The visit of five-star Tempe (Ariz.) Corona del Sol offensive tackle Andrus Peat was the subject of much excitement surrounding the Texas Longhorn program this week.
He arrived on Monday and departed Tuesday afternoon and immediately the reports concerning the visit were positive. Peat said the visit was great and was able to meet several players as well as meet with coach Bryan Harsin, coach Major Applewhite, and coach Mack Brown.
Corona del Sol head coach Tom Joseph received word from Peat’s father, Todd Peat, Sr., the visit was going well on Tuesday morning and then Wednesday evening he was able to catch up with Andrus.
“He gave me a big smile and said (the visit was) great,” Coach Joseph said. “It seemed like he really enjoyed it. He didn’t go into detail but it was a pleasurable visit.
“I’ve never seen him light up like that when I’ve asked him about a visit.”
Coach Joseph said Peat was planning to visit Auburn at some point in the future and indicated there was a good possibility the visit would occur after the 2011 Corona del Sol season. Coach Joseph also said they recently measured Peat at 6-6.75 and 315 pounds. (Howell)
******
Texas Longhorn Offensive line coach Stacy Searels made Pearland (Texas) Dawson offensive tackle Kennedy Estelle a top priority for the 2012 recruiting class soon after arriving on the Forty Acres.
Following UT's June 5 camp in Austin, Estelle committed to the Longhorns, stating "I committed. I made my decision today as I was going through and having fun. That's when I made my decision."
Since then, Estelle has been working hard in summer track and this week is in Wichita, Kan., for the USATF National Junior Olympics. He is also keeping in touch with Major Applewhite and Searels.
“They’re really cool,” Estelle said of the Texas coaches. “Applewhite, he’s a funny dude. Searels, I like him because when I went up to the camp he kept trying to push me and teach me. He’s really trying get me to work hard and learn new stuff I haven’t done yet. He didn’t give up on me. Applewhite, he sees how I’m doing and how the family is doing and I like that about him. They always try to keep in touch with me.”
Estelle has seen recruiting slow down quite a bit since committing to Texas, and the phone is not ringing off the hook as much as it used to. However, schools are still interested and he still receives mail from colleges across the country.
“I still get some mail in the mailbox about every other day so they’re still trying to talk to me,” he said. “I’ll probably wait to take my official visits during the school year so I don’t have to pay for it. That’s what I’m probably going to do.”
Estelle says he has not talked to Texas about taking visits to other places, and says he is still committed to Texas. He mentioned Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Miami as possible visit destinations and said he wants to take visits to see schools he has not been able to get a good look at yet in order to make sure of his decision to commit to Texas. (Howell)
******
Caught up with top Longhorn defensive end Torshiro Davis on Thursday night for a quick update.
Davis, who still favors LSU, Alabama and Texas, has now added OU to his list of schools. The Sooners sit fourth on his list as of now, and for those who are wondering where OU came from, think back a few months ago.
Davis' coach DeCarlos Holmes told us early in the spring that Davis, an LSU commitment, was evaluating other options but Holmes was trying to limit Davis' focus. He didn't want his star prospect entertaining interest from schools all over America. UT, 'Bama, OU and USC were the four schools (along with LSU) that Holmes said he'd allow Davis to review.
Davis took camp visits to Texas, LSU and Alabama this spring/summer. He was hoping to make it to OU for a camp but was unable to make it to Norman due to some difficulties with his travel arrangements. Davis said on Thursday he'll take official visits to UT, LSU and Alabama and he's now hoping to visit OU as well.
Still way too early to predict how this one will turn out. Davis has publicly listed Texas behind both LSU and Alabama since the other schools have been recruiting him the longest. The UT coaches have stayed in contact with him this summer, and Davis spent quite a bit of time with the Texas commitments at this month's "The Opening," put on by Nike.
We'll have more from Davis over the weekend. (Suchomel)
******
Wylie, Texas offensive tackle Kyle Fuller has reeled in several offers from across the country and is a prospect the Longhorns checked out in the spring. There have been talks in the past of Fuller taking a visit to Texas this summer, but that has not occurred.
Wylie High recruiting coordinator Terry Mills says there has not been much new going on between the standout offensive lineman and the Texas staff to this point. Fuller does plan to take visits this fall and at this point he does have a few schools standing out.
“He’s narrowed his choices a little bit,” Coach Mills said. “I know he likes Arkansas, Virginia, Michigan St. I think those are his top three.”
West Virginia is also a program that has come into the picture recently that could get more involved in his recruitment.
With things heating up between Texas and Andrus Peat, the sparse contact between UT and Fuller doesn’t come as a shock. And, a top three does not necessarily mean final three. Fuller has said in the past he has an interest in Texas, and is someone to keep in mind as some of the other targets make decisions.
Another prospect Mills believes will eventually land on the Longhorn’s radar is 2014 safety prospect T’Kevian Rockwell. He is already 6-1, 190 pounds and he anchored both the 4x100 (won 4A title) and 4x200 (3rd in 4A) relay teams. Describing the talented sophomore-to-be Mills said, “He’s unbelievable.” (Howell)
******
Whitewright, Texas tight end/defensive end Gerron Ballard is a prospect the Longhorns have been keeping an eye on over the past few months. The 6-6 prospect attended a Texas camp in June as well as a Baylor camp and plans to head to a North Texas camp tomorrow.
He currently holds offers from Baylor, North Texas, and Purdue. As for Texas, Ballard has not heard much lately.
“They haven’t talked to me since the camp, so I really don’t know,” Ballard said. “They’ll probably come see me during the season.”
At this point, Ballard is keeping his options open and does not claim any leaders. However, he is looking for a program that gets the ball to its tight end and has a good academic reputation.
Ballard is receiving most of his attention at tight end but also plays defensive end for Whitewright and received some interest from TCU as a defensive end. He enjoys both but he does prefer one side of the ball over the other.
“I like offense better than defense,” he said. “I like to score and I really don’t like to chase people.”
He says he is now 250 pounds and has not missed a work out this summer as he and his teammates prepare for a big season in 2011.
“We’re trying to get some chemistry with this new team and make our team stronger and tougher,” he said. “I want to see myself help the team and get better at what I need to do to help get us where we need to be.” (Howell)
******
Coach Joey McGuire has had several top prospects come though his Cedar Hill program, with several signing with the University of Texas. In the 2013 class, McGuire has one prospect already capturing the attention of college programs in Laquvionte Gonzalez.
The 5-10, 170-pound Gonzalez did not attend many camps this summer due to summer track. He did camp at Oklahoma in June, and is highly interested in the likes of Oklahoma, Texas and TCU. Those programs are also returning the interest.
Coach McGuire sees Gonzalez as a Reggie Bush-type player and plans to use him at running back, slot receiver and in the return game. Another player Coach McGuire likes to compare Gonzalez to is Will Cole, who led the Longhorns to the 2006 5A Division II State Championship. The two are very similar but at this point Gonzalez has an edge on the former Cedar Hill standout.
“That’s who I compare him to,” McGuire said. “He’s so explosive; he jumps out of the gym. In the classroom he’s very serious. I think he’s better than Will at this point.”
The 2013 class at Cedar Hill is already drawing quite a bit of attention. Gonzalez, along with receiver Damion Hobbs, attended the Texas spring game. Harris camped at Oklahoma this summer and Hobbs camped at both Oklahoma and LSU. (Howell)
******
Celina, Texas 2013 standout Jake Raulerson has been making his way through the Southeast recently. He picked up an offer from Ole Miss after a trip to Oxford, Miss., and on Thursday he picked up another big offer after visiting another SEC campus.
“Florida offered,” Raulerson said via text.
The Florida offer is a big one considering he grew up cheering for the Gators and has family ties to the Sunshine State.
In the last few weeks he has also added offers from Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Alabama in addition to Ole Miss and Florida. He planned to visit Florida St. and LSU on this trip, but says he will not be able to make those visits at this time.
The Florida offer gives him 15 offers at this early point in the process. He is currently ranked No. 12 in the Lone Star Recruiting’s 2013 Top 100. (Howell)
******
The coaches are eager to see Garrett Gilbert in fall camp because he's gotten some glowing reviews for his summer work, including an endorsement from Fozzy Whittaker.
But Mack Brown said he won't set a deadline as to when he declares a winner in the battle to be the starter.
"They will dictate that. If no one separates, then we could go into the season still trying to figure it out," Mack said.
At least one person close to the program said the coaches almost have to prepare to play two QBs in the opener against Rice. That way, if Gilbert struggles, there is a plan already in place.
There are interesting feelings about whether to redshirt David Ash this season or not. Some are convinced Ash is the future at QB. But it's a huge gamble to play him this year, even as the backup.
If he struggles in game action, you've possibly alienated two or three upperclassmen at his position. But if the coaches feel Ash is the future, there's an argument to get him the most reps possible in practice and get him on the field.
This decision will have a huge impact on the unity of the team.
One source close to the team said Garrett Gilbert has to be the starter because his experience gives Texas the best chance to win now. The source said the real question will be who wins the right to back up Gilbert and possibly become the starter if Gilbert struggles.
Would the coaches make Ash that guy? Or let him redshirt and allow him to make his case next year? (Brown)
******
Got a report from summer workouts and Myck Kabongo has been as good as advertised, running the show like a veteran with blazing speed that will remind UT fans of T.J. Ford.
In short, Kabongo has been nails.
So has J'Covan Brown, who seems to really enjoy playing with Kabongo.
Sterling Gibbs has been solid and has already shown he will be a quality backup at point guard.
Julien Lewis and Sheldon McClellan are gaining confidence. Both have had good days and bad days. But Lewis has probably emerged as the early favorite to replace Jordan Hamlton on the wing. Lewis didn't get on campus until the second session of summer school because of a transcript clarification. So he's had less time on the floor than everyone else. But he's made up for lost time.
Jonathan Holmes has had a good summer, and he needed to because he has to be a big part of the plan in the frontcourt. I was told Holmes will remind everyone of Damion James.
The staff wasn't expecting the transfers of Varez Ward and Shawn Williams combined with the early defections of Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph. So right now UT has only 9 scholarship players of a possible 13.
Coaches are still looking around for a possible player pickup, including overseas. But if the Longhorns end up with only 9 guys, Rick Barnes is OK with that. He'd obviously like another big man because, ideally, the coaches would like to bring Kevin Thomas along slowly.
The staff really likes the guard play, and that's good, considering this will be a guard-oriented team.
Likely starting lineup at this moment:
G Myck Kabongo
G J'Covan Brown
G Julien Lewis
F Jonathan Holmes
C Alexis Wangmene
(Brown)
******
Hoops recruiting
Recently, the Longhorns have really increased their pursuit of 2012 forward Jerami Grant of DeMatha HS in Maryland. The 6-7, 180 pounder plays his AAU basketball for Team Takeover. I was able to briefly catch up with Team Takeover coach Keith Stevens before he had to run, and Texas has definitely expressed its serious interest.
“He’s trying to find the right situation,” Stevens stated. “He’s made a list of Texas, NC State, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, Syracuse and Rutgers.”
Surprisingly, Clemson, despite all of the family ties, did not make the list, which means Grant is definitely serious about finding the right situation. As for Texas, the recent pursuit of Grant has absolutely been noticed.
“Yeah, they have,” Stevens responded when asked if the Longhorns have really been recruiting Grant heavily. “They’ve been doing a great job of making their presence known. Russ Springmann is the one recruiting him the most.”
Recently, the nation’s No. 61 prospect in the 2012 Rivals150 cut his list to those six schools previously mentioned, and it sounds like he wants to make a decision at the end of the summer. When I asked Stevens if Texas would be a school that gets an official, he didn’t hesitate to say yes.
Now, I also caught up with someone that has their pulse on recruiting in the east coast to ask about Grant. He suggested that Texas, Syracuse and NC State seemed to be ahead of the other three schools. I know that Syracuse has been a school that’s really picked up the heat as well. The Horns seem to really be in this one with what appears to be a fairly decent shot. Getting him on campus for a visit as a team in his final list can’t be a bad thing. As for his game, his biggest strength is getting to the rim off the bounce. He uses a big stride length to his ability and has great body control. Even though he’s thin for his height, Grant plays big in the paint. He also handles the ball very well for a 6-7 player.
******
I communicated with Findlay Prep assistant coach Todd Simon tonight briefly. When asked about Winston Shepard he suggested that the 2012 four-star forward that “he’s in no hurry” to end his recruitment. He’s wide open and should be coming out with a list once the summer circuit ends. Combine that with Texas’ increased pursuit in Jerami Grant, and it’s tough to really feel where UT is in this recruitment.
******
From talking with a source it feels like the UT staff is trying to make up its mind whether to take a true point guard or a combo guard in this 2012 class. I expect that decision to be made fairly quickly as July comes to an end.
******
Baseball
Some buzz around Josh Bell's name right now as it pertains to him possibly signing with the Pirates. We're almost at the point where the negotiation process really, really heats up for the top draft picks. Obviously, a lot of money is tough to turn down and it's tough to get a great read on these situations with so much false info being put out. That being said, after a conversation I had tonight I don't think much has changed with Bell. I'm still sticking to my guns in that college is still the slight favorite over going pro. A ton can change before August 15th, but I've heard nothing to suggest that all of a sudden things have shifted the other way.
Passing this along because it's gaining a little bit of steam and isn't just a joke anymore: Brandon Loy's negotiations aren't going that smoothly with the Tigers. Now, Detroit has plenty of time to get this done, and Loy is a guy that wants to sign. That being said, this is starting to feel a bit rocky between him and Detroit. He wants to sign, but if Detroit doesn't get more serious things could change.
(McComas)
This post was edited on 7/29 10:04 AM by Suchomel
He arrived on Monday and departed Tuesday afternoon and immediately the reports concerning the visit were positive. Peat said the visit was great and was able to meet several players as well as meet with coach Bryan Harsin, coach Major Applewhite, and coach Mack Brown.
Corona del Sol head coach Tom Joseph received word from Peat’s father, Todd Peat, Sr., the visit was going well on Tuesday morning and then Wednesday evening he was able to catch up with Andrus.
“He gave me a big smile and said (the visit was) great,” Coach Joseph said. “It seemed like he really enjoyed it. He didn’t go into detail but it was a pleasurable visit.
“I’ve never seen him light up like that when I’ve asked him about a visit.”
Coach Joseph said Peat was planning to visit Auburn at some point in the future and indicated there was a good possibility the visit would occur after the 2011 Corona del Sol season. Coach Joseph also said they recently measured Peat at 6-6.75 and 315 pounds. (Howell)
******
Texas Longhorn Offensive line coach Stacy Searels made Pearland (Texas) Dawson offensive tackle Kennedy Estelle a top priority for the 2012 recruiting class soon after arriving on the Forty Acres.
Following UT's June 5 camp in Austin, Estelle committed to the Longhorns, stating "I committed. I made my decision today as I was going through and having fun. That's when I made my decision."
Since then, Estelle has been working hard in summer track and this week is in Wichita, Kan., for the USATF National Junior Olympics. He is also keeping in touch with Major Applewhite and Searels.
“They’re really cool,” Estelle said of the Texas coaches. “Applewhite, he’s a funny dude. Searels, I like him because when I went up to the camp he kept trying to push me and teach me. He’s really trying get me to work hard and learn new stuff I haven’t done yet. He didn’t give up on me. Applewhite, he sees how I’m doing and how the family is doing and I like that about him. They always try to keep in touch with me.”
Estelle has seen recruiting slow down quite a bit since committing to Texas, and the phone is not ringing off the hook as much as it used to. However, schools are still interested and he still receives mail from colleges across the country.
“I still get some mail in the mailbox about every other day so they’re still trying to talk to me,” he said. “I’ll probably wait to take my official visits during the school year so I don’t have to pay for it. That’s what I’m probably going to do.”
Estelle says he has not talked to Texas about taking visits to other places, and says he is still committed to Texas. He mentioned Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Miami as possible visit destinations and said he wants to take visits to see schools he has not been able to get a good look at yet in order to make sure of his decision to commit to Texas. (Howell)
******
Caught up with top Longhorn defensive end Torshiro Davis on Thursday night for a quick update.
Davis, who still favors LSU, Alabama and Texas, has now added OU to his list of schools. The Sooners sit fourth on his list as of now, and for those who are wondering where OU came from, think back a few months ago.
Davis' coach DeCarlos Holmes told us early in the spring that Davis, an LSU commitment, was evaluating other options but Holmes was trying to limit Davis' focus. He didn't want his star prospect entertaining interest from schools all over America. UT, 'Bama, OU and USC were the four schools (along with LSU) that Holmes said he'd allow Davis to review.
Davis took camp visits to Texas, LSU and Alabama this spring/summer. He was hoping to make it to OU for a camp but was unable to make it to Norman due to some difficulties with his travel arrangements. Davis said on Thursday he'll take official visits to UT, LSU and Alabama and he's now hoping to visit OU as well.
Still way too early to predict how this one will turn out. Davis has publicly listed Texas behind both LSU and Alabama since the other schools have been recruiting him the longest. The UT coaches have stayed in contact with him this summer, and Davis spent quite a bit of time with the Texas commitments at this month's "The Opening," put on by Nike.
We'll have more from Davis over the weekend. (Suchomel)
******
Wylie, Texas offensive tackle Kyle Fuller has reeled in several offers from across the country and is a prospect the Longhorns checked out in the spring. There have been talks in the past of Fuller taking a visit to Texas this summer, but that has not occurred.
Wylie High recruiting coordinator Terry Mills says there has not been much new going on between the standout offensive lineman and the Texas staff to this point. Fuller does plan to take visits this fall and at this point he does have a few schools standing out.
“He’s narrowed his choices a little bit,” Coach Mills said. “I know he likes Arkansas, Virginia, Michigan St. I think those are his top three.”
West Virginia is also a program that has come into the picture recently that could get more involved in his recruitment.
With things heating up between Texas and Andrus Peat, the sparse contact between UT and Fuller doesn’t come as a shock. And, a top three does not necessarily mean final three. Fuller has said in the past he has an interest in Texas, and is someone to keep in mind as some of the other targets make decisions.
Another prospect Mills believes will eventually land on the Longhorn’s radar is 2014 safety prospect T’Kevian Rockwell. He is already 6-1, 190 pounds and he anchored both the 4x100 (won 4A title) and 4x200 (3rd in 4A) relay teams. Describing the talented sophomore-to-be Mills said, “He’s unbelievable.” (Howell)
******
Whitewright, Texas tight end/defensive end Gerron Ballard is a prospect the Longhorns have been keeping an eye on over the past few months. The 6-6 prospect attended a Texas camp in June as well as a Baylor camp and plans to head to a North Texas camp tomorrow.
He currently holds offers from Baylor, North Texas, and Purdue. As for Texas, Ballard has not heard much lately.
“They haven’t talked to me since the camp, so I really don’t know,” Ballard said. “They’ll probably come see me during the season.”
At this point, Ballard is keeping his options open and does not claim any leaders. However, he is looking for a program that gets the ball to its tight end and has a good academic reputation.
Ballard is receiving most of his attention at tight end but also plays defensive end for Whitewright and received some interest from TCU as a defensive end. He enjoys both but he does prefer one side of the ball over the other.
“I like offense better than defense,” he said. “I like to score and I really don’t like to chase people.”
He says he is now 250 pounds and has not missed a work out this summer as he and his teammates prepare for a big season in 2011.
“We’re trying to get some chemistry with this new team and make our team stronger and tougher,” he said. “I want to see myself help the team and get better at what I need to do to help get us where we need to be.” (Howell)
******
Coach Joey McGuire has had several top prospects come though his Cedar Hill program, with several signing with the University of Texas. In the 2013 class, McGuire has one prospect already capturing the attention of college programs in Laquvionte Gonzalez.
The 5-10, 170-pound Gonzalez did not attend many camps this summer due to summer track. He did camp at Oklahoma in June, and is highly interested in the likes of Oklahoma, Texas and TCU. Those programs are also returning the interest.
Coach McGuire sees Gonzalez as a Reggie Bush-type player and plans to use him at running back, slot receiver and in the return game. Another player Coach McGuire likes to compare Gonzalez to is Will Cole, who led the Longhorns to the 2006 5A Division II State Championship. The two are very similar but at this point Gonzalez has an edge on the former Cedar Hill standout.
“That’s who I compare him to,” McGuire said. “He’s so explosive; he jumps out of the gym. In the classroom he’s very serious. I think he’s better than Will at this point.”
The 2013 class at Cedar Hill is already drawing quite a bit of attention. Gonzalez, along with receiver Damion Hobbs, attended the Texas spring game. Harris camped at Oklahoma this summer and Hobbs camped at both Oklahoma and LSU. (Howell)
******
Celina, Texas 2013 standout Jake Raulerson has been making his way through the Southeast recently. He picked up an offer from Ole Miss after a trip to Oxford, Miss., and on Thursday he picked up another big offer after visiting another SEC campus.
“Florida offered,” Raulerson said via text.
The Florida offer is a big one considering he grew up cheering for the Gators and has family ties to the Sunshine State.
In the last few weeks he has also added offers from Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Alabama in addition to Ole Miss and Florida. He planned to visit Florida St. and LSU on this trip, but says he will not be able to make those visits at this time.
The Florida offer gives him 15 offers at this early point in the process. He is currently ranked No. 12 in the Lone Star Recruiting’s 2013 Top 100. (Howell)
******
The coaches are eager to see Garrett Gilbert in fall camp because he's gotten some glowing reviews for his summer work, including an endorsement from Fozzy Whittaker.
But Mack Brown said he won't set a deadline as to when he declares a winner in the battle to be the starter.
"They will dictate that. If no one separates, then we could go into the season still trying to figure it out," Mack said.
At least one person close to the program said the coaches almost have to prepare to play two QBs in the opener against Rice. That way, if Gilbert struggles, there is a plan already in place.
There are interesting feelings about whether to redshirt David Ash this season or not. Some are convinced Ash is the future at QB. But it's a huge gamble to play him this year, even as the backup.
If he struggles in game action, you've possibly alienated two or three upperclassmen at his position. But if the coaches feel Ash is the future, there's an argument to get him the most reps possible in practice and get him on the field.
This decision will have a huge impact on the unity of the team.
One source close to the team said Garrett Gilbert has to be the starter because his experience gives Texas the best chance to win now. The source said the real question will be who wins the right to back up Gilbert and possibly become the starter if Gilbert struggles.
Would the coaches make Ash that guy? Or let him redshirt and allow him to make his case next year? (Brown)
******
Got a report from summer workouts and Myck Kabongo has been as good as advertised, running the show like a veteran with blazing speed that will remind UT fans of T.J. Ford.
In short, Kabongo has been nails.
So has J'Covan Brown, who seems to really enjoy playing with Kabongo.
Sterling Gibbs has been solid and has already shown he will be a quality backup at point guard.
Julien Lewis and Sheldon McClellan are gaining confidence. Both have had good days and bad days. But Lewis has probably emerged as the early favorite to replace Jordan Hamlton on the wing. Lewis didn't get on campus until the second session of summer school because of a transcript clarification. So he's had less time on the floor than everyone else. But he's made up for lost time.
Jonathan Holmes has had a good summer, and he needed to because he has to be a big part of the plan in the frontcourt. I was told Holmes will remind everyone of Damion James.
The staff wasn't expecting the transfers of Varez Ward and Shawn Williams combined with the early defections of Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph. So right now UT has only 9 scholarship players of a possible 13.
Coaches are still looking around for a possible player pickup, including overseas. But if the Longhorns end up with only 9 guys, Rick Barnes is OK with that. He'd obviously like another big man because, ideally, the coaches would like to bring Kevin Thomas along slowly.
The staff really likes the guard play, and that's good, considering this will be a guard-oriented team.
Likely starting lineup at this moment:
G Myck Kabongo
G J'Covan Brown
G Julien Lewis
F Jonathan Holmes
C Alexis Wangmene
(Brown)
******
Hoops recruiting
Recently, the Longhorns have really increased their pursuit of 2012 forward Jerami Grant of DeMatha HS in Maryland. The 6-7, 180 pounder plays his AAU basketball for Team Takeover. I was able to briefly catch up with Team Takeover coach Keith Stevens before he had to run, and Texas has definitely expressed its serious interest.
“He’s trying to find the right situation,” Stevens stated. “He’s made a list of Texas, NC State, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma, Syracuse and Rutgers.”
Surprisingly, Clemson, despite all of the family ties, did not make the list, which means Grant is definitely serious about finding the right situation. As for Texas, the recent pursuit of Grant has absolutely been noticed.
“Yeah, they have,” Stevens responded when asked if the Longhorns have really been recruiting Grant heavily. “They’ve been doing a great job of making their presence known. Russ Springmann is the one recruiting him the most.”
Recently, the nation’s No. 61 prospect in the 2012 Rivals150 cut his list to those six schools previously mentioned, and it sounds like he wants to make a decision at the end of the summer. When I asked Stevens if Texas would be a school that gets an official, he didn’t hesitate to say yes.
Now, I also caught up with someone that has their pulse on recruiting in the east coast to ask about Grant. He suggested that Texas, Syracuse and NC State seemed to be ahead of the other three schools. I know that Syracuse has been a school that’s really picked up the heat as well. The Horns seem to really be in this one with what appears to be a fairly decent shot. Getting him on campus for a visit as a team in his final list can’t be a bad thing. As for his game, his biggest strength is getting to the rim off the bounce. He uses a big stride length to his ability and has great body control. Even though he’s thin for his height, Grant plays big in the paint. He also handles the ball very well for a 6-7 player.
******
I communicated with Findlay Prep assistant coach Todd Simon tonight briefly. When asked about Winston Shepard he suggested that the 2012 four-star forward that “he’s in no hurry” to end his recruitment. He’s wide open and should be coming out with a list once the summer circuit ends. Combine that with Texas’ increased pursuit in Jerami Grant, and it’s tough to really feel where UT is in this recruitment.
******
From talking with a source it feels like the UT staff is trying to make up its mind whether to take a true point guard or a combo guard in this 2012 class. I expect that decision to be made fairly quickly as July comes to an end.
******
Baseball
Some buzz around Josh Bell's name right now as it pertains to him possibly signing with the Pirates. We're almost at the point where the negotiation process really, really heats up for the top draft picks. Obviously, a lot of money is tough to turn down and it's tough to get a great read on these situations with so much false info being put out. That being said, after a conversation I had tonight I don't think much has changed with Bell. I'm still sticking to my guns in that college is still the slight favorite over going pro. A ton can change before August 15th, but I've heard nothing to suggest that all of a sudden things have shifted the other way.
Passing this along because it's gaining a little bit of steam and isn't just a joke anymore: Brandon Loy's negotiations aren't going that smoothly with the Tigers. Now, Detroit has plenty of time to get this done, and Loy is a guy that wants to sign. That being said, this is starting to feel a bit rocky between him and Detroit. He wants to sign, but if Detroit doesn't get more serious things could change.
(McComas)
This post was edited on 7/29 10:04 AM by Suchomel
