After a brutally long offseason, football has returned to the state of Texas. High school teams around the state kicked off this week, while college and professional teams are practicing for season openers in the coming weeks. To celebrate the return of football, the site updated the 2016 HornSports Top 50. This list is the third edition for the 2016 class, and while many players stayed in the same general area, there are a few risers on the list.
Arlington Lamar quarterback Shane Buechele is up to number 11 from his previous ranking of 23. The Texas commit tore it up this summer on the camp circuit, and now he enters the season as the undisputed top passer in the state. In addition to Buechele, Aldine Davis linebacker Jeffrey McCulloch rose from 22 to 10. McCulloch’s film gets better every time you watch it – there is a little bit of Malik Jefferson in McCulloch’s game.
Two players worth noting that went from unranked to the top 25 are Brandon Bowen of Trophy Club Byron Nelson, and Marcell Southall from Duncanville. Both players emerged later in the process, but both possess high-end athletic ability for their position. Bowen showed his freakish ability by winning a state championship in the high jump.
Several positional battles will take place this season under the Friday night lights. Shane Buechele and Devwah Whaley have the quarterback and position locked down, and Kaden Smith is in no danger of losing his spot as the top tight end. The battle between Patrick Hudson of Silsbee and Greg Little of Allen for the state’s top lineman will be an interesting one.
The most intrigue will be at wide receiver where Devin Duvernay of Sachse and Tren’Davian Dickson of Navasota vie for top ranking. Duvernay represents the eye-popping skill set while Dickson has incredible production and playmaking ability. Both players should also be looking over their shoulder for Westfield receiver Tyrie Cleveland who blew up this summer at The Opening.
On defense, the battle rages at defensive end between Isaiah Chambers of Houston MacArthur and Justin Madubuike for the best defensive end in Texas. The previously mentioned Brandon Bowen will also be a threat to that crown as he grows into his giant frame. The linebacker position will be determined by whether Manor’s Erick Fowler does enough to hold off the Houston duo of McCulloch, and Dontavious Jackson of Elsik. All three players are among the elite of the elite at their position nationally.
Defensive back is the most difficult position to sort out. Jared Mayden and Eric Cuffee are ranked identically, and neither have separated as the clear-cut top corner. At safety it’s evident that the state’s top ranked player, Brandon Jones, is at the front of the list, but Manvel’s Deontay Anderson and North Shore’s Eric Monroe will battle for the second spot throughout the season.
With this release HornSports enters the last evaluation period for our rankings – the final rankings will be released between the All-Star games and signing day. The start of the season signifies the back stretch in the race as athletes jockey for position going into the last turn.
