In an effort to keep us from having 40 pinned threads at the top of the board, I'll be posting every single Instant Analysis update in this threads as the commitments come in today.
*****
Cliff-notes: Manor (Texas) High linebacker/defensive end Erick Fowler became the 21st member of the Texas 2016 recruiting class on Wednesday morning when he announced his commitment at his high school.
Key Offers: Texas beat LSU for the right to sign Fowler, but he had offers from everyone, including, Alabama, Baylor, Florida State, Oklahoma, TCU and Texas A&M.
Recruiting rankings: Listed at 6-3, 235 pounds, Fowler is regarded as a five-star prospect by Rivals that ranks as the No.2 outside linebacker and the No.13 overall prospect in the nation. He’s ranked No.3 in the final LSR Top 100 rankings.
Scouting report: You’ll be hard-pressed to find a linebacker prospect in the state of Texas that is more ready to play at the high collegiate level than Fowler, who at 6-3, 235 pounds, possesses both the kind of natural physicality and athletic explosiveness that makes instant contributions possible. There’s not a lot of nuance to Fowler’s game at the high school level, as his coaches sort of give him the type of freedom that allows his sideline-to-sideline abilities to thrive in constant attack mode. With elite an elite closing burst, Fowler is a big-play specialist in the making and there’s no question that his pass rush skills could make him a guy that plays with his hand on the ground at times in college. One of the thing I love about Fowler is that he doesn’t finish plays with a lot of glancing shots as much as he hits everything flush and stops it in its tracks. While his physical gifts give him a chance to play early in his career, his seek and destroy style of play will likely mean that it takes some time to master the nuances of his position, but that’s another way of saying that the kid has a tremendous upside once he’s molded into the player he can be.
Why it matters: Quite possibly the most talented and athletically special prospect in the entire Texas recruiting class. He’s been compared to Malik Jefferson by Rivals.com national analyist Mike Farrell as Malik Jefferson but with more physicalituy. We’re talking about a guy that is a 65-35 shot to end up being an impact player and a future NFL Draft choice.
Enjoy: Take a look at these senior highlights.
*****
Cliff-notes: Nacogdoches (Texas) High safety Brandon Jones became the 20th member of the Texas 2016 recruiting class on Wednesday morning when he announced his commitment at his high school.
Key Offers: Almost everyone, including Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and TCU. In the end, the Longhorns defeated Baylor and Texas A&M is a tightly contested recruiting battle.
Recruiting rankings: Listed at 5-10, 190 pounds, Jones is regarded as a mid four-star prospect by Rivals that ranks as the No.5 safety and the No.97 overall prospect in the nation. He’s ranked No.5 in the final LSR Top 100 rankings.
Scouting report: Jones might not have the raw athleticism and frame that Deontay Anderson possesses and perhaps he doesn’t have the pure sideline to sideline explosiveness that Eric Monroe brings to the field, but when it comes to being a combo safety that can play the hell out of the position, I’m not sure that there’s anyone better in the state, especially when it comes to playing in the box and making plays a run supporter, as Jones seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to involving himself in the action. HIs cover skills are still a work in progress and I’m not sure that he’ll be a guy that you turn loose as a defender in the slot, but he displays a lot of range in coverage and is a guy that I would describe as an all-around quality safety. Still, there’s no question that what makes him special is his level of activity on the field, especially against the run.
Why it matters: There were three all-world in-state safety prospects in the state of Texas and the commitment from Jones gives the Longhorns one of them, which was a must in this class. In addition to giving the Longhorns one of the best pound-for-pound players in the state, this was a significant head-to-head win over Texas A&M, as many believed he’d end up as an Aggie for the last three years. In the end, he emerges as one of the most important players in the Texas recruiting class.
Enjoy: Take a look at these senior highlights.
*****
Cliff-notes: Euless (Texas) Trinity defensive tackle Chris Daniels became the 18th member of the Texas 2016 recruiting class on Wednesday morning when he announced his commitment at his high school.
Key Offers: Basically, everyone in the nation offered Daniels, including the likes of Alabama, Baylor, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and TCU. When the dust settled, Daniels chose the Longhorns over Oklahoma and Texas A&M.
Recruiting rankings: Listed at 6-3, 270 pounds, Daniels is regarded as a low four-star prospect by Rivals that ranks as the No.18 defensive tackle in the nation and the No.212 ranked player overall nationally. He’s ranked No.37 in the final LSR Top 100 rankings.
Scouting report: [In a lot of ways, Daniels is the prototype for the new-age defensive tackle, as he brings the size, raw athleticism and strong play on the field that every team in the nation covets from the defensive tackle position. Although he’s not quite as explosive as Ed Oliver, Daniels is a plus-athlete than can play multiple positions, while making plays up and down the line of scrimmage. Has strong hands, a powerful punch and he does a good job at the point of attack, even though he does play a little too high at times. Needs a little more technique work because he likes to stand tall to read plays in an effort to get involved the play, but that’s all correctable stuff and once it is, Daniels has all of the tools needed to be an impact college performer.
Why it matters: The third defensive tackle commit in the class for the Longhorns (so far), Daniels gives the Longhorns immediate depth improvement at the position and could emerge as one of the players in this class that registers significant early playing time because he’s more ready to play now than many of his peers.
Enjoy: Take a look at these senior highlights.
*****
Cliff-notes: Duncanville (Texas) High defensive tackle Marcel Southall became the 18th member of the Texas 2016 recruiting class on Wednesday morning when he announced his commitment at his high school.
Key Offers: Among the schools that offered Southall were Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Miami, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU and Tennessee. The Longhorns ended up victorious over Miami, Ole Miss and Oklahoma.
Recruiting rankings: Listed at 6-3, 301 pounds, Southall is regarded as a high three-star prospect by Rivals that ranks as the No.30 defensive tackle in the nation. He’s ranked No.33 in the final LSR Top 100 rankings.
Scouting report: Personally, I view Southall as one of the most underrated players in the entire state. While he still has some work in the weight room to do before he’s going to be playing inside for the Longhorns, he’s athletic and versatile enough that he could potentially come in for the Longhorns and actually play a little strong-side defensive end. Bolstered by a quick first step and plus-athleticism, Southall is a terror for opposing offensive linemen because he has the athletic tools to get past them inside or outside as a pass rusher, and is constantly knifing through the backfield to create disruption. He’s not a guy that will wow you with next-level size or athletic ability, but he does everything really well and the bottom line is that he brings an element of playmaking to the position that is hard to find. It might take a couple of years of development for him to totally put the pieces together, but he has standout upside as a major college football player.
Why it matters: The third defensive tackle commit in the class for the Longhorns (so far), Daniels gives the Longhorns immediate depth improvement at the position and could contribute early as a strong-side defensive end if called upon.
Enjoy: Take a look at these junior highlights.
*****
Cliff-notes: New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine defensive tackle D’andre Christmas-Giles became the 17th member of the Texas 2016 recruiting class on Tuesday night when he announced his commitment in a live broadcast on WWL-TV in New Orleans. .
Key Offers: In addition to his trip to Texas, Christmas-Giles took official visits to Texas A&M, LSU and TCU, while holding offers from the likes of Florida, South Carolina, Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin, among others.
Recruiting rankings: Listed at 6-4, 290 pounds, Christmas-Giles instantly becomes the highest-ranked in the Texas recruiting class within the Rivals.com national ranking, as he is classified as the nation’s No.6 defensive tackle prospect and the No.83 overall prospect in the nation. His final ranking among prospects in the state of Louisiana was No.3 overall.
Scouting report: From Alex Dunlap’s breakdown on January 4th
- Highlights available on HUDL and Youtube show as many good things as bad things. Strangely, via the highlights DCG has made available on HUDL to (presumably) showcase his best talents, it can be gleaned that he is capable of failing to finish plays, arm-tackling, and struggling to re-direct. My first instinct was that he may make a better guard prospect than a defensive tackle due to an ability to own the point-of-attack but not necessarily finish with the nastiness inherent to so many dominant interior defenders.
- The Spring 2015 highlights are impressive but useless, as they show DCG dominating a set of very puny guards in a spring-ball, coaches-on-the-field setting. On the bright side, it's clear from spring tape that Christmas-Giles is not only a penetrating force from the three-technique or the shade, but also reasonably agile off the edge at 5-tech, in what would be a SDE-alignment at the college level, but is likely called a "tackle" at his high school.
- In taking in a few full games, though, it turns out - as usual - Howell was right. DCG is the real-deal and his highlight tapes don't do his skill set justice. This should make sense, as, who's going to bother with spending all that time to market themselves when big-time offers are coming in like crazy anyway?
- First off, in watching a few full games, you get to see DCG just kind of walk around between snaps next to other players, and you get a really firm idea of exactly the type of physical specimen he is. As a high school senior, he's almost certainly somewhere between 6-3 and 6-4. If he's not 300 pounds today, he's in the 290's with the frame to add significant solid mass. He still has plenty of room to fill out through the upper-thighs and rump and is not maxed-out by any means in the upper-body. DCG would basically enter the Texas program as its biggest interior defensive lineman as a true-freshman.
Scouting Notes versus Brother Martin (LA) (DT No. 77)
- Extremely fast first step - it's the first thing you notice from him on every play.
- Ability, like Tyrus Butler, to get almost unreasonably skinny through the gap and penetrate.
CLICK HERE FOR CLIP
- Uses hands, arms and positioning to engage violently but keeps offensive linemen well-away from his body with long arms and pressing power.
CLICK HERE FOR CLIP
- Gets held constantly - he's very hard to keep from his assignment.
CLICK HERE FOR CLIP
- Shows consistent ability to take on double-teams, diagnose and explode to the ball-carrier.
CLICK HERE FOR CLIP
- Will need to work on pad-level at the next level, but has no issues with core power, strength, size or motor.
- Plays every snap for his team and doesn't take plays off - not a loafer or a fat on/off-switch guy. Seems to be the "hype man" of the defense that gets the others fired up.
Why it matters: Tomorrow might end up being Christmas Day for Charlie Strong and his staff, but this was like opening up the GI Joe with the Kung-Fu Grip on Christmas Eve. As previously mentioned, for the moment Christmas-Giles is the highest-rated prospect in the Texas class according to the final Rivals.com rankings. On top of the fact that he’s a tremendous prospect, he arrives at one of the real need areas in recruiting this year for the Longhorns at defensive tackle. There will be a lot of names mentioned all day on Wednesday, but none were more important than Christmas-Giles in my estimation.
Enjoy: Take a look at these senior highlights.
*****
Cliff-notes: Katy (Texas) High running back Kyle Porter became the 16th member of the Texas recruiting class on Tuesday, giving the Longhorns its first and likely only running back in the 2016 class.
Key Offers: Porter took official visits to TCU and Arkansas, and holds offers from both. In addition to those two schools, the in-state product has offers from the likes of Baylor, Houston, Oregon, Tennessee and Wisconsin, among others.
Recruiting rankings: Listed at 5-11, 190 pounds, Porter is rated as a low four-star prospect by Rivals, and is the No. 35 prospect in the current 2016 LSR 100.
Scouting report: I have to admit that I went back and forth with how much I like Porter as a college prospect over the last year, but his senior season turned me into a real believer, as he turned into a true star without the presence of Rodney Anderson there in the Katy backfield to take touches from him. The thing that really stands out for me is his versatility as a runner, as you can run him between the tackles and he’ll grind out the tough yards in the fourth quarter, but he also possesses the ability to break guys down in space with excellent stop-and-start ability. Although I don’t know if he has elite quickness or speed, he does have enough of both to give you the big-play element everyone wants from a back. Basically, what you have here is a back that does a little bit of everything very well and his presence instantly boosts the talent level at the running back position.
Why it matters: While it wasn’t critical that the Longhorns have a running back in this class, you’d always like to have a really good one if possible and now the Longhorns can make that claim. Perhaps with the depth the team has on campus it takes a year or two to find a niche that gets him consistently on the field, but Porter projects as a two- or three-year major contributor on the offense.
Enjoy: Take a look at these senior highlights.
*****
Cliff-notes: Manor (Texas) High linebacker/defensive end Erick Fowler became the 21st member of the Texas 2016 recruiting class on Wednesday morning when he announced his commitment at his high school.
Key Offers: Texas beat LSU for the right to sign Fowler, but he had offers from everyone, including, Alabama, Baylor, Florida State, Oklahoma, TCU and Texas A&M.
Recruiting rankings: Listed at 6-3, 235 pounds, Fowler is regarded as a five-star prospect by Rivals that ranks as the No.2 outside linebacker and the No.13 overall prospect in the nation. He’s ranked No.3 in the final LSR Top 100 rankings.
Scouting report: You’ll be hard-pressed to find a linebacker prospect in the state of Texas that is more ready to play at the high collegiate level than Fowler, who at 6-3, 235 pounds, possesses both the kind of natural physicality and athletic explosiveness that makes instant contributions possible. There’s not a lot of nuance to Fowler’s game at the high school level, as his coaches sort of give him the type of freedom that allows his sideline-to-sideline abilities to thrive in constant attack mode. With elite an elite closing burst, Fowler is a big-play specialist in the making and there’s no question that his pass rush skills could make him a guy that plays with his hand on the ground at times in college. One of the thing I love about Fowler is that he doesn’t finish plays with a lot of glancing shots as much as he hits everything flush and stops it in its tracks. While his physical gifts give him a chance to play early in his career, his seek and destroy style of play will likely mean that it takes some time to master the nuances of his position, but that’s another way of saying that the kid has a tremendous upside once he’s molded into the player he can be.
Why it matters: Quite possibly the most talented and athletically special prospect in the entire Texas recruiting class. He’s been compared to Malik Jefferson by Rivals.com national analyist Mike Farrell as Malik Jefferson but with more physicalituy. We’re talking about a guy that is a 65-35 shot to end up being an impact player and a future NFL Draft choice.
Enjoy: Take a look at these senior highlights.
*****
Cliff-notes: Nacogdoches (Texas) High safety Brandon Jones became the 20th member of the Texas 2016 recruiting class on Wednesday morning when he announced his commitment at his high school.
Key Offers: Almost everyone, including Alabama, Auburn, Baylor, Florida State, LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon and TCU. In the end, the Longhorns defeated Baylor and Texas A&M is a tightly contested recruiting battle.
Recruiting rankings: Listed at 5-10, 190 pounds, Jones is regarded as a mid four-star prospect by Rivals that ranks as the No.5 safety and the No.97 overall prospect in the nation. He’s ranked No.5 in the final LSR Top 100 rankings.
Scouting report: Jones might not have the raw athleticism and frame that Deontay Anderson possesses and perhaps he doesn’t have the pure sideline to sideline explosiveness that Eric Monroe brings to the field, but when it comes to being a combo safety that can play the hell out of the position, I’m not sure that there’s anyone better in the state, especially when it comes to playing in the box and making plays a run supporter, as Jones seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to involving himself in the action. HIs cover skills are still a work in progress and I’m not sure that he’ll be a guy that you turn loose as a defender in the slot, but he displays a lot of range in coverage and is a guy that I would describe as an all-around quality safety. Still, there’s no question that what makes him special is his level of activity on the field, especially against the run.
Why it matters: There were three all-world in-state safety prospects in the state of Texas and the commitment from Jones gives the Longhorns one of them, which was a must in this class. In addition to giving the Longhorns one of the best pound-for-pound players in the state, this was a significant head-to-head win over Texas A&M, as many believed he’d end up as an Aggie for the last three years. In the end, he emerges as one of the most important players in the Texas recruiting class.
Enjoy: Take a look at these senior highlights.
*****
Cliff-notes: Euless (Texas) Trinity defensive tackle Chris Daniels became the 18th member of the Texas 2016 recruiting class on Wednesday morning when he announced his commitment at his high school.
Key Offers: Basically, everyone in the nation offered Daniels, including the likes of Alabama, Baylor, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and TCU. When the dust settled, Daniels chose the Longhorns over Oklahoma and Texas A&M.
Recruiting rankings: Listed at 6-3, 270 pounds, Daniels is regarded as a low four-star prospect by Rivals that ranks as the No.18 defensive tackle in the nation and the No.212 ranked player overall nationally. He’s ranked No.37 in the final LSR Top 100 rankings.
Scouting report: [In a lot of ways, Daniels is the prototype for the new-age defensive tackle, as he brings the size, raw athleticism and strong play on the field that every team in the nation covets from the defensive tackle position. Although he’s not quite as explosive as Ed Oliver, Daniels is a plus-athlete than can play multiple positions, while making plays up and down the line of scrimmage. Has strong hands, a powerful punch and he does a good job at the point of attack, even though he does play a little too high at times. Needs a little more technique work because he likes to stand tall to read plays in an effort to get involved the play, but that’s all correctable stuff and once it is, Daniels has all of the tools needed to be an impact college performer.
Why it matters: The third defensive tackle commit in the class for the Longhorns (so far), Daniels gives the Longhorns immediate depth improvement at the position and could emerge as one of the players in this class that registers significant early playing time because he’s more ready to play now than many of his peers.
Enjoy: Take a look at these senior highlights.
*****
Cliff-notes: Duncanville (Texas) High defensive tackle Marcel Southall became the 18th member of the Texas 2016 recruiting class on Wednesday morning when he announced his commitment at his high school.
Key Offers: Among the schools that offered Southall were Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Florida, Miami, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, TCU and Tennessee. The Longhorns ended up victorious over Miami, Ole Miss and Oklahoma.
Recruiting rankings: Listed at 6-3, 301 pounds, Southall is regarded as a high three-star prospect by Rivals that ranks as the No.30 defensive tackle in the nation. He’s ranked No.33 in the final LSR Top 100 rankings.
Scouting report: Personally, I view Southall as one of the most underrated players in the entire state. While he still has some work in the weight room to do before he’s going to be playing inside for the Longhorns, he’s athletic and versatile enough that he could potentially come in for the Longhorns and actually play a little strong-side defensive end. Bolstered by a quick first step and plus-athleticism, Southall is a terror for opposing offensive linemen because he has the athletic tools to get past them inside or outside as a pass rusher, and is constantly knifing through the backfield to create disruption. He’s not a guy that will wow you with next-level size or athletic ability, but he does everything really well and the bottom line is that he brings an element of playmaking to the position that is hard to find. It might take a couple of years of development for him to totally put the pieces together, but he has standout upside as a major college football player.
Why it matters: The third defensive tackle commit in the class for the Longhorns (so far), Daniels gives the Longhorns immediate depth improvement at the position and could contribute early as a strong-side defensive end if called upon.
Enjoy: Take a look at these junior highlights.
*****
Cliff-notes: New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine defensive tackle D’andre Christmas-Giles became the 17th member of the Texas 2016 recruiting class on Tuesday night when he announced his commitment in a live broadcast on WWL-TV in New Orleans. .
Key Offers: In addition to his trip to Texas, Christmas-Giles took official visits to Texas A&M, LSU and TCU, while holding offers from the likes of Florida, South Carolina, Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin, among others.
Recruiting rankings: Listed at 6-4, 290 pounds, Christmas-Giles instantly becomes the highest-ranked in the Texas recruiting class within the Rivals.com national ranking, as he is classified as the nation’s No.6 defensive tackle prospect and the No.83 overall prospect in the nation. His final ranking among prospects in the state of Louisiana was No.3 overall.
Scouting report: From Alex Dunlap’s breakdown on January 4th
- Highlights available on HUDL and Youtube show as many good things as bad things. Strangely, via the highlights DCG has made available on HUDL to (presumably) showcase his best talents, it can be gleaned that he is capable of failing to finish plays, arm-tackling, and struggling to re-direct. My first instinct was that he may make a better guard prospect than a defensive tackle due to an ability to own the point-of-attack but not necessarily finish with the nastiness inherent to so many dominant interior defenders.
- The Spring 2015 highlights are impressive but useless, as they show DCG dominating a set of very puny guards in a spring-ball, coaches-on-the-field setting. On the bright side, it's clear from spring tape that Christmas-Giles is not only a penetrating force from the three-technique or the shade, but also reasonably agile off the edge at 5-tech, in what would be a SDE-alignment at the college level, but is likely called a "tackle" at his high school.
- In taking in a few full games, though, it turns out - as usual - Howell was right. DCG is the real-deal and his highlight tapes don't do his skill set justice. This should make sense, as, who's going to bother with spending all that time to market themselves when big-time offers are coming in like crazy anyway?
- First off, in watching a few full games, you get to see DCG just kind of walk around between snaps next to other players, and you get a really firm idea of exactly the type of physical specimen he is. As a high school senior, he's almost certainly somewhere between 6-3 and 6-4. If he's not 300 pounds today, he's in the 290's with the frame to add significant solid mass. He still has plenty of room to fill out through the upper-thighs and rump and is not maxed-out by any means in the upper-body. DCG would basically enter the Texas program as its biggest interior defensive lineman as a true-freshman.
Scouting Notes versus Brother Martin (LA) (DT No. 77)
- Extremely fast first step - it's the first thing you notice from him on every play.
- Ability, like Tyrus Butler, to get almost unreasonably skinny through the gap and penetrate.
CLICK HERE FOR CLIP
- Uses hands, arms and positioning to engage violently but keeps offensive linemen well-away from his body with long arms and pressing power.
CLICK HERE FOR CLIP
- Gets held constantly - he's very hard to keep from his assignment.
CLICK HERE FOR CLIP
- Shows consistent ability to take on double-teams, diagnose and explode to the ball-carrier.
CLICK HERE FOR CLIP
- Will need to work on pad-level at the next level, but has no issues with core power, strength, size or motor.
- Plays every snap for his team and doesn't take plays off - not a loafer or a fat on/off-switch guy. Seems to be the "hype man" of the defense that gets the others fired up.
Why it matters: Tomorrow might end up being Christmas Day for Charlie Strong and his staff, but this was like opening up the GI Joe with the Kung-Fu Grip on Christmas Eve. As previously mentioned, for the moment Christmas-Giles is the highest-rated prospect in the Texas class according to the final Rivals.com rankings. On top of the fact that he’s a tremendous prospect, he arrives at one of the real need areas in recruiting this year for the Longhorns at defensive tackle. There will be a lot of names mentioned all day on Wednesday, but none were more important than Christmas-Giles in my estimation.
Enjoy: Take a look at these senior highlights.
*****
Cliff-notes: Katy (Texas) High running back Kyle Porter became the 16th member of the Texas recruiting class on Tuesday, giving the Longhorns its first and likely only running back in the 2016 class.
Key Offers: Porter took official visits to TCU and Arkansas, and holds offers from both. In addition to those two schools, the in-state product has offers from the likes of Baylor, Houston, Oregon, Tennessee and Wisconsin, among others.
Recruiting rankings: Listed at 5-11, 190 pounds, Porter is rated as a low four-star prospect by Rivals, and is the No. 35 prospect in the current 2016 LSR 100.
Scouting report: I have to admit that I went back and forth with how much I like Porter as a college prospect over the last year, but his senior season turned me into a real believer, as he turned into a true star without the presence of Rodney Anderson there in the Katy backfield to take touches from him. The thing that really stands out for me is his versatility as a runner, as you can run him between the tackles and he’ll grind out the tough yards in the fourth quarter, but he also possesses the ability to break guys down in space with excellent stop-and-start ability. Although I don’t know if he has elite quickness or speed, he does have enough of both to give you the big-play element everyone wants from a back. Basically, what you have here is a back that does a little bit of everything very well and his presence instantly boosts the talent level at the running back position.
Why it matters: While it wasn’t critical that the Longhorns have a running back in this class, you’d always like to have a really good one if possible and now the Longhorns can make that claim. Perhaps with the depth the team has on campus it takes a year or two to find a niche that gets him consistently on the field, but Porter projects as a two- or three-year major contributor on the offense.
Enjoy: Take a look at these senior highlights.
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