Had a chance to talk to Austin Seferian-Jenkins, in addition to a couple other people close to his recruitment, on Thursday to get an update.
The Gig Harbor, Wa. tight end told us he’s still undecided between Texas and Washington, and he’s struggling to come to a final decision.
“The truth is that I don’t know yet what I’m going to do. If I knew, I would have called the coaches to tell them but I haven’t called anyone because I’m really struggling with it,” Seferian-Jenkins said. “I’m hoping to have my mind made up this weekend, maybe on Saturday, but right now I’m not sure.”
When we talked to Seferian-Jenkins immediately after his visit to Texas, he mentioned that he and his mother were going to talk things over and discuss the travel issues that would come with his family coming to see him play in Austin, if the Horns were the choice. Seferian-Jenkins said his mom is still doing her homework, trying to look into which specific games would be her best bet for visits and how much the trips to Austin would wind up costing.
There’s been a lot of discussion about exactly how Seferian-Jenkins fits into UT’s recruiting plans … is he a pure TE or is he a guy that UT sees as a long-term tackle. That topic was discussed during the visit.
“Here’s exactly what happened. When we met with Mack Brown, he told me ‘Only God knows how a person’s body will change over four years.’ But he said they like me as a tight end and unless I get up to 300 pounds, they’re recruiting me and want me as a tight end. They watched my film and he thinks I can be their next all-America tight end,” Seferian-Jenkins said.
Seferian-Jenkins reported that he weighed 256 pounds on Thursday afternoon. He was not weighed on his Texas visit.
This week, Seferian-Jenkins made two visits to the Washington practice fields, which is in no way insignificant. But he said people are reading too much into those trips. The first trip, he said, was because the UW staff asked him to come give them a look. The second was because one of his best friends who is about to go off to college is a huge Huskies fan and he asked Seferian-Jenkins to take him up there.
Two other sources we talked to late this week indicated that Texas does in fact want Seferian-Jenkins as a tight end, and the people we spoke with are unsure of how Seferian-Jenkins’ decision will eventually play out.
A third person we spoke with indicated that his impression is that Seferian-Jenkins favors Texas over Washington, but the feel is that his mother would prefer her son to stay closer to home and play for the Huskies.
“That’s a tough one to overcome but it’s also understandable,” our source said.
Seferian-Jenkins is still planning a Monday announcement.
My take: Based on the comments from Seferian-Jenkins and people close to the situation, it sounds like Texas does in fact think can play TE at the next level, as long as he keeps his weight under control.
As far as a leader, it’s hard to imagine that Seferian-Jenkins doesn’t have some idea on where he’s leaning, even though he said he’s completely torn. If the talk of his mother wanting him closer to home is accurate, and I believe it is, that’s going to be a key factor. Those of us that have been following/covering recruiting know that it’s usually a pretty safe bet to go with the mom, so my gut tells me Washington may wind up winning out. That’s not to say that Seferian-Jenkins’ mother was extremely impressed with what she saw at Texas, but it’s human nature for a parent, particularly a single mother, to want her son close to home. We’ll all know on Monday, but give the slight edge down the stretch to Washington. (Suchomel)
******
A quick note on the state’s top player for 2012, Austin High WR Cayleb Jones …
Don’t underestimate the importance of Jones’ summer visit to Texas (after the comments about Miami leading came out). The Longhorns apparently made quite an impression on Jones and his family, particularly with the opportunity to showcase UT’s academic qualities (and even an encounter with DeLoss Dodds).
Jones has now put on hold his previous plans to make a summer/early fall commitment, which on the surface would play into UT’s favor since the Horns’ won’t officially offer until February. And he listed the Longhorns this week as back on equal footing with Miami, if not slight leaders.
We’ll follow this one in the fall, of course, but getting Jones on campus for a summer visit and having him at a few Longhorn home games would seemingly have Texas in a pretty solid position.
Looking further down the road, Jones has two younger brothers who may be worth keeping an eye on. One brother, a sophomore, will be competing for a spot on varsity this year as an offensive player (Jones said he can play a little bit of all the offensive skill positions). A second brother, going into the 6th grade, already has high school size, and Jones said he’ll be a player to watch as a defender (remember, their father player is former all-American/Pro Bowl linebacker Robert Jones).
“We call him little Sergio Kindle,” Jones said of his sixth-grade sibling. “He’s a guy to look out for, I'm not kidding you. He’s not afraid of us, he’s not afraid of anything. We'll try to beat up on him, but he won't quit.” (Suchomel)
*****************************
Thought I would chime in an update ion five-star running back Malcolm Brown out of Cibolo Steele because it does happen to be the most important recruitment of the year.
As everyone knows, I’ve been calling for an eventual Brown commitment to Texas for a long, long time and nothing that I’ve been told from any number of sources over the last few weeks has me budging off of my prediction that he’ll end up in burnt orange.
With it down to two schools, Brown and his family continue to take great care in the recruitment to ensure they made a decision he wants to live with for the rest of his life.
One of the main factors that play into Texas’ favor is the distance. Although Malcolm has downplayed the distance factor, it seems like it will be a factor… a big factor.
Brown has been pretty private when it comes to the recruiting process, but there’s been a strong sense behind the scenes that Texas will be his ultimate choice and a few more sources this week indicated that Texas currently leads, even if Brown hasn’t named a leader.
Just remain patient and know that the Longhorns are in a very good position here. (Ketch)
*****************************
Lake Travis offensive tackle Taylor Doyle is back in action and ready to go. He is excited to be back on the field and he is also excited about his future at Texas.
Growing up, Doyle was always too big to play pee-wee, but in the seventh grade he was finally able to play. It took him a little bit of time but by his sophomore year he was a starter on Lake Travis’s second state championship squad.
He picked up offers from Arizona, Auburn, Baylor, Houston, Texas Tech, and Tulsa, before committing to the Longhorns, and there were a lot of reasons for his commitment to the Longhorns.
“It’s a great group of guys. When you go up there it’s like a family,” Doyle said. “You’ll see all the coaches wives. It’s awesome. I really like the feel of the place. They have the best location, best staff, and the best kids going there so I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
It also helped that he clicked well with Texas offensive line coach Mac McWhorter.
“Honestly he kind of reminds me of coach Spano because they both aren’t afraid to say some things,” he said. “They’re both very vocal people. I think it will help me get the hang of things early just being familiar with the way he coaches.”
Once Doyle arrives on the Texas campus he will join former Lake Travis standouts Paden Kelley who he played alongside of in his first varsity season.
“I definitely learned a lot from watching Paden play because I was on the right and he was on the left,” Doyle said. “I learned a lot about being aggressive and having the right attitude on the field. So that was good for me. Then Garrett is one of the best if not the best football player I’ve seen play, so I think he’s going to do amazing things at Texas.” (Howell)
************************
Most schools are still not in full pads but I wanted to get out to a few area schools today to see the talent. This morning I made my way to Round Rock Stony Point. Of course the headliners are defensive tackle P.L. Lindley who are both headed to OU. I have to say they were both impressive looking prospects. Always been a fan of both.
The one coming up Longhorn fans may want to keep an eye on though is 2012 DB Brian Jaquet. He is just shy of 5-10 right now but he has the makings of the future of the Stony Point secondary. He can play both cornerback and free safety. Jaquet also has a younger brother in the 2014 class who is 5-10 and plays safety and linebacker.
In the 2013 class linebacker Marcos (pronounce Marcus) Curry is already turning heads. He measured 5-9.5, 196 pounds and has worked his way into the linebacker rotation. He’s not a huge guy, but he is a solid and athletic middle backer.
In the 2011 class QB/TE Trevor Caswell. Sharp may end up at another position on the college level but he has some good size and athleticism to work with. Kelley is small, but quick. He’s getting a few looks. Caswell played some DB last year but looks more like an LB right now.
Also ATH Stephen Williams has not been forgotten. He has slipped down the radar a bit and there is no doubt at 5-8.5 Williams is not a huge guy, but he is a playmaker. He is receiving interest from Tulsa, Houston, and UTEP, but has not received his first offer. Whoever gets this guy will be getting a versatile threat. He has shown despite his lack of size he is strong blocker and is a threat as a running back, receiver, or return man. And if he doesn’t fit in on offense I’m pretty confident he can fit in on defense.
The 2012 class also has a few guys to watch. Receiver Sedric Chandler and tight end/h-back Tyler White both have potential. Chandler is known for his speed (ran a 4.48 this spring) and White is in the mold of Gerrard Shillow. Another guy to keep an eye on is Brian Cramer. He’s a 6-4 DT, who moved in from Montana. He was moved to DT from QB and may end up on the JV this fall. He’s not a UT guy, but he has a big frame and has sleeper capabilities.
I usually don’t do this but there is word of a big armed QB in the 2015 class (8th grade). He’s already 6-1 and is developing nicely. He already has people talking around Stony Point. (Howell)
**********************
Two final nuggets to leave you with…
1. I talked to a source from the Shreveport area on Thursday night who indicated the Longhorns are the leaders for Jermauria Rasco and in their mind it’s a healthy lead. His recruitment could be the final one to end for the 2011 class when the dust settles.
2. I’m expecting Austin Seferian-Jenkins to commit to Washington on Monday. All of my sources reminded me this week why the coaches have always remained very cautious about the recruitment of ASJ because they were never convinced they’d land him. There’s a feeling that Texas might be his favorite school and the mom might love everything about what they have to offer, but he’s not going that far away from home. One source told me on Thursday that ASJ’s mom was already of the opinion that he was going to Washington before the visit to Texas occurred and that the Longhorns would have needed to totally flip the script in order to pull off the win. (Ketch)
The Gig Harbor, Wa. tight end told us he’s still undecided between Texas and Washington, and he’s struggling to come to a final decision.
“The truth is that I don’t know yet what I’m going to do. If I knew, I would have called the coaches to tell them but I haven’t called anyone because I’m really struggling with it,” Seferian-Jenkins said. “I’m hoping to have my mind made up this weekend, maybe on Saturday, but right now I’m not sure.”
When we talked to Seferian-Jenkins immediately after his visit to Texas, he mentioned that he and his mother were going to talk things over and discuss the travel issues that would come with his family coming to see him play in Austin, if the Horns were the choice. Seferian-Jenkins said his mom is still doing her homework, trying to look into which specific games would be her best bet for visits and how much the trips to Austin would wind up costing.
There’s been a lot of discussion about exactly how Seferian-Jenkins fits into UT’s recruiting plans … is he a pure TE or is he a guy that UT sees as a long-term tackle. That topic was discussed during the visit.
“Here’s exactly what happened. When we met with Mack Brown, he told me ‘Only God knows how a person’s body will change over four years.’ But he said they like me as a tight end and unless I get up to 300 pounds, they’re recruiting me and want me as a tight end. They watched my film and he thinks I can be their next all-America tight end,” Seferian-Jenkins said.
Seferian-Jenkins reported that he weighed 256 pounds on Thursday afternoon. He was not weighed on his Texas visit.
This week, Seferian-Jenkins made two visits to the Washington practice fields, which is in no way insignificant. But he said people are reading too much into those trips. The first trip, he said, was because the UW staff asked him to come give them a look. The second was because one of his best friends who is about to go off to college is a huge Huskies fan and he asked Seferian-Jenkins to take him up there.
Two other sources we talked to late this week indicated that Texas does in fact want Seferian-Jenkins as a tight end, and the people we spoke with are unsure of how Seferian-Jenkins’ decision will eventually play out.
A third person we spoke with indicated that his impression is that Seferian-Jenkins favors Texas over Washington, but the feel is that his mother would prefer her son to stay closer to home and play for the Huskies.
“That’s a tough one to overcome but it’s also understandable,” our source said.
Seferian-Jenkins is still planning a Monday announcement.
My take: Based on the comments from Seferian-Jenkins and people close to the situation, it sounds like Texas does in fact think can play TE at the next level, as long as he keeps his weight under control.
As far as a leader, it’s hard to imagine that Seferian-Jenkins doesn’t have some idea on where he’s leaning, even though he said he’s completely torn. If the talk of his mother wanting him closer to home is accurate, and I believe it is, that’s going to be a key factor. Those of us that have been following/covering recruiting know that it’s usually a pretty safe bet to go with the mom, so my gut tells me Washington may wind up winning out. That’s not to say that Seferian-Jenkins’ mother was extremely impressed with what she saw at Texas, but it’s human nature for a parent, particularly a single mother, to want her son close to home. We’ll all know on Monday, but give the slight edge down the stretch to Washington. (Suchomel)
******
A quick note on the state’s top player for 2012, Austin High WR Cayleb Jones …
Don’t underestimate the importance of Jones’ summer visit to Texas (after the comments about Miami leading came out). The Longhorns apparently made quite an impression on Jones and his family, particularly with the opportunity to showcase UT’s academic qualities (and even an encounter with DeLoss Dodds).
Jones has now put on hold his previous plans to make a summer/early fall commitment, which on the surface would play into UT’s favor since the Horns’ won’t officially offer until February. And he listed the Longhorns this week as back on equal footing with Miami, if not slight leaders.
We’ll follow this one in the fall, of course, but getting Jones on campus for a summer visit and having him at a few Longhorn home games would seemingly have Texas in a pretty solid position.
Looking further down the road, Jones has two younger brothers who may be worth keeping an eye on. One brother, a sophomore, will be competing for a spot on varsity this year as an offensive player (Jones said he can play a little bit of all the offensive skill positions). A second brother, going into the 6th grade, already has high school size, and Jones said he’ll be a player to watch as a defender (remember, their father player is former all-American/Pro Bowl linebacker Robert Jones).
“We call him little Sergio Kindle,” Jones said of his sixth-grade sibling. “He’s a guy to look out for, I'm not kidding you. He’s not afraid of us, he’s not afraid of anything. We'll try to beat up on him, but he won't quit.” (Suchomel)
*****************************
Thought I would chime in an update ion five-star running back Malcolm Brown out of Cibolo Steele because it does happen to be the most important recruitment of the year.
As everyone knows, I’ve been calling for an eventual Brown commitment to Texas for a long, long time and nothing that I’ve been told from any number of sources over the last few weeks has me budging off of my prediction that he’ll end up in burnt orange.
With it down to two schools, Brown and his family continue to take great care in the recruitment to ensure they made a decision he wants to live with for the rest of his life.
One of the main factors that play into Texas’ favor is the distance. Although Malcolm has downplayed the distance factor, it seems like it will be a factor… a big factor.
Brown has been pretty private when it comes to the recruiting process, but there’s been a strong sense behind the scenes that Texas will be his ultimate choice and a few more sources this week indicated that Texas currently leads, even if Brown hasn’t named a leader.
Just remain patient and know that the Longhorns are in a very good position here. (Ketch)
*****************************
Lake Travis offensive tackle Taylor Doyle is back in action and ready to go. He is excited to be back on the field and he is also excited about his future at Texas.
Growing up, Doyle was always too big to play pee-wee, but in the seventh grade he was finally able to play. It took him a little bit of time but by his sophomore year he was a starter on Lake Travis’s second state championship squad.
He picked up offers from Arizona, Auburn, Baylor, Houston, Texas Tech, and Tulsa, before committing to the Longhorns, and there were a lot of reasons for his commitment to the Longhorns.
“It’s a great group of guys. When you go up there it’s like a family,” Doyle said. “You’ll see all the coaches wives. It’s awesome. I really like the feel of the place. They have the best location, best staff, and the best kids going there so I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
It also helped that he clicked well with Texas offensive line coach Mac McWhorter.
“Honestly he kind of reminds me of coach Spano because they both aren’t afraid to say some things,” he said. “They’re both very vocal people. I think it will help me get the hang of things early just being familiar with the way he coaches.”
Once Doyle arrives on the Texas campus he will join former Lake Travis standouts Paden Kelley who he played alongside of in his first varsity season.
“I definitely learned a lot from watching Paden play because I was on the right and he was on the left,” Doyle said. “I learned a lot about being aggressive and having the right attitude on the field. So that was good for me. Then Garrett is one of the best if not the best football player I’ve seen play, so I think he’s going to do amazing things at Texas.” (Howell)
************************
Most schools are still not in full pads but I wanted to get out to a few area schools today to see the talent. This morning I made my way to Round Rock Stony Point. Of course the headliners are defensive tackle P.L. Lindley who are both headed to OU. I have to say they were both impressive looking prospects. Always been a fan of both.
The one coming up Longhorn fans may want to keep an eye on though is 2012 DB Brian Jaquet. He is just shy of 5-10 right now but he has the makings of the future of the Stony Point secondary. He can play both cornerback and free safety. Jaquet also has a younger brother in the 2014 class who is 5-10 and plays safety and linebacker.
In the 2013 class linebacker Marcos (pronounce Marcus) Curry is already turning heads. He measured 5-9.5, 196 pounds and has worked his way into the linebacker rotation. He’s not a huge guy, but he is a solid and athletic middle backer.
In the 2011 class QB/TE Trevor Caswell. Sharp may end up at another position on the college level but he has some good size and athleticism to work with. Kelley is small, but quick. He’s getting a few looks. Caswell played some DB last year but looks more like an LB right now.
Also ATH Stephen Williams has not been forgotten. He has slipped down the radar a bit and there is no doubt at 5-8.5 Williams is not a huge guy, but he is a playmaker. He is receiving interest from Tulsa, Houston, and UTEP, but has not received his first offer. Whoever gets this guy will be getting a versatile threat. He has shown despite his lack of size he is strong blocker and is a threat as a running back, receiver, or return man. And if he doesn’t fit in on offense I’m pretty confident he can fit in on defense.
The 2012 class also has a few guys to watch. Receiver Sedric Chandler and tight end/h-back Tyler White both have potential. Chandler is known for his speed (ran a 4.48 this spring) and White is in the mold of Gerrard Shillow. Another guy to keep an eye on is Brian Cramer. He’s a 6-4 DT, who moved in from Montana. He was moved to DT from QB and may end up on the JV this fall. He’s not a UT guy, but he has a big frame and has sleeper capabilities.
I usually don’t do this but there is word of a big armed QB in the 2015 class (8th grade). He’s already 6-1 and is developing nicely. He already has people talking around Stony Point. (Howell)
**********************
Two final nuggets to leave you with…
1. I talked to a source from the Shreveport area on Thursday night who indicated the Longhorns are the leaders for Jermauria Rasco and in their mind it’s a healthy lead. His recruitment could be the final one to end for the 2011 class when the dust settles.
2. I’m expecting Austin Seferian-Jenkins to commit to Washington on Monday. All of my sources reminded me this week why the coaches have always remained very cautious about the recruitment of ASJ because they were never convinced they’d land him. There’s a feeling that Texas might be his favorite school and the mom might love everything about what they have to offer, but he’s not going that far away from home. One source told me on Thursday that ASJ’s mom was already of the opinion that he was going to Washington before the visit to Texas occurred and that the Longhorns would have needed to totally flip the script in order to pull off the win. (Ketch)
