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(Last Updated 2/20/01; Go to Main Page)
Horn Commits
Next to each recruits name in parentheses is the recruit's Rivals star and national rankings at their position. To the right of each commit's description are the schools from which the commit reportedly received offers. "Very early commit" means that the recruit committed in June or earlier (these commits usually won't have had time to collect as many offers as others).
Justin Blalock (5-1)- 6'4", 325, 5.0,
OG - Fla, Mich,
OU, Mia,
FSU, Neb, ND, A&M,
OH St, UCLA, Ark &
others
Sonny Davis (4-NR) - 6'1", 320, 5.0, DT- Gulf Coast CC, Miss
(Austin Lanier, TX) - in high school, USC, OH St,
UCLA and A&M
Larry Dibbles (4-8) - 6'3-1/2", 270,
4.65, DE - Lancaster, TX - OU, ND,
Mia, FSU,
UCLA, Penn St, Alab, Tenn,
OH St, A&M, USC, Neb,
Col, Mich,
Mich St, LSU, K St &
others
Clint Haney (3-23) - 5'11", 190, 4.4
Ath- Smithson Valley, TX - very early commit, Col and
TTech
Albert Hardy (4-4) - 5'11", 215, 4.55,
RB/FB - Galena Park, TX - Fla, Alab,
LSU, Mich, Penn St,
Neb, Col,
UCLA and OH St
Aaron Harris (4-4)- 6'0", 230, 4.62
MLB, North Mesquite, TX - Fla,
FSU, OU, USC,
LSU, Mich,
OH St, A&M and others
Tully Janszen (4-29)- 6'3", 245, 4.75
DL - Keller, TX - early commit, OU, A&M and
others
Marquis Johnson (5-3) - 6'3", 195,
4.49, WR, Champaign Centennial, IL - Mich, Ill,
Fla, Penn St, Mich St, Wisc, Pur, Alab,
Tenn, Pitt,
Col
Marco Martin (4-10)- 6'3", 312, 4.75,
DT - Mia, FSU,
Tenn, Fla,
USC, Neb, Syr, Ga Tech, Clem, A&M &
others
Edorian McCullough (5-3) - 5'10",
180, CB/Ath - Mia, OU,
Fla, Neb, A&M,
LSU, Mich, Mich St.
Mattew Melton (3-18)- 6'0", 197, 4.41,
S, Tyler John Tyler, TX - A&M, Purdue and Arizona
Dustin Miksch (2-82)- 6'0", 167, 4.35,
WR - Round Rock Westwood, TX - very early commit, don't know offers
Marcus Myers (3-28)- 6'3", 215, 4.55,
LB - Pflugerville Connally, TX - early commit, A&M, TTech and OK St.
Bryan Pickryl (5-2)- 6'6", 225, 4.6,
DE - Jenks, OK - OU, UCLA,
Mich, Mia, Mizzou,
LSU, Neb, ND,
Col, Tenn, A&M and
others
Chase Pittman (4-7)- 6'4", 270, 4.9
, DL, Shreveport Evangel Christian, LA - OU,
LSU and A&M
Brian Robison (3-43)- 6'3", 248, 4.65,
LB/DL - Splendora, TX - early commit, LSU and UH
Lyle Sendlein (4-31)- 6'4-1/2", 295,
4.9, C - Scottsdale Chapparral, AZ - very early commit -
Fla, Mich, ND, Penn St
& Others
Garnet Smith (4-7)- 6'3", 216, 4.58,
OLB, Arlington Lamar, TX - OU,
Fla, K St, Mia,
Neb, Tenn,
UCLA, USC, Alab, A&M,
Aub and Ark
Kasey Studdard (4-11) - 6'2",
275, 4.8 ,OC/OG/DT, Littleton Highlands Ranch, CO -
Col, Mia,
Neb, Wash,
Tenn, USC
David Thomas (4-7) - 6'3", 210, 4.65,
TE - Wolfforth Frenship, TX - early commit, OU,
LSU, Pur, A&M, OK St and TTech
Robert Timmons (4-20) - 6'2", 205,
4.46, WR - Flower Mound Marcus, TX - Ga Tech (early offers from
Mia, FSU,
Tenn, USC and others)
Neale Tweedie (4-4)- 6'5", 260, 4.9,
OL - Allen, TX - early commit, ND, Mich,
OU A&M, UCLA,
Mich St, Clem and many others
Brett Valdez (3-25)- 6'3", 310, 5.1,
OL - Brownwood, TX - very early commit
Michael Williams (4-5) - 6'4", 225,
4.6 - OLB, Lindale, TX - OU, USC, A&M, TTech,
Minn, Ark, W Va
Rodrique Wright (5-2)- 6'4-1/2", 330,
5.0 - Alief Hastings, TX , DT- OU,
Neb, Tenn,
Mich, Mich St, OH St,
Wisc, Penn St, A&M and many others
Selvin Young (4-5)- 5'11", 193, 4.36
- Jersey Village, TX - OU,
Col, UCLA,
LSU, A&M, USC, Mich St, Miss St, K ST, Ark,
AZ, TCU
Vincent Young (5-1) - 6'5", 205, 4.4
- Houston Madison, TX - Mia,
FSU, LSU, K St, Ark &
Others
RED indicates schools that were both AP Top 10 this year and finished in the top 10 in Recruiting in either '01 and '02 (Rivals).
BLUE indicates schools that brought in top 10 classes in either '01or '02 (Rivals) and not ranked in AP top 10 this year.
GREEN indicates schools that finished in the AP Top 10 this year and not ranked in top 10 classes in '01 or '02 (Rivals).
BIOS
OG, Plano East, TX, 6'4", 325, 5.0 - Widely regarded the top offensive guard in the country (e.g., Rivals #1 OG), Blalock is a truly dominating mix of power and quickness that registered 228 tackles and 67 sacks during his career. Blalock was offered by nearly every bigtime program Rivals notes of Blalock, he "has an upper-body that looks like a body-builder, but also moves well and is a smash-mouth run blocker." On top of that, Justin is really on the ball -- he's got a good test score and, moreover, appears to be pretty sharp in interviews and e-mails I've seen. He was highly praised by coaches in the US Army National All-Star game. Rivals Geoff Ketchum said that Blalock might be the Horns' second best offensive player right off the bat (behind V Young), and said "At the National All-Star Game in San Antonio, Blalock was the best of a strong group of offensive lineman on hand and every defensive lineman there said he was just a beast between the tackles. A dominating run blocker, he should compete for a starting job in 2003." In high school, Blalock played left guard, what he called "swing tackle", and even defensive tackle in short yardage situations. Student Sports attended every summer Nike Camp, and named Blalock to its All Camp Team, stating that Blalock was "the most dominant offensive linemen we saw all tour. Not just huge but quick and strong and showed great feet in the line drills." The Insiders rank Blalock at the #2 offensive lineman in the country (#1 OG) and Blalock possesses "a combination of size, strength and intelligence, he simply overpowers defenders.. . Tremendous drive and explosion off the ball." Jeremy Crabtree said Blalock is a little bit better run blocker than pass blocker right now, but that largely stems from his dominating run blocking ability: "If there is a better run blocker in the nation, then he must belong in the NFL right now. Blalock simply gets after it on every play. He is able to destroy the defender in front of him and does the little things that most good linemen don't do yet - he makes it up to the next level. That's something that is rarely seen in a high school prospect. Most players are satisfied with getting the pancake block, but not Blalock. He crushes one guy and then moves to another." Crabtree added that Blalock "uses his massive legs and upper body to lay a lick on the defender across him on every play. And when he pops you - he definitely has plenty of explosion. . . . Simply put, there isn't a better guard in the nation when it comes to explosion and pop." Crabtree noted that Blalock will have to work on his recovery techniques when he gets to college. Plano East Coach Scott Phillips told Dave Campbell's Texas Football that Blalock was the finest lineman he has ever coached. Justin's cousin, Justin Goodwin, played offensive line at Michigan from 1999-2001. Blalock wants to major in business or sports marketing. 2001: First Team USA Today All-American. Blalock graded out at 95 percent this season with 134 "de-cleaters"on an offensive line that allowed less than 10 sacks this season. Selected to play in the US Army All-American Bowl. DCTF First Team Super Team. 2000: Earned all-district and all-area honors as a junior after registering 130 de-cleaters. 1999: Justin was a second-team all-district performer as a sophomore who recorded 151 pancakes and helped lead Plano East to an 11-3 record and the Texas 5A Division II state quarterfinals that season Physical stats and other sports: BP 400, Squat 525 , Power Cleans 450 and a 27" vert. 4.72 shuttle at the Nike camp. Blalock ran his 5.00 40 yard dash time at the Nike camp. After the Nike Camps, Blalock said "I'm still searching for the ever elusive 4.9 in the 40. I think I can get it, seeing as the conditions weren't that great at the camp. With all the great tips the Nike staff showed us, it shouldn't be too far off." Going into his senior year, Blalock said "I had a personal best of 144 feet in the discus and 61-5 officialy in the shotput. I threw 63-11 on a foot foul in one meet and 65 feet+ out of bounds at the regional meet." Blalock threw a 63-6 during the first part of his senior year. Blalock can dunk a basketball. Commit to Texas: Blalock committed to Texas (22nd commit, 12/20/01) over Fla, Mich, OU, Mia, FSU, Neb, ND, A&M (first to offer in Sept '00), OH St, UCLA, Ark and others (all offered). Blalock said "I went on visits just to finalize some things. But this is the place I wanted to be. It just felt right at Texas. Texas has been the school that I've liked forever." Blalock added "It's a great school, a great program, but had no idea how close the players were. That really impressed me and helped me with my decision." He added "The bond between the coaches, players and everyone associated with the program is like an extended family. The hospitality I received on my visit made me want to be a part of the program. Coach Brown seems really personable. He gives his time to anyone who needs it and is sincere. You can talk to him openly and he is like a father figure." Blalock has an SAT score WELL above NCAA minimums, and looked very hard at the academics of the schools courting him. Link to Rivals Profile of Blalock -- Link to Pic of Blalock -- Link to Pic of Blalock -- Link to Pic of Blalock -- Link to Pic of Blalock -- Link to Pic of Blalock -- Link to Pic of Blalock -- Link to Pic of Blalock -- Link to Pic of Blalock (#78) -- Link to Pic of Blalock (#78) -- Link to Pic of Blalock (#78) -- Link to Pic of Blalock -- Link to Pic of Horn commits (then) at US Army Bowl (Blalock at back left) -- Link to Pic of Horns at US Army Bowl (Blalock at back row left) -- Link to Pic of Blalock -- Link to Pic of Blalock (right) and Cody Douglas -- Link to Pic of Blalock -- Link to Pic of Blalock at US Army Bowl (2nd from left in back row) -- Last pic 1 second later -- Last pic 1 second later -- Link to Pic of Blalock Signing on LOI Day |
DT, Mississippi Gulf Coast JC (originally Austin Lanier, TX) 6'3", 325, 5.0 - Widely regarded as one of the top returning JUCO DL prospects, Davis plans to enroll at Texas, with which he originally signed in 2000, in the Spring of 2002. In high school, "Big Wolf" (teammates said his face looks like a wolf) was considered the top DL in Texas. Davis was a two-time All-CenTex selection. Reportedly great explosion off the snap, with the ability to move sideline to sideline. Geoff Ketchum recently (summer of 2001) said "Few defensive linemen at any level have the type of raw talent that Davis possesses. Despite his size, the 6-3, 325-pound Davis displays amazing quickness off the ball and makes a living in his opponent's backfield. As far as physical ability goes, Davis measures off the charts. He's as strong as a bull and possesses the type of athleticism that allows him to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage as a run defender. For the most part, Davis demands a double team from the offense at all times." When Davis was coming out of high school, Ketchum said "His ability to explode off of the snap is a thing of beauty. His strength is apparent and he does a great job of using his punch to create separation between him and his opponent. Also, when Davis was in on offense, he was a devastating blocker. If he were to focus on that side of the ball, he would be a top 10-15 players in the state as on offensive lineman. He just possesses so much athleticism that he can do anything on the field that he wants . . . " His HS coach at Lanier coach Wade Johnston told Inside Texas in April of 1999 that Davis is an "impact player who has all the tools." He also said that Davis is "the best defensive linemen I've coached or seen on film." Johnston also said "With his size he's the quickest big guy I've ever seen. Apparently the Texas coaches have indicated that out of all their evaluations he's one of the quickest off the ball that they've ever recruited. And I can agree with that. His quickness off the ball is something. When the ball moves, he's gone. In fact, he looks like he's beating the snap sometimes he's so quick. And he's got tremendous footwork, he can change directions real easily without losing balance. He's got a great sense of knowing where the ball is. He still needs some work in reading the play and using his hands but he's been able to dominate in high school with his natural abilities. He's got tremendous lateral movement as far as chasing the ball down and his move off the ball puts him in a real advantage on the pass rush. He has a great intensity as far as his working out and he likes to play the game. He enjoys being out there and practicing and he just loves the games. His motor turns on and stays on the entire game. But athletic talent-wise, his quickness with his size puts him in a class of his own. There aren't many guys that can move like he does." Oddly, Johnston said of Davis: "He also catches the ball as well as anyone I've ever seen and the kid can throw. We never used him to pass but we had practiced it. The guy's got a great arm. I mean, he can throw as good as any quarterback I've ever had." Johnston als said "One thing he does is that he comes in and watches film all the time. When he has some time off he comes in and asks to look at film so he really enjoys watching football and studying the game." Although Anderson didn't qualify coming out of High School, he has turned it around academically at Gulf Coast CC, and part of that is due to the attitude change that came with having a daughter: "Having my daughter (Sun'kaiha) has helped me grow up. You grow up real fast when you have someone other than yourself to take care of. She's going to know that her daddy was a success. I call every day when I'm away and talk to her. I know that everything that I do is for her." Davis is excited to come back to Austin, not only to play for Texas, but to also be closer to his daughter. 2001: 2000: Honroable mention All-Conference 1999 (senior year in HS): Davis recorded 72 tackles: 25 solo tackles & 47 assists, 2 fumbles caused, 6 tackles for negative yardage, 12 pressures, 4 sacks and was named Parade All-American, AP Honorable Mention All State, Austin American Statesman All Central Texas and All-Central Texas for the third straight season. Sonny was 1st Team All District Defensive Line for three years in a row! Incredibly, Davis played at TB also for Lanier, and had a 48 yard TD run against Travis, and a 46 yard run against Reagan. He also made the American Statesman All Decade team for the 1990's. He also made All-District as a TE and graded 95% + in eight games. 1998 (junior year in HS): Davis recorded 95 tackles and 15 sacks. Davis has outstanding athleticism for a big man (he can two-handed slam a basketball). 1st Team All District Defensive Line Physical stats and other sports: As a junior in high school, Davis benched 380 pounds, sqautted 510 and had a 26" vertical leap. Incredibly, he was clocked at 4.89 at 310 pounds. Commit to Texas: Davis has remained committed to Texas (1st commit) since he went started attending junior college in the Fall of 2000. Davis said "It's like when I was in high school, I'm committed to sign with them and that's what I plan to do. I talk with the coaches and they want me back. They said that I would be starting right now. They have been very supportive." Even though he had committed early in high school, he already had offers from USC, Ohio State, UCLA and A&M. Sonny did not sign an LOI with Texas and, if in August '02, he can't transfer to Texas in Austin because of academics, he will try to get in elsewhere. Link to Alliancesports Profile of Davis-- Link to Pic of Davis -- Link to Pic of Davis -- Link to Pic of Davis |
DE, Lancaster, TX, 6'3-1/2", 270, 4.65 - Dibbles is an absolute specimen, and has NFL strength and quickness already as HS player. Interestingly, Dibbles is ranked as the top DL in the nation by ESPN (Lemming), while classmate Rodrique Wright is ranked as the top DL by Rivals. In fact, the 6'3-1/2" 270 pound behemoth actually plays a lot at MLB, as well as DL. When he played on the DL, he played DE on the outside shoulder of the TE in Lancaster’s 5-2 scheme, but he never gets to take on the TE alone: “I take them straight up but it’s never a one on one thing, I get a lot of double and triple teams. It’s a challenge every play.” Lancaster Head Coach Doug Black said “He’s pretty much unblockable. If people want to run at him and test him, then they’ll lose that battle. He’s the real deal.” Black added "Larry is a physical player that is very aggressive and very active. He stays after it every play and never lets up. His biggest asset is his pass rush as he does a great job of putting pressure on the quarterback. We plan on moving him around this year so that teams can't find him. Larry is such a great athlete that teams run away from him when they knew where he was. We will play him at DE, DT, ILB and NG this year. Larry has great balance, he is impossible to knock off his feet." Black also said "His competitiveness and desire to succeed will make him great at the next level." Dibbles team mate David Hardy said of Dibbles "He’s very intense. He plays with a lot of emotion. He leads us in getting pumped up. It’s incredible. The dude is strong. I have seen him take on three guys and clog up a hole, and then the running back would bounce outside, and the whole defense falls on him. Larry didn’t make the tackle, but he made the play.” Bobby Burton said "The most promising aspect of Dibbles’ total package is his initial quickness off of the snap of the ball. It is eerily reminiscent of some great defensive linemen, and that hard-charging first step is something that coaches can’t teach. When he lines up in a down stance and makes his move off of the ball, it is as quick, if not quicker, than anybody you’ll see. . . Dibbles has an extremely well developed and powerful lower body. He made a play on the goal line, shirking one blocker and exploding low into the ball-carrier that showed just how much strength he has in his lower body. And he has the frame to continue to get bigger and bigger, both in his upper body and his lower body." Despite being a very good student and likeable guy, when Dibbles talks football, the gameface pops back on: "I just want to go ahead and dominate on Friday nights, and any of those guys who have me ranked No. 2 anywhere, I am going to try to change those guys’ minds and do a few things that impress those guys and get No. 1 in their opinion also.” Regarding playing LB, Dibbles said “I like to show my versatility and help the team. It’s always fun to move around. It’s instinct to me, I just play it. I like it when I get to hit people and make them hurt.” Dibbles further noted "Most teams run away from me. I like to dominate and frankly looking at me is a scary sight." Dibbles put up monster numbers of sacks his last two years and noted "We play some of the best teams in the state. I play against a lot of potential D-1 offensive linemen so it's very competitive." Dibbles said that he patterns his game after John Randle and Warren Sapp: "Both those guys have the ability to play anywhere and be effective. I¹ll line up all over the field this season‹defensive end, outside linebacker, inside linebacker and as a standup backer in the middle. I want to show people that I can line up all along the front seven and have the speed and ability to play anywhere." Tom Lemming said Dibbles "is a devastating pass rusher with long arms, big-time closing speed and outstanding body control. He's also a very aggressive player who goes all out in practice as well as in game situations, and I believe his combination of explosive speed and strength will enable him to become an All-American at either the defensive end or defensive tackle positions once he gets to college." Dibbles told Inside Texas that he was recruited to play DE, but coaches could "pull some tricks with me on the inside and the outside. . . . With my weight and speed, I can do anything in the front four." He said that, if necessary, the transition to DT in college would not be that difficult: "If coached to do it, I'll do it and be good it. . . If I can contribute at defensive end, I'll do it. If I can contribute at defensive tackle, I'll do it." Dibbles father (also named Larry Dibbles) played at TCU and was a DE drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. Dibbles said “I want to major in mechanical engineering. If I’m going to go down there and play for four or five years I might as well come out with a degree that’s worth something and take advantage of the situation.” Nicknamed "Dibs." 2001: First Team USA Today All-American. Dibbles tore cartlidge in his knee in his second game (which he thought was a bruise until late in the season) and played the whole year on it and got up to 280 for a while because he couldn't work out to stay in shape. Dibbles had 103 tackles, 28 sacks, eight forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries as a senior, including 8 sacks against Grapevine and 6 sacks against three other teams. "I went out and fought hard. I wish had never gotten hurt." Dibbles was disappointed that he couldn't have played healthy to improved on his great junior year form, but is looking to make his mark next year at Texas. Although he dropped a bit in the rankings playing hurt, Dibbles said of playing next year “It’s kind of like a quote that I heard was when someone says something bad about you that isn’t true, you just have to live on and prove them wrong. That’s what I’ll have to do." Selected to Play in the US Army Bowl National HS All-Star Game. 2nd Team DCTF Super Team. 2000: 142 tackles, 22 sacks, 32 tackles for a loss, 15 quarterback hurries, 8 caused fumbles and 6 fumble recoveries. 2nd Team All-State. 1999: Earned all-district honors as a sophomore after recording 17 sacks. Physical stats and other sports: BP 445, Squat 620 and 34" vertical. Dibbles ran a 4.7 handtimed (adjusted 4.58) at the Oklahoma camp. 29 reps on the 185 BP at the summer Nike camps. Dibbles works out mainly in the weight room on what he calls “The Big Four”: bench press, bench incline, power clean and squat. He placed fourth in the shot put at the Class 4A state meet last season despite throwing with a broken big toe, which he smashed when he dropped a 35-pound plate on it. Dibbles’ state meet throw of 55 feet, 11.5 inches was well below his winning regional throw of 60-3. Placed fourth at the Texas 4A Championships in the shot put as a junior of 55'-11 1/2". Commit to Texas: Dibbles committed to Texas (22nd (after Anderson and Malone de-commits), 12/25/01) over OU, ND, Mia, FSU, UCLA, Penn St, Pur, ASU, A&M, USC, Cal, Neb, Col, Mich, Mich St, LSU, W Va, Ga Tech., K St, Iowa St, Mizzou, Kan, Ok St, Ark, Alab, Ariz, Tenn, Col St, Iowa, Oh St, and Wisc (all offered). Dibbles said "I knew that I wanted to go to a school that had great academics, could offer me playing time and would be able to compete for a national championship. If I didn't think I could play with the very best, I shouldn't be playing football. The way I see it, the better my surroundings are and harder I'm forced to work, the better I'm going to be." Dibbles said "From the outside looking in, it looks like a nice Christmas present for me and Texas." Dibbles said of his visit to Texas ". "It was an extraordinary visit. Most of the guys that visited Texas that weekend that were uncommitted [Wright, Young, Hardy, Dibbles, Blalock and Leitko] had been with me the week before when I visited Oklahoma. It gave us a chance to have something to compare it to. It's always good to meet guys from around the state and country that are like you. We really got along on the visit and had a good time together," Dibbles said. "The players at Texas are not a bad peer group. Nobody is arrogant. It seemed like a good trip for all of us." Dibbles is a good student and looked closely at academics. He said that Princeton was the top academic school, Miami had the best football team at the time, but that Texas was the best mix of both. He also said: "In the state of Texas, it just doesn't get any better than UT. It is the best combination of football and academics. It has the total package." Dibbles added "There is no other college program in America like The University of Texas right now. I really think that says it all. Coach Brown is straight-forward to his players. He looks at his players like his own children and makes sure they are happy." Regarding Texas' other impressive DL recruits, Dibbles told Inside Texas "Competition is part of the game. If I didn't feel I could compete, I shouldn't be playing the game. If you throw me in with a bunch of talented guys, the more I will shine." Dibbles finally said in February "“I’d leave for Austin today if I could,” Dibbles said. “I’m just ready to go out there and see how I compete with the other big guys. It’s Texas. What else can you say?” Dibbles is fully qualified. Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Alliancesports Profile of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles lining up at MLB -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link ot Pic of Horns at US Army Bowl (Dibbles third from left in the rear) -- Link to Pic of Horns in US Army Bowl (Dibbles third from left in the rear) -- Link to Pic of Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Dibbles and Marquis Johnson -- Link to Videoclip of Dibbles beating OT Rob Smith (Tenn commit) to force a TFL by Studdard in the National High School All-Star Game -- Link to Pic of Dibbles (#6) -- Link to Pic of Dibbles at US Army Bowl (back row left) -- Last pic 1 second later -- Last pic 1 second later |
Ath/RB, Smithson Valley, TX, 5'11", 190, 4.4 - Haney is a very quick and elusive back that came into his own the 2nd half of his junior year, after the senior RB went down with an injury. On his position at Texas, Haney said "I'll do anything they want me to. I'll play running back, I'll line up in the slot, I'll play defense, block kicks, whatever they want." His coach (Larry Hill) said "He can catch the ball real well out of the backfield or he could line up in the slot and play wide receiver and even though he hasn't played there, he could play on defense as well. Alliance's Geoff Ketchum said: "As a running back Haney is a threat to score every time he gets his hands on the ball. He's at his very best when he can get to the corner and rely on his raw speed and explosiveness. Of all the backs I have seen in Texas this year, none have the ability to get to the corner as fast as Haney. Although his bread and butter is his ability to get to the outside and then turn on the jets, Haney is also a very capable inside runner that runs is tough to tackle because of his ability to dart in and out of holes. . . . Haney looks very comfortable as a receiver and does a great jobs of catching the ball with his hands and turning up-field. . . . He'll remind a lot of people of current Longhorn running back Victor Ike, except that Haney looks far more comfortable as a receiver at this stage of his career than Ike did while he was at Austin Bowie." Uncles, Rusty Fuller (SMU) and Kenny Fuller (Texas Tech), played college football. Haney wants to major in business at UT. 2001: Haney showed why Texas offered him, turning in a monster senior season. Haney rushed for 2,046 yards (289 carries) and 28 TDs, including at least 100 in his final 12 games, to lead the Rangers to the Class 4A Division I championship game. (I know he had a lot of receiving yards, too, but I don't have those statistics). Haney also averaged 24 yards per punt return. He lead his Smithson Valley team to the 4A finals and a narrow 42-35 loss to Denton Ryan but, even in the Championship Game, had 136 yards on 24 carries with 3 TDs. Haney was a last minute replacement in the US Army Bowl National High School All-Star game, and he ended up making two big first down catches and made some tackles on special teams. Haney said of his experience, "I think it was good because I got a taste of what it's going to be like next year," Haney said. "It really helped my confidence because I was playing with the best players in the country." 2000: Haney had 1,665 yards and 19 total touchdowns (6.25 ypc), despite not taking over as RB until the senior RB went down with an injury. He also caught 9 passes for 205 yards and 4 TDs. Lead his team to the state quarterfinals. Physical stats and other sports: Haney ran two consecutive sub-4.40 40 yard dashes at the Texas camp in June 2001. Haney ran the 40 in 4.26, 4.27 and 4.29 seconds at Texas A&M. He timed in the low 4.4, high 4.3 range the following day at Texas, but only because the Longhorns coaches used a different timing method (entire body across the finish line, as opposed to first foot across at A&M. The Texas method is used at the NFL's annual scouting combine). He also did very well in their shuttle drills. Hes just a terrific athlete. Commit to Texas: Haney committed very early to Texas (6/11/01, 5th commit) over Colorado (offer), TTech (offer), Clint's childhood fave team was Nebraska and his brother is a WR at Texas Tech. Haney was offered by Texas within 24 hours of leaving Texas' summer camp (its against the rules to offer a player at camp). After receiving the offer, Haney said "You don't want to sound too excited. But I told him that I wanted to be a Longhorn and that I wanted to commit. It was the greatest feeling. I called and told my parents and my dad couldn't believe it. He was speechless and my mom just started crying." Haney added "I chose UT because it is close to home and a wonderful program. The Longhorns are a great team that has great coaches and tradition. The program is one big family and that was something that was very high among my personal values. Coach Brown is a guy you can talk to. I look at him as a father figure who is very open and honest with his players." Haney is fully qualified. Link to Pic of Haney -- Link to Pic of Haney -- Link to Alliancesports Profile of Haney -- Link to Pic of Haney -- Link to Pic of Haney -- Link to Pic of Haney -- Link to Pic of Haney -- Link to Pic of Haney -- Link to videoclip of Haney from 4A Semifinal Game -- Link to Pic of Horns at US Army Bowl (Haney is bottom row right) -- Link to Pic of Horns at US Army Bowl (Haney is bottom row right) -- Link to Pic of Haney -- Link to Video of Haney Catching Pass on All-American Travarous Bain from Vincent Young in the US Army Bowl National HS All-Star Game -- Link to Video of Haney catching pass on William Blackmon from Vincent Young in US Army Bowl National HS All-Star Game -- Link to Video of closeup of Haney bringing in pass thrown behind him in the US Army Bowl National HS All-Star Game |
RB/FB, Galena Park, TX, 5'11", 215, 4.55 - Hardy is a powerful RB with the kind of frame that could allow him to play either tailback or fullback at the next level. Many recruiting services rank him as a FB, and have in the national top 5 at that position. A member of Superprep's Elite 50 players in the nation, Hardy can hit the hole fast on quick hitters, has good mobility and can really run over people. He has powerful legs, and a low center of gravity that lets him shift with little effort. Galena Park coach Mike Coker said "Albert, is the best back I’ve ever coached or coached against…if seen a few." Coach Coker told Inside Texas that "Not only does [Hardy] lead by example, he's a vocal leader. He takes charge and he wants to win. He's everything you want in a student and in a player." Coach Coker says that Hardy provides what college coaches are looking for: "Everybody is looking at the big backs, the guys that can wear down a defense and can provide protection. He's a money-time, game-day player." Hardy said "I am more of a power guy that loves to run people over," said Hardy. "I have a little juke but I run more like Eddie George. I can block and catch too." Prepstar says "He is a very physical runner with the speed to run away from competition. He sees the field well and has a solid instinctive understanding of how to exploit his blockers. Albert appears to enjoy contact and to dish out more than he receives is a trademark. A technically sound back, he has only one career fumble before this season." Nicknamed "Brano." 2001: Rushed for 1,538 yards and 10 touchdowns. Third-team all-state and first-team, All-Greater Houston and all-district. Selected to Play in teh US Army Bowl National HS All-Star Game, where he played fullback (for the first time) and blocked and caught very well in that new role. 2000: Rushed for 1,855 yards (led the Houston area) on 285 carries and 18 touchdowns as a junior at the tailback position. Included in that total was 9 runs for 50 yards or more. Also caught 10 passes for 103 yards. Lead all Houston-area Class 4A performers in rushing yards and points (118). First Team All-State. Offensive MVP of his District. 1999: 509 Yards rushing as a sophomore FB. Physical stats and other sports: Squat 500, BP 350 and power cleans 325. Hardy definitely passes the eyeball test and Hardy's coach included 3 minutes of Hardy working out on the highlight reel he sent to colleges. Coach Mike Coker told Inside Texas, that at LSU camp last summer, Hardy timed at aroudn 4.56 (at 218 pounds). Hardy wants to spend the next year getting that time into the low 4.5s. Coker also told Inside Texas that Hardy tries to keep at a playing weight of 215 pounds by condidition and speed-specific training work, including "starts, plyometrics and elastics." Commit to Texas: Hardy committed to Texas (19th commit, 12/17/01) over Fla, Bama, LSU, Mich, Penn St, Neb, CU, UCLA and OH St (all offered). Hardy proudly stated "I'm sittin' on top of the world. I'm a UT man. I had it in my heart (to commit to Texas) but I just needed that extra push and that extra push was the players and the recruits coming in. He also said "it was just a gut feeling I had. I knew I'd go to a school and feel right…and that was what I felt at Texas. I liked all the players and they are recruiting well. They get good athletes each year." Hardy told Geoff Ketchum "A lot of people told me not to come to UT because of Cedric Benson. They didn't think I could do it. But, I'm not the type of person who will back down from a challenge. I think I can go in and compete and earn playing time with him. We'll make a great combo." Hardy added "I think I can grow to have a good relationship with (running backs) coach (Bruce) Chambers. As a tailback, it's the most competitive place for me to go." Hardy said "Texas is a wonderful place. The city is beautiful and there is a great family atmosphere. I wanted a chance to play and follow in the footsteps of the great Texas running backs. Coach Brown knows what he's talking about and is very honest with his players." Hardy is fully qualified. Link to Alliancesports Profile of Hardy -- Link to Pic of Hardy -- Link to Pic of Hardy -- Link to Pic of Hardy -- Link to Pic of Hardy -- Link to Pic of Hardy (No. 37) -- Link to Pic of Hardy -- Link to Pic of Hardy -- Link to Pic of Who I Think Is Hardy -- Link to Pic of Hardy -- Link to Pic of Hardy -- Link to Pic of Hardy -- Link to Pic of Hardy -- Link to Pic of Hardy -- Link to Pic of Hardy -- Link to Pic of Hardy (Jr Year) -- Link to Pic of Hardy (Jr Year) -- Link to Pic of Hardy (Jr Year) -- Link to Pic of Hardy (Jr Year) -- Link to Pic of Hardy (Jr Year) -- Link to Pic of Horns at US Army Bowl (Hardy bottom row left) -- Link to Pic of Horns at US Army Bowl (Hardy bottom row left) -- Link to Pic of Hardy -- Link to Pic of Hardy (middle), Lorenzo Booker and David Ricard -- Link to Pic of Hardy and David Ricard -- Link to Video of Hardy Catching pass from Young in the US Army Bowl National HS All-Star Game -- Link to Video of Hardy (playing fullback for the first time) blocking All-American AJ Davis outside clearing a path for Lorenzo Booker to score in the US Army Bowl National HS All-Star game -- Link to Pic of Hardy -- Link to Pic of Hardy -- Link to Pic of Hardy at US Army Bowl (bottom row right) -- Last pic 1 second later -- Last pic 1 second later |
MLB, North Mesquite, TX, 6'0", 230, 4.62 - Widely considered one of the top 5 inside linebackers in the country. A true middle LB when Texas needs that the most (with DD's graduation), Harris brings a very rare blend of quickness, power, intelligence, instinctive play and aggressiveness, which caused him to headline the LB wish lists for the country's elite schools. When asked to describe his play, Harris said "I love to play the game of football. I can cover the field and I try to be a vocal leader. I hit hard - at least I think I do." Because of his size, aggressiveness and playmaking ability, he is often compared to Mike Singletary. North Mesquite Coach Steve Bragg said "He has the ability to make plays from sideline to sideline. It is hard to find guys that run that well. He is a great athlete and has a good feel for the game." North Mesquite's odd 5-2 scheme puts a lot of pressure on LB's to make the correct reads on which gap to play and when to try to shoot it. Even when Harris was a junior, fellow North Mesquite Coach Buster Leaf said "He's an extremely smart football player. He makes all the calls for us. He just knows what to do out there." Harris modestly added "I just let the guys know where they need to be and then I attack the ball. I just try to make the play." Harris has dominated since his sophomore year at North Mesquite, and even started at MLB his junior year over then senior Randall Webb (an A&M player) who was thereafter moved to safety (Harris humbly denies he started "over" his older friend Webb). Interestingly, Harris recalled a humrous story from 3 years ago: “In the spring of my sophomore year Josh Buhl said I couldn’t start here" because of Harris' size. Harris is now bigger than than the diminutive Buhl (who is now a LB at Kansas State). Harris wants to major in Education, and eventually wants to be a teacher and a coach. Nickamed "Big A." 2001: Harris was chosen to play in the Army 2001 National HS Football Game, where he had a sack/safety and a big hit, and was a Ridell All-American LB nominee. He was named as the Texas HS Defensive Player of the Year by the Texas Sports Writers Association. Named the Dallas Morning News All-Area Defensive Player of the Year. Has 147 tackles, four fumbles caused, four interceptions and four fumble recoveries, despite missing the last game and a half of regular season play with an ankle sprain and playing at about 70% in the one North Mesquite playoff game. This quote from Harris in October of 2001 explains the joys of playing when you're a highly rated recruit (compared to 2000, when he was just a junior): "Everyone is trying to keep me away from the ball. My tackles have declined to about 50 from over 60 at the same point last year. Every play they have someone assigned to me and every time I look up there’s a big guy in my face . . .A lot of teams are trying to cut block me. Three guys tried to cut me against Rowlett last week”. DCTF First Team Super Team. 2000: District Defensive Player of the Year. Harris had 188 tackles, 4 sacks, 1 pick returned for TD, 2 fumbles caused, 2 fumbles recovered and 3 deflected passes. Harris was instrumental in the Stallions' 2000 playoff run in Class 5A Division I (they reached the State quarterfinals). 1999: District Defensive Player of the Year. 91 Tackles. Physical stats and other sports: VL 31", Squats 415 and benches 285. Harris ran his 4.62 40 yard dash time at a Nike Camp. Harris also plays baseball (third base) , but won't during the spring of '02 so he can concentrate on strength and conditioning. Commit to Texas: Harris committed to Texas (17th, 12/2/01) over Florida, FSU, OU, USC, LSU, Mich, OH St, A&M (good friends with Aggie LB Randall Webb) and many others (all offered). Harris said "I've always liked Texas, and that probably helped me make the decision . . . I want to win championships. And I liked the players that I met at Texas. . . I watched all of their games and like their style of defense. I've met DJ and just to play next to him is going to be exciting. He can take some of the pressure off of me and hopefully I will eventually take some of the pressure off of him. That's going to be hard for other teams to deal with." Harris said ""It was the best thing for me. I just felt in my heart that Texas was the best fit." Harris was both optomistic and realistic about his chances to make an impact at LB as a true freshman: "I do want to come in and hopefully make an impact. One of my main goals is to play as a freshman and hopefully start. But, I have a lot of work to do to get there. . . I need to learn the defense and the calls. Coach Reese says that's the most important thing that I need to do. I need to learn their techniques. I'm also working with a personal trainer to improve my speed and quickness." Harris also added "Texas has great tradition and family atmosphere. I feel like I will be able to fit in with the team right away and that made a big impact on my decision. Coach Brown seems to be really personable. He knows how to talk to young people and serves as another father figure. He is a successful coach and recruiter." Harris said of Brown "He brings up topics that other coaches don't. This summer on the unofficial visit, we were sitting in his office and he was talking about his [starting] defense is all black guys. He was saying that somebody told him his team looked like Grambling. He was just joking, but nobody else talked about race. He talks about race relations and he doesn't play the race card when it comes to playing time." Harris is fully qualified with an SAT score well above NCAA minimums. Link to pic of Harris -- Link to Pic of Harris -- Link to Pic of Harris -- Link to Pic of Harris (#9) -- Link to Pic of Harris -- Link to Alliancesports Profile of Harris -- Link to Horns at US Army Bowl (Harris is back row right) -- Link to Horns at US Army Bowl (Harris is back row right) -- Link to Pic of Harris -- Link to Videoclip of Harris tattooing TA McClendon at the US Army Bowl National All-Star Game -- Link to Harris sacking Tyler Palko for a safety in the US Army Bowl National All-Star Game -- Link to Pic of Harris -- Link to Pic of Harris -- Link to Pic of something Harris should get used to: being interviewed by ESPN -- Link to Pic of Harris -- Link to Pic of Harris at US Army Bowl (front row left) -- Last pic 1 second later -- Last pic 1 second later |
DL, Keller, TX, 6'3", 245, 4.75 - Janszen is a very good athlete for his size with quick explosion off the ball but, what really stands out, is his motor and intensity. He's a player that relentlessly pursues the ball over and around however many players necessary to get to it. Janzen described his strengths as "my aggressiveness and speed off the ball." Janszen plays DT, TE and H-Back for Keller HS. Alliancesport's Geoff Ketchum said of Janszen "Look up the words relentless in the dictionary and you'll find Mr. Janszen. It's almost trite to say that his motor is always running because his energy level on the field soars past any cliché I can spout off. More than that, he's a very good athlete. He's extremely quick off the ball and has very good speed. In fact, on the field, Janszen always looks like he's running downhill. Regardless of where the ball is, Janszen is finding a way to get to it. There were times last year when he would chase down a receiver or ball carrier 25-30 yards downfield. His athleticism allows him to make plays sideline-to-sideline and endzone-to-endzone." Ketchum added "Overall, there are going to be a lot of comparisons made to last year's recruit Lance McFarland. Well, I'm much higher on Tully at this point of the process than I was with Lance. He's bigger and certainly has position set in stone. This kid is a lineman's lineman and he's not a player you would want to play against." Superprep said "Janzen reminds us of former Sooner DL Kelly Gregg. Not the biggest guy around, but extremely quick, tough and tenacious." After signing day, Ketchum said "The biggest compliment that I can give Janszen is that Texas fans need to thank their lucky stars that he's on their team and not on anyone else's. The 6-4, 250-pound Janszen plays with a motor that never stops and brings the same type of mean streak to the field that Valdez does. There's nothing pretty about Janszen's game as a defensive lineman. He just comes at you with everything he has on every single play and with his strength and determination. He simply breaks his opponent's will." Janzen was ranked by some services as a top 100 player in the country before his commit. Hw was overlooked early on by recruiting services, but not by coaches -- OU had offered him back in March of '00 (and Venables recruited him very hard) with A&M offering soon thereafter. Janszen said he was recruited to play DT, but could play anywhere the coaches wanted him to when he gets to Texas. Janszen is indifferent to whether he plays next year, and sees some benefit to redshirting. Janszen's dad (Mike) played LB and DL for SMU in the Hayden Frye era. After football, Janszen wants to pursue a career as a large game outfitter or in wildlife management. Nicknamed "Ice Man." 2001: DCTF Second Team Super Team. 72 Tackles and 7 sacks. 2000: 92 tackles (36 solo), 15 sacks and 24 QB hurries. Made All-District as a junior. Physical stats and other sports: BP 310, squat 465 and 33" vert during his junior year of HS. Won fastest "Big Man" (over 235 pounds) in the Texas camp in the summer of '01 in tennis shoes (forgot his cleats and the run was on grass). Commit to Texas: Janszen committed to Texas (8/2/01, 12th commit) over OU (offer) and A&M (offer). Janszen said of the Horns "Everyone made me feel like I was a part of the team while I was there and made me feel like I was one of them. I just felt very comfortable with the players that I spent time with. . . . Texas just felt like the right place." Janszen told Inside Texas "I liked OU but I didn't feel comfortable around the players. I liked the (Oklahoma) coaches, but at UT, the coaches took me in and treated me like part of the family. They are genuine, hometown guys. And when I went out to eat with the players, they didn't act like football players but like normal guys. I liked the fact that they didn't have a big ego about playing football at Texas. I just liked the way everybody was down there." Janszen added "I liked the players and fell in love with the coaches. They treated me like a son. The program seems to have a home-style atmosphere. I really like the way Coach Brown treats his players. He invites them to his home and believes they can get their job done. He treated me like a son during my visit and took me under his wing." Janszen is fully qualified. Link to Pic of Janszen -- Link to Alliancesports Profile of Janszen |
WR, Champaign Centennial, IL, 6'3", 195, 4.49 - Widely regarded as the best pure athlete in the midwest this year, Marquis is a fantastic athlete that has just played football for a year (junior year and a half and varisity football for just one year (concentrated on basketball before that). Marquis is a great mix of a blazing fast athlete with excellent body control and a fearless streak. Prepstar said Johnson "One college recruiter who recently viewed tape of Johnson said that the 6-4 190 pound speedster could play for anyone in the nation. Johnson has 4.5 speed and he compares favorably to former PrepStar Dream Team wide receiver and current Michigan State Spartan, Charles Rogers. Marquis is a terrific athlete with power, speed, athletic ability and super leaping ability. " Rivals 100 said Marquis was one of 10 WR nominees for the Riddell HS player of the year award and has "nice combination of size and speed. One of the Midwest's finest wide receivers." Marquis told Supreperp "I can run away from defenders. I'm always keeping them on their heels because they never know what I'll do. I've only been playing football for two years so I need to work on my speed and footwork." Prepstar also said "Big Ten area football fans are asking why Texas is recruiting in Illinois. Directly stated many recruiters feel that Johnson is better than anyone in the Southwest this year." Regarding his attitude at Centinnial HS, Johnson told Jason Suchomel: "I want the ball in my hands. I’m a competitive player and I want to score. I want the ball in my hands when everything is on the line. I want my team to win and I do what it takes. I still have more to learn but I’m getting there. I’m learning every day in practice and getting better. I have a great coaching staff. They’ve helped me and my team has helped me too. Sometimes when things aren’t going right, I let off a little steam and the team is right there." Marquis also said "I’ll do whatever it takes to get in the end zone. I’m still pulling tricks out of my pocket that I didn’t even know I could do." Nicknamed "Quis." 2001: Parade All-American. First Team All-State. Selected to Play in the US Army Bowl National HS All-Star Game. Caught 42 passes for 907 yards and 11 touchdowns and averaged 20 yards on three reverses against constant double-team coverage 2000: caught 45 passes (862 yds) and had 11 TD's, even though it was only his first year of varsity football and he was doubled on every play. 2nd Team All-State. Physical stats & other sports and other sports: 39" vert. 215 BP. 23' long jump. Ran a 4.1 shuttle at a combine in the summer of '01. Basketball shooting guard/small forward for three years on the varsity and averaged 17 points per game as a senior until he hurt his knee in January. Prepstar said "He has recorded an amazing 42" no-step vertical jump!", but he has also recorded lower vertical leaps at various camps. Commit to Texas: Marquis (15th commit, 9/28/01) committed to Texas over MI, Ill, Fla, Penn St, MI St, Wisc, Pur, Ala, Tenn, Pitt, Col and others (all offered). Johnson also said "I love their offense. They really run a pro-type offense. It's a dream offense for a wide receiver." When asked if he was worried about competing with Texas' talented WR corp, Johnson said "No, because of course there will be competition everywhere, especially in the Big 12. I am not afraid of competing at all." ""I liked the fact that the wide receivers (at Texas) are all real close. They all go everywhere with each other. They're fun to hang out with. Coach Brown is also a nice guy, someone you can talk to." Johnson also said about UT's current WRs: "I can learn from them. By the time it’s time for me to step in, I’ll be ready and I’ll know what to do. It’s pretty hard to come right in and learn everything. It’s not a problem at all, with those guys, because you can’t become a great receiver without learning from great receivers." Marquis also said "It’s a real great privilege to play for a national power like Texas. Football is what the fans crave. There’s all kinds of pressure, and I feel like I can live up to that.” He added "“Coach (Mack) Brown is like a father. Everyone just looks up to him. When he enters a room, no one says anything. I look as it as we are one big family. That’s why they are winning — they love each other like brothers.” Marquis said his parents always liked Texas, but left it up to him. Quis added "I feel like I will be leaving a family to join another family. Texas felt like home and it is where I want to spend the next four to five years of my life. The tradition of the school is great and there are just great people throughout the state. Coach Brown is like a father figure. You need that when he go away from home for the first time." Johnson said further "I see myself being a successful Texas Longhorn alum. If it doesn’t work out in the pros, graduating from The University of Texas is also one of the best things in the world. I guess I see myself as a successful person still helping out the program." In early January, Johnson suffered a partial ACL tear which was surgically repaired, and Johnson was expected to be ready for the 2002 season. Re the injury, Johnson said "That was the scariest moment for sure. I’ve got time to get it back but it may take a while, but I’m going to get even stronger though. It’s the way a person looks at it. You’ve got to really strive to make it better. I’m in a situation where I’m going to fight so hard that it’s going to be stronger than before. Who knows, it could end up being for the better." Johnson is fully qualified. Link to Pic of Johnson -- Link to Pic of Johnson -- Link to Alliancesports Profile of Johnson -- Link to Pic of Johnson -- Link to Pic of Johnson -- Link to Pic of Johnson -- Link to Pic of Horns at US Army Bowl (Johnson in black jersey back row) -- Link to Pic of Horns at US Army Bowl (Johnson in black jersey back row) -- Link to Pic of Marquis Johnson and Dibbles -- Link to Pic of Johnson -- Link to Clip of Johnson catching a pass in the US Army Bowl National All-Star Game -- Link to Pic of Johnson -- Link to Pic of Johnson -- Link to Pic of Johnson at US Army Bowl (black jersey) -- Last pic 1 second later -- Last pic 1 second later |
DT, Mesquite, TX, 6'3", 312, 4.84 - Martin is one of the more intriguing recruits Texas has ever landed. Believe it or not, he started tailback . . . at 6'4", 300 pounds. Martin is big, quick fast -- fast for a RB or a LB, not a DL. In fact, he was furious when he ran a 4.84 at a Nike Camp, as he had consistently been timed in the 4.6's before the camp. He shifted between DT and DE his senior year, but even then, his coach toyed with the idea of playing him at LB and RB. Rivals noted the obvious: "Martin is a physical freak of nature, possessing outstanding speed, quickness and overall athletic ability." Marco said "I did mostly running back last year, just some this year. I'm really quick off the ball and athletic... I run a 4.7 to 4.8 and bench around 400." Marco told Superprep "I have speed and quickness. I'm aggressive and I seen nothing but the ball on the field. I want to get my forty to a 4.5 and I also want to work on my movement." Mesquite Coach Steve Halpin told Inside Texas "He's very low key. He doesn't draw attention to himself. He's just a team player. He does a good job and cares for his teammates. He's a good person. He has a lot of character and his talent speaks for itself." Marco tore his ACL and MCL in his final game (see below), but already had his it surgically repaired (January '02) and is rehabbing hard. The doctors said that with proper rehab, it should not be a problem (in fact, two of Texas' top NFL players in the past few years, Casey Hampton and Wane McGarity, suffered similar injuries). Marco is redshirting and the rehab regimen has actually got him to do something he really didn't have to do before -- hit the weightroom hard. In fact, Marco has already slimmed down in the first month of rehab and is in better shape than he was during the season (the big guy didn't have to watch his weight as much to dominate in HS). Marco said "I'm going to come back stronger and faster than I was" after 19 months of reahp berfore his redshirt freshman year in '03. Coach Halpern added "its not going to be easy, but I feel confident that he will." 2001: Parade Magazine All-American. An Achilles injury bothered Martin for the first half of the season, but he really came on after healing up in the second half of the season. However, his knee was injured on a truly cheap looking chop in the 4A State Championship game against San Antonio Taft. However, Martin got the last laugh as he collected his Championship ring (Mequite won 14-13). DCTF First Team Super Team. Through the end of October, Martin had 96 tackles, 8 sacks and 26 TFLs. 2000: As a RB, Martin ran for 866 yards (7.5 ypc) and 6 TDs. Even though he didn't play a lot of defense, Martin still managed to make 16 tackles, two sacks, two fumbles recovered, two tackles for loss and one caused fumble. Physical stats and other sports: BP 370, Squat 640, and Power Cleans 390. 28.1" vertical, 4.63 shuttle. Marco ran a 4.84 in a camp over the summer and consistently clocks in teh high 4.7s and low 4.8s. Commit to Texas: Martin committed to Texas (20th, 12/19/01) over Mia, FSU, Tenn, Fla, USC, Neb, Syr, Ga Tech, Clem, A&M and a whole host of other schools (all offered). Martin said that he wanted to go to a close school so his mom could watch games, and also noted that"Texas is the perfect school to go to because of the recruiting class." Noting the Horns unbelievable 2002 class, Martin noted "that's what I want to do - play with other great players." Martin also said that, after his injury, "it was Coach brown that called me and really comforted me. He told me some stuff that made me feel really wanted. He said that they wanted me at Texas before I was injured and that they wanted me just as much after the injury. He let me know that they really wanted me at Texas and that made me feel good." Marco added "I had known for a while that Texas was a school I had really liked. Plus, it's close to home and my mom can watch my games without having to go to the trouble of flying." Link to Alliancesports Profile of Martin -- Link to Pic of Martin -- Link to Pic of Martin -- Link to Pic of Martin -- Link to Pic of Martin -- Link to Pic of Martin -- Link to Pic of Martin (No. 48) -- Link to Pic of Martin (No. 48) -- Link to Pic of Martin -- Link to Pic of Martin -- Link to Pic of Martin -- Link to Pic of Martin getting illegally chop blocked -- Link to Pic of Martin and Coach Halpern |
CB/Ath, North Garland, TX, 5'10", 180, 4.3 - Edorian is ranked by almost every service as one of the top 2-3 CB's in the country. He is one of the fastest and most elusive players in the nation who has dominated in high school at both RB and CB. Bobby Burton said of McCullough: "I got a chance to watch Edorian in person against South Garland earlier in the year. He made a play at cornerback that may have been one of the best plays I've ever seen a cornerback make. On a bubble screen, he sidestepped his receiver, came out and popped the RB underneath the chin. It caused a safety and guy was knocked out for 3 minutes." When asked what his strengths were, Edorian didn't tell Rivals speed but, instead, said “agility, the ability to change directions quickly, foot coordination.” Interestingly, he actually plays fullback for North Garland, but told Rivals "it’s not like a regular FB since we run the wing-T. It’s actually more like a TB in the I-formation even though I don’t have a lead blocker. Also, a lot of the time when I don’t get the ball I’m running fakes into the line. . . we run traps and hit the hole faster since the FB is closer to the line of scrimmage. Otherwise, it’s not that different." Edorian told Rivals that, on defense “we primarily play man coverage with a free safety. We’re given the freedom to play either on or off the receiver although most of the time we play off. In our two-deep zone, I play up on the WR. When I play on the receiver, I like to use my hands and steer him inside to the safety.” McCullough told Rivals: "I like to be physical. That’s the thing … you’ve got to be physical and not let him win. The way I look at it, if I’m physical with the receiver nine times out of 10 I’ll win." North Garland Heach Coach David Farris told InsideTexas: "He can run, he's physical and he's competitive. He's been playing man coverage ever since he's been here. That's pretty much all we do. He has all the tools he needs." Coach Farris also said ""Defensively, he didn't do much this year because nobody ever threw the ball at him." Edorian is a year older than most high schoolers his age, but was cleared to play by the UIL. Edorian wants to major in business. 2001: First Team All-District at both RB and CB. In the regular season (before the playoffs), on offense, McCullough had rushed for 1,755 yards on 241 carries (7.28ypc) and 16 touchdowns. He also caught 5 passes for 70 yards and had 90-yard KO return. In November 2001, McCullough said "At cornerback I have about 15 tackles on the year but teams don't throw in my direction much." He ended up with 36 tackles and 3 pass breakups. 2000: District MVP, named All-District at both RB and CB and rushed for 1,250 yards on 101 carries and19 touchdowns. Also had 20 catches for 345 yards and 1 TD. Physical stats: 250 BP, 380 Squat, 32" vertical. 3.7 Shuttle. Edorian is a major track star, making varsity as a freshman. In May of 2001, McCullough won the 100 m Texas State title with a time of 10.32 (has run a 9.96 wind-aided). He also came in second in the 200m (22.00) and his team came in second in the 4x100m relay (2nd place at State meet with 40.54). Edorian's fastest 200m is 20.95 (another 20.89 wind-aided). He was the high point scorer (22 points) at the Texas 5A Track & Field Championships. Commit to Texas: Edorian committed to Texas (26th, 1/21/02) over Mia, OU, Fla, Neb, A&M, LSU, Mich, Mich St. and others. Edorian said about his visit to Texas: “I knew before I visited there this weekend that that’s where I was going. It’s where I’ve always wanted to go. They knocked my socks off. But, I knew I was going there. The players and I got along great.” Edorian also said "My heart was telling me to go to Texas. Like I said, I’ve always been a Texas fan and I really liked their players. Plus, everybody there just acts like they’re family and cared about each other." Edorian added "I grew up a Texas fan and always dreamed of playing for the Longhorns. I really like playing cornerback and the coaches told me I would have an opportunity to play there right away. Texas has a great family atmosphere and Coach Brown treats his players well. He also gives his players a chance to successful and serves as a father figure." Edorian has an SAT score well above NCAA minimums but needs to work a bit on his grades (he will need an increase in one or the other to qualify and he is working very hard on it). Edorian had early academic problems but has worked very hard to succeed. Football Coach Joe Allen said "He has come a long way, and now, is really just a model student. A lot of kids use sports to stay out of trouble, and he has used it to get stronger and stronger in the classroom." Edorian said "I strive to be the best, on the football field, in track and in the classroom. That is what I try to tell other people, is you have to be the best in the classroom first." Link to Rivals Profile of McCullough -- Link to Pic of Edorian -- Link to Pic of McCullough -- Link to Video of McCullough (Inside Southwest Recruiting) -- Link to Pic of McCullough after signing with Texas -- Link to Pic of McCullough of McCullough signing -- Link to Pic of McCullough signing LOI -- Link to Pic fo Edorian signing LOI -- Link to Pic of Edorian signing LOI -- Link to Pic of McCullough |
S, Tyler John Tyler, TX, 6'0", 197, 4.41 - Melton is a good combination of playmaker and athlete that plays both WR and FS for TJT. Alliancesports said that Melton "is one of the top defensive back prospects in the state of Texas. . . . Melton has the ability to play any spot in the secondary and that type of versatility has teams across the country drooling over the prospect of landing this outstanding young defensive back." Melton said that Texas "likes me because of my versatility and my aggressiveness. I'm a guy that can come in during blitz packages and cover the slot as well as any cornerback. I'm also a very aggressive player against the run." Melton said that in college, he probably will play"strong safety or corner. I believe I’ll be able to make the necessary adjustments.” After viewing him at the A&M Nike camp, Jeremy Crabtree said "One of the more impressive prospects this past weekend at the Texas A&M Nike Camp was Tyler (Texas) John Tyler standout Matthew Melton. He looked very impressive in the one-on-one drills and more than hung his own against the state’s best receivers and skill position players. He came away catching the eye of Rivals100 and the numerous coaches that were there in attendance." Melton also said "“I’m an aggressive hitter with good jumping ability. I like playing centerfield and making the big plays.” Melton is a National Honor Society member and sports a high GPA and test score well above the minimums necessary for qualification. Matt's grandfather, Elmer Redd, was an All-America running back at Prairie View A&M and the offensive coordinator at the University of Houston (1970-86). Melton wants to be a Mechanical Engineer. 2001: Rung up 60 tackles, 14 pass breakups, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Matt also rushed six times for 112 yards and had a TD reception as a wideout. 2000: all-district, all-region,a ll-state honors, all-state academic. 92 tackles, five INTs (one returned for a TD) and five fumble recoveries (one TD), 4 fumbles caused, 9 deflected passes, 5 TFL's, 2 sacks and one blocked extra point. Also had added seven receptions for 89 yards and rushed for a pair of TDs. Physical stats and other sports: BP 315 (position record at TJT), Squat 420 and Vert Leap of 36.5" at Nike Camp. Melton ran his 4.41 at A&M's mini-camp on turf. Melton also runs for TJT's 100m relay team (fastest 100m dash team is 10.75) and runs the 110m and 300m hurdles. Commit to Texas: Melton committed (16th, 10/17/01) over A&M, Purdue and Arizona (all offered). Melton said "It was down to Texas and Texas A&M and I just felt more comfortable at Texas. I sat down with my parents and talked it over and decided to make my commitment." Melton added "Texas is the best program in the United States and Mack Brown is a great all-around coach and father figure. I really enjoyed my visit and it just felt like the right place to go. Coach Brown is a players coach and he doesn't put too much pressure on his players. I think that helps them be successful." Melton is fully qualified. Link to Alliancesports Profile of Melton -- Link to Pic of Melton -- Link to Pic of Melton -- Link to Pic of Melton |
WR, Round Rock Westwood, TX, 6'0", 167, 4.35 - Miksch is one of the fastest receivers in the state. Miksch was extremely impressive in camp, getting open on every CB that tried to cover him. Highly regarded Houston Madison CB Donald Burgs said Miksch was the toughest WR at the camp to cover and "was really good. He was hard to cover and he has really good speed. He has good hands, too." Miksch says "I think I have good speed. I need to work a little on my routes to get crisper. I feel I have a little of everything receiving the ball, I guess, as far as leaping ability and good hands." Geoff Ketchum said that Miksch's "quickness is what allows him to get in and out of his breaks as well or better than any receiver in the Lone Star State. In fact, the only person I’ve seen in the past few years from Texas that is as polished as Miksch is in his route running is current Longhorn BJ Johnson. His ability to separate from defenders is simply outstanding and it’s the part of his game that really separates him from his peers. The only thing Miksch really lacks is a little more weight and upper body strength. Of course, with the depth that the Longhorns have at wide receiver, he’ll likely be able to red-shirt in 2002 and be ready for serious playing time as a red-shirt freshman. . . . At this point, Miksch looks at the very least like a player who is really going to be a great intermediate route receiver that can work inside and out of the hash marks." Dustin's father, Ronnie, was a wide receiver at UT who lettered in 1977-78 and his uncle, Randy, lettered in 1977. Dustin's grandfather, Leroy, lettered in basketball at Texas A&M from 1951-53 and was a two-year starter at forward for the Aggies. 2001: Second-team all-district honors as a senior after recording 29 receptions for 400 yards and three touchdowns. 2000: 46 receptions for 676 yards and 5 TDs. All-District. Physical stats and other sports: Miksch won the fastest man contest at the Texas camp (edged out Clint Haney) with a 4.35 40 yard dash. Miksch also won the fastest man competition at the A&M camp the week before, running a 4.40. He ran the exact same time (4.40) at the Nike Camp in College Station (fastest time in camp) on the same track the month before. He also jumped 37.5" inch vertical at the Nike camp. Has also run a 10.53 100m dash. On a wet field at the Nike Camp, Miksch ran a 4.26 shuttle, and improved that to a 4.10 at A&M's mini-camp. In the Spring of 2001, Miksch ran a 40.0 300m hurdles and long jumped 22'3". Miksch said "Track helps me with speed, endurance, quickness and keeps me in shape." Commit to Texas: Miksch committed very early to Texas (6/14/01, 7th commit) over Purdue, Notre Dame, A&M, Nebraska, Oklahoma and many other schools. Dustin's father Ronnie lettered at Texas in 1977-78. Miksch said "I've always gone to the games and I would get chills when the players would run out onto the field. I've always been a Longhorn fan." Miksch added "My father went to UT and I loved the coaches and everything about the program. Coach Brown cares about his players and is an honest person." Miksch is fully qualified. Link to pic of Miksch -- Link to Alliancesports Profile of Miksch -- Link to Pic of Miksch -- Miksch's Fox 7 Profile (includes game by game stats) -- Picture of Miksch at Coin Toss -- Picture of Miksch on Sidelines -- Link to Pic of Miksch Making Catch in big win over Westlake -- Link to Pic of Miksch eluding tackler in big win over Westlake-- Link of Pic of Miksch catching deep pass -- Link to Pic of Miksch on Sidelines -- Link to Pic of Miksch on Sidelines |
LB, Pflugerville Connally, TX, 6'3", 215, 4.55 - Marcus is a very athletic LB and the son of former Texas Tech RB Rufus Myers. He really began to catch the UT coaches eyes when the big Myers dashed off some 4.5 times at UT's camp. Myers coach Matt Monzingo also said Myers' future is at linebacker because "he's got a great nose for the ball. He's really good at sniffing out where the play is going and he's very aggressive. With his size and speed, he's got the whole package to be an outstanding linebacker." Alliance's Geoff Ketch said "one of the first things that really sticks out about Myers is his ability to run and make things happen as an athlete. There were more than a few moments last season when Myers showed National Top 100 type of ability." Ketch adds that, even though he switched over from offense, Myers is very aggressive (big sticks) but is still inconsistent as a LB. Ketchum concluded "Upside is the key word with Myers because he certainly has a lot of it. His athletic ability and raw skills are terrific. The more I watched of Myers, the more I liked him. I couldn't help but to think about how good Myers might be once he gets a little more coaching and a little bit better feel for the position. . . . the talent is there and he has as much or more upside as any linebacker in the Lone Star State. As a physical talent, Myers reminds me a lot of current Longhorn Marcus Wilkins, except that Myers is clearly a better high school player than Wilkins ever was. With a great senior season, Myers could really rise in the national and state recruiting rankings." Ketchum added that Myers showed some growing pains learning a new position (MLB) in HS and that "He has ideal size, speed, quickness and athleticism, but he's still learning the trade as a linebacker. With good coaching and some time to develop, he could be a star. At the moment, he's not quite there, but the obvious upside is. It's clearly a case of not what you're getting when he reports, but you might have by the time he graduates." Myers is also an academic standout, posting a 4.59 GPA and an invitee to the Naval Academy seminar for potential cadets in the summer of 2001. Myers said "I wouldn't say that I'm happy to go to class, but when I'm there I'm going to sit in the front and do my best. Education is always harped on in my family." 2001: Had 69 tackles, a sack, an interception and one fumble recovery in 2001. Myers also rushed 25 times for 102 yards and caught four passes for 39 yards and a TD 2000: 88 tackles, four sacks, an INT and four pass breakups Physical stats and other sports: Ran a 4.5 at the UT camp, and performed very well. Marcus also played basketball (power forward), two-years of baseball (outfielder) and ran track (sprints). Commit to Texas: Meyers committed to Texas (6/27/01, 9th commit) early over A&M, TTech (offer), OU, OK St(offer) and Northwestern (offer). Myers said "I kind of felt like Texas probably wanted me the most. The UT coaches were real nice to me and they met my mom and my dad at the camp . . .This allows my dad, my family and my friends the chance to watch me play close to home." Myers added "It's the best of both worlds. It's a school that offers a great education and the football program is outstanding." Marcus added ""I thought Texas was the best fit for me. After weighing education, I knew playing for UT was my best option. It's close to home, so I will have a chance to play in front of my family. Coach Brown is an honest person. He seemed like he wanted me and called often. That showed me he was interested. The program has great family atmosphere and is dedicated to winning. I really think they have something special." Marcus is fully qualified. Link to Pic of Marcus Myers -- Link to Pic of Myers -- Link to Pic of Myers -- Myers' Alliancesports Profile |
DE, Jenks, OK, 6'6', 225, 4.6 - Pickryl is widely regarded as one of the top 5 DE prospects in the country and the top overall player in the state of Oklahoma (he also made Superprep's Elite 50 players in the nation). A tall very quick player who is a talented and relentless pass rusher, who can contribute immediately in that regard. Pickryl's advantages on the field aren't hard to figure out: he is simply quicker, faster, smarter and more agressive than almost every other defensive end. He is so quick, that UCLA was recruiting him as a LB/DE (even at 6'6"). His coach (Alan Trimble), who has had several highly ranked kids come out of Jenks powerhouse program raves about Pickryl's physical ability: "Pick is one of the most amazing athletes that we have ever had here at Jenks. He is so gifted. He is 6-6 and he can chase running backs down from sideline to sideline." Rivals says re Pickryl: "Simply put, Pick can take over a game. He has long arms, perfect frame for more weight and a motor that doesn't stop. " Jenks Coach Trimble even compares Pickryl favorably to OU All-American LB and former Jenks graduate Rocky Calmus "For his position he may be even more elite than that. I mean, he's 6-5 with great speed and he's a great pass rusher. . . He's a tremendous athlete." Trimble added "He plays so big. He’s so agile for his height and you just can’t block him. He’s an amazing athlete and can accelerate like they do on Saturday. . . I believe he will leave here as one of the best players to ever play for Jenks. He is a fantastic athlete for his size and runs as well as a much smaller player. Brian can change direction and is one of the finest pass rushers that we have had at Jenks." He also said ""I think he's got more potential than any kid we've had." (note: these comments are even more impressive when one realizes that Jenks is one of the biggest Div I-A pipeline HS in the country, with recent recruits in the last few years going to OU (Calmus, Kejuan Jones, Callens, Klink, McCoy, Carter, Pinson, Brumble), ND (Wisne (NFL), Beckstrom, Mahan), Neb (Lohr) and several others to smaller schools. Mack Brown said of Pickryl: "he’s really fast. He has a really good first step. The same quickness and strength with Chase (Pittman) and Larry Dibbles and they’re bigger. Bryan’s a little bit light right now so he’ll take the weight program to continue to improve his strength, especially against the run. He has great speed and quickness on the pass rush." Geoff Ketchum surprisingly called Pickryl the top defensive player in UT's class, and said "The 6-6, 230-pound Pickryl is the best pass rushing defensive end that Texas has landed since possibly Tony Brackens first walked on to the 40 Acres. A relentless player, Pickryl only needs to add some more weight to his frame and he's going to be one heck of a college player." While Pickryl is currently a little on the thin side, he lost a lot of weight earlier in the season when he had a case of Mono (he had gotten up to almost 240 in the preseason before he came down with mono) and also tore his labrum early in the season. Pickryl played through both (had shoulder surgery on Dec 10, 2001 and requires 3 months of rehab time) and said re the labrum tear: "It allowed my arm to dislocate for the rest of the season and was kind of touch and go. I wasn’t really 100 percent, but we won our sixth straight Class 6A championship, which is a state record, so everything worked out just fine.” Pickryl downplayed how badly the injury effected him -- his shoulder was disclocated some 35 times during the season, and Pickryl would have to take himself out of the game and painfully pop it back into place on the sidelines before re-entering to do battle. He did admit after the season that pain was extreme, when it popped out he "could feel rolling around on the front of my collarbone," and he said "I'd drop my shoulder ... and it would kind of have a jolt and pop back in." Trimble noted that it was almost impossible to effectively pass rush with one arm, Pickryl had to rely almost entirely upon his quickness to be effective, and he certainly was that. Pickryl tore his Labrum Sept 21 against Broken Arrow, and Broken Arrow head coach Rick Jones said "he raises his arms and blots out the sun. You're never away from him, because he's so fast. You run away from him, but he's fast enough to chase you. The night we played him, he was all over us." In November, Trimble also said "Bryan is an unbelievably smart kid. He gets that scouting report and knows their tendencies and knows what to look for. He made a play this week against Muskogee in which they ran the option away from him, and he tackled the quarterback for a one-yard loss. He knew there wasn't a bootleg threat and that they never ran a reverse. He ran a pretty athletic quarterback down like he was parked by the side of the road. He has a natural knack for playing defensive end. Some guys don't do well when you put their hand on the ground, but Bryan did fine. About February, he made a personal commitment to be even better. He dedicated himself to the weights, put on about 15 to 20 good pounds, started writing down goals and became more focused. He's really channeled his efforts towards his college playing days." Pickryl said "My strong points would be my speed and intensity as well as my instincts in knowing what the offense is going to do. I am an experienced player with the opportunity for improvement." Pickryl told Superprep "I'm able to see what's happening quickly and use my speed to beat an opponent. I like to prepare myself for the enemy. I like to think of myself as fast and explosive. I hit 'em hard but I need to bulk up." Regarding his position at Texas, Pickryl said "They'll start me out at defensive end. It depends on how much bigger I get in the next couple of years. I could be moved inside, but I do like to play outside right now." Pickryl actually played WR his sophomore year, and was moved to DE when the DE starter was injured . . . when Pickryl was only 6'4", 200 (he did surprisingly well). Pickryl wants to major in computer or civil engineering. Nicknamed "Pick." 2001: The Oklahoman's State Defensive Player of the Year. Despite missing part of the early season with mono (which weakened him throughout the early season) and playing with an injured shoulder (torn labrum) throughout the season (was operated on 12/10/01), Pickryl had 82 tackles (57 solo), 7 sacks and 2 blocked kicks. At the end of the State Championship game in December 2001, Pickryl fought through the usual double teams and chip blocks to get a key sack and a batted pass late in the fourth quarter to help seal Jenks' 6th consecutive (incredible) 6A Oklahoma State Championship. Pickryl played at both DE and TE in '02 and had 162 yards receiving and 3 TD receptions (including a 72 yarder). 2000: Missed half of 2000 (5 games) due to a torn tendon, but still had 53 tackles, seven sacks, two blocked kicks and two fumble recoveries in helping to lead Jenks to its 5th straight 6A Oklahoma State Football Championship. Physical stats and other sports: VL 32", Sqat 450, Bench 320. Pickryil was on the basketball and track teams until the spring of his junior year, when he gave them up to concentrate on football. Commit to Texas: Pickryl chose Texas (18th commit, 12/3/01) over OU, UCLA (dad was Bruin grad), Mich, Miami, Mizzou, LSU, Neb, Notre Dame, CU, Tenn, A&M and others (all offered). "I just felt it was the best decision for me. I like what I see for my future there." After his commitment, Pickryl said "I said all along that the academics would play a huge role. Texas has a great football program, but they also have one of the top 10 engineering schools in the nation. That to me was just as important as football.” He added "I chose Texas because it had the best combination of athletics and education. I also love the city and have family down in Austin. Coach Brown is a really personable coach who knows what he's doing. He has taken UT to the Top 10 and I know he is somebody I can put my trust into and work hard for." Bryan and his parents researched 20 different colleges, speaking with many Engineering Deans before making his choice. Pickryl said that his friends and family were thrilled with the decision to attend Texas, but "[b]ut there are those OU fans walking around campus. I think I was likened on the radio to that guy in Afghanistan that was an American fighting against America. But I'm excited about coming to Texas and winning some national championships." Bryan is fully qualified and has an SAT score well above NCAA minimums. Key is that Pickryl will enrol in the Spring of '01, giving him extra time to attend practice and permitting him to not count against Texas' 25 ship limit for the class of '02. Pickryl is already on campus. Link to Pic of Pickryl -- Link to Pic of Pickryl -- Link to Pic of Pickryl -- Link to Pic of Pickryl -- Link to Pic of Pickryl -- Link to Pic of Pickryl -- Link to Pic of Pickryl -- Link to Pic of Pickryl (#99) -- Link to Alliancesports Profile of Pickryl -- Link to Videoclip of Pickryl (from Inside Southwest Recruiting) |
DL, Shreveport Evangel Christian, LA, 6'4", 270, 4.9 - One of a long line of superstars from Shreveport's legendary Evangel Christian HS, Pittman has the kind of talent that would stand out no matter what HS he attended. Ranked in the top 100 players in the country by several services, Chase was pursued early by all of the big programs. A big framed kid loaded with power and with great mobility, Chase is one of the top ranked DL's in the country. Chase is just a great physical specimen, at 270 pounds with a 34" waist and a 440 BP. Tom McCann of Countdown to Signing Day said of Chase, "Chase is a selfless defensive lineman, taking on 2-3 blockers at a time while teammates make plays." Every Horn fan remembers Chase's brother Cole, the talented and very popular DL that died in a tragic auto accident. Chase will graduate in December and enroll in January so that he can participate in Spring practice. 2001: Teammate Chris Bowers got a lot of sacks that he credited to being unblocked while Chase was getting double-teamed. 63 tackles, 14 TFLs, 6 sacks. Played a bit of TE in 2001 and even caught a TD pass. 2000: 37 solos, 10 TFL's and 7 sacks in only 6 games (because of a bulging disc in his neck), despite every team running away from him. All-State, All-City and All-District. Physical stats and other sports: BP Max 440 and 32" vert during the summer after his junior year in HS. Has run a 4.79 40 yard dash. Bench pressed 185 pounds 36 times at a Nike camp. Commit to Texas: Chase committed to Texas (9/16/01, 13th commit) over OU, LSU and A&M (all offered). Like other players at Evangel Christian, Chase committed in church. Pittman said "Coach Brown is what I think is also the best coach in America. I already am convinced that Texas is the best team and school around. I'm just so proud that I'm going to get the opportunity to play at Texas and help carry on what my brother started. It's always felt like family. Even before what happened with Cole. But now it's my home away from home." Chase said further "Texas feels like home and a place where I need to be. The program has great coaches and tradition. Coach Brown is really laid back, upfront and honest with his players. He is very personable and encourages his players to be the best they can be." Chase added about his visit and commit to Texas: "it wasn't really the easiest choice I had to make. I was really reluctant. I was worried about how I was gonna react with my brother not being there when I got down there." Chase's dad Mark, added, "he wants to bless his brother, but I want Chase to be Chase, and Chase is pretty good at that, at just being Chase." Chase Fully qualified and is already on campus (Spring enrollee). Link to Pic of Pittman Benching 440 Pounds with Dad Spotting -- Link to Pic of Chase and girlfriend, Britni -- Link to Alliancesports Profile of Pittman -- Link to Pic of Pittman -- Link to Pic of Chase and parents at Cole Pittman Memorial -- Link to Pic of Pittman -- Link to Video Clip of Pittman catching a pass |
LB/DL, Splendora, TX, 6'3", 248, 4.65 - Robison is a big, explosive kid who will likely grow taller and bigger his senor year of high school. He plays LB, halfback and even kicks for Splendora. Robison's coach told Inside Texas "He could grow out of that, and (Brian's) aware of that but he wants to play linebacker. In my opinion, he hasn't quit growing yet. I think he'll get a lot bigger, both taller and heavier." Prepstar said of Robison: "Few players can match his size, speed and expressiveness from the LB position. He may grow into a DE on the next level." Robison said "“I tackle really well. If you have a pile of kids, when I get there the pile moves. When I come to tackle you, I come with a full head of steam. A couple colleges say if I go up there, I could go down to a defensive end, but a lot of colleges like me at linebacker. But with my size, I’m open to either. Whatever helps the team.” Robison wanted to commit early to Texas so he could concentrate on the Junior Olympics. Brian's father, Jimmy, played linebacker on Ranger Junior College's National Championship team in the 1970s. Brian's cousin, Casey Jones, played offensive guard at Texas Tech (1994-96). Brian's nickname is "Freight Train." 2001: Second-team all-state and first-team all-district. Registered 98 tackles, 20 TFLs, eight sacks and four pass breakups. 2000: 121 solo tackles (school doesn't tabulate assists), 16 TFLs , 9sacks, 6 fumbles caused, 5 fumble recoveries, 8 pass breakups, 1 FG block and 1 INT. Robison says he broke his hand in the first game, which caused him to drop several INT's during the season (while he wore a cast). Honorable Mention All-State. 1999: Had 125 tackles, 6 sacks, 6 pass breakups, 1 INT and 3 recovered fumbles. Physical stats and other sports: 39" vertical leap. Robison also benches 380 and squats 500 (the summer after his junior year). Ran a 4.52 shuttle. Robison broke the AAU track record for his age group for the discuss, with a throw of 200' 4-3/4", and was named the outstanding male athlete at the AAU junior olympics in Norfolk, Va at which re reset the discuss record (202', 7") came in 2nd in the shot and 6th in the javelin. Has thrown the shot 62' 7" and the javelin 172' 10". Robison also plays basketball (power forward) and baseball (pitcher). Commit to Texas: Robison committed to Texas (6/9/00, 11th commit) over LSU (offer) , OU (recruited as a DE), Ark and UH (offer). "There's not another one in the nation like it (Texas). Coach Brown is totally up front with you and he tells you the truth whether or not that's what you want to hear. Really, Texas just feels like place I need to be." Robison also said "I felt most comfortable with the UT coaches. They treated me like I was part of their family and wanted me not only as a player, but as a person. They really care about academics more than football. Coach Brown is very honest and tells you what he thinks. He acts like a professional and is very family-oriented." Robison has a 3.9 gpa and a test score well above qualifying minimums. Brian Robison's Alliancesports Profile -- Link to Pic of Robison |
C, Scottsdale Chaparral, AZ, 6'4-1/2", 295, 4.9 - Ranked as one of the top DL's on many lists in the nation, Sendlein is an aggressive defender with excellent feet for a player his size. He also played C, OG and OT at Chaparral. Although he is now almost 6'5" and 295, he played LB until midway through his senior year in high school (when he switched to DL) and was a terror. He is listed by the nearly every recruiting service as a top 30 DL nationally, with many listing him higher than that. Sendlein's father (Robin) played for Texas, and his brother (Austin) currently plays LB for Texas. He told Jason Suchomel that he will play Center at Texas: "I think that’s where I would best help the team and have the best chance of getting to the next level. . . . I love watching film and I’m obsessed with knowing everything situationally in football. I know I’ll be able to make the calls and if I happen to make the wrong call, I’ll still be going over 100 percent.” When asked if he had any odd pre-game rituals, Sendlein answered "It’s kind of weird, but I make like a tape doll of one of my opponents. I strap that to like my shoulder pads or wherever it will fit and wear it during the game." Sendlein wants to eventually become involved in architecture. Nickname "Manchild." 2001: First-team all-state, all-region and all-city. 110 tackles, six sacks, three fumble recoveries (one returned for a TD) and a 29-yard interception return for a TD. He lead his team in statistical defensive "points" (calculated by his HS coach), which is amazing from a DL position. 2000: Second-team all-state and first-team all-region and all-city honors. Also named the Valley's 2000 Defensive Player of the Year. 157 Tackles (101 solo). Physical stats and other sports: Commit to Texas: Sendlein committed to Texas (6/3/01, 4th commit) very early over Notre Dame, Florida, Penn State and Michigan (all offered) and many PAC-10 schools. I'm not sure if those schools offered, because Sendlein made very clear early in the Spring that he would accept an offer from Texas if one was extended. Even though his dad and bro are bigtime horns, Notre Dame, Michigan and Nebraska had extended Lyle offers to attend their camps. Lyle said "I've always wanted to go there since I was a little kid. I wasn't going to limit it to just Texas because they rarely recruit players out of the state. But with my father and my brother, it made it a lot easier." Senlein added “I just can’t wait to get down there and experience the best years of my life. I’m excited to meet the people that I’ll be sweating and crying and bleeding with for the next five years. I’m looking forward to winning all the games.” Sendlein also said "I really like the direction the program is heading. The coaching staff, facilities and tradition are great. It's just a great school in a great city with great fans. I also wanted to keep our family tradition going. Coach Brown is very personable. There are two sides to him. The first is that he can be your best friend and the second is that he makes you respect him more than a friend. His program is more than winning. It's also about becoming a better person." Sendlein is fully qualified and has a 3.4 gpa. Link to Alliancesports Profile of Sendlein -- Link to Pic of Sendlein -- Link to Pic of Sendlein -- Link to Pic of Sendlein |
LB, Arlington Lamar, TX, 6'3", 216, 4.58 - Smith is widely regarded as one of the top 5-10 oustide LB's in the country. A tall explosive player who tackles very well, Smith plays RB and LB for Lamar HS. Garnet finished career with 225 tackles (No. 5 in Arlington ISD history) and 23 sacks (No. 4 in AISD history). Garnett has a lot of natural abilitiy, and is looking forward to getting into a college weight program. He said "I have good speed and can take over on the field. Football is easy for me. I just let it loose. I need to improve my lower body strength and my legs which would make me quicker." Rivals 100's Jeremy Crabtree said "You look at his size and his speed. ... He has all those things and great ability to go along with it. He is not a project. He is a guy that can go into an Oklahoma or Texas or Florida and compete for playing time right away." Garnet has two cousins that play for Arkansas (Cedric Cobbs and Carlos Hall). Garnet says “My skills are based on pass rushing and using my speed. Everyone compares me to LT (Lawrence Taylor) or Lavar Arrington. I tape all of Arrington’s games. I model my game after him.” Smith has set his sights high: "Forget about being the best linebacker in the state. I want to be the best linebacker in the country. I feel like I'm the best in the country. When a doctor becomes a doctor, he wants to be the best doctor he can be. When a lawyer becomes a layer, he wants to be the best. Why do anything unless you want to be the best? That's what I want to bring to Texas." Smith said "I really feel that I am as good as any linebacker out there. The thing I have to do is go out there and prove it on the field." When asked about his best asset on the field, Smith answered: "I would say my speed. I’ve had a chance to work out with guys like Aaron Harris and some other guys and we’ve raced and I haven’t been against a linebacker that can outrun me. So I’d say my speed but also my ability to not only play the run but also I cover receivers. I’m able to do a lot of different things, sometimes even move to free safety to cover receivers." He also said that, overall, "[m]y strong points are my speed, study of film, knowledge and preparation for a game and attitude on the field. I'm a mad man most of the time. I don't feel anything. I put the team first, so I'm a leader as well." Smith added "I’m trying to work on taking on blockers better. Last year there were many times that I could have shed the blocker better and made better plays. I definitely need to work on that. But overall, I don’t feel I’m as good as I can be at any part of my game. I feel I can develop in all parts." Smith also said "I definitely have a lot of things I could get better at. I mean, I feel like I can get better about my whole game in terms of strength and everything. I feel like I'm the best linebacker in the country, hands down. I don't feel that there's a linebacker in the country that can do the things I can do. I don't just play linebacker, but I play halfback as well. I can even play some receiver so in terms of being an athlete and being a linebacker, it all comes together. I can rush the passer great, I feel I can cover any receiver and when it comes to playing the run I thrive on contact. I've seen film on a lot of the great linebackers that have been rated higher than me. Not to speak against any of them, or to speak badly of any of them, but they have a lot of growing up to get to my level." In fact, Smith has set his football goals as high as they can go: "I hope to be the greatest linebacker that ever lived. I have high aspirations. Football is not guaranteed but in 10 years that's what I see myself doing … erasing the Ray Lewis' and Urlachers' and putting my name up as the greatest linebacker that ever lived." When asked how he would describe his playing style, Smith said "Violent. When I get a chance to hit you, football is a violent sport. I have no respect for my opponent during the game. Before or after I’ll love you like my brother but during the game, I don’t care who you are, I have no respect for you." Smith really concentrates on trying to get in the right mindset for a game, to the point where he undergoes a rather unorthodox ritual "I like to get any emblem or rag or t-shirt that has the opposite team's log on it. Then I sit in the locker room and I tear it up, cut it up, whatever. I like to get the feeling that I own them. I can't grab one of the players and beat them so I get some type of emblem. Garnet's cousin is Ark RB Cedric Cobbs. He is nicknamed "Tank." 2001: DCTF Second Team Super Team. Recorded 73 tackles, 11 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception. Garnet also rushed for 326 yards (on 71 carries) and seven touchdowns. 2000: 81 tackles, 8 fumbles caused, 16 TFL's, 1 interception, 9 sacks, 10 pass deflections and 2 punt blocks. First-team all-district selection. Smith was also a member of the 2000 Fort Worth Star-Telegram Dream Team. 1999: First Team All District Selection and the 1999 District sophomore of the yea after making 71 tackles and three sacks and also returning four kicks/punts for TDs that season (3 KR, 1 PR) . Physical stats and other sports: BP 360, Squat 515 and Vert. Leap 38" Garnet's best 40 time is a 4.49, and he averages a 4.58. Smith also says "I've always been into boxing but now I'm getting into it seriously. My pastor at church used to be a professional boxer so he makes me take it seriously. I work out with him every single day for three hours a day." Commit to Texas: Committed to Texas (9/17/01, 14th commit) over OU, Florida, K St, Miami, Nebraska Tenn, UCLA, USC Alabama, A&M, Auburn and Arkansas (all offered). Garnett had committed to OU two days before, and then changed his commitment to Texas. Smith said "Oklahoma just can't compare to Texas academically." Smith also said ""I'm excited about getting to Austin," he said. "There's no doubt that I made the right decision. I committed to Oklahoma and everybody knew that. But for the Texas fans to still accept me and have nice things to say about me even though I committed to another school, that let me know that they look at us as more than just athletes. They realize we're young men that have to make a really important decision. I know they were looking out for me and that was real important." He also said "I want to go where I will be happy, and I feel like I will be happy in Austin. The Texas people have said nothing but nice things to me, even when I was committed to Oklahoma, but the OU people haven't been that nice." Smith said his head coach and several of his assistant coaches are Oklahoma graduates and have been "pushing me to go to Oklahoma." Garnet also said "when I chose OU it was very spur of the moment because I wanted to get the recruiting process over with--but I wasn't thinking. I'm really comfortable in Texas and I don't want to go away." Garnet added "UT is a great situation for me. They play an exciting style of defense where the linebackers have to be versatile. I think I can fit well into their scheme. The program has a great family atmosphere, which I think is a key component to winning championships. Coach Brown is upfront and allows his players to make decisions for themselves. The team is so close, kind of like a brotherhood." While Garnet continued to ponder visiting other schools after committing (which is not allowed by Texas, and most other schools), he finally decided that Texas is where he wanted to be, and that decision was solidified after he attended Texas' Football Banquet and got to know UT players and recruits. Smith is fully qualified. Link to Alliancesports Profile of Smith -- Smith leads charge in gang tackle -- Smith on a tackle -- Pic of Smith -- Pic of Smith -- Link to Pic of Smith (#46) -- Link to Pick of Smith -- Link to Pic of Smith Chowing Down -- Link to Pic of Garnet Smith Carrying the Football -- Link to Pic of Garnet Smith celebrating -- Link to Pic of Smith taking handoff -- Link to Pic of Garnet Smith -- Link to Pic of Smith -- Link to Pic of Smith -- Link to Pic of Smith |
OC/OG/DT, Littleton Highlands Ranch, CO, 6'2", 275, 4.8 - Kasey was a playmaking DL/OL in high school that many schools have tabbed as one of the best collegiate center or OG prospects in the country (note, he plays OT in high school). The versatile Studdard played every position on the OL and DL at various times in high school, and also played LB. Kasey also tore it up at the US Army Bowl National HS All-Star Game as a DT, so I'll guess we'll have to wait and see what his position will be. He's definitely got a lineman's frame, but is also player with great quickness, feet and pretty good straight away speed, too. He also plays with a lot of intensity. Kasey said “My strengths, I guess, are my quickness for how big I am, my quick feet, and my ability to see and find the ball on defense.” Prepstar says of Kasey: "The traits that make Kasey a fine defensive lineman are balance, agility, strength, speed and natural football instincts. Viewed on videotape, Kasey’s reactions are very impressive. Quick hands, overwhelming power, and speed dominate his opponents. His grasp of defensive line principles regarded by some as 'remarkable' for a high school athlete." Studdard wants to redshirt to get stronger. Kasey's dad, David Studdard, and his uncles Les played OL for the Horns in the late 70's. Dad David also played for the Denver Broncos and is the OL Coach at Highlands Ranch. Another relatvie, Robert Studdard, also played TE for the Horns. Studdard wants to get into business (but may pursue coaching after football, too). 2001: Selected to play in the U.S. Army All-America Bowl, where he played defensive tackle and made a lot of plays -- and looked really quick doing say. Of the experience, Studdard said "It was cool getting to hang with those guys. Plus, I played real well and I proved to myself that I can play with anyone." All-State on offensively and while he was All-State on Defene as a junior -- the first player in Colorado to ever make All-State on both sides of the ball. Impressively, Studdard holds both the career ('98-'01) and single season ('01) records for tackles at his high school, from the defensive tackle position. Despite teams running away from him, Studdard made130 tackles, eight sacks, four blocked kicks and three fumble recoveries as a senior. He also carried the ball in short yardage situations 3 times for 23 yards. 2000: Only one of two juniors to be named 1st Team All-State. As a DL, recorded 163 tackles and 10 quarterback sacks, 4 fumble recoveries, 2 fumbles caused, 3 batted down passes and 4 blocked field goals. Physical stats and other sports: BP 365, squatted 465 and vert 28" his junior year. Kasey is also a power forward in basketball. He has a shot put over 50 feet and a discus throw over 140. Commit to Texas: Kasey committed to Texas (24th, 1/11/02) over Mia, NU, Wash, Tenn, USC, UCLA, Col, AZ, Cal, CSU (all offered). "It came down to family and me following my heart. This was a really a tough decision for me. It's the hardest thing I've ever done." Studdard also said "It was pretty much my decision. It's pretty cool my dad played there, but it wasn't the deciding factor. I just liked it. . . . I'm going to establish my own thing." Studdard added "My heart and family are at Texas. My dad and uncle went to UT. It is a beautiful campus in a great city. Coach Brown is a really nice man who is helpful and very supportive." Studdard is fully qualified. Link to Pic of Studdard -- Link to Pic of Studdard -- Link to Video of Studdard (#63) playing DT in the US Army Bowl National HS All-Star Game making a hit on the East Squad QB -- Link to Video of Studdard playing DT in the US Army Bowl National HS All-Star Game Coming into to flatten a RB at the end of the clip |
TE, Woolforth Frenship, TX, 6'3", 215, 4.68 - Thomas is one of the top receiving TE's in the country. Ketchum rates him as the top "H-back" in the state of Texas. He's a very athletic player who easily shifts direction and has good acceleration. Frenship Head Coach Bobby Davis said "I can't think of anybody that had that combination of being 6-3, 215, a 4.6 40 with good hands and a good vertical jump like he has. He's kind of a unique guy." He also played OLB and safety for Frenship HS his junior year, and played more at safety his senior year. In fact, according to Frenship's defensive coordinator, Don Black, Thomas' biggest contributions to Frenship's 11-3 season arguably came on defense, with Black calling Thomas "one of the best defensive players I've ever coached. He's the best I've ever had covering the line or the pass. He has the size and the speed." Impressive considering Black has been at Frenship for 21 years. While he was fourth on his team in tackles, coach Black said he would have piled up more tackles had he played LB. Coach Black put him at DB so the athletic Thomas could cover the opposing team's best receiver. Thomas says "They're both really fun, but I like offense a little more. I felt like the best thing for the team (Frenship) was to be out on the field doing whatever I had to. If that meant going both ways, then that's what I had to do." Thomas added "If I'm on the field, I'm going to go hard," Thomas said. "If I'm playing defense or offense, I know I have a chance to make a difference." Thomas was the only freshman to play on Frenship's varsity team, and started 13 games as a sophomore for them. When asked who his greatest influence is, Thomas said "I’d have to say Kendall Briles. He came to our school last year and I was going to be the quarterback but they moved me to a different position. We worked out a lot and we’ve become really good friends. If he hadn’t moved here I don’t think I’d be going to The University of Texas." 2001: Despite missing a game due to a knee injury early in the season, Thomas caught 63 passes for 1,130 yards and 15 touchdowns. Interstingly, he was also the Avalanche-Journal's 2001 All-City Defensive Player of the Year playing at safety and LB. On defense, he totaled 87 tackles, including 7 TFLs, 2 INTs, 2 sacks and 7 passes defended. 2000: All State TE. 57 catches for 1,140 yards and 14 TDs. On defense, Thomas had 141 tackles, 7 TFL's and 4sacks. 1999: Was an all-city choice as a sophomore after registering 110 tackles, three fumble recoveries, two sacks and an interception Physical stats and other sports: 4.68 40 , 4.6 shuttle and 32" vertical at the Nike camp. Benched 295 and squatted 460 during the summer after junior year. Also long jumps for Frenship. Commit to Texas: Thomas committed to Texas (6/24/01,8th commit) over OU (offer), LSU (offer), Purdue (offer) , A&M (offer), OK St (offer) and TTech (offer). "I have supported the Longhorns my whole life and when it was time to make a decision, I just couldn't say no to Texas." Thomas added "I have been a Texas fan my entire life. The opportunity to go there presented itself and I couldn't turn it down. Coach Brown genuinely cares about his players and winning is important to him. He has won a lot of game with players that have graduated. He is a first-class man." Thomas' sister attends Tech. Thomas carries a very high GPA and scored well over NCAA minimums on his test. Link to Pic of Thomas -- Link to Alliancesports Profile of Thomas -- Link to Pic of Thomas (on right) -- Link to Pic of Thomas -- Link to Pic of Thomas |
WR, Robert Timmons, Flower Mound Marcus, TX, 6'2", 205, 4.46 - First, as a player, Robert Timmons is probably as talented as anyone coming out of high school. Height, explosiveness, feet, body conrol -- he's got it all, and was rated as one of the top 3-4 WRs in the nation at the beginning of the year until off-the-field trouble (see below) started effecting his rankings. Rivals said of Timmons "Timmons is the top wide receiver prospect in the state of Texas this year. With out of this world quickness and playmaking ability, almost every college coach in the country has called Timmons the second-coming of Peter Warrick." DISD Athletic Direct Troy Mathieu says "Around here people say, 'Where's the next Jessie Armstead, who's the next Michael Johnson and the next Larry Johnson. Robert Timmons was the next." Flower Mound Coach Randy Mayes (who also coached Roy Williams at Odessa Permian) says "Robert has as much talent as Roy Williams had when I coached him at Odessa Permian." Further comparing Timmons to Roy Williams, Mayes said "As far as catching ability, they're about even. As far as jumping ability, Roy gets the nod. As far as what they do with the football after they catch it, Roy can juke you get more yards. Robert can do that to, but he can also run over you, which give him an added dimension." Mayes added "Robert has explosive speed. He has the ability to change speeds in an instant. He can decelerate faster than anyone I have seen. He understands the game. He has good football savvy." Mack Brown said of Timmons "I think Robert number one has a chance to be a great player. He’s strong. I’ve watched a lot of his film." Geoff Ketchum noted of Timmons: "Timmons has great size at 6-2, 200 pounds, surprising strength, the explosiveness to take the ball to the house on every play and the kind of footwork that can cause dizziness to opposing defenders. But, more than anything, Timmons simply has it. It can't really be defined with a stopwatch or any other test. Having it means that that when you touch the ball, the opposing player's eyes get bigger, the opposing coaches stop breathing and the fans on both sides of the stands stand up because they understand that magic might not be real, but it can be performed on the football field. . . . Trying to tackle Timmons is like trying to grab an object from someone's hand as they dangle it from of you. You can see the object and it appears there for the taking, but just as you reach for it, it's no longer there. . . .As far as talent goes, Timmons is as good as it gets. The measuring stick around this state for receivers as of late has been the Big 3 of Roy Williams, BJ Johnson and Sloan Thomas that came out in 2000. Timmons definitely reaches that bar and I'm not sure if he's not a little above it. He is a showstopper. As everyone knows, the biggest question mark with Robert is off the field. I had a chance to talk with Timmons and his coach on Friday and I think he's basically a good kid that needs a chance to be put into a good environment with coaches and a support staff that will take care of him and look out for him. The talent is there and I'm not sure he's not the best overall talent in the state. " After signing day, Ketchum said "Timmons has as much raw talent as any receiver that's currently on the UT roster. He'll play as a true freshman because there's no way that he's going to stay five years on the 40 Acres. The Texas quarterbacks are going to love throwing the ball to Timmons because he's so dangerous after the catch. Pencil him in for a touchdown by the second of third game of the season. He should be off and running by then." Timmons first started playing sports to take his mind off the troubles around him (see below) and lead his Cedar Crest community center team when the "Pee Wee Superbowl" in Orlando, Florida. Even then, the Cedear Crest athletic director says "His best characteristic was also his worst characteristic. He hated to lose. Never mind what the coaches said. He'd chew his teammates out. If they weren't ready to play, he'd tell them to get out of his way. The other boys called him Mr. Timmons." Timmons' Unique Story: As a preface, one of the central tenet's of Mack Brown's recruiting at Texas has been to bring in kids that he genuinely would have as his own. I will admit when I first heard it, I thought it might be the usual broad language coaches use when describing teamwork in their program, but watchers of the program have -- to a man -- really come to believe it watching the players Mack recruits (and those very talented ones he hasn't, which have puzzled recruiting fans) and watching the players and coaches recruits interact and talk about the program (in fact, that has probably been Texas' greatest recruiting tool). Consequently, in recruiting, Brown interviews recruits and families almost as much as recruits interview Mack and Texas. Unlike almost all of Mack Brown's other recruits, Timmons came from a extremely difficult family situation. His father was convicted of murder 14 years ago, and has been in prison ever since. His older brother is in prison for drug dealing. His mother has been in jail for drug possession. And the grandmother who helped nurture Robert when he was a child died when he was 12. Robert lives in a rented mobile home where, sometimes the electric bills can't be paid (no lights). At the Salvation Army's Cedar Crest Corps Community Center in Oak Cliff, commanding officer Don Wildish said "We have kids come here from tough places and tough family situations. If Robert's isn't the toughest, it's right up there. ... As much as anyone, he needed to get away from the distractions in this neighborhood." Things got really dicey when Timmons grandmother died, his mother went to live with a boyfriend (and, thereafter, was in and out of jail), an he and his brother (Jason) went to live with an aunt. While his brother Jason got "real wild" (his words), Timmons turned to sports -- football, basketball, tennis, baseball, track and even chess -- to try to keep him away from trouble. Timmons football coach recalls "It was amazing how he was able to keep his focus on the field despite all the chaos in his home life. He was so angry about his grandmother. He was at the point where he could have gone either way. I really believe his will to win, to excel on the football field, is what kept him motivated." After his sophomore year, Robert started to want to tag along with his brother (Jason) , who (through drug money) drove a flashy car with nice clothes and attractive women around him, Jason recalls: "He was getting older, becoming a man. So much was happening. He was getting confused. He had no daddy to talk to. My mama had her own problems. I was no help. It could have gotten worse, but I wasn't going to make it worse." Life in his Dalls neighborhood was almost unbearable for someone in Timmons' situation: "There were fights and drive-bys and gangs. There was so much stuff happening there that people wouldn't believe it." During his junior year, Timmons transferred from Dallas Roosevelt 37 miles away to Flower Mound Marcus to, possibly literally, save his life. There, former Roosevelt coach Herman Johnson (who was on the Marcus staff) help Timmons. Johnson said, before Timmons transfer, he received a frantic call from Timmons' mother "She said there was a drug situation at the apartments and a kid had been shot. She wanted him out. She wanted Robert to come to Flower Mound." She said "Robert was starting to get into situations in the neighborhood with gangs. I couldn't let him go back. I saw transferring to Marcus as an opportunity. I could get a fresh start on everything. Others saw it differently." Marcus has done an excellent job of starting to turn things around. While the change in environment led to some problems in dealing with classmates and discipline early on, he is away from the gangs and has concentrated on schoolwork to the point where he is now doing pretty well in the classroom. Robert now lives with the grandparents of a teammate, Ronnie and Lorretta Hawkins. Ronnie is a retired master seargant in the army. Regardline Lorretta, Robert says "If she asked me to jump off a bridge, I'd ask, 'which one?' She's a real dear." Coach Mayes now says "I think he has grown up a bit in the last seven months. That's not to say he doesn't have more growing to do. But Robert has been surprisingly well-adjusted here for as tough as his life has been." 2001: Althought he played in only 7 games , Timmons had 43 catches for 671 yards and nine touchdowns. A nominee for Ridell All-American WR. After missing practice because of a knee injury, Timmons said "Can't afford to get injured now. I'm too close ... too close to getting a diploma ... too close to going to college ... too close to getting out and having the kind of life I've always dreamed of." To say that the oppostion ganged up on Timmons is an understatement. Geoff Ketchum attended the Marcus HS v. Dallas Turner HS game, and Dallas Turner has highly rated CB Michael Hawkins (OU commit). Ketchum noted that, rather than try to matchup even Hawkins on Timmons, Turner HS chose to gang up on Timmons: "Turner simply deployed as many as four defenders on every single play. The variety of cover schemes used to try and limit Timmons was simply astounding. On one play in particular, Turner lined up two guys at the line of scrimmage directly across from Timmons, with a linebacker cheated over to Timmons inside and a safety behind them…just in case. Needless to say, Turner's goal was to limit Mr. Timmons at all costs." (he still caught 4 passes for 57 yards and a TD). 2000: Timmons played only 3 games as a junior because there was a dispute regarding his transfer from Dallas Roosevelt ot Marcus high school (the dispute was the bogus charge that Timmons transferred for athletic reasons only, which was clearly NOT the case). In those 3 games, Timmons had 359 yards on 13 catches. 1999: As a sophomre, Timmons was the districe MVP playing QB for Dallas Roosevelt High School. He passed for more than 1,000 yards and ran for 1,000 more before becoming academically ineligible after the first round of the playoffs. Physical stats: 305 bench and 425 squat. Timmons also has played basketball, though he left it to concentrate on football in December. Commit to Texas: Timmons committed to Texas (27th, 2/3/01). At least at one point, Timmons was offeredy by Miami, FSU, Tenn, USC and a load of other schools (over 50 offers at one time). Its not clear who had remained in the picture after the off-the-field issues discussed above, although Georgia Tech made a big late push and offer. The Texas coaching staff liked what they saw in Robert's character but wanted to be careful given his family situation. Mack Brown said "I sent Darryl Drake to see him each week and sit down with him and get to know him because I really trust Darryl. Darryl really was impressed with Robert. I went to see him a couple of weeks ago at his school and I really believe in (Flower Mound Marcus head coach) Randy Mayes. Randy was the coach at Permian when Roy was out there. He’s a strict disciplinarian and he’s a guy we trusted in the recruiting process with Roy and I wanted Randy to tell me that he felt like Robert would be a young man that we should take and without any question, Randy said he felt like he’d be a young guy who could make it here." Just before signign day, Mack Brown brought Robert in to interact with the players and ask what they thought of him. They gave him a hearty thumbs up, and Texas extended Timmons an offer. Mack Brown said "We had him with Cory Redding as his host, who I trust explicitly. Cory has told me in the past on a couple of guys, 'don’t take ‘em.' He was around all of our players and everything came back with an overwhelming endorsement. So we felt like it would be a great opportunity for the young guy and I told him that this is an opportunity that he can use to move forward in his life." Timmons said "There was something about the place that just reminded me of a big family. When Coach Brown asked me if I wanted to come to Texas, I told him I was excited about it." Robert has turned into a good student, has a good test score, as well, though he has to do well in a couple of classes this semester to qualify. From prison, Timmons father said "He'll be the first in the family to graduate. He wants to break the mold of men in my family." Timmons can fully qualify by doing fairly well in a few core classes this semester. Link to Rivals Profile of Timmons -- Link to Pic of Timmons -- Link to Pick of Timmons -- Link to Pic of Timmons with the family dog -- Link to Pic of Timmons -- Link to Pic of Timmons -- Link to Pic of Timmons -- Link to Pic of Timmons -- Link to Pic of Timmons -- Link of Pic of Timmons -- Link to Pic of Timmons -- Link to Pic of Timmons -- Link to Pic of Timmons -- Link to Pic of Timmons -- Link to Pic of Timmons -- Link to Pic of Timmons -- Link to Pic of Timmons -- Link to Pic of Timmons (Jr Year) -- Link to Pick of Timmons (Jr Year) -- Link to Pic of Timmons (Jr Year) -- Link to Pic of Timmons (Jr Year) -- Link to Pic of Timmons (Jr Year) -- Link to Pic of Timmons (Jr Year) |
OL, Allen, TX, 6'5", 260, 4.9 - Plays DE and Left OT in high school. Tweedie has a great combination of quickness, power and agressiveness, and was one of the most courted OL's in Texas. Alliancesports said that Tweedie "probably has the best combination of run/pass blocking skills in the Lone Star State. A terrific athlete, Tweedie has all of the physical tools needed to become a special player." 2001: DCTF First Team Super Team. Tweedie registered 81 pancakes for an offense that averaged more than 26 points per game. 2000: 5 Sacks as a DE. First Team All-District OL as a Junior. Physical stats and other sports: Benched 310, squatted 510 and vertically lept 33" during the summer after his junior year. Tweedie is a four-year letterwinner in track & field and three-year letterwinner in wrestling, and a two-time District Champion in the discus (179 feet is longest throw). Also 2002 District Champion in wrestling (heavyweight). Commit to Texas: Tweedie committed to Texas (7/5/01, 10th commit) over 23-25 schools that had offered him, including Notre Dame, MI, A&M, OU, UCLA, MI St, Clemson and many others. Tweedie received between 23 and 25 offers. Tweedie said "Really, when I visited there early on in the recruiting process, I knew that Texas was where I wanted to go. Once I met the coaches and some of the players I felt the chemistry that they have, the bond between coaches and players. The only thing that kept me from committing then was that I had not seen any other schools up close." Tweedie added "Texas is an incredible school. Everything clicked and came together the minute I came down for my visit. Coach Brown is a really sincere person who is straight-forward. He wants good-natured kids in his program and I really respect him for that." Tweedie carries a high GPA and well above NCAA minimum test score. Link to Pic of Neale Tweedie -- Link to Alliancesports Profile of Tweedie -- Link to Pic of Tweedie (#79) -- Link to Pic of Tweedie |
OL, Brownwood, TX, 6'3", 310, 5.1 - Valdez is one of the quickest linemen in the state for his size. Valez is also very young, only turning 17 on 6/15/01. Brownwood coach Steve Freemansaid that Valdez is "extremely young. He could actually be coming into his sophomore year. The greatest strength is his feet. Brett has excellent footwork going both forward and backward. Physically, he is 6-4, 305 pounds and very strong But he's not tapped out yet. They are going to enjoy him as a grown man. . . . He can be a dominant player and I think he can be that kind of player at the next level." Valdez is such a good athlete, he played WR (at 6'3", 310) for Brownwood's 7-on-7 team that made it to the B/CS round in the summer of 2001. He caught 12 passes and 3 TD's in his first 3 games of the tourney. Alliancesport's Geoff Ketchum said "The one thing that really stood out about Valdez on film is his ability to run block. He's a tough, rugged interior force that likes to flat out roughhouse his opponents. It's clear that he takes the field with a mean disposition and it shows when he's given the chance to just pound the man across from him. . . . His combination of power, athleticism and attitude, should ensure that Valdez finishes this year as one of the top rated guard prospects in the nation. Plus, he hasn't even begun to scratch the surface of how scary he might become as a physical specimen. The young lineman is strong as an ox, but still has some soft spots on his body that will likely turn into solid mass in the near future." After signing day, Ketchum said of Valdez: "Valdez was the first commit in the 2002 class and didn't receive the attention he deserved, but he has the raw ability to be as good as any lineman Texas has signed in the past two seasons. At 6-4, 300 pounds, Valdez is a very good athlete that possesses very quick feet and is strong as an ox. More than anything, Valdez brings some West Texas nastiness to the field when he's in the game and he seems to take great joy in whipping his opponent." Alliancesports said that Valdez "is a terrific run blocker who specializes in pancake blocks. Valdez projects as an outstanding guard at the next level." Valdez's father, Danny, was a three-year starter at linebacker for Howard Payne University (1983-85). 2001: DCTF Second Team Super Team. 2nd Team All-State. All-West Texas and all-district. Averaged eight pancakes a game for an offense that scored nearly 30 points per game 2000: Average 10 pancakes blocks/game. Physical stats and other sports: Valdez has thrown the shot 53 feet and the discuss 162'7". Valdez benched 320 and squatted 600 at 16 years old. Commit to Texas: Valdez committed to Texas very early (4/10/01, 2nd commit) over several schools. Valdez committed even before the May evaluation period, he said that FSU, OU, Notre Dame, A&M and Alabama had all planned to fly in and attend Brownwood's practices during the May evaluation period to watch him. Coach Freeman said "He was getting a lot of action. Everyone was recruiting him and a lot of schools were disappointed when they found out that he had committed to Texas." Valdez seriously considered FSU early. Valdez said that fellow former HS teammmate (and current Aggie) Jared Morris said that A&M was going to offer him. After committing to Texas, Valdez told Alliancesports: "when I walking around the Texas campus, I knew Florida State was not the school for me. I know that at Texas, I could spend five years there and be happy. . . . After my sophomore year I went up against most of those guys at the Texas summer camp. It helped me knowing that I had worked against Jonathan Scott, Will Allen, Roman Reeves and Mike Garcia. I went up against every one of them and I know what's ahead of me. . . . I wouldn't want to play for any other coach than Mack Brown. I think me and Coach Brown had a good connection from the start. He's someone that I want to win for. " Valdez added "Texas feels like home and the right place to be. The coaches and players are great people. Coach Brown is really down to earth and tells you things from his heart. I look at him as another father figure." Valdez is a full qualifier and is in the top quarter of his HS class. Link to Pic of Valdez -- Link to Pic of Valdez at 7-on7 Tourney -- Link to Alliancesports Profile of Valdez -- Link to Pic of Valdez |
OLB, Lindale, TX, 6'4", 225, 4.6 - Williams is a player who was not heavily recruited before his senior season but is one of the state's top athletes. He's a rangy player with great quicks and explosiveness. He plays LB and WR for Lindale, and has played WR for Lindale for four years. Lindale Coach Greg Owens noted that Williams first became a hot commodity when Lindale played Forney: "There were a lot of coaches there to see (DaBryan) Blanton (Forney) and Michael had a great game. He started running people down from behind all over the field. He took Blanton and picked him up in the air and slammed him on the ground, knocking his helmet off. A lot of people were there or ended up getting film of that game and you couldn't help but to notice him." UT recruited Williams to play Outside LB, rather than DE, which suits Williams fine: "It really doesn't matter, I just want to play. If I had to pick one it would be outside linebacker." Lindale Coach Greg Owens said "I don't know how many kids he knocked out, only because we don't keep those stats. We got to the third-team quarterback at Canton real quick and other schools that were taunting Michael." Williams first played on defense (as well as offense) as a junior, where he really started to develop, per Coach Owens: "His body started to develop and we found out just how strong he really was. We put him at defensive end and he showed that he could really come off the corner as a pass rusher and he played there as a junior and was a great player. Heading into his senior year we had a need at linebacker and we moved him there in the spring. We found out that he could really move and make plays. He's great in coverage because he has great feet and has long arms. He's a great pass rusher who really excels at getting to the quarterback. That allowed us to really move him around. He also has a great knack for getting off blocks and he has the gift of punch. I don't known if I can count how many quarterbacks he knocked out of games this year." Williams was born in Monterrey, California, but has spent most of his life in Texas (moved here when he was four). 2001: First-team All-East Texas choice and the District Defensive MVP. 80 tackles (51 solo), 33 TFLs and 16 sacks. As a WR, he caught 32 passes for 445 yards and three TDs. 2000: 80 solo tackles (17 TFLs), 14 sacks, 7 fumbles caused, 4 recovered fumbles and 2 interceptions. Physical stats and other sports: 33" vertical. 295 BP. 500 squat. Williams average 10 points per game and 13 rebounds per game in basketball (power forward) as a junior in high school. Commit to Texas: Williams committed to Texas (23rd, 1/16/02) over OU, USC, A&M, TTech, Minn, Ark, W Va (all offered). Williams told Inside Texas that coaches "(Brown and Akina) were excited. They said they would treat me like their son. We're already close knit." Williams added, "My mom went down there this weekend and that's kind of what I've been waiting for. She wanted to see the school for herself and I wanted her approval. That's what I had been waiting for" Williams also said "she liked the family atmosphere and she loved the academic part of it, too." Williams further stated "I really liked the facilities, coaching staff and players. I know I'll have fun playing and I want to win. Coach Brown is young at heart and a very cool person to be around. The tradition of the program is great and the fans are exciting." Conntinuing Texas' East Texas connection, Williams is also friends with Texas commit Matthew Melton (John Tyler HS). Williams is fully qualified. Link to Rivals Profile of Williams -- Link to Pic of Williams -- Link to Pic of Williams -- Link to Long Video Highlight of Williams #1 -- Link to Long Video Highlight of Williams #2 -- Link to Long Video Highlight of Williams #3 -- Link to Long Video Highlight of Williams #4 |
DT, Alief Hastings, TX, 6'4-1/2", 330, 5.0 - Quick and powerful for a man his size, many consider Wright to be the top recruit in Texas and the top DL in the country. A member of Superprep's Elite 50, Wright mows through blockers like they weren't there. And he's got a very quick first step, too. Rivals says of Wright: "There is not a more dominant interior defensive lineman in the country than Wright. He displaysoutstanding quickness off the ball and demands a double-team on every play." Bobby Burton said "Charles Barkley has nothing on Rodrique Wright. Wright is just plain big. He’s broad-shouldered with a tree trunk for a lower body. To think that he’s only going to get stronger is frightening. . . Rarely does a guy his size move around so well and so naturally, especially between the tackles . . . Wright is oftentimes the first guy off of the ball. He rarely lets his blocker beat him to the point of attack. He’s not the fastest guy you’ll see of the ball, but he’s much quicker than most. And he has to be, he’s so often double-teamed that he would be a non-factor in most games if he didn’t have the quickness that he has." ,Wright's coach Bobby Stuart says "He's God-gifted with an awful lot of talent. He definitely has the ability to take over a game." Wright said "I have good speed and strength. I like to bull rush and use my strength to get through the line. I hope I can improve my footwork and quickness." Rod's uncle, Elmo, played wide receiver at the University of Houston (1968-70) and was a first-round draft pick of the Kansas City Chiefs (No. 16 overall) in the 1971 NFL Draft and played until '74 . Rod is also a cousin of former Longhorns Cedric Woodard. Rodrique wants to major in communication. 2001: First Team USA Today All-American. Parade Magazine All-American. Wright was picked to play in the US Army Bowl National HS All-Star Game and got great penetration throughout the game. He had 104 tackles (including 26 solos) with six sacks, 3 fumbles caused, 3 fumble recoveries and 2 blocked extra points. With a DE injured for much of the year, Wright had to play NG in a 3-4 scheme instead of DT in the 4-3 scheme he was used to. DCTF First Team Super Team. 2000: First-team all-district selection as a junior after registering 92 tackles, nine sacks and a blocked PAT, despite missing two games because of an ankle injury. Physical stats and other sports: As a junior, Wright 420 BP, 620 squatted, BP inclined 350 and 28" vert his junior year. Commit to Texas: Wright committed to Texas (12/17/01, #18 after Anderson's de-commit) over OU, Neb, Tenn, Mich, Mich St, Oh St, Pur, Minn, Wisc, Penn St., A&M, LSU, K St, CU, Ill, Iowa St, Kan, Mizzou, OK St, TTech, Bay, Iowa, NW, Ind and a number of other programs (all offered). Wright told Inside Texas "From the beginning I said I wanted to go somewhere that was close to home, where I could get a good degree and where I would have a chance to play for the national title and Texas has all three." Wright also said "I wanted to stay close to home, play in a winning program and get a good degree. If you put all of those together, it made sense for me to commit." Wright also told Inside Texas "[Coach Tolleson] is real energetic. He also explained to me the people they're still looking at (in recruiting), who's already committed, and who's playing. He didn't guarantee me that I would start, but he explained that if I handle my business, I'll get playing time. Whoever is there, we'll compete and I know the coaches will get the best person in there to try to win the games. I'm gonna try my best to get into the rotation." Regarding Mack Brown, Rod said in a chat session "He is a good coach and a good person. He always tells the truth. He is like the father figure for everyone down there. He is really honest and I like that. He's funny also, has a great personality." Regarding coming in with so many other DLs, Wright said "The people that are already there will be the startes now. They will be in Spring practice and there will be some competition. If you are good enough you will start. We will be competing every week for a starting spot. Not everyone will be able to start but if you are better than the person starting over you, you will get a chance." Rod also said "I chose Texas because I always wanted to stay close to home and they did really good this year and have always had a good year. They were a field goal away from going to the national championship and they have so much talent coming back. The whole staff and team is just like one big family. During the visit, it was like I already knew the team the way they were treating me." Rod is fully qualified. Link to Alliancesports Profile of Wright -- Link to Pic of Wright -- Link to Pic of Wright -- Link to Pic of Wright -- Link to Pic of Wright -- Link to Pic of Wright -- Link to Pic of Horns at US Army Bowl (Wright is 2nd from the left) -- Link to pic of Horns at US Army Bowl (Wright is 2nd from the left) -- Link to Pic of Wright -- Link to Clip of Wright (#61) beating Shadu Moore up the middle and flushing Palko out of the pocket in the US Army Bowl National All-Star Game -- Link to Clip of Shadu Moore grabbing onto Wright (#61) for dear life so he doesn't flatten Palko -- Link to Clip of Wright (#61) tackling McClendon downfield in US Army Bowl National All-Star Game -- Link to Clip of Wright (#61) beating a double team to almost sack Palko in the US Army Bowl National All-Star Game -- Link to Pic of Wright at US Army Bowl (2nd from right back row) -- Last pic 1 second later -- Last pic 1 second later -- Link to Pic of Wright |
RB, Jersey Village, TX, 5'11", 193, 4.36 - Young is a shifty, explosive back that got a lot of publicity going into his junior year as being one of the top backs in the nation, but was severely limited by an ankle injury and got lost in the mix of other players. Young burst out his senior year with some magnificent performances that had all the big schools after him again. Young noted "After my sophomore year, teams really started keying on me. But this new offense is fun. We spread it around. Instead of them loading up on me, we can do other things. That is a plus for us." Young said generally of his running style: “I hit the holes fast. I can cut quick and accelerate fast.” He added, "I have good cutting ability, vision and great feet. My cuts are my main strength but I could improve on breaking tackles." Texas Football said that Randy Rodgers Rodgers "likens Young to Emmitt Smith because he is durable and can make lateral cuts and catches the ball well." Bobby Burton said of Young's speed and acceleration "He’s got it. Period. You want a back that can hit the whole in a flash if the situation calls for it, and that’s exactly the kind of talent that Young has. He can also be deadly around the corners." Burton said of Young's build: "About the easiest way to describe Young’s compact build is that he looks physically like Marshall Faulk. His lower body is somewhat squatty and he has average length arms. He rarely gets hit square so his body should be fine long term. He has had a history of injury problems however, sitting out much of last year because of them. Still, he has the compact build that a lot of college running backs use to their advantage and he has a lot of natural strength in his leg drive through tackles." Burton said of Young's receiving abilities: "Young receives advanced grades for his pass catching abilities. His team’s offense often runs four wide receivers and when they go to a five-wide set, he gets pushed out to the inside receiver spot. He catches the ball away from his body and had no problem fielding and returning kickoffs." Burton added "His vision is very good. He runs to daylight, not to darkness. He’s patient enough to wait behind his blockers, then explode to the outside or cut it up inside on a stretch play. He also gets the tough yards in the middle of scrimmage. If he continues to get bigger and stays healthy, he’s a guy you can give the ball to 20-30 times a game. Makes people miss in the open field, but does it moreso with subtle moves as opposed to all out shake-and-bake stuff. He’s definitely an efficient runner in that regard. It looks like it comes naturally to him. . . . A lot of people like to compare his running style to that of Quentin Griffin, the former Aldine Nimitz mighty-mite who is now a starter at Oklahoma. But in actuality, Young runs more like former Texas A&M star Greg Hill did. Similar stocky build, yet a little taller. The comparison is mostly distinguished by being very quick to the whole, even on plays between the tackles." Young is the second oldest of five brothers, so there may be more in the Young family pipeline from where Selvin came. Young says that he wants to try to major in computer science and minor in business. Nicknamed "Stoney." 2001: In nine games (missed two because of a hamstring pull), Young had 1,417 yards and 17 TDs. DCTF First Team Super Team. 2000: He was limited to only 7 games because of an ankle injury (high ankle sprain), but Young still had 960 yds rushing and 12 TDs. 1999 (soph season): Young rushed for 2,205 yards (295 carries) and 23 TDs. Physical stats and other sports: BP 320, Squat 465, 265 power clean and a 36" vert. He ran his 4.36 on a high school track and ran a 4.44 on grass at a camp. Young runs track for Jersey Villand and has been timed at 10.6 seconds in the 100 meters and 21.6 in the 200 meters. Young also anchors Jersey Villages' 4x100 relay team, as well as participates in the long jump and triple jump. Young is also a pretty good gymnast. Commit to Texas: Young committed to Texas (21st, 12/19/01) over OU, CU, UCLA, LSU, A&M, USC, Mich St, Miss St, K ST, Ark, AZ, TCU. Young's commit was somewhat of a surprise. Texas and Young didn't click early, and he had favored OU and UCLA throughout September and October. In November, he added CU to the mix. In fact, Young is afraid of flying, and he was so convinced he'd be going out of state, that he resolved to himself that he'd just have to get over his fear. It wasn't until early December that Young really even started to mention Texas. Young said "I thought about it a lot. I prayed about it a lot at night and I know it's the right choice. I'm real excited about it." Young added " It was just that Texas kids play for Texas teams," Young said. "I really loved what I saw at Oklahoma and Colorado. But in the end it just wasn't home. It wasn't Texas." Regarding his visit to Texas, Young said "I bonded down there with those guys last weekend. That's really what did it. I'm not really a people person, but your football team has to be a family and that's what they have down there. Everyone believes in one another and that's how you win. I believe." Like so many other great players, instead of being afraid of competition, Young embraces it "I was reading on the Internet about how many guys they got. I know they have good players, but I also know that I'm really good too. I'm not going to let that stop me from doing what I think I can do." Young is fully qualified. Link to Pic of Selvin Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young |
QB, Houston Madison, TX, 6'5", 205, 4.4 - Considered to be the number one player at any position in the U.S., Young has many long time watchers of Texas high school football branding him the best they've ever seen. I've watched video on recruits for several years, and he is the best prospect I think I've ever seen at any position (check just a few the incredible video links below for yourslef). He was always viewed as one of the nation's best but, about in late Oct/early Nov, a buzz went around Young was really something more -- a really astounding talent with a mix of gifts that other QBs just don't have. Interestingly, Young's success from Madison HS not only had football fans cheering, but it energized fans thoughout Houston who showed up in massive numbers at the end of the '01 season to watch Young play (over 20,000 showed up to each of Madison's last four games) -- he took a Madison team predicted to go nowhere almost all the way to the state championships with a series of highlights that the word spectacular really doesn't cover. His clips have caused even longtime recruit viewers jaws to drop all over the coutnry. In ranking Young as Rivals number one overall player in the nation, Jeremy Crabtree said "Many words have been used to describe Houston Madison quarterback Vincent Young. But there are only two words that truly fit – the best. . . Young still has some room to improve on his passing fundamentals but he has to have one of the strongest arms that Rivals100.com has seen in recent history." Young was selected to attend the Elite 11 Quarterback Camp -- a camp for the nation's top 11 future college QB prospects. PacWest's Greg Biggins watche the camp performance and said of Young "Physically, Young has as much upside as anyone, but as he starts to add more to the package in terms of getting his mechanics down and being able to read defenses better, the skys the limit." In fact, although Young still thinks he needs to work on his arm strength, he was voted "Best Arm Strength" at the Elite 11 camp. (There are clips on tape going around of Young throwing the ball 60 yards off the wrong foot rolling right). Young attended the camp in the summer of '00, when he was a less known and very raw prospect (he still is, largely, but is now very well known). Even with all of the superstar talent at the Elite 11 Camp, Guru Bob Johnson (runs the camp and is father of NFL QB Rob Johnson) spotted Young's talent early on: "[Young] could very well be the best in the group if he stays focused on what he needs to do and has a coach who is willing to work with him. . .physically he could be the best in the country." Youn will also be one of five national superstars covered in a season long documentary by Guido D'Elia about the pressure the top players come under (likely to be aired on PBS, Turner or ESPN in the Spring of '02, the others are Ben Olsen, Tyler Palko, Justin Zwick and Gavin Dickey). D'Elia said "There are plenty of people that are Vincent Young's size. . . . But there is only one Vincent Young that can do what he does with that 6-5, 200-(pound frame), and I want to be the one to show people across the country why that is. Part of it is he has a warrior mentality. He is very comfortable in those situations where most of us would not be -- 27,000 people at the Astrodome, no problem. He's jumping up and down in pre-game, where most of us would be swallowing our hearts. I want people to understand the background of how hard they prepare so that they are comfortable. Not only does he play up to the hype, but he is very humble. He carries himself very well, and his teammates rally around him because, one, he does it on the field, and two, he doesn't raise himself above anyone. He's humble about the skills that he has, and anybody with that level of skills has to work at that. He could easily go the other way, and he does not. He has every reason to have a touch of arrogance, but he does not. I really like the way that he led his team, and you could see with Vincent that it was genuine." Young played for well-respected coach Ray Seals who stresses team cooperation and unity over calling individual attention to oneself. Coach Seals said of Young's career "I don't know if anybody ever had one any better. There might be guys with more yardage or something like that, but as far as productivity and putting the ball in the end zone, I don't know -- it would be somebody that I'd like to meet." Student Sports noted at the Elite 11 Camp that Young is "[a] raw talent with tremendous athletic ability with a ton of untapped potential. Throws a nice, tight spiral with a lot of heat and a quick release." Seals also said "I think the strong improvement that he's made has been his will to win and to be the best -- even in practice. He wants to get it done, and he's going to get it done. His leadership ability is hard to find. You can have a guy with a lot of talent but sometimes nobody respects him as a leader. (Young) has the respect of these kids. . . . Nobody is going to be here forever, but he brought a lot of pride and a lot of good things to Madison. You better believe I'm going to miss him." Rivals Geoff Ketchum said of Young "He has everything. As a passer he showed a great poise, a quick release, tremendous pocket presence, nice touch and the ability to make all the throws. Although several of receivers dropped passes, Young showed his range by throwing several slants, a deep post and several deep outs right on the money. As a runner, he's even scarier. He's got an extra gear in his jet back that makes him a threat to score any time he decides to take off. . . . His potential as a college player is without a cap. There's not even a debate as to whether he's the best player in Texas and that probably goes for the entire nation as well." Early in the year, Rivals Bobby Burton said "Young is brimming with raw talent. He also seems to have the intangibles. If he gets into the right situation, he could become a great quarterback, someone we hear about for years to come." 2001: Named Class 5A Player of the Year and Houston TD Club Offensive Player of the Year. Parade Magazine's co-National Player of the Year. Named the Superprep National Players of the Year and the Number One player by Rivals.com. Selected to Play in teh US Army Bowl National HS All-Star Game and dominated that game, being named its MVP. Chosen the Texas Sports Writers Offensivve Player of the Year. Madson opened up its formerly very run-oriented offense and Young's stats skyrocketed. He was 131-224 for 2,545 yards 35 TDs and only 4 picks -- a truly incredible ratio. Young ran for 1,274 yards on 116 carries (11 ypc) for 24 TDs. His total stats were 3,819 yards and 59 TDs. Although Madison didn't make it to the final championship game, Young led the outmanned team to the semi-finals and almost completed an incredible rally against Westlake, with Madison barely losing 48-42 (Madison's defense hemorraged 650 yards in the game). As is par for the course in playoff games, Young stepped it way up in that game, tossing for 382 yards (16-28), running for 82 yards and scoring 5TD passes (from 47, 43, 52, 56 and 15 yards out) and 1 TD run (12 yards). The week before, in the quarterfinals against Hightower, Young passed for 286 yards (11-17) and 3 TDs (0 picks), while he ran for 117 yards (13 carries) and 2 TDs. In the playoff game the week before that against North Shore, Young was 13-20 for 177 yards and 3 TDs (0 picks), and rushed for 192 yards (18 carries) for 3 TDs. In the playoff game the week before that against last year's champion Katy team, Young was 10-18 for 170 yards and 1 TD, and rushed for 98 yards on 15 carries and 1 TD. 2000: 1,309 yards passing (14 TDs, 8 INTs) and 1,306 yards rushing (12 TDs) for a total of 26 touchdowns 1999: 1,006 yards on 62 passes and rushed for 730 yards. Physical stats: 260 BP, 255 Sqat and 33' Vertical Leap. Young is a four-year letterwinner (20+ ppg career average) and two-time all-district performer in basketball (guard/forward). He is also a three-year letterwinner in track and was a member of two District Champion 400-meter relay squads. Young also played the outfield and pitched for the baseball team for two years. Commit to Texas: Young committed to Texas (25th, 13/02) over Mia, FSU, LSU, K St, Ark (all offered). Before he even committed to Texas, Young told the Houston Chronicle "That's what I tell all the coaches -- that I want to redshirt. I just want to go out, play four years and know what I'm doing. I don't want to be thinking on the run. In college, I'm hoping to pick up more things from coaches. I hope they show me more techniques and things like that to get me ready for the NFL because I know on the NFL and college levels, it gets a little faster. So wherever I go I want to get redshirted, learn real quick and see how it is -- get the feel for it before I take that next step." However, Young added after his commit: "If I can learn quick, (Brown) is probably going to use me as a backup or something. But if I don't and eventually redshirt, I don't mind that. I'm looking forward to doing whatever I have to do. I'm going to compete, though." Young's uncle Keith added: "He will go in assigned to play the position of quarterback but as far as being redshirted, he is going there to compete and if the opportunity presents itself to play as a freshman, then we're not going to rule anything out. Coach (Mack) Brown didn't rule out anything, and it's not automatic that he'll redshirt. Playing at a D-I (Division I-A) school, the guys compete and the best man gets the job." When Young visited Austin, he attended a UT basketball game and, when spotted by fans, was given a huge cheer. Young said "I love when the fans show that kind of love. I wasn't planning on committing until I was through with all of my visits, but they showed me everything I needed to see and another thing was to see my uncle and my mother smiling (throughout the trip)." Regarding Austin, Young said "when I got there, everything was beautiful (and) the academics and all that was perfect." Link to Alliancesports Profile of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young's #1 Fan and Mom -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Long (9 meg) higlight reel video of Young -- Link to Long (11.3 meg) hilight video of Young -- Link to Long (12.6 meg) highlight video of Young -- Link to Videoclip of Young in 5A Semifinal Game -- Link to Videoclip of Young in 5A Semifinal Game -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Pic of Young -- Link to Video of Young Highlights -- Link to Video of Young Highlights -- Link to Video of Young breaking tackle of Ahmad Brooks (National Defensive Player of the Year) juking William Garrett and outrunning the East's secondary in the US Army Bowl National HS All-Star Game -- Link to Video of Young eluding Williams Garrett and Ronald Durden in the backfield and turning it into a first down in the US Army Bowl National HS All-Star Game -- Link to Video of Young scrambling and eluding players to run inside the 5 yard line for a first down in the US Army Bowl National All-Star Game -- Link to Video of Young hits a TE for a long gain in the US Army Bowl National All-Star Game -- Link to Video of Young eluding Ahmad Brooks (again) and throwing the ball 63 yards to hit Tyler Littlehales in the numbers, but Littlehales drops it in the US Army Bowl National All-Star Game -- Link to Video of Young hitting Akeem Jolla in the numbers with a laser pass (dropped) in the US Army Bowl National All-Star Game -- Link to Video of Young running for a first down in the US Army Bowl National All-Star Game -- Link to Video of Young hitting Haney for a first down in the US Army Bowl National All-Star Game -- Link to Video of Young hitting Hardy with a pass in the US Army Bowl Nationall All-Star Game -- Link to Video of Young hitting Haney for another first down in the US Army Bowl National HS All-Star Game -- Link to Pic of Young getting MVP at the US Army Bowl National All-Star Game -- Link to Pic of Young |
[Player] |
POS, Town, TX, 6'4", 270, - 2001: 2000: Physical stats and other sports: Commit to Texas:
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