Mike Roach
Staff
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- Dec 5, 2013
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Some post camp thoughts now that I'm home, showered, and re-hydrated. The turnout in Dallas was really strong (especially compared to the Houston camp yesterday). Most of the talent was from the 2018 class, but there were several 2017 kids looking to make a name for themselves.
2017 Frisco Centennial tight end Kenny Nelson stole the show today.He's a bit of a tweener, but he makes the perfect H-back target for an offense that can utilize his talents correctly. Much like the Opening regional in Dallas, Nelson was on fire. He jumped into reps as much as possible, and he made one spectacular catch after another. Nelson isn't seeing a ton of love on the recruiting front yet, but he absolutely dominates every camp setting he's put in. Nelson has the physical ability to work the seam and function as a matchup nightmare. Jeff Traylor took notice of Nelson, and he let it show by giving him some attention during the drill work.
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3925123/highlights/304693479
2017 Carollton Ranchview DB Javon McInnis looks like a linebacker when he steps out on the field, but his coverage skills really stood out as he hauled in two interceptions on the day and broke up a number of passes. McInnis currently holds offers from Fresno State and SFA, but he looks like a kid that could explode in the fall due to his size and athletic upside.
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4443437/highlights/309251379
2017 Bishop TK Gorman Wide Receiver Judah Bell is a former basketball player trying to convert to play wide receiver. Bell's hoops skills are on display when he's on the field, as he was able to win balls in the air against defenders. Bell also showed marked improvement in his route running ability since I saw him in April at the Opening Houston regional. The thing that stood out the most about Bell, was his insistence on finishing each drill. While most receivers stop their routes moments after catching the pass, Bell finished every catch by running all the way through to the end zone. There's a lot to like about Bell, but he's incredibly raw at this point. A coach with the patience to polish his skills could find himself with a potential elite playmaker on his hands. Bell plans to attend Under The Lights in July.
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3615272/judah-bell
2017 Justin Northwest Wide Receiver Gavin Holmes recently decommitted from Duke, and he showed up ready to put in work. Holmes has always been a favorite of mine, and he showed off elite quickness and clean footwork along with immaculate route running to separate from defenders and make plays today. I don't know if the Texas coaches took notice past today, but Charlie Williams commented on how smooth Holmes was multiple times.
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4513608/gavin-holmes
On to the 2018 kids.
The most attention was shown to 2018 Arlington Lamar DL Bobby Brown. Brown stands 6'4, 275 at just fifteen years of age. Recently Brown received offers from Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Houston, Missouri, and Baylor. Brown showed off great movement ability for his size, and a relentless work ethic. Brown showed elite ability, and at a young age he has so much more room to grow. I'd expect an offer to go out soon because he fits exactly what Strong loves in the way of positional versatility.
2018 Rockwall LB Alston Orji is another on offer watch. The Texas staff was very excited to see Alston and his brother Anfernee (2019 ATH) make it in today after being out on the west coast and flying in this morning. Both brothers are very well put together, and they stood out among their groups at the camp. If offered, I would say Texas would stand at the top of the list for Alston and ostensibly for Anfernee as well.
2018 Sachse WR Drue Jackson performed well today. Jackson is an incredibly smooth receiver with strong hands and a natural ability to separate from receivers. Jackson has been to Austin multiple times in the last year, and he received a lot of attention from Texas coach Charlie Williams. Jackson will be on the radar throughout the next two seasons, and Texas will continue to evaluate him as a receiver target for the 2018 class.
2018 Sachse QB Jalen Mayden always performs well when the lights are on. Mayden was able to place the ball precisely with good zip and timing. Mayden is under evaluation from the Texas staff, and Sterlin Gilbert spent a lot of time with him today. Mayden is a known commodity, so I'm not sure how much more I can add other than he did very well as we expected him to.
2018 Hebron QB Clayton Tune really threw the ball well today. Tune has impressive arm strength and accuracy, and there's a noticeable zip when the ball comes off his hand. Tune is also on the radar for 2018 passers, and he's also picking up interest from TCU, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma. Gilbert spent some time with Tune today as well, so Texas fans should keep an eye on him when it comes to evaluating 2018 passers.
2018 Prestonwood CB Verone McKinley used his physicality at the line along with his clean feet and smooth hips to work in coverage. McKinley has offers from a ton of schools, and it's easy to see why as his fluid coverage ability allows him to stick to receivers. McKinley thinks he opens some eyes today, and he could see himself gaining a Texas offer sometime in the future.
2018 Sachse DB Isaiah Humphries always shows well in competition settings. Humphries is a true free safety with deep center coverage ability, but he showed off his man to man ability int he camp setting today. The Texas coaches have their eye on Humphries, and he did nothing today to lessen their opinion of him.
Other notes
I was interested to see how the Texas coaches would handle this event. All of the coaches were very much into it, with Jeff Traylor having the loudest voice on the field. The coaching staff made a strong impression with players and parents today from what we heard. Expect some offers to go out this week.
Plano West LB Mohamed Sanogo made the trip out but he didn't work out. "Momo" showed up to get some time with the coaches, and he took in the event from the sidelines. Sanogo is one of the most underrated players in the state, and teams have told him they are awaiting his senior film before making a decision. I can see Texas offering him if they miss on guys like Baron Browning or Anthony Hines.
Texas CB commit Kobe Boyce made the trip out to just hang around. Kobe is excited to be headed to Oregon for the Opening next month. His commitment is still strong to Texas, and he's taken the time this summer to vacation and not endure the stresses of the recruiting world.
Showtyme Elite Football put the camp on, and they did a wonderful job with everything. A lot of times these camps can get stagnant because of the amount of kids and very little time. I thought the Texas staff came off very well, and much of that can be attributed to the event organizers who did a great job.
We will have more post camp coverage in Burnt Ends.
2017 Frisco Centennial tight end Kenny Nelson stole the show today.He's a bit of a tweener, but he makes the perfect H-back target for an offense that can utilize his talents correctly. Much like the Opening regional in Dallas, Nelson was on fire. He jumped into reps as much as possible, and he made one spectacular catch after another. Nelson isn't seeing a ton of love on the recruiting front yet, but he absolutely dominates every camp setting he's put in. Nelson has the physical ability to work the seam and function as a matchup nightmare. Jeff Traylor took notice of Nelson, and he let it show by giving him some attention during the drill work.
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3925123/highlights/304693479
2017 Carollton Ranchview DB Javon McInnis looks like a linebacker when he steps out on the field, but his coverage skills really stood out as he hauled in two interceptions on the day and broke up a number of passes. McInnis currently holds offers from Fresno State and SFA, but he looks like a kid that could explode in the fall due to his size and athletic upside.
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4443437/highlights/309251379
2017 Bishop TK Gorman Wide Receiver Judah Bell is a former basketball player trying to convert to play wide receiver. Bell's hoops skills are on display when he's on the field, as he was able to win balls in the air against defenders. Bell also showed marked improvement in his route running ability since I saw him in April at the Opening Houston regional. The thing that stood out the most about Bell, was his insistence on finishing each drill. While most receivers stop their routes moments after catching the pass, Bell finished every catch by running all the way through to the end zone. There's a lot to like about Bell, but he's incredibly raw at this point. A coach with the patience to polish his skills could find himself with a potential elite playmaker on his hands. Bell plans to attend Under The Lights in July.
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3615272/judah-bell
2017 Justin Northwest Wide Receiver Gavin Holmes recently decommitted from Duke, and he showed up ready to put in work. Holmes has always been a favorite of mine, and he showed off elite quickness and clean footwork along with immaculate route running to separate from defenders and make plays today. I don't know if the Texas coaches took notice past today, but Charlie Williams commented on how smooth Holmes was multiple times.
http://www.hudl.com/athlete/4513608/gavin-holmes
On to the 2018 kids.
The most attention was shown to 2018 Arlington Lamar DL Bobby Brown. Brown stands 6'4, 275 at just fifteen years of age. Recently Brown received offers from Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Houston, Missouri, and Baylor. Brown showed off great movement ability for his size, and a relentless work ethic. Brown showed elite ability, and at a young age he has so much more room to grow. I'd expect an offer to go out soon because he fits exactly what Strong loves in the way of positional versatility.
2018 Rockwall LB Alston Orji is another on offer watch. The Texas staff was very excited to see Alston and his brother Anfernee (2019 ATH) make it in today after being out on the west coast and flying in this morning. Both brothers are very well put together, and they stood out among their groups at the camp. If offered, I would say Texas would stand at the top of the list for Alston and ostensibly for Anfernee as well.
2018 Sachse WR Drue Jackson performed well today. Jackson is an incredibly smooth receiver with strong hands and a natural ability to separate from receivers. Jackson has been to Austin multiple times in the last year, and he received a lot of attention from Texas coach Charlie Williams. Jackson will be on the radar throughout the next two seasons, and Texas will continue to evaluate him as a receiver target for the 2018 class.
2018 Sachse QB Jalen Mayden always performs well when the lights are on. Mayden was able to place the ball precisely with good zip and timing. Mayden is under evaluation from the Texas staff, and Sterlin Gilbert spent a lot of time with him today. Mayden is a known commodity, so I'm not sure how much more I can add other than he did very well as we expected him to.
2018 Hebron QB Clayton Tune really threw the ball well today. Tune has impressive arm strength and accuracy, and there's a noticeable zip when the ball comes off his hand. Tune is also on the radar for 2018 passers, and he's also picking up interest from TCU, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma. Gilbert spent some time with Tune today as well, so Texas fans should keep an eye on him when it comes to evaluating 2018 passers.
2018 Prestonwood CB Verone McKinley used his physicality at the line along with his clean feet and smooth hips to work in coverage. McKinley has offers from a ton of schools, and it's easy to see why as his fluid coverage ability allows him to stick to receivers. McKinley thinks he opens some eyes today, and he could see himself gaining a Texas offer sometime in the future.
2018 Sachse DB Isaiah Humphries always shows well in competition settings. Humphries is a true free safety with deep center coverage ability, but he showed off his man to man ability int he camp setting today. The Texas coaches have their eye on Humphries, and he did nothing today to lessen their opinion of him.
Other notes
I was interested to see how the Texas coaches would handle this event. All of the coaches were very much into it, with Jeff Traylor having the loudest voice on the field. The coaching staff made a strong impression with players and parents today from what we heard. Expect some offers to go out this week.
Plano West LB Mohamed Sanogo made the trip out but he didn't work out. "Momo" showed up to get some time with the coaches, and he took in the event from the sidelines. Sanogo is one of the most underrated players in the state, and teams have told him they are awaiting his senior film before making a decision. I can see Texas offering him if they miss on guys like Baron Browning or Anthony Hines.
Texas CB commit Kobe Boyce made the trip out to just hang around. Kobe is excited to be headed to Oregon for the Opening next month. His commitment is still strong to Texas, and he's taken the time this summer to vacation and not endure the stresses of the recruiting world.
Showtyme Elite Football put the camp on, and they did a wonderful job with everything. A lot of times these camps can get stagnant because of the amount of kids and very little time. I thought the Texas staff came off very well, and much of that can be attributed to the event organizers who did a great job.
We will have more post camp coverage in Burnt Ends.
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