The first junior day of the Charlie Strong era is complete and while the number of new commits wasn’t high, the foundation has been set for Texas to get to work on the 2015 and 2016 classes. The recruits who did make it to Austin raved about the organization and attention to detail shown by the new staff. With the Horns behind for a number of prospects, this junior day helped Texas change the perception for some of the top players in the state and from around the nation.
One prospect the Longhorns were able to woo is Huntsville tackle Ronnie Major. Once a Baylor commitment, Major decided to make the flip after receiving an offer from the Texas coaching staff on Saturday. This one looks like another Joe Wickline special, as Major has a great frame at 6’6 290 lbs. Major should be able to put on 30 or so pounds of good weight and fill that frame out to potential. Unfortunately there isn’t a ton of film out there on Major so the film analysis won’t be included here. The limited film I saw did show good knee bend and feet and he has a long wingspan that should allow him to get hands on his opposition. Until I can see more it’s unclear how well Major run-blocks.
Being able to steal a player from Baylor was also huge for this recruiting class. For one, Baylor has identified and developed a nice crop of linemen in recent years. Aside from that it weakens a conference opponent and provides Strong with a little positive momentum as he cranks it up for 2015. Major is a three star player according to Rivals and is ranked #96 in the state, but has a chance to rise in ranking if we can see more of him. Major can also improve his stock by attending some camps this year and showing his stuff against the state’s best.
The Horns were also able to wow Rowlett defensive end Charles Omenihu. At 6’5 220 lbs, Omenihu chose Texas over offers from Louisiana Tech, Northwestern, and SMU. Regarded as a player that is currently on the rise in the state, Omenihu is ranked as the 36th best player in the state and the second ranked defensive end.
Omenihu committed to Texas after visiting this past weekend. I would expect to see him rise in the rankings soon once more people evaluate his film and see him in person. He reminds me a lot of Alex Okafor who entered his junior year spring a bit underrated and had a similar frame. Okafor blew up after hitting the local camp circuit and dominating one on ones before becoming a front line player and NFL draft pick for the Longhorns. This commitment gives Texas the inside track on landing the top two defensive ends in the state because they also appear to be high on James Lockhart’s list.
There is more film available on Omenihu and it shows just how underrated he might be. With that in mind let’s get to the film evaluation.
Film Analysis:
The first thing you notice is that the kid has a fantastic motor. Omenihu’s long arms allow him to dictate the point of attack and he reads his gaps well. He looks to be well coached because he really understands how to use his hands instead of just relying on strength and athleticism. Omenihu has a great frame with the ability to add forty pounds or so over his career. He’s not a quick twitch pass rusher like Jackson Jeffcoat, but still has good speed and agility and can be a factor there. Omenihu plays the run better than the pass at this point and is probably suited for the strongside end. I want to see a lot more, but the early returns on Omenihu are very promising.
Final Verdict:
This is a great start to the defensive line class for Coach Strong, and a future bookend pair of Omenihu and Derick Roberson could continue the excellent tradition at defensive end for the Longhorns. Omenihu is a clear example of a prospect that would have been passed over by the previous staff, but was identified early and made a priority by Charlie Strong and company. There’s a ton of upside here and I look forward to watching Omenihu make his case to be a four star player.
