Elite Underclassmen Camp Notes and Thoughts
Yesterday Brauny and I were in Houston for the Elite Underclassmen Camp at CE King and I had a few thoughts and notes I wanted to share. I'm sure Brauny will chime in as well.-Let's kick things off with WR commit Noah Thomas and CB target Julian Humphrey. Both were in the final group and coming off strong track performances the day before, so I don't think we saw them at the top of their game yesterday. Both are top flight athletes though and there is definitely a lot to like. Thomas has great length and he is just scratching the surface as a receiver. As he adds weight to his frame, he is going to be fun to watch. Humphrey is one of the more well put together DB prospects you will find. In one-on-ones I thought both showed promise. He got caught clutching and grabbing a few times but his last rep he made a great break to challenge a catch. I look forward to seeing both again soon. -The OL/DL was the first group, and 2022 CE King OL Van Wells walked away with the OL MVP. I would say he was the most impressive performer of either group. It is not often where a 1-on-1 receives applause from the crowd but parents and coaches in the stands let him know they appreciated his efforts after a couple of physical reps from his center position. This is not the first time Wells has earned MVP honors at a camp either. I saw him claim MVP honors at another camp earlier this year and I believe he won those honors at another camp in the last couple of months. Wells already has some offers but right at 6-foot-2, his height is the big knock. He is very smart, athletic, and explosive. He actually was an h-back/tight end before moving to center full time last fall. He also played basketball before focusing on football. There is no doubt in my mind this guy is going to be a steal for some P5 at center, and see the field very quickly. He holds offers from several group of 5 programs, but Maryland became the first P5 to offer in mid-April.-The guy who made the biggest impression on me was Colton Thomasson. The 2023 Smithson Valley standout has been working hard the last few years and he has reshaped his body. He checks in at a solid 330 and at 6-7 he wears it well. His flexibility and footwork have improved greatly since I last saw him at Texas A&M's camp between his eight and ninth grade year. I mean, that is to be expected, but it was very nice to see. If he continues to work and progress, I could see him turning into a real Texas A&M OL target in the 2023 class. He was in College Station on Saturday and he enjoyed what he saw and he will be back at camp in June. Smithson Valley 2023 OL Colton Thomasson (@ColtonThomasson) has trimmed up and is putting in work. He’ll camp at A&M in June pic.twitter.com/Fw3i1LoM0R— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) April 25, 2021
-Sticking with the OL, Port Arthur Memorial 2023 Cayden Bowie was another prospect who continues to make an impression. Yesterday was the second time I got to see him work in person and the third time I have laid eyes on him this spring and he has some really great tools. He has the frame to add some really good weight and he is pretty lean. His footwork and flexibility continue to catch my attention. I know he is one Brauny has been talking about for awhile and he is definitely on Texas A&M's radar. Another nice rep from @cayden_bowie pic.twitter.com/fVbqpBBoIb— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) April 25, 2021
-On the DL, CE King 2023 DL and Texas A&M offer Dylan Spencer definitely looked the part. He is a big framed, long armed prospect and has plenty of room to grow. He showed some nice quickness through drills and I particularly liked watching him running the L drill showing his burst and flexibility. This was my first time seeing him in person and he definitely made a strong impression.Dylan Spencer (@Trilldyl8) doing damage pic.twitter.com/zitgPY0Lih— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) April 25, 2021
-I was really looking forward to seeing Converse Judson 2023 DL Johnny Bowens and he did not disappoint. Checking in at 6-3, 250, he shows well on tape. He is a d-end but I could see him being a versatile type DL. He only did two reps during one-on-ones, both were at 3-tech. It was the first time he worked there so it was a bit of a learning experience. Still you could see the athleticism throughout and he is a guy I look forward to watching over the next few years. He already has an offer from UTSA and he said Baylor and Texas are showing interest. He also talks to DeMarvin Leal a bit about Texas A&M. I could see him turning some heads this summer on the camp circuit and see him as a P5 prospect.Converse Judson 2023 DE Johnny Bowens III (@D1Bowens) working the L drill. pic.twitter.com/CSjdhpoztM— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) April 25, 2021
-Cy Ranch 2023 DE Ashton Porter also had a strong day. He showed some really nice burst off the edge and looked really good in drills in testing. -McKinney 2024 Xavier Filsaime is a name you guys are going to want to write down. He passes the eyeball test with flying colors and he has precision footwork and routes. He will be a national prospect in his class.Another explosive rep for McKinney 2024 WR Xavier Filsaime (@XEF_19) pic.twitter.com/DQt0zG8Tsu— Jason Howell (@Jason_Howell) April 25, 2021
-Austin Westlake 2023 WR/TE Jaden Greathouse is one stout looking prospect. He showed well throughout drills and I like the thought of him being an H-back type.-Lucas Lovejoy 2022 TE Omari Murdock continues to impress. He has been working on his feet and routes and it showed on Sunday. He was quick getting out of his breaks yesterday.-Bryan LB Nic Caraway continues to look like a million bucks when he shows up. -Keller Fossil Ridge 2023 RB Landen Chambers continues to catch my eye. He already has some nice size and once again he showed a versatile skillset.-San Antonio Christian OL Ethan Sanders is primed to see his offer list grow this spring. The 2022 standout has the size and he is among the favorite to claim gold in the discus (176) and shot put (58-8) at the TAPPS State Championships. -Dickinson 2023 CB Vernon Glover was a wet blanket yesterday. He stayed in the hip pocket and it seemed like every time I turned around he was jumping up to make an INT. -Addison Trinity Christian 2023 TE Luke Johnston continues to turn heads at 6-5, 225 and he has the makings of a true in-line tight end. Clemson and Georgia have both reached out about him getting to camp and he plans to attend camp at Texas A&M, Oklahoma, and Arkansas as well. -Denton Guyer 2022 LB and North Texas commit Vincent Paige has done a great job of slimming down and becoming more of a true LB. He once checked in at around 230 and now he is more in the 205 range and he is showing better lateral movement and flexibility. He earned LB MVP honors on the day.
Notes from my travels
I have been making the rounds lately. On Sunday I was at the Trench Warfare Pass Rush School, and yesterday I visited Keller Fossil Ridge and Denton Guyer.There were no prospects who currently hold Texas A&M offers, but there are a few guys I could see firmly on the radar down the road so let's start there.Denton Guyer 2023 defensive backs Ryan Yaites and Peyton Bowen both stepped up in 2020 when heralded seniors went out with injuries. Yaites stepped in at cornerback when Deuce Harmon went out with injury, and Bowen had to answer the call when S/LB and Florida State signee Jordan Eubanks went out. Both are now firmly planted on college radars and are on track to be the next big recruits out of Guyer. Bowen checks in at 6-1, 185 and Yaites is longer and leaner at 6-2, 175. Both have potential at S and CB. Bowen holds P5 offers from Baylor, Colorado, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Notre Dame, and USC, while Yaites has been offered by Colorado, Maryland, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, and USC. If I'm predicting Guyer's next A&M target, I'm leaning towards these two. Guyer also has another QB on the rise. After spending the last two years behind Eli Stowers, Jackson Arnold is a guy to watch. The 2023 signal caller checks in at 6-1, 195 and while he does not have a ton of film his arm talent is very easy to see. He can spin it, and in the last week he has welcomed offers from Michigan State, Tulsa, and North Texas. He is also a standout on Guyer's baseball team. Fossil Ridge also has a couple of guys I will be watching closely too. 2023 RB Landen Chambers and 2023 OL Lajuan Owens. I first saw Chambers at a Skys The Limit Training Session with coach Margin Hooks, and at 6-0, 200 he was a smooth pass catcher. He has a running back build and that is his position, but I could see him being an intriguing big back option down the road. Owens is another guy I have seen at a few different camp stops going back to his freshman year. When he is on his game the 6-4, 315-pounder is as strong as any in the 2023 class. He projects as an interior OL, but he has been a standout at OT for Fossil Ridge.I saw a few sleepers who I could definitely see emerging on P5 radarsThe first guy I have to mention is OL Kaden Sieracki of The Woodlands. The 2022 standout dominated any and all comers at Pass Rush School and he is 6-7, 325 with a 78-inch wingspan. He has zero college offers but I expect that to change. His footwork and hand placement was on point, and he was one of the nastiest competitors at the camp. I look for the offers to start finding him because he is definitely worthy.Keller Fossil Ridge CB Stephen Nnadozie already has a Kansas offer as well as the service academies, but I can easily see the P5s rolling in once college coaches have a chance to watch him in person. At 6-1, 175, he is long and lean and a fluid athlete. He transitions well and has speed to go with it. Denton Guyer DL Rowan Briggs is another I like. The 6-3, 240-pound defender already has offers from Memphis and Marshall. This fall he always caught my attention when I went to see Harmon and Stowers play. He always seemed to be disrupting things alongside Baylor signee Cooper Lanz. He is a high motor, high intensity guy.Another one I like who I would classify as a deep sleeper is Keller Fossil Ridge wide receiver Daniel Cobbs. He checks in at 5-11, 170 and he spent the majority of his time at S due to team needs in 2020. He runs the sprints and relays on the track team and is also a triple jumper. He is the younger brother of former Fossil Ridge standout and current Boise State receiver Stefan Cobbs, and the Fossil Ridge coaches see similar potential in Daniel.Now for some new names. TE Si Stovall, Denton Guyer (2023) - 6-2, 240 and he can do it all from FB, H-back, TE, flex TEDE Willie Goodacre, Denton Guyer (2024) - 6-4, 230 and he immediately catches the eye. Still a long way to go but I will definitely be watching his development closely.ATH Noah Mergerson, Keller Fossil Ridge (2024) - 5-9, 150, but when they talk about speed at Fossil Ridge he may be the fastest in the programDE Xadavien Sims, Denison (2024) - 6-4, 230, played varsity as a freshman and he has the look of a future high major SEC-level targetDT Chad Otutu, Pflugerville Weiss (2024) - 6-1, 240, explosive and athletic in the middle. I didn't see him lose a rep on Sunday.
Winter wonderland recruiting notes
I'm trying to get these posted in between blackouts but the news has to be delivered regardless of the conditions.First, I am not going to lie, I was pretty excited to see Dallas Parish Episcopal 2023 S Daniel Demery receive an offer. He is a uniquely gifted guy on and off the field. At 6-foot-1, 190, he is one of the top 2023 DBs in the state and he is really smart on the field and off. In addition to being a 2-year starter and a member of the leadership council of the football team, he is also the captain of Parish Episcopal's robotics team. He has a strong interest in engineering and he has a high GPA to go with it. I just spoke with him and engineering, academics, and life after football are a high priority when it comes to his college decision and he knows those are all three pluses for Texas A&M. He plans to take a virtual visit to Texas A&M in the very near future and the Aggies are a program of high interest. In addition to the academic side, he really liked the leadership and team play he saw from Texas A&M this fall. We'll have more on Demery later.The Aggies also extended an offer to Lewisville 2023 DL Jordan Renaud. He played last fall at Palmetto (FL) and moved to Lewisville this semester. Go ahead and put him down on the list as a guy to watch. Texas A&M offered last night and Texas offered this morning, and you can bet many more are on the way. If you are wondering what kind of player he is, here's a look at him against Miami Central from this fall. https://twitter.com/DBWilson2/status/1337571334721777667?s=20This weekend I had a chance to watch a number of underclassmen and several caught my eye. I had the opportunity to see a couple of top DFW QBs over the weekend and both were impressive. Justin Northwest 2023 QB Jake Strong is a guy I have seen a number of times now and he always throws a good crisp ball and he gets it out of his hand in a hurry. He has emerged on Texas A&M's radar as a guy to watch in recent weeks and he is definitely up there in terms of the top QBs in the class. Saturday did not disappoint, throwing with touch and accuracy. His recruitment has yet to take off but he has several college coaches watching him.https://twitter.com/Jason_Howell/status/1360666409173409802?s=20A new guy to the area, but one who has quickly turned heads is Flower Mound Marcus 2024 QB Cole Welliver. He moved in from Washington and at 6-6, 200 he stands tall and he has a big arm. He can also throw with touch and comes from the Northwest already holding offers from Arizona State, Colorado, Florida Atlantic, and Washington State.https://twitter.com/Jason_Howell/status/1360650338982838274?s=20A new guy who caught my is North Richland Hills Richland 2023 WR Ashton Cozart. I had heard the name before and saw some highlights but this was my first chance to see him in person. At 6-2, 180, he is a smooth route runner with quick feet, change of direction, and body control. He is already turning heads with offers from Arizona State, Kansas, Maryland, Miami, and Mississippi State. Of the receivers his overall performance stood out to me.https://twitter.com/Jason_Howell/status/1360659603088957441?s=20Longview 2023 WR Jalen Hale was there and he definitely looked the part. He checks all the boxes, but he did not go through the whole workout since he is also in the middle of basketball season. In fact, he was coming off a big game Friday night when I saw him Saturday morning in Dallas. He already has an offer from the Aggies and he has established himself as one of the top prospects in 2023. Haynes King has been talking to him and the two have a strong bond after teaming up at Longview in 2019. https://twitter.com/hayden_h/status/1360398308200636416?s=20A couple of new names for me who caught my attention were 6-3, 205-pound Rockwall 2023 WR Noble Johnson and 6-foot, 200-pound Keller Fossil Ridge 2023 RB Landen Chambers. Both are big, physical guys, but they both impressed me with how fluid they moved during the session. Chambers, particularly looked very natural turning to make receptions. I'll be interested to see how these two grow and develop over the next few years. https://twitter.com/Jason_Howell/status/1360665990024069120?s=20
