It's been a long day that saw me start my morning in Mexico before rushing back to hit the Under the Lights camp, so let's jump right into some notes that are floating around in my brain before my head hits the pillow ...
--- As always, there was a lot of focus on the quarterbacks, and both Sam Ehlinger and Jaylon Mascorro looked the part on Saturday night.
Ehlinger met with the UT coaches earlier in the and then threw the ball well at the camp. No offer was presented in his meeting with the coaches, but Ehlinger did get a lot of attention from Shawn Watson and Charlie Strong. He's supposed to follow up with the UT coaches on Sunday, so keep an eye out for an offer at that time.
Mascorro is interesting, because most people have him pegged as an athlete playing quarterback. But on Saturday night, he showed a live arm and was surprisingly accurate. I wasn't able to connect with him after the camp, but he turned in a very solid performance overall.
Cam Roane, out of Colleyville-Heritage, had one of the biggest arms at the event and could be another 2017 name to file away.
--- 2017 DE/DT LaGaryonn Carson is an early Texas offer and after Saturday's visit, the Longhorns solidified their standing with the big fella.
"It's at the top. They've been at the top but they're definitely up there now," Carson said.
Carson followed that comment up by saying he doesn't know all of his top schools, but Texas is one of them, pointing to the people at UT as the biggest reason the Longhorns are in good standing.
--- Cedar Hill 2017 WR Camron Buckley seemed to make plays every time I watched him, and he got some time talking to Charlie Strong (alongside Ehlinger) at the end of the camp.
Buckley, who holds offers from TCU and Houston, was told by Strong that Strong will be calling soon and Buckley will "probably" be receiving an offer.
If Texas offers, the Longhorns will sit high on Buckley's list, but he said he'll keep his options open.
--- It was a very good turnout overall, with a number of top prospects showing up but deciding to hang out on the sidelines and not work out. Among some of the biggest names ...
LB Dontavious Jackson
LB Jeffrey McCulloch
DT Jordan Elliott
TE Jamal Pettigrew
WR Reggie Hemphill
WR Dee Anderson
LB/DE Erick Fowler
DB Chris Brown
DB Christian Wallace
OL Greg Eiland
2017 DT Marvin Wilson
2017 OL Walker Little
2017 DE LaGaryonn Carson
2017 QB Sam Ehlinger
2017 QB Jaylon Mascorro
2017 RB Eno Benjamin
--- UT WR commitment Reggie Hemphill didn't work out, but he was one of the more vocal supporters of the offensive players and he showed no signs of a guy that's looking around. Hemphill has taken an unofficial visit to Ole Miss already and he's said he'll take other trips, but he had on a UT shirt, hat and backpack tonight.
His teammate, 2017 DB Derrick Tucker, was taken into the field house following the camp for some one-on-one time with the coaches. Keep an eye on that one.
--- 2017 RB Eno Benjamin is a player who has been on UT's radar for a while, and he flashed some really good skills in passing drills, including a couple deep receptions in one-on-one battles that went for TDs.
--- Charlie Strong watched the OL/DL battles closely. Two of the names to know there were DE Alex Duke and OL Greg Eiland.
Eiland, out of Philadelphia (MS), told me tonight that he picked up a Texas offer a few weeks ago, but we've been told by people close to the situation that it's not a formal offer. Regardless, he told me Texas is one of his longtime favorites and the Longhorns are in his top three along with Ole Miss and Mississippi State. He plans to return to UT for an official visit.
--- There was a large number of current team members out there helping coach the recruits, including the majority of the new freshman class. Every player I saw looked to be in very good shape and in overhearing some of the freshmen talk, they've become acclimated to the workouts but it took some effort on their part (and some bumps in the road ... like showing up late for morning workouts ... that were quickly worked out). I'll post some pics on Sunday, but guys like Chris Warren, Kirk Johnson, Cecil Cherry, John Burt and Malik Jefferson look ready to go. Burt's name has been mentioned by us as having a good off-season, and I heard that again tonight in talking to some team sources.
--- I caught up briefly with Rivals100 LB Erick Fowler, who told me he's still committed to LSU but will continue to keep a close eye on the Longhorns. Fowler will visit LSU next week.
--- Dee Anderson showed up to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge decked out in LSU gear from head to toe. Tonight, he had on a Longhorn shirt. He said he's still committed to LSU, but Texas has closed the gap and he'll be back in Austin for an official visit.
--- DT Jordan Elliott, a Houston commitment, also had on a UT shirt and got quite a bit of personal attention from Charlie Strong and the Texas staff during his visit. This was Jordan's second visit in the last few weeks ... keep an eye on this one.
--- Oh by the way, the nation's top prospect for 2017, DT Marvin Wilson, was on hand as a spectator. In talking to Wilson, don't pay attention to any recruiting lists you see attached to his name. He told me tonight he's taking a step back and keeping an open mind, and the Longhorns are very much in play.
"Texas, they fit in really deep into my recruiting process. The fit in pretty good right now. I love coach Strong's personality and what he wants to do here at Texas. They stand pretty high on my radar," Wilson said.
--- Overall, I think it was a productive day for Texas and all the recruits (and current team members) really seemed to be enjoying themselves. I'll post some pics from the event on Sunday.
