TJ Washington

As he does every Friday morning, TexAgs' senior recruiting analyst Jason Howell offered up another round of recruiting thoughts. During this edition of his three things, Howell shared some thoughts about Texas A&M targets gathered during his recent travels and much more.

Top Targets I saw:Argyle DL Jadon Scarlett (2022) - Texas A&M commit Wylie East DE Anthony James (2023) - Texas A&M commit Allen OL Neto Umeozulu (2022) Allen DL David Hicks (2023)Denton Ryan LB Anthony Hill (2023)Longview WR Jalen Hale (2023) The final scores:-Wylie East 19 Mount Pleasant 14-Allen 56 Plano East 30-Denton Ryan 40 Longview 7 -Argyle 45 Nolan Catholic 29Some Recruiting notes -Scarlett and James are solidly committed and active on the recruiting front. Look for both to attend games in College Station this fall. James is planning to visit for Bama.-Allen 2023 DL David Hicks continues to keep in close contact with coach Elijah Robinson, and when I say close contact, I mean they talk daily. He continues to have a high interest in the Aggies.-Allen 2022 OL Neto Umeozulu has been pretty quiet but he cleared up some of the mystery when we talked to him a few weeks ago. I continue to hear a he would like to make a decision soon, but he has wants to take some visits. Whether it's an official or unofficial I expect him to get back to Texas A&M at some point this fall. Others in contention include USC, Alabama, LSU, and Texas.-Denton Ryan 2023 LB Anthony Hill continues to take in the recruiting process. He has a great relationship with the coaching staff with coach Tyler Santucci leading the charge. Everyone is in hot pursuit, but I look for the Aggies to very much be a factor when he starts narrowing his focus.-Longview 2023 WR Jalen Hale, I did not get a chance to catch up with him. Oklahoma has been talked about quite a bit with him, and I look for them to be a factor, but I also think Texas A&M, Texas, LSU, and others will factor into things before it's all said and done.Some thoughts on the game action-Anthony Hill and David Hicks are for real - They are my top two defenders in the 2023 class for a reason and are two of the best regardless of year. The hype is real guys. These guys are violent and relentless. They play with speed, they play with an edge, and they pursue, pursue, pursue. I'm sure they both piled up the stats, but I also don't need stats to tell me they had great games. My eyes saw it. These are two special talents and I highly recommend anyone able bodied football fan to get out to see these guys. Two of the state’s best, Ryan’s Anthony Hill (@thegoatanthony1) gets out to bring down Longview’s Jalen Hale (@JalenHale8) as he makes his move after the catch pic.twitter.com/1i4HvcRWFd— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) August 28, 2021 Talk about a hustle play, 2023 DL David Hicks (@DJ2g23) comes from his DE spot across the field to get in on the downfield tackle. That’s 6-4, 268 on the move@alleneaglesfb pic.twitter.com/JbPQORJdmu— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) August 28, 2021 -Anthony James flashed his potential throughout Wylie East's win over Mount Pleasant. At 6-5, 240 he has some special athleticism and moves in ways a big guy should not be able to do. He saw multiple blockers throughout the night and made his presence felt as the Raiders secured their first win of the season. Overall, I thought he had a solid performance and I look forward to seeing his progress throughout the year. Wylie East standout 2023 DE and Texas A&M commit Anthony James (@AntJamesII) applies the pressure and East grabs the INT #DUBEAST #GigEm pic.twitter.com/e7qRQB3KfC— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) August 27, 2021 -Jadon Scarlett has been slowed by an ankle sprain this preseason and entered the game knowing his action was going to be limited. In only a half of play, his quick first step showed and he was able to get into the backfield and make his presence felt. The injury is not anything serious, Argyle is just being cautious right now which they can do because they have some real talent up frontTexas A&M commit @jadon_scarlett in the backfield for the TFL #GigEm pic.twitter.com/cAY6SZ48Mp— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) August 29, 2021 -Neto Umeozulu continues to be one of my favorites. He plays with a nasty edge as you will see in his game clips. He showed some nifty footwork, picked up blocks downfield, and played with power and strength throughout the night. -Jalen Hale and the Longview offense was pretty much contained by a stout Denton Ryan defense. Hale had a few nice receptions and there is no denying his talent. His size, catch radius, body control, and athleticism are special. More standouts-QB/ATH TJ Washington, Wylie East (2023) - he made a variety of plays and lined up at QB, RB, and WR. Shifty and quick, he finished with 18 carries for 157 yards and a TD. TJ Washington (@LilRex2023) works his magic as he escapes defenders on the way for the scoreWylie East 13Mount Pleasant 710:56 2nd Q#txhsfb pic.twitter.com/A8V3EK3SWp— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) August 27, 2021 -RB Jaylen Jenkins, Allen (2022) - he started the game with a 94-yard KO return and also had a 90-yard TD run. He is not the biggest but he has a compact build and he is shifty with plenty of speed. He finished with 204 yards and 3 TDs on 9 carries and the KO return gave him 4 total TDs on the night.Jaylen Jenkins (@D1_Jay) made several big plays and here’s one of them. A little catch and run to move the chains pic.twitter.com/k1sGNT9uDm— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) August 28, 2021 -RB Kalib Hicks, Denton Ryan (2022) - An every down back, Hicks brings the size, speed, balance, and vision to the table. He rushed for 139 yards and 3 TDs on 9 carries as he helped push the Raiders past LongviewQB Drew Devillier, Plano East (2024) - 19 of 30 for 244 yards and 2 TDs against a stout Allen defense. At 6-4, 195 he was cool under pressure and fit the ball in some tight windows. He committed to TCU baseball over the weekend but keep an eye on this guy.6-4, 195-pound Plano East 2024 QB Drew DeVillier (@DevillierDrew) played some ball tonight. Put the ball in some tight spots and on the money. Here’s TD No.1 to tie it at 7s early in the first pic.twitter.com/57JFyOYHSs— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) August 28, 2021 -DL Riley Van Poppel, Argyle (2023) 6-4, 260 and played both TE and DL on Friday night. He was a disruptive presence throughout and was named defensive MVP for his efforts-DE Michael Madrie, Argyle (2023) 6-5, 245 he has length, athleticism, a strong motor, and a work ethic to go with it. He plays a smart brand of ball and is turning heads of college coachesQuotes"It feels great. We've been working hard for all these months and we finally have it. It all paid off, all the work. The grind we had all summer, all the conditioning, lifting, it all came together. We came with change and we ended with a win." - Anthony James, on Wylie East's win"We performed well. We had a record of giving up in the second half and we pulled through." - Anthony James on Wylie East's performance"I'm not going to lie in the first half I was really nervous. I've never played in front of a big crowd like this. Then the second half I really woke up and started doing what I do best and playing some football." - David Hicks on his first game as an Allen Eagle"I've been waiting on this day. I've been waiting to put some film out for these coaches." - Jaylen Jenkins on his performance"I couldn't do it without my blockers. They're the GOAT. They bring it every week. They go through tough work every day. They go through adversity and fight through and never complain." - Jaylen Jenkins on his offensive line"I'm feeling good. It's just a small little ankle sprain and I'll be back in no time." - Jadon Scarlett on his injury"This D-line is an amazing, phenomenal group of guys, and I can't wait to be able to contribute with them" - Jadon Scarlett on the Argyle D-line

It was a pretty busy past few days for me with a few stops on the schedule. I dropped in on Wylie East and Lewisville on Monday, and Arlington Martin on Tuesday afternoon. Wylie East 2023 DE Anthony James (@AntJamesII) chasing down the ball@WERaiderFB @CoachJayRose @CoachMarcusGold #GigEm#DUBeast#RecruitRaiderNation#GetOnBoard pic.twitter.com/i0yoVva6Zw— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) May 3, 2021 Monday, I got to see Texas A&M commit 2023 commit and Wylie East DE Anthony James go through drills. He checks in at 6-5, 247 and he continues to test off the charts athletically. They were only in helmets and shoulder pads but he moved well throughout drill work and showed some nice burst and quickness. When it comes to his recruitment, he is scheduled to take a few visits this summer, but especially after his trip to College Station for the Spring game he is very strongly committed to the Aggies and continues to recruit for Texas A&M. I did get to see a few guys who already have Texas A&M offers. Let's start with Arlington Martin DE Ernest Cooper IV. The standout plans to take official visits to all five of his finalists - Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Stanford, and Texas A&M - and he was at the Texas A&M spring game. Coach Price has positioned the Aggies nicely in this one. As for practice, his athleticism and size are easy to spot, but it is also really fun watching him lead. He is a seasoned veteran now and is a coach on the field type of guy. While at Martin I also had the chance to watch 2023 CB Javien Toviano. He is a special kind of player and will be used in a variety of ways on offense, defense, and special teams. He is smart, athletic, and he can mix it up with the best of them. He had a great visit to Texas A&M for the spring game and coach Price and coach Rushing have a done a great job of building that relationship. Look for him to visit Aggieland again this summer as well as Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Baylor, Oregon, and maybe Alabama.Arlington Martin 2023 standout Javien Toviano (@Jaaee2saucy_) @Martin_Football @BobWager31 @CoachRPollard pic.twitter.com/G5KjERIlBb— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) May 4, 2021 At Lewisville I had a chance to check in with 2023 DE Jordan Renaud. The 6-5, 245-pound defender should not be slept on as one of the state's top defenders in 2023. He is a national prospect and a guy Texas A&M fans will want to get to know. He was out with a slight injury when I went so I did not get to see him work, but it was good to see him so involved with the d-line even though he was not getting actual reps in practice. Texas A&M was one of the first in-state programs to offer and it is clear Texas A&M and coach Terry Price have made a strong impression. I already wrote the update and if you have not read what he said about Texas A&M I strongly encourage you to read it. Texas and Bo Davis are coming on very strong too and I expect both schools to be a factor throughout his recruiting process, and I would expect him to take his time. LSU, Alabama, and Florida have all recently offered and his offer list is already getting very long. Next offer? I saw a couple of guys I could see the Aggies offering down the road. Let's start at Arlington Martin with 2023 RB Sergio Snider. The 5-10, 185-pound back has been a standout at Nolan Catholic the last two years and is now turning heads at Martin. He runs with a great combination of explosion and balance and I saw quite a bit of power in his running on Tuesday. He played S and RB at Nolan Catholic and he has shown himself to be a versatile threat out of the backfield as well. He already holds offers from the likes of Arizona State, Auburn, Baylor, Nebraska, Oregon, TCU, and Washington and he said he is looking at summer trips to Washington and Oregon. Another guy I would say to keep an eye on is Lewisville 2024 S Jaydan Hardy. At 6-foot, 175, Hardy already has a year's worth of varsity tape under his belt and is quickly establishing himself as one of the top DBs in 2024. Mississippi State and Illinois State have already offer, and he has been in communication with Texas A&M's Terry Price. His dad, Daryl Hardy, was a standout defender at Tennessee and Jaydan has some special tools.There are a few more underclassmen to watch as well. The biggest wildcard I saw this week is Wylie East 2023 ATH TJ Washington. He will likely spend a lot of time at QB but he is also a dynamic athlete who can make plays at RB, WR, or even on defense. Lewisville has several who could emerge over the next few classes. Twin 2023 DBs Cameren Jenkins and Caden Jenkins are on track to turn heads this summer. The Farmers young OL group is also very intriguing. 2023 Scotty Parker (6-1, 310) earned 1st team all-district honors in 2020, and brothers Quaveon Davis and Xavion Davis. Quaveon is a 2023 and checks in at 6-6, 330, while Xavion is 6-3, 400. At Martin 2023 CB Josiah Charles caught my attention. At 6-foot, he has the height and athleticism and he will add the weight. Do not be surprised to see his name start to pop up more on the recruiting front over the next few months.Lewisville 2023 DB Cameren Jenkins (@1Cameren) making it look easy @LHSFball @stujo04 @modle1112 #RecruitLewisville pic.twitter.com/Ha5E07ijyn— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) May 3, 2021 Now for my favorite part, the sleepers, and Lewisville has a great one flying way under the radar. 2022 Tahj Martin checks in at 6-3, 270 and he is a flat bellied, stout, powerful, nasty presence in the trenches. He plays both ways for the Farmers and he plays RT on offense. His only offer is from Texas Southern, but I look for that to change as college coaches get a chance to see his wingspan, athleticism, power, and build. Lewisville 2023 OL Tahj Martin (@Martin2Tahj) doing work in the trenches @LHSFball @modle1112 @stujo04 #RecruitLewisville pic.twitter.com/aZzyEcVp0k— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) May 3, 2021 Lewisville 2022 WR Kye Stone is another to watch. He checks in at 6-2, 180 and he plays the game with a chip on his shoulder. He is physical, fast, and he tracks the ball as well. He has made several plays on the 7-on-7 circuit and has caught my eye at more than a few events so far. Arlington Martin has 2022 WR/TE prospect Myles Hill. He visited Texas A&M with RJ Cooper this spring and he checks in at 6-4, 190 pounds. He is a big bodied guy who I could see turning into a big slot/flex TE type down the road. The guy who really caught my eye at Wylie East was 2022 CB Jason Olford. He is a solid 5-10, 165 and runs the 100 and 200 on the track. He also has some strong bloodlines. His father, Jason Olford, played at La Tech and in the NFL and is now Wylie East's track coach. I didn't mention the prospects committed elsewhere but Lewisville has WR Armani Winfield and Martin has LB Trevell Johnson. Lewisville also has running back Damien Martinez who is committed to Oregon State. I'm not going to lie I think the Beavers got a steal in Martinez. As for the Horns, Winfield did not practice on Monday but has been pretty impressive when I have seen him. It looks like he's rebounded well from a down junior season, and while Johnson is a bit light in the seat he is very active in that Martin defense.