Football Articles
Texas’ 2010 recruiting class
Posted by HenryJames on February 3rd, 2010 under Football, Recruiting
So Muschamp’s body of work is out there now, and recruits have responded. This is the best defensive class we’ve signed since 2002 and the best front seven we’ve signed maybe ever. The offensive class was very good, but it wasn’t up to the level of the defense.
We had a lot of good stuff go our way this year. Pete Carroll jumped to the NFL with its higher paychecks for both coaches and players, and Urban Meyer briefly decided that he cared about his family. So that helped with Jeffcoat and Hicks. Les Miles continues to be an albatross at LSU, and Bob Stoops and OU were paid back this year for at least some of their many past transgressions. Didn’t hurt that we’ve gone 25-2 the last two seasons.
In state we have no competition except ourselves. We’ll still occasionally fuck some things up with lazy evaluations and poor work ethic, but we’re set to own this great state for the foreseeable future.
Out of state recruiting is about numbers and effort. If you go after two guys, don’t pack it in if they don’t commit. Instead go after more guys. Mack Brown has built up our in state recruiting so well that we rarely hear ‘no’ from a player, but we also set it up to where we pretty much only offer guys who will say ‘yes.’ You can’t be afraid of rejection in recruiting. And don’t start recruiting guys in September. Get on them early like the rest of the football powers do. That’s what Muschamp and Applewhite bring to the table. Neither of them would be considered closers per se, but they like recruiting and work hard at it.
Here are their official bios from TexasSports.
Aaron Benson LB Cedar Hill
You know we recruited well when this guy is only considered the third best linebacker in the class. He’s smaller than both Hicks and Jackson, and he’ll probably need to put on a little weight before he’s ready to contribute. Or not. He’s played at the highest level of Texas high school football for one of the premier programs so it’s not like he’s coming from Claude. The spread has made DFW high school football pretty faggoty, but Benson is a throwback.
Taylor Bible DT Denton Guyer
Bible looked as good as any defensive tackle in the nation as a junior and reminded me of Damione Lewis and Cedric Woodward at that level. He could play sideline to sideline and also rush the quarterback. Great quickness and explosion. Then he put on too much weight over the offseason and looked like a different player. When he loses the weight, he will be great again. And I have no doubts that he will lose the weight. Muschamp doesn’t seem to me like a coach who makes requests. He makes demands. Like SailorRipley.
Carrington Byndom DB Lufkin
First guy from Lufkin to be offered by Stanford since McKinner Dixon. He broke his thumb as a senior, and I think he had a lingering injury as a junior as well. Texas offered him early so his offer sheet isn’t as good as some others. The corners in this class need to be hits because we lose both Browns and possibly Aaron Williams after this season.
DeMarco Cobbs Ath Tulsa (OK) Central
Tried to commit to Texas in the spring, but the coaches wouldn’t accept it until he visited. Later committed to Tennessee and dropped off the Texas radar. Publicly. Got back to talking with the coaches and switched (back) to Texas. Probably saved him a later trip to USC. He played quarterback in high school, but Texas will give him a shot first at safety. When it was reported that he ran a 4.76 40, stupid Texas fans freaked out. ‘OMG! He’s two sloe!’ There was a similar freakout a few years ago when it was mistakenly reported that Earl Thomas ran an 11.4 100m Trust your eyes, people. Cobbs is fast, and he was offered by everyone.
DeAires Cotton DT Alief Taylor
An honest to goodness two technique. And you thought the position had gone the way of the dinosaurs and our running game. Cotton is a big, strong guy who will control a gap for you on defense, spill a lot of stuff to the outside but will probably not give you too much as far as a pass rush. He’s not going to put up big numbers, but our linebackers will love him. His film doesn’t wow you, but OU and Nebraska both offered. That’s three ‘buts’ so we’ll probably need to keep him away from candy and nuts.
Greg Daniels DE Houston St. Pius X
No one knew who this guy was when he committed at one of the Texas junior days. Then Gerry Hamilton actually went to a spring practice at Pius X. Turns out the guy had put on about 30 pounds over the offseason, is a leader both on and off the field and has his picture in the dictionary under the word ‘upside.’ (I looked at Urban Dictionary and couldn’t find it.) He also has a size 28 shoe, and his dad is 8’10”. Not really. But he’s a big and raw athlete (similar to Tevin Mims last year) who might eventually grow into a defensive tackle. I’ve not seen enough of him to tell if he can get after the QB from the edge in a 4-3, but he’s another versatile guy who can play as a 3-4 end.
Mike Davis WR Dallas Skyline
We tried to screw this one up. Davis came in for a junior day but left without an offer. Instead we decided to accept the commitment from a Mormon whom everyone knew would jump to BYU at some point. Which he did about three months later. Davis proceeds to pistol whip opponents his senior season, but Texas still doesn’t pay him any interest. Finally word is passed to the Texas coaches that maybe they should give Davis a call. They do, fences are mended and he commits. Recruiting is hard, imo. Davis is a pretty complete receiver at this point. He has great hands and body control, and he runs good routes. He’s not a burner, but what would that get him in our offense anyway? Oh, and he blocks. He’ll be in the mix at receiver next year.
Ashton Dorsey DT Tyler John Tyler
Great first step, and he can rush the passer from the tackle spot. Has two older brothers who played college ball at Tulane and A&M so he has the bloodlines. A pretty good comparison would be to Lamarr Houston. He may be a bit undersized, but he makes up for it with quickness and motor.
Dominic Espinosa OL Cedar Park
Rivals lists him as 6’4”, but he’s closer to 6’2”. Played tackle as a junior before moving to center as a senior. He’ll either be a center or guard at Texas. Originally from California so he probably prefers Chipotle to Taco Cabana. Really aggressive player, but we’ll fix that shit quick with a combined program of estrogen injections and sensitivity training. Crapshoot with the offensive line at this point.
John Harris WR Garland Naaman Forest
A dude named ‘John’ from the Metroplex who played QB his senior season but will play receiver for Texas? Sign. Him. Up. Bobby Kennedy likes big receivers from the Metroplex who don’t actually play receiver. Some work out, some don’t. Like most things in recruiting. Harris had a solid offer list so we’ll see what he can do after he redshirts.
Jordan Hicks LB West Chester (OH) Lakota West
This is the best linebacker Texas has signed since Derrick Johnson, and he’s as good as anyone in the country. Dude threw a sweatervest and a pair of jorts on a burning couch by signing with Texas. No matter. His family is making the move with him to Austin. We got on him early and stayed on him. We didn’t give him some stupid fucking timetable either.
Trey Hopkins OL Galena Park North Shore
Cerebral. Cerebral enough to question what we’re doing on the oline? Maybe. Also athletic. Athletic enough to make up for what we’re doing on the oline? Maybe. Played tackle in high school but will move inside at Texas. Oscar Giles sometimes has trouble finding his assigned high schools in the Hourston area or getting actual film, but we got our shit together and offered. Very good athlete who needs to get bigger and stronger, and that’s why God invented redshirts.
Bryant Jackson DB Sulphur Springs
Despite his height and frame, Gerry Hamilton says he has the hips to play corner. Tall and thin, but he has a nose for the ball. Had a combined 10 interceptions his sophomore and junior years. Also played receiver and returned kicks so you’re looking at a tall athlete who can play either safety or corner. Let’s call him a poor man’s Gary Baxter.
Tevin Jackson LB Garland
Maybe the most underrated guy in the class. Was listed as around 200 pounds after his junior year, but when the spring evaluation period rolled around it was found that he was actually closer to 230. Great at blitzing and pressing. Big dude with a great frame who can run. And he’s an inside guy. His coach moved him outside for a playoff game his junior year, and he struggled. I’m not saying he can’t play outside, but we’re looking at a Mike who will be 6’3” 250 in a couple of years without sacrificing speed. Plays downhill like a rolling ball of butcher knives. Obviously he needs to get better in pass coverage, but we no longer use that as an excuse to keep future NFL players off the field.
Jackson Jeffcoat DE Plano West
When you’re that good, people start looking for warts. There are none. His dad played for Arizona State and the Cowboys and isn’t named Shante Carver. He uses his hands better than a grifter. Great hands allow him to keep bigger offensive linemen off him so he’ll still play early despite being a little light right now. The dude’s never even gone through an offseason program before because of basketball. It’s ridiculous how he’s going to fill out. And he was able to dominate in a read and react defense in high school. Texas sold him on playing the Buck position so we’ll see how well he plays in space. Wart!
Chris Jones WR Dangerfield
He reminds me of a smaller Reggie McNeal. Now when I said this on Orangebloods, I was met with a chorus of ‘Ur an Aggie! I h8 u!’ And that was just from Trips Right, imo. So let me expound. McNeal would be in the NFL today if he had played safety or receiver in college instead of QB. He was a fantastic prospect. He just had no wiggle, and neither does Jones. Jones is plenty fast though, but he played 2A ball so he’s probably never run a proper route in his life.
Case McCoy QB Graham
His brother roomed with Jordan Shipley in college, his dad roomed with Jordan Shipley’s dad in college and one day he will room with Jordan Shipley’s brother in college. Jordan Shipley was also in ‘Animal House’ with Kevin Bacon. Probably even lighter than Colt was as a freshman. I was a bit surprised that Texas offered, but I was more surprised that he accepted. It’s one thing to follow your brother, but the same position? Already enrolled so he’ll battle with Connor Wood to see who will transfer first back up Gilbert.
Adrian Phillips Ath Garland
Started at quarterback and cornerback as a junior and wide receiver and safety as a senior. So yeah, he’s an athlete. He was district MVP his senior year as an athlete. Will be a defensive back at Texas, and I’m guessing safety because he’s already around 200 pounds. Solidly built and a big hitter. I like the idea of having two former quarterbacks (Phillips and Cobbs) at safety.
William Russ K Shreveport (LA) Evangel Christian
Our kicking problems are solved! Or not. We’ve had approximately 74 kickers under Brown, and I can’t really remember any of them kicking the ball in the endzone on kickoffs. So that leads me to believe that we are coaching them not to. I was never coached not to end a sentence in a preposition. So take it with a grain of salt. Or are you still holding out hope that Trevor Gerland is going to change our punt game because he’s such a great athlete?
Traylon Shead RB Cayuga
Ran for more yards than any Texas high school player other than Kenneth Hall, who occasionally posts on this site as SLXpress. He’s a big back, and that’s two years in a row we’ve taken a guy who will fail in our current system. Most guys will fail in our current system so maybe there is something to the noise about putting Gilbert under center more. Shead is big, strong and has excellent body lean. His coach compares him to Adrian Peterson (whom he coached), but I think Cedric Benson might be a better comparison because he doesn’t have the off the charts athleticism.
Darius Terrell WR DeSoto
Stay away from Aggie equestrians, Darius. Oh, and you’re going to play flex tight end for us. He’s about 6′2″ 220 and runs probably a 4.7 or so. But he’s strong, has great hands, will block and has the testicular fortitude to meet the challenge.
Adrian White DB DeSoto
Practices like Tarzan, plays like Jane. Maybe that’s a bit unfair. But in two games against Skyline Mike Davis caught 39 passes for 900 yards and 15 tds. Or something. They weren’t all against White, but some of them were. And they’re the ones writing it off. He had offers from Florida, North Carolina, TCU and Nebraska (that once again means something). Those schools know defense, often times in the Biblical sense. He’s already enrolled so he gets to battle with Eryon Barnett to replace the Browns at one of the corner spots in 2011.
Darius White WR Fort Worth Dunbar
Runs like a cross between good Roy Williams and an American Saddlebred. There was supposedly a name tag fiasco at one of the junior days that caused him to sour on Texas, and it didn’t help that his stepdad was pushing OU. But his girlfriend will be attending Texas, and pussy trumps fake dad. White wrecked shit as a junior, but he had a tough senior season because Dunbar didn’t have anyone who could get him the ball. He should play as a freshman unless we decide to start John Chiles and Philip Payne because they’re seniors.
Reggie Wilson DE Haltom City
T.I.A. Hooray. Committed so early that he’s almost a forgotten man at this point. TCU made some noise about hiring his high school’s S&C coach, but it wasn’t enough to sway him. Finished his high school career with about 60 tfls. Dedfischer says he has a big ass. I call that a solid base. Relentless player with explosion and strength. Ridiculous upside. Has no peers against the run at his position.
Connor Wood QB Houston Second Baptist
He’s a very good athlete who can dunk a basketball. What? ChrisApplewhite can’t. Played for a private school where he was probably bigger than his offensive linemen while throwing to skill position players named Zander. Throws well on the run and can probably give us something in the run game.
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Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest: Post Mortem 9 minutes ago
“This may seem arrogant but I believe its true – if you are a coach in virtually any sport at UT, you will be a good recruiter. The state is loaded with athletes, including basketball players, UT as a university is top-notch by virtually any measure and just really doesn’t have any serious in-state competition.”
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skymonkeyhorn commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest: Post Mortem 18 minutes ago
Trips, I love you man ! Of course its man Love and not like the love you have with Henry…..
You are the very best of all the talking heads on Texas Basketball, your knowledge is vast and your style is dynamic and you reach the crazies with your knowledge on hoops.
You are right about the
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GoHornsGo90 commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest: Post Mortem 21 minutes ago
It’s not Brown’s fault they made a bad call. It is Brown’s fault giving the ball up there. In his defense, he was in a pretty sick spot in the corner. Not in his defense, he is allowed to dribble and shouldn’t BE in the corner in the first place.
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Texastough commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest: Post Mortem 26 minutes ago
I started that post before any of the other comments. Didn’t know redundancy could be so long-winded.
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Texastough commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest: Post Mortem 30 minutes ago
On the Barnes talk, I really don’t have enough Bball knowledge to have an ultimate opinion, only some preliminary thoughts/questions:
This may seem arrogant but I believe its true – if you are a coach in virtually any sport at UT, you will be a good recruiter. The state is loaded with athletes, including basketball
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GoHornsGo90 commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread 31 minutes ago
GigoloJoe:
He’s like Frank Martin…without the really, really good coaching ability and DC recruiting connection.
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JungleHeat wrote a new blog post: Champions League Draw 42 minutes ago
The draw for the quarterfinal round took place today in Nyon Switzerland.
The match ups are here
Unstoppable?
It really couldn’t be any worse for Arsenal as they drew Barcelona and will have to face the defending champions at the Emirates to begin the round. Waiting for the winner of that match up will be the winner of
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Trips Right commented on the blog post FLV March Madness First Round Bets 59 minutes ago
chitwood, yes, I had Baylor. Didn’t want to cross swords with dick on this thread.
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Triston27 commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day Two 1 hour, 5 minutes ago
I was actually thinking the same thing when I first saw them. If it ain’t broken…
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Hiphopopotamus commented on the blog post Big Dance: Day Two 1 hour, 13 minutes ago
I figured they worked out well for us yesterday…no reason to adjust format.
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texasengr commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest: Post Mortem 1 hour, 15 minutes ago
I’ve been waiting for this since I finished watching this game at midnight. I was on the fence on Rick until the final 2 minutes of OT last night.
FUCK RICK BARNES!!!!!!
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texasengr commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest: Post Mortem 1 hour, 15 minutes ago
I’ve been waiting for this since I finished watching this game at midnight. I was on the fence on Rick until the final 2 minutes of OT last night.
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Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread 1 hour, 18 minutes ago
Savage, I read that too. That’s on Brown.
I’d kill everyone on the thread for Jimmer Freddette. Think about that.
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Trips Right wrote a new blog post: Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest: Post Mortem 1 hour, 22 minutes ago
Last post-mortem of the season, so we’ve got that going for us, which is nice.
Just a few thoughts on the game. I’ll do a season wrap up and preliminary preview in the next few days to tie everything in.
First off, it’s a challenge to continue to write these and not repeat what’s
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Hiphopopotamus wrote a new blog post: Big Dance: Day Two 1 hour, 47 minutes ago
A quick recap of yesterday’s action before we get to today’s tilts.
Midwest – Kansas and Northern Iowa take care of business at the top. Tennessee squeaks by San Diego St, and the shocker of the day, Georgetown falls to Ohio. Just a complete no-show by the Hoyas, which we all knew they were capable
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dick commented on the blog post FLV March Madness First Round Bets 1 hour, 55 minutes ago
I tailed Trips’ over on BYU and under on ND so I ended up more than fine yesterday. I’m not in the mood for humour after last night but I’ll throw up some quick picks in a second.
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Phenomenal Smith commented on the blog post First Round: Clemson Tigers 2 hours, 18 minutes ago
I knew what you meant with the homer comment.
I agree that it mostly comes down to Denmon and English shooting well again. They don’t have set career highs, but they do have to at least hit their season averages for Mizzou to have a chance.
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whiskey commented on the blog post Chalk Talk: The ND 3-4 Transition Part II- Defensive Line 4 hours, 7 minutes ago
LB Coach right before we moved over here usmc53 left the below question for you in response to one of your comments. Based on this post I take it the NT is just reading the Center’s head after the snap. I thought he asked a great question though and didn’t want it to
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Phenomenal Smith commented on the blog post First Round: Clemson Tigers 4 hours, 18 minutes ago
I agree that the Tigers will win.
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whiskey commented on the blog post Chalk Talk: The ND 3-4 Transition Part I- Expectations 4 hours, 20 minutes ago
I am starting to feel progressivley optomistic. Hopefully we can glean some discernable info about how this transition is going during spring practice. Valpodoc, glad to see you are still with us here at the new place. Your comments always add to the quality of the discussion.
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Phenomenal Smith commented on the blog post Chase Daniel makes The Economist 4 hours, 20 minutes ago
Well, here at AT we talk about Chase Daniel coming back to Mizzou to coach QBs and recruit the Dallas area. We haven’t taken it off the table, but not sure it carries much predictive value on our table.
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Ibas water bottle commented on the blog post Oklahoma Sooners – Recruiting So Far 4 hours, 31 minutes ago
Oklahoma sports media coverage is slanted towards OU? I refuse to believe Dean Blevins would do that.
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Ibas water bottle wrote a new blog post: NCAA tournament day two 5 hours, 3 minutes ago
If we can stop Stephon Marbury from eating the rest of the Vaseline we have a chance.
Peter Graves has more life than my bracket. I pick games like Gary Johnson shoots free throws. Nebraska is better off in the standings than I am in the bracket contest. Get the point? Yesterday was one of
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GoHornsGo90 commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread 9 hours, 44 minutes ago
Barnes’ three “strengths”:
Defense, rebounding, recruiting.
This team just proved the first two are non-existent (out-rebounded by 25; fucking KIDDING me?) and the last one is over-hyped as well. Every ESPN basketball recruiting analyst who actually had Bradley ahead of Wall should be taken out back and executed Inglourious Basterds style.
I hate Turgeon and I
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skymonkeyhorn commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread 10 hours, 28 minutes ago
a Good System will usually beat a talented team that does not play together and are thinking instead of playing basketball ,over a season the system wins more then they will give away.
A team that is scared to make a mistake and thinks before they react is going to lose to a confident but -
Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread 12 hours, 2 minutes ago
Nordberg,
Ironic indeed……teachable moment, I guess….
NY Horn,
I hope your drunk, because Izzo ain’t coming to Texas……Why don’t we just get Coach K. I mean Coach G came from Duke, they have to be dying to get out of Durham….
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Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread 12 hours, 6 minutes ago
Egg, that’s fine, but at what point do you blame Barnes? Seriously, man. You’ve thrown players under the bus left and right, but at a certain point, doesn’t the buck stop somewhere. I know you’re more of an NBA guy so it begins and ends with players there, but we need fucking
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Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread 12 hours, 6 minutes ago
Egg, that’s fine, but at what point do you blame Barnes? Seriously, man. You’ve thrown players under the bus left and right, but at a certain point, doesn’t the buck stop somewhere. I know you’re more of an NBA guy so it begins and ends with players there, but we need fucking
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Patrick Bateman commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread 12 hours, 7 minutes ago
Trips,
I hear ya. I’m frustrated as well. I guess I just don’t prescribe to such a black and white characterization of the situation. I do know that no matter what happened in the huddle, JCB made a dumb play. If Rick didn’t explain or remind him of the situation, then I
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Trips Right commented on the blog post Texas Hoops vs. Wake Forest Open thread 12 hours, 15 minutes ago
Pat, know I don’t, but I’ve had coaches draw up plays to free up the best foul shooter and then tell that guy they’d put their foot up his ass if they passed the ball. It’s funny, but as a fans of football we nitpick blitz pickup and shit like that. Shit that’s
srr50 said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 6:48 pm
Out of state recruiting is about numbers and effort. If you go after two guys, don’t pack it in if they don’t commit. Instead go after more guys.
It would seem that Mack has designed a recruiting template just for this. We ravage in-state early, and then could be spending more time on more kids out of state. Maybe you are right and the SEC background from Muschamp and Applewite will lead to more of this.
BTW 12 of Florida’s 28-player class for 2010 are from out of state.
RichUT said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:02 pm
Cobbs may end up at safety, but I really doubt he starts there. I think he has a chance to stick at RB.
HelmetBoy said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:14 pm
That faggoty football they play in the Metroplex dominates the rest of the state. Otherwise, good write-up.
bigdukesix said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:15 pm
Great writeup, HJ. I particularly agree with much of what you say on OOS recruiting.
magnusbleuveigner said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:17 pm
Awesome write-up. The way you inject humor into almost every sentence is a gift, imo.
Rich, we have 11 running backs and we’re about to sign 9 more in the next cycle. For Cobbs to stay at rb, he’d have to be great. Our scheme doesn’t allow greatness. He’ll be on defense sooner rather than later.
bigdukesix said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:18 pm
I was never coached not to end a sentence in a preposition.
A preposition is a fine thing to end a sentence with.
bigdukesix said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:20 pm
Rich, we have 11 running backs and we’re about to sign 9 more in the next cycle.
I’m hoping a significant portion of the necessary roster turnover we see comes from the RB position.
derryl said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:20 pm
The estrogen and sensitivity comment was great…we need one of these guys to be a real stud.
Wood would be a 6,000 yd passer at tech…extremely accurate and could be the real deal.
Shead looks to get north and south pretty quickly though I know he is cutting through 2A sized kids in the vid. He also has some quick moves for a big guy…almost Eric Dickersonish.
Fozzy looks for the sideline on every play out of habit. I think he would take a quarterback sneak to the sideline if he took a direct snap under center.
Sailor Ripley said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Not anymore.
RichUT said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:31 pm
“Rich, we have 11 running backs and we’re about to sign 9 more in the next cycle. For Cobbs to stay at rb, he’d have to be great. Our scheme doesn’t allow greatness. He’ll be on defense sooner rather than later.”
Oh, I fully understand the thought process on how he ends up at safety. If he’s not special at RB, he’ll find a much easier path to the field as a DB. No question.
I just think there is a chance that he could, in fact, be special. Time will tell though.
derryl said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:37 pm
Sailor Ripley – I did mean with Leach at the helm…you are correct…should be an interesting development up there with the offesive coordinator and head coach and their philosophies…
magnusbleuveigner said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:43 pm
I know watching Shead highlights is about as worthless as watching Rashaan Salaam hs footage, but as derryl pointed out he looked quick out of his cuts and looks to get north/south immediately. I feel a little better about him as a rb. I’ve always been sold on him as a take. If he gets mired in the log jam at rb, I hope they don’t waste his eligibility. With any read and recognition skills, this kid could be a great olb. Oh yeah, and a 400lb bench translates regardless of classification.
torre said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:49 pm
Great job, HJ. Thanks for composing!
dedfischer said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:54 pm
It takes about a 5-yard radius for Wilson to change directions. He doesn’t give that Orakpo/Kindle/Acho feeling of athleticism on tape. Jeffcoat and Daniels are another story, and they’re good enough for Wilson’s future to be at 290. I thought Dorsey was the most impressive player in the state. You know, based on a couple of 3-minute Rivals clip and all.
Blueshorn said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 8:03 pm
Nice work, HJ.
nordberg said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Seems like everyone thinks that one of Wilson, Jeffcoat, and Daniels will end up as a 300 lb. DT. Daniels seems the most likely, IMO.
If Terrell doesn’t work at TE, can we please stop taking average-sized WR’s and trying to turn them into TE’s? Not everyone is Jermichael Finley. And Finley played TE in high school. And is 6′4″. We’ve got our fanbase wanting John Chiles and John Harris to play TE for christ’s sake.
Tevin Jackson is my favorite player in this class. I liked the Terry Tate comparison.
java said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 8:21 pm
Thanks for the write-ups. I am amazed at the talent of this group.
After reading the clip about Jeffcoat, I watched the film closely. He can do it all! Amazing.
ransomstoddard said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 8:27 pm
We may have 11 rb’s on the roster but as near as I can tell, we still don’t have one that can play D-1 football.
Trips Right said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 8:29 pm
Dorsey destroyed some pretty solid offensive linemen in the playoffs last season. I think he’s going to be the surprise of this class.
Great writeup HJ.
Jungle Girl said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 8:29 pm
“Muschamp doesn’t seem to me like a coach who makes requests. He makes demands. Like SailorRipley.”
Have mercy.
NY Horn said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 8:52 pm
If we had landed a tackle or two this would be the best Mack class ever. We are up shit creek without a paddle with our current prospects.
Max Fischer said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 9:06 pm
” the best front seven we’ve signed maybe ever. ”
I might make a case for Casey Hampton and whoever else was in his class. Could have him been 10 fairies and I still like that group. A lot.
CloseToJumping said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 9:56 pm
When there is no NFL in 2011, does Aaron Williams stay in school? There’s a legitimate possibility that the 2011 is very stunted if it is even played.
I like McCoy and Wood. I doubt either expect to play next year and they’ll compete if they’re both healthy when Gilbert leaves. I like the prospect of the best man winning from those two and Ash.
I am not sure of what to make of Daniels. He could be a minor bust or Marcus Tubbs. I don’t have an expectation that he’s spun down to DT within the first 2 years, personally.
Reggie Wilson will be hell on plays coming at him. With someone like Okafor and/or Jeffcoat on the other side, he could wind up putting up some awesome numbers.
I’ve said for a year now that I think Shead can play TB in college. I expect to find out. There’s not a compelling reason to move him anywhere and we’re going to see some guys leave ahead of him.
If Dan Buckner had anything resembling male genitals, what kind of damage could he have done? Terrell is supposedly a tough dude, Buckner was always thought to be a pussy by folks that commented on practices and locker rooms. If Terrell can perform competently in the limited snaps in which he’s asked to block, he could be a tremendously underrated A-back type. I don’t expect a ton here, so significant contributions of any sort would be awesome.
You type somewhat negatively about the kicking game, but outside of touchbacks and covering kickoffs, I think our STs are as good or better than anyone’s at this point. We always have guys that hit field goals. Our returners and return teams are excellent. We do a good job of managing punting situations. We block as many punts and kicks as anyone. Stop being a negative douche like our counterparts on it. Trust your eyes, or some shit.
Hookem4life84 said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:48 pm
Great stuff…
A couple things on John Harris, he played WR until his Senior year, he has no interest in playing QB. He only switched because his school, Naaman Forest had a serious lack of talent at the QB position. If he had the played WR there would have been a chance the only passes thrown to him would have been screens. On second thought that might have prepared him to play in GD’s offense.
rantanamo said:
February 3rd, 2010 at 10:58 pm
Here are some senior year clips of a few of the guys. Notice the marked improvement compared to their Jr videos. Don’t know if you have a rule about links to other sites. I’m too lazy
Tevin Jackson – he’s aight. Not agressive enough
http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/highschool_sports/index.html?nvid=412649&stry&shu=1
Jackson Jeffcoat – he’s aight. We need to recruit better.
http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/highschool_sports/index.html?nvid=412636&stry&shu=1
Mike Davis – Doesn’t score enough. Not enough YAC
http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/highschool_sports/index.html?nvid=412654&stry&shu=1
Taylor Bible – Can’t tackle. Can’t take on blocks
http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/highschool_sports/index.html?nvid=412651&stry&shu=1
Reggie Wilson – Weak! Doesn’t finish off the ball carrier
http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/highschool_sports/index.html?nvid=412628&stry&shu=1
Adrian Phillips – No range, can’t cover
http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/highschool_sports/index.html?nvid=412629&stry&shu=1
Seriously, some great tape. Much better than the rivals coverage. Jeffcoat, Wilson and Jackson equals bad muthaf******
Speed Kills said:
February 4th, 2010 at 4:07 am
Harris’ film looks pretty dang good to me. Even if I have no clue what or where Namaan Forest is.
The General said:
February 4th, 2010 at 4:20 am
It’s in Eriador.
Newy25 said:
February 4th, 2010 at 4:54 am
“Harris’ film looks pretty dang good to me. Even if I have no clue what or where Namaan Forest is.”
Metroplex, holla. Get your head out of your Houston ass and watch some real football once in a while. That being said, when I was at DeSoto one year we beat Namaan Forest by 70 points. They are the Texas A&M of the greater Dallas area.
Terrell is the guy on the team that likes to go to midfield during warm ups and start fights with the other team. He also played in one game with a badly cut up arm and every time he caught the ball would point to the big bloody gash on his forearm and yell. The anti-Buckner, if you will.
TKO said:
February 4th, 2010 at 5:20 am
Taylor Bible’s junior film is stunning; his senior film, not so much. He was still strong at the point of attack in his last year, but he just didn’t have the same pop in his first step.
I’ve seen it suggested elsewhere that he put on excess pounds while recuperating from shoulder surgery after his junior year and that affected his senior campaign. Don’t know if that’s true, but I do know he had shoulder surgery and it’s certainly a plausible explanation for the difference in playing weight and quickness.
TaylorTRoom said:
February 4th, 2010 at 5:49 am
One of the great things about this class is the way we cleaned up in the DFW metroplex, which OU considers their territory. We beat them head to head for all of the top prospects except thos the Ags picked up (and Nelson, who faked us out by feinting to B/CS first). OU had to settle for the 2nd tier DFW prospects, and look nationally for their difference makers. Just five years ago, they were attributing their slump to a failed national recruiting strategy (evidently, Cali kids don’t repond to Stoops’ coaching style as well as Texas kids), so this is a win all the way around for Texas.
Kosciuszko said:
February 4th, 2010 at 6:49 am
I thought of PhxHorn when I read this article in today’s WSJ. He would have loved the move to the correct statistical measure for evaluating the results of five star recruits:
By Carl Bialik
Florida’s college-recruiting class is ranked No. 1 by several leading scouting services. Does it matter?
Somewhat surprisingly, the answer appears to be yes. Sure, many top-rated high-school prospects don’t pan out in college. But top prospects are more likely to excel, as are schools that top recruiting rankings.
Associated Press
Top prospect Ronald Powell signed with Florida. How much does that matter to the Gators’ future prospects? “Of the 93 different players (excluding kickers and punters) who were voted in some capacity to one of the five NCAA-recognized All-America teams last year, only 13 came into college as five-star, can’t-miss blue chips, the cream of the crop,” Matt Hinton wrote at Yahoo. “By contrast, more than four times as many of those All-Americans — 50, to be exact, more than half of the total — were rated three stars or lower. However, Hinton points out that far more prospects are rated three stars or lower than the number who receive five stars. Taking that into account, one in 15 five-star recruits from the last five years were named an All-American, compared to one in 54 four-star recruits and one in 147 three-star recruits. (This also translates into a much higher probability of being drafted into the NFL for five-star recruits than for lower-rated ones.)
That reflects well on the chances of such Florida prospects Ronald Powell and Dominique Easley. But how does it affect the chance that Florida, as a team, will prosper? Several studies suggest that teams that recruit well reap big benefits. At Bleacher Report, Tim Croley showed that several schools with top-rated recruiting classes in recent years have won national titles when those classes reached their senior year. And at the Daily Gopher, Buck Bravo wrote that this past season’s Big Ten standings reflect closely what we’d expect based on the variation in strength of Big Ten teams’ recent recruiting classes.
Football Outsiders’ Bill Connelly produced a more rigorous study, published at ESPN. In it he shows a very high correlation between the strength of the last five years of recruiting classes and a team’s performance. “This suggests a direct, strong link between recruiting success and performance,” Connelly wrote.
There’s certainly a link, but I’m not yet convinced that all of the correlation he finds is the result of recruiting breeding success. Good college-football teams tend to stay good, and also to recruit well. But that doesn’t mean one causes the other. Surely the talent of incoming players is important, but so are facilities, other attributes of a university that are attractive — such as climate and convenience — and coaching. Those factors likely help top programs recruit, and also get the most out of their recruits.
Connelly agrees that past success breeds future success, just like recruiting does, but wrote in an email that it’s hard to study the two factors separately. “It’s hard to isolate the two, however, because there aren’t really any good examples of a team succeeding on the field while seeing their recruiting plummet,” Connelly wrote. One current example: Florida, Texas and Alabama are the three schools to rank in the top five of ESPN, Rivals and Scout.com; they’re also the three schools to finish atop the rankings last season.
Texoz said:
February 4th, 2010 at 6:55 am
Awesome write-up. The way you inject humor into almost every sentence is a gift, imo.
HenryJames is the Dr. Kervorkian of sports writing.
Barking Carnival — Blog — Filling the gap said:
February 4th, 2010 at 7:17 am
[...] The moment we’ve all been waiting for, Scipio Tex HenryJames has his write-up on the class here. [...]
lazer2280 said:
February 4th, 2010 at 7:19 am
Enjoyed the write-up. I would love to see what was said about McCoy after he was signed. Same for David Thomas. It’s great to get all worked up over these kids before they set foot on the field at Texas (I do), but it’s even more fun to wait and see who develops.
ChicagoTTU said:
February 4th, 2010 at 8:03 am
“But his girlfriend will be attending Texas, and pussy trumps fake dad.”
So true, so true.
ghostofagroundgame said:
February 4th, 2010 at 8:14 am
I agree with CTJ — I thnk Shead is going to be a really good running back for us. Love the write-up on the others — sounds like the DB takes are a little better than I first thought, which is good news.
Has anyone seen a 40-yard time for Mike Davis? Because I watched the dude’s video and saw him play in the UA game and did not ever think that he was not fast. He’s not Kwame Cavil — dude can run.
HenryJames said:
February 4th, 2010 at 8:19 am
His speed is fine.
derryl said:
February 4th, 2010 at 8:27 am
The success of our running game will be more predicated on who plays on the OL and not who plays at RB….and the coaching staffs commitment to the run…may have to be more committed with this group of QB’s.
Art Vandelay said:
February 4th, 2010 at 8:32 am
“Awesome write-up. The way you inject humor into almost every sentence is a gift, imo.”
Agreed. You should type more HJ. It would soften the blow of having Scipio MIA.
“And they’re the ones writing it off.”
I caught that. Well played.
Hicks looks and speaks like a real nice guy, but plays angry. Do they not have circles and pointers in Ohio?
Cobbs looks very fast to me…. and I’m a track guy and shit.
ghostofagroundgame said:
February 4th, 2010 at 8:52 am
Yeah, Cobbs looks like he has real solid football speed. On some of those long runs he beats safeties and corners who clearly have the angle on him. I;m not sure of the quality of his competition, but he seems plenty fast to me.
DiMaggio said:
February 4th, 2010 at 10:22 am
Couple of questions: 1) Who gets to wear # 5, Shead or Conner Wood? 2) Will Chance Mock allow it to be brought out of retirement?
NY Horn said:
February 4th, 2010 at 10:39 am
Chance Mock will allow the use of #5 as long as you take a share of equity of his new company.
OldTimeHorn said:
February 4th, 2010 at 10:53 am
My guess, Cobbs is tried out first in the backfield as a 20-play-a-game guy they get the ball to in space… as outlet receiver for GG when nothing’s open downfield, screens, sweeps and with the threat of the halfback option pass. If he’s gold, that’s where he stays. Otherwise, off to safety.
Erxleben said:
February 4th, 2010 at 10:54 am
Don’t miss out. Sounds like a good deal
Max Fischer said:
February 4th, 2010 at 11:42 am
#’s for new guys:
Connor Wood: #18
Case McCoy: #6
Adrian (are we calling him AJ?) White: #7
magnusbleuveigner said:
February 4th, 2010 at 11:55 am
No, and thankfully we aren’t calling him ‘Deon Beasley’ either.
Bob Loblaw said:
February 4th, 2010 at 1:18 pm
“Pussy trumps fake dad”
Bravo.
OldTimeHorn said:
February 4th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
Great to hear your description of Tevin Jackson as a “rolling ball of butcher knives.” In ‘68 or ‘69, Royal used that same description for MLB Glen Halsell, and I’ve loved it ever since.
Varsity said:
February 4th, 2010 at 6:56 pm
As a career salesman, “closing” skills are best learned from masters of the trade. Hopefully WM and MA are taking this opportunity to learn from one of the best.
UT=boss said:
February 9th, 2010 at 7:24 pm
if thats true what closetojumping said im excited about terrel who also might play b ball