Mike Roach
Staff
- Joined
- Dec 5, 2013
- Messages
- 2,021
So I'm up doing some last minute prep work for tomorrow, but because I suffer from ADHD and can get sucked into something completely different I started watching film on some guys who have been committed for a while. I like to go back and see if there is any growth from junior to senior film, and if I notice anything different the second time around. I thought I'd share these things with you guys to keep you updated on what I'm thinking with certain players.
Tristian Houston - RB - Galena Park North Shore
I want a re-do on what I said about Houston. For some reason when I viewed his film last season I was pretty "meh" on his skills and saw him as a guy who would fit into the committee. Tonight I re-watched some film and saw a guy with great one cut skills and while his speed still isn't plus, it's better than adequate. Houston showed a lot of growth from junior to senior year, and while Texas is stacking a lot of players at the running back position I don't see him taking a backseat to any of them. He reminds me of Vondrell McGee in the way he plays and he runs behind his pads incredibly well. He's also been a vocal recruiter on twitter.
Kirk Johnson - RB - Valley Christian High School (San Jose, CA)
I was a tad more bullish on Johnson than I was on Houston when I first saw film, but I still evaluated the Longhorn legacy as a nice back but not a star. His senior film changed my opinion. I've seen a lot of talk about moving Johnson to defense, but I think this kid could be an emerging star. I know it seems like lofty praise, but when I watch his film I see a lot of Marshawn Lynch in him. Now I've always been a huge fan of Lynch going back to his days at Cal and followed him when he was drafted by my favorite professional team in Buffalo. Marshawn and Kirk both run behind their pads very well and show tremendous lean and balance with an ability to get small at the point of contact. Kirk's brother Collin is a monster and will be the stud of the class next season, but Kirk has proven to be a very good player and grew a lot from last year. All in all I think this running back class is something to be excited for, especially if they can close with one or both of Warren or Soso.
Matthew Merrick - QB - Cistercian
Stop me if I'm serving too much kool-aid, but the more I watch this kid the more I think Shawn Watson got an absolute steal. Merrick has a ton of inexperience and doesn't play great competition, but the tools are there to mold him into a future college signal caller. Merrick comes into the perfect situation with no pressure and lower expectations. His work with Kevin Murray is really paying off and he should be able to continue working with him throughout next year before he enrolls a year a from now. The workout video linked above shows how he does all of the little things really well, and alleviates some concern I had about the inconsistent mechanics and footwork I saw on his game film. You have to remember that this kid is very new to the game and is only scratching the surface on what he can really do. He's only going to get better with coaching, and from that point his development will hinge on his understanding of the mental game and his ability to process things on the field. Now that is still a huge step to take, but I believe Merrick could turn into more than just a backup option in the next few years. I love his arm talent and the ball really jumps out of his hand.
Tristian Houston - RB - Galena Park North Shore
I want a re-do on what I said about Houston. For some reason when I viewed his film last season I was pretty "meh" on his skills and saw him as a guy who would fit into the committee. Tonight I re-watched some film and saw a guy with great one cut skills and while his speed still isn't plus, it's better than adequate. Houston showed a lot of growth from junior to senior year, and while Texas is stacking a lot of players at the running back position I don't see him taking a backseat to any of them. He reminds me of Vondrell McGee in the way he plays and he runs behind his pads incredibly well. He's also been a vocal recruiter on twitter.
Kirk Johnson - RB - Valley Christian High School (San Jose, CA)
I was a tad more bullish on Johnson than I was on Houston when I first saw film, but I still evaluated the Longhorn legacy as a nice back but not a star. His senior film changed my opinion. I've seen a lot of talk about moving Johnson to defense, but I think this kid could be an emerging star. I know it seems like lofty praise, but when I watch his film I see a lot of Marshawn Lynch in him. Now I've always been a huge fan of Lynch going back to his days at Cal and followed him when he was drafted by my favorite professional team in Buffalo. Marshawn and Kirk both run behind their pads very well and show tremendous lean and balance with an ability to get small at the point of contact. Kirk's brother Collin is a monster and will be the stud of the class next season, but Kirk has proven to be a very good player and grew a lot from last year. All in all I think this running back class is something to be excited for, especially if they can close with one or both of Warren or Soso.
Matthew Merrick - QB - Cistercian
Stop me if I'm serving too much kool-aid, but the more I watch this kid the more I think Shawn Watson got an absolute steal. Merrick has a ton of inexperience and doesn't play great competition, but the tools are there to mold him into a future college signal caller. Merrick comes into the perfect situation with no pressure and lower expectations. His work with Kevin Murray is really paying off and he should be able to continue working with him throughout next year before he enrolls a year a from now. The workout video linked above shows how he does all of the little things really well, and alleviates some concern I had about the inconsistent mechanics and footwork I saw on his game film. You have to remember that this kid is very new to the game and is only scratching the surface on what he can really do. He's only going to get better with coaching, and from that point his development will hinge on his understanding of the mental game and his ability to process things on the field. Now that is still a huge step to take, but I believe Merrick could turn into more than just a backup option in the next few years. I love his arm talent and the ball really jumps out of his hand.
