Around Texas: A round-up of recruiting news in the Lone Star State
With summer now in full swing, the recruiting trail continues to heat up as recruits are trimming their lists, taking visits and making decisions about their futures. Jason Howell runs down all the latest commitments, under-the-radar prospects and more.
Offensive notes and more from The Opening
Just wanted to give a quick recap and break down of what I saw yesterday. It was a cold, wet, and windy day - not ideal for football or anything else outdoors for that matter. I'll break down what I saw/liked at each positions bullet style.QBGrant Gunnell was the best QB there. He'll visit Ohio St soon as well as Oklahoma St and Stanford. I liked Grant Tisdale more than I did previously. I was told an Aggie offer would be a game changer for him and would most likely result in a commitment. If Hutto's Chase Griffin were a little taller, he'd be on everyone's radar. Good player. Keep an eye on 2020 Tomball QB Hunter Dunn. He's skinny right now, but he's got good height and feel for the position. RBZach Evans is an animal. I'm talking about top 15-20 players in the country type of kid. He's special. Folks feel like Texas and LSU have the inside track right now. OU commit and Aggie legacy Isaiah Spiller turned some heads with his overall athleticism. I've heard the Aggies are starting to become more of a legitimate threat. TEAustin Stogner is the real deal. He and Baylor Cupp are pretty similar, but I think Stogner is more polished right now. He continues to hear from the Aggies. IMG's Logan Compton has added really good weight. Originally from CyRanch, he was at the Junior Day this past weekend. Strake Jesuit's Thomas Gordon turned heads. He's committed to Northwestern but was offered by LSU after the camp. He's got family ties to the Tigers. 2020 Aggie legacy Reggie Brown could be a nice option at HBack/TE/Fullback. He's athletic and smart, like his daddy. WRI got a pro Sooner vibe out of Arjei Henderson. He'll officially visit OU and A&M this spring. Alabama is in his final three, but the buzz was that it's a two horse race right now. 2020 offer Troy Omeire looks like a total freak show. Big, long, athletic with exceptional ball skills. He recently picked up Georgia, but I'd call the Ags the clear early leader. Chase Lane is a really good player. I'm telling y'all. He's a clean route runner, sure handed, and plays with good bounce and energy. All the kids like him as well, and I think there's something to be said for that. He is on the way to being this year's Jordan Moore. Lane's teammate Jalen Curry reminds me of Jhamon Ausbon. He's a big dude that's physical at the top of routes and catches everything. I suspect he'll follow Gunnell somewhere. Devin Price and Brian Darby made their names known in the recruiting industry with solid performances. The two local standouts were at Jr Day and will camp with the Aggies. Also, because Devin participated, Terry Price could be there - meaning he got to put his eyes on all these kids. St John's Genson Hooper-Price probably made the biggest news with his 40 times. His first run was a 4.31 and his second was a 4.45. He did this at 6-5, 205 and a huge lower body. That speed and height make him an intriguing prospect. Could he grow into a TE? I suppose it's possible, but his stock will rise after running like that. Bellaire Episcopal's Corey Williams did his best to make folks forget Jaylen Waddle. His offer list should grow quite a bit pretty soon. He was really good. Ft Bend Dulles ATH Ainias Smith won the fastest man race under a bit of controversy, but he did have a good day. He worked out at WR, but he's also being recruited at corner. He's got an offer from Georgia but more big interest from power programs in the region. OLJavonne Shepherd was exceptional. He's nearly 6-7 and super athletic. He's flexible, mobile, and powerful. The Aggies are in an outstanding position here. He loves Jim Turner and Lee Grimes. To me, he's the left tackle of the class. If Shepherd is the LT, then Kenyon Green is the rest of the line. He's special as well. Kenyon is versatile enough to play anywhere along with offensive front. To me, he and Shepherd look like bookend tackles for what would be an incredible offensive line. Green did not mince words with me: the Aggies are the clear leader, and he wants to play with Shepherd at the next level. The 2021 OL class in state already looks incredibly talented and is loaded at the top with Hayden Conner (who dominated kids two years older than him), Bryce Foster, Reuben Fatheree (built like Tyler Davis), and Donovan Jackson. After talking to all those yesterday and combining with info from other sources, the Aggies would stand the best shot at landing all 4 as things stand today. Still a long way to go there though.I don't think you'll see A&M move on Brannon Brown or Andrew Coker just yet, but both of them hold A&M in high regard. Coker needs a ratings bump. He's lost a lot of weight from basketball and is moving much better. One guy I do think the Ags will offer is 2020 Clear Creek mauler Chad Lindberg. He had a fantastic day yesterday. I asked him what an A&M offer would mean, and he said, "it'd be the biggest deal that's ever happened to me." Take from that what you will. I'll have some defensive notes either tonight or tomorrow.
Around Texas: A round-up of recruiting news in the Lone Star State
Hurricane Harvey has disrupted the high school football season for much of the state but will pick back up in the coming weeks. Jason Howell evaluates Harvey's impact, top 2019 offensive linemen and more inside.
Thursday night miscellaneous recruiting notes
-Spoke to a reputable source in Houston this evening that called A&M commit Luke Matthews "the most like Bruce" out of all the linemen that family has pumped out. Over the course of the past couple of weeks, I've had other trainers/football folks say similar things. I'm thinking he'll get a nice bump when we update our rankings in July. -Speaking of the OL, it seems as though the Aggies are currently in somewhat of a holding pattern. With Matthews and Colten Blanton in the boat, A&M has been working on Marshall big man Chasen Hines, but that LSU commit is very strong. I've talked to some folks that said A&M still remains very much at the forefront for Ft Bend Marshall's Barton Clement, who will be here for the BBQ on the 18th. Right now, I'd say that's the best bet to round out the OL haul should A&M take another guy. -When I asked about a decision timetable for Manvel OLB and recent Aggie offer Brian Johnson, I was told "this thing could wrap up in a matter of weeks." Should that be the case, I'd lay money on the Aggies or Baylor. He also tweeted this tonight:https://twitter.com/brianojohnson/status/870449916086067200-In 2019, the Aggies will welcome some prospects that have been on the evaluation sheet throughout the spring. These guys could see offers with a good camp performance: Crandall's Branson Bragg, SA O'Connor's Brannon Brown, and A&M Consolidated's Reid Francis. Additionally, A&M may get LSU commit Kenyon Green (Atascocita) and Oak Ridge's Tyler Johnson in camp, but that remains to be seen. -I was told tonight that the Fast Houston 7 on 7 team will make the trip up for camp on Sunday. There will be a couple of big names missing as Jaylen Waddle and D'Shawn Jamison will be competing in the Under Armour Speed event, but it'll still be an impressive group brought in by Ro Simon (Founder of Fast Houston). Some prospects that are expected to be in town are Houston Heights CB Jalen Green (he recently told me the Ags were out, but if he makes it to campus, who knows), CyFalls DB Starrland Baldwin (Oklahoma commit), and 2019 Cuero ATH Jordan Whittington. -I'm waiting to hear back for confirmation, but there's Talk that Conroe Oak Ridge DE Joseph Ossai could be making the quick trip to College Station on Sunday as well. ***Update*** Spoke to a source in north Houston who very much believes Ossai could make a decision in the near future. The word I got was that Joseph has been decked in A&M gear a whole bunch lately, and he will indeed make the trip up on Sunday. Keep an eye out here. There could be action.-It sounds like A&M is already planning a second BBQ in July where they'll host mostly top 2019 targets. A handful of front line guys have started to mention that as a future event they'll attend.
Under the Lights: Opening Regional notes, new names to watch
Another week, another set of visits, conversations and targets on the Aggie recruiting radar. Jason Howell and Ryan Brauninger have all the latest developments on the recruiting front in this week's edition of Under the Lights.