said Jones. So it looks as though Texas will watch Jones closely and bring him in just before the first NSD in late December.

He's an interesting prospect in which he graduates in December of 2019, and played as much offense in HS than defense. That versatility usually translates to success at the college level, and he's only getting bigger.

Turning over every rock, Herman style.

LEWIS CINE

When the 4-star safety moved from Everett HS in Massachusetts to Cedar Hill (Trinity Christian), the promising defender knew it would be a small culture shock. So far, so good.

"Texas is and was a special offer," said Cine. "As soon as I moved here, they stayed in the picture and recruited me hard and it’s still like that. A lot of the schools who offered just gave up on recruiting me and just expect me out of the blue moon to just take an official to their school."

Cine is a relationship guy. You won't fool him with DM, texts, and emjois.He wants to get to know the place he may play over the next 4-5 years. He's building a great one with Craig Naivar, safeties coach. 

“Yeah, definitely me and coach Naivar talk a lot," said Cine. "He's a great guy."

He’s got an official for June 15th-17th in the ATX. I think Texas takes three in 2019 - Jalen Catalon playing safety and nickel, Cali's Chris Adimora, and the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder from up north seem to look like the triplets for the #fUTure19 squad. 

LANGSTON ANDERSON

Just like Ellis, the Midlothian Heritage wideout was received his Texas offer last weekend. And just like Ellis, it made quite the impression. 

Anderson and Texas have been in contact for awhile, just nothing more than getting to know each other. Now, after the Texas staff stopped by Heritage this spring to watch the 6-foot-2, 188-pounder, it was only a matter of time. 

“The coaches at Texas stand out to me," said Anderson. "I also know one the players and he was speaking nothing but good things about Texas.”

That player is DB Kobe Boyce, who has been encouraging and recruiting the 3-star receiver with 20+ offers - Ole Miss, Nebraska, Arizona, Washington State, and Oklahoma State among others. 

He could visit this summer unofficially, but where does UT stand after this offer? 

“They're definitely in my Top 5.”

CALDWELL, SMITH, ETC....

Marques could be close. Jake will arrive on Friday night. Those are the two recruitments we're closely watching at the moment. 

With Caldwell, there's just too many factors that could lead to a flip from Oregon to Texas. Proximity, tradition, and Jason Washington. He's told sources he could make the call any day now, but for now just know the Longhorns look great here. 

With Smith, the scuttle that USC presumably took the lead after his OV to Los Angeles seems inaccurate. A day after returning to Arizona from his official visit, he put a picture of himself in his Twitter header. Kids that are leaning elsewhere don't generally do that, but it's still a data point. I'm calling Smith to Texas until I'm told otherwise. Too many people involved in this recruitment feel the same way.

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9 minutes ago, BigBenBamboozle said:

How do we feel about Catalon, Cine, and Adimora as the safety class? 

We pay the coaches a fuck ton of money. They better get the job done regardless of who they sign. Fortunately, we have many reasons to believe in the coaching on the defensive side to meet that expectation. So, I tend to care very little about who the D signs.

Edited by pacman
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I don’t like the WR speed tests. 100 meters and 40 meters are too long to really get a sense to whether a guy can separate from the line of scrimmage. I wish they would run 25 yard dashes and then something to measure change of direction.

 

Edit- just realized there won’t be a discernible difference between guys. Nevermind.

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7 minutes ago, pacman said:

We pay the coaches a fuck ton of money. They better get the job done regardless of who they sign. Fortunately, we have many reasons to believe in the coaching on the defensive side to meet that expectation. So, I tend to care very little about who the D signs.

Me too. As long as Orlando is around.

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4 minutes ago, Newy25 said:

“Rising” is the new “flashed”. It’s annoying as hell and I wish these guys sould stop with the needless descriptors. 

Worse, it actually means something in the right context (i.e. "rising junior"), but now it's just become "he's a three star but we want to drum up some excitement".

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19 minutes ago, BigBenBamboozle said:

How do we feel about Catalon, Cine, and Adimora as the safety class? 

I dont know how anyone could be upset with that class, especially considering the studs we signed the year before.

9 minutes ago, pacman said:

We pay the coaches a fuck ton of money. They better get the job done regardless of who they sign. Fortunately, we have many reasons to believe in the coaching on the defensive side to meet that expectation. So, I tend to care very little about who the D signs.

There are so many internal contradictions in this post.  Almost everyone pays their coaches a fuck ton of money. Plenty of them don't get it done.  Part of getting it done is about who you sign. Just because you have good coaches doesn't mean they'll create a great product if they're not signing talent, so if you care about whether or not they get it done, then you should care about who they sign. Also, if that's your attitude, then why are you on the recruiting thread?

1 minute ago, Dbeasy said:

I don’t like the WR speed tests. 100 meters and 40 meters are too long to really get a sense to whether a guy can separate from the line of scrimmage. I wish they would run 25 yard dashes and then something to measure change of direction.

 

Edit- just realized there won’t be a discernible difference between guys. Nevermind.

They have tests for that. It's called the 40 yard dash and shuttle. Plus, vertical jump measures explosiveness.  Here's Ellis' results: 6'0, 181, 40: 4.59, shuttle: 4.20, VJ: 36.5. Those are all very good numbers. He finished with the 27th best SPARQ score in the country. 

 https://www.theopening.com/national-leaderboard

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11 minutes ago, EastTexan said:

Me too. As long as Orlando is around.

I will also add that the odds of Orlando being around by the time 2019 recruits are expected to play meaningful roles are slim to none, which is just another reason why the level of talent we sign matters and saying, "I don't care who we sign because Orlando" doesn't make much sense at all.

7 minutes ago, Gardner Barnes said:

Which of the 9.95ers is the most reliable?

TFB seems to be pacing the field at this point with OB not even realizing there's a race going on.

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3 minutes ago, UT Lawnghorn said:

I will also add that the odds of Orlando being around by the time 2019 recruits are expected to play meaningful roles are slim to none, which is just another reason why the level of talent we sign matters and saying, "I don't care who we sign because Orlando" doesn't make much sense at all.

TFB seems to be pacing the field at this point with OB not even realizing there's a race going on.

You make sense about Orlando being around past 2019. Got to have top talent to start with.

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IMHO, there is not an assistant job that is going to pay more than Texas IMHO.  So if I am Orlando and the D performs well despite the personnel losses, I may stay a little longer at Texas until the "right" opportunity comes along.  See Kirby Smart and Georgia for instance.  

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13 minutes ago, UT Lawnghorn said:

I will also add that the odds of Orlando being around by the time 2019 recruits are expected to play meaningful roles are slim to none, which is just another reason why the level of talent we sign matters and saying, "I don't care who we sign because Orlando" doesn't make much sense at all.

TFB seems to be pacing the field at this point with OB not even realizing there's a race going on.

I disagree, but I have no hard info to justify my doubt.  Is there evidence to support your assertion?

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They have tests for that. It's called the 40 yard dash and shuttle. Plus, vertical jump measures explosiveness.  Here's Ellis' results: 6'0, 181, 40: 4.59, shuttle: 4.20, VJ: 36.5. Those are all very good numbers. He finished with the 27th best SPARQ score in the country. 
 https://www.theopening.com/national-leaderboard

Ya taken in totality maybe SPARQ is what really demonstrates best what a WR can do. I don’t like the 40 yard as mentioned above because it’s basically only a fly route and I don’t like the shuttle because of the 180 degree change in direction multiple times.
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5 minutes ago, Babytime said:

I disagree, but I have no hard info to justify my doubt.  Is there evidence to support your assertion?

I'm guessing you're talking about the Orlando thing?  With our 2018 safety class, these 2019 guys probably aren't going to be called on to play big roles until about 2021, maybe 1 or 2 of them in 2020.  That's 3-4 seasons from now.  Maybe Orlando stays an extremely long time like Kirby Smart did but that's the exception. Most elite coordinators are only at a place like UT for a few years before they're hired away as a HC. Guys like Jeremy Pruitt, Dan Mullen, Scott Frost, Chad Morris, etc. That's the type of trajectory Orlando's on right now. Maybe he falls off of that trajectory, but even then, odds are he doesn't stay at UT either way. Or if he does with less success, then you'll still definitely care about the type of talent we bring in.

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29 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:


Ya taken in totality maybe SPARQ is what really demonstrates best what a WR can do. I don’t like the 40 yard as mentioned above because it’s basically only a fly route and I don’t like the shuttle because of the 180 degree change in direction multiple times.

At least at the HS level it is. Vertical jump is a good measure of explosiveness, which generally translates to being able to create separation off the line of scrimmage, like you mentioned. For the NFL combine, the 3 cone drill is probably the best mobility test for most positions, especially WRs and pass rushers but I haven't seen any HS event that times that.  The 10 yard split is also good but again, HS events don't seem to time that.  None of the tests are going to be a perfect indicator, but Ellis's film matched with his testing numbers indicates a really good athlete who has the physical skills to succeed at the college level.

Edited by UT Lawnghorn
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34 minutes ago, UT Lawnghorn said:

At least at the HS level it is. Vertical jump is a good measure of explosiveness, which generally translates to being able to create separation off the line of scrimmage, like you mentioned. For the NFL combine, the 3 cone drill is probably the best mobility test for most positions, especially WRs and pass rushers but I haven't seen any HS event that times that.  The 10 yard split is also good but again, HS events don't seem to time that.  None of the tests are going to be a perfect indicator, but Ellis's film matched with his testing numbers indicates a really good athlete who has the physical skills to succeed at the college level.

I had excellent quickness so I would like to interject some things about your opinion. If I was on grass and using turf shoes my times would be horrible. If I was in cleats and working on turf my times wouldn’t be that great either. All those test should be done at the same location and using the same equipment. Some poor kid running in tennis shoes wouldn’t be competitive and one venue cannot be compared to the next. 

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16 minutes ago, Bevo said:

I had excellent quickness so I would like to interject some things about your opinion. If I was on grass and using turf shoes my times would be horrible. If I was in cleats and working on turf my times wouldn’t be that great either. All those test should be done at the same location and using the same equipment. Some poor kid running in tennis shoes wouldn’t be competitive and one venue cannot be compared to the next. 

Tl; dr response: I mean, no duh?

I honestly have no clue why this stuff even has to be said, but here we are. First off, I've seen plenty of film from different Opening Regional. I've never seen a kid try to run in tennis shoes, so you can cross that concern off your list.

Obviously, you have to control for all factors and you can't directly compare one regional testing to the other. Getting every kid in the country in the same testing spot is clearly not possible, but they do SPARQ testing at the Opening Finals, so that at least gives an avenue to compare a lot of the best kids in the country.  Unfortunately, it doesn't appear Ellis got invited, so this is the best info we have. 

I never said Jaylen Ellis would definitely have the 27th best time in the country no matter what or that he's definitively faster than a kid who tested at the Houston regional, but his score shows he has good athleticism regardless, which is the only opinion I expressed.

Edited by UT Lawnghorn
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I had excellent quickness so I would like to interject some things about your opinion. If I was on grass and using turf shoes my times would be horrible. If I was in cleats and working on turf my times wouldn’t be that great either. All those test should be done at the same location and using the same equipment. Some poor kid running in tennis shoes wouldn’t be competitive and one venue cannot be compared to the next. 

Good point.
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1 hour ago, satyanash said:

Something seems imminent tonight. Marques Caldwell, perhaps?

Original tweet was on the 19th, a day after Caldwell was offered.

Love this offer more than Victor Lazlos moms pie hole.

Probably a better take than Banks without the Drama. Although, I would still take Banks. He looks like a next level corner.

 

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EJ after dark: Texas pushing for two four-star WRs

— Texas is continuing to recruit four-star Saint Louis Trinity Catholic (MO) wide receiver Marcus Washington hard as his August decision approaches. Right now, Ohio State seems to be in the lead, but Texas could host him for an official visit this summer. That is actually being discussed as you read this. A key note: Texas Recruiting Director Bryan Carrington has been working overtime on this one and has a great relationship with Washington’s father.

— Four-star Notre Dame Prep (AZ) wide receiver Jake Smith is still set to make his official visit to Texas this weekend. Smith enjoyed his recent official visit to USC, which gave him a lot to think about. However, we still feel very good about where Texas stands and have reason to believe the Longhorns can seal the deal with a strong official visit weekend. Expect the Longhorns to roll out the red carpet as Smith is the only recruit slated to be on campus at this time.

— Baylor recently extended an offer to four-star Grayson (GA) cornerback and Texas commit Kenyatta Watson II. I checked in with Watson’s father, who told me that Ohio State and TCU have also been in contact. However, the family is happy with their commitment to Texas and are completely solid. There isn’t any reason to worry with here.

— Four-star Warren Easton (La.) cornerback Chester Kimbrough released his top schools last week, and Texas made the cut. Florida is still the heavy favorite for Kimbrough, but I’m told that he is open to making an official visit to Texas in the fall and has been in recent contact with Jason Washington

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Not sure where to put this, and I know Rivals sucks, but I thought this was interesting.... 

Yeeeeah buddy, Horns in South Beach! I was kind of expecting to see a small Texas presence in New Orleans and Vegas, to be honest.... 

 

"Here are the top cities to produce four and five star prospects since Rivals began tracking such things in 2002. I’ve included the teams that landed the most players out of each state as well for the top ones." 

Houston: 60 (Texas-21, Texas A&M-10, LSU-6, Baylor-2, Florida State-2, Oklahoma-2, Oklahoma State-2, Oregon-2, Stanford-2, Texas Tech-2)

Dallas: 42 (Oklahoma-9, Texas-7, Texas A&M-6, Oklahoma State-3, Cal-2, Texas Tech-2, USC-2)

New Orleans: 40 (LSU-20, Texas A&M-4, Georgia Tech-3, Florida-2, Mississippi State-2)

Miami: 119 (Miami-32, Florida-9, Florida State-8, Louisville-7, Auburn-4, USF-4, Georgia-3, LSU-3, Ohio State-3, Illinois-2, Tennessee-2, Texas-2, UCF-2)

Las Vegas: 28 (USC-6, UCLA-5, Oklahoma-3, Arizona-2, Arizona State-2, Miami-2, Nebraska-2, Notre Dame-2, Ohio State-2)

 

 

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20 hours ago, deech said:

IMHO, there is not an assistant job that is going to pay more than Texas IMHO.  So if I am Orlando and the D performs well despite the personnel losses, I may stay a little longer at Texas until the "right" opportunity comes along.  See Kirby Smart and Georgia for instance.  

So Orlando may be gone in 2019... but I think he stays for awhile. 

Only reason I say that is because I had a co worker that played for Orlando when he was at UCONN said that he’s just a football and defense animal. And his personality doesn’t really vibe with a HC. This was awhile ago so who knows. He could have changed, probably has, but he has always mainted that his personality has always been a DC guy. 

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1 hour ago, Doc Sam Beckett said:

Not sure where to put this, and I know Rivals sucks, but I thought this was interesting.... 

Yeeeeah buddy, Horns in South Beach! I was kind of expecting to see a small Texas presence in New Orleans and Vegas, to be honest.... 

"Here are the top cities to produce four and five star prospects since Rivals began tracking such things in 2002. I’ve included the teams that landed the most players out of each state as well for the top ones." 

Houston: 60 (Texas-21, Texas A&M-10, LSU-6, Baylor-2, Florida State-2, Oklahoma-2, Oklahoma State-2, Oregon-2, Stanford-2, Texas Tech-2)

Dallas: 42 (Oklahoma-9, Texas-7, Texas A&M-6, Oklahoma State-3, Cal-2, Texas Tech-2, USC-2)

New Orleans: 40 (LSU-20, Texas A&M-4, Georgia Tech-3, Florida-2, Mississippi State-2)

Miami: 119 (Miami-32, Florida-9, Florida State-8, Louisville-7, Auburn-4, USF-4, Georgia-3, LSU-3, Ohio State-3, Illinois-2, Tennessee-2, Texas-2, UCF-2)

Las Vegas: 28 (USC-6, UCLA-5, Oklahoma-3, Arizona-2, Arizona State-2, Miami-2, Nebraska-2, Notre Dame-2, Ohio State-2)

 

 

Strange that Alabama isn't listed even once. 

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