Around Texas: A round-up of recruiting news in the Lone Star State
Texas' head-coaching landscape in the college ranks has undergone some significant shifts in the last few weeks, and it's having a large impact on recruiting. Jason Howell has all of the biggest developments inside.
Defense in Review: No. 1 Alabama 33, No. 6 Texas A&M 14
Texas A&M's defense had it's ups and downs on Saturday, but two back-breaking plays kept the performance from earning a high grade. Billy Liucci provides his breakdown of the Ags' performance against the Tide.
Quick hitters from Tucker, Preston, and Matthews
Manvel demolished Ft Bend Elkins tonight to the tune of 50-14. Here are some notes I had from Hall Stadium.-Despite being bottled up offensively, I thought 2018 A&M OL commit Luke Matthews had a nice game. His footwork continues to be outstanding. He plays with good pad level. He uses his hands well. I mean all the typical things you'd think a Matthews would do, Luke does. He'll probably be a guard in college and that's what he's playing now for Elkins. He's going to visit A&M on November 12th when the Ags host Ole Miss.-Not a huge numbers night for 2018 WR Jalen Preston of Manvel, though he did have a short TD grab. He also had a long catch and run in the second half to set up another Maverick touchdown. Preston is probably the most physically gifted WR in the 2018 class. He's got an outstanding frame and carries good weight already. He was blown away by Kyle Field last weekend and had great things to say about his experience. He's told me he's really looking forward to visiting A&M again this season.-I've been pretty adamant about 2017 A&M safety commit Derrick Tucker being one of the best players in Texas, and he didn't make me want to change my mind on that tonight. This kid has a chance to be an immediate impact player next year. Fast, physical, and a nose for the football. Tuck told me he's taking his official to A&M after the season, but he will be back on campus for more home games this fall. -2018 Manvel QB Kason Martin may not be "Koda's little brother" for too much longer as he's started to make a name for himself. He threw 5 touchdown passes tonight - 3 of which were absolute dimes. He's a junior, but you can look at him and tell he's young. It'll be interesting to watch him after he hits his big growth spurt. He's got a shot to be a good one. -OU commit Kenneth Murray had an up and down night playing safety for Elkins. He's all-in with the Sooners. He was even rocking the towel with "Boomer Sooner" written on it in marker. I still really like him as a player and a prospect. He's as ferocious of a hitter as I've seen this year.
Kenneth Murray picks the Sooners
Ft Bend Elkins OLB Kenneth Murray picked Oklahoma this morning over Texas and Texas A&M. https://twitter.com/murrayyy_2/status/763370499921498112With the commitment, Bob Stoops and Co continue their success in Texas in the 2017 recruiting class. Update: Talked to Kenneth a little bit this morning. As of now, he's not planning on taking any official visits and said he's shutting things down.
A few quick recruiting updates
Let's keep it short and sweet. Dinner is on the stove. 1. Kenneth Murray of Ft Bend Elkins is making his much anticipated decision a week from today. By all accounts, it's down to the Aggies, Sooners, and Longhorns with confident reports coming out of each camp. From what I've gathered tonight, Murray has told some people very close to him his destination, but for now, the lid is sealed. A source close to the situation did say earlier tonight that Kenneth "really loves A&M." As of this evening, I'm still sticking with what I said on the radio this week and saying the Aggies land Murray...with the caveat that this could change 4-5 times within the next 7 days. -We (myself and Jason) continue to hear positive news on the Ben Hutch front. Both of us heard from different sources today that Louisville is trending down for Hutch at the moment. At one point, the Cardinals were considered one of the top two (along with A&M) for Ben. Look for Hutch to make a couple of Big10 trips this fall. He's also extremely excited to go back to Aggieland for a gameday. -Lastly, a quick note: it looks like IMG wideout and LSU commit Jhamon Ausbon will take an official to A&M this fall. Jason said in his notes that he didn't feel like it was over, and it may not be. Jhamon will take all 5 officials despite being committed to the Tigers.That's all I got. Time to dominate some Latin style chicken & eggs.