Recruiting Thread 2018
- Thread starter Iitbhorn3
- Start date
Per TFB:
– Ron Tatum: As you all know by now, talented defensive lineman, Ron Tatum (Putnam City, OK) will announce his decision tomorrow afternoon.
I’ll make this very simple and to the point. Our sources on the Oklahoma side feel confident that he picks the Sooners. Our sources on the Texas side feel confident he picks the Longhorns. The fact that it’s even up in the air is somewhat surprising to me. However, I will say that Tatum did tell me following his Texas trip back in February that the visit better than his other trips. That said, he never made a return trip to Texas.
If I were to guess, I’d have to guess OU just because it would be so out of the ordinary for so many top Oklahoma kids choosing out of state programs. But again, each side seems to feel good about where they stand. – (Super K)
– Jaquayln Crawford: I’ve had a lot of people ask me about Jaquayln Crawford and where he’s being recruited and if he’s a take for Texas right now. Texas originally offered Crawford as a slot WR, but Michael Huff always has stayed in contact because he likes him at DB. Texas currently has one WR committed in East Ridge (FL) Justin Watkins who could end up in the slot. A lot of this will depend on Waddle. If Waddle commits then I don’t think Crawford is a take at WR. I have said multiple times that I can see elite talents like Waddle or Watkins played in the slot or on the outside, but I don’t think Texas takes three smaller WRs in 2018. They like Hou. Lamar WR Al’Vonte Woodard or Alief Taylor WR Brennan Eagles to go along with the smaller guys.
Crawford could still be a take at DB though, but I think Texas would like to see where recruits like Anthony Cook, Leon O’Neal Jr, BJ Foster, D’Shawn Jamison, and DeMarvion Overshown (who could be an OLB take) decide to go before taking Crawford. That could open up the door for TCU to land Crawford, as he has said he’d prefer to play WR in college but wouldn’t mind playing DB. – (Andrew)
– Ayodele Adeoye: Texas extended an offer this morning to Saint Louis (MO) ILB Ayodele Adeoye this morning. He’s a guy that DC Todd Orlando has been in contact with for awhile now, and pulled the trigger this morning. He currently holds over 20 offers and from the likes of LSU, Oklahoma, Missouri, and others. I was told that he’s pretty wide open right now, and wants to take some visits but one school that could pull the upset with him is Illinois. He told people at the Under Armour camp up in St. Louis this weekend that he wants to visit Texas, Oklahoma, and LSU this summer.
RB coach Stan Drayton has connections to the St. Louis area, but it’s Todd Orlando who may have an inside track in this recruitment. As he coached Ayodele’s brother Adewale when he was the DC at Utah State. – (Andrew)
– Ron Tatum: As you all know by now, talented defensive lineman, Ron Tatum (Putnam City, OK) will announce his decision tomorrow afternoon.
I’ll make this very simple and to the point. Our sources on the Oklahoma side feel confident that he picks the Sooners. Our sources on the Texas side feel confident he picks the Longhorns. The fact that it’s even up in the air is somewhat surprising to me. However, I will say that Tatum did tell me following his Texas trip back in February that the visit better than his other trips. That said, he never made a return trip to Texas.
If I were to guess, I’d have to guess OU just because it would be so out of the ordinary for so many top Oklahoma kids choosing out of state programs. But again, each side seems to feel good about where they stand. – (Super K)
– Jaquayln Crawford: I’ve had a lot of people ask me about Jaquayln Crawford and where he’s being recruited and if he’s a take for Texas right now. Texas originally offered Crawford as a slot WR, but Michael Huff always has stayed in contact because he likes him at DB. Texas currently has one WR committed in East Ridge (FL) Justin Watkins who could end up in the slot. A lot of this will depend on Waddle. If Waddle commits then I don’t think Crawford is a take at WR. I have said multiple times that I can see elite talents like Waddle or Watkins played in the slot or on the outside, but I don’t think Texas takes three smaller WRs in 2018. They like Hou. Lamar WR Al’Vonte Woodard or Alief Taylor WR Brennan Eagles to go along with the smaller guys.
Crawford could still be a take at DB though, but I think Texas would like to see where recruits like Anthony Cook, Leon O’Neal Jr, BJ Foster, D’Shawn Jamison, and DeMarvion Overshown (who could be an OLB take) decide to go before taking Crawford. That could open up the door for TCU to land Crawford, as he has said he’d prefer to play WR in college but wouldn’t mind playing DB. – (Andrew)
– Ayodele Adeoye: Texas extended an offer this morning to Saint Louis (MO) ILB Ayodele Adeoye this morning. He’s a guy that DC Todd Orlando has been in contact with for awhile now, and pulled the trigger this morning. He currently holds over 20 offers and from the likes of LSU, Oklahoma, Missouri, and others. I was told that he’s pretty wide open right now, and wants to take some visits but one school that could pull the upset with him is Illinois. He told people at the Under Armour camp up in St. Louis this weekend that he wants to visit Texas, Oklahoma, and LSU this summer.
RB coach Stan Drayton has connections to the St. Louis area, but it’s Todd Orlando who may have an inside track in this recruitment. As he coached Ayodele’s brother Adewale when he was the DC at Utah State. – (Andrew)
Great get!....now if we can show we can win some games it might get real fun around here.
The class is off to a great start. Small, but all very high quality. I think we get a handful more commitments even before the season from guys like Foster and Woodard who are trending so hard our direction. With a good season, we will close the class with commits from on the fence studs like Anthony Cook. A bad season and we will lose some steam and possibly some commits but I still think we end up with a solid, top 20, class.
I wonder if this is a scholarship offer or a preferred walk-on. I have no problem giving schollies to kickers, I think that was one of CS big mistakes and probably cost him 3-4 wins over his time here. That said, this recruiting cycle, I am already worried that we don't have enough schollies for all the studs we could land, not sure I want a kicker taking one of those spots. Maybe attrition will be significant (some insiders have said between 7-10) and that will open up plenty of scholarship spots.
I'm not worried about recruiting over players. Happens all the time, all over CFB. Take as many studs as you can and then tell the bottom feeders on the roster you will help them find a new school to play at.
Per 247:
Texas is the team to beat for Keaontay Ingram.
The four-star running back out of Carthage named UT his leader this week and loves the atmosphere on the Forty Acres with the new regime.
“Texas is my leader as of right now,” Ingram said. “It’s just the chemistry. As soon as I got down there, the players greeted me. I haven’t been to too many places, but that really stuck out. I talked to some of the players about the coaches, and they bring high energy.
“The chemistry is related more to now, like our style and music. I talked to them about Coach (Tom) Herman and Coach (Stan) Drayton, and they really like those guys.”
Ingram visited for Texas on junior day in February and plans to make a return trip at some point this offseason.
Drayton, who has a history of recruiting stellar ball carriers, has impressed Ingram throughout the recruiting cycle and visited him at school last week.
“He keeps it real,” Ingram said. “When I went on my visit, as soon as I went in, he was hammering me with info. I was like ‘I’m really going to like this guy.’ This guy doesn’t lie to you. He told me we were going to bump heads. He’s going to keep it honest with you. I’m excited about him.”
Ingram added that he is a believer in Herman and the future of the Texas program.
“It’s progressively getting better each day, including with this class with all the commits,” Ingram said. “It’s going to be great.”
Along with Texas, Ingram is considering LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and others. He plans to make his decision this summer.
At 6-foot-1, 187 pounds, Ingram is ranked as the No. 10 running back in the country and No. 26 overall prospect in the state, according to 247Sports Composite.
Texas is the team to beat for Keaontay Ingram.
The four-star running back out of Carthage named UT his leader this week and loves the atmosphere on the Forty Acres with the new regime.
“Texas is my leader as of right now,” Ingram said. “It’s just the chemistry. As soon as I got down there, the players greeted me. I haven’t been to too many places, but that really stuck out. I talked to some of the players about the coaches, and they bring high energy.
“The chemistry is related more to now, like our style and music. I talked to them about Coach (Tom) Herman and Coach (Stan) Drayton, and they really like those guys.”
Ingram visited for Texas on junior day in February and plans to make a return trip at some point this offseason.
Drayton, who has a history of recruiting stellar ball carriers, has impressed Ingram throughout the recruiting cycle and visited him at school last week.
“He keeps it real,” Ingram said. “When I went on my visit, as soon as I went in, he was hammering me with info. I was like ‘I’m really going to like this guy.’ This guy doesn’t lie to you. He told me we were going to bump heads. He’s going to keep it honest with you. I’m excited about him.”
Ingram added that he is a believer in Herman and the future of the Texas program.
“It’s progressively getting better each day, including with this class with all the commits,” Ingram said. “It’s going to be great.”
Along with Texas, Ingram is considering LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and others. He plans to make his decision this summer.
At 6-foot-1, 187 pounds, Ingram is ranked as the No. 10 running back in the country and No. 26 overall prospect in the state, according to 247Sports Composite.
Per IT:
To start this Q&A off we'll revisit a previous post of mine from February 7th, where I discussed the Battle of Houston between UT and A&M.
Here's how I saw some key battles shaping up then:
UT or OOS
CB Anthony Cook
CB D'Shawn Jamison
DB BJ Foster
WR Brennan Eagles
A&M or OOS
DL Max Wright
DL Keondre Coburn
DB Leon O'Neal
CB Jalen Green
WR Josh Moore (IMG)
Wildcards
WR Jalen Preston
WR Al'Vonte Woodard
TE Mustapha Muhammad
TE Malcolm Epps
My premise was right, but since then we've seen some significant movement. Here's how it looks after a couple of months being able to gather information. I'll also add a couple of names and some very brief notes.
UT or OOS
CB Anthony Cook - Ohio State or Texas. Long way to go.
CB Jalen Green - Texas did that rubber band roller derby move passed everyone.
DB D'shawn Jamison - TCU was a threat early, but the firecracker who hits like dynamite is all UT.
DB BJ Foster - Was concerned with Ohio State at the time; no more.
DT Keondre Coburn - UT was behind for a while but I always new it could gain ground quickly.
WR Brennan Eagles - A&M didn't pursue him hard, he has no interest in A&M. Probably related.
WR Jaylen Waddle - I'll add a segment on him beneath.
WR Al'vonte Woodard - A&M had the lead just a few months ago; no more.
TE Malcolm Epps - This is a bit of a battle, but UT leads, imo.
TE Mustapha Muhammad - Probably OOS at this time, simply because he's playing the long-game and I think Epps hops aboard before him.
A&M or OOS
WR Jalen Preston - Texas hasn't been on him; Aggie sites keep rating him #1. There's a reason for that.
WR Josh Moore (IMG) - Texas has set targets at the position.
DB Leon O'Neal - A genuine battle, O'Neal would pick A&M right now. Sumlin has done well here.
DL Max Wright - UT has made up significant ground, and it's close, but if he picked today I think it would be A&M.
DE Joseph Ossai - I saw him this week and he was clear A&M is still his dream school. Herman will have to win this by making Ossai fall in love with the school. I could see Ossai picking A&M regardless of Sumlin's fate. He's a flat-running stud, btw.
There's an overt push-pull in the group texts of these players, with some recruiting for A&M, and others for Texas.
It's still early, but UT has made up a ton of ground since my initial writing, largely thanks to the Junior Day Weekend.
JAYLEN WADDLE
Here's what we know:
- He was part of the group that was hinted at by another site was committing in the days after Texas Junior Day.
- He initially had FSU very high.
- He was bombarded by Tim Brewster this week. Brewster is quite the salesman and has a sell; "We let Justin Watkins go because we wanted you. Texas pursued him."
- There was some weird initial confusion on Waddle's part if he even had an offer. That's something on Waddle's side (but not with him) that I'm going to call odd and leave it there for now.
- FSU landed Marvin Wilson.
It's not time to worry, but FSU might make this interesting. I'll catch up with some people to investigate further.
To start this Q&A off we'll revisit a previous post of mine from February 7th, where I discussed the Battle of Houston between UT and A&M.
Here's how I saw some key battles shaping up then:
UT or OOS
CB Anthony Cook
CB D'Shawn Jamison
DB BJ Foster
WR Brennan Eagles
A&M or OOS
DL Max Wright
DL Keondre Coburn
DB Leon O'Neal
CB Jalen Green
WR Josh Moore (IMG)
Wildcards
WR Jalen Preston
WR Al'Vonte Woodard
TE Mustapha Muhammad
TE Malcolm Epps
My premise was right, but since then we've seen some significant movement. Here's how it looks after a couple of months being able to gather information. I'll also add a couple of names and some very brief notes.
UT or OOS
CB Anthony Cook - Ohio State or Texas. Long way to go.
CB Jalen Green - Texas did that rubber band roller derby move passed everyone.
DB D'shawn Jamison - TCU was a threat early, but the firecracker who hits like dynamite is all UT.
DB BJ Foster - Was concerned with Ohio State at the time; no more.
DT Keondre Coburn - UT was behind for a while but I always new it could gain ground quickly.
WR Brennan Eagles - A&M didn't pursue him hard, he has no interest in A&M. Probably related.
WR Jaylen Waddle - I'll add a segment on him beneath.
WR Al'vonte Woodard - A&M had the lead just a few months ago; no more.
TE Malcolm Epps - This is a bit of a battle, but UT leads, imo.
TE Mustapha Muhammad - Probably OOS at this time, simply because he's playing the long-game and I think Epps hops aboard before him.
A&M or OOS
WR Jalen Preston - Texas hasn't been on him; Aggie sites keep rating him #1. There's a reason for that.
WR Josh Moore (IMG) - Texas has set targets at the position.
DB Leon O'Neal - A genuine battle, O'Neal would pick A&M right now. Sumlin has done well here.
DL Max Wright - UT has made up significant ground, and it's close, but if he picked today I think it would be A&M.
DE Joseph Ossai - I saw him this week and he was clear A&M is still his dream school. Herman will have to win this by making Ossai fall in love with the school. I could see Ossai picking A&M regardless of Sumlin's fate. He's a flat-running stud, btw.
There's an overt push-pull in the group texts of these players, with some recruiting for A&M, and others for Texas.
It's still early, but UT has made up a ton of ground since my initial writing, largely thanks to the Junior Day Weekend.
JAYLEN WADDLE
Here's what we know:
- He was part of the group that was hinted at by another site was committing in the days after Texas Junior Day.
- He initially had FSU very high.
- He was bombarded by Tim Brewster this week. Brewster is quite the salesman and has a sell; "We let Justin Watkins go because we wanted you. Texas pursued him."
- There was some weird initial confusion on Waddle's part if he even had an offer. That's something on Waddle's side (but not with him) that I'm going to call odd and leave it there for now.
- FSU landed Marvin Wilson.
It's not time to worry, but FSU might make this interesting. I'll catch up with some people to investigate further.
Low-key unofficial visit by Caden Sterns, one of the top safeties of this class.
Surprisingly, some crystal balls rolling in now. Texas has 5/9, one from LSU and another from SEC reporter.
http://247sports.com/PlayerInstitution/Caden-Sterns-at-Steele-141714/CurrentExpertPredictions
LSU is now going after O'Neal.
We are in the hunt for 12 of the top 15 recruits in Texas.
We are in the hunt for 12 of the top 15 recruits in Texas.
There are several big time recruits, some of which are already committed to other schools, that are now noticing what Herman and Co. are building. Pretty impressive run they are on recently. Now, none of this matters if they don't win games, but this is a good start.
Bold prediction: we get 6-7 of the top 10 and 11-12 of the top 20. One thing limiting us is that there is so much overlap at the WR and DB positions in the top 20 that will prevent certain players from coming
I read that Stoops was getting a grill now. A Big 12 championship year on 9 or 10 teeth. The worm will turn
"I read that Stoops was getting a grill now. A Big 12 championship year on 9 or 10 teeth. The worm will turn"
It would have to be "Big XII Championship years" because he has the SAME exact National Championships that Mack Brown and TEXAS has.......off course with TEXAS having the more recent off the two.
It would have to be "Big XII Championship years" because he has the SAME exact National Championships that Mack Brown and TEXAS has.......off course with TEXAS having the more recent off the two.
Herman has been laying a nice foundation for the 2019 class. Going after some big fish early. If we can get the job done on the field this year the train will get rolling very fast!
