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Things are about to pick up on the 2013 recruiting front for the Longhorns, which means it’s time to consume every piece of information possible on the elite prospects in the Lone Star State. Although we plan on updating the LSR Top 100 for2013 this week, here’s an in-depth look at the top players in the state, as well as all in-state prospects invited to the first Junior Day in Austin next weekend.
Take a deep breath…. Here we go…
1. Tyrone Swoopes/QB/Whitewright
Tyrone Swoopes Highlights
Breakdown: Lots of guessing going on with this one. Some think he'll commit to Texas early but that's not what we're hearing. He'll be at OU this weekend and the Sooners are very much a player. Give Texas a slight lead right now.
Key Quotes: (1/13/12 on OB) "I went with a couple of kids from Van Alstyne (Alex and Connor Mayes) that I know," Swoopes said of TCU. "We just viewed the campus and they were showing us where they're building the new locker rooms and all the new stuff. It was pretty cool. They said some of it would be done by the time I would be a freshman there so I thought it was pretty cool and be pretty cool to play there if I did go there."
"Me and my mom and my dad went down there and we talked to coach (Josh) Heupel a little bit and went on the field for pregame to watch the warm up and stuff," he said of Oklahoma. "Then we watched the game and after the game I went into the locker room and heard coach (Bob) Stoops talk to everyone after the game. Then I talked to coach Heupel and then I got to meet a couple of the players and then we left. That was pretty cool too. I liked it."
"I went down there with my uncle because I think my dad was out of town on work," Swoopes said of Texas. "We went down and they have a program called Texas Angels and this girl escorted me around the trophy rooms and the academic center and we went on the field for pregame and watched the game. Then after the game I went into the locker room and got to talk to coach (Bryan) Harsin and coach (Bruce) Chambers a little bit. Then we left. I liked that one too. It was pretty fun. There were a lot of people."
"Getting to see the coaches again that I met and hopefully getting to see some of the players that I watch on TV and stuff," he said.
"I'd have to visit the schools first and see if I'm comfortable with the campus and the coaches, but I don't know when I'll make a decision and decide where I want to go," he said.
“I went to a camp down there and I got to talk to coach Harsin a lot and coach Chambers and I got to talk to coach Brown a little bit. I call coach Harsin and coach Chambers every once in a while just to check in and stuff. It’s been fun.”
“I’m keeping my options open and seeing what I can get. I’m not turning anyone down or shutting anyone out right now because I don’t know what I can get. I’m seeing what I can get for now and then I’ll start narrowing it down when the time comes.”
(11/14 on OB) "That's pretty much all I've done (visit OU). I liked it a lot. It was pretty fun. I got to go on the sidelines before the game, watch them warm up. Then after the game, I got to go in the locker room and see the team after the game, talk to coach (Bob) Stoops a little bit. It was just overall a good experience."
"I called coach (Bryan) Harsin a couple weeks ago. They've sent letters, but I haven't really talked to anybody on the phone in a couple weeks.”
"I don't really have a set list of (favorites). I haven't really got to visit all the places I want to yet.”
(8/13 on OB) "(The visit to TCU) was fun. I got to go out there and watch them scrimmage. I got to talk to some coaches and a couple of the players. It was just really fun."
"I like Texas a lot. I like the offense they run, I like the coaches and I just like the place."
(6/30 on PurpleMenace.com) "Not really, I'm just still kind of looking," he said of favorites. "I'm not too worried about it at the moment, I'll look at it more down the road."
"I just like all the coaches because they've been there since I was a sixth grader. And since I'm from a small town, I like the small college atmosphere. It makes me feel more at home. I just like the people and pretty much everything. Coach Fuente and Coach Sharp are both recruiting me. I like them both, they both make me feel comfortable. They're cool people to be around."
(6/17/11 on OB) "TCU, I've just been going to their camps and stuff since I was in fifth or sixth grade. They've had all the same coaches since I've been there. I've gotten to know the coaches. I like their staff and I like what they do on offense. I like the school."
"I like their coaches too. I didn't get to spend as much time with them as TCU, but they made me feel at home. Coach (Bruce) Chambers was my dad's high school coach so that's pretty cool. I got to talk to him a lot. And I really like their facility
"I think I showed (Bryan Harsin) that I like to work hard, I'm coachable and I'll do what it takes to win."
"I really like TCU and Texas. I like them both.”
2. Ricky Seals-Jones/WR/Sealy
Ricky Seals-Jones Highlights
Breakdown: This one looks good for UT, but the coaches will have to be delicate with how they handle it. Seals-Jones is pretty clear that he wants a shot at WR, not just at TE. LSU is making a strong push and don't rule them out.
Key Quotes: (9/9 on OB) “I’ve just been focusing on my junior season."
“I’m hearing from Texas basketball. They’ve sent me a lot of mail lately.”
(8/12 on OB) "(The Texas Longhorns) fit like a lot of schools. I'd like to play there if they gave me a chance to. If they give me a scholarship, I would for sure think about going, but I would have to talk to my parents."
(7/7/11 on TexasHoops.com) "I just want to show the scouts that I can get to college playing basketball, too. I was shocked about LSU. Not that many colleges offer for both. I'm just trying to show that I can do both.
(6/15/11 on OB): "They're a great program, they win a lot of championships and beat a lot of teams. I grew up watching Texas. My family got to liking them and I just got influenced."
(3/23 on OB): "When I was young I used to watch Texas a lot. My idol used to be Vince Young when he played and that made me want to be a quarterback and go to Texas and play.
“I really like quarterback and safety because in junior high and growing up I played quarterback and my freshman year I they put me at safety and I really liked it. Those two positions I really like.”
3. Derrick Griffin/TE/Rosenberg Terry
Derrick Griffin Highlights
Breakdown: Griffin was the first major recruiting coup for new A&M coach Kevin Sumlin.
Key Quotes: (1/6/12 on Aggie Yell) "I got a call from the Terry coaches saying he wanted to go ahead and get this done," said Rosenburg Terry coach Tim Tekyl. "So I called him and said 'You have something to tell me Derrick?' I was playing dumb. I knew already and he said he was ready to commit."
"We talked a lot Sunday and Monday. I've talked with Derrick several times this week now. We went over some things. One, I told him that while he wasn't signing anything your handshake and your word is even more powerful than that. People are going to ask you over and over again about this. Two, I asked him is this is how you want to do it and he said yes sir. Three, I told him that you are not signing anything but that you are committing, do you understand that, and he said that he did. I told him that loved him and started crying like I am now and he said that he loved me."
(5/17 on OB): "If I stay this same height, I'm going to play both in college. If I get taller, I'll probably just play basketball. I hope I don't grow any more so I can play both sports."
4. Kent Perkins/OL/Lake Highlands
Breakdown: Was at Baylor last weekend and will be at OU this weekend. He'll then head to Austin next weekend. Perkins is saying he wants to slow things down, but there's a very good chance he jumps at the UT offer.
Key Quotes: (10/23 on Rivals) "I have a whole bunch of offers but the main ones I'm focusing on are Texas, (Texas) A&M and Baylor. I visited all three of those places this summer. They were all great. I haven't had a chance to go to any games just yet though.
"I actually talked to coach (Darrell) Wyatt (from Texas) today. I also noticed the offensive line coach from Texas. He was up here watching us in pregame today. The OU offensive line coach was here too.
"It's a hard decision."
(5/18 on OB): "I'd probably say Texas. You know how they say, if you're from Texas you want to go to Texas. That's kind of the same for me.”
5. Justin Manning/DT/Dallas Kimball
Justin Manning Highlights
Breakdown: Manning will be at OU's junior day this weekend and UT's on Feb 12. There's been a lot of talk that OU is the team to beat, so it'll be interesting to hear the reports from the trip to Norman. We have heard that Texas has a good shot in this one though.
Key Quotes: (12/26 on OB) "USC is another school. Oklahoma is another top school that I like mainly because of my brother (DeMarcus Granger). That's about it as far as top schools - Texas, USC, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. I like them because they have a history of winning. I'm just trying to go where I can win. I can't be a part of a losing program."
(10/28 on OB) “I grew up watching Oklahoma, since the fifth grade. I took that visit with my brother. I fell in love from day 1. It’s been like a slow ride because I didn’t hear from that as much. You never know.”
“I don’t know as far as what I want to major in. As far as football I just want to go where I can win and where I have to earn my position instead of having it given to me and just keep working hard and stay humble.”
(8/30 on OB) "I haven't heard from Oklahoma. I haven't had any kind of contact from Oklahoma. I saw it on a website that Texas was interested so I might look into Texas too."
(5/24 on OB): “They say because of Oklahoma, Texas doesn't have a chance. That's not true. Everyone is equal. I'm going to take my time, take official visits to see what each school is about."
"I can see myself at Oklahoma but I really don't want to follow in my brother's footsteps. I want to make my own path.”
"I really want to go where I can win. I don't want to go somewhere just to start, I want to work and earn my position. I don't want it just handed to me."
/6. A’Shawn Robinson/DL-OL/Fort Worth Arlington Heights
A’Shawn Robinson Highlights
Breakdown: Robinson was at Baylor's junior day last weekend and he's looking to lock down an LSU visit as well. He hasn't named any leaders publicly, but people with connections to him have indicated Texas has the early lead.
Key Quotes: (1/12/12 on OB) "I'm hoping to see the (UT) environment, meet the players, just get there and see the atmosphere of the school.
"I'm trying to get a head start on the recruiting process.
"I want to get a look at everything. I really didn't visit the whole campus, just the football facilities, the last time I was there."
(9/29 on OB) "It was cool (he said of a visit to Texas).I got to see them warm-up and see the players. I was really watching one of their d-tackles. I like the way they play."
(9/12 on OB) "I watch specific positions. I was watching the (Texas) defensive tackles. I liked it. I feel like it's something I can fit in with."
"They're high on my list. They're in the top five for sure. I'm not sure who else would be in there yet, but I know Texas would be up t
(7/6 on OB) "It really doesn't matter to me where I play. I just have to keep improving, keep it up."
"Academics and networking will be first. And just the environment of the school overall."
7. Darius James/OL/Harker Heights
Darius james Highlights
Breakdown: He's a lock to be offered and people who have talked to him have said James is all but set to come to Texas. He has mentioned taking a junior day visit to Oklahoma but that probably won't happen if he does commit to UT on or around the Texas junior day visit.
Key Quotes: (8/14 on OB) “I think my top three right now is OU, Baylor, and UT. I’ve always loved UT because being in Texas that’s always been the top school. Baylor, it’s like the hometown for my family. Most of my family lives in Waco and I’ve just always had a feel for them too. And OU, I love to win and that’s what they do best so I like them a lot.”
(6/7 on OB): "I've always thought (Texas was) a good school, so nothing really changed. I felt very comfortable.
(5/11 on OB): "I went to a couple of Baylor games. I went to a couple of UT camps last year. I went to an OSU camp last year and I went to an OU camp. I'm just trying to have fun during this whole process."
“I play center, nose guard, and defensive end. All of them are really fun. It’s basically I do whatever I can do to help my team, so wherever they need me to play I’ll play. When I first got here I was supposed to play a little bit of guard but I guess they needed me at center so I played center. They needed me at nose so I played nose. Defense, it’s fun because they never know what you’re going to do because you don’t have one set skill position so you’re just doing whatever needs to be done.”
8. Dontre Wilson/RB/DeSoto
Dontre Wilson Junior Highlights
Breakdown: He has said Texas is among his favorites and he plans to attend the Texas junior day. Oregon is a school he has liked for some time now and they could be the biggest competition for the Longhorns when it comes to gaining a commitment from him.
Key Quotes: (1/25/12 on TigersIllustrated) "Oregon, Oklahoma State, Texas and Oklahoma," Wilson listed in order. "I like Oregon's style of offense and what they do with the ball."
(10/28 on OB) “It’s really all of the offenses (UT) runs. They’re all fast tempo offenses. They put a lot running backs in the league and Oregon is just having a lot of success right now and I just want to be a part of that right now.”
“The way they’re getting Fozzy Whittaker the ball. What he is at Texas that’s me at DeSoto. The way they’re getting him the ball is pretty good.”
(7/17 on OB) "The Texas camp, it was a pretty good camp. Coach (Major) Applewhite, he's a good running back coach and it was a good learning experience. It's a competitive camp. A lot of the top prospects in Texas at running back and linebacker were there. It was a pretty tough camp but I still showed well.
"I don't have a No. 1 college.”
(6/6 on AggieYell): "The main schools are Texas and Oklahoma. They're battling trying to get me but there's a lot more schools and stuff. A&M is on me a little and Missouri has offered me. I'm going to visit Oregon, Missouri, and Alabama this summer."
9. Jake Oliver/WR/Dallas Jesuit
Jake Oliver Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Oliver is expected to be at OU's junior day this weekend. He's said publicly that he's keeping an open mind but there's a lot of talk that Texas has the early inside track. Possible early commit? Not out of the question./
Key Quotes: (1/20/12 on OB) - "I grew up watching Texas. It's just one of those schools that are high up there. I have great relationship with the coaches. I have talked to them for a while, have gotten to know them pretty well. It's a little closer to home, so a lot of my family and friends could come watch me play."
(9/26 on Aggie Yell) "I talked to coach Wyatt (at the Texas-Rice game) and he said that they were going to offer me. That's the only one since school started. The rest came during the summer. There's a ton of people adding me on Facebook…Les Miles, all the schools from Texas and Oklahoma and Arkansas. Not all of them are head coaches.
"I've gotten a lot of mail. There's a big drawer full of it. I've got to find a bigger box. Texas has started writing me a lot. A&M, Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama, LSU, Oregon, Purdue, TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma… a bunch of different schools are writing me.
"All of the little front office girls at A&M decorate my name. Texas' letters are cool. They are shiny burnt orange. I like all of them. There's handwritten ones from A&M and Arizona."
(9/6 on OB) "My dad knows quite a bit of the coaches from Texas. The head strength coach (Bennie Wylie) was a running back at Sam Houston State while my dad was the offensive coordinator there. My dad also knows coach (Darrell) Wyatt pretty well. So we talked with him and asked how they were going to be, things like that."
"I had a lot of fun. Going down there with friend, he's a huge Texas fan, we had a really good time. Texas looked better than last year, so that was impressive. Overall, atmosphere was great. It was fun."
(7/8 on OB) "I'm really open at this point. I've narrowed it down somewhat, but not that much. People say just because my dad went to A&M I'm going there, but I'm keeping my options open and seeing what's best for me."
(6/20 on Aggie Yell): “September 1 is the first day they can write me. At the A&M spring game, I talked to coach Sherman. My dad is friends with coach McElroy at Texas Tech. He coached with him. The receivers coach at Arizona went to Jesuit.”
(6/10 on OB): “I’ve been two or three games,” Oliver said. “My best friend is a diehard Longhorn fan and I go out there with him. I’ve been about three or four times in the last two or three years.”
(4/27 on Rivals): "I went to two games at Oklahoma last year and a game at Texas last year. My brother is a student at Oklahoma. He's a freshman there. I went to the Big 12 title game in Dallas to see them too. Oklahoma has a lot of tradition and the whole state of Oklahoma is behind them. The A&M versus Texas game last Thanksgiving was pretty fun too. In Texas, everyone knows who the players are at those schools and the campuses are big with lots of students."
10. Jake Raulerson/OL-DL/Celina
Jake Raulerson Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Raulerson already has offers from just about any school you can think of. He's said publicly that Texas and Stanford are standing out (he visited Stanford recently) but the Longhorns are on solid footing in this one. There’s a feeling that Raulerson is a strong early offer/commitment candidate for the Longhorns.
Key Quotes (1/22/12 on OB) "It was a great visit (to UT). We got to meet with some of the academic people at the start and it was just a great visit overall. I had a really good time.
"I got to hang out with guys like Josh Cochran, Jaxon Shipley. It was a lot of fun hanging out with them. They're really, really good guys. It shows how good the guys are at Texas. We hung out a little bit and I got the players' perspective, saw the dorm rooms and things like that.
"Coach (Stacy) Searels was talking to me about how he thinks I can play any position on the line. Coach (Bryan) Harsin and (Manny) Diaz actually thought of playing me at defensive end and switching me in for some tight end packages throughout the game. I thought that was pretty awesome to tell me that. It's an offensive lineman's dream to get to play some tight end.
"It was just a great visit. The 2012 guys had a good time. Once 2013 rolls around, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. It was really good experience. It was a lot of fun to talk to those guys, ask them questions about the process, about everything. They're really good dudes and they're going to do great things next year."
"I liked my (UT) jersey. But I'm still weighing my options."
(10/17 on SoonerScoop) "Everything went good. I had never been to an OU-Texas game before.
"It was a very good atmosphere and it was really loud out there but it was a lot of fun being able to watch the game.
"Just about every single one of the (Texas) commits was there and I got to hang out with Hassan Ridgeway, Johnathan Gray, and all of them. It was fun to hang out with them for a while.
"I was a little bit surprised by it. Oklahoma is a great team and Texas is an up and coming team. Going into the game I wasn't real sure if Texas was going to be able to pull it off but I didn't think it would end up like that.”
(9/8 on OB) "It was a good visit. I thought it was an awesome experience to be able to go to that game. I had only been to one other game prior to that at Oklahoma State. Texas' stadium a lot bigger than Oklahoma State. It was a very good atmosphere. It was a great experience to see that.
"I thought the atmosphere was great (at Texas A&M). The crowd was unbelievable. The traditions there, it was pretty awesome to see that. I got to see all their chants. One of the cool things, the entire stadium was swaying back and forth. It's kind of unbelievable to see that. I was blown away when I saw that."
"I can't wait for that Texas - A&M game. I'll be there for sure."
"I'm not really going to rank any schools right now. I'm kind of just seeing how everybody is. I'm just trying to give everyone a look, find the school that's best for me."
(6/27/ on OB) "It's been a great recruiting process. I've been to maybe six or seven colleges in the last two weeks and it's been a fun ride being able to go down to Texas, OU, OSU, TCU, and going out to the SEC schools like Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas. It's just been a great ride being able to go out there and see all these great schools and programs and compete against the best in the nation."
"It's great because Alabama was talking to me about playing Jack linebacker. OSU, playing me at center. TCU, playing me at defensive end. A bunch of different schools and different positions. Texas actually said I could play either side of the ball so it's up in the air for them. I'll play wherever is needed. I'm not a selfish guy. It's wherever it's going to help the team. I just want to play."
"I talked to coach Mack Brown and he said he loved me and the coaches loved me at both positions. He said 'D-line or o-line, it doesn't matter where you play we just want you to play at Texas. We'll see what happens but you can play anywhere in the nation.' They liked it."
(6/21 on Tidesports): "(An Alabama offer) would be huge. I am a big SEC fan, and Alabama is a great school with a lot of tradition. It would be awesome, and I am super excited."
"I don't really have a leading college right now. I'm just trying to focus on the upcoming season and trying to win a championship."
(6/14 on Soonerscoop): "Proximity to home is a big part of my decision and playing somewhere close to home. Nothing too bad but I could take a three hour trip and that's fine with me. I'm not saying that is the most important thing but it will definitely play a part in my decision and I got to love the coaching staff. Education is a big, big part of my decision as well because getting a great degree is important. Football has got to end somewhere and you have to have a good foundation to go off of. Then lastly just the atmosphere of the college is a big key for me. I got to love the campus and I got to love being there.
"(There is) definitely a very big interest in Oklahoma. I'm excited about the offer and I'll definitely be back up for games to watch but my first priority is winning a state championship and all this college stuff is fun along the way."
(6/5 on OB): "I talked with coach Searles, coach Giles and Coach Brown and they all said that they wanted me. Of course, Coach Searles wants me offense and Coach Giles wants me for defense, but Coach Brown said that I could play anywhere for them."
"All I have to say is its Texas. I love Texas. I love the staff and I love the environment."
11. Will Barrows/CB/Dallas Skyline
Will Barrows Highlights
Breakdown: Barrows is a big-time talent and figures to be a national prospect, but the Longhorns aren’t a factor in his recruitment right now.
12. Isaiah Golden/DT/Elysian Fields
Isaiah Golden Highlights
Breakdown: Golden committed to Texas A&M last week and it remains to be seen just how first that commitment will remain over the coming months.
Key Quotes: (7/5 on PurpleMenace) "I actually like Oregon and I like TCU. I haven't been there [TCU], I just watch them play a lot on T.V. They're a pretty good team with a lot of structure. They don't look like they have a lot of big guys that's why I think I could do good there."
"Location will matter, I don't want to go too far from home. Playing time, I want to go somewhere and work out and do my best and hopefully be starting by my sophomore year."
(6/18 on OB): "Just getting out of Elysian Fields and be what I can be. I'm trying to be the best. I'm trying to get more colleges looking at me pretty much and stay strong, stay in the weight room and get bigger."
13. Antwuan Davis/CB/Bastrop
Anwaun Davis Highlights
Breakdown: Davis emerged as a Longhorn lean in the fall, but a back injury has a few programs tapping the breaks a tad this spring, but almost every school in the Big 12 is recruiting him, with Baylor representing his first offer. If the Longhorns make a move on Davis, he’ll be all ears.
Key Quotes (11/22 on PurpleMenace) "I'm still real high on Texas and TCU and A&M isn't showing a lot of interest so I don't know about them.”
"I like that even better because everything works out perfect. If I go to Texas and they have a game against TCU my family will be able to come or if I go to TCU they'll still be able to come. It plays a big role for my family, a lot of my family lives over there (Ft. Worth), it really helps both sides. I could enjoy going to both schools."
(10/21 on OB) "So far, every (UT game) I went to, they've won. I wondered how it would be if they lost. I planned on them beating them but Oklahoma State won. I went to locker room, everyone was still hyped up. The coaches were still proud of the kids. It's a young team, for them to perform like that against the No. 6 team, that's good. The coaches understand they're young."
"They're still high on my list. That game, that really showed the character of the coaches and the difference between winning and losing. It matters, but you have to get better and they got better in that game."
(6/24/11 on AggieYell) "I would like to stay in Texas, I like the Big 12 and SEC teams the most but I won’t limit myself to staying in Texas. "
(6/20 on Purplemenace): "I was looking at A&M but I haven't got anything from them," he said. "TCU, Texas and Baylor. I'm looking at those schools. Hopefully A&M will work out. My favorite growing up was Texas, but the last three years I've been to A&M track meets and my cousin ran there and I decided I liked the environment."
(6/7 on OB): "I'd say it's really A&M. If I wanted to go to any school right now, that's what I would do.”
"They're close. Any school that can send almost every DB to the NFL must be doing something right. That's why I tried to get involved with coach Akina. He knows how to treat a cornerback.
"The Texas program in general has always been on top. I don't ever remember many times Texas being down. I know if I went to Texas, their program is always going to be on the top of the game."
14. Marcell Ateman/WR/Wylie East
Marcell Ateman Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Ateman has emerged as a true national prospect and his interest has turned from coast to coast in recent months. The Longhorns have shown him interest, but he appears to rank behind Paul Oliver and Ra’Shaad Samples on their early wish list.
Key Quotes: (1/10/12 on TheWolverine) "I grew up being from Texas, so I always liked Texas, but that was when I was little. [The early offers from other schools] show that they're interested, and they really like me, so it looks really good."
"I'm supposed to take some visits, but I'm not sure. I'm supposed to go take a lot of my visits. Not my official visits, but a lot of my unofficial visits. I'm going to try to [go to Michigan]. I'll try to get up there sometime this summer."
(9/9 on OB) “Just the schools that were on me at the beginning - Tennessee, Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas those are schools who were showing me how much they wanted me last year.”
“I’m trying to go to a couple of games. I’ll just have to see how it works out. I don’t think I’ll go to a game this weekend but maybe in the next few weeks. My dad is trying to figure it all out.”
(8/10 on Volquest) "I know I'm going to go check out a game at Oklahoma and Texas and Tennessee, probably when they play LSU.”
(7/7 on OB) "I went to Texas for an unofficial visit. It was pretty good. That was probably my first time seeing their facilities and everything. They showed me around to the academic staff and the coaching staff and went more in detail on everything."
"I'm just staying open-minded about all that.”
(6/16 on SoonerScoop) "When I was growing up, Texas was always a school that I liked, you know just being from here. My freshman year I went to camp and heard some but since then I haven't heard much from them. I would also like to hear from some other schools in the SEC," he explained.
"Really I look at the school, but I look at the coaching staff and see if I can interact with them and fit in with them and stuff like that and I don't want to go to an offense where they run an 'I-formation' offense all the time but just an offense that distributes the ball, they throw the ball and the school I've got to find a major I'm interested in."
15. J.J. Gustafson/OL/Dallas Jesuit
J.J. Gustafson Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Gustafson’s stock has been talking off like wildfire in the last few months, as schools all over the country throw their hats into the ring. The Longhorns haven’t been quite as strong in their pursuit as the likes of Arkansas, Baylor, A&M and Tech.
Key quotes: (1/25/12 on RedRaiderSports) "No one sticks out more than the others right now. I don't really know enough about the schools to really have any favorites. I don't know enough about them yet."
(1/19/12 on PurpleMenace) "A big deciding factor [would be] definitely a family feel to the school, a school that's got some tradition to it and a school that offers some good academic possibilities in addition to football.”
"It's definitely a factor, but not a big one," Gustafson said of playing close to home. "My family wants me to be happy where I'm going to be playing, and if that's far away then I'm sure they will be supporting that."
(9/29 on OB) "TCU is a program that has been built on hard work and fights to prove themselves every week and they've consistently done it. OU has a program full of tradition and it's just OU - it's a phenomenal school. The same with Texas and Texas A&M. Texas A&M, obviously, I have family ties and that's who I grew up rooting for so they are on my list because I know about the whole school. Then Texas because they have a phenomenal program and their coaching staff is very talented and they have some of the best athletes in the nation. All four of those schools have the best athletes in the nation."
16. Keith Ford/RB/Cy Ranch
Keith Ford Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Ford is receiving interest from most of the Big 12 schools, but the Longhorns have not pursued him as hard as schools like Oklahoma and Texas Tech. He seems to be a guy that’s fairly open in the recruiting process.
Key quotes: (1/10/12) Ford’s dad: "Texas Tech, they've been hitting Keith up pretty hard. We talked to them on the phone not too long ago, during the season. From my experiences with Texas Tech, they've always been a passing team. However, with (Coach Tuberville), they're transitioning to more of a fifty-fifty offense. That's basically what they were attempting to sell to us. When they went on to beat Oklahoma, they went on to say that was the reason why.
"We probably will. We did an unofficial visit already to Oklahoma, but I'm pretty sure we will do it. We travel as a family. I'm pretty sure we'll have a short list probably by the end of the spring and those will be the times that we conduct the unofficial visits."
(12/26 on OB) "I'm just keeping an open mind for everybody. I want to go to right school that's the right fit for me. I want to focus on what school will be the right choice for the next three of four years.
"To me, it's where I'm comfortable, where my parents are comfortable. It's the coaches, the relationship with the coaches that I have, the depth that they have, things like that. And just the overall environment.
"They said they're going to recruit me hard and they're very interested. The coaches (Oscar Giles and Major Applewhite) have come by the school. I like the history they have, Mack Brown, their program and the recruits they bring in and their schemes."
(7/28 on OB) "I'm just trying to see what school where I fit in best. I really don't have a favorite school. I used to be a huge Florida fan but I didn't want to go there because it wasn't the best fit."
17. Fred Ross/WR/John Tyler
Breakdown: Ross is starting to receive a lot of attention from most of the schools that recruit the Big 12, but the Longhorns aren’t really a school that’s heavily involved in his recruitment right now.
18. James White/RB/Pearland Dawson
James White Junior Highlights
Breakdown: White attended Baylor's junior day last weekend and he's considering the UT junior day on Feb 25 (an LSU visit is also being considered). He said last week that he's not in a huge rush to make a decision, but would like to make a move before his senior year begins. He hasn't really talked specific favorites but UT is high on his list.
Key Quotes: (1/26/12 on OB) "I'm really excited about going up to Baylor. I really can't wait to see what the campus is like and meet some of the coaches and get to know them. I've heard they have really good academics and that it is really nice up there. I have a couple of friends that went to Baylor."
"I went up there for a camp and I really do like Austin," he said of Texas. "It's really nice. And once again I can establish more of a relationship with the coaches."
"It's been pretty good. It is pretty convenient that he is the running backs coach and is the recruiter for my area," White said of Major Applewhite. "He's a really cool guy."
"Not really, it's whatever I fall in love with. I'm really looking forward to the academic part. To me a school should have good academics and have people around there that love the school and I'll feed off of that and go from there."
(9/12 on RedRaiderSports): "Nothing really, I've just gotten letters about the (A&M) game schedule and stuff. I'm going to try and catch a couple games. That's really pretty much it from them, too."
(6/14 on OB): "It was fun. I really did like the experience," White said of the UT camp. "I felt pretty comfortable with him. He was just telling me how to get better, things like that. He gave me a few drills that I can work on.
"I liked the environment. I like the way they treat their players. They're really there for them. I like the way the coaches treat me up there."
"They're sitting up there pretty high. Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Alabama and LSU are kind of standing out right now."
(5/23 on OB): "Of course, my dream school is Miami but I really do like Texas A&M. Miami, I've been watching them since I was a little kid and I like how they play ball. I've always liked them. Texas A&M, I just like the way their offense is. It's a balanced offense but I like how they use their tailback in the running game and the passing game."
19. Brett Wade/LB/Kennedale
Breakdown: Wade was once a pretty strong A&M lean, but his recruitment has opened back up and publicly he is maintaining an open position among a group of about five.
Key quotes: (1/17/12 on OB) "A&M and Kansas State stuck out early, but A&M has dropped a little with the coaching change and Kansas State is still right there near the top like they have from the beginning. Kansas State was the first offer. Other than that, I'm liking OU and OSU. We'll just have to see."
"I'm looking at location and engineering programs and what their football is like. I would like to play in the SEC because it's hard nose football and that's what I like to play, but we'll have to see where that goes."
(10/11 on OB) "I haven't talked to (Manny Diaz) personally but he talked to my coach and wrote me another letter. He was saying he was getting on a flight no matter what that night so he couldn't stay, but he's still as interested as he was before. He's going to come to more games and he said he's going to take his time recruiting me.
"I'm really close with the coaches from A&M right now. They were kind of there in the very beginning. Them, Texas and Kansas State are probably the three biggest because I actually talk to the coaches there. My coach tells me other coaches call but I haven't talked to them directly."
(9/29 on OB) "I'm really close with the coaches from A&M right now. They were kind of there in the very beginning. Them, Texas and Kansas State are probably the three biggest because I actually talk to the coaches there. My coach tells me other coaches call but I haven't talked to them directly."
20. Raaquan Davis/DB/Rockwall-Heath
Raaquan Davis Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Davis updated on Thursday night that he has Junior Days scheduled in the coming weeks with Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas A&M. He attended Baylor’s Junior Day last week and they became his first offer. At this point, the Bears are a slight player and the Longhorns are not involved.
Key quotes: (8/30 on OB) "For my major, I want to do pre-med. So I really want to go somewhere with a good med school," Davis said. "School is the biggest thing. I want to go to a school where I can get my paper, something that I can show people and it will mean something. Football doesn't last forever.
"It would also be nice to go to a school that has a defense like we run so I can get into it quickly. A school with a long tradition that they can hold onto is good. A winning program isn't that important. I want to go to a school and make a difference."
21. Devin Lauderdale/WR/Houston Bellaire
Devin Laudersale Sophomore Highlights
Breakdown: Lauderdale, who is a standout on both sides of the football, picked up more than a couple of offers during his junior season. The 5-11 athlete holds offers from Colorado, Baylor, Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech, and Notre Dame. During the season he visited both A&M and Rice. Also, Lauderdale was on Baylor's junior day list last week and the Bears have probably been recruiting him the most along with the Aggies. He indicated during the season he would start to make a lot of visits once his season was over, and the Notre Dame offer was one that really excited him.
22. Chevoski Collins/WR/Livingston
Chevoski Collins at the Army Bowl Combine
Breakdown: Collins ripped it up at the Texas camp in June, but he hasn’t yet emerged as a possible offer target early in the recruiting process. As it stands, the Longhorns are among a group of schools that he’s interested in, but if they offer, the Longhorns will be in a prime position.
Key quotes: (1/17/12 on RedRaiderSports) "They write me every week. Coach (Darrell) Wyatt came down a couple of weeks ago, visited with my coaches and stuff like that. He said they wanted to get me down there for a junior day and things like that."
"I want to say Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, and TCU (favorite schools in no order)."
(1/9/12 on OB) Alabama - They've really been good the past few years. Their coaches do a lot and I'm ready to see them play LSU in the national championship on Monday.
LSU - I just like coach (Les) Miles, what he's doing down there with them. They have a really good team.
Oklahoma - I just like the coaching staff, coach (Bob) Stoops. They have a really good program going up there. They know what they're doing up there.
Oklahoma State - They've built a good program in the past couple years and they're doing really well. They played a good game against Stanford too. Justin Blackmon is a beast.
TCU - The big thing about them, they've moved to the Big 12, so that's going to give them a chance at the national championship. That's going to help them and that's going to make a lot of people want to go there with them playing in that conference.
Texas - I really like Texas a lot. From experience, I have a cousin that goes there (Cedric) Reed. And coach Mack Brown runs a really good program. They have a lot of young guys, should be really good really soon
(8/17 on OB) "I think people were talking about me (at the Texas camp) because I was beating a lot of DBs off the line, getting open, running my routes well. I made a lot of catches and even on the difficult balls, I was catching them too."
"TCU and Texas are my top two. Then it would be OU and then A&M. I'm kind of looking at Texas over TCU right now. I just like their program. They always have a good program and it's just a good school to go to."
(6/28 on OB) "Really it's Texas and TCU. Texas A&M has been showing a lot of interest. They've been showing the most so far. Texas and TCU have been showing some pretty good interest."
"When I was younger I used to like Texas a lot, but as I got older like in junior high I started liking TCU," he said.
(6/20 on OB): "At this point I really like TCU and Texas.
"TCU, I just like their program. They have a good program going on and they've been doing some really good things. I like Texas a lot. I grew up watching Texas ever since I was little. They always have a good program and that's a really good place to be."
"Coach Wyatt said he wants to get me back up there to work on some things I need a little bit of help on. Coach Applewhite said I looked good out there and they asked me to keep in touch.”
"It was really good. There were some good people out there and I wanted to see what I could do against people who will compete with you. I really enjoyed it."
23. Ra’Shaad Samples/WR/Dallas Skyline/
Ra’Shaad Samples Junior Highlights
Breakdown: There was some talk of Samples attending LSU's junior day this weekend but he's not going to be able to make it. His next trip will be to Austin and Texas has made it clear they really want him. He talks to coach Wyatt quite a bit. We think he will be offered but he said today he is not in a hurry to make a decision. We've seen that change though once a guy makes it to campus.
Key Quotes: (2/2/12 on Aggieyell) "I spent the night after the (A&M) visit with my sister. She graduates with a masters in accounting this May. I just had my other sister get her masters too. I know a couple of guys down there. I knew Ben Malena and Domonique Patterson went to Skyline too. It felt like home."
(2/2/12 on RedRaiderSports) "I get the most interest -- I actually talk to coach Brown at Texas Tech. I have a pretty good relationship with him as well as with some coaches at Texas A&M and Alabama."
(6/12 on OB): "I'm not sure if I can say favorite, but I can say that I liked Texas a lot today. And I want to get a chance to check out Cal and see how the others camps go, so we'll see. I'll be able to tell you better at the end of the summer."
24. Paul Whitmill/LB/Bastrop
Paul Whitmill Sophomore Highlights
Breakdown: Whitmill has been tough to get information on lately because he’s just not a big fan of the interview process. At this point, it’s hard to tell who leads for his services, but the Longhorns haven’t been seriously involved at just about any point.
Key Quotes: (8/5 on OB) “Oklahoma, TCU, and A&M those are my three favorites.”
(6/11 on OB): "Oklahoma. I just like the way they play defense," Whitmill said when asked if he had a favorite.
25. Ben Hughes/DT/Waco University
Ben Hughes Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Hughes is a little behind some of his peers in the recruiting game and he’s just starting to consider visits and schools. The Longhorns are not involved in his recruitment at this stage.
Key quotes: "I really don't have any favorites. They're all just coming up and surprising me. I'm trying to not get big headed about it all," Hughes said.
On Texas: "I like their fans and their teammates. I know they had their ups and downs, but they come back hard all four quarters. But I've never been down there for a game.”
26. Laquvionte Gonzales/Ath/Cedar Hill
Laquvionte Gonzales Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Gonzales has showed an interest in schools all over the reason and it’s possible that he’s a guy that could be a true national prospect from the Lone Star State. The Longhorns are not a serious player at this stage of his recruitment.
Key quotes: (1/24/12 on TigerIllustrated) "West Virginia, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, LSU, Notre Dame and Clemson (in order). I love the coach (Dana Holgorsen) there and I love how fast their offense is."
(4/17 on OB) "I went to Austin. It was a good environment. I saw good players and a good team and everything like that.”
27. Robbie Rhodes/Ath/Fort Worth Southwest
Robbie Rhodes Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Rhodes seems to be a kid that seems to be just starting to get serious about the recruiting process. With an early offer from Texas Tech under his belt, expect his name to be called a lot by the schools that recruit the state this spring.
Key quotes: (11/23 on OB) "I've been getting a lot of letters from Oklahoma St., Utah, Texas Tech, Oregon and Texas A&M.”
28. Kohl Stewart/QB/Houston St. Pius X
Kohl Stewart Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Stewart is an Aggie legacy and committed in July. His status hasn’t changed since Kevin Sumlin took the job.
Key quotes: (9/5 on AggieYell) "I am looking forward to meeting some more of these guys. The 2012 class is pretty good, everybody knows that, and the 2013 class is looking like it is going to shape up pretty well so I am looking forward to getting to know some more of these guys and also getting a chance to watch A&M at Kyle Field that is going to be great."
29. J.T. Barrett/QB/Wichita Falls Rider
J.T. Barrett Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Barrett will be at OU's junior day this weekend (he's already hit Texas Tech and Baylor) and he's scheduled to be at UT's Feb 25 junior day. There's been a lot of talk of Texas leading and Barrett being a possible early commit candidate, but he told us this week he wants to slow things down a bit.
Key quotes: (1/30/12 on RedRaiderSports) "I don't have any schools that I could put in the top five right now. I'm just taking it all in. As far as making a decision, I plan to graduate high school early, so I'll probably (make a decision) during football season."
(1/1/6 on HuskersOnline) "I'm looking for a school where I just know I'm going to be comfortable the next four years of my life. Whether that be Oregon, Connecticut, Washington, I mean wherever it may be, I'm willing to travel. The distance, my mom and dad would like me to stay close to home, but I just want to be sure it's the right college for me.
"Our coach is like a father to me and to be in a college town, that feel of being part of a college town, I just want to feel like that whole city is behind you. Then of course the academics so you can have success after football [is important]."
(10/21 on OB) “I went to Oklahoma for the Oklahoma/Missouri game and I felt their city really had a college feel like you would imagine a college town. Norman has it. I like how Oklahoma fans really stick together. I say that because I went to the Oklahoma/Texas game and they would yell Boomer Sooner and it didn’t matter who you were or if they knew you people would yell it people would respond to it. So they always stick together.”
“It would be Texas, Baylor, then Oklahoma. Those are the ones I’ve really heard from. Texas, I talk to the quarterback coach all the time. Baylor, they sent me a handwritten letter. Oklahoma, I’ve been to a game in Norman and I talked to coach Gundy. It’s really just me getting a feel for what the college is like.”
“My plan is to go to college and play quarterback. I’m not trying to play receiver or something else. Since I was in fourth grade I’ve played quarterback. Last year I played some receiver and I didn’t like it that much. I know how it feels. It’s not like I just haven’t experienced it. I know how it feels and I really didn’t care for it.”
30. Ellis Jefferson/WR/Denton Guyer
Breakdown: Jefferson is receiving interest from schools all over the state, but the Longhorns have not been involved much in his recruitment to date. He’s a guy we’ll be checking with on Friday for a little more comprehensive update.
39. Vincent Taylor/DT/San Antonio Madison
Vincent Taylor Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Texas is in the mix and we think they will make a strong impression when he visits. Right now, LSU is the team to beat for the San Antonio area Defensive Player of the Year.
Key Quotes: (1/13/12 on OB) “It was a blessing just knowing I had an opportunity to go up to Texas for a junior day. It shows me that I’ve been working hard on and off the field and I’m blessed and schools are taking notice and it’s good to have another invitation for junior day.”
“Just knowing that they were one of the schools that sent an invitation to junior day shows that they want to explore their interest in me. “I’m looking forward to going up there for junior day in February to see what it’s like.”
(9/22 on OB) "Right now, LSU, TCU, Texas and Texas A&M - that's like my basic top four right now. My top three would probably be Texas, Texas A&M and LSU. Those are my top three it will probably come down to."
(6/26 on PurpleMenace) "Texas A&M," he answered when asked of a current favorite. "I went up there to watch them play their spring game and I saw the campus and met the coaching staff so that was pretty good. I fell in love with it. A&M is sticking out more, but everyone is pretty even."
(6/14 on OB): "It was pretty good and awesome. I got to see what other players look like outside of San Antonio and how I compare to those people and how that will make me better as a player," Taylor said following the UT camp. "I did get a chance to check out the facilities but I also watched the camp too."
"They're pretty big and pretty strong so that going to make me work harder at what I do and stay in the weight room," Taylor said.
"It was good just going there," Taylor said. "The people there were really nice and they really care about their college football team."
(5/10 on OB): "LSU, because I'm from New Orleans so New Orleans will always be home, so I feel like I'll cheer for my home team.”
43. Kameron Miles/S/West Mesquite
Kameron Miles Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Miles has seen his stock skyrocket and Texas will be a player. I'm not sure he's a guy who will commit on the spot if offered, but he's a guy that is certainly talented enough to receive one. He has seen a number of programs come on strong lately picking up a Northwestern offer on signing day.
Key quotes: (1/11/12 on OB) "(Bruce Chambers) is a real, real, real cool dude. He's down to earth and very cool. I think we have a good relationship."
"I've liked them since I was in middle school. I was a big Vince Young fan so I just loved Texas."
"Bama for sure," Miles said when asked about his top schools. "The tradition and I looked up some things about their safeties and there's a lot of them in the league right now."
(11/16 on OB) "It really doesn't matter. I just want to go to college.”
46. Deon Hollins/DE/Fort Bend Marshall
Deon Hollins Jr. Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Hollins has been in communication with the Longhorns and coach Giles has made a strong impression. He picked up offers from Washington and Duke and he'll be at the Texas junior day. Coach Giles and coach Diaz have both been down to check him out. Giles likes him as an edge rusher. If Texas offers, he could be a Longhorn.
NR. Naashon Hughes/Ath/Harker Heights
Naashon Hughes Junior Highlights
Breakdown: The younger brother of current Longhorn freshman Camrhon Hughes, Naashon has said publicly that he's not sure if he'll commit if he picks up a UT offer during junior day visit. Assuming he gets offered, we're fully expecting this one to happen.
Key quotes: (1/20/12 on OB) "I like basically everything about Texas - the atmosphere of playing there. It's just Texas really, playing under coach (Mack) Brown and everything. It's one of the better schools in the nation. If you get a chance to play there, who wouldn't jump on it?"
NR. Ismael Wilson/OL/Dallas Bishop Dunne
Breakdown: Wilson has made it pretty clear he likes LSU. He plans to attend the Tigers junior day this weekend and if he’s offered I think he could go ahead and make a decision before ever making it to Austin.
Things are about to pick up on the 2013 recruiting front for the Longhorns, which means it’s time to consume every piece of information possible on the elite prospects in the Lone Star State. Although we plan on updating the LSR Top 100 for2013 this week, here’s an in-depth look at the top players in the state, as well as all in-state prospects invited to the first Junior Day in Austin next weekend.
Take a deep breath…. Here we go…
1. Tyrone Swoopes/QB/Whitewright
Tyrone Swoopes Highlights
Breakdown: Lots of guessing going on with this one. Some think he'll commit to Texas early but that's not what we're hearing. He'll be at OU this weekend and the Sooners are very much a player. Give Texas a slight lead right now.
Key Quotes: (1/13/12 on OB) "I went with a couple of kids from Van Alstyne (Alex and Connor Mayes) that I know," Swoopes said of TCU. "We just viewed the campus and they were showing us where they're building the new locker rooms and all the new stuff. It was pretty cool. They said some of it would be done by the time I would be a freshman there so I thought it was pretty cool and be pretty cool to play there if I did go there."
"Me and my mom and my dad went down there and we talked to coach (Josh) Heupel a little bit and went on the field for pregame to watch the warm up and stuff," he said of Oklahoma. "Then we watched the game and after the game I went into the locker room and heard coach (Bob) Stoops talk to everyone after the game. Then I talked to coach Heupel and then I got to meet a couple of the players and then we left. That was pretty cool too. I liked it."
"I went down there with my uncle because I think my dad was out of town on work," Swoopes said of Texas. "We went down and they have a program called Texas Angels and this girl escorted me around the trophy rooms and the academic center and we went on the field for pregame and watched the game. Then after the game I went into the locker room and got to talk to coach (Bryan) Harsin and coach (Bruce) Chambers a little bit. Then we left. I liked that one too. It was pretty fun. There were a lot of people."
"Getting to see the coaches again that I met and hopefully getting to see some of the players that I watch on TV and stuff," he said.
"I'd have to visit the schools first and see if I'm comfortable with the campus and the coaches, but I don't know when I'll make a decision and decide where I want to go," he said.
“I went to a camp down there and I got to talk to coach Harsin a lot and coach Chambers and I got to talk to coach Brown a little bit. I call coach Harsin and coach Chambers every once in a while just to check in and stuff. It’s been fun.”
“I’m keeping my options open and seeing what I can get. I’m not turning anyone down or shutting anyone out right now because I don’t know what I can get. I’m seeing what I can get for now and then I’ll start narrowing it down when the time comes.”
(11/14 on OB) "That's pretty much all I've done (visit OU). I liked it a lot. It was pretty fun. I got to go on the sidelines before the game, watch them warm up. Then after the game, I got to go in the locker room and see the team after the game, talk to coach (Bob) Stoops a little bit. It was just overall a good experience."
"I called coach (Bryan) Harsin a couple weeks ago. They've sent letters, but I haven't really talked to anybody on the phone in a couple weeks.”
"I don't really have a set list of (favorites). I haven't really got to visit all the places I want to yet.”
(8/13 on OB) "(The visit to TCU) was fun. I got to go out there and watch them scrimmage. I got to talk to some coaches and a couple of the players. It was just really fun."
"I like Texas a lot. I like the offense they run, I like the coaches and I just like the place."
(6/30 on PurpleMenace.com) "Not really, I'm just still kind of looking," he said of favorites. "I'm not too worried about it at the moment, I'll look at it more down the road."
"I just like all the coaches because they've been there since I was a sixth grader. And since I'm from a small town, I like the small college atmosphere. It makes me feel more at home. I just like the people and pretty much everything. Coach Fuente and Coach Sharp are both recruiting me. I like them both, they both make me feel comfortable. They're cool people to be around."
(6/17/11 on OB) "TCU, I've just been going to their camps and stuff since I was in fifth or sixth grade. They've had all the same coaches since I've been there. I've gotten to know the coaches. I like their staff and I like what they do on offense. I like the school."
"I like their coaches too. I didn't get to spend as much time with them as TCU, but they made me feel at home. Coach (Bruce) Chambers was my dad's high school coach so that's pretty cool. I got to talk to him a lot. And I really like their facility
"I think I showed (Bryan Harsin) that I like to work hard, I'm coachable and I'll do what it takes to win."
"I really like TCU and Texas. I like them both.”
2. Ricky Seals-Jones/WR/Sealy
Ricky Seals-Jones Highlights
Breakdown: This one looks good for UT, but the coaches will have to be delicate with how they handle it. Seals-Jones is pretty clear that he wants a shot at WR, not just at TE. LSU is making a strong push and don't rule them out.
Key Quotes: (9/9 on OB) “I’ve just been focusing on my junior season."
“I’m hearing from Texas basketball. They’ve sent me a lot of mail lately.”
(8/12 on OB) "(The Texas Longhorns) fit like a lot of schools. I'd like to play there if they gave me a chance to. If they give me a scholarship, I would for sure think about going, but I would have to talk to my parents."
(7/7/11 on TexasHoops.com) "I just want to show the scouts that I can get to college playing basketball, too. I was shocked about LSU. Not that many colleges offer for both. I'm just trying to show that I can do both.
(6/15/11 on OB): "They're a great program, they win a lot of championships and beat a lot of teams. I grew up watching Texas. My family got to liking them and I just got influenced."
(3/23 on OB): "When I was young I used to watch Texas a lot. My idol used to be Vince Young when he played and that made me want to be a quarterback and go to Texas and play.
“I really like quarterback and safety because in junior high and growing up I played quarterback and my freshman year I they put me at safety and I really liked it. Those two positions I really like.”
3. Derrick Griffin/TE/Rosenberg Terry
Derrick Griffin Highlights
Breakdown: Griffin was the first major recruiting coup for new A&M coach Kevin Sumlin.
Key Quotes: (1/6/12 on Aggie Yell) "I got a call from the Terry coaches saying he wanted to go ahead and get this done," said Rosenburg Terry coach Tim Tekyl. "So I called him and said 'You have something to tell me Derrick?' I was playing dumb. I knew already and he said he was ready to commit."
"We talked a lot Sunday and Monday. I've talked with Derrick several times this week now. We went over some things. One, I told him that while he wasn't signing anything your handshake and your word is even more powerful than that. People are going to ask you over and over again about this. Two, I asked him is this is how you want to do it and he said yes sir. Three, I told him that you are not signing anything but that you are committing, do you understand that, and he said that he did. I told him that loved him and started crying like I am now and he said that he loved me."
(5/17 on OB): "If I stay this same height, I'm going to play both in college. If I get taller, I'll probably just play basketball. I hope I don't grow any more so I can play both sports."
4. Kent Perkins/OL/Lake Highlands
Breakdown: Was at Baylor last weekend and will be at OU this weekend. He'll then head to Austin next weekend. Perkins is saying he wants to slow things down, but there's a very good chance he jumps at the UT offer.
Key Quotes: (10/23 on Rivals) "I have a whole bunch of offers but the main ones I'm focusing on are Texas, (Texas) A&M and Baylor. I visited all three of those places this summer. They were all great. I haven't had a chance to go to any games just yet though.
"I actually talked to coach (Darrell) Wyatt (from Texas) today. I also noticed the offensive line coach from Texas. He was up here watching us in pregame today. The OU offensive line coach was here too.
"It's a hard decision."
(5/18 on OB): "I'd probably say Texas. You know how they say, if you're from Texas you want to go to Texas. That's kind of the same for me.”
5. Justin Manning/DT/Dallas Kimball
Justin Manning Highlights
Breakdown: Manning will be at OU's junior day this weekend and UT's on Feb 12. There's been a lot of talk that OU is the team to beat, so it'll be interesting to hear the reports from the trip to Norman. We have heard that Texas has a good shot in this one though.
Key Quotes: (12/26 on OB) "USC is another school. Oklahoma is another top school that I like mainly because of my brother (DeMarcus Granger). That's about it as far as top schools - Texas, USC, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. I like them because they have a history of winning. I'm just trying to go where I can win. I can't be a part of a losing program."
(10/28 on OB) “I grew up watching Oklahoma, since the fifth grade. I took that visit with my brother. I fell in love from day 1. It’s been like a slow ride because I didn’t hear from that as much. You never know.”
“I don’t know as far as what I want to major in. As far as football I just want to go where I can win and where I have to earn my position instead of having it given to me and just keep working hard and stay humble.”
(8/30 on OB) "I haven't heard from Oklahoma. I haven't had any kind of contact from Oklahoma. I saw it on a website that Texas was interested so I might look into Texas too."
(5/24 on OB): “They say because of Oklahoma, Texas doesn't have a chance. That's not true. Everyone is equal. I'm going to take my time, take official visits to see what each school is about."
"I can see myself at Oklahoma but I really don't want to follow in my brother's footsteps. I want to make my own path.”
"I really want to go where I can win. I don't want to go somewhere just to start, I want to work and earn my position. I don't want it just handed to me."
/6. A’Shawn Robinson/DL-OL/Fort Worth Arlington Heights
A’Shawn Robinson Highlights
Breakdown: Robinson was at Baylor's junior day last weekend and he's looking to lock down an LSU visit as well. He hasn't named any leaders publicly, but people with connections to him have indicated Texas has the early lead.
Key Quotes: (1/12/12 on OB) "I'm hoping to see the (UT) environment, meet the players, just get there and see the atmosphere of the school.
"I'm trying to get a head start on the recruiting process.
"I want to get a look at everything. I really didn't visit the whole campus, just the football facilities, the last time I was there."
(9/29 on OB) "It was cool (he said of a visit to Texas).I got to see them warm-up and see the players. I was really watching one of their d-tackles. I like the way they play."
(9/12 on OB) "I watch specific positions. I was watching the (Texas) defensive tackles. I liked it. I feel like it's something I can fit in with."
"They're high on my list. They're in the top five for sure. I'm not sure who else would be in there yet, but I know Texas would be up t
(7/6 on OB) "It really doesn't matter to me where I play. I just have to keep improving, keep it up."
"Academics and networking will be first. And just the environment of the school overall."
7. Darius James/OL/Harker Heights
Darius james Highlights
Breakdown: He's a lock to be offered and people who have talked to him have said James is all but set to come to Texas. He has mentioned taking a junior day visit to Oklahoma but that probably won't happen if he does commit to UT on or around the Texas junior day visit.
Key Quotes: (8/14 on OB) “I think my top three right now is OU, Baylor, and UT. I’ve always loved UT because being in Texas that’s always been the top school. Baylor, it’s like the hometown for my family. Most of my family lives in Waco and I’ve just always had a feel for them too. And OU, I love to win and that’s what they do best so I like them a lot.”
(6/7 on OB): "I've always thought (Texas was) a good school, so nothing really changed. I felt very comfortable.
(5/11 on OB): "I went to a couple of Baylor games. I went to a couple of UT camps last year. I went to an OSU camp last year and I went to an OU camp. I'm just trying to have fun during this whole process."
“I play center, nose guard, and defensive end. All of them are really fun. It’s basically I do whatever I can do to help my team, so wherever they need me to play I’ll play. When I first got here I was supposed to play a little bit of guard but I guess they needed me at center so I played center. They needed me at nose so I played nose. Defense, it’s fun because they never know what you’re going to do because you don’t have one set skill position so you’re just doing whatever needs to be done.”
8. Dontre Wilson/RB/DeSoto
Dontre Wilson Junior Highlights
Breakdown: He has said Texas is among his favorites and he plans to attend the Texas junior day. Oregon is a school he has liked for some time now and they could be the biggest competition for the Longhorns when it comes to gaining a commitment from him.
Key Quotes: (1/25/12 on TigersIllustrated) "Oregon, Oklahoma State, Texas and Oklahoma," Wilson listed in order. "I like Oregon's style of offense and what they do with the ball."
(10/28 on OB) “It’s really all of the offenses (UT) runs. They’re all fast tempo offenses. They put a lot running backs in the league and Oregon is just having a lot of success right now and I just want to be a part of that right now.”
“The way they’re getting Fozzy Whittaker the ball. What he is at Texas that’s me at DeSoto. The way they’re getting him the ball is pretty good.”
(7/17 on OB) "The Texas camp, it was a pretty good camp. Coach (Major) Applewhite, he's a good running back coach and it was a good learning experience. It's a competitive camp. A lot of the top prospects in Texas at running back and linebacker were there. It was a pretty tough camp but I still showed well.
"I don't have a No. 1 college.”
(6/6 on AggieYell): "The main schools are Texas and Oklahoma. They're battling trying to get me but there's a lot more schools and stuff. A&M is on me a little and Missouri has offered me. I'm going to visit Oregon, Missouri, and Alabama this summer."
9. Jake Oliver/WR/Dallas Jesuit
Jake Oliver Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Oliver is expected to be at OU's junior day this weekend. He's said publicly that he's keeping an open mind but there's a lot of talk that Texas has the early inside track. Possible early commit? Not out of the question./
Key Quotes: (1/20/12 on OB) - "I grew up watching Texas. It's just one of those schools that are high up there. I have great relationship with the coaches. I have talked to them for a while, have gotten to know them pretty well. It's a little closer to home, so a lot of my family and friends could come watch me play."
(9/26 on Aggie Yell) "I talked to coach Wyatt (at the Texas-Rice game) and he said that they were going to offer me. That's the only one since school started. The rest came during the summer. There's a ton of people adding me on Facebook…Les Miles, all the schools from Texas and Oklahoma and Arkansas. Not all of them are head coaches.
"I've gotten a lot of mail. There's a big drawer full of it. I've got to find a bigger box. Texas has started writing me a lot. A&M, Arizona, Arkansas, Alabama, LSU, Oregon, Purdue, TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma… a bunch of different schools are writing me.
"All of the little front office girls at A&M decorate my name. Texas' letters are cool. They are shiny burnt orange. I like all of them. There's handwritten ones from A&M and Arizona."
(9/6 on OB) "My dad knows quite a bit of the coaches from Texas. The head strength coach (Bennie Wylie) was a running back at Sam Houston State while my dad was the offensive coordinator there. My dad also knows coach (Darrell) Wyatt pretty well. So we talked with him and asked how they were going to be, things like that."
"I had a lot of fun. Going down there with friend, he's a huge Texas fan, we had a really good time. Texas looked better than last year, so that was impressive. Overall, atmosphere was great. It was fun."
(7/8 on OB) "I'm really open at this point. I've narrowed it down somewhat, but not that much. People say just because my dad went to A&M I'm going there, but I'm keeping my options open and seeing what's best for me."
(6/20 on Aggie Yell): “September 1 is the first day they can write me. At the A&M spring game, I talked to coach Sherman. My dad is friends with coach McElroy at Texas Tech. He coached with him. The receivers coach at Arizona went to Jesuit.”
(6/10 on OB): “I’ve been two or three games,” Oliver said. “My best friend is a diehard Longhorn fan and I go out there with him. I’ve been about three or four times in the last two or three years.”
(4/27 on Rivals): "I went to two games at Oklahoma last year and a game at Texas last year. My brother is a student at Oklahoma. He's a freshman there. I went to the Big 12 title game in Dallas to see them too. Oklahoma has a lot of tradition and the whole state of Oklahoma is behind them. The A&M versus Texas game last Thanksgiving was pretty fun too. In Texas, everyone knows who the players are at those schools and the campuses are big with lots of students."
10. Jake Raulerson/OL-DL/Celina
Jake Raulerson Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Raulerson already has offers from just about any school you can think of. He's said publicly that Texas and Stanford are standing out (he visited Stanford recently) but the Longhorns are on solid footing in this one. There’s a feeling that Raulerson is a strong early offer/commitment candidate for the Longhorns.
Key Quotes (1/22/12 on OB) "It was a great visit (to UT). We got to meet with some of the academic people at the start and it was just a great visit overall. I had a really good time.
"I got to hang out with guys like Josh Cochran, Jaxon Shipley. It was a lot of fun hanging out with them. They're really, really good guys. It shows how good the guys are at Texas. We hung out a little bit and I got the players' perspective, saw the dorm rooms and things like that.
"Coach (Stacy) Searels was talking to me about how he thinks I can play any position on the line. Coach (Bryan) Harsin and (Manny) Diaz actually thought of playing me at defensive end and switching me in for some tight end packages throughout the game. I thought that was pretty awesome to tell me that. It's an offensive lineman's dream to get to play some tight end.
"It was just a great visit. The 2012 guys had a good time. Once 2013 rolls around, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. It was really good experience. It was a lot of fun to talk to those guys, ask them questions about the process, about everything. They're really good dudes and they're going to do great things next year."
"I liked my (UT) jersey. But I'm still weighing my options."
(10/17 on SoonerScoop) "Everything went good. I had never been to an OU-Texas game before.
"It was a very good atmosphere and it was really loud out there but it was a lot of fun being able to watch the game.
"Just about every single one of the (Texas) commits was there and I got to hang out with Hassan Ridgeway, Johnathan Gray, and all of them. It was fun to hang out with them for a while.
"I was a little bit surprised by it. Oklahoma is a great team and Texas is an up and coming team. Going into the game I wasn't real sure if Texas was going to be able to pull it off but I didn't think it would end up like that.”
(9/8 on OB) "It was a good visit. I thought it was an awesome experience to be able to go to that game. I had only been to one other game prior to that at Oklahoma State. Texas' stadium a lot bigger than Oklahoma State. It was a very good atmosphere. It was a great experience to see that.
"I thought the atmosphere was great (at Texas A&M). The crowd was unbelievable. The traditions there, it was pretty awesome to see that. I got to see all their chants. One of the cool things, the entire stadium was swaying back and forth. It's kind of unbelievable to see that. I was blown away when I saw that."
"I can't wait for that Texas - A&M game. I'll be there for sure."
"I'm not really going to rank any schools right now. I'm kind of just seeing how everybody is. I'm just trying to give everyone a look, find the school that's best for me."
(6/27/ on OB) "It's been a great recruiting process. I've been to maybe six or seven colleges in the last two weeks and it's been a fun ride being able to go down to Texas, OU, OSU, TCU, and going out to the SEC schools like Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas. It's just been a great ride being able to go out there and see all these great schools and programs and compete against the best in the nation."
"It's great because Alabama was talking to me about playing Jack linebacker. OSU, playing me at center. TCU, playing me at defensive end. A bunch of different schools and different positions. Texas actually said I could play either side of the ball so it's up in the air for them. I'll play wherever is needed. I'm not a selfish guy. It's wherever it's going to help the team. I just want to play."
"I talked to coach Mack Brown and he said he loved me and the coaches loved me at both positions. He said 'D-line or o-line, it doesn't matter where you play we just want you to play at Texas. We'll see what happens but you can play anywhere in the nation.' They liked it."
(6/21 on Tidesports): "(An Alabama offer) would be huge. I am a big SEC fan, and Alabama is a great school with a lot of tradition. It would be awesome, and I am super excited."
"I don't really have a leading college right now. I'm just trying to focus on the upcoming season and trying to win a championship."
(6/14 on Soonerscoop): "Proximity to home is a big part of my decision and playing somewhere close to home. Nothing too bad but I could take a three hour trip and that's fine with me. I'm not saying that is the most important thing but it will definitely play a part in my decision and I got to love the coaching staff. Education is a big, big part of my decision as well because getting a great degree is important. Football has got to end somewhere and you have to have a good foundation to go off of. Then lastly just the atmosphere of the college is a big key for me. I got to love the campus and I got to love being there.
"(There is) definitely a very big interest in Oklahoma. I'm excited about the offer and I'll definitely be back up for games to watch but my first priority is winning a state championship and all this college stuff is fun along the way."
(6/5 on OB): "I talked with coach Searles, coach Giles and Coach Brown and they all said that they wanted me. Of course, Coach Searles wants me offense and Coach Giles wants me for defense, but Coach Brown said that I could play anywhere for them."
"All I have to say is its Texas. I love Texas. I love the staff and I love the environment."
11. Will Barrows/CB/Dallas Skyline
Will Barrows Highlights
Breakdown: Barrows is a big-time talent and figures to be a national prospect, but the Longhorns aren’t a factor in his recruitment right now.
12. Isaiah Golden/DT/Elysian Fields
Isaiah Golden Highlights
Breakdown: Golden committed to Texas A&M last week and it remains to be seen just how first that commitment will remain over the coming months.
Key Quotes: (7/5 on PurpleMenace) "I actually like Oregon and I like TCU. I haven't been there [TCU], I just watch them play a lot on T.V. They're a pretty good team with a lot of structure. They don't look like they have a lot of big guys that's why I think I could do good there."
"Location will matter, I don't want to go too far from home. Playing time, I want to go somewhere and work out and do my best and hopefully be starting by my sophomore year."
(6/18 on OB): "Just getting out of Elysian Fields and be what I can be. I'm trying to be the best. I'm trying to get more colleges looking at me pretty much and stay strong, stay in the weight room and get bigger."
13. Antwuan Davis/CB/Bastrop
Anwaun Davis Highlights
Breakdown: Davis emerged as a Longhorn lean in the fall, but a back injury has a few programs tapping the breaks a tad this spring, but almost every school in the Big 12 is recruiting him, with Baylor representing his first offer. If the Longhorns make a move on Davis, he’ll be all ears.
Key Quotes (11/22 on PurpleMenace) "I'm still real high on Texas and TCU and A&M isn't showing a lot of interest so I don't know about them.”
"I like that even better because everything works out perfect. If I go to Texas and they have a game against TCU my family will be able to come or if I go to TCU they'll still be able to come. It plays a big role for my family, a lot of my family lives over there (Ft. Worth), it really helps both sides. I could enjoy going to both schools."
(10/21 on OB) "So far, every (UT game) I went to, they've won. I wondered how it would be if they lost. I planned on them beating them but Oklahoma State won. I went to locker room, everyone was still hyped up. The coaches were still proud of the kids. It's a young team, for them to perform like that against the No. 6 team, that's good. The coaches understand they're young."
"They're still high on my list. That game, that really showed the character of the coaches and the difference between winning and losing. It matters, but you have to get better and they got better in that game."
(6/24/11 on AggieYell) "I would like to stay in Texas, I like the Big 12 and SEC teams the most but I won’t limit myself to staying in Texas. "
(6/20 on Purplemenace): "I was looking at A&M but I haven't got anything from them," he said. "TCU, Texas and Baylor. I'm looking at those schools. Hopefully A&M will work out. My favorite growing up was Texas, but the last three years I've been to A&M track meets and my cousin ran there and I decided I liked the environment."
(6/7 on OB): "I'd say it's really A&M. If I wanted to go to any school right now, that's what I would do.”
"They're close. Any school that can send almost every DB to the NFL must be doing something right. That's why I tried to get involved with coach Akina. He knows how to treat a cornerback.
"The Texas program in general has always been on top. I don't ever remember many times Texas being down. I know if I went to Texas, their program is always going to be on the top of the game."
14. Marcell Ateman/WR/Wylie East
Marcell Ateman Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Ateman has emerged as a true national prospect and his interest has turned from coast to coast in recent months. The Longhorns have shown him interest, but he appears to rank behind Paul Oliver and Ra’Shaad Samples on their early wish list.
Key Quotes: (1/10/12 on TheWolverine) "I grew up being from Texas, so I always liked Texas, but that was when I was little. [The early offers from other schools] show that they're interested, and they really like me, so it looks really good."
"I'm supposed to take some visits, but I'm not sure. I'm supposed to go take a lot of my visits. Not my official visits, but a lot of my unofficial visits. I'm going to try to [go to Michigan]. I'll try to get up there sometime this summer."
(9/9 on OB) “Just the schools that were on me at the beginning - Tennessee, Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas those are schools who were showing me how much they wanted me last year.”
“I’m trying to go to a couple of games. I’ll just have to see how it works out. I don’t think I’ll go to a game this weekend but maybe in the next few weeks. My dad is trying to figure it all out.”
(8/10 on Volquest) "I know I'm going to go check out a game at Oklahoma and Texas and Tennessee, probably when they play LSU.”
(7/7 on OB) "I went to Texas for an unofficial visit. It was pretty good. That was probably my first time seeing their facilities and everything. They showed me around to the academic staff and the coaching staff and went more in detail on everything."
"I'm just staying open-minded about all that.”
(6/16 on SoonerScoop) "When I was growing up, Texas was always a school that I liked, you know just being from here. My freshman year I went to camp and heard some but since then I haven't heard much from them. I would also like to hear from some other schools in the SEC," he explained.
"Really I look at the school, but I look at the coaching staff and see if I can interact with them and fit in with them and stuff like that and I don't want to go to an offense where they run an 'I-formation' offense all the time but just an offense that distributes the ball, they throw the ball and the school I've got to find a major I'm interested in."
15. J.J. Gustafson/OL/Dallas Jesuit
J.J. Gustafson Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Gustafson’s stock has been talking off like wildfire in the last few months, as schools all over the country throw their hats into the ring. The Longhorns haven’t been quite as strong in their pursuit as the likes of Arkansas, Baylor, A&M and Tech.
Key quotes: (1/25/12 on RedRaiderSports) "No one sticks out more than the others right now. I don't really know enough about the schools to really have any favorites. I don't know enough about them yet."
(1/19/12 on PurpleMenace) "A big deciding factor [would be] definitely a family feel to the school, a school that's got some tradition to it and a school that offers some good academic possibilities in addition to football.”
"It's definitely a factor, but not a big one," Gustafson said of playing close to home. "My family wants me to be happy where I'm going to be playing, and if that's far away then I'm sure they will be supporting that."
(9/29 on OB) "TCU is a program that has been built on hard work and fights to prove themselves every week and they've consistently done it. OU has a program full of tradition and it's just OU - it's a phenomenal school. The same with Texas and Texas A&M. Texas A&M, obviously, I have family ties and that's who I grew up rooting for so they are on my list because I know about the whole school. Then Texas because they have a phenomenal program and their coaching staff is very talented and they have some of the best athletes in the nation. All four of those schools have the best athletes in the nation."
16. Keith Ford/RB/Cy Ranch
Keith Ford Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Ford is receiving interest from most of the Big 12 schools, but the Longhorns have not pursued him as hard as schools like Oklahoma and Texas Tech. He seems to be a guy that’s fairly open in the recruiting process.
Key quotes: (1/10/12) Ford’s dad: "Texas Tech, they've been hitting Keith up pretty hard. We talked to them on the phone not too long ago, during the season. From my experiences with Texas Tech, they've always been a passing team. However, with (Coach Tuberville), they're transitioning to more of a fifty-fifty offense. That's basically what they were attempting to sell to us. When they went on to beat Oklahoma, they went on to say that was the reason why.
"We probably will. We did an unofficial visit already to Oklahoma, but I'm pretty sure we will do it. We travel as a family. I'm pretty sure we'll have a short list probably by the end of the spring and those will be the times that we conduct the unofficial visits."
(12/26 on OB) "I'm just keeping an open mind for everybody. I want to go to right school that's the right fit for me. I want to focus on what school will be the right choice for the next three of four years.
"To me, it's where I'm comfortable, where my parents are comfortable. It's the coaches, the relationship with the coaches that I have, the depth that they have, things like that. And just the overall environment.
"They said they're going to recruit me hard and they're very interested. The coaches (Oscar Giles and Major Applewhite) have come by the school. I like the history they have, Mack Brown, their program and the recruits they bring in and their schemes."
(7/28 on OB) "I'm just trying to see what school where I fit in best. I really don't have a favorite school. I used to be a huge Florida fan but I didn't want to go there because it wasn't the best fit."
17. Fred Ross/WR/John Tyler
Breakdown: Ross is starting to receive a lot of attention from most of the schools that recruit the Big 12, but the Longhorns aren’t really a school that’s heavily involved in his recruitment right now.
18. James White/RB/Pearland Dawson
James White Junior Highlights
Breakdown: White attended Baylor's junior day last weekend and he's considering the UT junior day on Feb 25 (an LSU visit is also being considered). He said last week that he's not in a huge rush to make a decision, but would like to make a move before his senior year begins. He hasn't really talked specific favorites but UT is high on his list.
Key Quotes: (1/26/12 on OB) "I'm really excited about going up to Baylor. I really can't wait to see what the campus is like and meet some of the coaches and get to know them. I've heard they have really good academics and that it is really nice up there. I have a couple of friends that went to Baylor."
"I went up there for a camp and I really do like Austin," he said of Texas. "It's really nice. And once again I can establish more of a relationship with the coaches."
"It's been pretty good. It is pretty convenient that he is the running backs coach and is the recruiter for my area," White said of Major Applewhite. "He's a really cool guy."
"Not really, it's whatever I fall in love with. I'm really looking forward to the academic part. To me a school should have good academics and have people around there that love the school and I'll feed off of that and go from there."
(9/12 on RedRaiderSports): "Nothing really, I've just gotten letters about the (A&M) game schedule and stuff. I'm going to try and catch a couple games. That's really pretty much it from them, too."
(6/14 on OB): "It was fun. I really did like the experience," White said of the UT camp. "I felt pretty comfortable with him. He was just telling me how to get better, things like that. He gave me a few drills that I can work on.
"I liked the environment. I like the way they treat their players. They're really there for them. I like the way the coaches treat me up there."
"They're sitting up there pretty high. Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Alabama and LSU are kind of standing out right now."
(5/23 on OB): "Of course, my dream school is Miami but I really do like Texas A&M. Miami, I've been watching them since I was a little kid and I like how they play ball. I've always liked them. Texas A&M, I just like the way their offense is. It's a balanced offense but I like how they use their tailback in the running game and the passing game."
19. Brett Wade/LB/Kennedale
Breakdown: Wade was once a pretty strong A&M lean, but his recruitment has opened back up and publicly he is maintaining an open position among a group of about five.
Key quotes: (1/17/12 on OB) "A&M and Kansas State stuck out early, but A&M has dropped a little with the coaching change and Kansas State is still right there near the top like they have from the beginning. Kansas State was the first offer. Other than that, I'm liking OU and OSU. We'll just have to see."
"I'm looking at location and engineering programs and what their football is like. I would like to play in the SEC because it's hard nose football and that's what I like to play, but we'll have to see where that goes."
(10/11 on OB) "I haven't talked to (Manny Diaz) personally but he talked to my coach and wrote me another letter. He was saying he was getting on a flight no matter what that night so he couldn't stay, but he's still as interested as he was before. He's going to come to more games and he said he's going to take his time recruiting me.
"I'm really close with the coaches from A&M right now. They were kind of there in the very beginning. Them, Texas and Kansas State are probably the three biggest because I actually talk to the coaches there. My coach tells me other coaches call but I haven't talked to them directly."
(9/29 on OB) "I'm really close with the coaches from A&M right now. They were kind of there in the very beginning. Them, Texas and Kansas State are probably the three biggest because I actually talk to the coaches there. My coach tells me other coaches call but I haven't talked to them directly."
20. Raaquan Davis/DB/Rockwall-Heath
Raaquan Davis Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Davis updated on Thursday night that he has Junior Days scheduled in the coming weeks with Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Texas A&M. He attended Baylor’s Junior Day last week and they became his first offer. At this point, the Bears are a slight player and the Longhorns are not involved.
Key quotes: (8/30 on OB) "For my major, I want to do pre-med. So I really want to go somewhere with a good med school," Davis said. "School is the biggest thing. I want to go to a school where I can get my paper, something that I can show people and it will mean something. Football doesn't last forever.
"It would also be nice to go to a school that has a defense like we run so I can get into it quickly. A school with a long tradition that they can hold onto is good. A winning program isn't that important. I want to go to a school and make a difference."
21. Devin Lauderdale/WR/Houston Bellaire
Devin Laudersale Sophomore Highlights
Breakdown: Lauderdale, who is a standout on both sides of the football, picked up more than a couple of offers during his junior season. The 5-11 athlete holds offers from Colorado, Baylor, Texas A&M, TCU, Texas Tech, and Notre Dame. During the season he visited both A&M and Rice. Also, Lauderdale was on Baylor's junior day list last week and the Bears have probably been recruiting him the most along with the Aggies. He indicated during the season he would start to make a lot of visits once his season was over, and the Notre Dame offer was one that really excited him.
22. Chevoski Collins/WR/Livingston
Chevoski Collins at the Army Bowl Combine
Breakdown: Collins ripped it up at the Texas camp in June, but he hasn’t yet emerged as a possible offer target early in the recruiting process. As it stands, the Longhorns are among a group of schools that he’s interested in, but if they offer, the Longhorns will be in a prime position.
Key quotes: (1/17/12 on RedRaiderSports) "They write me every week. Coach (Darrell) Wyatt came down a couple of weeks ago, visited with my coaches and stuff like that. He said they wanted to get me down there for a junior day and things like that."
"I want to say Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech, and TCU (favorite schools in no order)."
(1/9/12 on OB) Alabama - They've really been good the past few years. Their coaches do a lot and I'm ready to see them play LSU in the national championship on Monday.
LSU - I just like coach (Les) Miles, what he's doing down there with them. They have a really good team.
Oklahoma - I just like the coaching staff, coach (Bob) Stoops. They have a really good program going up there. They know what they're doing up there.
Oklahoma State - They've built a good program in the past couple years and they're doing really well. They played a good game against Stanford too. Justin Blackmon is a beast.
TCU - The big thing about them, they've moved to the Big 12, so that's going to give them a chance at the national championship. That's going to help them and that's going to make a lot of people want to go there with them playing in that conference.
Texas - I really like Texas a lot. From experience, I have a cousin that goes there (Cedric) Reed. And coach Mack Brown runs a really good program. They have a lot of young guys, should be really good really soon
(8/17 on OB) "I think people were talking about me (at the Texas camp) because I was beating a lot of DBs off the line, getting open, running my routes well. I made a lot of catches and even on the difficult balls, I was catching them too."
"TCU and Texas are my top two. Then it would be OU and then A&M. I'm kind of looking at Texas over TCU right now. I just like their program. They always have a good program and it's just a good school to go to."
(6/28 on OB) "Really it's Texas and TCU. Texas A&M has been showing a lot of interest. They've been showing the most so far. Texas and TCU have been showing some pretty good interest."
"When I was younger I used to like Texas a lot, but as I got older like in junior high I started liking TCU," he said.
(6/20 on OB): "At this point I really like TCU and Texas.
"TCU, I just like their program. They have a good program going on and they've been doing some really good things. I like Texas a lot. I grew up watching Texas ever since I was little. They always have a good program and that's a really good place to be."
"Coach Wyatt said he wants to get me back up there to work on some things I need a little bit of help on. Coach Applewhite said I looked good out there and they asked me to keep in touch.”
"It was really good. There were some good people out there and I wanted to see what I could do against people who will compete with you. I really enjoyed it."
23. Ra’Shaad Samples/WR/Dallas Skyline/
Ra’Shaad Samples Junior Highlights
Breakdown: There was some talk of Samples attending LSU's junior day this weekend but he's not going to be able to make it. His next trip will be to Austin and Texas has made it clear they really want him. He talks to coach Wyatt quite a bit. We think he will be offered but he said today he is not in a hurry to make a decision. We've seen that change though once a guy makes it to campus.
Key Quotes: (2/2/12 on Aggieyell) "I spent the night after the (A&M) visit with my sister. She graduates with a masters in accounting this May. I just had my other sister get her masters too. I know a couple of guys down there. I knew Ben Malena and Domonique Patterson went to Skyline too. It felt like home."
(2/2/12 on RedRaiderSports) "I get the most interest -- I actually talk to coach Brown at Texas Tech. I have a pretty good relationship with him as well as with some coaches at Texas A&M and Alabama."
(6/12 on OB): "I'm not sure if I can say favorite, but I can say that I liked Texas a lot today. And I want to get a chance to check out Cal and see how the others camps go, so we'll see. I'll be able to tell you better at the end of the summer."
24. Paul Whitmill/LB/Bastrop
Paul Whitmill Sophomore Highlights
Breakdown: Whitmill has been tough to get information on lately because he’s just not a big fan of the interview process. At this point, it’s hard to tell who leads for his services, but the Longhorns haven’t been seriously involved at just about any point.
Key Quotes: (8/5 on OB) “Oklahoma, TCU, and A&M those are my three favorites.”
(6/11 on OB): "Oklahoma. I just like the way they play defense," Whitmill said when asked if he had a favorite.
25. Ben Hughes/DT/Waco University
Ben Hughes Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Hughes is a little behind some of his peers in the recruiting game and he’s just starting to consider visits and schools. The Longhorns are not involved in his recruitment at this stage.
Key quotes: "I really don't have any favorites. They're all just coming up and surprising me. I'm trying to not get big headed about it all," Hughes said.
On Texas: "I like their fans and their teammates. I know they had their ups and downs, but they come back hard all four quarters. But I've never been down there for a game.”
26. Laquvionte Gonzales/Ath/Cedar Hill
Laquvionte Gonzales Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Gonzales has showed an interest in schools all over the reason and it’s possible that he’s a guy that could be a true national prospect from the Lone Star State. The Longhorns are not a serious player at this stage of his recruitment.
Key quotes: (1/24/12 on TigerIllustrated) "West Virginia, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, LSU, Notre Dame and Clemson (in order). I love the coach (Dana Holgorsen) there and I love how fast their offense is."
(4/17 on OB) "I went to Austin. It was a good environment. I saw good players and a good team and everything like that.”
27. Robbie Rhodes/Ath/Fort Worth Southwest
Robbie Rhodes Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Rhodes seems to be a kid that seems to be just starting to get serious about the recruiting process. With an early offer from Texas Tech under his belt, expect his name to be called a lot by the schools that recruit the state this spring.
Key quotes: (11/23 on OB) "I've been getting a lot of letters from Oklahoma St., Utah, Texas Tech, Oregon and Texas A&M.”
28. Kohl Stewart/QB/Houston St. Pius X
Kohl Stewart Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Stewart is an Aggie legacy and committed in July. His status hasn’t changed since Kevin Sumlin took the job.
Key quotes: (9/5 on AggieYell) "I am looking forward to meeting some more of these guys. The 2012 class is pretty good, everybody knows that, and the 2013 class is looking like it is going to shape up pretty well so I am looking forward to getting to know some more of these guys and also getting a chance to watch A&M at Kyle Field that is going to be great."
29. J.T. Barrett/QB/Wichita Falls Rider
J.T. Barrett Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Barrett will be at OU's junior day this weekend (he's already hit Texas Tech and Baylor) and he's scheduled to be at UT's Feb 25 junior day. There's been a lot of talk of Texas leading and Barrett being a possible early commit candidate, but he told us this week he wants to slow things down a bit.
Key quotes: (1/30/12 on RedRaiderSports) "I don't have any schools that I could put in the top five right now. I'm just taking it all in. As far as making a decision, I plan to graduate high school early, so I'll probably (make a decision) during football season."
(1/1/6 on HuskersOnline) "I'm looking for a school where I just know I'm going to be comfortable the next four years of my life. Whether that be Oregon, Connecticut, Washington, I mean wherever it may be, I'm willing to travel. The distance, my mom and dad would like me to stay close to home, but I just want to be sure it's the right college for me.
"Our coach is like a father to me and to be in a college town, that feel of being part of a college town, I just want to feel like that whole city is behind you. Then of course the academics so you can have success after football [is important]."
(10/21 on OB) “I went to Oklahoma for the Oklahoma/Missouri game and I felt their city really had a college feel like you would imagine a college town. Norman has it. I like how Oklahoma fans really stick together. I say that because I went to the Oklahoma/Texas game and they would yell Boomer Sooner and it didn’t matter who you were or if they knew you people would yell it people would respond to it. So they always stick together.”
“It would be Texas, Baylor, then Oklahoma. Those are the ones I’ve really heard from. Texas, I talk to the quarterback coach all the time. Baylor, they sent me a handwritten letter. Oklahoma, I’ve been to a game in Norman and I talked to coach Gundy. It’s really just me getting a feel for what the college is like.”
“My plan is to go to college and play quarterback. I’m not trying to play receiver or something else. Since I was in fourth grade I’ve played quarterback. Last year I played some receiver and I didn’t like it that much. I know how it feels. It’s not like I just haven’t experienced it. I know how it feels and I really didn’t care for it.”
30. Ellis Jefferson/WR/Denton Guyer
Breakdown: Jefferson is receiving interest from schools all over the state, but the Longhorns have not been involved much in his recruitment to date. He’s a guy we’ll be checking with on Friday for a little more comprehensive update.
39. Vincent Taylor/DT/San Antonio Madison
Vincent Taylor Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Texas is in the mix and we think they will make a strong impression when he visits. Right now, LSU is the team to beat for the San Antonio area Defensive Player of the Year.
Key Quotes: (1/13/12 on OB) “It was a blessing just knowing I had an opportunity to go up to Texas for a junior day. It shows me that I’ve been working hard on and off the field and I’m blessed and schools are taking notice and it’s good to have another invitation for junior day.”
“Just knowing that they were one of the schools that sent an invitation to junior day shows that they want to explore their interest in me. “I’m looking forward to going up there for junior day in February to see what it’s like.”
(9/22 on OB) "Right now, LSU, TCU, Texas and Texas A&M - that's like my basic top four right now. My top three would probably be Texas, Texas A&M and LSU. Those are my top three it will probably come down to."
(6/26 on PurpleMenace) "Texas A&M," he answered when asked of a current favorite. "I went up there to watch them play their spring game and I saw the campus and met the coaching staff so that was pretty good. I fell in love with it. A&M is sticking out more, but everyone is pretty even."
(6/14 on OB): "It was pretty good and awesome. I got to see what other players look like outside of San Antonio and how I compare to those people and how that will make me better as a player," Taylor said following the UT camp. "I did get a chance to check out the facilities but I also watched the camp too."
"They're pretty big and pretty strong so that going to make me work harder at what I do and stay in the weight room," Taylor said.
"It was good just going there," Taylor said. "The people there were really nice and they really care about their college football team."
(5/10 on OB): "LSU, because I'm from New Orleans so New Orleans will always be home, so I feel like I'll cheer for my home team.”
43. Kameron Miles/S/West Mesquite
Kameron Miles Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Miles has seen his stock skyrocket and Texas will be a player. I'm not sure he's a guy who will commit on the spot if offered, but he's a guy that is certainly talented enough to receive one. He has seen a number of programs come on strong lately picking up a Northwestern offer on signing day.
Key quotes: (1/11/12 on OB) "(Bruce Chambers) is a real, real, real cool dude. He's down to earth and very cool. I think we have a good relationship."
"I've liked them since I was in middle school. I was a big Vince Young fan so I just loved Texas."
"Bama for sure," Miles said when asked about his top schools. "The tradition and I looked up some things about their safeties and there's a lot of them in the league right now."
(11/16 on OB) "It really doesn't matter. I just want to go to college.”
46. Deon Hollins/DE/Fort Bend Marshall
Deon Hollins Jr. Junior Highlights
Breakdown: Hollins has been in communication with the Longhorns and coach Giles has made a strong impression. He picked up offers from Washington and Duke and he'll be at the Texas junior day. Coach Giles and coach Diaz have both been down to check him out. Giles likes him as an edge rusher. If Texas offers, he could be a Longhorn.
NR. Naashon Hughes/Ath/Harker Heights
Naashon Hughes Junior Highlights
Breakdown: The younger brother of current Longhorn freshman Camrhon Hughes, Naashon has said publicly that he's not sure if he'll commit if he picks up a UT offer during junior day visit. Assuming he gets offered, we're fully expecting this one to happen.
Key quotes: (1/20/12 on OB) "I like basically everything about Texas - the atmosphere of playing there. It's just Texas really, playing under coach (Mack) Brown and everything. It's one of the better schools in the nation. If you get a chance to play there, who wouldn't jump on it?"
NR. Ismael Wilson/OL/Dallas Bishop Dunne
Breakdown: Wilson has made it pretty clear he likes LSU. He plans to attend the Tigers junior day this weekend and if he’s offered I think he could go ahead and make a decision before ever making it to Austin.
