Mike Roach
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Yesterday's US Army All-American Game was a big recruiting day for the Horns that included an exciting finish to the actual game. Aaron and I were in San Antonio to cover the action. here are some news and quick notes from the event.
It's very cool to see all of the soldiers on hand filling 4 sections in the lower bowl and having fun during the game. The players really get into interacting with the soldiers as well which you can tell they enjoy. It's a neat part of the game that you don't see in the Under Armour Game.
Tim Irvin has a lot of sizzle when he steps on the field. The way he carries himself shows a ton of quiet confidence with a business like attitude. Irvin made a couple of good plays at safety, but shined on special teams where he brought the crowd out of their seats on the first punt return of the game. Irvin played on all return and coverage teams and drew a lot of great reviews from both player and media. Aaron had an interview with Irvin so he can tell you more about what he said after the game.
Devonaire Clarington didn't have a catch in the game and only had one target from what I can remember, but the big tight end has an impressive frame and shows fluidity and skill to play outside at receiver. Clarington is a charismatic kid who led the pre-game dancing for the east team and held court at mid field after the game. Clarington answered questions from a big group of reporters and talked about the factors that played into his decisions.
On Committing: "Committing was exciting, it was more exciting to see my former teammate Tim Irvin commit, The Florida Five we're gonna take over Texas"
On the visit to Austin with the 'Florida Five': "It was great just getting to know the coaches, the weather, and the environment of Austin, Texas"
On where he can make an impact in college: "Really wherever they want me, like today you can play me out wide, you can play me in the slot, or at tight end".
On what it was like to hear the cheers at the Alamo Dome when he committed: "Obviously I'm in Texas so I knew it was going to blow up and people would want to take pictures and stuff, but I'm here and I'm representing Austin, Texas".
On where he thinks the Texas program is going: "What he (Charlie Strong) did at Louisville is exactly what he's going to do at Texas".
On if he knew of Tim Irvin's decision beforehand: "I had no idea, he kept it a secret from me. I had no idea where he was going, that's why I was so excited when he picked Texas".
On the deciding factor: "The whole coaching staff showed me more love than Miami over the last three years. It would have been Miami but they stopped talking to me".
On what the Florida Five can do: "We trying to start something new, go up there and start a new foundation of the program".
On if they can win a championship at Texas: "We are going to bring a national championship to Texas. With these guys right here and this program we should be ranked in the top five within the next three years".
Chris Warren didn't have a great day overall but turned in a strong week of practice to put the cherry on top of a productive season. "It felt good, I felt like I could have done a little bit better. It was only a week of practice and it was our first week together, I felt like I could have done a little bit better but there are some things you can't manage". Warren has narrowed down his choices recently to Texas, Texas Tech, Washington, and Oklahoma State. He told Horn Sports he will announce his decision on national signing day. Warren is a great downhill power back that might fit exactly what Charlie Strong and the Texas offensive staff are looking for. When asked about his thoughts on the offense, Warren offered his opinion but cautioned people that he's more than a power back. "I feel like it's a chance for exposure. It gives me a chance to get a lot of carries throughout a season. It depends on how the linemen do, how successful I can be in that offense. I'm open to any kind of offense, I'm not just limited to downhill running". Texas has picked up some strong recruiting momentum in the past few weeks, and Warren has certainly taken notice but says he won't let those factors sway him. "I'm not just going to jump on, Texas has gotten a lot of momentum in the recruiting world right now and I feel like that's good for them and they definitely need it. I'm not just going to make my decision based off other kids committing but they've needed it and it's going to be great for them".
Warren is a very serious guy who plays things close to the vest but there is a lot of thought going around that Texas is out in front. This one will obviously warrant a close eye.
Kris Boyd had an up and down day, but the Gilmer defensive back was able to make a play on a couple of passes. He was a busy man after the game and gave numerous interviews, so by the time we got to him he didn't have much left. Boyd told us that he pushed back his announcement he had planned on Christmas because he wanted to enjoy the holiday with his family. This one has pretty much been all over the place, and Boyd definitely loves the limelight but I think the safe money is on Texas with A&M being a slight concern.
It's very cool to see all of the soldiers on hand filling 4 sections in the lower bowl and having fun during the game. The players really get into interacting with the soldiers as well which you can tell they enjoy. It's a neat part of the game that you don't see in the Under Armour Game.
Tim Irvin has a lot of sizzle when he steps on the field. The way he carries himself shows a ton of quiet confidence with a business like attitude. Irvin made a couple of good plays at safety, but shined on special teams where he brought the crowd out of their seats on the first punt return of the game. Irvin played on all return and coverage teams and drew a lot of great reviews from both player and media. Aaron had an interview with Irvin so he can tell you more about what he said after the game.
Devonaire Clarington didn't have a catch in the game and only had one target from what I can remember, but the big tight end has an impressive frame and shows fluidity and skill to play outside at receiver. Clarington is a charismatic kid who led the pre-game dancing for the east team and held court at mid field after the game. Clarington answered questions from a big group of reporters and talked about the factors that played into his decisions.
On Committing: "Committing was exciting, it was more exciting to see my former teammate Tim Irvin commit, The Florida Five we're gonna take over Texas"
On the visit to Austin with the 'Florida Five': "It was great just getting to know the coaches, the weather, and the environment of Austin, Texas"
On where he can make an impact in college: "Really wherever they want me, like today you can play me out wide, you can play me in the slot, or at tight end".
On what it was like to hear the cheers at the Alamo Dome when he committed: "Obviously I'm in Texas so I knew it was going to blow up and people would want to take pictures and stuff, but I'm here and I'm representing Austin, Texas".
On where he thinks the Texas program is going: "What he (Charlie Strong) did at Louisville is exactly what he's going to do at Texas".
On if he knew of Tim Irvin's decision beforehand: "I had no idea, he kept it a secret from me. I had no idea where he was going, that's why I was so excited when he picked Texas".
On the deciding factor: "The whole coaching staff showed me more love than Miami over the last three years. It would have been Miami but they stopped talking to me".
On what the Florida Five can do: "We trying to start something new, go up there and start a new foundation of the program".
On if they can win a championship at Texas: "We are going to bring a national championship to Texas. With these guys right here and this program we should be ranked in the top five within the next three years".
Chris Warren didn't have a great day overall but turned in a strong week of practice to put the cherry on top of a productive season. "It felt good, I felt like I could have done a little bit better. It was only a week of practice and it was our first week together, I felt like I could have done a little bit better but there are some things you can't manage". Warren has narrowed down his choices recently to Texas, Texas Tech, Washington, and Oklahoma State. He told Horn Sports he will announce his decision on national signing day. Warren is a great downhill power back that might fit exactly what Charlie Strong and the Texas offensive staff are looking for. When asked about his thoughts on the offense, Warren offered his opinion but cautioned people that he's more than a power back. "I feel like it's a chance for exposure. It gives me a chance to get a lot of carries throughout a season. It depends on how the linemen do, how successful I can be in that offense. I'm open to any kind of offense, I'm not just limited to downhill running". Texas has picked up some strong recruiting momentum in the past few weeks, and Warren has certainly taken notice but says he won't let those factors sway him. "I'm not just going to jump on, Texas has gotten a lot of momentum in the recruiting world right now and I feel like that's good for them and they definitely need it. I'm not just going to make my decision based off other kids committing but they've needed it and it's going to be great for them".
Warren is a very serious guy who plays things close to the vest but there is a lot of thought going around that Texas is out in front. This one will obviously warrant a close eye.
Kris Boyd had an up and down day, but the Gilmer defensive back was able to make a play on a couple of passes. He was a busy man after the game and gave numerous interviews, so by the time we got to him he didn't have much left. Boyd told us that he pushed back his announcement he had planned on Christmas because he wanted to enjoy the holiday with his family. This one has pretty much been all over the place, and Boyd definitely loves the limelight but I think the safe money is on Texas with A&M being a slight concern.
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