Chase Griffin

A few thoughts from the weekend that included the following gamesThursday - Garland Lakeview Centennial at Arlington SeguinFriday - Duncanville vs LancasterSaturday - West Mesquite vs Hutto in Waco- Camar Wheaton lived up to the billing - Friday was my first time getting to see Wheaton in person, and man, did he ever live up to his billing as one of the top 2021s in the state. I cannot wait for you guys to see the highlight reel from Friday because he had a few runs that were pretty special. He has the goods and will be a highly sought after recruit. You can bet the likes of Alabama and Georgia will be taking a long look before it is all said and done, and it sounds like the Aggies are paying close attention.-Saturday was a tough day for Dylan Wright but there's nothing to worry about - It was a hard one for Wright, but I didn't see anything that made me worried we about his talent. He is a special player and he has a tremendous upside. There is not another WR that is the physical specimen Wright is. Every ball thrown his way was contested and much of what he saw was short and across the middle. He really didn't get many opportunities downfield, but he did show the ability to get behind the defense. He also came around to take a couple of handoffs, and he had a key block to spring a teammate on a 41-yard TD catch and run. His day got off to a rough start but he did finish with 6 receptions for 62 yards and a TD, and he had two carries for 17 yards. -Keep an eye on JaKobe Walton - West Mesquite 2021 DB Kobe Walton had himself a very nice day. He played defense, offense, and special teams for the Wranglers. His biggest play of the day was his 86-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and he also had a 31-yard TD run for the Wranglers final score of the day. This is a guy I've been hearing quite a bit about and he is already on college radars. He camped at Texas A&M this summer.-JD Thursby came to play - I did not go into Friday's Duncanville-Lancaster game with an eye on Duncanville 2021 LB/S JD Thursby (5-11, 175) but he quickly made his presence known. He had a few plays which jumped out to me. 1.) he came in on a blitz and the OL made a smart play and let Thursby's speed run him out of the play. The problem was Thursby did not give up and ended up chasing down the QB from behind and was about to jump in on a tackle before the QB stepped out of bounds for a short gain. 2.) he came up to deliver a big hit on a screen pass to the wide side of the field. He shot the gap and he laid the wood. Now, he is undersized for an LB, but I have a feeling he is going to be a fun player to watch over the next few years. It also says a lot that he is out there on the field for coach Samples as a sophomore.-I really liked what I saw from Ja'Quinden Jackson - Duncanville 2020 ATH Ja'Quinden Jackson made some nice plays on Friday night. We knew he could make plays with his legs, but he looked like he made some improvements as a passer too. He was more consistent with his accuracy and you could tell there was some good chemistry between him and his WRs. - Marquez Beason seems to have settled in nicely at Duncanville - He has not been there long, but he found his way into the mix on offense, defense, and special teams. He rotated in at CB and his speed and quickness were on full display. He did try to do a little too much at times, and by that I mean he tried get too creative with his running but that's about the biggest adjustment he'll have to make.-Lancaster really didn't try to push Chris Thompson - it was a pretty quiet night for him. He did have a nice PBU and he was around the ball most of the night. -Hutto is going to be fun to watch this fall - Chase Griffin, Chux Nwabuko, and Caleb Forrest were some playmaking fools on Saturday. Griffin was on target all game long. Nwabuko is small, but he is as explosive and elusive a player as there is in the state. And Caleb Forrest had several big returns including a 94-yard kickoff return for a score. Forrest also had 7 receptions for 71 yards and a TD.

Talent from across the state have assembled in College Station this week for the State Championship 7-on-7 tournament at Veterans field in College Station. Jason Howell runs down the names to know and players to watch in his comprehensive preview.

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.