It looks like you can add yet another name to the Longhorns’ 2012 defensive back recruiting target list.
On Thursday, UT defensive backs coach Duane Akina stopped by San Antonio Brandeis to check on fast-rising cornerback Colin Blake.
The 6-3, 185-pound Blake said he introduced himself to Akina after the practice and Akina left a camp brochure at the school, letting Blake know he’d like to get a look at him in Austin in June. According to Blake, Akina noted that he’s heard good things, he’s interested and he’ll likely be back for a second visit.
Blake has a pretty impressive offer list, with Baylor, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, TCU, Arizona, Texas Tech and Missouri having extended offers. A couple weeks ago, he narrowed his focus to TCU and Texas A&M, but he said tonight that he’s opening things up now that other schools have jumped into the mix.
He’s a very interesting prospect for several reasons. His size and athleticism are an obvious draw, but Blake is also very new to the game. He played football in junior high before deciding to focus on hoops in high school. Last year, as a junior, he decided to give football another try and he’s now one of the state’s hottest prospects. Talk about a potential life-changing decision.
As for his thoughts on Texas?
“I know a lot about Texas. I grew up watching A&M, OU and Texas. I never thought I’d be at this point to have a chance to maybe go to these schools,” Blake said. “Coach Akina has put a lot of DBs in the NFL. So it’s a really good chance for me to go to the league if I go there. It’s been a really good football program forever.”
We’ll have a full report on Blake this weekend and we’ll keep in touch with Blake to see how things develop, but it sounds like he too is in the mix for UT’s final DB spot. (Suchomel)
******
Switching gears to out-of-state recruiting, we checked in briefly with the Charlotte Mallard Creed OL D.J. Humphries’ head coach for an update.
Coach Mike Palmieri told us in mid-April that he was expecting UT to stop by in May, but things have been quiet since then. Texas hasn’t made it by and Palmieri said he hasn’t talked to UT since an early April conversation.
We’ll check again later this month, but on the surface it would seem UT is directing it’s OL recruiting efforts elsewhere. (Suchomel)
******
Next up, a couple notes on Tampa Berkeley Prep ATH Nelson Agholor, who Duane Akina checked on this week.
Agholor said on Thursday night that he’s planning to meet with his family, friends and coaches after Berkeley Prep’s spring season ends to consider potential summer visits. His coach, Dominick Ciao, said the same thing earlier this week.
“Right now, I’m focused on spring football since that’s a preview of what the team is going to be like in fall,” Agholor said. “In the summer time, I’m going to look at visiting universities that have offered me. Schools like UT and TCU and a lot of other schools will be under consideration.”
One note worth filing away … one of Agholor’s teammate’s parent has family in the state, and there’s been some talk that Agholor could make a summer visit to the Lone Star State.
“He talked about going to visit with one of his friends who has family in Texas, but I’m not sure where,” said coach Ciao. “But I don’t think that’s a definite yet.”
If Ciao does visit the state, there’s no guarantee yet that a stop by UT will happen. He’s expressed a genuine interest in checking out the Texas program, but don’t discount TCU either. (Suchomel)
******
Checked in with Rockdale’s Daniel Brooks, another guy who is in the mix for a UT DB offer.
Remember, Texas assistant Darrell Wyatt went by Rockdale prior to Easter weekend for a quick visit. Actually, according to Brooks, it’s his understanding that Wyatt and Major Applewhtie stopped by the school and met briefly with Brooks’ father and grandfather. He recently talked on the phone with Wyatt shortly after that visit.
“He was saying they like how I run and that they like my athletic ability,” said the current OU commitment.
Brooks said this week that he hasn’t heard anything from UT in regards to a potential offer and he hasn’t yet been invited to any camps, but he is keeping the door cracked a bit despite his OU commitment.
Along with Texas, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, TCU, Nebraska, Oregon, New Mexico, Stanford, SMU and Baylor are among the schools that have shown recent interest, Brooks said. The big question … if a school like Texas stepped up its efforts, could it pull Brooks away from OU?
“I’m OU. It's going to be really hard to swing my mind,” Brooks said. “Nobody is really recruiting me as as OU is.”
Brooks said he has yet to step foot on the UT campus so he doesn’t have a lot to compare Texas with, but he said it’s “a prestigious school with a great tradition of winning.”
One thing worth remembering, should UT pick up its interest. OU has talked to Brooks about playing RB, which gives the Sooners a boost. .
“I prefer to paly running back. I love it,” Brooks said. “You can put me anywhere and I feel I'll do as well as I would at running back, but I prefer running back. At UT, I’m not sure what they would offer me as if they offered. I doubt it would be at running back. With Johnathan Gray, I can't see them recruiting me as a running back. But I haven't heard anything from UT on them offering. I’m not sure if they'll offer, or if they do, what position it will be.” (Suchomel)
******
We had heard in recent weeks that Texas visited at least one JUCO player during the spring evaluation period and we caught up with East Mississippi Community College defensive coordinator William Jones ton confirm that UT had made a couple stops this spring to evaluate defensive end Denico Autry (and to a lesser extent, offensive lineman Ryan Hollivay).
Following our message board post on Tuesday detailing UT’s evaluation, a story was run on the Rivals.com network with Autry indicating UT had extended a verbal scholarship offer. We did some checking, including talking to coach Jones, and it’s our understanding that no formal offer has been extended. Yes, Texas evaluated Autry and yes, he’s a terrific talent, but Longhorn fans who have followed recruiting long enough know that that this one’s a longshot, especially when proximity is factored in.
Coach Jones said Autry is hoping to finish strong academically and graduate from EMCC in December. Autry does still have some work that needs to be done (he’ll actually get his spring semester grades on Friday so more will be known then) but coach Jones is hopeful that Autry can stay on top of his books and be enrolled at a Division I program next January. If Texas remains on him, and that’s very much up in the air at this point, both Autry and Jones have mentioned that UT would likely be in line for an official visit.
“Texas would be a great place for him. I'm hoping he at least makes an official visit there,” Coach Jones said. “Some of that is going to be predicated on his academics. Will Muschamp told me when he was there, it’s really hard at Texas and we understand that. If a kid isn't a great student, he’s going to have a hard time surviving at Texas. He was upfront and honest about that so if things are going to work out, Denico will have to be on top of his grades.”
Again, I’d put this one in the longshot category and it is important to note that this is still the evaluation period, meaning Texas went by for a look but that doesn’t necessarily mean there will be a continued heavy recruitment into the summer/fall. We’ll keep monitoring this one to see if anything develops further and we’ll pass along more information if/when it’s available. (Suchomel)
******
This afternoon I stopped through Harker Heights to get a look at Texas commitment Darius James.
It didn’t take long to spot them on the practice field. Camrhon Hughes says he currently weights in at about 292 pounds and there is no doubt he is one of the more athletic offensive linemen I’ve seen this year. He moves well and today he was getting out and pushing people around.
“I’m just focusing on finishing people and putting them down out here,” Hughes said. “You just have to keep driving people and push them off the ball as far as they can go. If you have them going don’t stop. Drive them all the way to their bench.”
Naashon is a skinny 215. You wouldn’t believe it if you saw him but he is 215 pounds, and he is playing safety. He is rangy out there and covers a lot of ground. His wingspan doesn’t hurt either.
As for Darius, all I have to say is wow. At about 6-5, he weighs in at 319 pounds and he runs a sub-5.0 forty. Today he lined up at three different spots - center, nose guard, and defensive end.
“I play center, nose guard, and defensive end,” James said. “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.”
James could wind up at several positions on the college level. He has the feet and explosiveness and despite being so tall stays low coming off the ball. He loves being on the field in any capacity, but there is one side of the ball he has a little more fun on.
“Basically any position on defense. I love defense because I love to hit,” he said. “Offense is fun too because you’re hitting but you’re driving people and it’s more concentration like picking up blitzes. So basically anything on the defense.”
As far as college goes James is keeping his options open and “just trying to have fun with during the whole process.” He has attended camps at Texas, Oklahoma St., and Oklahoma, attended a few Baylor games, and was also at the Texas spring game.
Texas commitment Camrhon Hughes and Darius have a strong relationship but James says they do not really discuss the recruiting process and schools.
This summer James plans to play AAU basketball with the Texas D1 Ambassadors to stay in shape and attend a few college camps. (Howell)
******
Copperas Cove, Texas athlete Orlando Thomas stepped up when the Bulldawgs needed a quarterback in 2010. He was coming off a sophomore season that saw him standout at receiver, and even before the season the Cove coaching staff had a feeling he would be used in a few different ways.
When the sudden need for a new quarterback was thrust upon them before the start of the 2010 season they did not hesitate to tap Thomas as their guy.
“No. 1 we were going to look at him at running back. He didn’t know that, but we were going to look at him at running back,” Offensive Coordinator Tracy Welch said.
“Obviously he has good feet and has excellent vision for a running back. What we did with him last year at quarterback is built the offense around him and ran a lot of counter reads and zone reads and quarterback draws and he did a great job with that.”
Thomas is definitely a standout athlete but his leadership is also something that earns high praise from coaches and teammates.
“Orlando is not real vocal. He will get vocal if he gets upset. I would say he leads by example,” Coach Tracy Welch said. “You watch him at the track meet and he is going to give it all he’s got. Long jump, triple jump, 4x1, 4x2, whatever we ask him to do he does it and smiles.”
Then there is his focus.
“The thing he has is focus,” Coach Tracy Welch said. “He knows where he wants to go to school. He had a life goal of that. My understanding is he has had clothes with UT, he has a comforter on his bed with UT, and that’s what he’s wanted to do. And he’s busted his butt and had the offer and accepted the offer and he has to produce his senior year.”
And produce is something he certainly plans to do and was another reason why he jumped at the opportunity to join the Longhorn family when the offer was extended in February.
“The recruiting process is a long process. Just having it out of the way is one less thing to think about or worry about,” Thomas said. “Now I have to focus on my high school career and leading these guys to a state championship.” (Howell)
******
Arkansas Razorbacks
Number of Commitments: 6
Scholarships left: 19-21
Latest Commitment: Donovan Roberts, RB, Norman, Okla. (4/27/11)
Key Targets:
Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Springfield (Mo.) Hillcrest
Zac Brooks, WR, Jonesboro, Ark
Cyler Miles, QB, Denver (Colo.) Mullen
Barry Sanders, RB, Oklahoma City (Okla.) Heritage Hall
Calvin Barnett, DT, Corsicana (Texas) Navarro C.C./Tulsa (Okla.) Booker T. Washington (2010)
Jovon Robinson, RB, Memphis (Tenn.) Wooddale
Key Position Needs: WR, RB, OL, LB, CB
Early Headliners: A.J. Turner, LB, Lepanto (Ark.) East Poinsett County
Next in line for an offer: William Gross, QB, Memphis (Tenn.) Melrose
Next commit: Blake Jackson, TE, Scottsdale (Ariz.) Scottsdale C.C.
Texas A&M Aggies
Number of Commitments: 20
Scholarships left: 5-7
Latest Commitment: Davante Bourque, ATH, Crowley, La. (5/5/11)
Key Targets:
Kennedy Estelle, OL, Pearland (Texas) Dawson
Michael Starts, DE, Waco (Texas) La Vega
Javonte Magee, DL, San Antonio (Texas) Sam Houston
Colin Blake, CB, San Antonio (Texas) Brandeis
Denzel Devall, DE, Bastrop, La.
Bralon Addison, ATH, Missouri City (Texas) Fort Bend Hightower
Key Postion Needs: ILB, DB, NT, DE
Early Headliners: Matt Davis, QB, Klein (Texas) Forest
Next in line for an offer: Ben Weaver, LB, Klein, Texas
Next commit: Bralon Addison, ATH, Missouri City (Texas) Fort Bend Hightower
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Number of Commitments: 1
Scholarships left: 13-15
Latest Commitment: Michael Rose, LB, Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst (7/5/10)
Key Targets:
Andrus Peat, OL, Tempe (Ariz.) Corona Del Sol
Jordan Westerkamp, WR, Lombard (Ill.) Montini
Evan Boehm, OL, Lee’s Summit (Mo.) Lee’s Summit West
Greg McMullen, DE, Akron (Ohio) Hoban
Orlando David, TE, Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade Madonna
Key Postion Needs: LB, CB, WR, TE
Early headliners: Michael Rose, LB, Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst
Next in line for an offer: Mike Shoff, OL, Cambridge, Neb.
Next commit: Jordan Westerkamp, WR, Lombard (Ill.) Montini/Mike Shoff, OL, Cambridge, Neb./ Joe Robinson, LB, Temecula (Calif.) Chaparral (Howell)
******
Yes, the Longhorns are locked in and focused on their final group of 2012 targets, but Mack Brown has openly talked about wanting to keep at least a little bit of flexibility over the final months of the recruiting process, in the event that an undetected sleeper should emerge that the staff feels like they have to offer.
As I’ve been putting the finishing touches on the revamped 2012 LSR for the month of May, I thought I’d introduce everyone to a few sleepers that have emerged inside the state of Texas in the last six weeks as legitimate prospects, perhaps even the kind that the Longhorns could conceivably take a peek out in the coming months leading up to Signing Day in February.
When the LSR rankings come out this weekend, these four will be among the names that make their debuts and big jumps on the list:
DB - Ashton Lampkin - Fort Worth Dunbar
Vitals: 6-1, 185, 4.5
Video: Lampkin’s Junior Highlights
Offers: Oklahoma State (committed), SMU, Texas A&M and Texas Tech
The low-down: Lampkin’s stick has been white hot since the spring evaluation period began, but his recent commitment to Oklahoma State seems strong based on early public comments. While he’s not the true corner that Texas covets, he’s a playmaker in the secondary and might be the most polished defensive back I’ve seen from Dunbar in many a moon. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to kick the tires on this one, even if he is committed.
Key quote: "I committed to OSU so that's pretty much it. Right now I'm 100 percent with Oklahoma State."
DB - Kolby Listenbee - Arlington Bowie
Vitals: 6-0, 170, 4.5
Video: Listenbee’s Junior Highlights
Offers: TCU (committed), Arizona, Houston, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech
The low-down: Listenbee’s stock was just starting to take off this spring when he committed to TCU over a number of other in-state schools. Although he’s not quite the ultra-explosive athlete that Mykkele Thompson showed at the quarterback position last season in San Antonio, Listenbee is in the mold of that kind of player, meaning he can play in all three phases and potentially project as an impact player no matter where he lines up.
Key quote: "(TCU is) close to home and I was thinking about my fan base. I have a lot of people supporting me from my school and my family. I'm sure they will keep me supported and push me harder to stay in school. It was also the coaches, they're down to earth and are real good coaches. I can also go over there and compete for a spot."
Ath - Daje Johnson - Pflugerville Hendrickson
Vitals: 5-10, 170, 4.5
Video: Johnson’s Junior Highlights
Offers: TCU (committed), Baylor, Houston, Kansas State and Texas Tech
The low-down: He’s the second coming of Jeremy Kerley in my opinion, but with his recent MVP performance at the Ft. Worth Nike camp, he might end up on the defensive side of the ball. He’s a legit 5-10 and he just flat out makes plays. As a local kid, you can’t tell me an offer from Texas wouldn’t represent a game-changer.
Key quote: “(TCU has) all new facilities they're going to get and a good team in general. (My dad) can also come see my games, and they're also going to the Big East and my mom lives on the east coast so she can come see my games. That will be cool."
OT - Adam Butler - Duncanville
Vitals: 6-4, 280
Offers: None
The low-down: This is a total flyer because there are a lot of line prospects this season that the Longhorns could make a play at as option B’s or C’s, and Butler doesn’t even have an offer at this point, but as the MVP among offensive linemen at the Ft. Worth Nike Camp, he flashed true tackle skills in a frame that is just starting to scratch the surface of its upside. Yeah, it sounds crazy, but someone is going to get themselves a potential high-ceiling tackle prospect with this kid. The offers will come, so keep an eye on him. Some will view him as a guard because of his 6-4 size, but I’m not convinced he’s done growing and he has a little Trey Hopkins in him from a physical comparison/possible skill set. That’s not to say he a prospect on the level of Hopkins, just that he’s kind of a poor man’s Hopkins.
******
OB has confirmed with a source close to the Texas program that Rick Barnes and his staff are recruiting former North Carolina State point guard Ryan Harrow, how averaged 9.3 points and 3.3 assists for the Wolfpack as a freshman. Harrow reopened his recruitment after deciding to transfer and has indicated his list of schools includes Kentucky, Georgia, Louisville and St. John's - in addition to Texas.
Harrow started seven of the final eight games of the season at point guard, and 10 of the last 15 overall for the Wolfpack, who went 15-16 last season (5-11 in ACC). Harrow is a solid FT shooter and would have led the ACC in free throw percentage last season, but he did not have enough made free throws (2.5 per game) ... He hit 87.0 percent (67-77) from the line . He earned his first career start at Florida State last season, scoring 17 points in 21 minutes on one of the country's better defensive teams.
Harrow was a third-team Parade All-America selection as a senior at Walton High School in Marietta, Ga. He was the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior in high school. (Brown)
******
The DeAndre Daniels saga continues, but it appears like we’ll finally have an answer soon. Well, we’ll know sometime on, or before May 18th, which is the last day of the spring signing period.
Yesterday, Jerry Meyer of Rivals.com published a tidbit on Daniels in his “Weekly Whispers” story that Daniels is down to Texas, Duke, and Kansas. However, there sounds like there could be a hurdle with Daniels to Duke. Duke is not an easy school to qualify at, especially after transferring schools.
As for Texas, the Longhorns are still in the thick of the race, and the newest assistant coach Rob Lanier is making his presence felt. Per a source, Daniels communicated with the UT coaching staff within the last few days, and it seems like the conversation went well.
As you all know, this has been one of the toughest recruitments to follow in recent memory. The decision is supposed to come when Daniels is able to sit down with his father in Florida. I’ve gotten the vibe that Daniels still likes the Longhorns a lot, but that decision may not be one that wins out. With the way this recruitment has gone, it’s nearly impossible to make a prediction. However, just know that the Horns don’t appear to be eliminated and are actively pursuing, with a little bit of positive momentum, the onetime UT commit.
******
I spoke briefly with 2012 five-star Shabazz Muhammad’s father Ron Holmes tonight. Unfortunately for Texas fans, the nation’s No. 3 player hasn’t heard from the Longhorns lately.
“Shabazz has liked Texas coming out but hasn’t really heard from the coaching staff recently,” said Holmes. “We definitely like the Longhorns. Last year they reached out and they were recruiting him like everyone else. Russell Springmann went out saw him play a couple times.”
The 6-5 shooting guard is going to visit Arizona unofficially this weekend. There were some whispers that Texas was going to turn up the heat in his recruitment, but that hasn’t happened yet. From the sound of it, Muhammad would be all ears if UT reaches out. (McComas)
This post was edited on 5/6 12:40 PM by Ketchum
On Thursday, UT defensive backs coach Duane Akina stopped by San Antonio Brandeis to check on fast-rising cornerback Colin Blake.
The 6-3, 185-pound Blake said he introduced himself to Akina after the practice and Akina left a camp brochure at the school, letting Blake know he’d like to get a look at him in Austin in June. According to Blake, Akina noted that he’s heard good things, he’s interested and he’ll likely be back for a second visit.
Blake has a pretty impressive offer list, with Baylor, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, TCU, Arizona, Texas Tech and Missouri having extended offers. A couple weeks ago, he narrowed his focus to TCU and Texas A&M, but he said tonight that he’s opening things up now that other schools have jumped into the mix.
He’s a very interesting prospect for several reasons. His size and athleticism are an obvious draw, but Blake is also very new to the game. He played football in junior high before deciding to focus on hoops in high school. Last year, as a junior, he decided to give football another try and he’s now one of the state’s hottest prospects. Talk about a potential life-changing decision.
As for his thoughts on Texas?
“I know a lot about Texas. I grew up watching A&M, OU and Texas. I never thought I’d be at this point to have a chance to maybe go to these schools,” Blake said. “Coach Akina has put a lot of DBs in the NFL. So it’s a really good chance for me to go to the league if I go there. It’s been a really good football program forever.”
We’ll have a full report on Blake this weekend and we’ll keep in touch with Blake to see how things develop, but it sounds like he too is in the mix for UT’s final DB spot. (Suchomel)
******
Switching gears to out-of-state recruiting, we checked in briefly with the Charlotte Mallard Creed OL D.J. Humphries’ head coach for an update.
Coach Mike Palmieri told us in mid-April that he was expecting UT to stop by in May, but things have been quiet since then. Texas hasn’t made it by and Palmieri said he hasn’t talked to UT since an early April conversation.
We’ll check again later this month, but on the surface it would seem UT is directing it’s OL recruiting efforts elsewhere. (Suchomel)
******
Next up, a couple notes on Tampa Berkeley Prep ATH Nelson Agholor, who Duane Akina checked on this week.
Agholor said on Thursday night that he’s planning to meet with his family, friends and coaches after Berkeley Prep’s spring season ends to consider potential summer visits. His coach, Dominick Ciao, said the same thing earlier this week.
“Right now, I’m focused on spring football since that’s a preview of what the team is going to be like in fall,” Agholor said. “In the summer time, I’m going to look at visiting universities that have offered me. Schools like UT and TCU and a lot of other schools will be under consideration.”
One note worth filing away … one of Agholor’s teammate’s parent has family in the state, and there’s been some talk that Agholor could make a summer visit to the Lone Star State.
“He talked about going to visit with one of his friends who has family in Texas, but I’m not sure where,” said coach Ciao. “But I don’t think that’s a definite yet.”
If Ciao does visit the state, there’s no guarantee yet that a stop by UT will happen. He’s expressed a genuine interest in checking out the Texas program, but don’t discount TCU either. (Suchomel)
******
Checked in with Rockdale’s Daniel Brooks, another guy who is in the mix for a UT DB offer.
Remember, Texas assistant Darrell Wyatt went by Rockdale prior to Easter weekend for a quick visit. Actually, according to Brooks, it’s his understanding that Wyatt and Major Applewhtie stopped by the school and met briefly with Brooks’ father and grandfather. He recently talked on the phone with Wyatt shortly after that visit.
“He was saying they like how I run and that they like my athletic ability,” said the current OU commitment.
Brooks said this week that he hasn’t heard anything from UT in regards to a potential offer and he hasn’t yet been invited to any camps, but he is keeping the door cracked a bit despite his OU commitment.
Along with Texas, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, TCU, Nebraska, Oregon, New Mexico, Stanford, SMU and Baylor are among the schools that have shown recent interest, Brooks said. The big question … if a school like Texas stepped up its efforts, could it pull Brooks away from OU?
“I’m OU. It's going to be really hard to swing my mind,” Brooks said. “Nobody is really recruiting me as as OU is.”
Brooks said he has yet to step foot on the UT campus so he doesn’t have a lot to compare Texas with, but he said it’s “a prestigious school with a great tradition of winning.”
One thing worth remembering, should UT pick up its interest. OU has talked to Brooks about playing RB, which gives the Sooners a boost. .
“I prefer to paly running back. I love it,” Brooks said. “You can put me anywhere and I feel I'll do as well as I would at running back, but I prefer running back. At UT, I’m not sure what they would offer me as if they offered. I doubt it would be at running back. With Johnathan Gray, I can't see them recruiting me as a running back. But I haven't heard anything from UT on them offering. I’m not sure if they'll offer, or if they do, what position it will be.” (Suchomel)
******
We had heard in recent weeks that Texas visited at least one JUCO player during the spring evaluation period and we caught up with East Mississippi Community College defensive coordinator William Jones ton confirm that UT had made a couple stops this spring to evaluate defensive end Denico Autry (and to a lesser extent, offensive lineman Ryan Hollivay).
Following our message board post on Tuesday detailing UT’s evaluation, a story was run on the Rivals.com network with Autry indicating UT had extended a verbal scholarship offer. We did some checking, including talking to coach Jones, and it’s our understanding that no formal offer has been extended. Yes, Texas evaluated Autry and yes, he’s a terrific talent, but Longhorn fans who have followed recruiting long enough know that that this one’s a longshot, especially when proximity is factored in.
Coach Jones said Autry is hoping to finish strong academically and graduate from EMCC in December. Autry does still have some work that needs to be done (he’ll actually get his spring semester grades on Friday so more will be known then) but coach Jones is hopeful that Autry can stay on top of his books and be enrolled at a Division I program next January. If Texas remains on him, and that’s very much up in the air at this point, both Autry and Jones have mentioned that UT would likely be in line for an official visit.
“Texas would be a great place for him. I'm hoping he at least makes an official visit there,” Coach Jones said. “Some of that is going to be predicated on his academics. Will Muschamp told me when he was there, it’s really hard at Texas and we understand that. If a kid isn't a great student, he’s going to have a hard time surviving at Texas. He was upfront and honest about that so if things are going to work out, Denico will have to be on top of his grades.”
Again, I’d put this one in the longshot category and it is important to note that this is still the evaluation period, meaning Texas went by for a look but that doesn’t necessarily mean there will be a continued heavy recruitment into the summer/fall. We’ll keep monitoring this one to see if anything develops further and we’ll pass along more information if/when it’s available. (Suchomel)
******
This afternoon I stopped through Harker Heights to get a look at Texas commitment Darius James.
It didn’t take long to spot them on the practice field. Camrhon Hughes says he currently weights in at about 292 pounds and there is no doubt he is one of the more athletic offensive linemen I’ve seen this year. He moves well and today he was getting out and pushing people around.
“I’m just focusing on finishing people and putting them down out here,” Hughes said. “You just have to keep driving people and push them off the ball as far as they can go. If you have them going don’t stop. Drive them all the way to their bench.”
Naashon is a skinny 215. You wouldn’t believe it if you saw him but he is 215 pounds, and he is playing safety. He is rangy out there and covers a lot of ground. His wingspan doesn’t hurt either.
As for Darius, all I have to say is wow. At about 6-5, he weighs in at 319 pounds and he runs a sub-5.0 forty. Today he lined up at three different spots - center, nose guard, and defensive end.
“I play center, nose guard, and defensive end,” James said. “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.”
James could wind up at several positions on the college level. He has the feet and explosiveness and despite being so tall stays low coming off the ball. He loves being on the field in any capacity, but there is one side of the ball he has a little more fun on.
“Basically any position on defense. I love defense because I love to hit,” he said. “Offense is fun too because you’re hitting but you’re driving people and it’s more concentration like picking up blitzes. So basically anything on the defense.”
As far as college goes James is keeping his options open and “just trying to have fun with during the whole process.” He has attended camps at Texas, Oklahoma St., and Oklahoma, attended a few Baylor games, and was also at the Texas spring game.
Texas commitment Camrhon Hughes and Darius have a strong relationship but James says they do not really discuss the recruiting process and schools.
This summer James plans to play AAU basketball with the Texas D1 Ambassadors to stay in shape and attend a few college camps. (Howell)
******
Copperas Cove, Texas athlete Orlando Thomas stepped up when the Bulldawgs needed a quarterback in 2010. He was coming off a sophomore season that saw him standout at receiver, and even before the season the Cove coaching staff had a feeling he would be used in a few different ways.
When the sudden need for a new quarterback was thrust upon them before the start of the 2010 season they did not hesitate to tap Thomas as their guy.
“No. 1 we were going to look at him at running back. He didn’t know that, but we were going to look at him at running back,” Offensive Coordinator Tracy Welch said.
“Obviously he has good feet and has excellent vision for a running back. What we did with him last year at quarterback is built the offense around him and ran a lot of counter reads and zone reads and quarterback draws and he did a great job with that.”
Thomas is definitely a standout athlete but his leadership is also something that earns high praise from coaches and teammates.
“Orlando is not real vocal. He will get vocal if he gets upset. I would say he leads by example,” Coach Tracy Welch said. “You watch him at the track meet and he is going to give it all he’s got. Long jump, triple jump, 4x1, 4x2, whatever we ask him to do he does it and smiles.”
Then there is his focus.
“The thing he has is focus,” Coach Tracy Welch said. “He knows where he wants to go to school. He had a life goal of that. My understanding is he has had clothes with UT, he has a comforter on his bed with UT, and that’s what he’s wanted to do. And he’s busted his butt and had the offer and accepted the offer and he has to produce his senior year.”
And produce is something he certainly plans to do and was another reason why he jumped at the opportunity to join the Longhorn family when the offer was extended in February.
“The recruiting process is a long process. Just having it out of the way is one less thing to think about or worry about,” Thomas said. “Now I have to focus on my high school career and leading these guys to a state championship.” (Howell)
******
Arkansas Razorbacks
Number of Commitments: 6
Scholarships left: 19-21
Latest Commitment: Donovan Roberts, RB, Norman, Okla. (4/27/11)
Key Targets:
Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Springfield (Mo.) Hillcrest
Zac Brooks, WR, Jonesboro, Ark
Cyler Miles, QB, Denver (Colo.) Mullen
Barry Sanders, RB, Oklahoma City (Okla.) Heritage Hall
Calvin Barnett, DT, Corsicana (Texas) Navarro C.C./Tulsa (Okla.) Booker T. Washington (2010)
Jovon Robinson, RB, Memphis (Tenn.) Wooddale
Key Position Needs: WR, RB, OL, LB, CB
Early Headliners: A.J. Turner, LB, Lepanto (Ark.) East Poinsett County
Next in line for an offer: William Gross, QB, Memphis (Tenn.) Melrose
Next commit: Blake Jackson, TE, Scottsdale (Ariz.) Scottsdale C.C.
Texas A&M Aggies
Number of Commitments: 20
Scholarships left: 5-7
Latest Commitment: Davante Bourque, ATH, Crowley, La. (5/5/11)
Key Targets:
Kennedy Estelle, OL, Pearland (Texas) Dawson
Michael Starts, DE, Waco (Texas) La Vega
Javonte Magee, DL, San Antonio (Texas) Sam Houston
Colin Blake, CB, San Antonio (Texas) Brandeis
Denzel Devall, DE, Bastrop, La.
Bralon Addison, ATH, Missouri City (Texas) Fort Bend Hightower
Key Postion Needs: ILB, DB, NT, DE
Early Headliners: Matt Davis, QB, Klein (Texas) Forest
Next in line for an offer: Ben Weaver, LB, Klein, Texas
Next commit: Bralon Addison, ATH, Missouri City (Texas) Fort Bend Hightower
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Number of Commitments: 1
Scholarships left: 13-15
Latest Commitment: Michael Rose, LB, Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst (7/5/10)
Key Targets:
Andrus Peat, OL, Tempe (Ariz.) Corona Del Sol
Jordan Westerkamp, WR, Lombard (Ill.) Montini
Evan Boehm, OL, Lee’s Summit (Mo.) Lee’s Summit West
Greg McMullen, DE, Akron (Ohio) Hoban
Orlando David, TE, Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade Madonna
Key Postion Needs: LB, CB, WR, TE
Early headliners: Michael Rose, LB, Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst
Next in line for an offer: Mike Shoff, OL, Cambridge, Neb.
Next commit: Jordan Westerkamp, WR, Lombard (Ill.) Montini/Mike Shoff, OL, Cambridge, Neb./ Joe Robinson, LB, Temecula (Calif.) Chaparral (Howell)
******
Yes, the Longhorns are locked in and focused on their final group of 2012 targets, but Mack Brown has openly talked about wanting to keep at least a little bit of flexibility over the final months of the recruiting process, in the event that an undetected sleeper should emerge that the staff feels like they have to offer.
As I’ve been putting the finishing touches on the revamped 2012 LSR for the month of May, I thought I’d introduce everyone to a few sleepers that have emerged inside the state of Texas in the last six weeks as legitimate prospects, perhaps even the kind that the Longhorns could conceivably take a peek out in the coming months leading up to Signing Day in February.
When the LSR rankings come out this weekend, these four will be among the names that make their debuts and big jumps on the list:
DB - Ashton Lampkin - Fort Worth Dunbar
Vitals: 6-1, 185, 4.5
Video: Lampkin’s Junior Highlights
Offers: Oklahoma State (committed), SMU, Texas A&M and Texas Tech
The low-down: Lampkin’s stick has been white hot since the spring evaluation period began, but his recent commitment to Oklahoma State seems strong based on early public comments. While he’s not the true corner that Texas covets, he’s a playmaker in the secondary and might be the most polished defensive back I’ve seen from Dunbar in many a moon. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to kick the tires on this one, even if he is committed.
Key quote: "I committed to OSU so that's pretty much it. Right now I'm 100 percent with Oklahoma State."
DB - Kolby Listenbee - Arlington Bowie
Vitals: 6-0, 170, 4.5
Video: Listenbee’s Junior Highlights
Offers: TCU (committed), Arizona, Houston, Kansas, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech
The low-down: Listenbee’s stock was just starting to take off this spring when he committed to TCU over a number of other in-state schools. Although he’s not quite the ultra-explosive athlete that Mykkele Thompson showed at the quarterback position last season in San Antonio, Listenbee is in the mold of that kind of player, meaning he can play in all three phases and potentially project as an impact player no matter where he lines up.
Key quote: "(TCU is) close to home and I was thinking about my fan base. I have a lot of people supporting me from my school and my family. I'm sure they will keep me supported and push me harder to stay in school. It was also the coaches, they're down to earth and are real good coaches. I can also go over there and compete for a spot."
Ath - Daje Johnson - Pflugerville Hendrickson
Vitals: 5-10, 170, 4.5
Video: Johnson’s Junior Highlights
Offers: TCU (committed), Baylor, Houston, Kansas State and Texas Tech
The low-down: He’s the second coming of Jeremy Kerley in my opinion, but with his recent MVP performance at the Ft. Worth Nike camp, he might end up on the defensive side of the ball. He’s a legit 5-10 and he just flat out makes plays. As a local kid, you can’t tell me an offer from Texas wouldn’t represent a game-changer.
Key quote: “(TCU has) all new facilities they're going to get and a good team in general. (My dad) can also come see my games, and they're also going to the Big East and my mom lives on the east coast so she can come see my games. That will be cool."
OT - Adam Butler - Duncanville
Vitals: 6-4, 280
Offers: None
The low-down: This is a total flyer because there are a lot of line prospects this season that the Longhorns could make a play at as option B’s or C’s, and Butler doesn’t even have an offer at this point, but as the MVP among offensive linemen at the Ft. Worth Nike Camp, he flashed true tackle skills in a frame that is just starting to scratch the surface of its upside. Yeah, it sounds crazy, but someone is going to get themselves a potential high-ceiling tackle prospect with this kid. The offers will come, so keep an eye on him. Some will view him as a guard because of his 6-4 size, but I’m not convinced he’s done growing and he has a little Trey Hopkins in him from a physical comparison/possible skill set. That’s not to say he a prospect on the level of Hopkins, just that he’s kind of a poor man’s Hopkins.
******
OB has confirmed with a source close to the Texas program that Rick Barnes and his staff are recruiting former North Carolina State point guard Ryan Harrow, how averaged 9.3 points and 3.3 assists for the Wolfpack as a freshman. Harrow reopened his recruitment after deciding to transfer and has indicated his list of schools includes Kentucky, Georgia, Louisville and St. John's - in addition to Texas.
Harrow started seven of the final eight games of the season at point guard, and 10 of the last 15 overall for the Wolfpack, who went 15-16 last season (5-11 in ACC). Harrow is a solid FT shooter and would have led the ACC in free throw percentage last season, but he did not have enough made free throws (2.5 per game) ... He hit 87.0 percent (67-77) from the line . He earned his first career start at Florida State last season, scoring 17 points in 21 minutes on one of the country's better defensive teams.
Harrow was a third-team Parade All-America selection as a senior at Walton High School in Marietta, Ga. He was the Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior in high school. (Brown)
******
The DeAndre Daniels saga continues, but it appears like we’ll finally have an answer soon. Well, we’ll know sometime on, or before May 18th, which is the last day of the spring signing period.
Yesterday, Jerry Meyer of Rivals.com published a tidbit on Daniels in his “Weekly Whispers” story that Daniels is down to Texas, Duke, and Kansas. However, there sounds like there could be a hurdle with Daniels to Duke. Duke is not an easy school to qualify at, especially after transferring schools.
As for Texas, the Longhorns are still in the thick of the race, and the newest assistant coach Rob Lanier is making his presence felt. Per a source, Daniels communicated with the UT coaching staff within the last few days, and it seems like the conversation went well.
As you all know, this has been one of the toughest recruitments to follow in recent memory. The decision is supposed to come when Daniels is able to sit down with his father in Florida. I’ve gotten the vibe that Daniels still likes the Longhorns a lot, but that decision may not be one that wins out. With the way this recruitment has gone, it’s nearly impossible to make a prediction. However, just know that the Horns don’t appear to be eliminated and are actively pursuing, with a little bit of positive momentum, the onetime UT commit.
******
I spoke briefly with 2012 five-star Shabazz Muhammad’s father Ron Holmes tonight. Unfortunately for Texas fans, the nation’s No. 3 player hasn’t heard from the Longhorns lately.
“Shabazz has liked Texas coming out but hasn’t really heard from the coaching staff recently,” said Holmes. “We definitely like the Longhorns. Last year they reached out and they were recruiting him like everyone else. Russell Springmann went out saw him play a couple times.”
The 6-5 shooting guard is going to visit Arizona unofficially this weekend. There were some whispers that Texas was going to turn up the heat in his recruitment, but that hasn’t happened yet. From the sound of it, Muhammad would be all ears if UT reaches out. (McComas)
This post was edited on 5/6 12:40 PM by Ketchum
