2014 Texas Longhorns Recruiting Thread

[DesignatedT]

Even though Keenum wrecked shop for Sumlin at Houston, kind of surprised they went away from the dual-threat after Manziel showed how valuable that is.

One of Mack's biggest career mistakes.

I think they have pretty good options in that regard with Kenny Hill and Kyle Allen though.

Manziel is a special kind of dual threat though as well. 75% of his runs are just improvised. Not many QBs have that kind of skill, even if they are fast and agile.

[TFloss32]

Update on LB/S Edwin Freeman after attending Sunday's Texas camp (HornsNation):

“Coach Akina is cool,” Freeman said. “He sits down and shows me tape of past players and stuff. He just talks with me. I guess they are comparing me to Kenny Vaccaro a bit because of how big I am.”

“You feel loved (at UT),” he said. “It’s just great because everybody knows your name. When they see you they are happy to see you.”

“It kept them there (at the top of my list),” he said at the conclusion of camp.

“It amazed me the last time,” he said. “I just thought it was different. It shocked me. It’s like Arlington, a big city.”

[TFloss32]

I think they have pretty good options in that regard with Kenny Hill and Kyle Allen though.

Manziel is a special kind of dual threat though as well. 75% of his runs are just improvised. Not many QBs have that kind of skill, even if they are fast and agile.

Definitely not saying it was a dumb move or anything, just surprised me. Hill is going to be a stud, imo.

Plus, they should be in good shape for 2015 with Murray and he's a dual-threat.

[TFloss32]

Well, we knew there was a chance a prospect we never heard of would be offered after camp...and it happened. Texas has offered OL Zach Ledwik of La Grange, per 24/7. Quotes from Ledwik and his coach:

http://247sports.com/Player/Zachary-Ledwik-31031

“Yesterday I went to their one day camp, which was a good experience and it went well,” Ledwik said. “Then earlier today I got in contact with them and they extended me a scholarship. I didn’t commit, but I was excited about the offer from Texas.”

“I talked to Coach (Stacy) Searels and Coach (Mack) Brown about it over the phone,” he added. “They were excited about what they saw from the camp and also what they saw on film from me.”

“He’s probably the most special kid I’ve ever been around,” Kates said. “There’s not a negative about him."

"Every single offensive line coach that has stopped in to see him immediately offered after seeing him this spring. Coach Searels at Texas saw him for the first time on Sunday and offered today on Monday, which I figured would happen. He’s just that good.”

“I’m just trying to take all this recruiting in with an open mind,” Ledwik said. “I’m still working on a favorites list. Right now I’m open to everyone that is interested in me. I just want a program that is established and that develops their players well. Strong academics are a must too.”

“When it comes to the Longhorns, I know that Coach Searels is a really good offensive line coach,” he said. “They have a good, strong football program that definitely interests me.”

[TFloss32]

Quotes from 2015 TE Jordan Davis after attending the Texas summer camp (24/7):

“It went really good,” said Davis of the visit. “In my opinion I felt like I was the best tight end there, especially with me being the youngest. I had one drop the whole time we did 1-on-1s, so that’s pretty good.”

“It gave me a chance to see how a Texas practice would go,” he said. “To me that was really good. Plus we did NFL-type combine drills so that was helpful to me.”

“It definitely raised Texas in my favorites,” said Davis. “Coach (Bruce) Chambers sat down with my mom and I on Saturday and showed us the different ways they use their tight ends. They also showed me more of their new up-tempo offense, which was good for me because that’s what I’m used to. It was just a really good experience I really has me keeping my eyes on Texas.”

“I’m still committed to Florida State, so they’re still my number one,” he added. “After them it’s basically Texas A&M and Texas right there and then Oklahoma.”

“I’m going to be watching them (Texas) closely,” Davis said. “This season I really want to watch and see if they use their tight ends more now in the new offense, especially as far as passing goes. I’m also anxious to visit for a game, so I can get a good feel for their atmosphere. If they keep on, they’ll keep being a program I really consider strongly.”

[rjv]

Definitely not saying it was a dumb move or anything, just surprised me. Hill is going to be a stud, imo.

Plus, they should be in good shape for 2015 with Murray and he's a dual-threat.

good points. the positives are that sumlin has thrived in the past at UH with pocket passers.

[TFloss32]

Indiana gets a look at their new unis:

http://www.youtube.com/v/FsGsAhBKG84

[TFloss32]

Longhorn Network has announced they'll be hosting both the New Mexico State and Ole Miss games. Start making plans.

[TFloss32]

A reminder that the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge is going down this weekend in Chicago at Soldier Field. QB Jerrod Heard is the only Texas commitment participating this year but below are some familiar names that will be in attendance:

2014
RB, Leonard Fournette, St. Augustine (New Orleans, LA)
RB, Joe Mixon, Freedom (Oakley, CA)
WR, KD Cannon, Mount Pleasant
WR, Devante "Speedy" Noil, Edna Karr (New Orleans, LA)
OL, Demetrius Knox, Fort Worth All Saints Episcopal
DE, Lorenzo Carter, Norcross (Norcross, GA)
DE, Deondre Clark, Douglass (Oklahoma City, OK)
DE, Davon Godchaux, Plaquemine (Plaquemine, LA)
DE, Solomon Thomas, Coppell
LB, Dillon Bates, Ponte Vedra (Ponte Vedra Beach, FL)
LB, Raekwon McMillan, Liberty County (Hinesville, GA)
LB, Zach Whitley, Galena Park North Shore
S, Jamal Adams, Carrollton Hebron
S, Steven Parker, Jenks (Jenks, OK)
ATH, Nick Harvey, Fort Bend Travis

2015
RB, Jacques Patrick, Timber Creek (Orlando, FL)
WR, DaMarkus Lodge, Cedar Hill
OL, Zach Rogers, Carrollton Hebron
DT, Daylon Mack, Gladewater
CB, Kendall Sheffield, Fort Bend Marshall

[TFloss32]

A few notes from 24/7...

-a new name to remember is 2015 WR John Humphrey, Jr. of League City Clear Falls. Supposedly ran well in the 40 and had a great session in 1-on-1s. No mention of when an offer might come along but he definitely has the attention of the staff.

http://www.hudl.com/athlete/569951/#highlights/21987381

-Texas' newest offer, OL Zach Ledwik of La Grange, will camp at A&M this weekend and is expected to be offered by the Ags. Stanford may also make their way into his recruitment.

-Applewhite and the staff supposedly told QB/ATH Aaron Sharp after Sunday's camp that they intend on taking only one QB for the 2014 class. If Sharp wants to move forward with Texas, it will have to be as an ATH with a focus on WR.

-it sounds like DE Victor Evans of Dallas Skyline will be the next commitment. He and his mother really enjoyed their time on campus.

[the chronic]

Just heard from pretty direct source that Daylon Mack commitment to Ags sounding imminent. Supposedly Texas staff asking him to make another visit before committing but sounding like that may not happen now.

[rjv]

Just heard from pretty direct source that Daylon Mack commitment to Ags sounding imminent. Supposedly Texas staff asking him to make another visit before committing but sounding like that may not happen now.

i haven't seen it very often but this is one of those moments where the SEC card may have played a role

Just the feel, the SEC atmosphere they're in, I love playing in that. I want to play in the best conference, I want to compete against the best players, and that's what A&M brings to the table.

[the chronic]

i haven't seen it very often but this is one of those moments where the SEC card may have played a role

It is a lot easier to sell playing in Baton Rouge than in Ames Iowa.

The fact the Big XII did not go after FSU and Clemson to counter that factor when they were prime for the taking is unforgivable.

[Sisk]

i haven't seen it very often but this is one of those moments where the SEC card may have played a role

I've seen the SEC mentioned quite a bit in many commitments. Kyle Allen mentioned it directly yesterday.

[the chronic]

Sure enough this just popped up on my twitter feed

Daylon Mack - “I’m committed to Texas A&M in my mind. I’m just waiting for my parent to let me make it official. I talked to coach [B.J.] Anderson today and I told him I’m ready to commit.”

[TFloss32]

More from OL Zach Ledwik of La Grange (HornsNation):

“I was surprised. They haven’t paid any attention, and now all the sudden they call the next day and make an offer,” Ledwik said. “They were excited about offering me and they want to see me as a Longhorn.”

“That felt pretty good,” Ledwik said. “I mean, Texas is Texas. To get an offer from them really meant something.”

“I liked the compe ion,” Ledwik said. “That was the one thing I was happy about during the (Texas) camp. I could tell who the better players were.”

“Coach Searles, to me, seems like a tough love offensive line coach,” Ledwik said. “He’s on you in practice and you better be doing things right, but he seemed like he’d be nice and cordial on a regular day. Coach Brown was real nice and cordial. I didn’t talk to him too long, but he was excited and said he wants to see me as a Longhorn.”

“I really am more at a phase where I’m sitting back and looking at everything that comes to the table,” he said. “As far as committing, I don’t see that happening in the summer.”

[TFloss32]

Per 24/7, Texas has offered ATH Tyler Luatua of La Mirada, CA.

http://247sports.com/Player/Tyler-Luatua-19282

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJH2iFaS0M0

[TFloss32]

2015 QB Kyle Kearns of Pleasanton, CA talks about his trip to Austin (HornsNation):

“I haven’t been out of California in a while, so I’ve had to make the transition to the humidity,” Kearns said. “I got off the plane and I thought, ‘Whew, it’s a little bit hotter here.' "

“Texas made a great impression. It’s awesome,” Kearns said. “I feel like there would always be something to do here, and I could see myself living here for four years. Even the stadium right here is enough of an impression to last a long time. It’s at such a higher level, from my point of view, than anything I’ve seen in California.”

“They’re saying they are going to wait until the camps are finished and Applewhite was really impressed with me,” Kearns said. “They said I had a great camp, and to be fair to all the other guys they’re going to wait until the camps are over.”

“They said for quarterback it’s a long process, and they’re not going to rush because they’ve been in trouble in the past with QBs,” Kearns said. “They need to make the right decision.”

“I took away a lot, and it was nice to hang around the coaches, see the players and get a feel for the overall place,” Kearns said. “I wouldn’t have known about any of this stuff. I would’ve only known the coaches over the phone. I think I’ll be back here shortly.”

[TFloss32]

2015 WR Kemah Siverand of Cypress Ridge reviews his trip to College Station for A&M's summer camp last Sunday (24/7). A reminder that he is scheduled to be in Austin on June 9th:

“Me and my mom just got done talking with Coach Sumlin,” Siverand told GigEm247’s Taylor Hamm last night. “We just sat down and talked and I told Coach Sumlin I really wanted to be an Aggie.”

“He said if this is a good fit for you then you can go ahead and make that decision but it doesn’t have to be now because everything is lining up for me to go there,” Siverand said.

“I want to be an engineer and they have one of the best engineering schools in the nation. Actually, I think it’s the best. As far as sports wise, its in the SEC. I’m an SEC player. Everything is lining up. I haven’t made a decision yet but I just want to wait a little longer."

“I think I’m going to call Coach (Jeff) Banks and Coach (David) Beaty tomorrow and ask if I can come back soon and visit the campus again,” he said last night. “I might make my decision then. It might be immediate, it might be down the road, I don’t know yet.”

“I don’t really have much interest in school outside the state so it will be A&M or Texas,” he said.

[TFloss32]

Quotes from the head coach of ATH Tyler Luatua (24/7):

“His offer came this morning,” said Moschetti. “Basically what happened was that Coach (Major) Applewhite texted me telling me to tell Tyler to call him as soon as possible because they were going to offer. So I put them in touch with him and, from what I understand, they talked and the conversation couldn’t have gone much better.”

“Tyler and his parents were both very excited,” he said. “They were fired up about it really. He was very excited about the offer and conversation he had with Coach Applewhite. He had a very big smile on his face once he got off the phone with them and he was very grateful for the offer.”

“Honestly people outside the southwest don’t realize California kids are excited about Texas,” said Moschetti. “Out here, when we think of Texas, we think of dominating performances at the Rose Bowl. When the kids hear the name Texas, they get very excited. We think of Vince Young and his magical performances against Michigan and USC less than ten years ago. We think of Colt McCoy and Texas starting to put it on Alabama before he got hurt, then them almost coming back and winning it anyway. The Texas name carries a lot of weight out here and all these kids genuinely get excited to find out that the Longhorns are recruiting them.”

“Tyler has nothing but respect for Texas,” Moschetti said. “He knows a lot about Texas football and the University of Texas itself. He knows that they’re a great academic school, but at the same time realizes how much of a football tradition they have and how well they’ve always done. Texas is powerful.”

“It’s very possible he gets down there soon for either an unofficial or official visit,” said Moschetti. “He has official visits planned to Notre Dame and Alabama, with a possible official visit to Ohio State that is in the works. He wants to see other schools though and is very excited about Texas, so I wouldn’t be surprised at all if he says ‘coach I’m visiting Texas’ very soon.”

[rjv]

Texas starting to put it on Alabama before he got hurt

24 yards on 4 plays..this guy sure knows how to use hyperbole.

[rkell87]

24 yards on 4 plays..this guy sure knows how to use hyperbole.

How bout you get to the game before you talk about our performance

[DMX7]

I hear they're going to start printing the SEC logo on every A&M diploma.

[ThePop]

I hear they're going to start printing the SEC logo on every A&M diploma.

Please tell me you're joking.

[leemajors]

How bout you get to the game before you talk about our performance

They could have done just as bad.