Recruiting can be a crazy, unpredictable, roller coaster of emotions as Texas fans found out today. Fans dealing with the loss of Darrin Kirkland Jr., and the shock of the Toby Weathersby defection were finally given some good news as Victory Christian Academy (Lakeland, FL) linebacker Cecil Cherry made the call to officially become a Longhorn. Cherry will be the twentieth commit to the Longhorns and is close with former Victory Christian defensive tackle Chris Nelson.
Since he made his official visit to Austin for the West Virginia game, Cherry has been extremely pro-Texas on Twitter making his switch one of the most poorly kept secrets ever seen in recruiting. Cherry will add some definite punch to a linebacker class that will immediately be needed to fill depth. The other intriguing part of this commitment is the fact that Cherry has alluded to bringing some other Florida prospects with him. Cherry is close with Texas targets Devonaire Clarington and Tim Irvin among others.
Cherry originally planned on announcing his decision on National Signing Day, but one has to wonder if he saw the aftermath of today’s recruiting news and decided to cheer up the Longhorn fan base. A former Tennessee commitment, Cherry decided to open things up after Vols fans chided him for his pro-Texas commentary. Cherry chose Texas over offers from Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Notre Dame, Alabama, and Ohio State.
Film Analysis:
The primary criticism of Cherry is his smaller stature – 6’0, 235 lbs. His compact frame has room for a little bit of weight, but Cherry is probably close to where we will see him at the next level. The first trait that jumps off his highlights is the violent style of his game. Cherry diagnoses plays quickly and fires through the gap to arrive with a bang. His bowling ball like frame allows him to stay low and explode through the ball carrier. Cherry is strong playing the run with the ability to move sideline to sideline and change direction quickly and fluidly.
Cherry struggles a bit at the point of attack where he tries to shed blockers using his shoulder, when he should be using his hands more. In pass coverage, Cherry looks a bit stiff in his backpedal, but has the athleticism and body control to make plays on passes in the flats and the middle of the field. Cherry’s straight line speed is one of his most impressive attributes and allows him to close quickly on his opponent and arrive with a thud. When you play his reel, the word that continually comes to mind is ‘physical’ which should mesh very well with what the Texas coaches preach. Cherry also spent some time at running back in high school which shows how athletic and versatile he can be. At this point I’d say he’s undoubtedly a middle linebacker which is something this class was lacking.
Final Verdict:
While Cherry appear to have reached his physical size already, I think he’s still got a very high ceiling. The youngster from Florida has the tools to be a multiple year all conference player, with a chance to cash NFL checks. His offer list is indicative of the type of talent he has. The bottom line is this is a big win for Charlie Strong and staff at a time when they needed some good news.
Cherry Highlight Film:
