HornSports Staff
HornSports.com
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2013
- Messages
- 2,469
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.
+++++
This is a free site, so anyone can read this report. If you share it with someone, please take time to attribute the information to HornSports.
+++++
With the bye week in effect and the coaches on the road, we thought it would be worthwhile to focus on recruiting. The Longhorns did have two 2017 commitments in Bullard (TX) TE Major Tennison and Texarkana (TX) Liberty Eylau defensive end Lagaryonn Carson. HornSports ran profiles on both players last week so please check those out if you haven’t already. With the high school season more than halfway done, we are working on a revised set of 2017 rankings. This will be the first revision for that group since the initial release. The 2016 rankings will also be updated near the end of the high school season. Both lists are in need of updating so bear with us as we tweak and refine where we feel players should legitimately be ranked at this point.
Since HornSports covers University of Texas Athletics, let’s take a look at some of the top players in the state for both '16 and '17 to see where the Longhorns stand with each.
The 2016 HornSports Top 25 in Texas
1. Brandon Jones – Safety – Nacogdoches
Jones is still open, but this one will come down to Texas and Texas A&M. While the Aggies hold the edge here, Texas could close this out with a strong finish to both the season and his recruitment.
Prediction: Texas A&M
2. Greg Little – OL – Allen
This just doesn’t look like it’s going to happen for Texas. The top lineman in the nation isn’t feeling the Longhorns and has bought in to the SEC lore. The Aggies are trying desperately to get back in this one but I see Little going out of state.
Prediction: Alabama
3. Patrick Hudson – OL – Silsbee
Texas has a shot here, but it will take a great effort to pull Hudson away from the bond he’s built with Art Briles. The big man doesn’t say much, but we’ve heard he’s more open than he’s letting on. I would still give Baylor around a 75-80% chance of landing him.
Prediction: Baylor
4. Devin Duvernay – WR – Sachse
Once upon a time this seemed like a race Texas was sure to win, but the Longhorns filled up on receivers and chose not to offer Duvernay’s brother which may have put them out of the race. It’s anyone’s guess where he goes, but I know where the smart money is.
Prediction: Baylor
5. Ed Oliver – DT – Spring Westfield
The Houston commit hasn’t said much since committing to the Cougars, and there’s really no reason to believe he won’t stick with his original pledge. Watch out for LSU here, who were always the pre-race favorite, especially if Tom Herman is hired away after his great season.
Prediction: LSU
6. Erick Fowler – DE/OLB – Manor
From just up the road in Manor, it’s a shame the Longhorns lost out on the local product to LSU. Texas is trying to get back in it, and the more they can get Fowler on campus the better. LSU’s great season hasn’t helped the Texas recruiting efforts, and the Texas struggles haven’t either. I still believe Charlie Strong can work some magic here.
Prediction: Texas
7. Eric Monroe – DB – Galena Park North Shore
Monroe committed early to LSU and stayed pretty firm since that time. He’s flirted with Texas A&M a bit, and I believe you will see more of that down the stretch. If LSU continues to play strong they should have no worries.
Prediction: LSU
8. Tren’Davian Dickson – WR – Navasota
Dickson shocked the world when he committed to Texas, and he’s given no indications he regrets that decision. In fact, Dickson pretty much shut his recruitment down when the season started. There might be a visit here or there to scare fans, but look for Dickson to be in Austin come January.
Prediction: Texas
9. Deontay Anderson – Safety – Manvel
Anderson is all over the place. It’s hard to say where this one will end up, since there are several schools in play at the moment. Texas might be the dark horse here, but I’ll go with the name I’ve heard consistently for Anderson.
Prediction: Ole Miss
10. Jeffrey McCulloch – LB – Aldine Davis
Once thought to be a Texas lock, the Shark is now exploring other possibilities, and whispers are the Aggies might lead. If Charlie Strong becomes personally invested in this recruitment along with Malik Jefferson, Texas can turn the tide. Bring in Dontavious Jackson and Jordan Elliott and that probably seals it as well.
Prediction: Texas
11. Shane Buechele – QB – Arlington Lamar
What do I even need to say here? Unless Charlie Strong leaves after this year, Shane Buechele will be in Austin.
Prediction: Texas
12. Isaiah Chambers – DE – Houston MacArthur
Chambers played it lowkey during the process and made his decision to go to TCU earlier in the fall. I don’t see that changing.
Prediction: TCU
13. Devwah Whaley – RB – Beaumont Central
Whaley is keeping it close to the vest, but everyone in his top 5 feel like they have a chance. Some will disagree, but from the tea leaves I’ve seen it looks clear Whaley is headed out of state.
Prediction: Georgia
14. Justin Madubuike – DE – McKinney North
J-Mad committed to the Aggies and said he was shutting things down, but I sense the door is open a crack here. If Texas can get back into this one and sell Madubuike on a need for immediate defensive line help at the strong end position I feel they can flip him down the stretch.
Prediction: Texas A&M
15. Dontavious Jackson – LB – Alief Elsik
Jackson seemed all Texas once upon a time, but recently the belief is Michigan is gaining ground. In the end I see Jackson sticking close to home.
Prediction: Texas
16. Tyrie Cleveland – WR – Spring Westfield
Cleveland is probably the best player in the state that no one talks about. Since de-committing from A&M, Cleveland has visited a few schools and seems to be warming up to TCU. Keep an eye out for Houston here if they can keep momentum going and get Ed Oliver in his ear.
Prediction: TCU
17. Kaden Smith – TE – Flower Mound Marcus
It’s simple, Texas and Bama are in play if Smith somehow doesn’t qualify to get into Stanford. If he does qualify he’s headed to Palo Alto.
Prediction: Stanford
18. Jean Delance – OT – North Mesquite
This seems like it’s trending in the right way for Texas who could desperately use this help at the position. He will probably take this one late in the game, but it looks good for Texas.
Prediction: Texas
19. Brandon Bowen – DE – Trophy Club Byron Nelson
Seems like one Texas could have had if they jumped on it earlier. Bowen has narrowed his choices down and it seems like it will come down to Baylor and Oregon.
Prediction: Baylor
20. Marvin Terry – OLB/DE – South Oak Cliff
I can’t remember the last time one of the top 20 players in the state was talked about as little as Terry is. He’s a fantastic player, but he doesn’t grant many interviews and isn’t active on social media. It appears he’s all about that action. With the SOC connection in Lubbock it seems like that is the best bet.
Prediction: Texas Tech
21. Kameron Martin – RB – Port Arthur Memorial
Once upon a time this looked like a flippable candidate for Texas, but Martin is all in on the green and gold.
Prediction: Baylor
22. Marcel Southall – DT/DE – Duncanville
Southall is another who is very quiet, but everyone still in it has to feel good. I think it comes down to a red river showdown for the versatile dallas lineman.
Prediction: Texas
23. Dee Anderson – WR – LSU
He might flirt with the Horns due to his family connections, but this guy is all LSU.
Prediction: LSU
24. Kendell Jones – DT – Alabama
Jones is a guy that many thought would have a lot of twists and turns in his recruitment. While it’s still early he’s been pretty quiet thus far. No reason to think that changes.
Prediction: Alabama
25. Eric Cuffee – CB – Waco
Something happened behind the scenes to sour Cuffee on the Longhorns. After visiting multiple times in the summer the winds have turned.
Prediction: Texas A&M
The 2017 HornSports Top 20 in Texas
The Longhorns have been aggressive so far in 2017, so we thought we’d look at the current top 20 to see where the early movement is in their recruitment. There will be no predictions as it is simply too far out.
1. Shawn Robinson – QB – Denton Guyer
The TCU commit is having a tough season, but he’s locked in for the Horned Frogs. Don’t expect any movement here.
2. Marvin Wilson – DT – Bellaire Episcopal
Wilson is open and is eyeing mainly SEC schools with Baylor and Texas representing his Big 12 interest. Keep an eye on these 5; Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama, Baylor.
3. Anthony Hines – LB – Plano East
It would be easier to show a list of who hasn’t offered Hines. This one will probably stretch until signing day next year and it seems like many teams have a good shot at this point.
4. Jeff Okudah – DB – South Grand Prairie
This is one I’d like to see the staff get back into very strongly. Okudah is infatuated with the SEC and has cooled on the Longhorns. He has the goods to be the top guy in the state over the next year and a half.
5. Baron Browning – LB – Kennedale
Browning committed to Baylor early in the process, and while those guys are building a strong bond with one another Browning will most likely take his visits. Charlie Strong has a good relationship here and should continue to work.
6. Toneil Carter – RB – Langham Creek
SEC…LSU probably.
7. Derrick Tucker – S – Manvel
Tucker loves the Longhorns and they sit firmly in the lead. This could be your next 2017 commitment.
8. Hezekiah Jones – WR – Stafford
Held an early offer from Texas, but joined in the early Baylor movement.
9. Emmanuel Netherly – WR – Crosby
It’s early and Netherly’s recruitment hasn’t started. It seems like Texas Tech, TCU, and Texas A&M are the three schools sticking out here.
10. JK Dobbins – RB – La Grange
It looks like this will come down to Texas vs. A&M. Texas is the childhood favorite and should hold a slight edge.
11. Sam Ehlinger – QB – Westlake
Did you see the picture he posted the day he committed? This kid is headed to Austin.
12. Kaegun Williams – RB – Cedar Hill
Williams hasn’t had the success I envisioned for him when he transferred to Cedar Hill but he’s still a major weapon. Tennessee recently offered, but this one has a long way to go.
13. Chevin Calloway – DB – Bishop Dunne
Top corner in the state, has a few schools ahead of Texas but he’s warming up to the Longhorns.
14. Jaylon Jackson – ATH – Cedar Hill
The speedy Jackson has offers from several Big 12 schools, but it feels like he’s on the brink of truly exploding.
15. Kedrick James – TE – Waco La Vega
James committed to his hometown Bears and seems to be pretty solid.
16. Lagaryonn Carson – DE – Texarkana Liberty-Eyalu
Carson is committed to Texas and was due for a move up the rankings anyway. This will have twist and turns but keep the faith Longhorn fans.
17. Trendon Rolen – OL – Ennis
Watch for his stock to really explode. Rolen likes TCU early on but no schools have offered yet.
18. Jack Anderson – OL – Frisco
Anderson committed to Texas Tech recently and the lifelong Red Raider should be pretty firm.
19. Loren Mondy – LB – Mansfield Lake Ridge
Mondy is committed to Arizona State, but the hybrid LB seems like he’s itching for an in state offer to pull the trigger on.
20. Eno Benjamin – RB – Wylie East
Benjamin is still taking it all in but it seems things are starting to narrow for him. Texas needs to offer soon if they want to stay in.
+++++
As we approach the tail end of the high school regular season, let’s take a look and see where all the Texas commits currently stand with their respective high school teams.
2016 Texas Football Commits
- Peyton Aucoin – Brother Martin is 6-1 and look to be on their way towards a playoff run. Aucoin has paved the way for a powerful rushing attack.
- DeMarco Boyd – Gilmer is 7-0 this season and Boyd is a big reason. On offense he’s carried for 307 yards and 8 touchdowns and 275 yards receiving with 3 touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball Boyd has 24 total tackles.
- Shane Buechele – The Texas QB commit has his Vikings at 6-1 in a very competitive district. He is 65% passing on the year with 1355 yards 13 touchdowns with 3 interceptions. He’s also carried for 401 yards and 4 touchdowns.
- Tren’Davian Dickson – Navasota is 7-0 and looking to make another state run. The prolific receiver is continuing his big numbers he posted from last season. So far he has 50 catches for 895 yards and 12 touchdowns.
- Obi Eboh – Southlake Carroll is 5-2 on the year and their smothering defense is led by Eboh. The big corner doesn’t get much work to his side, but he has 20 tackles and 7 passes defended.
- Reggie Hemphill – Manvel is 6-1 and looking to make another deep playoff run. With so many targets on the Mavericks team, Hemphill has to share in the wealth. Reggie has 18 catches for 371 yards and 4 touchdowns
- Tope Imade – Bowie is 3-4 against a very tough schedule, and Imade leadsd the way for a rushing attack that averages 282 yards per game.
- Collin Johnson – Victory Christian is 5-1 but Johnson’s season ended due to injury 2 games in. He finished with 8 catches for 156 yards and 3 touchdowns.
- Gerald Wilbon – Destrehan is off to a perfect start at 7-0. Wilbon has 15 total tackles including 3 TFL and is leading the way for a stingy defense.
2017 Texas Football Commits
- LaGaryonn Carson – Liberty Eylau is 6-1, but I can’t find any stats posted for Carson. The Eylau defense is allowing less than 100 yards per game in both the rushing and passing categories.
- Sam Ehlinger – Westlake is 7-0 and rolling on offense thanks to Ehlinger. The junior QB has thrown for 1813 yards on 66.5% completion for 24 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. He’s also added 628 yards on the ground for 11 touchdowns.
- Damion Miller – After a tough 0-3 start, John Tyler is now 4-3 and on top of one of the toughest districts in the state. Miller has 26 catches for 614 yards and 8 touchdowns.
- Major Tennison – Bullard is 5-2 on the year but 2-0 in district. I could not find any current stats on Tennison but will update when we have them.
The post-mortem on the Texas win over the Sooners continues to roll in from Texas commits. We heard recently from Brother Martin (New Orleans, LA) Tight End and Texas commit who had this to say about the victory at the Red River Showdown. "I loved it, [i'm] very excited about where things are heading."
+++++
The Hightower Hurricanes football team (Missouri City, Texas) boast one of the state's Top-5 defenses. Darius Anderson, defensive tackle for the 'Canes, has maintained consistent communication with the Texas coaching staff despite not having a formal offer. Anderson has a handful of offers and is beginning to hear from more schools including Colorado State, Baylor, Kansas State and Texas. The 3-star prospect tells us he talks with Brick Haley and Vance Bedford often. If Hightower progresses through the playoffs and the defense continues to play stout, look for Anderson's stock to pick up immensely.
+++++
HornSports high school coverage will be in Irving, TX this week to see a matchup between Irving High School and Irving Nimitz. Nimitz has a few prospects on the radar including a much underrated 2017 running back named Mark Eugene. There are also a few players we will be scouting for future rankings considerations. Additionally we will have coverage at the Lake Travis vs. Austin Westlake game via Daniel Seahorn.
Please join us on the site for coverage from all around the state (and Camas, WA) on Friday night.
#HookEm
Last edited by a moderator:
