OB War Room (From Ketchum)
About five weeks ago, I did an snap shot of the 2019 recruiting class, focusing on the top 13 players in the Rivals rankings. With the release of the
2019 LSR Top 100 this week, I wanted to expand that overview to the
top 25 players on the list, all of whom project as four-star prospects and national top 250 candidates. In addition to looking at each prospect's individual recruitment, I thought we'd break things down in the context of the battle royal taking place between Texas, Oklahoma and Texas A&M in 2019 recruiting.
Before diving into the information overload, the breakdown among the top 25 looks like this:
Top 10
Texas leads/Texas commitment: 3
A&M leads/A&M commitment: 2
Oklahoma leads/Oklahoma commitment: 1
Texas vs. OU showdown looms: 1
Too early to draw a strong conclusion: 3
Top 25
Texas leads/Texas commitment: 5
A&M leads/A&M commitment: 3
Oklahoma leads/Oklahoma commitment: 3
Texas vs. OU showdown looms: 1
Too early to draw a strong conclusion: 13
1. Theo Wease (WR - Allen)
Current recruiting grades: Rivals (Five-stars/6.1/No.7 on Rivals100)
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Wease announced a top seven earlier this week and Texas was nowhere to be found. Oklahoma is believed to be the leader in this recruitment, but USC, Ohio State and Texas A&M all loom as factors moving forward. For now, I've listed him in the "OU leads" department.
Quotable: (Via Rivals on 1/4) "Ohio State, USC and Oklahoma for sure. I'm not sure about others."
(Via Rivals on 10/12) "(Oklahoma and I) are good, I talk to coach Riley almost every day."
(Via Rivals on 9/7) “I would say (Texas is) at about an eight,” he said. “They were contacting me last night and this morning, so they’ve definitely bumped things up.”
(Via OB on 6/15) “You see everybody committing to Texas right now, so that definitely catches my attention. I haven’t visited yet, so I need to visit to see what everyone is seeing, see if I could maybe one day commit there like everyone else is doing.”
2. Garrett Wilson (WR - Lake Travis)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Four-stars/5.9/No.114 in the Rivals250)
Has UT offered: Yes.
Where UT Stands: There's a growing vibe that Texas is the favorite because of its current hometown status and because he's been pretty open about the fact that the Longhorns will have a very prominent role in his recruitment. Wilson is scheduled to visit Texas this weekend and it just feels like if Texas handles its business, Wilson has a chance to serve as an a foundation piece for the class.
Quotable: “That’s one that I’ve been waiting on, I’m not going to lie,” Wilson said of his Texas offer. “Since I’ve started playing football, since moved down here, once they started recruiting me, that was big for me.”
“Ohio State and Texas, they’re probably going toe to toe for me,” Wilson said. “Both are showing they really want me, so that means a lot too. Those are my two home towns, so that goes into as well."
3. Arjei Henderson (WR - Richmond Travis)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Five-stars/6.1/No.6 in the Rivals100)
Has UT offered: Yes.
Where UT Stands: Henderson first committed to Oklahoma earlier in the year and then switched his commitment to Oregon when Bob Stoops stepped down at Oklahoma. Two weeks ago, he de-committed from Oregon and announced he would make his decision on signing day in 2019. Earlier this year, Henderson named Texas as his dream school, so the Longhorns are squarely in the mix, but Oklahoma is generally considered to be the new pole sitter. Henderson told Mike Farrell in early January that Texas and Oklahoma are his top two schools.
Quotable: (Via Twitter on 11/12)
Hendi™@king_hendi
I am decommitting from the University Oregon , thank you Eugene , for all your love and support. I will not be making any further decisions regarding my recruitment until signing day . PLEASE RESPECT MY DECISION
10:08 AM - Nov 12, 2017
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(Via OB on 7/27) “It was good to be here in Austin,” Henderson said. “The locker room, facilities and coaching staff were all great, so I’m planning to get back down here pretty soon.
“My favorite part was being around the players and the water balloon fights and all that sort of stuff,” Henderson said.
“I talked to Herman a lot,” Henderson said. “He showed a lot of love and he wants to stay in touch. I talk to him on a daily basis.”
(Via Rivals on 7/18) - “I’m just looking forward to seeing what you see from anybody else,” he said. “I was born and raised in Austin, so that’s my dream school so I’ve always been close with them. I understand how the program works, how everyone is down there and I’m very familiar with the campus.”
4.
Kenyon Green (OT - Humble Atascocita)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (High Four-stars/6.0/No.26 in Rivals100)
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Another bare-knuckle brawl that looms in the coming year for the Longhorns. Once committed to LSU, Green's interest in Texas continues to increase, but this will be a battle with a lot of teams fighting for positioning, including Oklahoma, Alabama, Florida and Texas A&M. This one is shaping up as one of the most interesting recruitments of the 2019 year.
Quotable: (Via Rivals on 12/18) “LSU still has an opportunity,” he said. “They have been treating me just the same as the other coaches that have been recruiting me. I’m not making this decision because of anything that they did.”
(Via Rivals on 10/26) “(Alabama) was an amazing experience,” he said. “He’s the one that gave me my offer, so that was like one of the best moments. Seeing the campus and where the football players stay was very nice. I think it’s one of the only schools that I’ve seen that has king-sized beds for the players.”
5. Jordan Whittington (Ath - Cuero)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (High Four-stars/6.0/No.36 on Rivals250)
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Texas is probably the school to beat, as he's visited a half-dozen times in the last year and has nearly committed a couple of times, but officially has listed a top six of Texas, Florida, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and UCLA.
Quotable: (Via Rivals on 7/8) “I’ve been (to Texas) four times since (Tom Herman's) been there, so we’re building a relationship,” he said. “Right now, their tradition and their swagger are really something that stands out to me. They like me at safety, but I would like to see them offer me at receiver because that’s what I want to play in college.” (Note: Texas has since then offered him at receiver.)
6. Roschon Johnson (QB-Port Neches-Groves)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Low Four-stars/5.8/No.174 on Rivals250)
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Johnson committed to the Longhorns in July and is locked in as a foundation piece in this class.
Quotable:
7.
Brian Williams (DB - Dallas Bishop Dunne)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Mid Four-stars/5.9/No.52 on Rivals 250)
Highlights
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Williams announced a top six of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Stanford back in September, visited Austin this season on an unofficial visit and seemed to be on his way to being involved in a Texas/Oklahoma battle. Yet, the hire of Jimbo Fisher was a game-changer in his recruitment, as evidenced by the fact that Williams committed to Texas A&M on Sunday.
8. Grant Gunnell (QB - Houston St.Pius)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Mid Four-stars/5.9/No.63 on Rivals100)
Has Texas offered: No
Where UT Stands: Gunnell is committed to A&M and Texas isn't expected to be in the mix, as evidenced by the fact that Gunnell currently owns 36 offers, but not one from Tom Herman's staff. The word on the street is that Gunnell is not 100-percent strong in his commitment to the Aggies and I'm expecting his recruitment to open up, but for the moment, he has to be listed as an Aggie on the official scorecard.
9. Demani Richardson (S - Waxahachie)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Mid Four-stars/5.9/No.82 on Rivals100)
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Richardson camped at Texas in June, so Tom Herman and Co. have seen him up close and personal, offered in December and were in the gym watching him hoop earlier this week. Texas, Baylor, Georgia and TCU were his primary favorites a month ago, but his offer list is just now starting to explode. For now, I'm going to slot him into the "too close to call" category because he's scheduled to take visits to Texas and Texas A&M in the near future, which should help us with the tea leaves needed to make a legit call.
10. Tyler Johnson (OL- Conroe Oak Ridge)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Mid Four-stars/5.9/No.64 on Rivals100)
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Johnson's recruitment is just getting heated up, but the Longhorns are one his favorites and will be a major factor in his recruitment. At this point, it's too early to call.
Quotable: (Via Rivals on 11/2)
On Texas, where he visited for game vs. Oklahoma State
“For me, I think they’re doing pretty well for a rebuilding team,” he said. “They’ve got new coaches, new facility upgrades, new players, and now they’re really coming after the recruits in 2018 and 2019. I’m just seeing a lot of recruits committing - a lot of skill players - but now they’re starting to focus on O-Line and stuff.”
On experience at the game
“It was hot, it was real hot,” he said. “But I liked it - I got to see Coach (Derek) Warehime, I got to meet with Coach (Tom) Herman a little bit. I talked with one of the G.A.’s for the O-Linemen and just really watched how they did their pregame, (Sam) Ehlinger, their O-Line and how they work.”
11. Jalen Catalon - S - Mansfield Legacy
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Mid Four-stars/5.9/No.163 on Rivals100)
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: It's hard to say where things stand with Catalon because he's not as recruiting obsessed as a number of his peers and he hasn't been quite as active on the camp circuits because he's also heavily involved in baseball. It's probably a little too early to make any call because his recruitment is just starting to take shape. Stay tuned for further updates.
12. Marcus Stripling (DE - Mayde Creek)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Mid Four-stars/5.9/No.90 on Rivals100)
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: The Longhorns were viewed as an early favorite to land the state's top pass-rusher, but in an interview 10 days ago with SoonerScoop.com, he didn't mention the Longhorns once, even while listing a group of schools (Oklahoma, Alabama, LSU and Florida) that stood out to him. In the same interview, he called TCU a big-time program. It's probably too soon to draw any conclusions in his recruitment, but the Longhorns have a lot of work to do.
13. DeMarvin Leal (DE - Converse Judson)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Low Four-stars/5.8/No.184 on Rivals250)
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Leal listed an early top five recently that featured Alabama, Clemson, Texas, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M. At this stage of the process, he seems completely open-minded and he plans to take his recruitment into the fall. It's way too early to call.
Quotable: (Via Orangebloods last week)
“I’m not sure about visits this spring, but I know I’ll go to a couple places in the fall,” Leal said. “In the fall, that would be Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma state most likely.”
14. Marquez Beason (Ath - Dallas Bishop Lynch)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Mid Four-stars/5.9/No.83 on Rivals100)
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Beason has already taken visits to Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Illinois and BYU and plans to take a number of visits in the summer, so don't expect announcement news coming from him any time soon. Last year, he listed Texas as the school he wanted an offer from the most, but this is another recruitment that is too early to call.
15. Cam Brown (WR- Colleyville Heritage)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Low Four-stars/5.8/No.148 on Rivals250)
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: The one-time UCLA commit just finished a visit to Notre Dame and seems to be opening up to the idea of keeping all of his options open. He has a tentative top-five that seems to be more than fluid and at this point the Longhorns have not been at the forefront of his recruitment. It's way too early to call.
16. Austin Stonger (TE - Plano Prestonwood)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Mid Four-stars/5.9/No.97 on Rivals100)
Has Texas offered: No.
Where UT Stands: The Longhorns haven't been very involved with Stonger, who is committed to Oklahoma and seems pretty locked into his pledge.
17. Marcel Brooks (LB - Flower Mound Marcus)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Low Four-stars/5.8/No.234 on Rivals250)
Has Texas offered: No
Where UT Stands: Texas isn't a factor at this point, as Brooks currently lists Alabama, LSU, Ohio State and (he's pretty sure) Penn State on official visits in the spring. It's too early to call, but this isn't a recruitment that I expect many around here to pay much attention to.
18. Jalen Curry (WR - Houston St. Pius)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Mid Four-stars/5.9/No.57 in Rivals250)
Has Texas offered: No.
Where UT Stands: Curry, who was once committed to Florida State, is trending in A&M's direction at this point, although he wants to take possible visits to the likes of LSU, Florida, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Arkansas. The Aggies get the check mark from this vantage point at this stage of his recruitment.
19. Grant Tisdale (QB - Allen)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Low Four-stars/5.8/No.206 in Rivals250)
Has Texas offered: No.
Where UT Stands: Would have an interest in the Longhorns if they were to offer and make a hard sell on his future at quarterback, but this one seems pretty open at the moment, even as he prepares to schedule spring official visits and make an early decision. Too early to call.
20. Erick Young (CB - Richmond Bush)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Low Four-stars/5.8/No.178 in Rivals250)
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Has named Texas A&M, TCU and LSU as his top three in the last month and there are some thoughts that the school in the pole position for his signature is Texas A&M, in part because of his feelings for Jimbo Fisher. That being said, the offers have been pouring in over the course of the last month as the likes of Texas, Oklahoma and Notre Dame have all offered in the last few weeks. This one could easily be an "Aggie leads" check mark, but I'm going to put it in the "too early to call" category.
21. Bobby Wolfe (CB - Houston Madison)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (High Three-stars/5.7/No.45 in Texas)
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Wolfe has a strong interest in Texas, Texas A&M and LSU. It might be too early to call one a sure-fire favorite over the others because he really does speak of all three in glowing terms and each program has players in the program that he considers to be friends. It's too early to call.
22. EJ Ndoma-Ogar (OL - Allen)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Low Four-stars/5.8/No.197 in Rivals250)
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Has incredibly positive things to say about Herb Hand and the Longhorns in general, but it's too early to know if they'll make enough headway to emerge as a favorite. At the moment, it feels like it's "too early to call" and Texas is in the mix with an assortment of teams, including Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and a few others.
23. Branson Bragg (OL - Crandall)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Low Four-stars/5.8/No.221 in Rivals250)
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Really like the Longhorns and Tom Herman's crew might be a betting favorite, but do not sleep on Stanford. According to Suchomel, he's hearing the Cardinal will be a tough competitor in this race, but for now we'll list the Longhorns as a favorite.
24. Elijah Higgins (WR-Austin Bowie)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (High three-stars/5.7/No.51 in Texas)
Has Texas offered: Yes
Where UT Stands: Higgins has gone from a guy with a pretty low profile to recruiting sensation almost overnight, with offers from Texas, Texas A&M and Ohio State in just the last few days. There are those with some insight into his recruitment that believe the offer from Texas will be very hard for Higgins to turn down.
25. Isaiah Spiller (RB - Klein Collins)
Current recruiting grade: Rivals (Low four-stars/5.8/No.162 in Rivals250)
Has Texas offered: No
Where UT Stands: Spiller, who is the son of former Texas A&M player Fred Spiller (a recruit I once covered), committed to the Sooners in November. Nothing about this situation screams future Longhorn at all.
