2013 Texas Longhorns Recruiting Thread

[the chronic]

One more...

hate to be one of those guys, but I was told not to mention names. Just know that as I scanned the top 10 of the LSR for 2013, there's a lot of Texas in there. This is the mother of junior days coming up. Like I said, this might be the best junior day yet for Mack.

All in all I'd bet we land 6-7 of the early top 10. RSJ, Perkins, and James are all considered likely to commit this weekend, and I wouldn't be shocked if all 3 did. With Swoopes as our priority at QB I would be surprised if he doesn't end up at Texas, although he may likely take a lot at some other schools. Robinson seemed locked up but recent chatter makes me think he is no guarantee, but I gotta think we are the team to beat. Overall, things are looking up considering we have a great shot at some OU/A&M legacies in Manning and Oliver. However, I gotta write off getting one of the top 1-2 RBs in the class with our backfield.

1 Tyrone Swoopes , QB
2 Ricky Seals-Jones, ATH
3 Derrick Griffin, WR A&M
4 Kent Perkins, OT
5 Justin Manning, DT
6 A'Shawn Robinson, OL/DL
7 Darius James, OG/C
8 Dontre Wilson, RB
9 Jake Oliver , WR
10 Jake Raulerson, OL/DL TEXAS

[billfromlaketravis]

Burnt Orange Nation is reporting that RSJ would like the chance to play WR in college. He's been projected as a tight end but with his athleticism WR is within his reach. He might be our own version of DGB.

Let me clarify on that, RSJ has indicated in interviews that he wants to start off at TE. I think that's a reasonable request. Play him as a WR as his body develops into a TE.

[billfromlaketravis]

LSU offering Maurice Smith on the same weekend that they didn't offer Ish Wilson tells me all I need to know. Smith can ball. Nahlin loves the kid.

Pass on Patrick Morris. The mean streak is nice, but Darius James is light years better. Feels like an evaluation visit all the way.

[billfromlaketravis]

Scout's initial list of 5 and 4 star players

http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73&p=9&c=4&yr=2013

Notables --



Tyrone Swoopes
Ricky Seals-Jones
Derrick Griffin


Keith Ford
Dontre Wilson
Jamar Gibson
Jake Oliver
Darius James
Kent Perkins
Jake Raulerson
Isaiah Golden
Justin Manning
A'Shawn Robinson
D.J. Ward
Ty Slanina

I wonder if Slanina can play corner? Sumlin recently pulled his offer. Just sayin.'

[billfromlaketravis]

More National Signing Day pictures:

S Adrian Colbert


LB Peter Jinkens


ATH Daje Johnson

I think Daje has more Texas gear than I do. Wow.

[TheMex]

Defensive breakdown of 2012 class

http://recruitocosm.fantake.com/2012...medium=twitter

[ThePop]

I tend to agree with the poster on 24/7 that called him out. He never posts anything that can't be easily made up from just reading the sites and making up some details that go along with everyone else.

This latest one was his laziest yet. Everything he said there we've known for a while.

Same could be said about Jesus and the recruitocosm guys.

[DesignatedT]

For those that are interested this is a great article about Corey Robinson (The Admirals son). Never know, he might be a player one day.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...son/index.html

[Jimmiemac]

Same could be said about Jesus and the recruitocosm guys.

Funny how many take those reports as true even though they would be blatant NCAA violations if so.

[billfromlaketravis]

Funny how many take those reports as true even though they would be blatant NCAA violations if so.

Cuppycup is that you?

[Jimmiemac]

Cuppycup is that you?

??????

[ATX_Horn]

Initial 2013 Rivals 100 is out.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footbal...ings/rank-3053

[the chronic]

Initial 2013 Rivals 100 is out.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/footbal...ings/rank-3053

Notables:

#11 Tyrone Swoopes

#13 Ricky Seals-Jones

#19 Derrick Griffin (A&M)

#25 Kent Perkins

#39 Marcell Harris

#51 Jake Raulerson (Texas)

#61 Jake Oliver

#63 Isaiah Golden (A&M)

#69 A'Shawn Robinson

#86 Kameron Miles

#89 Justin Manning

#92 Darius James

#99 D.J. Ward

[TFloss32]

DE/LB Deon Hollins, Jr. has been moved to the second Junior Day and QB Kenny Hill of Southlake Carroll has a baseball tournament that weekend.

Junior Day #1 (February 12th)

QB, Tyrone Swoopes, Whitewright
RB, Dontre Wilson, DeSoto
WR, Jake Oliver, Dallas Jesuit
WR, Ra'Shaad Samples, Dallas Skyline
TE, Durham Smythe, Belton
OL, Darius James, Killeen Harker Heights
OL, Kent Perkins, Richardson Lake Highlands
OL, Ishmael Wilson, Dallas Bishop Dunne
OL, Josh Thomas, Evangel Christian (Shreveport, LA)
OL/DL, Jake Raulerson, Celina
OL/DL, A'Shawn Robinson, FW Arlington Heights
DT, Justin Manning, Dallas Kimball
DT, Vincent Taylor, San Antonio Madison
DE, DJ Ward, Lawton (Lawton, OK)
LB, Naashon Hughes, Killeen Harker Heights
ATH, Ricky Seals-Jones, Sealy

Junior Day #2 (February 25th)

QB, JT Barrett, Wichita Falls Rider
QB, Kenny Hill, Southlake Carroll
RB, James White, Pearland Dawson
WR, Eldridge Massington, West Mesquite
TE, Jeremiah Gaines, Red Oak
OL, Patrick Morris, Denton Guyer
DT, Kerrick Huggins, Dallas Skyline
DT, Christopher Robinson, Woodlawn (Shreveport, LA)
DE, Deon Hollins, Jr., Fort Bend Marshall
DE/LB, Mike Mitchell, Plano Prestonwood Christian
LB, Brett Wade, Kennedale
DB, George Baltimore, Mansfield
DB, Kameron Miles, West Mesquite
DB, Maurice Smith, Fort Bend Dulles
ATH, Jacorey Warrick, Cypress Falls

[TFloss32]

Quotes from OL/DL Jake Raulerson from Hook 'Em 24/7:

“It's a little less stressful,” Raulerson said. “I can focus on what's in front of me now and just enjoy being a Longhorn and enjoy life.”

“I think it's an honor just to be in a position to be the first commit in a class and have all of the responsibility that comes with it,” Raulerson said. “I think it's cool to be in the position now to be able to recruit guys.”

“I think I've got the personality for that role and I think I get people to come on down,” Raulerson said. “There are a lot of great players in this state and I'm looking forward to seeing who we can add to the group.”

“He had a huge impact,” Raulerson said. “As a player, you spend most of your time with the strength coach and Bennie Wylie is very good at what he does. Just knowing what he has planned, I have no doubt that his program will help me reach my potential. I can't wait to get started with him.”

“It's a huge deal,” Raulerson said. “Texas is a very prestigious school, and it's a tremendous honor to be able to say you were the first from your school to do something at a place like Texas.”

[TFloss32]

For anyone that missed it, Memphis to the Big East:

http://content.usatoday.com/communit...-to-big-east/1

[Whisky Dog]

With Raulerson being in Texas and a big time recruit I think he'll be a great ambassador for this recruiting class. Dude just looks like an old school football player.

[TheMex]

Mondays in the Humidor With The Big Cigar
Mondays in the Humidor With The Big Cigar: February 8

If you’re looking at the Longhorn Program as a whole, you’d see that the Rise of Texas is upon you. Fresh off of inking a consensus top 3 2012 class the Longhorns are already making serious in-roads with the top players in-state to ensure a stellar 2013. Most of those super-studs will be on campus this weekend for Junior Day 1, and a handful of the state’s best will fall. To that point, the Big Cigar tells us the staff has big plans for this weekend, or, in other words, this isn’t going to be a typical junior day.

The Cigar tells us that Texas is pulling out all of the stops and making it a bona fide recruiting visit for these prospects. More on that in a moment. Finally, the Cigar was first to unveil the term “County Fair” into the Longhorn lexicon on this very site, and he’ll shed some light on what amounts to Bennie Wylie’s Navy SEAL styled “hell week”. Put a big burnt orange bow on all of that and feel comfortable knowing this program is doing everything in its power to get back to prominence, and step inside the Humidor.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: Obviously let’s start with the star-studded 2012 class that was just inked. I’m sure the staff is excited but any details on who they’re excited about?

Big Cigar: They love Gray and what he brings to the table on and off the field. I told you last March that Gray and his father wanted to commit to a school with a good stable of running backs so he could share carries and save the wear and tear on his body, and that was Texas. Johnathan is a very unselfish young man so he’s willing to give up some of the limelight for the good of the team and the good of his body. He was one of the leaders of this class because he’s got a magnetic personality and down to earth. Couple those attributes with his work ethic and it’s easy to project him being a leader in the program from day 1. Regardless of what you hear to the contrary, he’s Harsin’s Wildcat back next fall.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: What about the other side of the ball?Any details you can share?

Big Cigar: Coach Diaz has accumulated a lot of talent with this class and for the most part all of the players fit into his philosophy of putting Swiss-Army knife athletes at every position. Big guys that can run, cover, rush the passer, fill a hole, you name it. He wants to be able create havoc and confusion on the field with a bunch of kids that aren’t pigeon-holed into one assignment. Ridgeway, Shiro, Jinkens, Santos, Colbert, Thomas, Brown, Norman, Bluiett, Boyette, Cottrell, Vaccaro etc. can all do different things and play different positions. There are very few specialists in this class and that’s the key to Manny’s Fire Zone scheme. That’s all been rehashed but it sets up the more interesting side of things.
The staff feels like they can be even more selective on the type of player they want after getting a year recruiting for Texas under their belt. Guys like Bo Davis and especially Manny Diaz were shocked by how quickly kids said yes when asked if they’d commit so they’ve had to recalibrate how they finesse the slow-play side of the recruiting game. They’ve opted to implement a sort of “good-cop bad cop” strategy where the position coach will say to a player they want to slow-play, “You’re the top player on my position board, but the DC or the HC wants me to continue to evaluate. If it was up to me I would pull the trigger with an offer.”
It helps the kid from getting his feelings hurt and allows the staff more time to evaluate.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: What about the last second switches of Santos and Davis?Any insight?

Big Cigar: On Santos, Manny flat told the kid that he made a huge mistake not offering right away. I’m told Manny did a tremendous job getting back in with Santos and it’s a good thing because I’m also told that the defensive staff thinks Santos may be one of the top 5 players in the class when it’s all said and done. The kid plays with his hair on fire and knocks the snot out of people. Diaz also loves that he’ll be able to move Santos around everywhere?as a thumper in the running game or a pass rusher. And when he hits you, he hurts you, at least that’s what some of our committed players said in the Under Armor game.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: Let’s shift gears to Junior Day 1. Who do you think gets offered and who commits based on what you’re hearing?

Big Cigar: They’re looking to get commits from some kids that will continue to recruit for the program. So look for one or two more of those types to get offers to go along with Raulerson. Naashon Hughes is a kid they’ll ask to get into the fold quickly because he’s an engaging guy and has ties with other players. I can’t see Hughes not jumping aboard because he’s the top OLB on our board and his brother just signed. If we get a commit from Hughes look for Darius James to fall as well. The TE out of Belton, Smythe, will be offered I’m told and he’ll probably commit. After that Kent Perkins is the next best candidate to commit.
Ricky Seals-Jones is another kid that everyone wants to play with so he’s a shoe-in to get offered and asked to be a leader in this class and I’m told the staff likes where they stand with Jones, but they don’t know if he’ll commit. Like I told you before, don’t expect the staff to get double digit commits like last season. They’re going to be more selective.
Jesus Shuttlesworth: What about the Tyrone Swoopes saga?Do you have any insight into the staff’s thought process?

Big Cigar: I do, but I can’t get into specifics because it will hurt the program. I will say that they like Swoopes and project him to be a special player. They will tell him as much. I can also tell you that the staff likes Barrett as well and there may be a way to get both. Whether or not that works out will be determined this Sunday.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: That would be great. You mentioned that we’ll be pulling out all the stops on this pseudo-recruiting function. Can you share a little of what you were told?

Big Cigar: We’re going to make this fun for the kids and show them everything our school has to offer. All the coaches are really excited and each of the new guys has added his own input on how we can make the experience a better selling point for the program. I can’t tell you everything I was told would change, but I’ll give you an example. We’re going to have all of the Nike uniform mockups laid out in the locker room for the kids to see. I’m not saying we’re going to wear them next season, but they’ll be there as a suggestive sales pitch. We’ll also show off the bowl game swag bags from this past season and make mention of how much better the swag bags are at a BCS bowl. But that’s just one example. We’re not going to come on too strong, but we know who we’re competing with in terms of getting these young guys to choose our campus.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: Mirrored white helmets and combat black uniforms?

Big Cigar: I’m not telling.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: Sounds cool. I like the helmet idea, but I prefer the road whites. Speaking of football, talk to me about the first day of “County Fair” this week.
G
Big Cigar: I hear it’s almost too painful to watch. Lots of running and cardio work. There are some cone drills, bag drills, rope stuff, agility stuff, but every position group has a tailored workout to simulate what they’ll do on the football field. It’s pretty brutal but most every player out there is going all out. The ones that aren’t didn’t heed Bennie’s warning to get prepared for County Fair in the weeks leading up.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: Sounds like there will be some attrition from this regimen alone.

Big Cigar: Yep, a lot of vomiting and flat out exhausted kids. The good news is that the ones that aren’t selling out are the ones the coaches figured wouldn’t go all-in. There’s nowhere to hide out there so the ones that aren’t competing are the players that will be left behind and lose snaps.

Jesus Shuttlesworth: All the projected starters and two deep are doing well so far?

Big Cigar: All but a couple. I will say that the entire defense has really accepted the challenge well so far. Cobbs, Hicks, and Vaccaro are fanatical about the workouts. On offense, the projected starters on the Oline have had good results especially Hawkins. Hawkins is already a full grown man and acts the part out there.U

[TheMex]

Edit

[sahoopster]

Wow Mex! Thanks for sharing - sounds like some promising things are happening and we have a lot to look forward to.

[Whisky Dog]

Thanks for posting that read, Mex. the uniforms thing just might be a necessary evil to keep up in recruiting and keep our advantages.

Interested to see who the casualties from County Fair are going to be. Just thanking God I dont have to go through it.

[the chronic]

Argh, I will be pissed if we do some Nike combat uniform bullshit

[Biggems]

can Fozzy become the next Priest? Similar college careers, with unfulfilled promise due to multiple injuries. Fozzy is every bit as versatile as Priest, if not moreso, since he is also a KR. If he fully recovers and can remain healthy, I can see him having a nice pro career....

[TheMex]

Wait, Fozzy is going ti try to play in the NFL?? Didn't know that.

[Biggems]

Wait, Fozzy is going ti try to play in the NFL?? Didn't know that.

I am not sure if he is or not, but he got an invite to the scouting combine.

[TFloss32]

**OrangeBloods reported some good news tonight that DE/LB Mike Mitchell of Plano Prestonwood Christian will be attending the second Junior Day. The bad news is the childhood favorite Florida Gators have already offered. His stock will continue to rise as the year goes on.

http://www.kmitchellboys.com/MIKE_MI...L_HILITES.html

**Updates on out-of-state guys from Hook 'Em 24/7...DE DJ Ward from Lawton, OK is still undecided about a visit to Austin this Sunday. The interest is definitely there and he's said he will look at the February 25th date if he is unable to make it this weekend. Also, rumors of OT Josh Thomas of Shreveport, LA not making the first Junior Day were true. He has been bumped to the second Junior Day by the Texas staff. Makes sense if you consider there are four OLs ranked higher than him by the staff that will be receiving offers on Sunday.

**Some more offer updates...QB Tyrone Swoopes has added Alabama, Auburn and Ohio State to his resume recently. QB Cody Thomas picked up a big one in USC.

[TFloss32]

I am not sure if he is or not, but he got an invite to the scouting combine.

Yep. Whittaker, K. Robinson, Acho and Randall were all invited.

[TFloss32]

Junior Day #1 (February 12th)

QB, Tyrone Swoopes, Whitewright
RB, Dontre Wilson, DeSoto
WR, Jake Oliver, Dallas Jesuit
WR, Ra'Shaad Samples, Dallas Skyline
TE, Durham Smythe, Belton
OL, Darius James, Killeen Harker Heights
OL, Kent Perkins, Richardson Lake Highlands
OL, Ishmael Wilson, Dallas Bishop Dunne
OL/DL, Jake Raulerson, Celina
OL/DL, A'Shawn Robinson, FW Arlington Heights
DT, Justin Manning, Dallas Kimball
DT, Vincent Taylor, San Antonio Madison
DE, DJ Ward, Lawton (Lawton, OK)
LB, Naashon Hughes, Killeen Harker Heights
ATH, Ricky Seals-Jones, Sealy

Junior Day #2 (February 25th)

QB, JT Barrett, Wichita Falls Rider
QB, Kenny Hill, Southlake Carroll
RB, James White, Pearland Dawson
WR, Eldridge Massington, West Mesquite
TE, Jeremiah Gaines, Red Oak
OL, Patrick Morris, Denton Guyer
OL, Josh Thomas, Evangel Christian (Shreveport, LA)
DT, Kerrick Huggins, Dallas Skyline
DT, Christopher Robinson, Woodlawn (Shreveport, LA)
DE, Deon Hollins, Jr., Fort Bend Marshall
DE/LB, Mike Mitchell, Plano Prestonwood Christian
LB, Brett Wade, Kennedale
DB, George Baltimore, Mansfield
DB, Kameron Miles, West Mesquite
DB, Maurice Smith, Fort Bend Dulles
ATH, Jacorey Warrick, Cypress Falls

[billfromlaketravis]

**OrangeBloods reported some good news tonight that DE/LB Mike Mitchell of Plano Prestonwood Christian will be attending the second Junior Day. The bad news is the childhood favorite Florida Gators have already offered. His stock will continue to rise as the year goes on.

http://www.kmitchellboys.com/MIKE_MI...L_HILITES.html

**Updates on out-of-state guys from Hook 'Em 24/7...DE DJ Ward from Lawton, OK is still undecided about a visit to Austin this Sunday. The interest is definitely there and he's said he will look at the February 25th date if he is unable to make it this weekend. Also, rumors of OT Josh Thomas of Shreveport, LA not making the first Junior Day were true. He has been bumped to the second Junior Day by the Texas staff. Makes sense if you consider there are four OLs ranked higher than him by the staff that will be receiving offers on Sunday.

**Some more offer updates...QB Tyrone Swoopes has added Alabama, Auburn and Ohio State to his resume recently. QB Cody Thomas picked up a big one in USC.

Good to see Ward finally interested. I like his early favorites, OK State and TAMU. Very manageable. A lot easier to deal with than the Sooners. I personally like Lancaster DE Daeshon Hall better, but Ward is the next best option.

Josh Thomas should be slowed played. I like Perkins, Gustafson, Wilson and Robinson better, in that order. Nice to have a player like Thomas waiting in the wings though.

I really like Mike Mitchell. 6'4'' OLBs with a 40 inch vertical are hard to find. Tremendous athlete. It also doesn't hurt that his younger brother might be the best basketball player in his class.

[DirkDoesWork]

Argh, I will be pissed if we do some Nike combat uniform bullshit

I will be too. How is this going to help recruiting? Do we not get top 5 classes every year with our traditional jerseys? Are kids in Texas not going to want to come to Texas because we don't have some stupid fucking Power Ranger uniform?

If this were to ever happen, it would be an abominable day in Texas history for me.