The point on a brisket is typically the fattiest cut. Pitmasters often trim the point (and select edges) off a brisket and return those pieces to the smoker.
Are burnt ends tough, chewy worthless cuts of meat, or are they heavenly bites of smoky goodness? It depends on who you ask…
Rather than discard the trimmings and fat, we choose to savor all the information that flows through the site. So, sit down and help yourself to some burnt ends.
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With the 2016 Texas recruiting class in the books, the focus immediately changes to 2017 in the 24/7 world of recruiting. Over the coming weeks we will introduce you to the names of prospects in the 2017 class you will need to keep up with. At this time last year, names like McCulloch, Christmas-Giles, Davion Curtis, and even Shane Buechele were relatively unknowns. Now let’s meet the next crop of stars in a weekly position by position breakdown. Also, we plan to update our 2017 rankings sometime in the next two weeks.
NOTE: We’re skipping quarterback at this time and moving forward since Sam Ehlinger is already committed, and Texas isn’t likely to take a second one.
Running Backs
Texas is pretty stacked at the running back position with young talent already on campus and Kyle Porter coming in. The Longhorns might still look to take two, because the 2017 class is absolutely loaded with talent.
Toniel Carter – Langham Creek
Bio: The consensus top runner in the state has big play ability and a five star future. Texas offered him last year, but Carter is a New Orleans native with a big time affinity for LSU. He is also close with Texas A&M signee Quartney Davis, and the Aggies are pursuing him very hard. At this point, Texas just isn’t in the race for Carter.
JK Dobbins – La Grange
Bio: Dobbins has incredible big play ability, and in my mind is the only player that could unseat Carter from the throne of the top runner in Texas. There are some concerns about his size, but his compact frame already holds thick weight, and his speed and open field ability are unmatched. Texas offered last year, and they sit in a very good position for the local product.
Eno Benjamin – Wylie East
Bio: Benjamin was one of the most productive players in the state this season. The most complete all-purpose back in the state runs with power and elusiveness, while also featuring as a receiver from the back field. Benjamin doesn’t hold a Texas offer yet, but he is slated to attend junior day this month. If Texas offers they will be in a very good position for Benjamin.
Kaegun Williams – Cedar Hill
Bio: Williams features on a loaded Cedar Hill team, and currently holds offers from Kansas, SMU, Tulsa, and Tennessee. Williams is short, but he’s built stout and fits multiple offenses. Texas has yet to involve themselves in this recruitment, but Williams could be an option if Dobbins or Carter move on.
Kennedy Brooks – Mansfield
Bio: If you enjoyed the way Kyle Porter handled his recruitment, you might be interested in Mansfield runner Kennedy Brooks. Brooks was a Metroplex star last year, but he carries himself very quietly and made it clear he didn’t want to talk about recruiting. Brooks is a one cut power runner suitable for multiple offenses, and an overall game that suggests a strong future is ahead of him. He currently holds offers from Kansas, Michigan, SMU, Texas Tech, and Washington, while Texas hasn’t been in contact.
Calvin Tyler – Beaumont Ozen
Bio: The Golden Triangle prospect holds no offers at this point, but he was a big name after camping at Texas last summer. Tyler is an explosive runner who is best fit for the spread, and he told us in January that Texas is his dream school. Tyler rushed for over 1800 yards last season, and should see his profile start to grow during the spring evaluation period.
Rajan Cunningham – Mesquite Horn
Bio: Cunningham isn’t a household name, in fact he’s buried under the radar due to switching schools and then tearing his ACL. The Dallas area player holds offers from California, Iowa, Oregon State, SMU, and Louisiana Tech, and he has a chance to come onto the scene in a major way with a healthy senior season.
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This weekend we were able to speak with 2017 Cedar Hill wide receiver Camron Buckley, at a workout with his trainer Margin Hooks. Buckley looked great in that workout along with his teammate Charleston Rambo, and the congenial pass catcher took time to answer questions afterwards.
Buckley is one of many weapons returning for the odds on favorite to win state this year. Cedar Hill is a junior heavy team with a big time national profile. They will open the season at home against the top ranked team in the nation, Bishop Gorman from Las Vegas. Gorman features Aggie commit Tate Martell at Quarterback, and when the diminutive passer got mouthy on twitter this season, Cedar Hill accepted the challenge. Martell might want to ask De La Salle what happens when you come into Texas to take on one of their high school teams. The former top ranked school in the nation was defeated soundly by Trinity last season. Buckley knows there is a lot of hype around Cedar hill, but he’s trying not to get caught up in it right now. “I don’t want to say it too early because I don’t want to jinx it,†said Buckley when I asked if they had another championship run ahead of them. “That’s definitely what we are working for, and if we have to outscore everyone to do it that’s what we will do.â€
The championship and tradition at Cedar Hill is what drives Buckley and his teammate Charleston Rambo to get their offseason skill work in. “It’s just a good chance to come get some work in and not just sit on the couch during the offseason,†Buckley said when asked what motivated him to attend workouts on Super Bowl Sunday. As for recruiting, Buckley holds a Texas offer and plans to attend junior day in Austin this month. Buckley is high on Texas, but he told us they are currently number two on his list behind the University of Houston. Buckley told us he plans to release a list of top schools in the spring, or even possibly commit depending on what other offers he receives.
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HornSports’ recruiting contributor Will Baizer has his eyes set on the 2018 recruiting class. He covered the International Bowl in Dallas for the site last weekend. Baizer spoke to a number of top targets in the 2018 class to get the story on just who they are and what makes them so special. In this section of Burnt Ends, we bring you Will’s introductory profiles on the stars of 2018.
Name: Jalen Mayden
School/Class: Sachse High School/2018
Position: Quarterback
Stats: 178/271 passing, 2496 yards and 32/9 TD/Int ratio. 550 yards rushing with 3TDs on 87 carries.
Jalen had a big year at the high school level, and he continued to show excellence finishing the International Bowl game with impressive numbers: 12 for 18 passing attempts, 288 yards and 4 TDs. He also ran 6 times for 67 yards and a score.
Most believe Jalen to be among one of the top two quarterbacks in the state, and one of the best in the country in the 2018 class. Jalen prefers to throw the ball deep over the middle, and has no trouble throwing the short routes and screens commonly seen in all spread offenses. Mayden also has a very nice deep ball and knows how to throw the fade to the corner. He made two almost perfect throws to the fade route for touchdowns during the International Bowl. On top of this he is a talented runner with excellent field vision, and was named the International Bowl MVP.
Texas hosted Jalen at their camp last year and he performed very well. When they are able to evaluate 2018 prospects in the spring, Jalen will be on Texas’ short list of 2018 QBs. It’s safe to say he will be high on the list when Texas starts looking for their 2018 quarterback.
Comparison: Deshaun Watson (Clemson)
Like Deshaun, Jalen makes an impact both on and off the field. He is very involved in his community, including “See Me Beyond,†a program Mayden started that collects food and clothes to help the families in need in his community.
Last year they gathered enough food and clothes to help the 450 families.
Baizer spoke with Jalen after the International Bowl about his plans for after High School.
On who is talking to him the most right now:
“Right now it’s been UNC, Ohio State, UH, and Louisville just gave me an offer.â€
Does where Jared went to college affect where you want to play?
“No I want to play against [my brother]. I would love to challenge him in a game. But I also wouldn’t mind being on the same team because I would challenge him every day at practice.â€
Your father went to OU how does that affect where you want to play college football?
“It doesn’t.â€
What are your thoughts on Oklahoma?
“I took a visit up there and had a very nice talk with their coach. I love what they’re doing there… I remember sitting watching them play with my father as a child.â€
Texas is looking for a QB in 2018 and you might be on their short list. How do you feel about Texas?
“I’ll be going there for Junior day on the 27th. It’s really been my dream school. I remember sitting and watching the legend [Vince Young]. With Gilbert there now I’m taking a wait and see approach. I want to watch what they do with the new offense and the QB. I know they throw it more. I like that.â€
How do you feel about what Texas did this past National Signing Day?
“It was very exciting. I think Strong is really putting together something special.â€
Will also got a chance to speak with the very lovely and Mama Mayden. She let him know that they have a very tight-knit family (they all live within a mile radius of each other), and the infamous “Saban Wobble†was just another night at the Mayden house. She also let me know that the family takes a very hands-off approach in the recruiting process of their kids since it up to the individual player to decide if they like a program. She is just really hoping Jalen gets an offer from the Longhorns.
There are a few teams other teams in the hunt for Mayden that weren’t discussed above: Oregon, Michigan, and Penn State.
Jalen, a sophmore, will head to the Elite 11 Regionals this year, the Rivals QB camps, and visits to different colleges including Texas on the 27th.
Name: Isaiah Humphries
School/Class: Sachse High School/2018
Position: Defensive back
Son of former NFL player Leonard Humphries, Isaiah can do it all. He’s got great awareness of the field, the ability to locate the ball mid-flight, and a nice blend of size speed allows him to be a complete secondary player. What stands out most, is his impressive tackling ability in space or one-on-one. He plays with sound fundamentals against the pass. Isaiah is one of the top safeties in the state of Texas for the 2018 class, and currently holds offers from Oklahoma and SMU.
He continued to impress during the International Bowl, and showed the ability to make big plays around the ball. Humphries had two fumble recoveries, the first of which he scored on. Team Canada did not throw his way due to the Isaiah’s blanket coverage. The one pass they completed on him was a late pass to a guy who slid out of the backfield.
Football is not all Humphries does, he’s also a musician. Humphries works on his craft as a DJ/producer who can play piano and read music. In school he ranks 11th out of 750 students in his class with 4.40 GPA in a full load of AP classes. Humphries is also fluent in French, and he hopes to one day earn a business degree and an MBA. This guy is talented, smart, big and fast. He won the gene pool lottery.
Will Baizer caught up with Humphries after the International Bowl:
Which schools are looking at you currently?
“I have OU, SMU (I have offers from those two), I have Penn State looking at me, Baylor, Northwestern, and LSU .“
Have the Longhorns reached out?
“I haven’t talk with them.â€
He’s not sure if he will be going to the Texas Junior Day but will let us know later.
What do you have planned for the summer?
“I’m going to the rivals camp. Opening regionals invited me to come out, so I’ll be training for that to get my numbers up.”
What do you think about the Texas program right now?
“I think it’s a good program. They have a good following. It’s a nice place. Everything in Texas is about UT. That’s the school. So I’m very interested in their program. So hopefully things happen.â€
What about Oklahoma? How do you feel about them and your offer?
“I’m really happy about that (the offer). That put me on another level because OU is a big time program, and people started looking at me. Once I got that OU offer people treated me like I was for real, like I was a real DB.â€
Because before that you were a fake DB. *laughs were had“
…So I’m on a different scale now. I’m pretty thankful for it, and I didn’t know it was coming. I’m all surprised because this came out of nowhere.â€
And obviously with your dad having played at Penn State, you have ties there. How do you feel about the program and James Franklin?
“I like Penn State. I’ve taken a few visits up there and it’s really nice. Plus I have that legacy there. I like the campus. The stadium is beautiful. I don’t have an offer from them yet though.â€
He will soon though.
Also we talked about going out to the West Coast for college. Still looking at schools out there?
“UCLA. I’m trying to get out to USC. But really UCLA. That’s the school.â€
Talk about you and Verone McKinley’s relationship. You’re good friends. Would you like to end up playing with each other at the same school?
“To be honest, I just want us to both go to the right schools for us. It would be good if we went to the same schools. The college choice is really a personal thing, so I’m not going to force him to go with me and he won’t do that to me. We like different things.â€
Isaiah seems interested in exploring his options across the country, especially Penn State where his father played, but he’s also looking hard in-state right now at Baylor and Texas. Isaiah comes from a good family and seems to have a bright future.
Name: Verone McKinley
School/Class: Plano Prestonwood/2018
Position: Cornerback
Verone McKinley is starting to become a household name, and the fact that he’s a special talent at defensive back is no secret. He currently holds offers from LSU, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, SMU, Tulsa, and Kansas. He’s made a number of trips to Texas and the coaches are recruiting him heavily; however they’ve backed off during December and January as they were focusing on the 2016 class. He was very impressed with the way Texas finished off the class this year, and made a point of letting us know that.
His father (former Texas Tech defensive back) is his coach, and it shows in his fundamentals. He’s shows advanced footwork, along with speed, soft hands, fast play recognition skills, and a knack for making big plays. He ended his sophomore season with 8 interceptions and 66 tackles.
He made a surprise visit to the International Bowl (even surprised his father who was coaching it), so Baizer had an opportunity to interview him.
What are your plans this summer?
“First I’m trying to get open at the Opening. I’m doing the rivals camp… Other than that I don’t know right now. I’ll probably go see a few place that I really like.â€
Like where?
“Maybe go on a West Coast tour. Maybe go down and see Texas. Talk to some other SEC schools.â€
Who is currently pursuing you at Texas?
“Coach Vaughn and Coach Norvell are the two that I talk to.â€
How often do you guys chat?“It’s died down since the season, but definitely picking back up, especially with Coach Norvell sine he recruits my area.â€
What other schools are currently pursing you?
“Michigan, Arizona, Tennessee, and Oregonâ€
Which school is recruiting you the hardest?
“Probably Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and LSU. Those are the three coming after me the hardest.â€
What are schools telling you with respect to selling their programs as “the place” for you to play college football?
“Tech is just really talking about family. Of course my dad went there (Texas Tech). Played DB. So that’s something they’re pushing and how it’s a good place to be. Oklahoma, just family environment. Saying that they can develop me and help me achieve the goals I want to achieve. And then LSU just always say they are DBU. It just feels good all around to be wanted by so many people.â€
What areas of your game do you feel you need to improve upon?
“I need to get bigger and stronger this offseason. Especially need to get faster. Next season I just want to reach a new level I haven’t the past two seasons. I just want to be a dog this year. Straight dominate. Dominate every play on offense, defense and special teams. Especially since I’m now the leader after 24 seniors graduated.â€
Name: Josh Maize
School/Class: Deerfield High School (Deerfield, IL)/2017
Position: Defensive End
Most folks, including Will Baizer, didn’t know much about Josh Maize out of Deerfield, IL (North of Chicago) before the International Bowl, but after watching him in action, this kid is a potential monster. He recorded 6 sacks and was breathing down the QB’s neck all day long. He’s a huge guy at 6’5†235lbs, but on the field you couldn’t tell. He has great footwork, a motor that won’t quit, and hits like a Mack truck. In college he’ll probably end up a DE even though he plays LB in high school.
Our Will Baizer talked with him Maize after the International Bowl:
What schools are pursuing you currently?
“Notre Dame, Michigan State, Purdue, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan, and Central Michigan. I’m just hoping for the ball to keep rolling.â€
Do you know what you will be doing this offseason?
“Just working out and getting bigger, stronger and faster. I’m going to hit up any camp that comes my way. I will be going to the Opening regionals in Chicago.â€
Who is recruiting you the hardest currently?
“Notre Dame, Western Michigan, and Central Michigan.â€
Who’s your favorite coach among the teams currently recruiting you?
“Definitely the special teams coach out of Western Michigan. He’s got a saying ‘Bring the Juice.’ He’s just got a lot of energy and I want to play for a man like that.â€
How do you feel about the schools down in Texas? Have you heard from any of them?
“I haven’t, but I would love to. They ball. They ball hard. If you want to play football, you come to Texas.â€