Around Texas: A round-up of recruiting news in the Lone Star State
The high school and college football seasons might be over, but recruiting never stops as the summer months continues. It is time to take a look at the latest happenings on the Lone Star state recruiting front as the offseason rolls on.
Stopped by Frisco Lone Star
Frisco Lone Star has quickly emerged as one of the top programs in the DFW area under coach Jeff Rayburn's watch. They have also produced some quality talent with QB Jason Shelley, LB Nicholas Bolton, and WR Marvin Mims, and last fall RB Jaden Nixon signed with Oklahoma State. This fall the headliner is undoubtedly 2022 QB and Oklahoma State commit Garret Rangel. Rangel needs no introduction. He has been on the recruiting scene since becoming a sophomore starter, and he is regarded as one of the top 5 QBs in Texas. He is a strong leader who can make all the throws, and I could see him developing nicely in Stillwater. Now for potential Texas A&M targets. There is no clear-cut favorite to be the next Texas A&M target but there are some really intriguing prospects I could see the Aggies watching closely over the next several classes. Let's start with some potential 2022 sleepers. S Devin Turner is one guy to watch. He checks in at 6-2, 190 and he has the size and range college coaches look for and right now he is the prospect outside of Rangel receiving the most college attention. He is standout on both sides of the ball but S is where he shines. He already holds P5 offers from Missouri, Minnesota, Duke, Northwestern, Arizona, and Kansas, and I could see him blowing up this summer on the camp circuit. He competed in the long jump, triple jump, and 110 hurdles on the track with personal bests of 15.68 (110 hurdles), 21-11.5 (long jump), and 45-6 (triple jump). RB Ashton Jeanty is another I could see blowing up on the summer camp circuit. At a stout 5-9, 200, he definitely looks the part, but he is flying under the radar because most of his tape is at receiver. In 2020 he was Lone Star's leading receiver with over 800 yards and a first-team all-district performer, and as his RB video makes the rounds I could see his stock skyrocketing. This spring he clocked an 11.0 100m and he recorded a 23-3 long jump. Personally I love the build and the versatile skillset, and I see him as a P5 prospect. He currently holds offers from Army, Navy, Air Force, New Mexico, Tulsa, North Texas, Dartmouth, Penn, and Sam Houston. https://twitter.com/Jason_Howell/status/1384182649334337542?s=20There are a few underclassmen to watch as well. 2023 ATH Bruce Mitchell is the most established on the recruiting scene. He transferred to Lone Star from Dallas Parrish Episcopal where he was a standout on offense and defense. He checks in at 6-1, 185 and he is being recruited at both DB and WR by college coaches which is why he we list him as an ATH. He started 9 games at CB and recorded 60 tackles, 10 PBUs, and an INT. I like him as a safety and look forward to seeing what he does on the summer camp circuit. He already holds offers from Liberty and Illinois State. 2023 WR Braydan Tatum is another prospect to watch. He checks in at 6-foot-3 and 175-pounds, and he has some intriguing physical tools. The size catches the eye, and as a former basketball player, he is twitchy athlete. He is a raw prospect right now, but he will be fun to keep an eye on as he develops. Staying in 2023 I have my eye on Evan Stein. The 6-3, 215-pound TE/H-back is the kind of gritty versatile weapon who can slip through the cracks when it comes to recruiting rankings. Still, his skillset has P5 potential and in the right offense he could be a valuable Swiss Army knife. The prospect with the most upside is 2024 WR Jalen Shelley. If the name sounds familiar it is because he is the younger brother of former Lone Star QB Jason Shelley. He is easy to spot at 6-foot-6 and 170-pounds, and his size and athleticism have people around the Lone Star program very excited. Long and rangy, he dominated freshman and JV ball before moving up to varsity last fall, and he has the potential to be a big weapon for Rangel this fall. At his size it should be no surprise he is a standout on the basketball court. https://twitter.com/Jason_Howell/status/1384178849080963075?s=20
Recruiting notes and thoughts from Camp Bullitt
Go ahead and write down the name Markis Deal. The 6-3, 267-pound defensive lineman has the makings of a national prospect. Syracuse is his only offer right now, but I expect him to reel them in from all over the country by the time it is all said and done. He is a guy I really wanted to see going into the weekend and he did not disappoint. He looks the part, and he moved incredibly well for a guy that size. He was my favorite prospect out of the OL/DL group. I could easily see him being a Texas A&M target in the future.https://twitter.com/Jason_Howell/status/1282386426609442816?s=20The only Texas A&M offer at the camp was Frisco Liberty 2022 WR Evan Stewart, and he was my favorite receiver of the day. His skill set is made for camp one-on-ones and there was not a defensive back on hand who could handle his combination of speed and quickness. This is the fourth time I have seen him since June and he never disappoints. Strong hands, quick and precise routes, and he plays with a swagger. Flower Mound 2022 QB Nick Evers continues to raise his profile. He checked in at 6-3, 189 on Saturday and then he put on a show on Sunday. His deep ball has been one of my favorites, but he is throwing with touch, precision, and zip right now. He was on his game Sunday in a loaded QB group. As mentioned above the QB group was my favorite overall group with top prospects in several classes. Elite 11 QB Grayson James took home MVP honors and he definitely handled business. As mentioned above Evers was a standout. Rockwall 2022 Braedyn Locke looked sharp as did Frisco Lone Star 2022 Garret Rangel. Both already hold P5 offers. In 2023 Red Oak's Chris Parson threw with precision and in the 2024 class Denton Ryan's Khalon Davis has established himself as a prospect to watch. A new name for me was Frisco Liberty 2022 DE Chika Ugoh. He checks in right around 6-2.5, 6-3 and 215-pounds and his junior film does not do him justice. On Sunday he showed some twitchiness to his game. He moved well during drills and during one-on-ones he was explosive off the edge.https://twitter.com/Jason_Howell/status/1282393343796948993?s=20This was also the first time I got to see Garland Naaman Forest 2021 DL Tommy Dunn, and someone is going to get a steal. He spent a lot of time at TE but he is now dedicating himself to DT and at 6-3, 287 he was impressive. Right now he holds offers from Kansas, UTSA, Rice, Air Force, Navy, and Columbia, and that needs to change. This guy has P5 written all over him.https://twitter.com/Jason_Howell/status/1282390106649833478?s=20Other prospects who caught my attention RB Aaron Dumas, El Paso Americas (2021)RB Zach Evans, Rockwall-Heath (2022)RB Major Everhart, Amarillo Tascosa (2022)RB Brian Okoye, Sachse (2022)WR Jalen Hale, Longview (2022)WR Bruce Mitchell, Dallas Parish Episcopal (2023)DE Kyler Jordan, Lubbock Cooper (2022)
Some Saturday Recruiting Stuff
Friday afternoon Garland 2022 S Chace Biddle announced Texas A&M extended a scholarship offer, and it is an offer that quickly caught his attention."I was very excited like it's a dream come true," Biddle said. "I've always liked Texas A&M and so does my family so it was just great hearing him say I got an offer."The hardworking mentality and the family feel of the program both standout to him, and he also has a favorite Texas A&M memory."The game they went against LSU (in 2018)," Biddle said. "That was a game for the ages."He has yet to really build a bond with the Texas A&M coaching staff, but he is looking forward to it and he currently does not list anyone at the top of his list. Texas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska are the programs he says are coming on the strongest right now.This is a guy I thought would get an offer sooner or later especially with the Aggies recently offering his Garland teammate Jordan Hudson. After talking to him it is pretty clear there is some real interest in Texas A&M and I have heard from different people the Texas A&M offer is one he has been waiting on. I could definitely see the Aggies being a player in this recruiting process.https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11568704/5de1ddcff55fe20c60d8876d***********McKinney North 2021 WR JJ HenryI had the opportunity to watch him work the other day and the speed and quickness are hard to miss. He checks in at 5-10, 165 and he has the Aggies' attention as a slot receiver.Coach Craig is leading the Aggies efforts and he has been showing quite a bit of interest. Henry talks to him on a regular basis and the two have started to build that relationship. "Cool" is the word Henry used to describe coach Craig as the two get to know each other. The SEC is a plus for Texas A&M in this one. Henry likes the idea of competing against the best and he knows the SECs reputation for competition and player development speaks for itself. I do not look for him to make a decision anytime soon. Henry is talking with several schools right now and he would like to take some visits when they are allowed again. He has taken a virtual visit to SMU and he is talking to Texas A&M about take a virtual visit in the near future.If you ask me Henry's timeline seems to fit pretty well with Texas A&M's approach to WR recruiting right now. ***********Offer watchEdmond (OK) Sante Fe 2022 WR Talyn Shettron is generating quite a bit of buzz and I am hearing the Aggies have taken an interest. The 6-3, 170-pound standout picked up an offer from Texas last week and also holds offers from Arkansas, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State. Plano John Paul II CB Braxton Myers is a 2023 to watch and I would also include Dallas Parish Episcopal S Daniel Demery and Dallas South Oak Cliff CB Malik Muhammad on that short list as well. All three are already pulling in high level P5 offers.*******************Getting an early dose of 2023It was not intentional, but the last few weeks I have gotten a nice dose of 2023. I have seen Texas A&M offers Anthony Hill (LB Denton Ryan) and Anthony James (DE Wylie East), and I have seen standout WR AJ Jayroe (Plano Prestonwood), WR Bruce Mitchell (Dallas Parish Episcopal), TE Trey Wilson (Garland Lakeview Centennial), ATH TJ Washington (Wylie East), S Daniel Demery (Dallas Parish Episcopal), WR Jalen Hale (Longview), and DL Kaleb James (Fort Worth Nolan Catholic). Some of these guys already have some big offers, and all of these guys seem primed for big offers in the very near future. When I saw Anthony Hill yesterday it was easy to see he has matured physically this spring and summer. He has slimmed down and grown a bit and looks like he is ready to go for this fall.Seeing Anthony James in person for the first time Thursday was a bit of an eye opener too. His length is the first thing that jumps out and he brings an explosiveness in drill work. He also has a lot of room to grow and fill out as he continues to get stronger.AJ Jayroe is a guy I have already talked about quite a bit. His size and frame make him standout at 6-4, 175, but then you see how fluid an athlete he is and it is truly a unique package. Kaleb James is another who is just on another level physically right now. He has very little body fat on his 6-4, 230-pound frame and he has really been working on his feet and flexibility this spring and summer.Trey Wilson is a standout on the basketball court too at 6-4, 230-pounds and he is primarily a TE for Lakeview Centennial. He has dabbled on the defensive side and it intrigues him a too, but his big soft hands make him a dynamic playmaker on offense. Daniel Demery is as polished as they come in the 2023 class. He is a rangy safety with great instincts and athleticism. Offers are already starting to pour in. I like him at S but he also has some high-end potential at WR too. Watching him go through drills at DB, it is easy to see what he brings to the table at S.Jalen Hale, Bruce Mitchell, and TJ Washington also showed some nice flashes. Hale was a freshman on Longview's varsity and is also a talent on the basketball court. Mitchell turned quite a few heads last year at Parish Episcopal and has some very nice upside. Then there is Washington who could project to a either side of the ball, but I like him in the slot for now. ***************A couple of Bryan High standoutsYesterday at the FBU a couple of Bryan High prospects caught my attention. The first was ATH Duwayne Paulhill. He checks in at 6-0, 205 and he passes the eyeball test. He plays S and RB for Bryan and last year and earned honorable mention all-district honors at S. I could see him developing into a very nice LB prospect. The next one who caught my attention was Nic Caraway. The 6-foot-4, 260-pound standout moves very well and could project to a number of positions. Personally, I like what he does on the defensive line. The highlight reels also show some nice flashes of potential, check them out below.https://www.hudl.com/video/3/11673732/5dc759296655910d0465c95ehttps://www.hudl.com/video/3/13224625/5e9231331761d605889435d9
