Braden Baker

Just wanted to offload some intel and observations I picked up over the weekend...- The Aggie recruiting staff deserves a hat tip for handling the sheer mass of recruits and families in town this past weekend. The amount of logistical work that requires is hard to comprehend, and there were very few, if any, complaints. I do wonder if they'll undertake such a venture again this season in terms of volume. Obviously, they want as many top targets and evaluation prospects to experience Kyle Field on game day, but that was a monster. - Perhaps the most notable visitor in the class of 2027 was Miami (FL) Carol City ATH Za'Kari Johnson. His commitment to Florida State could (and should) be viewed as flimsy. Howell had an update from his sources over the weekend, and I was told that the Aggies are in a great spot to get this one over the line if/when they want to press the gas pedal. The 6-1, 200 pounder has split opinions on whether his future is at receiver or defensive back. It's likely that he'd start on the defensive side in College Station should the Aggies ultimately make their definitive push. - I watched a barn-burner on Friday night as Cy Ranch upset CE King, 31-28, on a last second field goal. The list of players in that game that held college scholarship offers was remarkable. Here are some quick-hitting evaluations on a few guys in that game...2028 ATH Dillon Mitchell - Very few chances to show off his world class speed. CE King wasn't finding much success through the air and made their comeback via the running game. Mitchell did have a few tough catches on slants, but there wasn't much room to maneuver after the catch. He was in Austin on Saturday, but his brother also plays for Texas State. Texas A&M remains a key player, but Oregon and Ohio State are a real threat. 2028 EDGE Cameron Sydnor - A little tougher eval because his frame has a lot more maturing to do. There's plenty to dream on there, but I think this is a kid a lot of schools will put a pin in and revisit later. It just looks like his strength is still trying to catch up to his growth. He visited Texas A&M on Saturday. 2028 OL R'Monie Edwards - I didn't love his outing on Friday. I thought he was off-balance too much, played high, and needed a bit more punch overall. I should say that he wasn't routinely getting beat or having a difficult time executing his assignment. I just want to see him play with a bit more urgency. The tools are there. There are going to be a lot of eyes on his tape this fall. He's got plans to visit A&M in October.QB Braden Baker - Showed a great combination of talent, development, and toughness. His previous accuracy and timing issues have dissipated, and he's mode noticeable jumps in his confidence and presence. UH getting rewarded for their push to land his commitment last April.WR Manny Leyja - Probably the most underrated player in Houston. He had a monster junior season that went relatively unnoticed for some reason, and he's off to another fast start as a senior. We'll see if UNT can hold on to his commitment because I have a feeling there will be some sharks circling if the production continues.

With no shortage of standouts on the high school football gridiron, Ryan Brauninger dives into some of the top performances he saw in Week 2. Taking this week's spotlight is 2027 Texas A&M WR commit Jaden Upshaw, who scored three total touchdowns for Leesburg (GA) Lee County.

Around the state of Texas, decisions are being made, visits are being taken and offers are being extended as recruiting never stops in this great state. It is time to take a look at the latest happenings on the Lone Star State recruiting front.