inside texas 2016 recruiting review

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2016 RECRUITING REVIEW

BUILDING FOR THE FUTURECharlie Strong has assembled another group of impressive athletes in his quest

to rebuild the Longhorns to the top level of college football.

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3February/March - 2016

in this issue

Publishers -- Michael Pearle, Clendon Ross | Managing Editor--Clendon Ross | Editor-- Mike Blackwell InsideTexas.com Editor -- Justin Wells | Lead Writer -- Bill Frisbie | Contributor -- Ian Boyd

Designer/Photographer -- Will Gallagher | Recruiting Analyst -- Eric Nahlin To Subscribe/Customer Service -- Phone: 512-249-8916 | Email: [email protected]

42Pat Culpepper likes the way things are headed on the 40 Acres.Strong Influence | by Pat CulPePPer

30Inside Texas Top 100 |A comprehensive breakdown of the 2016 class.

by eriC NahliN

Junior Day kicks off 2017 recruiting.2017 Junior Day | 46by JustiN Wells

Class of 2016 - Defense |

Charlie re-stocks the cupboard with quality at every position.

by it staff 20

10Class of 2016 - Offense |Shane Buechele heads an impressive group on offense.

by it staff

February/March 2016

6Ian covers each position group and where the new players will fit.Inside The Gameplan | by iaN boyd

Some of our favorite tweets from this cyle.Recruiting and Twitter 44


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OFFENSE

QUARTERBACK

Texas had two needs at the QB position, the first for a player that can make the quick reads and throws that allow a spread offense to come to life and unleash the University’s typically considerable athletic advantages at the skill positions. The other is for a QB that can do this right now since the last three QB recruits were all raw and possibly even poor fits for the modern spread passing game.

Shane Buechele was the sole take here, and while his lack of size (180 pounds) combined with the fact that he’ll be a true freshman make him an inadequate haul for the purpose of filling both of UT’s needs, he’s the exactly the kind of prospect that Texas desperately needs in order to get this posi-tion right in the future.

His skill set includes vision to see the field, a quick release and the ability to throw the ball accurately from in or out of the pocket, and some quickness to boot. Buechele has the Colt McCoy or Baker Mayfield start-up kit and if he has the right mindset he should be a great one in time.

Grade: B+

RUNNING BACK

Texas’ new system has been proven to be equally adept at generating consistent gains with a sturdy, hard-running back or with a burner that can be loosed into space. Any back who’s effective at running gap schemes should feel free to apply for a job that’s likely to get a lot of glory.

Kyle Porter is the sole take here and he’s a good one who has experience running a variety of power schemes at Katy and very little interest in the normal drama or attention that comes from playing football (doesn’t even have a Twitter account). His tape reveals an exciting ability to make reads and threaten multiple creases before making LBs wrong for their choices with jump cuts and hard running through the hole. Porter isn’t the sexiest RB recruit Texas has ever had but he’s exactly the kind that could end the drought of 1K yard runners, especially in this new system.

Grade: B

ANCILLARIES

You can basically divide Gilbert’s veer and shoot offense into the passing game person-nel and the run game personnel as each will often stick largely to their own area of expertise while the QB chooses which to em-

phasize. On the run game side you have the five OL and then often an additional blocker, who’s ideally an H-back in skill set (able to execute different blocks from the backfield) but if he can serve as a TE and catch some passes all the better.

Peyton Aucoin comes ready made for this role as he excelled in high school as a mo-bile, 6th OL that could block as an attached TE or move around in the backfield and maul opponents as a lead blocker. Of course I think there’s a good chance he grows into a true OL but in this system he can get started here and move inside if his body and talent takes him to tackle. He’ll be immensely valu-able either way.

Demarco Boyd is limited by size, as he’s 6-foot-0 flat, but if he grows into the kind of lead blocker I expect he will, then Texas can always just emphasize H-back and fullback sets rather than using an attached TE, it really doesn’t matter much. He also has the potential to be a utility back who serves in situations that call for a blocker or short-yardage runner next to the QB.

Grade: A-

WIDE RECEIVERS

Gilbert’s variety of the veer and shoot is actually a tad more Air Raidish than what you see from Briles in Waco as he likes to mix

by Ian boyd

The 2016 class is now signed, sealed, and delivered for Charlie Strong, finishing in or near the top 10 in most national rankings. Post Signing Day rankings often fail to account for negative aspects of

a class, like Strong losing much of 2015’s Florida Five for various reasons, or positive aspects like his ability to find 3-star gems that will respond to his culture and prove to be better than expected.

I’ll break down the class from the perspective of how Strong did at finding recruits who can be projectedto develop into players that will fill needs and fit Charlie’s strategy for subduing the Big 12.


in a lot of traditional passing concepts from the ultra-spread alignments. For that reason, traditional possession receivers have more value for Gilbert than they would in the Briles O where it’s almost entirely about speed. That said, speed and stretching the field ver-tically or horizontally with the ability to house a bubble screen are the most important traits for a Gilbert wideout.

Collin Johnson has been the big piece of the offensive class for quite a long time after committing as a sophomore along with his older brother in April of 2014. His excellent hands and 6-foot-6 frame make him a pretty easy fit in any system as an outside receiver but in this particular offense that will regularly see him draw single coverage he’s going to be very difficult to stop.

Davion Curtis is exactly the kind of player that you normally see explode into promi-nence after getting inserted into this offense. Curtis is all raw speed and what route running he has done in high school, finding soft spots over the middle on dig routes, projects well to running vertical option routes in Gilbert’s offense. This is a guy Texas could put outside opposite another deep threat and wreak havoc on teams that don’t have two corners they can trust to play deep routes without help.

Lil’ Jordan Humphrey is a guy that will cause Gilbert to get creative with his schemes be-cause he is a rare breed of athlete. The most special skill Humphrey possesses is being agile and fluid enough to have played RB in high school at 6-foot-5, a trait that will likely help him become a favorite target as a slot receiver in the middle of the field for Gilbert.

Reggie Hemphill-Mapps is great at breaking out of his route stem and getting separation but whether he sees the field often at Texas will depend on whether he take the top off of defenses going vertical better than the rest of the skill talent being stockpiled in Austin. His tape shows a player with good situational awareness and willingness to block, which are essential in a bubble screen-heavy of-fense, so you can’t bet against him.

Grade: A-

OFFENSIVE LINE

Matt Mattox’s scheme is at its best when fea-turing guys that can move and find targets in space but big, nasty maulers are also useful in the inside zone, trap, and power schemes. Texas has a nice class of four coming in but this could become five or six if Aucoin or

Gerald Wilbon join the party.

Jean Delance is the crown jewel of the class, an ultra-athletic tackle that could become the feature of the pass protection schemes, the slip/tunnel screens, or any runs that get the left tackle out in space to flatten LBs and DBs at the second level. He’ll need time to grow into the role but he’ll get it with Connor Williams playing ahead of him.

Denzel Okafor is Trey Hopkins redux. He has the athleticism and feet to play tackle but is maybe 6-foot-4 in cleats, so he doesn’t have the ideal length to play outside and swat away pass-rushers. No worries, he might still be able to play right tackle or else be a well above average guard. If he can learn to translate his athleticism to pulling in Mattox’s power schemes, he could be a special part of future Texas OLs.

Tope Imade was more of a Joe Wickline kind of take, a massive guard prospect (6-foot-4, 320) with good feet and length that had a lot of upside in a zone-blocking scheme. In Mattox’s system the big question will be the same as it is for Okafor, whether he can be-come an effective pulling guard that can beat DEs and LBs in space. Whether he clicks in those assignments or not, Imade could very well find a role as a massive guy in the

Shane Buechele


middle creating space for other lead blockers by driving opposing DL off the line on double teams or with down blocks.

Zach Shackelford is one of the more college-ready guys in this OL class since he’s already close to 300 pounds, which is good news since he’s an early enrollee who will be in the mix early competing for the starting center. Shackelford is good at turning shoul-ders, blocking down, and executing combo blocks before climbing up to a linebacker, all skills that will come into play at center.

Grade: A-

DEFENSE

DEFENSIVE LINE

Texas desperately needed some kids that could eat a double team and ideally also have the quickness to stunt and get some pressure. Additionally, there’s always a need for dominant 3-techniques that can blow up opposing blocking schemes as those are the

players that separate the dominant programs from the rest. Finally, Texas has lacked strongside ends that can set the edge from a 4-technique in the 3-3 fronts.

Jordan Elliott is the crown jewel of the DL class, and his SPARQ numbers do a great job of explaining why. He threw the power ball 41’ and ran a 4.35 shuttle at 6-foot-4, 300, giving you an indicator of how this kid is both absurdly strong and impossibly quick. He may end up inside at the nose because of his power and the fact that he could still develop as a pass-rusher from inside but his ideal spot would be as a 3-technique or 3-3 DE like Malcom Brown.

Chris Daniels might be a DL that allows Elliott to play outside as his wide base and improving punch at the point of attack make him a good nose tackle project that could learn to eat space inside much like the similarly long and raw Kheeston Randall years ago.

Gerald Wilbon is the official nose tackle sign-ee of this group and his senior film suggests he may stick there and not be moved to OL. Wilbon’s greatest attribute is that he fires

off the ball both low and hard, which helps him to split double teams and to beat control interior gaps since he’s generally playing with great leverage. Because his technique is good and he’s faster off the ball than as a junior, Wilbon may prove to surprise and be one of the first 2016 DL to see the field.

D’Andre Christmas-Giles is a fantastic 3-technique prospect who is lightning quick off the ball and uses his hands very well, two of the best indicators of future success. Texas may struggle to get all of these guys on the field together if they all adapt well to college life but they’re going to have to find a way if DCG becomes as effective as he could.

Marcel Southall has a reputation for not mak-ing the most of his athletic ability but instead regularly taking lots of plays off, but now he’s entering a culture that Charlie has worked hard to transform into a feisty, dog-eat-dog environment where you either make the most of your opportunity or get left behind. With all of the other DTs in this class, Southall becomes a fantastic insurance policy. Either he fails to work hard enough to separate from the pack or Charlie has landed one of the more athletic DL in the state.

Malcolm Roach could end up in a lot of dif-ferent spots. As a senior he played some-thing like Texas’ Fox position but he might end up closer to 300 than his current weight of about 250. Roach is explosive off the ball but has the length and could develop the strength to become a strongside end or even yet another DT.

Andrew Fitzgerald is Charlie’s darkhorse to become the most dominant recruit and has been a personal favorite since long before he committed. He’s at least 6-foot-4, has fantastic fluidity and functional strength, and will probably end up being a 6-foot-5, 280-pounder who can play on the edge and be the kind of strongside end that will make the 3-3 fronts exceptionally hard to run on.

Grade: A+

Chris Daniels


LINEBACKER

The goal here is to accumulate as many versatile and explosive athletes as possible as the nature of Charlie’s defense is to attack the offense with the LBs and dictate what they can do by regularly bringing at least one backer on the blitz. The more linebackers on the field that can get into the backfield and cause problems the fewer options opposing offenses have for attacking the defense.

Erick Fowler might be the best take here simply because he projects as a highly disruptive blitzer from a number of positions. Sam, Will, Mike, or Fox backer are all in play for this kid as he’s a brilliant pass-rusher but also a versatile athlete who can beat blocks and play coverage from the interior.

Shark McCulloch projects more cleanly to the Fox position as a 6-foot-3, 230-pounder who will probably only get bigger. His 4.2 shuttle time speaks to his quickness on the edge and the next time an OT gets a clean block on him during an edge rush might be the first.

Grade: A-

SAFETY

The nature of Charlie’s defense is such that either safety position can become a play-maker that dominates football games. Lock-ing up opposing receivers with the corners and nickel allow the strong safety to hang out near the line where a strong box player is set up to blitz or make tackles around the line of scrimmage that can snuff out an oppos-ing run game. Meanwhile a deep safety with range and open field abilities can play over the top of everything and erase an oppo-nent’s ability to land any knockout blows.

Chris Brown fits in with Boyd and Fitzger-ald as guys that may exceed expectations because they simply have the ideal mindsets for football players. Back in high school, Brown’s teammate Dontavious Jackson would frequently force runners to bounce outside where they’d be lined up for Brown

kill shots when he’d come to support the run from a corner or safety position. This is a physical player who loves the game. Brown could conceivably fit in any of the three inte-rior DB positions (FS, SS, N) but his heady play in zone and knack for separating receiv-ers from the ball might make him a good FS.

Brandon Jones is the best player in this class. His role at Texas will hopefully depend on where he’s most effective rather than where he’s most needed and thanks to his ability to fight through the wash and deliver jarring blows in the box, he might be most effective as a strong safety.

However, his effective range is so great that he may also be able to grow into a dominant eraser at free safety that completely stifles opposing teams’ ability to have a successful play go for more than 10 yards. It’ll be fun to see where his talent takes him.

Grade: A+

CORNER/NICKEL

UT’s scheme tends to put the outside corners and even the nickel on an island at times, asked to play man coverage and prevent deep passes while the middle of the

field is loaded up with hard-hitting and hard-blitzing linebackers and safeties. Because Texas landed perhaps as many as four solid coverage players in the 2015 class, there wasn’t a great need to load up with numbers here in 2016 but the position is undeniably essential to the defense. Without athletes that can play man on Big 12 receivers this defense doesn’t work.

Eric Cuffee is arguably the sole take at this place of need in the class and his projection is still uncertain. He’s a 4.65 40 guy but with a 4.1 shuttle, so while he’s more than quick enough to keep up with people in and out of breaks, his ability to recover if he’s beat is slightly suspect. Because there’s so much talent ahead of him at corner there’s plenty of time for Cuffee to develop the skills to make the most of his physicality and quicks at corner or find a home inside at nickel where the coverage assignments leave a defender less exposed.

Grade: A+

Eric Cuffee


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OFFENSE


CLASS OF 2016

Evaluation: Buechele has a high floor be-cause of his mental make-up. He can beat you with his head, arm, or legs, sometimes all on the same play. An underrated athlete, he’ll frustrate his share of defenses with his improvisational skill when the offense is off schedule, though keeping the offense on schedule will be a strength. As one college coach told me, everything Buechele does is quick; processes information, releases the ball, etc. Shane also anticipates well, which is important because his arm is only aver-age. He can force a ball he shouldn’t on occasion. Mentally he’ll be able to play early if he’s needed, but he still needs significant physical development of his 6-foot-0, 180 pound frame.

Texas coaches identified Buechele very early in the process and made it clear he was at the top of their wish list, even going so far as to leverage his decision by carpet bombing offers across the country. At least that was my read at the time. Regardless, with numerous new offers out at the position, Shane made sure his spot was secure and picked Texas over Oklahoma and others last February.

At the time I agreed with Shane as the take because I thought his mental make-up would

allow him to see the field early. This was im-portant coming off a cycle where Texas took two quarterbacks in Kai Locksley and Mat-thew Merrick who were seen as projects.

Buechele is already on campus and I still feel confident in my assessment that he’ll be able to compete early, even with the new offense. That’s the beauty of Buechele’s game, it’s adaptable to pretty much any of-fense, though you’ll want to pick his spots in the run game because of his slight build.

Whether or not he’s needed will be deter-mined by a number of factors; his own ability to pick up the playbook and speed of play, the development of others, and his ability to handle the pounding at his weight.

Buechele was very loyal to Texas throughout the process, otherwise we would have heard about more overtures for his signature, but it was solid reassurance when Notre Dame’s Brian Kelley made a brief push for him.

Texas returned that loyalty by not pursuing a second quarterback. Buechele now begins his collegiate career in a five-way battle to become the day-one starter. A tall order for most, but Shane just might be cerebral and instinctive enough to pull it off.

Quarterback | 6-0, 180 | Arlington, TXNotable offers: Baylor, OU, Ole Miss, TCU, Texas Tech

SHANE BUECHELE

#17 | IT 100


Delance commit-ted to Texas at the Under Armour All American game in Orlando, Florida.

He fills a must-need position: talented offensive linemen. Pairing with fresh-men ’15 All-Ameri-cans, Patrick Vahe and Connor Wil-liams, Delance will help build a formable line under new OL coach Matt Mattox.

Delance joins fellow Longhorn linemen commits, Denzel Okafor and Tope Imade, to form the best OL class in the Big 12. Delance might

have the best feet of any tackle in-state this year. Highlight after highlight on his senior film features him beating DL off the ball and then those DL typically giving up and either getting taken for a ride or driven to the ground. Delance’s feet also allow him to find targets in space.

He’s an ideal left tackle prospect in any offense and will fit like a glove in Mattox’s run schemes, particularly on gap schemes that release him to the 2nd level to find a LB off a double team or as a puller. He’ll probably need a year or two to find his college playing weight and then Texas could have something special.

What stands out about Delance is how well he moves around for a guy his size, and definitely think he has the athleticism and the feet to stick at tackle. He will have to get better at playing with a lower pad level and instead of catching defenders, he needs to take the fight to them. He has a decent punch, but he doesn’t seem to always utilize it and his functional strength doesn’t consistently show up on tape.

Offensive Tackle | 6-4, 320 | North Mesquite (Mesquite, TX)

Notable offers: Michigan, LSU, Alabama, Arkansas

JEAN DELANCE

#14 | IT 100

The latest running back to come out of the Katy Tiger factory. The program churns out running backs year in and out, but they don’t really become world beaters once they move on to the col-legiate level.

On top of that these backs tend to run behind very good offensive lines, and they tend to log a lot of carries. I will say that watching Porter’s tape from earlier on in the season makes me feel a little better, as he looks a heck of a lot fresher than when I saw him play against Lake Travis in the state title game.

He was clearly banged up and worn down by that point in the year and the offense heavily relied on his leg. He gets north and south in a hurry, hits the hole decisively, and while he isn’t the shiftiest back, he shows he can make guys miss at close range. He finishes runs

and he also doesn’t shy away from contact, which I am always a fan of.

His tape reveals a downhill runner who makes good reads and explo-sive cuts in a wide variety of differ-ent schemes. You want a guy who can hit the cutback? His jump step and acceleration are outstanding.

Want the guy who can bounce a run outside and win the edge? He can do that as well. Porter is as close to

a sure thing to be a 1k yard back as you can find in the HS ranks.

What’s more, he’s also a good route runner who can play on 3rd down, which can be devastating in the veer and shoot offense where picking up the RB out of the backfield is often the last thing on the minds of defenders.

Running Back | 5-11, 208 | Katy, TX

Notable offers: Arkansas, Oregon, Wisconsin, TCU

KYLE PORTER

#53 | IT 100

2016 LONGHORNS - OFFENSE


#59 | IT 100

Absurdly large receiver with innate ball skills and body con-trol. Not fast or overly sudden, but runs well when up to full speed.

Aggressively attacks ball in the air. Separa-tion comes from size, he’s hard to beat to

the catch point, and has a giant catch radius.

Should be a guy who moves the sticks and dominates in the red zone. Will win the trust of QB’s to throw 50/50 balls. If he’s not open on the field, his height and timing allows him to be open above it. Has the chance to become physically dominant, but it’ll be from win-ning contested balls, not running by defensive backfields. Will be a

blocker who has defenders with their head on a swivel.

This is the type of Californian Austin needs more of. Along with his brother, Texas freshman running back Kirk Johnson, Collin is the son of Longhorn great, Johnnie Johnson. The brothers playing in burnt orange was conceived before they were.

With the new offense looking to go more vertical, it’s easy to envi-sion him on the field very early in his career. He may not be a guy you stretch the field with horizontally because of lack of quickness, but he’ll be able to catch and bull his way to some first downs when called upon. In the screen game he projects to be a devastating blocker for whatever quicker, more explosive receiver catches the ball.

With Johnson already being on campus, he could emerge in the spring as a player the quarterbacks can rely on thanks to his strong hands. He adds an element the roster was lacking (most rosters lack 6-5 guys who catch everything) and looks to complement the rest of the wide receiver corps nicely.

Johnson will also be a very positive influence in the locker room, both in attitude and work ethic.

Wide Receiver | 6-4, 210 | Valley Christian - San Jose, CA

Notable offers: Alabama, California, Michigan, Tennessee, UCLA, USC

COLLIN JOHNSON

Guard | 6-4, 295 | Lewisville, TX

Notable offers: Arkansas, Baylor, OU, LSU, A&M, TCU, Washington, UCLA

DENZEL OKAFOR

#26 | IT 100

Okafor represents something of a shift for Texas from grabbing massive guards that can cover up DL to getting shorter and more athletic guys that can get low and drive people or get out and block in space.

He’s a good fit for the gap schemes that have taken a place of greater prominence in the

Texas scheme that pull the guards more often. Denzel is a big body with good feet, good balance, and most importantly? TCU really

wanted him. Okafor played tackle exclusively for Lewisville, but he is a guard all day long at the collegiate level. That’s not a knock on his athleticism at all, because as you watch them film he doesn’t lack that for a guy his size.

He is very effective as a drive blocker, and will get after you to and through the whistle. Most importantly, his feet never stop on contact and he has good functional field strength. As a puller he is able to locate his target at the second level, and able to latch and finish. In pass protection, he is solid. He doesn’t get off balance, he remains patient, and doesn’t overextend with his punch. It will be a bit differ-ent on the interior rather than protecting the edge, but the potential is definitely there.



Does Aucoin become a 270 pound mauling tight end, or does the staff try and hit the lotto and turn him into an ath-letic offensive tackle? The crossover ap-peal of his skill-set coupled with his current size makes it a valid question.

I lean towards him remaining at tight end because he’s just what the scheme calls for, namely a smaller, more athletic offensive lineman, and he’d be able to play much sooner (post Caleb Bluiett). He’ll help in the numbers game, especially since he’s athletic enough to combo and move on to the second level, as well as base and reach block. I also like him getting out in front in the

screen game. He’s Bigfoot as a receiver, but as stated, being a receiver isn’t what the offense calls for.

Texas pushed hard for Aucoin after missing on Colorado’s Jack Stoll (Nebraska commit, very nice senior year, btw) who is more of a receiving threat. Despite becoming the overwhelming favorite, Texas did have to hold off the Florida Gators for Aucoin’s commit-ment.

It’s not out of the realm of possibility he plays early because of what the offense calls for and the dearth of ideal skill-sets currently within the program. Caleb Bluiett is a game blocker and looks to be UT’s best option next year, as he was this year. Blake Whiteley will return but he’s a total unknown and was always more of a flex guy. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Andrew Beck replace Alex De La Torre as fullback, along with continued h-back duties.

Overall, there’s playing time available, but seeing the field will be contingent on two factors: whether or not he’s ready physically/mentally and how they envision his body after a couple of years of strength and conditioning. He may just be worth locking in the dungeon and stacking weight on for a couple of years.

Tight End | 6-4, 255 | Brother Martin - New Orleans, LA

Notable offers: Arizona State, Florida, Michigan, NC State, Ole Miss

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Humphrey is a 6-foot-5, 200-pound super athlete and played all over the field for Southlake Carroll. His stats show a ridicu-lous amount of versatility.

In 2015, he rushed for 1,292 yards on 184 carries, 14 TDs, while notching 876 yards on 57 grabs, for eight more scores for the Dragons.

His high school career numbers and totals are eye-opening: Over 3,700 yards and 46 TDs on the ground, in addition to 1,231 yards and 11 TDs in the air. He’s one of the most versatile athletes in Texas and at the talent-rich tradition of Southlake Carroll.

Humphrey was very effective at running back at the high school level but a 6-foot-5 frame has a lot of surface area for defenders to target and it’s hard to survive 20 carries a game with this kind of build.

However, Humphrey’s change of direc-tion and acceleration that allows him to be an effective back would make him devastating in space as a massive re-ceiver that opposing DBs would struggle to cover up.

There’s little question that his athleticism could make him a weapon both as a route runner and after the catch, the only major question is whether his hands are good.

Limited tape of him catching passes out of the backfield suggests a high level of coordination that should translate to receiver. Hum-phrey is a project who’d have to adjust his skill set but his athleticism could translate into him becoming a dominant all-around receiver that could move around the field.

Athlete | 6-5, 200 | Southlake Carroll (Southlake, TX)

Notable offers: Wisconsin, Cal, Ole Miss, Texas Tech

LIL’ JORDAN HUMPHREY

#51 | IT 100

Imade is a guard who moves well at nearly 6-foot-5, 320 pounds. He shows the ability to set a good base in pass pro and locate defenders while run blocking on the move. Like most young offensive lineman, he’ll need time to further develop but there’s a lot to like here.

There shouldn’t be a rush for Imade to see the field and that’s the way it’s supposed to be for players who take the longest to develop, which typifies most o-lineman.

After missing on a handful of in-state targets - or not getting much traction - Texas offered Imade, a player with as high a ceiling as most others, but more raw and requiring more time.

Four things excite me about Imade: size, baseline athleticism, intel-ligence, and work ethic. When a player has that going for him you have to feel happy he’ll at least maximize his potential.

The new offense will require more drive blocking from the guards than we saw under Joe Wickline, so any mild quickness deficiencies Imade may have should be mitigated. That written, Wickline felt Imade had the required athleticism for his scheme, so Imade should be plenty athletic for the Sterlin Gilbert offense.

The intelligence factor is also something you can’t rule out when considering

projection. There’s an outside chance Imade could find his way to center.

Because of last year’s class, Imade has greater potential as some-one who can work and wait his turn rather than be thrust into action before he’s ready.

Offensive Line | 6-4, 320 | Bowie (Arlington, TX)

Notable offers: Houston, Miami, Texas Tech, Washington

TOPE IMADE

#71 | IT 100




The speedster WR from central Texas

always wanted to be a Longhorn. It was

only fitting that new Texas’ offensive

coordinator, Sterlin Gilbert, knew Curtis

from his days as coach in Temple.

The 5-foot-11 field stretcher was commit-

ted to Georgia for most of his recruit-

ment, but a late visit and push from the

Horns staff netted the multi-talented

4-star.

Curtis uses precise route running, soft

hands, and the ability to play inside or

out, but the slot will be his first

stop in Austin.

He will be hell to cover be-

cause of his ability to stretch

a defense and you can never

have enough guys like this at

your disposal, because speed

kills. This is a great pickup for

Texas, as it fills an element of

need at the position.

Wide Receiver | 6-0, 180 | Temple, TX

Notable offers: Georgia, Kansas State, Houston, SMU, Texas Tech

DAVION CURTIS

#48 | IT 100

Per one Texas source, Shack-elford is very likely the starter next year, with Jake Rauler-son electing to transfer.

Take everything you know about Raulerson as a high school re-cruit, and know the opposite of Shackelford. Jake came in very athletic,

though needing to add a bunch of weight. He could have played defensive end, to give you an idea of his build. That’s not the type of body meant to anchor right away. Shackelford is far less heralded but much more ready to play early, precisely because of his anchor,

or, anatomically speaking, his giant ass.Shack’s a fire hydrant of an interior lineman with a great base. He’s nowhere near the athlete Raulerson is, but this offense isn’t going to demand that from the center. Shackelford isn’t without athleticism and it bodes well for him that he was athletic enough to play tackle in high school. I believe he’ll hold up well with the bulls in the Big 12 conference, but the quicker tackles could give him some trouble.

If you didn’t pay attention to recruiting over the last couple weeks, Texas stole Zach from Kansas State at the 11th hour -- or 12th hour depending on if you ask Charlie Strong about PJ Locke last year. Strong is known for his evaluations, so when he takes the recruit of another man known for his evaluations, you have to be at least a little excited, 3-stars be damned.

Talking stars with Shackelford provides some conflict. Wouldn’t you think a player capable of starting as a true freshman (if it comes to bear) is really a 4-star? We shall see, there is a bit of a concern that Shackelford is already bumping his head on the ceiling, but at this juncture and under these circumstances, he’s a huge need and has an ideal fit.

Offensive Line | 6-3, 290 | Belton, TX

Notable offers: Arizona State, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Purdue

ZACH SHACKELFORD

#59 | IT 100


YO U HYD R AT E W E D O N AT E


Wide Receiver | 6-1, 170 | Manvel, TX

Notable offers: Clemson, LSU, Michigan State, Ole MIss, UCLA

REGGIE HEMPHILL

Hemphill has the look of a slot who can exploit soft zones and sneak through smaller creases. He’ll have technical ability, though the new scheme won’t necessarily ask for it.

I expect him to move the chains via quick routes but question how much of a big-play threat he’ll be. He’s a slot receiver with enough speed to become a factor on switches.Currently known as one of the more vocal leaders of the 2016 class, “Recruiter Reggie” also has the distinction of being the last player to ever commit to Mack Brown who actually made it to campus. His original offer and commit came about after a tremendous camp performance where he gave Longhorn commit (at the time) Jermaine Roberts trouble in 1 on 1s.

Hemphill has been a known commodity since he was a freshman at Manvel high school. That year he housed six of his ten recep-

tions thanks to his explosiveness. Unfortunately for Hemphill, his body hasn’t matured physically to the de-gree you would like to see.

Upon Charlie Strong’s arrival he re-scinded Hemphill’s commitment only to re-offer and re-gain Hemphill’s pledge not too long after.

Reggie will arrive to a program with some talent and some depth at the position, but still plenty of opportu-nity, especially if Texas runs as much

4-wide as we think.

On a fully functioning offense, Hemphill can be a solid piece that helps extend drives and also accumulate some YAC. I don’t fore-see him becoming a difference maker or a guy teams game-plan around, but he can make plays with defenses focusing on others.

#73 | IT 100

20 inside texas insidetexas.comPhoto courtesy of Mesquite Poteet High School

DEFENSE


CLASS OF 2016

Evaluation: Jones is the Kris Boyd of the 2016 class; a purely dominant athlete who projects all over the secondary and is the type of player that can shrink a field back down even when the offense is spreading the defense out wide.

Perhaps his most exceptional skill is drop-ping down in run support, fighting through the wash, and running through ball carriers. It’s not clear if he’s ever faced a running back in high school who isn’t going to go backwards when he strikes them. Because he’s so big, powerful, and fantastic at tack-ling, he’d be best utilized as a strong safety who spends most of his time hovering just outside the box and running free to the foot-ball. Reminds me a lot of Jamal Adams.

He is a playmaker when he gets the ball in his hands, and he shows that he has good ball skills on the defensive side. He can re-ally run and shows great range on defense,

and is capable of laying the wood and also knows how to put his chest on a ball carrier and wrap him up, which is a bit of a lost art these days.

The 6-foot-0, 190-pound ball hawk held over 30 offers, including Alabama, Ohio State, Florida State, and Oregon. And even with the allure to play college football anywhere in the country, in the end it came down to three – Texas, Baylor, and A&M.

Jones, the oldest of five siblings, was always going to stay close to home. Austin offers the best a prospect could ask for and only three hours from home.

Jones overcame a devastating knee injury early in his junior year, and came back for his senior campaign stronger than ever, regaining almost all of his electronic 4.3 40-yard dash speed.

Safety | 6-0, 193 | Nacogdoches, TXNotable offers: Baylor, Arkansas, Alabama, Texas A&M

BRANDON JONES

#3 | IT 100


Linebacker | 6-0, 221 | Aldine Davis (Houston, TX)

Notable offers: Notre Dame, Michigan, Stanford, Texas A&M

JEFFREY MCCULLOCH

They call him the Shark because he never goes backwards. Watch his tape. The guy was born to play Fox in Strong’s 3-3-5. McCulloch is the type of talent that flourishes in a Strong-called defense. And with the Horns 2015 LB haul, UT just needs a few more horses to make the linebacker position a strength moving forward.

McCulloch’s specialty in high school has been playing the edge in what translates as the Fox position at Texas. He’s a strong outside

linebacker at playing blocks against screens on the edge, running plays down from behind, and exploding off the edge in the pass rush. His film does not reveal what kind of player he’ll be when teams are trapping him with big H-backs or impeding his path to the QB with a left tackle. However, the lateral agility and his natural feel for playing the edge in space combined with a frame that will likely end up at 250+ portends a great edge prospect that might be a special weapon at Fox in a few years

He plays the game fast and relentless and that didn’t dip off from his junior to senior year. Love how he is always flying to the football and is capable of making a lot of plays out in space, as he will be playing on the outside at the next level. If you can find a way to get a guy like this and Malik Jefferson on the edges, you can get real creative and raise some hell in pass rushing situations

#7 | IT 100

Defensive Tackle | 6-3, 305 | Westside (Houston, TX)

Notable offers: Baylor, Michigan, Nebraska, Alabama

JORDAN ELLIOTT

Jordan Elliott has the potential to be the sort of dominant interior tackle that gives Big 12 offenses fits when they try to spread out opponents because their OL can’t handle him. Elliott has ab-surd lateral quickness for his size (4.35 shuttle time) along with sheer power in his upper body (41′ power ball) that will make him murder on stunts and twists.

Texas has gotten a lot of mileage deploying the similarly athletic Ridgeway at nose tackle, Elliott might fit better at 3-tech or DE where

he could work in space against running backs and tight ends that aren’t accustomed to facing opponents with similar quickness but consider-ably more strength and power.

He is the type of defensive lineman that you can keep on the field in various packages because he has the ability and athleticism to play up in the down the LOS in even and odd fronts. He possesses very strong hands and he does a good job at getting extension and shed-ding blockers so that he can go make the play. If he can get better at getting off the ball on the snap, you could have a real nightmare on your hands.

Elliott’s big and powerful enough to anchor versus combo blocks as a nose tackle, but agile enough to be a disruptor as a 3-tech to 5-tech. I like his ability to stack and shed in a two-gap scheme, or his quickness to beat blockers and get up field when tasked to beat his man. Elliott will be ready to play immediately regardless of where he ends up.

#9 | IT 100

2016 LONGHORNS - DEFENSE



Defensive End | 6-1, 225 | Manor, TX

Notable offers: Alabama, LSU, Baylor, OU

ERICK FOWLER

Fowler’s skill set is really that of a well balanced linebacker, even though he spends most of his time screaming around the edge.

One thing that really stands out about him is how he’ll keep his eyes on the ball while casually demolishing the blockers trying to get in the way, a trait that suggests he could become proficient at

reading keys and playing downhill as an inside linebacker. He’s got ex-cellent lateral quickness, tackles in space well, and is one of the better pass-rushers in the class so Texas should make it a point to land him

and then he can probably play fox, sam, mike, or will based on need.

Will he be an edge guy? Will he lineup in the middle? Are they just go-ing to use him as a versatile chess piece and line him up in a variety of spots and blitz the hell out of him? Wherever they decide to utilize him at, they need to make sure they unleash this young man and let him wreck plays on the other side of the LOS.

Even though Baton Rouge was where most expected Fowler to land, sources say his family was very Pro-Texas and wanted their budding superstar to stay close to home and play for Texas coach Charlie Strong.

#12 | IT 100

Defensive End | 6-5, 250 | Marcus (Flower Mound, TX)

Notable offers: Oregon, Kansas State, Baylor, Texas Tech, UCLA

ANDREW FITZGERALD

Fitzgerald always made sense as a fit for the Texas defense. A very large defensive end at 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, he’ll be strong against the run and occupy blockers to help the efficacy of Strong’s preferred linebacker blitzes. You also can’t rule out the possibil-ity he grows to 290

pounds.

Fitzgerald is the perfect type of player to help Texas transition into a 2-gap defense. He’s very quick in small spaces with fantastic change

of direction for a lineman. He’ll probably grow into a true-sized DE at 280 or so that can collapse the pocket, stunt into gaps, and 2-gap the edge.

Andrew is what you want from a physical stand point. He has good functional strength that shows up on tape and he tends to use it to his advantage. Young pass rushers love to fall in love with the bull rush and we saw him do it a lot on tape. He will need to develop more moves as he matures. His strength and length makes him a problem in the run game as he can’t be solo blocked.

He plays his keys, uses his hands well, plays hard and just when you think you have him figured out he does something athletically that most can’t.

#28 | IT 100



Defensive Back | 6-0, 190 | Waco, TX

Notable offers: Baylor, Alabama, Notre Dame, Texas A&M

ERIC CUFFEE

The 6-foot-0, 190-pound ball hawk is one of the more unique prospects in the Class of 2016.

The Under Armour All-American is versatile and brings interchangeable abilities. He could play corner (man or zone), the nickel slot to lineup against the smaller receiv-ers or help in run support, or in the back at safety – free or strong. Cuffee was

a highly coveted player for just those reasons. It should help him adapt in the pass-happy Big 12.

After last year’s Junior Day. Cuffee mentioned former Waco alum and

Longhorn great, Derrick Johnson, was someone he always looked up to. Johnson’s name brings great clout at Cuffee’s alma mater and that was something that always stuck with Eric.

Cuffee is an ideal cover 2 corner that could play right cornerback or nickel at Texas. He’s great at getting a jam on receivers, sometimes even keeping opposing WRs from getting off the line of scrimmage at all, and his physicality is his best trait as a DB.

That said, his quickness (4.1 shuttle) is elite and makes him very effec-tive playing a trailing man coverage technique (again, ideal for cover 2) or sticking to receivers after they break their routes. There’s a great chance he could stick outside at corner but if not he’d likely make a fantastic nickel.

Cuffee breaks well on the ball, doesn’t shy away from being physical when he is coming downhill and seems to be a pretty solid tackler for the most part.

#33 | IT 100

Defensive Line | 6-4, 290 | St. Augustine (New Orleans, LA)

Notable offers: LSU, TCU, Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas A&M

D’ANDRE CHRISTMAS-GILES

D’Andre is one of the best “interior disruptor” prospects on the board for Texas as he combines great hands and a budding mastery of “push-pull” and “club” moves that will be helpful to him at Texas with excellent speed and power off the ball.

It’s possible he could grow into a nose tackle and be capable of fighting doubles or adding extra pass-rush like Ridgeway did there in 2014 but he’s a better prospect as a future three-tech-nique that causes opponents problems in run and pass situations.

When it comes to getting off the rock and putting pressure on an of-fensive lineman he has it in spades and even though his technique

isn’t the best it makes him incredibly hard to block.

DCG has the potential to become a pocket pusher in the middle and has the ability to be a problem against the run and the pass. All in all, this was a hell of an eval by Charlie Strong and his staff and they should be excited as hell to have him on campus next fall.

When UT can land a versatile, quick, and play-making defensive lineman

like DCG, it affects the entire program. He adds depth to a position solely in need of bodies and should make an immediate impact along the defensive front.

photo courtesy of nola.com



Defensive End | 6-3, 305 | Euless Trinity , TX

Notable offers: OU, Texas A&M, Michigan, Alabama, Tennessee, TCU

CHRIS DANIELS

As a junior, Dan-iels was a long and explosive DL who relied entirely on his quickness to beat op-posing OL to spots but then had little idea of how to use his hands and strength to create separation.

As a senior he bal-looned by 20-30 pounds, learned to punch and keep OL off him a little better, and kept much of his

quickness.

Long-term, Daniels could be a Kheeston Randall-type nose tackle with the lateral quickness and length to control the interior gaps and per-haps be effective on stunts, but he’s going to need more work learning to use his hands and probably won’t be an elite pass-rusher.

Daniels works well in close quarters -- you better not let him get his hands into your body, because he delivers one hell of a punch. He also holds up pretty well in the run game and isn’t getting moved off the LOS a lot.

After looking at his junior tape again, we want to see his motor burn a little hotter like it did then. Kid was constantly hustling to the ball and flying around, so we would like to see that on a more consistent basis. Also, he will need to work on his pad level and quit showing his num-bers so much going forward. He could get away with it against high school competition because he is strong enough to recover, but that will be an issue at the next level.

#44 | IT 100

At 6-foot-3, 270, Southhall looks to play the 3-tech in Strong’s 3-3-5 front, strongside likely. He fits the Bryce Cotrell mold of defensive ends in Austin.

When he is on, Marcel combines good pad level, effort, fast-twitch movements, and hip flexibility to disrupt offenses. His ideal fit is as

a 3-tech defensive tackle but Texas’ 3-3 Under would put move him between that spot and an outside-end position that would create op-portunities for him to use his speed to approach the QB from different angles.

His main weakness is consistency -- he moves well but struggles to unlock from offensive linemen.

Defensive End | 6-3, 270 | Duncanville, TX

Notable offers: Ole Miss, Miami, OU, Alabama, Baylor, Arkansas

MARCEL SOUTHALL

#68 | IT 100

photo courtesy of Duncanville ISD


Defensive Back | 5-11, 185 | Alief Elsik (Houston, TX)

Notable offers: Florida, Michigan, UCLA, OU, Michigan State

CHRIS BROWN

#52 | IT 100

The young man from Houston is talented on and off the field. What he offers Texas is an athletic head-hunter who never goes backward and plays with an intensity you see in Charlie Strong-type players.

We think Brown was a underrated in this recruiting cycle.

He’s a Swiss army knife in the second-ary, but his strength is coming downhil from centerfield and absolutely destroying everything that moves.

This is a guy receivers will be looking over their shoulder for when they go across the middle because of his ability to separate them from the

football. Again, whoever gets this kid is get-ting a steal.

Brown is one of the better DBs we’ve seen on tape in the last few years. With his tack-ling, range, and quickness, you basically just want to put him wherever he can be around the ball the most.

Perhaps the best fit is at free safety where he could erase big plays as a centerfielder and offer lightning run support even from a deep

alignment. Nickel is another possibility but you ideally want him roam-ing free and running to the football.


Defensive Tackle | 6-3, 310 | Destrehan (Destrehan, LA)

Notable offers: Arizona, Arizona State, Southern Miss, Texas Tech

GERALD WILBON

Easily the prospect I saw who improved the most year-over-year and a great reminder to question Strong’s evaluation acu-men at your own peril.

Wilbon always had absurd strength and punch, this sea-son he showed

much better lateral agility and quickness which further accentuates his natural power. Built squatty and compact with tons of strength in his lower body, he’ll make for a very hard to move nose tackle or 1-tech. He shows strong hands when stacking and shedding as well as when using a nifty push-pull move. Though his quickness has improved, I’m not sure he’ll be a guy who’s splitting gaps so much as occupying

linemen and serving to thwart the inside run game, though it was nice to see his quickness make plays in the back field in high school. I also don’t see him making plays up and down the line, but that won’t really be his job. As he reshapes his body through strength and conditioning look for his athleticism to continue to improve.

Out of respect for the improvement he made in his senior season I didn’t include the possibility of him playing offensive line in his evalua-tion, but I’d be remiss to not mention it because he could be a flat out mauler, especially with the quicker feet I saw this year.

Taking Wilbon also helps advance UT’s footprint into the most talented corners of Louisiana as we’ll soon see. Louisiana could and should be-come Strong’s own private Florida, especially in cycles like the current one when LSU can’t take them all.

Wilbon was always a fringe player for LSU, but I have heard from one coach in the area who prefers his overall ability to that of the much more highly touted Glen Logan, and LSU commit who is also Wilbon’s high school teammate. That information coupled with Wilbon’s steep improvement is cause for more excitement than I ever thought I’d have towards him.

photo courtesy of UT Athletics


Linebacker/Athlete | 6-0, 221 | Gilmer, TX

Notable offers: Florida State, Baylor, A&M

DEMARCO BOYD

Boyd is one of the more versatile athletes to join UT’s Class of 2016. The 6-foot-0, 235-pounder from East Texas played a ton of positions in HS, most notably DL and RB.

While he signed as a linebacker, Boyd will likely project to fullback during his Texas tenure for his hands, aggressive nature, and the logjam of good backers coming to the 40

Acres. The intensity in which is plays is at a professional level. Every snap means something. Every play is an opportunity to inflict pain. His disposition is the epitome of a football player.

He made his impact his freshman year when the team’s starting NT went down with an injury. Boyd moved to the varsity d-line and became the terror ETX coaches feared. He played more DE and OLB in the 50 front his junior and senior year, and in the backfield (RB/FB) too. He tallied 87 carries, 578 yards, 16 TDs; 32 catches, 382 yards, 4 TDs; 71 tackles, 5 sacks, 20 QB pressures, 1 forced fumble, 1 recovery, 1 INT, and 2 PBUs his senior campaign. Boyd was everywhere.

Boyd also won the 4A D II State Defensive Player of the Game for his efforts in Gilmer’s come-from-behind win over West Orange Stark his junior year, including two sacks and a forced fumble, during the Buck-eyes’ state championship run in 2014.

Boyd was the leader for Gilmer, helping them with a 30-game winning streak. His former head coach, Jeff Traylor, is now the Texas TE coach. As a member of the Buckeyes from 2013-15, Gilmer lost three games. Demarco was a key part of that. Boyd is an early enrollee and currently on campus.

#81 | IT 100


Defensive End | 6-3, 255 | Madison Prep Academy (Baton Roughe, LA)

Notable offers: South Carolina, Arkansas, Cal, Tennessee, Texas Tech

MALCOLM ROACH

Roach looks to have a long term future at SDE with a chance of 3-technique depend-ing on where his frame takes him. When you have a player like that you know he’s a fit for multiple fronts.

Roach is the proto-typical Charlie Strong recruit, a 3-star from a region known for pro-ducing football players who will probably

grow into something fearsome on campus. In this case, the 6-foot-3,

250 pound kid is likely to end up a swing DL that moves between play-ing defensive end or tackle at 270 or even 300.

Roach is capable of great violence and explosiveness over short dis-tances and even has some attention as a linebacker and TE prospect but he’ll do his best work as a stunting DL in a defense like Charlie’s.

The bigger he gets the better athlete he’ll be when compared to others at his position. A coordinated and quick athlete, Roach should generate pressure up-field and add value when in chase mode. He plays a little high – needs lower pad level, but has good feet, balance, and shows a good first step off the snap.

Some other points to consider. This is a Brick Haley ‘get’ and a good one. With New Orleans’ Peyton Aucoin, Destrehan’s Gerald Wilbon, and now Roach, perhaps UT can start lacing up some more players from Da Boot, and landing one continues to help beget others. Roach chose Texas over Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, and others.

photo courtesy of theadvocate.com


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1 OT GreG LiTTLe

ALLen (ALLen, TX)

This is the ‘most likely to succeed’ member of

the class. The player with the fewest questions.

The previous two winners were Jamal Adams

and Malik Jefferson. Both made significant im-

pacts their freshman year of college and I ex-

pect the same of Little. What makes him special

is he requires very little projection. We’re not

wondering if he’ll keep his athleticism as he’s

already at target weight (310 pounds). In fact

it’s safe to assume he’ll become more athletic

with strength and conditioning. He’s as athletic,

flexible, and well-balanced as they come at the

position. The truly great o-line prospects jump

off the screen as athletes first. That’s Little.

2 DT eD OLiver

SprinG WeSTfieLD (HOuSTOn, TX)

One of the most entertaining high school play-

ers I’ve had the privilege to watch. Oliver plays

with the energy of a Jack Russell but packs

the bite of another well known Terrier. What

makes Oliver special is easy; he’s essentially a

285-pound running back. This makes him quite

unstoppable, especially combined with his te-

nacity and stamina. His quickness and change

of direction are both 10’s. He’s a bit on the

short side at 6-foot-1, but he combats this with

quickness, strength, and a non-stop motor. If

you watch one set of highlights this cycle, this

is your guy.

3 S BrAnDOn JOneS

nAcOGDOcHeS (nAcOGDOcHeS, TX)

The highest floor of the talented safety triumvi-

rate, Jones is also the only one who projects to

being able to play in the box consistently and

may have the best man-cover skills. That cre-

ates a nearly can’t miss prospect somewhere

in the Jamal Adams neighborhood. After miss-

ing much of his junior year to a torn knee, I

wanted to see Jones return to the field with his

explosiveness, and that’s exactly what he did.

Another thing that separates Jones is his natural

leadership skills. This is a guy you want calling

out assignments in the back end.

4 DL JuSTin MADuBuike

Mckinney nOrTH (Mckinney, TX)

As president of the J-Mad fan club for over two

years now I can’t wait to see what he does on

the next level. A bit of a tweener if you’re try-

ing to project cleanly, he could play SDE or DT

depending on the scheme. At A&M he’ll likely

play DT where he’ll need to put on significant

weight while staying functional. He’ll do just

that but he must be mindful to keep his quick-

ness because his ability off the ball is what

makes him so special. I also like his strength

and ability to run through the shoulders of

blockers. As an interior player he should be in

the upper echelon of pass rushers, and as he gets

bigger, he’ll be able to hold up against the run

when confronted by the Alabamas of the world.

5 Wr Devin DuvernAy

SAcHSe (SAcHSe, TX)

What if Quan Cosby didn’t lose his speed while

toiling in the minor leagues? We’re about to

find out. Duvernay has possession receiver

hands with track speed, gymnast balance, and

a politician’s ability to alter course. The lone

“flaw” is lack of height but really being his

height helps him be the player he is. He’ll run

through soft contact with ease if he’s not elud-

ing it. I expect him to wreck shop in the screen

and return game as a freshman.

6 OT pATrick HuDSOn

SiLSBee (SiLSBee, TX)

I love his pad level for the most part, which is

rare praise for a high school player. He fires out

low and his drive blocking will translate early in

his career, where ultimately he’ll be elite in that

regard. He’s also a plus+ athlete as evidenced

when on the pull. For being so big (6-foot-5,

325 pounds) he’s light on his feet. I’ve heard

some think he ends up as a guard. He may have

a layover there if depth requires it but ultimately

I think he’ll be a fantastic right tackle.

7 LB Jeffrey MccuLLOcH

ALDine DAviS (HOuSTOn, TX)

A theme in this cycle is versatility and McCull-

och keeps that running. He projects to all line-

backer spots as well as stand-up defensive end

because of his size and movement skills. I like

him best as a Fox end because of the ferocity

with which he sets the edge and his ability to get

after the quarterback. Not to mention he’s ca-

pable of covering the shallow flat in pass cover-

age. Like Fowler, he’ll have a lot to learn about

playing off the LOS but that would just require

AFTER LONG HOURS OF WATCHING FILM, TALKING TO DOZENS OF HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE COACHES, AND WATCHING MORE FILM,

WE DELIVER THE INSIDE TEXAS TOP 100 FOR 2016.

2016 INSIDE TEXAS TOP 100

Greg Little - photo courtesy maxpreps


2016 INSIDE TEXAS TOP 100reps and time. He would almost certainly have

to spend time working on zone drops and the

like, but he has the hips and ability for that. Mc-

Culloch is capable of playing very early in his

college career depending on how he’ll be used.

I love his size at a wide 6-foot-3, 230 pounds.

8 S DeOnTAy AnDerSOn

Manvel (Manvel, TX)

It’s been fun watching Anderson go from fresh-

man with baby fat to sprint champion. The one

safety in the nation with more range than Mon-

roe thanks to sub 21-second 200 meter speed,

Anderson erases would-be yardage like few

others. The lone question on him is how he’ll

fair when tasked with 1-on-1 duties. Senior film

showed a much more physical player than I ever

knew he was capable of being and I love the

direct lines he takes to ball carriers.

9 DT JOrDAn eLLiOTT

WeSTSiDe (HOuSTOn, TX)

Prototypical size/build and athleticism that

lends itself to versatility. Elliott’s big and pow-

erful enough to anchor versus combo blocks as

a nose tackle, but agile enough to be a disruptor

as a 3-tech to 5-tech. I like his ability to stack

and shed in a two-gap scheme, or his quickness

to beat blockers and get up field when tasked to

beat his man. Elliott will be ready to play im-

mediately regardless of where he ends up. As

a player he has a very high floor. Worst case

scenario he’s a pile causing nose tackle, but I

believe he’ll be much more than that.

10 DB eric MOnrOe

nOrTH SHOre (GALenA pArk, TX)

Exciting prospect because of his absurd range

and man coverage capability. As a safety he’s in

the upper reaches when it comes to both traits.

Coverage is good enough he could play corner

in college until he fills out to safety size. He’s

an ideal free safety long-term, however because

of his range, closing, and striking ability. Pick-

ing up vertical threats won’t be a problem to a

player use to carrying them in man.

11 Wr Tyrie cLeveLAnD

SprinG WeSTfieLD (HOuSTOn, TX)

One of the most explosive receivers you’ll find.

Cleveland explodes into his routes and acceler-

ates past defenders with ease. His acceleration

also helps him become a devastating weapon in

the screen game as he reaches top speed in min-

imal steps. Every school is looking for the guy

who can blow the top off of a defense. Cleve-

land is that guy. You better shade a safety. I’ve

seen his hands be a bit inconsistent at times, but

he can make any catch in the book.

12 LB erick fOWLer

MAnOr (MAnOr, TX)

Sudden linebacker, with explosive tackling

power you can bring from any angle. Versa-

tile player who projects to all three linebacker

spots as well as from an outside rush position.

Because he lacks length and has a thick, stocky

build, I project Fowler to Will or Mike. It’s not

clear how instinctive he’ll be in traditional line-

backing roles. Fowler’s initial quickness and

overall speed are rare for the position. If he gets

the cerebral parts down, he’ll be special because

he won’t lack the chase and tackle aspects of

the position.

13 Te kADen SMiTH

MArcuS (fLOWer MOunD, TX)

Projects to being a dual-threat tight end as

both a dangerous receiver and reliable in-line

blocker as part of Stanford’s offensive line

death machine. You won’t find better hands on

a wide receiver, and also like a receiver, Smith

uses his size to his advantage. He can go up and

get the ball in traffic. He runs well but isn’t as

twitchy as some of the freakish tight ends roam-

ing around but he’s plenty athletic.

14 OT JeAn DeLAnce

nOrTH MeSquiTe (MeSquiTe, TX)

Delance is the offensive tackle template. Great

size at 6-foot-5, 285 pounds, with uncommon

athleticism and tons of untapped potential. He

made great strides from his junior year where

he was just a big athlete blocking people. Now

he’s playing with good leverage and keeping his

feet moving until his guy is removed from the

play. I like his base, and as he gets bigger and

stronger, he should be a plus as a drive blocker.

Delance has significant untapped potential still,

but is showing a steep developmental trend line,

meaning he’s going to be ready to play relative-

ly early in his career.

15 De rAHSSAn THOrnTOn

SHOeMAker (kiLLeen, TX)

Can be anything from a hand-in-the-ground D-

end to stand-up outside linebacker. Very active

player with significant physical development

ahead of him, look for Thornton to hit your TV

screens as a 250-pound edge terror. Fluid and

flexible, Thornton is an athletic mismatch for

offensive lineman, especially with his quick-

ness off the ball. He’ll likely be asked to play

in space at LSU, something not asked of him in

BY ERIC NAHLIN

Kaden Smith


high school, but he shows the movement skills

to do so.

16 Wr quArTney DAviS

LAnGHAM creek (HOuSTOn, TX)Silky smooth and explosive receiver who proj-ects to being a complete player. Ball skills, quickness, body control, long stride, catch ra-dius, etc., the kid has it all. At not quite 6-foot-2, Davis has both little receiver and big receiver traits, which is about the highest compliment you can give a receiver. He’s going to be a ter-

ror in college.

17 qB SHAne BuecHeLe

LAMAr (ArLinGTOn, TX)Buechele has a high floor because of his mental make-up. He can beat with you with his head, arm, or legs, sometimes all on the same play. An underrated athlete, he’ll frustrate his share of defenses with his improvisational skill when the offense is off schedule, though keeping the of-fense on schedule will be a strength. As one col-lege coach told me, everything Buechele does is quick; processes information, releases the ball, etc. Shane also anticipates well, which is im-portant because his arm is only average. He can force a ball he shouldn’t on occasion. Mentally he’ll be able to play early if he’s needed, but he still needs significant physical development of his 6-foot-0, 180 pound frame.

18 cB cHArLeS OLiver

fAirfieLD (fAirfieLD, TX)Very athletic (return-man ability) with great

length and ball skills. He’s the guy you put on another team’s No. 1. As evidenced by him playing running back, he has tons of change of direction skill. He needs to fill out as he’s still too lean. He’s not Curtis Brown as an athlete, but he’s kind of that style and he’ll be bigger. Projects to a guy you can put on one side of the field and erase the other team’s deep threat. Good senior film as well.

19OT keLLen DieScH

ByrOn neLSOn (TrOpHy cLuB, TX)Landing guys like Diesch is how you restore the 0-line talent left behind by Mike Sherman in Aggieland. Assuming Diesch keeps most of his movement skills as he adds 30 pounds, he has the potential to be special. At 6-foot-7, he’ll have to play much lower and not stand up so straight in pass pro (he’s going to get bull rushed on his ass at some point), but he’ll get that as he learns rather quickly the value of le-verage and balance. He shows solid quickness and the ability to reach block and seal the edge as well as the ability to get out in space. He’ll be able to play as soon as he has the size to hold up physically. Daeshon Hall and Myles Garrett

will work wonders towards his development.

20 cB pArriSH cOBB

LA veGA (WAcO, TX)One of the most explosive players in the coun-try, and pound-for-pound, maybe the best high school player in the state because of his three-phase ability. Cobb has the type of athleticism that will allow him to mirror the quickest of receivers and the mindset to battle with big-ger, tougher matchups. Cobb was underrated for much of the cycle but has the playmaking ability that could make him a household name in due time. He needs to get bigger and stron-ger but that will come with work. I expect him to play the bulk of his snaps at corner where his athleticism and ball skills will make him a threat to change momentum in the blink of an eye. Cobb’s feet, quickness, and acceleration separate him from most other corner prospects.

21 qB JALen HurTS

cHAnneLvieW (cHAnneLvieW, TX)Just what the world needs, Alabama with a dy-

namic playmaker at quarterback. Hurts will re-

mind you of high school Jerrod Heard with his

duality. He’s a well above-average runner with

speed and lateral quicks who can punish even

the most disciplined defenses with his legs.

As a passer he can be erratic at times, but he

has more than enough arm to make necessary

throws and utilize Alabama’s vast offensive

resources. If he gets the cerebral components

down, we’ll all circle back and chuckle at this

ranking. His ceiling is probably the highest of

all the in-state quarterbacks in the state.

22 OL cHriS OWenS

LAMAr (ArLinGTOn, TX)Absolute mauler in the tradition of Alabama of-

fensive linemen. Owens combines man strength

and mobility to complete the ideal OG compos-

ite. Essentially he’s athletic like a tackle, but

built like an immovable guard. He’ll be strong

in the phone booth yet agile on the move while

pulling or out in space in the screen game.

23 cB JAreD MAyDen

SAcHSe (SAcHSe, TX)Dangerous enough athlete as a punt returner

to keep teammate Devin Duvernay from doing

it. Mayden has plus+ size and is fluid enough

to remain at corner in college, though he may

better projected to safety depending on what

conference he ends up in. Solid quickness and

change of direction, though not elite in either

regard. Not a true island corner but a good cover

prospect.

24 De iSAiAH cHAMBerS

ALDine McArTHur (HOuSTOn, TX)SDE whose 240-pound frame will get to 270

pounds with ease. I think he projects better

versus the run than as a pass rusher which is

a change from seeing him his junior year. He

hasn’t remained quite as flexible as I would

have liked to see so the dipping and bending

required to beat offensive tackles isn’t there to

the degree it once was. Still, Chambers’ length

and motor will allow him to cause his share of

trouble.

IT Top 100 | 2016

Quartney Davis - photo courtesy chron.com


25 LB DOnTAviOuS JAckSOn

ALief eLSik (HOuSTOn, TX)Classic tackle-to-tackle linebacker already at collegiate size (6-foot-2, 240 pounds). For his size, he has quick feet and good straight-line speed. He navigates traffic well to locate the ball carrier. Should project to be good on inte-rior blitzes and stout versus the run. Questions arise with him in space and coverage. Surround Jackson with athletes and keep him in the box as much as possible and he’ll be good, ask him

to do too much and he could be exposed.

26 OL DenzeL OkAfOr

LeWiSviLLe (LeWiSviLLe, TX) Long-limbed guard prospect with outside chance to play at tackle because of his length and athleticism. Okafor is also surprisingly refined, displaying rare, sound technique for a high school offensive lineman of his caliber. He can beat you with superior ability or with fun-damentals. He’ll become a complete offensive lineman, and as a cohort of mine states, he has some Trey Hopkins to his game. Indeed, Okafor could play up and down the line. He’s refined enough that he could play early, but if he can redshirt, all the better.

27 rB DAriuS AnDerSOn

GeOrGe rAncH (ricHMOnD, TX)What a senior year for the state champ. Not only did he get his ring, he showed people like my-self who were doubting his junior film that he was truly a stud. You can find a lot of guys ex-plosive to the edge, but what I love is how hard he hits the hole between the tackles. For a speed back, he runs with willingness and surprising power. Each broken tackle gives Anderson a chance to break a big play. His top-end speed is the only thing lacking, but he’s not slow.

28 De AnDreW fiTzGerALD

MArcuS (fLOWer MOunD, TX)I was high on him extremely early and he’s still on the course I envisioned as evidenced by his recent rankings jump. Guys like Fitzgerald are hard to articulate. They aren’t twitchy but they are athletic. He moves and bends well while possessing tremendous size with room still to grow. He’s not a 6-foot-3 guy listed at 6-foot-4,

he’s probably closer to 6-foot-5. His traits don’t jump off the screen from a combine standpoint but part of what makes him so alluring is his fit at Texas. Look where they shade him and ask him to do. He’s athletic enough to rush from the outside while quick enough to get up field be-tween gaps. He pursues down the line well. As he continues to get bigger, stronger and hope-fully more explosive off the ball, he’ll be able to have as impactful a career in college as he did in high school. Some guys just translate. He’s not going to get blown off the ball, we know that. He’s not going to be easy to run at. He’ll get some push and force the OT up field. He’ll help create lanes for LB blitzes.

29 rB DevWAH WHALey

cenTrAL (BeAuMOnT, TX)The best blend of burst and size in the state, Whaley’s a broad shouldered athlete who will fill out to just south of 220 pounds. There’s a lot of talk about what he does wrong as a back – lacks nuance, doesn’t run through contact – but the fact remains, guys his size don’t accelerate like he does often.

30 De MArk JAckSOn

STeeLe (ciBOLO, TX)A player you’ll appreciate in person as you see him play with strength despite being a bit undersized (6-foot-2, 225). Wiry strong, quick off the ball, and playing with leverage will help you combat with the big uglies and that typifies Jackson. Despite not being tall, he does have long arms he uses to his advantage as he disal-

lows offensive lineman to get into his pads. As a rusher, Jackson is quick off the ball, can get up-field and get flat, or has the ability to go speed to power if he catches a tackle on his heels. If he doesn’t locate blockers in the run game (say a pulling guard) he can be washed away rather easily, but he’ll get bigger and strong and come to understand where “his man” is coming from. Perhaps best of all, Jackson is closer to being 17 than he is 18.

31 De BrAnDOn BOWen

ByrOn neLSOn (TrOpHy cLuB, TX)One of the better athletes you’ll find in high school football, Bowen still has a lot to learn about playing defensive end. He’s not nearly as polished as Jackson one spot ahead. He lunges a bit too much, and doesn’t use his explosive abil-ity when tackling. He also needs to learn how to use his hands better. That said, because of his raw athleticism he has tremendous upside. I do feel like the networks have him overrated at this point based on his size and ability to run.

32 cB TrAvOn fuLLer

ATHenS (ATHenS, TX)Fuller has the type of do-it-all film you expect to see from a 4-star prospect playing lower clas-sification ball. He affects the game in all three phases simply because he’s too quick and too fast. When you see Fuller plant and go as a ball carrier so abruptly, you just know he’ll be great at breaking on the ball when it’s in the air and sticking with receivers out of their routes. Now the test comes, can he bulk up and play physi-cally?

33 DB eric cuffee

WAcO (WAcO, TX)The most intriguing thing about Cuffee is he’ll have safety size with corner feet which could mean he ends up being a great nickel option. His hips are also corner caliber so if he does move to safety or nickel, coverage shouldn’t be an issue. There’s evidence of him being physi-cal when the pads come on, but that’s still a bit of an unknown. At nickel/safety you have to trade more paint than if you’re on an island.

IT Top 100 | 2016

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34 Wr Dee AnDerSOn

DeSOTO (DeSOTO, TX)He took a bit of a bump because we didn’t get to see his senior year since he wasn’t eligible. As a junior he showed the ability to stretch the field vertically with speed, something not very common with a 6-foot-4 receiver. He’ll still be raw, and now he’ll be rusty, but when the light comes on for Anderson he’ll make some noise (if LSU ever finds a QB).

35 DB inniS GAineS

WeST BrOOk (BeAuMOnT, TX)I can’t think of a better player to follow in the Sam Carter/Denzel Johnson lineage. Gaines has the traits to be part safety, part linebacker, which Gary Patterson loves to employ. He can man-up and cover, he can attack ball carriers in space, or he can fill for vacating linebackers. Gaines also has a nose for the ball when its in the air.

36 Wr AuDie OMOTOSHO

pLAnO eAST (pLAnO, TX)I love the way he gets into his routes, low and with urgency like a smaller receiver. This puts the corner on his heels as Omotosho eats up cushion quickly. He has good size at 6-foot-2, but appears to be even longer than that. He also shows good fluidity, change of direction, and acceleration when he needs it. He’s not a burner but he’s fast. He’s not a big match-up nightmare, but he has good size and strength. He looks like he has the tools to become a com-plete receiver. I never understood why Texas didn’t target him.

37 DT kenDeLL JOneS

SHOeMAker (kiLLeen, TX)One of the most captivating prospects in the nation is the man accurately described as Hulk. Unfortunately fans often equate appearance with ability. If we did that he’d be the best play-er in the history of the sport. Standing 6-foot-5, 375 pounds, you’ve never seen anyone like him. Alas, football is about the ability to move and put yourself in position to make plays, and all too often Jones is winded or playing way too high which negates his decisive advantage — strength. Once he does get going he does move

well all things considered. He should suffice as a NT at Bama. He struggled with Zach Shack-elford one-on-one. What’s he going to do when two maulers combo him in college? I wouldn’t be surprised if he ended up at OG in a year or two.

38 rB TrAyveOn WiLLiAMS

c.e. kinG (HOuSTOn, TX)Quicker than fast, Williams is a dart through traffic as he runs to open space. He has great stop/start ability, but doesn’t project to a high volume, move the pile runner. If paired with one, he becomes even more dangerous. He should be used often in the screen game where his initial acceleration should get him into open grass. He’s pretty well built, so I expect him to break some arm tackles and then break some big runs.

39 Wr cOurTney LArk

BeLLAire (BeLLAire, TX)With his arm length and jumping ability, the 6-foot-2 Lark plays much bigger when the ball’s in the air. Because of his stride, he plays much faster than 4.7 when given long stretches to run. I also like the way he attacks the ball and

catches away from his body, often after contort-ing himself.

40 rB SeWO OLOniLuA

kinGWOOD (HuMBLe, TX)Interesting career for Olonilua. Based off of ju-nior year film almost everyone had him pegged for defense. At the time I thought defense was his highest upside, while adding I felt real he had real, natural running back ability. After leaning up and improving his burst, Olonilua now looks like a bona fide threat at running back, where he’ll start his career at TCU. That said, if I thought he was going to play lineback-er for Gary Patterson, I’d be hard pressed to keep him out of the Top 20. Olonilua and Darius Anderson splitting carries won’t be fun.

41 cB OBi eBOH

cArrOLL (SOuTHLAke, TX)Technical corner in the Carrington Byndom mode. Eboh is intelligent with good length and physicality. I like him as a boundary corner who could also become a safety as his body matures. He shows intelligence and good vision as he peels off his man to track the ball. Unafraid to play force, you better also send some willing blockers when you run screens his way. In cov-erage he’s not the fastest guy, but he’s not slow and his length and stride will make up ground. Does well to use his body as he guides receivers out of bounds. Needs to be careful, though, as he can be beat with quickness at which point he gets a little grabby. Quickness will determine whether or not he sticks at corner or moves to safety.

42 DB DeMArkuS Acy

WiLMer-HuTcHinS (DALLAS, TX)I call him a Miami recruit right here in Texas. Why? Because he’s nowhere near maximized, runs very well, and is fearless as a hitter. As his

IT Top 100 | 2016

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frame fills out he could be anything from a nick-el to a box safety. His coverage skills will need work but he has the athleticism to get to where he needs to be. Missouri has been known to steal undervalued Texas talent and I think that’s what’s going on here. Great senior year for Acy.

43 Wr Tren’DAviAn DickSOn

nAvASOTA (nAvASOTA, TX)I know he’s a record setter and highly rated. If you care about records you’re not really evalu-ating. I like his body control and ball skills; he’s in rare company in those regards. He has some Brandon Lloyd to him, but I question whether or not he’ll routinely get separation on the next level and I also question if he’ll be a better op-tion than some of the athletic marvels Baylor is stock-piling at the position. He has the abil-ity to become a phenomenal route runner but that’s not a big need in Waco. I bet he catches his share of balls in that offense but I don’t think he’ll be the difference maker some others do.

44 DT cHriS DAnieLS

TriniTy (euLeSS, TX)Reports of his demise as a big-time prospect were greatly exaggerated. Sounds like an excuse for why Texas didn’t pursue sooner. Maybe he didn’t have a great year – typically defined by consistent play – but he showed easy-to-project traits for college. He has great length for a DT at nearly 6-foot-4. He bends well which creates leverage. This year he showed more punch at the point of attack, but most importantly he re-tained the movement skills that allowed him to play defensive end for much of his high school career. He has a big butt and thick legs. He’ll play at 315 in college and will have versatility

up and down the line.

45 rB kAMerOn MArTin

MeMOriAL (pOrT ArTHur, TX)Wispy wisp of smoke with rare acceleration and speed. Martin is ideal in any offense that will put him in space and out-run defenders. He’s not a contact runner or a guy you give volume carries to on the next level, and there’s even a solid chance he ends up as a slot receiver, but when Martin is on the field you’ll have to ac-

count for him.

46 OT AuSTin MyerS

MAnveL (MAnveL, TX)Just a well-balanced offensive lineman with a lot of good football ahead of him. He’s good in his kick-step and slide but will get better and he has a decent punch but will get stronger. He moves well in space so the TCU screen game is in good hands. He could be a bit quicker and bit

bigger but overall a very good prospect.

47 DT rOSS BLAckLOck

ALief eLkinS (HOuSTOn, TX)He’s a nose or 1-tech all the way at the next level. He has an ass the size of the Fort Worth stockyards which will make him tough to move. For his size – 6-foot-3, 325 pounds – he moves quickly and becomes an explosive tackler in one step and he can actually play with good le-verage when he wants to. He has some uncom-mon traits working in his favor. The main knock on him is motor and ‘want to’. Methinks Pat-terson will be good for him in that regard. With a properly motivated Blacklock, it will be tough sledding for opposing run games as TCU’s no-torious undersized, yet aggressive linebackers, fly to the ball.

48 Wr DAviOn curTiS

TeMpLe (TeMpLe, TX)Curtis projects as a poor man’s Corey Coleman; a field stretcher in the new I-35 offense (thanks, Art!). His body is still filling out and has room for much more muscle. He has quick feet and great coordination, but he’s still raw as a route runner. He’s not as explosive as Coleman, but

he’s plenty fast.

49 De ALTOn rOBinSOn

JuDSOn (cOnverSe, TX)Not the greatest length at 6-foot-2, but strong player who does well to keep his outside (or inside arm) free depending on his assignment. Blockers often become an afterthought for Rob-inson as he locates the ball and gets there in a hurry. Closing speed is good in a straight-line. As he takes the step up in competition, his pass rushing, thanks to quickness and flexibility may become his strength, but he displays the power to play the run as well. He’ll be interesting to see at 260 pounds.

50 cB keSHAWn SOMerviLLe

HenDrickSOn (pLuGerviLLe, TX) Maybe it’s the hair, maybe it’s the size, or that he’s long been committed to TCU, but I’ve always been reminded of Jason Verrett when I watch Somerville. More than likely it’s that he has the twitch and feet to stick with anyone in breaks and the speed to run vertically with faster receivers. Somerville was hurt for most of the season but I’m not going to ding the cover man for it.

51 Wr ‘LiL JOrDAn HuMpHrey

cArrOLL (SOuTHLAke, TX)Rare combination of length and fluidity with an

uncommon dose of physicality away from the ball for his body type. He’s not just physical when the ball is in the air, he’s aggressive as a blocker as well. It’s easy to see why he ac-tually translated as a 6-foot-5 rzunning back in high school. He won’t tote the rock in college, but you can certainly get him involved in di-rect snaps and just move him around in general. Expect him to be lined up all over the field and used in ways designed to get him the ball as well as create running room for others. Is he a skinny TE or a WR with a TE mindset? He’s a football player whatever he is. He’ll need to prove to have ball skills and the ability to beat defenses deep to truly maximize his potential.

52 DB cHriS BrOWn, ALief eLSik (HOuSTOn, TX)

Versatility and physicality are the name of the

IT Top 100 | 2016

Jordan Humphreyphoto courtesy Denton Record-Chronical


game for Brown. He’s a tad undersized to be a box safety but has the mindset to replace line-backers in run support. He’ll be a great clean-up hitter in the back end – possibly an intimida-tor – and has the fluidity to play nickel at the LOS. One of his greatest attributes, he’s a tire-less worker. Guys like Chris usually make a mockery of their rankings because analysts fail to properly account for this important attribute.

53 rB kyLe pOrTer

kATy (kATy, TX)A nuanced back with good feet and eyes, and the lateral quickness to take advantage of those two traits. He’s also a patient runner until it’s time to accelerate. He’s somewhat hard to eval-uate because he has wider lanes to run through than the Katy Freeway and is often untouched. Katy running backs often look special because they’re the sum of all those working parts. I’m unsure of how good of a contact runner he is and if his big-play speed will translate. Put him behind a great offensive line and he’ll look great, put him behind an average o-line and I’m afraid he’ll look the same. I do know plenty of college coaches who are higher on him than I am, so take this evaluation with caution.

54 DT MicHAeL WiLLiAMS

ALL SAinTS (fOrT WOrTH, TX)Coupled with his natural leverage (about 6-foot-2), ability to get off the ball, and his un-derstanding to target half a man, Williams gets into the backfield with ease, but you also have to account for him playing lesser competition. I like his motor, and after he improves his body, he’ll be a productive player for many years.

55 qB zAcH SMiTH, GrAnDvieW (GrAnDvieW, TX)

Kind of silly putting a Baylor quarterback this low on principle, right? Not if you consider Jar-ret Stidham is in front of him and Kellen Mond is behind him. Smith is a fine quarterback whose arm would unleash Baylor’s war chest of athletes deep downfield, but because he lacks the ability to run zone read as effectively as others, I ques-tion if he’ll ever truly be the guy with such mas-sive dual threat talents surrounding him. Smith is a classic big-pocket passer who places darts all over the field; a big kid with a good release.

56 OT ryAn MccOLLuM, kLein OAk (SprinG, TX)

Saw him at Texas Tech camp last summer and liked the way he moved at this size (6-foot-6, 270) so I checked his junior film. He lacked physicality and punch, typical of a young of-fensive tackle prospect. He’s shown a lot of im-provement in this regard and as he gets bigger he’ll become increasingly nastier. Still light on his feet and bends well, the Aggies are getting a high upside OT who just needs time to develop. He could end up being one of the steals of the class and has increased value because he’s a true LT candidate.

57 LB MArvin Terry, SOuTH OAk cLiff (DALLAS, TX)

Remember Deon Hollins? Hollins was a pass rushing defensive end in a linebacker’s body Texas passed on in 2013. Hollins has gone on to have a very solid career at UCLA as both a rusher and linebacker. That’s Terry; relentless in pursuit off the edge but showing the movement skills and bounce to play a more traditional linebacker role. Mizzou got a steal with Sean Weatherspoon back in the day. This could be another one that really stings if he takes to the traditional duties his body type is suited for.

58 ATH TriSTen WALLAce

DeSOTO (DeSOTO, TX)orego If I was rating the top 15 athletes who play football, Wallace would easily make the cut, the problem is projecting him to a specific

position. He has a great combination of size, burst, and speed, but chances are he won’t play his high school position of quarterback. Is a WR or RB? He’s definitely an interesting athlete and if Oregon finds him a home and he takes to it, there’s a good chance we’ll all get a chuckle out of this rating in a few years. Guys his size don’t typically run as well as he does.

59 OL zAcH SHAckeLfOrD

BeLTOn (BeLTOn, TX)Physical, nearly immovable interior lineman whose greatest value at Texas is at center be-cause he can anchor and get push so well. He has decent enough athleticism for center but won’t be a guy you find mauling people in space and will have some trouble reach-block-ing quicker defensive linemen, if asked to do so. For a program that has lacked strength up the middle, Shackelford is a welcomed sight, provided he can handle the multi-tasking duties required of a center. Athletically and physically he’ll be fine down-blocking and working com-bos, the two biggest requirements in the new Texas scheme. Shackelford has a lot to learn in a short time if he wants to factor in for playing time next season. Being an early enrollee will help towards that end.

60 cB JAyLOn JOneS

ALLen (ALLen, TX)A player I’ve always liked because he played safety for much of high school and showed a lot of traits you question about a corner, namely toughness and willingness to strike. The other side of that coin is you’d like to see how tech-nical he is in coverage. He’s a plus athlete as exhibited in the return game, but he’ll probably have a bit of a growth curve as he fills out and learns to play corner with the big boys.

61 Wr kenDrick rOGerS

frAnkSTOn (frAnkSTOn, TX) Not much film exists on Rogers so I had to go the word-of-mouth route. That word is he com-bines obscene length (6-foot-6) with above av-erage straight-line speed. His hands apparently check out, he’s just raw as a football player be-cause his level of competition doesn’t require anything more. Let him redshirt, then see if he can follow in Ricky Seals-Jones’ footsteps.

62 qB SeTH Green

ALLen (ALLen, TX)

IT Top 100 | 2016

Kyle Porter - photo courtesy of Kay News


The Minnesota native elects to return home to lead the Gophers where he’ll be an excit-ing prospect (also an early enrollee) as a dual threat quarterback with real size (6-foot-3, 215). Green’s upside is better as a passer but he can definitely do more than just keep defenses hon-est with his legs. I like his ability to throw on the run with plus+ arm strength.

63 OT riLey AnDerSOn

MineOLA (MineOLA, TX)The networks have Riley rated behind his twin brother Austin but I have it differently because I think Riley is more likely to remain at tackle because he’s a touch bigger and more athletic. Otherwise, you see the same aggression and same flat back with each. These two come off the ball.

64 Wr JAreD ATkinSOn

HOrn (MeSquiTe, TX)Good length and top end speed for Baylor’s vertical passing, coupled with solid quickness and strength for the screen game. As his body continues to fill out, strength will become an as-set and he should excel in the red zone. He’s also nifty in the open field — light on his feet in close quarters.

65 Wr MOSeS reynOLDS

JOHn JAy (SAn AnTOniO, TX) Moses is the younger brother of Aggie touch-down poacher, Josh, meaning A&M could have yet again uncovered a diamond in the rough. In

fact, I think they did just that. Because of his brother, Reynolds became a known, but he’s a stud in his own right. A versatile player who passed, caught, and rushed his way through an entertaining Hudl clip, Reynolds could play in-side or outside receiver equally well. His pretty gait eats up grass while his loose hips help him find open space.

66 OL AuSTin AnDerSOn

MineOLA (MineOLA, TX)Listed as a tackle, I have Anderson as a guard with interesting upside. He has guard aggres-sion and borderline tackle athleticism which will help him reach and get out in space. An-derson has a mauler’s mindset, though football-wise he’ll be a long way from Mineola. As he continues to get strong and maintains athleti-cism, pass pro shouldn’t be a problem. He’s already better than most high school linemen at keeping his back flat.

67 Wr TyreLL ALeXAnDer

LAncASTer (LAncASTer, TX) I love Alexander’s upside and think he’s no-where near reaching his ceiling. He’s sudden with good length and a frame that has a lot of real estate to develop. I think he projects equally to offense or defense but he’s slotted for receiver at Oklahoma State where Gundy has proven to have an eye for guys like him. I don’t blame him for wanting to play offense as he has a certain urgency with the ball in his hands.

68 DT MArceL SOuTHALL

DuncAnviLLe (DuncAnviLLe, TX)Looks like a jumbo sized Foreman in the face, and certainly has the upside of a Texas player, but consistency is a nagging concern of South-all. He moves well but struggles to unlock from offensive linemen. I do like his versatility as a prospect who can play from 3-tech on over to 5-tech.

69 rB D’vAuGHn pennAMOn

MAnveL (MAnveL, TX)One of the quickest to and through the hole, Pennamon will then look to put his downhill velocity to work and truck someone or bounce outside thanks to good vision and nifty feet. He’s a swivel-hipped back with power and speed, meaning nearly anything can happen on a given run. He may not be special in any one regard but he doesn’t have any weaknesses.

70 DB cHriS MiLLer

LOne STAr (friScO, TX)This guy certainly won’t hurt Baylor’s overall team speed. Miller takes great angles to the ball from safety and gets to the carrier quickly and in a bad mood, mitigating extra yardage in the process. He shows the hips to turn and run, and he can run with just about anyone. A fantastic get for Baylor who looks like an old Akina four-corners safety with a little strength and condi-tioning.

71 OL TOpe iMADe

BOWie (ArLinGTOn, TX)When I first saw Imade’s junior highlights early last spring, I had him as a possible Texas offer because of his size and raw athleticism. That of-fer found its way to him and in his senior year he demonstrated even higher upside as a guard who moves well at nearly 6-foot-5, 320 pounds. He shows the ability to set a good base in pass pro and locate defenders while run blocking on the move. Like most young offensive lineman, he’ll need time to further develop but there’s a lot to like here.

72 ATH cAMrOn WiLLiAMS

SkyLine (DALLAS, TX)Many guys who are chiseled like statues move like them as well but that’s not the case with Williams. He has the feet and coordination to play receiver in college but his body may force a position switch to H-Back/TE or LB, where his movement skills could go a long way to making him a special player.

73 Wr reGGie HeMpHiLL

MAnveL (MAnveL, TX) From the James Kirkendoll/Brandon Collins family of receivers, Hemphill has the look of a slot who can exploit soft zones and sneak through smaller creases. He’ll have technical ability, though the new scheme won’t necessar-ily ask for it. I expect him to move the chains via quick routes but question how much of a big-play threat he’ll be. He’s a slot receiver with enough speed to become a factor on switches.

74 DB GreG eiSWOrTH

S. GrAnD prAirie (GrAnD prAirie, TX)I’ve loved Eisworth’s game since the beginning of the cycle. Whether he’s playing quarterback or defensive back, he plays with reckless aban-don, splitting defenses while toting the ball,

IT Top 100 | 2016

Riley Anderson - Justin Wells | IT

http://www.montejo.com


or running the alley in search of the ball car-rier with equal fervor. All that learning to cover nonsense will come with time. He may take some time to incubate but once he learns the nuances of coverage he could be a player. He won’t lack for physicality or want-to.

75 qB DiLLOn STerLinG-cOLe

WeSTfieLD (HOuSTOn, TX)One of the biggest arms in the entire country, and he’s still nowhere near filled out in his lanky framework. DS-C can make most throws look easy, and though he’s listed as a pocket quarterback, he can run well when he needs too. There have been some questions regarding his mental maturity, something that has sunk many a quarterback, but from my interactions with him I haven’t seen that.

76 rB rAkeeM BOyD

STrATfOrD (HOuSTOn, TX)Broad-shouldered back that will mature to carry at least 215 pounds. He runs tough, and didn’t back down from some physical contests when I’ve seen him. A classic ‘run through or around’ back, Boyd has the ability to get tough yards between the tackles or use his burst to get the edge. When he plants his foot to get downhill, it’s a pretty thing.

77 cB GrAyLAnD ArnOLD

kOunTze (kOunTze, TX)Not quite the athlete Deon Beasley was, but bet-ter suited to defense than the former Longhorn player. Arnold’s tenacious and shows the traits to be a cover man despite not having tons of experience doing it. He could also play offense but at Baylor he’ll be needed more on defense. Arnold leaves it all on the field and relishes contact more than most 5-foot-10, 180 pound players.

78 DB kenAn ivy

LAncASTer (LAncASTer, TX)Twitchy and fearless defensive back with tons of speed. He accelerates through ball carriers and covers ground like few other defensive backs. What he lacks in height he makes up for in speed and tenacity. Man coverage could be his kryptonite.

79 De Levi OnWuzirike

ALLen (ALLen, TX)

Functionally very powerful as he bull rushes OT’s up field, Onwuzurike is also one of the more fundamental players in state as he rarely loses contain (a pet peeve of mine) and uses his hands well. He runs well, and gets off the ball quickly. Really the main knock on him is lack of length. I see him as a 4-3, hand in the ground WDE.

80 Te Jc cHALk

ArGyLe (ArGyLe, TX)A versatile offensive weapon, Chalk projects to the H-Back end of the TE spectrum as a guy you motion around to create favorable numbers and blocking angles. He shows good hands and the ability to turn and get up-field, while also being an energetic blocker.

81 LB DeMArcO BOyD

GiLMer (GiLMer, TX)From one versatile (Boyd has played DE, DT, LB, and RB) hardhat award nominee to another, Boyd has a nose for the ball on defense and knows what to do with the ball on offense. If surrounded by enough athletes on the Bedford side of the ball, he could be a tackle to tackle plugger, but I think his upside is the 2.0 of Alex De La Torre, essentially a reverse linebacker. Boyd would be a more explosive blocker and more viable offensive threat than the underrated Longhorn. Call him Tom Rathman or Daryl Johnston, if you please.

82 qB Brennen WOOTen

cenTrAL (SAn AnGeLO, TX)Wooten eats and sleeps football and has enough arm talent to make his mind’s eye come to life. He strikes me as a kid Petersen would have gone undefeated with at Boise State as the quar-terback repeatedly beats defenses with his head, then just when you think he’s Johnny Gymrat, he gets you with his legs or a throw you didn’t know he had.

83 Wr DenzeL MiMS

DAinGerfieLD (DAinGerfieLD, TX)He’s 6-foot-3 and ran a 21.3 200M to win state last year. Length and speed, just what Baylor needs! Mims is incredibly raw at this point but will be given time to develop. At Baylor he’s in the hole, not even on deck, so he won’t be rushed into action.

84 Wr DyLAn THOMAS

pAScHAL (fOrT WOrTH, TX)He’ll be an inside receiver at TCU where he’ll help stretch the field horizontally on screens where he’s hard to tackle in a phone booth. Thomas has some of the best lateral ability in the class, with good size for inside receiver to boot.

85 cB MADre HArper

LAMAr (ArLinGTOn, TX)Corner build, safety temperament. He tracks the ball well and shows real athleticism when returning turnovers. Harper shows field vision when he drops a man to pick-up another. Re-minds of Obi Eboh some. If he puts on weight and becomes a safety, he could be a pretty in-credible player.

86 rB TrevOr SpeiGHTS

MeMOriAL (McALLen, TX)The Valley’s Christian McCaffery, Speights made a lot of runs that wouldn’t happen if he played in other parts of the state, but that’s ex-actly what he’s supposed to do. He has great stop-start ability regardless of who he’s play-ing, coupled with good acceleration. All this in a tightly wound, compact build. Running in the valley might be unfair, but running behind the Stanford line is also an unfair advantage. I’d rate him higher but the memories of former Longhorn Tony Ellis and former Aggie Bradley Stephens still burn deep in my mind as guys who crushed the Valley in similar fashion.

87 De MicHAeL JOHnSOn

HiGHTOWer (MiSSOuri ciTy, TX)Really all Johnson is missing is more length for the position, but he plays with so much speed/quickness/ferocity, I think he can overcome his limitations. He’s too quick for OT’s and is a ter-ror when crashing down the line. He’ll probably be a ‘where did this guy come from’ Baylor spe-cial in a couple years.

88 Wr zArriAn HOLcOMBe

SuMMer creek (HuMBLe, TX)The former A&M commit has as much upside as he does length (6-foot-5) but has some off the field questions. He’s fluid for his size and catches the ball away from his body, maximiz-ing his catch radius in the process. Whether he’s a WR or TE is semantics at this point because he’s nowhere close to lining up attached.

IT Top 100 | 2016


89 DT BrAvviOn rOy

SprinG (SprinG, TX)Unique athleticism for his body type, particu-larly laterally. He’ll hold up at the point of at-tack because of his build but athletically he’s much more than a guy who occupies blockers. He lacks length so blockers getting into him will be something he has to overcome as he takes the next step.

90 qB BOWMAn SeLLS

LOveJOy (ALLen, TX)Categorized as a pro-style but there’s some real duality here which you know Tom Herman will put to use. The lefty shows a real feel for the passing game and adds zip as exhibited by his throws outside the hash marks.

91 rB MuLBAH cAr

reAGAn (AuSTin, TX)Watching his film you’d think you were watch-ing footage from the late 80’s or early 90’s, all he’s missing is the lower back pad bouncing from beneath his jersey with every step. He has that old scat-back look to him and the way his legs keep churning it reminds of Ricky Wat-ters. He shows great vision in the open field and rapid leg turnover. Fun kid to watch, you get the feeling he loves the game.

92 OL Jp urquiDez

cOpperAS cOve (cOpperAS cOve, TX)Obviously I think the networks have Urquidez

too high, but I’ve been saying that for a year and a half. I like his size but right off the bat I see him at guard rather than tackle, so that’s a big disconnect I have with other evaluators. I also think he’s a bit heavy-footed and he’ll require a lot of work and time to unlock his potential. That said, Baylor’s a great place for him with the Bear’s recent track record for development and Urquidez has improved noticeably every season since his sophomore year.

93 Wr BrAnDOn BenSOn

LA veGA (WAcO, TX)One of the few talented receivers in the state ac-tually selling routes rather than just running by people. There’s a hint of refinement to Benson’s game as he gets into his route with urgency and sells deep before breaking routes off. Keeps a good relationship between his hands and feet when it’s time to cut at the top of his stem. Quick and fast with decent size, Benson would also make a good defensive back, but he’s too dangerous on offense. Chad Morris will make this guy a known commodity, just as he’s done with a former favorite of mine, Brenham’s Courtland Sutton.

94 qB JeTT Duffey

LAke riDGe (MAnSfieLD, TX)Duffey’s ranking suffers because of his lack of size but like his ability for what Tech is cur-rently running with Pat Mahomes. Duffey’s not in Mahomes’ class (I think I had Patrick at #23) as a passer, but he can hit the right receiver and improvise with his feet to either prolong plays behind the LOS or take off and run. Duffey also has those hard to measure ‘team leader’ quali-ties and a quick, compact delivery.

95 qB nick STArkeL

LiBerTy cHriSTiAn (ArGyLe, TX)As one of the few available QB’s late in the cy-cle, the interest in Starkel has inflated his value some, still, for this point in the cycle he’s a fine take. Still rail thin and already with a strong arm, it’ll be interesting to see how much more zip he adds over the years. With the flick of the wrist he can the ball down field with touch. He struggled with accuracy this year with barely over a 2/1 TD/INT ratio which isn’t something you like to see, especially facing his competi-tion. He reminds of Matthew Merrick in some regards.

96 DE Bronson “Boom” massiE

Lufkin (Lufkin, TX)

High energy, relentless player. His natural po-sition is at rush outside linebacker or Fox de-fensive end, where he can attack the edges or defend the flats. At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, he has some filling out to do and he’s going to a program known for development, provided Bill Snyder sticks around.

97 Wr, kOfi BOATenG

LAMAr (ArLinGTOn, TX)Future Texas signal-caller Shane Buechele’s top target, Kofi was one of the top possession receivers in Texas for 2016 and helped lead Lamar deep into the 5A state playoffs. The 6-foot-1 pass-catcher will also have better quar-terbacking in high school than he’ll have in Fayetteville.

98 LB DeOnTe WiLLiAMS

preSTOnWOOD (pLAnO, TX)Listed as an OLB but I think the FSU legacy is the template for a future ILB. He’s a better athlete in a straight-line than diagonally but it’s not going to be an impediment to him if he tran-sitions inside as I suspect. He’s a knock-back tackler which also suits playing ILB.

99 LB JOrDAn cArMOucHe

MAnveL (MAnveL, TX)Carmouche moves like a safety for his size, but isn’t the most physical linebacker you’ll find. His fluidity in space at this size will make him intriguing but he needs to attack the ball car-rier if he wants to take advantage of his natural ability putting him in position. Recently de-committed from Arkansas for some reason.

100 LB MAciAH LOnG

n. SHOre (nOrTH SHOre, TX)The state champion quarterback projects bet-ter to linebacker. Instead of bludgeoning teams with ZR, he’ll be slowing them down. Long is a fluid runner with great change of direction for being thickly built, and projects to ILB where his natural field awareness should also shine. Kansas gets a steal.

IT Top 100 | 2016

JP Urquidez - Will Gallagher| IT


Strong Influence

Just in case you missed it on page 89 of Sports Illustrat-ed’s February 15th Issue was its recruiting class rank-ings and “your” Texas Longhorns came in at No. 8 in the nation.

This is the most enthusiastic I have seen Texas Football fans since Colt McCoy’s run to the Rose Bowl to face Alabama in 2009. For sure it’s a long way to the kickoff against Notre Dame and so many things have to fall in place before the 2016 UT squad runs out of their dressing room and there are 100,000+ plus fans on their feet ready to begin the season.

Believe me, this will be a much different Texas football team. The Longhorns have loaded themselves with new weapons, a new way of executing on offense, lots of heavy players on their defensive line along with a crew of talented linebackers and highly recruited players in the defensive secondary, which could mean much tighter coverage on those slant routes. Count on Malik Jeffer-son being even more of a defensive weapon as an outside linebacker.

So this last Wednesday I went with three of my Longhorn buddies to look at the “new facilities” that I saw during the signing day Longhorn Network telecast. You can’t get to see them because of recruits and their families in the Tex-Moncreif Building were in the coaches offices, the weight room, and locker rooms are located in the south end zone at DKR-Memorial stadium.

Reason No. 2 for going from home base in Cleburne, Texas to Austin was a get-together of Inside Texas contributors.

Like you, I was hoping to shake hands with the “Big Cigar” whoever that may be. Way before that exciting signing day for Texas there were insiders at Inside Texas that predicted a highlight day in spite of the outside news media.

How in the world did they know? Newspapers around the

state were all gloom and doom for the 5-7 Longhorns of 2015 as far as gaining a top-flight group of incoming play-ers. Brent Musburger echoed that note during a basket-ball broadcast the week before NSD.

My good friends and I found out about one of those quali-ties which I would attribute directly to Coach Charlie Strong as we got inside the Texas Football facilities on a beautiful day in Austin.

In the Texas locker room we met LB from Brenham, Tim Cole. The young man stuck out his hand and introduced himself with a smile. One of my friends touted the fact that I was a linebacker himself in the previous century. As I was looking up to this strong looking, 6-foot-2, 232-pound senior-to-be, he laughed and said “really” in a nice way. I told him I sat four rows behind the opponents bench and that I would yell at him during the pre-game warmups next season. More laughter and with a great smile he said, “Please do!.”

I mentioned somebody had to step into Peter Jinkens’ spot at middle linebacker and the smile disappeared as he said “That’s my goal this spring.”

We left and went to the weight room. Texas has come a long way since the day in 1963 when I went to see Coach Royal and let him know the sophmores we had on the Texas team from San Antonio Jefferson High School – Phil Harris, Hix Green, and a big read-headed linebacker named Tommy Nobis had to wait until Gregory Gym PE classes were finished to lift weights. Nobis had come to me and asked if I would talk to Coach Royal.

It was my first year on staff and I was determined to give it my best shot – here is what I remember about that conversation:

“Coach, Tommy Nobis and his Jefferson buddies want to lift weights and they are having to go to Gregory Gym late after PE classes are through.”

by Pat Culpepper

Culpepper’s Commentary


Pat Culpepper played for The University from 1960-62 and graduated from UT with a B.A. degree with honors in history. Pat coached college football for 12 years as an as-sistant at Texas, Colorado, Tulane, Baylor and Memphis State and was head coach at Northern Illinois from 1976-79. He also spent 16 years as a high school coach in Texas at Midland, Lufkin, Galveston Ball, Westfield and his hometown of Cleburne. He was selected to the Longhorn Hall of Honor in 1991. His commentary appears regularly in the Inside Texas magazine and at InsideTexas.com.

“Do you think they need them?”

“Yes sir, I did that with Tommy Ford and Scott Appleton myself.”

“Well hell – I didn’t know that but we have plenty of room at the stadium. I’ll see what I can do.”

End of conversation and I hustled back down to Coach Mike Campbell’s office where I had a small desk. That was the start of the Longhorn weight program as newly bought equipment was put in the south upper corner of Memorial Stadium within two weeks.

In 2016, the Longhorn weight room with the Longhorn decal on every weight is world class, complete with a 60-70 yard running track. While examining the track, a big looking youngster was all by himself doing violent curls with a curl bar. He was sweating and I noticed he put down the bar loaded with weights, grabbed a towel, and headed up the stairs.

Two of my buddies got to meet D’Onta Foreman – the one who secured the brilliant victory over OU with an 80-yard scamper right in front of the Sooner bench in the fourth quarter. Our very own Leonard Fournette.

My friends got a similar handshake and smile as Foreman climbed the stairs out of the weight room.

There were no coaches in the weight room although we had met the man that helped convince Brandon Jones to come to Texas – Jeff Traylor. Another fine coach on this staff.

That afternoon at the “Cover 3” restaurant we went man-to-man with all those IT superstars (Eric and Justin) that nailed it on Signing Day predictions. Even Clendon Ross made an appearance; the man who is responsible for tak-ing over Inside Texas from Robert Heard.

The whole group were like jet fighter pilots giving lots of tips about what was coming this spring in the way of change on the Texas offense. I was impressed to say the least. They care and they are hoping for the best.

In this time of trouble over lack of discipline at Texas A&M, in football rape charge cover ups at Baylor by ath-letes – Coach Strong set up a standard in that first year by those suspensions. There is no wiggle room in this operation.

Those smiles and handshakes, those “yes sirs” and “no sirs” were the real deal and will go far beyond the football field.

Now, I’m ready for spring ball.

D’Onta Foreman - Will Gallagher|IT


THE YEAR IN TWITTEROne of the best ways to keep up with recruiting is to watch what is being said on Twitter.

Here are some of our favorite Texas-related tweets from the 2016 recruiting cyclefeaturing the comedy stylings of Chuck F’n Strong and Aggies being Aggies.


Follow Inside Texas

twitter.com/InsideTexas

http://twitter.com/InsideTexas

http://www.blacksheeplodge.com/


The prevailing theme from this Junior Day wasn't the star power (Baron Browning, Jeffrey Okudah, Anthony Hines, Damion Miller, Sam Ehlinger, and Major Tennsion) or potential

offers (Eno Benjamin, Reed, Estell), but introducing the new coaches to current Texas commits.

Tennison wanted to know he'll be used in Austin. Miller wanted to know how Gilbert will get him the ball. And Browning just wanted to keep learning about the history of the Longhorns. Add a thrilling hoops victory over rival OU, and it was a good day.

MAJOR TENNISON

The state's best TE, Major Tennison, has been the subject of many threads after his recent interview in which he basically said he'd still like to take a few visits beside being committed to Texas. I told you not to worry.

"It was awesome," said Tennison. "Loved getting to talk to the new coaches, get their insight on how they'll use TE. It was great seeing some other recruits. Talked to Sam (Ehlinger) for awhile, got to hang

out with Damion for awhile. They told me they'll use the TE. That it's not just rumors. Just had a good time."

Tennison needed to be here today. Not just to see the other commits/prospects, and to build camaraderie, but to see the coaches, face to face, and start building those bonds that are critical to keeping 4-star tight end pledges.

"I got to hear everything I wanted to," Tennison said. "I'm still keeping my eyes open, but at the same time, everyone knows I love Texas. I love the Longhorns and it gave me a good feeling today and hearing everything. (Texas) will throw to the TE. obviously using it for run- and pass-blocking, like you should."

I'm telling you again; don't worry. You know who isn't worried about Tennison? Charlie Strong. Strong even told Major and his father, Johnny, to take other visits. Go see places.

It's that type of attitude and confidence that draws people to Strong. I think Major will see Michigan this summer, and maybe Nebraska. And I still wouldn't worry.

BARON BROWNING

While the JD roster was a long list of some of the state’s best for 2017, nobody was bigger than 5-star LB Baron Browning. And while he left the scene early, I was able to chat with him this evening.

“I had a another good talk with coach Strong like we always do,” said Browning. “But this time both of my parents were with me and he impressed them. My parents aren’t the type of parents you can show some facilities and impress them. They want to know about the network, alumni, the opportunities, academic advisors. It was a great visit.”

Browning is starting to see what the other 4- and 5-star defenders see in Strong; great coach, greater man, and he’ll get your ass to the NFL.

Browning isn’t publicly leaning anywhere today. Privately, I think Texas is the team to beat.

Major Tennison - Justin Wells | IT

Between National Signing Day and the Spring Game, Junior Day is all we have.

It not only gives us a chance to meet players and parents, but we also get an idea of who UT truly covetsand who they have marginal interest in. It also allows us to talk to high school coaches,

and even a few Texas ones, like new RB coach Anthony Johnson.

2017 JUNIOR DAYBy Justin WellsBy Justin Wells


DAMION MILLER

One of the top WRs in Texas for 2017, Damion Miller, just wants the

dang ball. And a bunch of other top college programs just want Miller.

The best part of the day for Miller, and other prospects as well; the

basketball game.

"The Texas-OU game today," said Miller. "Got to see Buddy Hield,

and Texas shut him down. That was the highlight of the day, getting

that win."

What about football, Damion?

"I talked to the receivers coach (Williams) the most," Miller said. "I got

to finally meet him, get closer to him. Met the offensive coordinator

and got to see what the offense will look like. I can see that he throws

the ball deep. I'm closer to all the coaches now."

Miller is another commit that Texas will have to hang onto for the next

11 months. Schools are coming at him hot. Alabama, Texas A&M,

and OU are pursuing the most, and he might visit Ole Miss in April.

But today's JD helped Miller in more ways than one.

"All the stuff we did today, it makes me feel more solid and more

comfortable with (Texas). After seeing what the offense will look like, I

like it, I like it," said Miller with a smile as big as DKR.

The best thing that could've happened for UT and Miller happened;

meeting Sterlin Gilbert and Charlie Williams. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound

pass-catcher will be one we monitor, but after today, it couldn't have

gone any better for Texas.

ANTHONY HINES

Not much impresses Anthony Hines. The 5-star LB from Plano East has 84 offers for crying out loud.

"Awesome visit, as always," said Hines. "I talked to coach Strong and coach Jean-Mary. They're always here with open arms, and it's just a very comfortable place to be. They really welcome you, awesome facilities, I just always have a great time here.""

Hines won't start narrowing down the list anytime soon either. His quote. He's a kid that enjoys the recruiting process, and reminds me of Dontavious Jackson. Texas will be in it until the end.

ANTHONY JOHNSON

One of the coolest moments today is when I pulled new RB coach Anthony Johnson to the side and started talking East Texas. John-son, being from Jefferson, eyes opened up when he learned I was a fellow #bEASTtexas native.

He told me about his senior year and his final game with the Bull-dogs; a battle with 3A foe Gilmer. And guess who was the head coach of those Buckeyes that night? Texas TE coach Jeff Traylor.

Johnson said that Traylor reminds him of that night often, teasing and ribbing the new UT coach. Johnson said it's great to be back in Austin, and that it really hasn't sunk in that he's actually coaching at his alma mater. Of all the new hires, I think Johnson is happiest and most at home. He will be recruiting Lufkin and south to the Golden Triangle region.

Damion Miller - Justin Wells | IT

Anthony Himes - Justin Wells | IT


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inside texas 2016 recruiting review

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