A big signing day is primed to get underway for Texas, but the fireworks officially started tonight when New Orleans (LA) St. Augustine defensive tackle D’Andre Christmas-Giles announced he would sign with the Longhorns. “DCG†was originally committed to Tennessee, but his profile blew up this fall and started receiving heavy interest. The Louisiana prospect picked Texas over offers from LSU, TCU, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, and South Carolina.
With a huge need at defensive tackle, Texas courted a high number of talented prospects. Christmas-Giles developed a strong bond with Brick Haley and Charlie Strong, which seemed to seal the deal for Texas. He visited Texas early on in December, and though he took other visits along the way he kept coming back to his affinity for the Longhorns. Christmas-Giles joins several Louisiana prospects making their way to Austin, giving Texas a huge boost in Louisiana.
Film Analysis:
Christmas-Giles stands 6’4 290 lbs., with room to add on fifteen to twenty more. He has a good build with a thick lower half perfect for defensive tackles. Christmas-Giles shows off an explosive first step and good pad level to knife into the backfield and destroy plays before they develop. He uses his hands well off the ball and shows elite athletic traits for his size. His agility, balance, and lateral movement come together on film when he is called upon to return a kickoff. Christmas-Giles proves elusive for his size and makes several defenders miss before finally being brought down. He has good straight-line speed and closes quickly when finds the ball. He shows a good array of pass rush moves and profiles as a one gap three technique with the ability to play end in a three man front. Christmas-Giles is a strong tackler who tackles with his feet underneath him and powers through the ball carrier. He shows good discipline and gap responsibility to maintain gap integrity.
Final Verdict:
There are moments on film where Christmas-Giles reminds you of former Texas tackle Malcom Brown. His explosive ability raw athleticism give you a lot to dream on, and he has the ability to play early. He looks to be only scratching the surface on his ability and could have tremendous potential to be an All-American level player with an NFL future.
