Commitment Spotlight: Josh Eaton

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To say that defensive back recruiting has been an adventure this cycle would be a huge understatement. After loading up on talent in the secondary the past couple of cycles, the Texas staff has had some trouble  recruiting defensive backs as of late. When you stock the pantry full with as much talent as Craig Naivar and Jason Washington have lately, both recruits and other schools are bound to eventually take notice.

The setbacks have not stopped the staff from steadily grinding away on the recruiting trail. One thing we have become accustomed to seeing with Tom Herman’s staff is that they always seem to have a plan. They do a great job of keeping several lines in the water and know how to keep their contingencies on simmer until it’s time to turn the heat up.

Josh Eaton was offered by the Longhorns way back in February, and since then has picked up offers from all over the country. Eaton was thought to be leaning towards Texas A&M at one point this summer, but as the summer started to wear on, the Longhorns began to pick up steam and were ultimately able to sway him to bring his talents to Austin.

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Three Best Traits:

Very Good Size – Possesses the ideal size and frame for the position that you look for in cornerbacks. Should play around 190 pounds once he hits a college program.

Recovery Speed – Is able to make up ground in a hurry and is a long strider.

Solid Hands/Ball Skills – Attacks the ball aggressively at the high point and displays a serviceable set of hands on both sides of the ball. [/one-half-first]

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Three Worst Traits:

Very Raw Tools – Currently is an unmolded ball of clay and will need some time to reach his ceiling.

Lack of Splash Plays – His tape lacks some sizzle at this point in his development. I was left wanting to see a little more.

Play Strength/ Physicality – Will need to continue to improve in this area as he continues to develop so that he will be able to assert him in run support and getting off blocks. [/one-half]

Summary

Josh Eaton is a four-star cornerback out of Aldine MacArthur high school in Houston, TX. Eaton will be entering his third year as a starter for MacArthur in 2019 and he has spent time at both wide receiver and cornerback, but projects to defense long term. At 6’2, 175 pounds Eaton possesses very good size and length, and has a frame that will allow him to continue to add good weight as he develops physically. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if gets to the 190-pound range is able to play at the size comfortably at the next level. On the defensive side of the ledger, Eaton shows the ability to mirror defenders with solid hip fluidity when turning and running with receivers. Due to being a long strider and possessing good speed, Eaton is able to make up ground quickly in coverage and shows the ability to close on receivers quickly. While Eaton possesses solid ball skills and did make some plays on the football on tape, I was a little underwhelmed at the lack of splash plays and ball production as a whole and hope to see great improvement in that area going forward. The ball skills and the ability to attack and get his hands on the football are there, so there is definitely growth potential in that department. Another aspect of Eaton’s game that needs to see improvement is play strength and physicality. While he possesses good, raw athletic tools he must continue to get stronger and become more physical if he wants to truly maximize his potential. For a player his size, I was expecting him to be more of a physical force when he walks up to press receivers and when filling in against the run. Play strength can come in time once he hits a college weight room regiment, but the physicality and willingness as a run defender is something that must come from within and I will be keeping my eye on him to see how he continues to develop in that aspect of his game. With there not being a ton of tape on Eaton currently, a lot of eyes will be on him this fall to see if he is able to cash in on his senior season and show coaches that he is heading in the right direction development wise.

Final Verdict

Eaton has good tools to work with that could really pay off long-term with the coaching of Jason Washington. With the depth Texas has stacked in the secondary, Eaton will have the time necessary to sit in the incubator. This is an ideal position for Texas and bodes well for the long-term future of the position in Austin.

The Longhorns continue to be one of the hottest recruiting programs in the country, and it doesn’t look like they will be slowing down anytime soon. The Texas staff has their eyes focused on making a run at another top 5 recruiting class, and if things go well this fall, I’m not going to rule that out just yet.

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