CJ Stroud

Jason and I have compiled a few more notes to put a bow on our coverage from The Opening this year. I'll start with his notes first.Howell-I keep coming back to Noah Sewell as one of the most unique specimens on the recruiting front. At 6-2, 266, he had no problem covering ground. Showing lateral speed and quickness, as well as burst and explosion (he had a 4.13 shuttle run). There has been some talk, and there was even some this weekend that he is headed for the defensive line. I have to say, no sir to that, and the Texas A&M staff has the same thought. The Aggies have recruited him at LB from the very beginning, and their tune has not changed one bit. - Jaylon Jones had the best overall performance of any of the current commitments. He spent his time at S during 7-on-7 play and he was a ball hawk on the back end of the defense. Do not get it twisted, he's still very much capable of playing corner he clocked a 4.53 40, a 4.25 shuttle, and had a vertical of 38-inches but he was one of the biggest playmakers at the event. -If you came away not believing Haynes King deserved to be a top 5 prospect in the state and is one of the top QBs in the country, I really cannot help you. King was beyond impressive. Whether the ball was caught or not, it was typically on target and he showed an advanced IQ for the game. His touch, his accuracy, velocity, and footwork were all top notch. He put on a show from the beginning of Elite 11 until the end of the Opening. I thought he was the top QB in Texas, but I needed some convincing on his elite level status. Consider me educated.- Demond Demas is one of the most fun prospects I've had the pleasure of watching. We have said it before but his high energy was on display from beginning to end. He is going to be fun to watch in Aggieland over the next few years and not just because he runs a 4.4 FAT forty and verticals over 41-inches. - EJ Smith just makes plays. He is a quiet assassin out there, and he is deadly. He is an excellent route runner and he has some of the surest hands out there. He was a threat out of the backfield and at receiver. -A quick list of guys who kept catching my attention. I wasn't trying to watch them but it seemed like they kept finding my eye.QB CJ StroudQB TJ FinleyQB Bryce YoungWR Gee Scott WR Jaxon SmithTE Arik GilbertTE Michael MayerDT Tre WilliamsDE Brian BreseeOL Marcus DumervilOL Walker ParksBrauny- Akinola Ogunbiyi has made huge improvements in his feet and pass blocking abilities. The offense they run at Kempner meant he had become a fierce run blocker, but he had miles to go in pass protection. Credit to the kid for getting after it this offseason to improve. There's a lot to like about Aki in terms of projectability. He knows he still needs some refining, but all the tools are there for him to be an elite SEC offensive lineman. - Staying up front, 2021 Bellaire Episcopal OL Donovan Jackson won the OL MVP, and he also may have earned himself the top spot in the 2021 in state rankings. He's so stinking good with his technique. We've seen him stonewall the best talent in Texas at multiple camps, and he did again against the best in America this week in Frisco. That 2021 class is loaded up front. Everybody has talked about that a ton already. We all knew that. What we didn't know is if one guy would emerge as the bell cow. Donovan Jackson is doing/has done that. Stanford and Ohio State pose the biggest threats early on to pull him out of the Lone Star State.- I've seen some folks wondering about Troy Omeire's performance at The Opening. It was clear on day one that Troy wasn't 100% healthy. Whatever he's got going on with his knee was a nuisance to him. He had it wrapped during every workout. Looch has compared Troy to a bigger Jhamon Ausbon - a large, chain moving wideout that can be a security blanket at times. Troy isn't a blazer to begin with, but he does understand how to use his giant, angular frame to create separation. I thought he looked good in the shorter route tree during 7 on 7 work. - Like Jason said, Noah Sewell was the best LB there in my eyes. Dude is an absolute tank. - For as reserved and humble a kid that Haynes King is, it was cool to see him start getting comfortable in that setting the more he was around the guys and stuff. His moxie factor is really high. The kid just keeps checking off boxes of qualities you want in your quarterback. - I don't know if they'll do it, but if Baylor pulls off CJ Stroud, it'll be the biggest get of the Matt Rhule era in Waco. No question. - Texas is getting a good player in Hudson Card. I thought he really came on late in game action. - Princely Umanmielen was sidelined the last half of The Opening after he tweaked a muscle in his back during drill work. There's no question that his size and frame will play in the SEC. He's still raw in terms of pass rush repertoire, but the tools are plenty there for him to get that ironed out. Fellow DL target Vernon Broughton lined up at DE in one on ones quite a bit which many found interesting because of his measurements. At 6-6, 290, he still bent well around the edge and showed good explosion and power. Reminds me a little of a more polished Jayden Peevy - just a big bodied, long armed kid that moves better than you probably think he will/should. Ags feel confident in their chances to land him, but Ohio State and Texas shouldn't be written off.