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We've been able to catch up with several top UT commits and targets at the recent run of top national events (Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, Rivals.com Underclassmen Challenge and The Opening). This week, we followed up with some top prospects that we hadn't connected with in the past few weeks, starting with Katy Seven Lakes OL Caleb Benenoch.
"The latest is basically, Texas and OU will be in my top five schools. That's a given," Benenoch said. "If Stanford offers me, they'll also be in there. It would basically be a tie between those three schools. After that, it's kind of a toss-up."
Benenoch will attend a Stanford camp on July 23. He'll be accompanied by his mother. After that, he's going to try to go to Baylor, Arkansas and back to Texas A&M to see if any of those three schools could round out his top five. A couple other schools could also figure into the mix.
"My parents really like Northwestern and Purdue. Even if they don't make my top five, I might still take officials there since I can't drive there this summer," Benenoch said. "If i can't make it to OU this summer, they'll be in my top five regardless." (Benenoch hasn't seen the OU campus ... he attended an OU satellite camp.)
Benenoch faces a tough decision. Academics will play a huge part in his decision. That obviously weighs in Texas' favor, but he and his family are also intrigued by schools like Stanford and Northwestern.
"Academics is huge. For my parents, that's their main thing. They're not too worried about the football aspect, for them it's more about academics," Benenoch said. "So that will be a huge factor in deciding. That's what UT has over OU. UT's academics are really. The law school is 12th in the country. It's a top school in the country overall. That's very important to me."
The challenge for Benenoch, should he fall in love with a school like Stanford, will be to balance out each school's educational strengths and also factor in location.
"With a school like Stanford, even though it's far away, my parents feel like if I'm getting an education like that, they'll let me go that far. Same with Northwestern. One of the reasons I opened up my recruitment is because Michigan State is so far away. They said 'we don't mind you going that far away if you're getting that type of education,'" Benenoch said.
"My parents have been Stanford fanatics for as long as I can remember. Just everything that it gives you. If you get an education from Stanford, you're pretty much set if you want to get a job later. My dad talks to me about Harvard law school ... Stanford sets you up for that. And Stanford has great football of late."
Before UT fans think the Longhorns have slipped ...
"UT for me is above everybody. I've been thinking about it, they're above everybody," Benenoch said. "Stanford I don't have an offer from, so I can't really consider them yet. I like the school, I hear it's a great campus, but I have to go see it for myself. I like what they bring to the table on paper, but I still have to see it."
Benenoch stays in contact with UT OL coach Stacy Searels and head coach Mack Brown via Facebook. He calls Searels on the phone about once weekly.
My take: There was some thought that Benenoch might commit as soon as Texas offered, but he's obviously being thorough with his decision. The visit to Stanford will be big. I'd expect an offer and the Cardinal will probably move up his list, but when push comes to shove, I still think Benenoch stays closer to home and the Longhorns win out. (Suchomel)
*******
Beaumont Ozen DB Tony Brown has been a terrific player for a long while, but his stock has really taken off this summer after dominating at several camps.
After a UT camp in June, Brown met with Duane Akina and Mack Brown and was approved for an offer. He was told by Akina that he reminded him of Quentin Jammer, a complement that Brown has used to push himself even harder.
"He said he liked me aggressiveness and my athleticism," Brown said. "It was like when they invited me to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge - I felt like I had something to prove again. He's comparing me to somebody that's great, a Pro-Bowl type guy. I have to live up to that. I don't want him to regret his word. So I want to go out there and prove him right."
Brown, as evident in his willingness to hit so many camps, is very proactive in the recruiting process. He keeps in contact with just about every coach who has offered him, including regular contact with the UT staff.
He told us at last weekend's Rivals.com Underclassmen Challenge that he has yet to formulate a list of favorites, but he's pretty confident that both UT and LSU will make the cut when he trims his list. A lot f people think LSU could have the slight edge, but Brown's not likely to make any early decisions and he'll keep a close eye on both schools this fall to see where he would best fit in. I expect Brown will visit several schools, but when the dust settles, it'll come down to whether or not UT can win out over LSU.
******
A quick update on Phoenix Brophy Prep WR Devon Allen (2013) ...
Allen told us a few weeks ago that he was hoping to take an unofficial visit to Texas sometime in late July. That trip has yet to be set up, but he said this week that he still wants to make the visit.
He does have a few summer trips lined up ... he'll be at Stanford and Cal on July 21-23. On the 27-30, he'll visit Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame.
Of particular interest, Allen told us he talked to a Texas track and field coach on Tuesday.
"He said that the track and football teams are working on it together and that the football team gave thumbs up on an offer for me," Allen said. (Suchomel)
******
Talked to Arlington Martin DE Myles Garrett (2014) at the Rivals.com Underclassmen Challenge. Garrett checked in at a chiseled 6-4 and 229 pounds.
There wasn't much in the way of earth-shattering recruiting news during our conversation, but Garrett said Texas and Texas A&M are recruiting him the hardest. He has yet to formulate a list of favorites.
Garrett checks in with Oscar Giles about once a week.
"I just call him and we talk about different defensive things and how things are going to go for us next season," Garrett said.
UT was the only camp Garrett attended. Other than that, his summer has been focused on coniditioning and adding a little weight.
His thoughts on Texas ...
"They're a good team. They have a good defense and their defense is very good for defensive ends. They're very much a pass-rushing team and I'm a guy who likes to get to the quarterback," said Garrett. (Suchomel)
******
Denton Ryan DE Sekou Clark (2014) performed well at the Underclassmen Challenge.
Clark is keeping things wide open but said he likes a list of schools that includes Texas, OU, Oklahoma State, LSU, Alabama, Oregon, Notre Dame and Florida State.
As for Texas ....
"They're showing me a lot of interest," Clark said. "Coach Giles came by and shook my hand. I'm definitely considering them. I have to go out there next year and show them that I'm someone worth being interested in.
"Texas is good each year, in contention for national championships. I'm considering every school, but Texas would be one of my top schools."
Clark said he's not sure if he'll commit early, but he said if the right offer comes along he'll likely commit and get it out of the way.
Oklahoma is another school showing interest, and though Clark has some ties to the state, he said he's open to playing anywhere that provides him a good opportunity.
"Growing up, my parents are from Oklahoma, so it was OU. But now I'm growing up, it's my turn. I'll go anywhere," Clark said. (Suchomel)
******
In Monday's War Room we said we were hearing Belton, Texas tight end Durham Smythe might be having second thoughts.
While in Oregon we heard Smythe reached out to the Notre Dame coaches. On Monday we thought this was surprising, and thought at the most it was a misunderstanding. Smythe's father, Dr. Roy Smythe, denied knowing anything about his son looking around, and coaches at Belton said they had not heard anything about it either.
Smythe's father did admit that Notre Dame along with Stanford and Texas A&M still kept in touch a little, but there was no cause for concern.
Today, Durham Smythe made it clear he did not reach out to Notre Dame or for that matter anyone else, and his commitment to Texas was solid.
"I have not," Smythe said of reaching out to Notre Dame. "A couple of their coaches have kept in touch on Facebook a little bit along with some coaches from other schools but I'm 100-percent committed to Texas."
Smythe has been busy the last few weeks working with Team USA in Austin. Smythe and his Team USA teammates claimed silver in the IFAF Under-19 World Championships. (Howell)
******************
Recently Yuma (Ariz.) Arizona Western defensive end Randy Gregory became a name to know for Texas fans. It was two weeks ago when he was awakened by a text from Arizona Western head coach Tony Minnick telling him Oscar Giles and the University of Texas would like to talk. So, Gregory shook off the cobwebs and picked up the phone.
"He said he had been trying to get ahold of my tape for a while and he finally got a chance to see my spring tape and my highlight tape from last year and he was real impressed," Gregory said of his first conversation with Texas defensive end coach Oscar Giles. "It was kind of out of the blue but I guess they were already working on it."
The contact from Texas may have caught Gregory off guard, but he liked what Texas had to say.
"Really it was great. It's probably one of the biggest schools that has contacted me other than Arkansas," he said. "They play in a nice conference and it's an honor to get a call from them. They didn't offer or anything, but they let me know they were really interested and saw my tape. I got a chance to talk to the defensive end coach and the defensive coordinator, coach (Manny) Diaz. We had a good talk and maybe we can build a relationship and they can extend an offer to me."
While talking with the Texas coaches, they did bring up Gregory possibly taking an unofficial visit to campus this summer so both parties could get to know each other better. However, with Gregory heading back to Arizona Western on July 28, he did not think he would be able to make one. In addition to time, there is also his commitment to Purdue. Still, Texas let him know he had a chance to come in and make a quick impact for the Longhorns.
"I talked to coach Diaz and he let me know that after this year they're going to be a little short at the position," Gregory said. "They have two guys there right now who are pretty much going to be top guys in the draft coming up, so both could leave. So he said it would be the perfect chance for me to come in and make an impact."
Gregory made a quick impression on the Texas coaches as well as several other college coaching staffs. As a freshman at Arizona Western he registered 82 tackles, 21 TFLs, and nine sacks. He was twice named conference defensive player of the week and earned first-team all-conference honors. He did all of this despite not starting until the fifth game of the season.
"The funny thing was about two weeks after I got to campus I broke my wrist playing basketball," Gregory said. "I thought I was going to get redshirted or that I wasn't going to get a chance to play or the coach was going to take my scholarship because I wasn't doing what I was supposed to do. My d-line coach saw film on me so they knew how capable I was and he gave me a chance and by the fourth game of the season I was in the starting lineup and I started making plays."
Now 6-6, 242 pounds, Gregory currently holds offers from Purdue, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa St., Kansas, Louisville, Oregon St., and Utah. Gregory is holding strong to his commitment to Purdue, a commitment he has held since pledging to the Boilermakers as a three-star standout at Fishers (Ind.) Hamilton Southeastern.
"They're pretty much the most loyal to me coming out of high school," Gregory said. "I have a really good relationship with the coaches and I really like coach (Danny) Hope. I talked to him earlier this week. He's a real energetic guy. I like what he's doing with the program and where it's going. He's real confident in his players and me. I feel I could talk to him at any time for as long as I want. He's just a good guy.
"The history of the position that I play they've had a lot of guys go to the league from defensive end and I think it would be a great opportunity for me to go there and play and do the right things and hopefully take that next step into the league."
The new interest is intriguing and has caused him to at least think about possibly checking into some new options.
"I feel like Purdue is the right school for me, but I kind of want to see…I'm going to wait until the season starts and I might actually open it up and see who really takes me seriously," Gregory said. "Then after that take my official visits and make my decision after that, but I have a pretty strong commitment right now."
Even if he does open up his recruitment he says Purdue will definitely remain very high on his list. As for Texas, they are also a program he could see being high on his list.
"They're a really nice school. I've seen them play for a long time," Gregory said. "I've watched football every Saturday and I always see them play. They're a great program and my dad thinks highly of them. He takes trips to Austin and he knows it's a great campus. From what I've heard they have great coaches. I got to talk to some of the defensive coaches and they have coach Mack Brown there and he's an awesome coach.
"I think right now for me they're a great school and if I were to get an offer I would seriously consider them. They said they're just interested right now but I think once I get towards the season and if I make a de-commitment they would be one of the top schools I would consider."
MY TAKE: Things between Texas and Gregory are still at the early stages, and this one is a longshot. It's not just that Gregory is an out of state target but he's also committed to Purdue and it will take him de-committing and making an official visit for him to likely see the Texas campus. I will say that after my few minutes of talking to him on the phone I was impressed. We're talking about a guy who just had his wisdom teeth out, doing a 20-minute interview with me. He was a very pleasant guy not to mention he's 6-6, 240 with a knack for rushing the passer. If anyone is asking me I say give this guy an offer and see what happens.(Howell)
*****************
It is still very early for the class of 2015, but prepare to hear the name Hanner Shipley. At 6-3, 270 pounds he worked at both defensive end and defensive tackle at the Rivals.com Underclassmen Challenge.
The Marble Falls standout is cousins with Jordan and Jaxon Shipley, and has always like the Longhorns and TCU
"I've always liked Texas because that's where my cousins went, and I've always like TCU because that's where my dad went," Shipley said. "He holds a few records there for wide receiver and he holds a few records for them. He had really good hands."
In addition to his abilities on the defensive front, Shipley has also been noted for his ability to throw the ball. (Howell)
********************
I checked in briefly with the nation’s No. 23 prospect overall in the 2013 Rivals150 Nick King. King is at the Nike Summit right now, and couldn’t talk much but he did inform me that as the new recruiting period began recently, Texas assistant coach Russell Springmann was one of the first people to text him. “Oh, yes sir!” said King about the Horns checking in.
The more I talk to King, the more it seems like the Horns, specifically Springmann, are building up a very good relationship with the ultra-talented lefty.
Also, I asked the 6-7 slasher about one of his AAU teammates, 6-8 power forward Austin Nichols. The Longhorns have been in contact with the nation’s No. 43 prospect, and Nichols will likely trim his list soon. I put a call out to Nichols tonight, which was unreturned and King said he hasn’t talked much recruiting with the big man. It’s unclear at this point if the Horns will make the cut. To tell you the kind of summer the Memphis, Tennessee native has had, North Carolina’s Roy Williams was checking him out up close in Philadelphia today. Nichols will be a name to follow.
*************
A member of the Texas coaching staff was in Pennsylvania today checking in on 2013 big man Chinonso Obokoh of Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, New York. Obokoh is a new name to the recruiting scene, but he’s a guy that Texas has kept in touch with. He could be a guy that the Longhorns turn their focus too if some of the other top targets fall through.
************
The more I hear about Julius Randle the more I think the Longhorns might be on the outside looking in. I know that’s not what y’all want to hear, but the truth is that Randle seems to be mentioning other schools on the summer circuit right now more than Texas. He still mentions the Horns, and he’s a tough kid to read because he doesn’t really tip his hand. However, schools like Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, and even N.C. State recently seem to be really catching his attention.
A lot of time left in this one, but the Horns need to make a push. (McComas)
This post was edited on 7/13 7:56 AM by Ketchum
We've been able to catch up with several top UT commits and targets at the recent run of top national events (Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge, Rivals.com Underclassmen Challenge and The Opening). This week, we followed up with some top prospects that we hadn't connected with in the past few weeks, starting with Katy Seven Lakes OL Caleb Benenoch.
"The latest is basically, Texas and OU will be in my top five schools. That's a given," Benenoch said. "If Stanford offers me, they'll also be in there. It would basically be a tie between those three schools. After that, it's kind of a toss-up."
Benenoch will attend a Stanford camp on July 23. He'll be accompanied by his mother. After that, he's going to try to go to Baylor, Arkansas and back to Texas A&M to see if any of those three schools could round out his top five. A couple other schools could also figure into the mix.
"My parents really like Northwestern and Purdue. Even if they don't make my top five, I might still take officials there since I can't drive there this summer," Benenoch said. "If i can't make it to OU this summer, they'll be in my top five regardless." (Benenoch hasn't seen the OU campus ... he attended an OU satellite camp.)
Benenoch faces a tough decision. Academics will play a huge part in his decision. That obviously weighs in Texas' favor, but he and his family are also intrigued by schools like Stanford and Northwestern.
"Academics is huge. For my parents, that's their main thing. They're not too worried about the football aspect, for them it's more about academics," Benenoch said. "So that will be a huge factor in deciding. That's what UT has over OU. UT's academics are really. The law school is 12th in the country. It's a top school in the country overall. That's very important to me."
The challenge for Benenoch, should he fall in love with a school like Stanford, will be to balance out each school's educational strengths and also factor in location.
"With a school like Stanford, even though it's far away, my parents feel like if I'm getting an education like that, they'll let me go that far. Same with Northwestern. One of the reasons I opened up my recruitment is because Michigan State is so far away. They said 'we don't mind you going that far away if you're getting that type of education,'" Benenoch said.
"My parents have been Stanford fanatics for as long as I can remember. Just everything that it gives you. If you get an education from Stanford, you're pretty much set if you want to get a job later. My dad talks to me about Harvard law school ... Stanford sets you up for that. And Stanford has great football of late."
Before UT fans think the Longhorns have slipped ...
"UT for me is above everybody. I've been thinking about it, they're above everybody," Benenoch said. "Stanford I don't have an offer from, so I can't really consider them yet. I like the school, I hear it's a great campus, but I have to go see it for myself. I like what they bring to the table on paper, but I still have to see it."
Benenoch stays in contact with UT OL coach Stacy Searels and head coach Mack Brown via Facebook. He calls Searels on the phone about once weekly.
My take: There was some thought that Benenoch might commit as soon as Texas offered, but he's obviously being thorough with his decision. The visit to Stanford will be big. I'd expect an offer and the Cardinal will probably move up his list, but when push comes to shove, I still think Benenoch stays closer to home and the Longhorns win out. (Suchomel)
*******
Beaumont Ozen DB Tony Brown has been a terrific player for a long while, but his stock has really taken off this summer after dominating at several camps.
After a UT camp in June, Brown met with Duane Akina and Mack Brown and was approved for an offer. He was told by Akina that he reminded him of Quentin Jammer, a complement that Brown has used to push himself even harder.
"He said he liked me aggressiveness and my athleticism," Brown said. "It was like when they invited me to the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge - I felt like I had something to prove again. He's comparing me to somebody that's great, a Pro-Bowl type guy. I have to live up to that. I don't want him to regret his word. So I want to go out there and prove him right."
Brown, as evident in his willingness to hit so many camps, is very proactive in the recruiting process. He keeps in contact with just about every coach who has offered him, including regular contact with the UT staff.
He told us at last weekend's Rivals.com Underclassmen Challenge that he has yet to formulate a list of favorites, but he's pretty confident that both UT and LSU will make the cut when he trims his list. A lot f people think LSU could have the slight edge, but Brown's not likely to make any early decisions and he'll keep a close eye on both schools this fall to see where he would best fit in. I expect Brown will visit several schools, but when the dust settles, it'll come down to whether or not UT can win out over LSU.
******
A quick update on Phoenix Brophy Prep WR Devon Allen (2013) ...
Allen told us a few weeks ago that he was hoping to take an unofficial visit to Texas sometime in late July. That trip has yet to be set up, but he said this week that he still wants to make the visit.
He does have a few summer trips lined up ... he'll be at Stanford and Cal on July 21-23. On the 27-30, he'll visit Ohio State, Michigan and Notre Dame.
Of particular interest, Allen told us he talked to a Texas track and field coach on Tuesday.
"He said that the track and football teams are working on it together and that the football team gave thumbs up on an offer for me," Allen said. (Suchomel)
******
Talked to Arlington Martin DE Myles Garrett (2014) at the Rivals.com Underclassmen Challenge. Garrett checked in at a chiseled 6-4 and 229 pounds.
There wasn't much in the way of earth-shattering recruiting news during our conversation, but Garrett said Texas and Texas A&M are recruiting him the hardest. He has yet to formulate a list of favorites.
Garrett checks in with Oscar Giles about once a week.
"I just call him and we talk about different defensive things and how things are going to go for us next season," Garrett said.
UT was the only camp Garrett attended. Other than that, his summer has been focused on coniditioning and adding a little weight.
His thoughts on Texas ...
"They're a good team. They have a good defense and their defense is very good for defensive ends. They're very much a pass-rushing team and I'm a guy who likes to get to the quarterback," said Garrett. (Suchomel)
******
Denton Ryan DE Sekou Clark (2014) performed well at the Underclassmen Challenge.
Clark is keeping things wide open but said he likes a list of schools that includes Texas, OU, Oklahoma State, LSU, Alabama, Oregon, Notre Dame and Florida State.
As for Texas ....
"They're showing me a lot of interest," Clark said. "Coach Giles came by and shook my hand. I'm definitely considering them. I have to go out there next year and show them that I'm someone worth being interested in.
"Texas is good each year, in contention for national championships. I'm considering every school, but Texas would be one of my top schools."
Clark said he's not sure if he'll commit early, but he said if the right offer comes along he'll likely commit and get it out of the way.
Oklahoma is another school showing interest, and though Clark has some ties to the state, he said he's open to playing anywhere that provides him a good opportunity.
"Growing up, my parents are from Oklahoma, so it was OU. But now I'm growing up, it's my turn. I'll go anywhere," Clark said. (Suchomel)
******
In Monday's War Room we said we were hearing Belton, Texas tight end Durham Smythe might be having second thoughts.
While in Oregon we heard Smythe reached out to the Notre Dame coaches. On Monday we thought this was surprising, and thought at the most it was a misunderstanding. Smythe's father, Dr. Roy Smythe, denied knowing anything about his son looking around, and coaches at Belton said they had not heard anything about it either.
Smythe's father did admit that Notre Dame along with Stanford and Texas A&M still kept in touch a little, but there was no cause for concern.
Today, Durham Smythe made it clear he did not reach out to Notre Dame or for that matter anyone else, and his commitment to Texas was solid.
"I have not," Smythe said of reaching out to Notre Dame. "A couple of their coaches have kept in touch on Facebook a little bit along with some coaches from other schools but I'm 100-percent committed to Texas."
Smythe has been busy the last few weeks working with Team USA in Austin. Smythe and his Team USA teammates claimed silver in the IFAF Under-19 World Championships. (Howell)
******************
Recently Yuma (Ariz.) Arizona Western defensive end Randy Gregory became a name to know for Texas fans. It was two weeks ago when he was awakened by a text from Arizona Western head coach Tony Minnick telling him Oscar Giles and the University of Texas would like to talk. So, Gregory shook off the cobwebs and picked up the phone.
"He said he had been trying to get ahold of my tape for a while and he finally got a chance to see my spring tape and my highlight tape from last year and he was real impressed," Gregory said of his first conversation with Texas defensive end coach Oscar Giles. "It was kind of out of the blue but I guess they were already working on it."
The contact from Texas may have caught Gregory off guard, but he liked what Texas had to say.
"Really it was great. It's probably one of the biggest schools that has contacted me other than Arkansas," he said. "They play in a nice conference and it's an honor to get a call from them. They didn't offer or anything, but they let me know they were really interested and saw my tape. I got a chance to talk to the defensive end coach and the defensive coordinator, coach (Manny) Diaz. We had a good talk and maybe we can build a relationship and they can extend an offer to me."
While talking with the Texas coaches, they did bring up Gregory possibly taking an unofficial visit to campus this summer so both parties could get to know each other better. However, with Gregory heading back to Arizona Western on July 28, he did not think he would be able to make one. In addition to time, there is also his commitment to Purdue. Still, Texas let him know he had a chance to come in and make a quick impact for the Longhorns.
"I talked to coach Diaz and he let me know that after this year they're going to be a little short at the position," Gregory said. "They have two guys there right now who are pretty much going to be top guys in the draft coming up, so both could leave. So he said it would be the perfect chance for me to come in and make an impact."
Gregory made a quick impression on the Texas coaches as well as several other college coaching staffs. As a freshman at Arizona Western he registered 82 tackles, 21 TFLs, and nine sacks. He was twice named conference defensive player of the week and earned first-team all-conference honors. He did all of this despite not starting until the fifth game of the season.
"The funny thing was about two weeks after I got to campus I broke my wrist playing basketball," Gregory said. "I thought I was going to get redshirted or that I wasn't going to get a chance to play or the coach was going to take my scholarship because I wasn't doing what I was supposed to do. My d-line coach saw film on me so they knew how capable I was and he gave me a chance and by the fourth game of the season I was in the starting lineup and I started making plays."
Now 6-6, 242 pounds, Gregory currently holds offers from Purdue, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa St., Kansas, Louisville, Oregon St., and Utah. Gregory is holding strong to his commitment to Purdue, a commitment he has held since pledging to the Boilermakers as a three-star standout at Fishers (Ind.) Hamilton Southeastern.
"They're pretty much the most loyal to me coming out of high school," Gregory said. "I have a really good relationship with the coaches and I really like coach (Danny) Hope. I talked to him earlier this week. He's a real energetic guy. I like what he's doing with the program and where it's going. He's real confident in his players and me. I feel I could talk to him at any time for as long as I want. He's just a good guy.
"The history of the position that I play they've had a lot of guys go to the league from defensive end and I think it would be a great opportunity for me to go there and play and do the right things and hopefully take that next step into the league."
The new interest is intriguing and has caused him to at least think about possibly checking into some new options.
"I feel like Purdue is the right school for me, but I kind of want to see…I'm going to wait until the season starts and I might actually open it up and see who really takes me seriously," Gregory said. "Then after that take my official visits and make my decision after that, but I have a pretty strong commitment right now."
Even if he does open up his recruitment he says Purdue will definitely remain very high on his list. As for Texas, they are also a program he could see being high on his list.
"They're a really nice school. I've seen them play for a long time," Gregory said. "I've watched football every Saturday and I always see them play. They're a great program and my dad thinks highly of them. He takes trips to Austin and he knows it's a great campus. From what I've heard they have great coaches. I got to talk to some of the defensive coaches and they have coach Mack Brown there and he's an awesome coach.
"I think right now for me they're a great school and if I were to get an offer I would seriously consider them. They said they're just interested right now but I think once I get towards the season and if I make a de-commitment they would be one of the top schools I would consider."
MY TAKE: Things between Texas and Gregory are still at the early stages, and this one is a longshot. It's not just that Gregory is an out of state target but he's also committed to Purdue and it will take him de-committing and making an official visit for him to likely see the Texas campus. I will say that after my few minutes of talking to him on the phone I was impressed. We're talking about a guy who just had his wisdom teeth out, doing a 20-minute interview with me. He was a very pleasant guy not to mention he's 6-6, 240 with a knack for rushing the passer. If anyone is asking me I say give this guy an offer and see what happens.(Howell)
*****************
It is still very early for the class of 2015, but prepare to hear the name Hanner Shipley. At 6-3, 270 pounds he worked at both defensive end and defensive tackle at the Rivals.com Underclassmen Challenge.
The Marble Falls standout is cousins with Jordan and Jaxon Shipley, and has always like the Longhorns and TCU
"I've always liked Texas because that's where my cousins went, and I've always like TCU because that's where my dad went," Shipley said. "He holds a few records there for wide receiver and he holds a few records for them. He had really good hands."
In addition to his abilities on the defensive front, Shipley has also been noted for his ability to throw the ball. (Howell)
********************
I checked in briefly with the nation’s No. 23 prospect overall in the 2013 Rivals150 Nick King. King is at the Nike Summit right now, and couldn’t talk much but he did inform me that as the new recruiting period began recently, Texas assistant coach Russell Springmann was one of the first people to text him. “Oh, yes sir!” said King about the Horns checking in.
The more I talk to King, the more it seems like the Horns, specifically Springmann, are building up a very good relationship with the ultra-talented lefty.
Also, I asked the 6-7 slasher about one of his AAU teammates, 6-8 power forward Austin Nichols. The Longhorns have been in contact with the nation’s No. 43 prospect, and Nichols will likely trim his list soon. I put a call out to Nichols tonight, which was unreturned and King said he hasn’t talked much recruiting with the big man. It’s unclear at this point if the Horns will make the cut. To tell you the kind of summer the Memphis, Tennessee native has had, North Carolina’s Roy Williams was checking him out up close in Philadelphia today. Nichols will be a name to follow.
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A member of the Texas coaching staff was in Pennsylvania today checking in on 2013 big man Chinonso Obokoh of Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, New York. Obokoh is a new name to the recruiting scene, but he’s a guy that Texas has kept in touch with. He could be a guy that the Longhorns turn their focus too if some of the other top targets fall through.
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The more I hear about Julius Randle the more I think the Longhorns might be on the outside looking in. I know that’s not what y’all want to hear, but the truth is that Randle seems to be mentioning other schools on the summer circuit right now more than Texas. He still mentions the Horns, and he’s a tough kid to read because he doesn’t really tip his hand. However, schools like Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, and even N.C. State recently seem to be really catching his attention.
A lot of time left in this one, but the Horns need to make a push. (McComas)
This post was edited on 7/13 7:56 AM by Ketchum
