That sound you heard coming out of the piney woods of east Texas is an explosion of momentum for the Texas Longhorns. A day after receiving a commitment from Bullard tight end Major Tennison, Texas landed a big pledge from 2017 Texarkana (TX) Liberty Eylau defensive lineman Lagaryonn Carson. Carson chose Texas over offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas A&M. Carson received his first offer from the Longhorns back in the spring and has since seen his stock skyrocket. Carson is ranked #16 on the 2017 HornSports top 50 and was due for a move up in position.
The most interesting aspect of this commitment is that Texas fans might be seeing a reclamation of the fertile east Texas recruiting grounds. While Texas struggled in that area the past few seasons, the SEC schools feasted on the potent mix of talent and swagger common in the region. Hiring Jeff Traylor, an east Texas native, was probably the best move Strong has made since arriving at Texas. Fans are also seeing perhaps a change in recruiting philosophy for Charlie Strong and company who appear to be a bit more aggressive when pursuing talent. Carson is a blend of power, size, and speed that is rare and could help infuse a defensive line needing quality talent at the position. The only drawback is that Carson is nearly a year and a half away from being able to sign. The 2017 class is setting up to be a big one for the Texas staff based on the relationships they’ve been able to build since arriving. Carson joins a powerful core that will be able to entice other big time players to come to Austin.
Film Analysis: Carson is huge at 6’5 285 lbs. His long arms are perfect for the position as he can shoot his hands on offensive linemen and use them to knock down passes at the line. While Carson doesn’t have the explosive first step elite edge rushers do, he is able to summon energy through his lower half and explode at the right time in a rush of energy to destroy opposing backfields. He plays patient in pursuit and shows good assignment discipline defending option runs. Athletically he shows great flexibility, and can drop his hips and run the arch. He shows strong, quick hands and nice lateral movement so his pass rush is a mixed bag of tools. Against the run he plays with a great base and is strong at the point of attack keeping his eyes inside. He is the perfect anchor for a 3 man front to play at the 5 technique, or on the strong side of an even front. The scary thing is he’s not done growing and could be well over 300 pounds by the time he arrives in Austin.
Final Verdict: Wow, this is a high end acquisition nearly 16 months from being able to sign him. Carson has the ability to rank among the top players in both the state and nation. His ceiling is incredibly high with potential to be an All-American type and first round draft pick. Texas fans should be very pleased with this one.
