Longhorns Recruiting Road Trip: Waco Connally vs China Spring

On Friday, I made the trek to Waco to cover two teams that I have not covered before (an impressive feat in and of itself) – Waco Connally and China Spring. And, honestly, it was hard to pick a better, more anticipated, matchup than Waco’s highly anticipated offering. For China Spring, the Cougars are back-to-back state title winners with a UNT commit at quarterback. Meanwhile, Connally, one of the top-ranked teams in the state (similar to China Spring), features Kobe Black, a cornerback who has no shortage of schools to choose from with 30 college offers.

Week Four:

According to the 247Sports Composite, Kobe Black is the third-highest rated cornerback recruit in the country. Of course, recruits this highly-rated do not grow on trees. Good news for Texas fans is that the five-star cornerback appears to be leaning towards Texas, if the four crystal ball predictions in favor of the Longhorns are any indication.

In addition to playing in the Connally secondary, Black also spends a considerable amount of playing time on the offensive side of the ball, where he is able to showcase his athleticism. Against China Spring, Black was able to find the end zone with a rushing touchdown, however the championship-winning Cougars were able to contain Black offensively for most of the night. With this being said, defense is Black’s calling card and the senior cornerback showcased an ability to step up and make a tackle in the secondary while being relatively untested.

Also starring for Connally, 2024 three-star running back Kiefer Sibley had himself another stellar performance offensively, rushing for 205 yards and two touchdowns against the Cougars. Sibley has been quietly dominant for two seasons now and the scholarship offers are starting to catch up. Currently, Sibley has 9 offers from schools such as Colorado and Nebraska, but I expect to see that number increase as Connally approaches the playoffs.

Other than the performance of these two individuals, every single storyline (and rightfully so) belongs to China Spring. I have known the name of 2024 three-star quarterback Cash McCollum for two seasons now, but Friday was the first chance that I have really had to fully watch him play. In my opinion, McCollum continues to look more and more like a steal for the North Texas Mean Green football team. When rewatching the game tape, McCollum reminds me a bit of Austin Novosad, the second highest-rated quarterback prospect in the state of Texas last year. Both quarterbacks have a similar frame, standing in at 6’4″ and 6’5″ respectively, and have similar styles under center. Ultimately, Novosad ended up committing to Oregon late in the cycle and it appears that McCollum will have a home in Denton next season. On Friday, McCollum showed off his arm and passed for six touchdowns with ease, propelling China Spring to a 61-41 win.

Extra Point:

I really am hoping to see Kobe Black once again this season as he tries to take Connally deeper in the playoffs than they have been in recent years. Likewise, China Spring looks poised to make a deep playoff run once again, and I would not be surprised too see them again at some point.

Lastly, both Sibley and McCollum have a handful of offers already but I would not be surprised if that number continues to grow. For North Texas, the Mean Green will definitely have to put up a fight in recruiting Cash until the buzzer as more schools get an eye on him. And, for Sibley, the senior running back already has solid options but may end up turning into an under-the-radar addition come December.

Miles Logged:

194