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http://insidetexas.com/gameplan-finding-fits-2015/
Ian Boyd from Inside Texas & SB Nation's Football Study Hall just did a piece on how the 2015 recruiting class fit into our schemes:
"
The Gameplan: Finding fits in 2015
February 5, 2015 by Ian Boyd
Kris Boyd.
Now that signing day is over, we can at last take a few deep breathes and look back at Charlie’s first full recruiting haul. It was a big one, and necessarily so after “the purge†that took place in the offseason, the failure of Mack to recruit and develop depth at key spots, and Strong’s general desire to get his own selections into the program.
Going off our handy guides for recruiting to the current offensive and defensive systems, we’re going to dive fully into the 2015 Texas recruiting class and talk about where all these kids fit in Charlie Strong’s master plan to conquer the Big 12.
I’ve listed individual players’ star rating by 247 but I have my own thoughts and I’m going to give positional groups grades based on whether each unit presents a good chance of filling the team’s needs provided they are well developed.
THE OFFENSIVE CLASS
Some of the “Texas is going spread!†talk can be demonstrated as overblown by just examining the class Strong signed on offense. If every player pans out, Texas will be multiple in the formations they can bring with excellent pro-style and spread fits in the fold.
Interestingly, there could be amazing potential for this group as an up-tempo, pro-style offense that can pound the ball on the ground or throw it around as teams desperately try to adjust to all the big, fast people Texas will put on the field. It’s an athletic group but size is the name of the game with only Ryan Newsome standing out as a smaller player. Everyone else has a good chance of being larger than the defender across from them, some of them will be faster as well.
Quarterback
Kai Locksley, 6’3†190. 4****
Baltimore, MD (Gilman)
If I can find complete games online later, I’ll dive into them but for now I think it’s clear enough what Texas has here, which is a great athlete with a strong arm but questionable fit within a pro-style scheme. His arm strength is good, and he does a good job of making the simple progressions asked of him in his high school’s Wing-T style offense.
Kai Locksley.
He’s shown an ability to kill with the option run game on both zone and power read schemes as well as a few others and is just a natural ball-carrier. He’s also great in play-action with good touch and strength throwing deep bombs, he’s only solid in the rollout game that is a key at Texas. Locksley has little experience in the quick passing game that Watson teaches but it would be silly to rule out the possibility of him mastering it.
If Locksley proves less capable of managing the game as the QB in this system, he’s still exceptionally fluid, has great hands, and has already shown a serious aptitude for WR, which is where he was most likely to end up at FSU with several other QBs recruited over him.
Fit: Spread-option trigger-man/wide receiver
Matthew Merrick, 6’3†185. 3***
Irving, TX (Cistercian Prep)
Merrick is Shawn Watson’s personal hedge fund if the raw, athletic quarterbacks on campus don’t pan out. He has Big 12-average arm strength and athleticism with some ability to find receivers on the run and good accuracy when doing so.
If he can learn the system and how to manage games he could become an important figure in Texas football history should the Texas OL and run game get going in the future. It’s easy to see him developing enough mastery of the Watson passing game to at least be a serviceable option here.
Fit: Pro-style game manager
There are several external factors that are hard to overlook here. One is that the state of Texas produced blue-chippers Kyler Murray and Jarrett Stidham but Texas whiffed on both, losing out to the state’s premier offensive powers Texas A&M and Baylor. Also concerning, the state produced some other prospects like Quinten Dormady and Ben Hicks that the staff ignored in order to secure OOS prospect Zach Gentry (inevitably lost to another OOS power in Harbaugh’s Michigan).
Another is that Texas needs immediate help at the position, which is generally impossible to find at the high school level, and now must come in the form of a grad transfer. Really the staff should get an “Incomplete†here since the need for a transfer is so high and they could get a failing grade if you wanted to punish them for allowing yet more of the state’s bountiful QB prospects to go elsewhere.
Grade: B-
At the end of the day, the staff took two players with upside as potential starters, and if there are problems down the line, it won’t be due to lack of raw talent but instead fit or lack of development.
Offensive Line
Ronnie “Buck†Major, 6’6†290. 4****
Huntsville, TX (Huntsville)
Major is a big-time grades risk, which is a shame because he’s one of the most promising recruits in the entire class. He’s fairly raw as a prospect but has the knee-bend and athleticism to be a great tackle along with the will to dominate on the edge. Major has the quickness and length to handle the athletic demands of Wickline’s zone schemes and could be a downright menace climbing up to linebackers on power.
Fit: Right tackle
Connor Williams, 6-5, 285. 3***
Coppell, TX (Coppell) (Early Enrollee)
Williams has fantastic athleticism and might be the best OL in the class even if Buck doesn’t have to go the JUCO route. Great knee bend and mobility, when he’s a veteran at 300 pounds, he’ll be tough to get past and likely a terror in the run game.
Fit: Left tackle
Tristan Nickelson, 6-9, 319. 2**
Corsicana, TX (Navarro College) (Early Enrollee)
Nickelson already has the ability to hook or ride defensive ends in zone schemes thanks to improving footwork combined with impossible length and mass. He’s solid climbing to the next level or playing pass protection as well but is best when he can get his big mitts on one defender and then bully them. There’s no getting through him with his size and going around can be tricky because of the range of his punches, opponents will have try and get inside of him.
There’s a good chance Nickelson makes an immediate impact for Texas due to the fact that only ends with explosive speed will be able to attack him.
Fit: Right tackle
Brandon Hodges, 6-5, 295. 3***
Scooba, MS (East Mississippi C.C.) (Early Enrollee)
Hodges is a big body that can kick-step and drop step without getting put on skates, which makes him valuable to Texas’ OL depth chart. Like most college linemen, he can be confused by stunts and might have the highest ceiling at guard, but he has quick feet and represents a likely upgrade at either tackle position barring big improvement from Texas’ younger OL.
Fit: Left tackle
Patrick Vahe.
Patrick Vahe, 6-3, 300. 4****
Euless, TX (Trinity)
Vahe is the rare sub 6-foot-4 interior OL who isn’t just a fast and heady player that teams trust to make line calls at center. He’s actually very powerful as well and is pure murder when pulling thanks to his nasty disposition and the terrifying combination of his upper body strength and overall agility and speed.
Barring football IQ and leadership that makes him a great candidate to make line calls as center, you want this guy in a spot where he can pull and lead for your running back, left guard is best since you often have bigger maulers on the right side that can cave in a defensive line before that puller arrives. His challenge will be not allowing penetration on zone.
Fit: Left guard
Garrett Thomas, 6-5, 306. 3***
Many, LA (Many) (Early Enrollee)
Most of Garrett Thomas’ power is in his base, which is actually a good thing for an OL, and his upper body strength will surely improve as he lifts with Moorer. Thomas is decently quick but this is perhaps your best fit at center, a player has the size and length to grabble with and control d-tackles or steadily climb up to the next level and screen linebackers off the ball. He’ll fit somewhere inside where his length will allow him to cover up DL and prevent penetration.
Fit: Center
Grade: B+
The likely combined loss of Major in addition to Weathersby will decrease the overall athleticism of this group but each player has at least one fit and Williams might end up becoming a star. There’s also the fact that Wickline has a proven track record with players of these types, this is the kind of clay he loves to mold.
Running backs
Tristian Houston, 5-11, 195. 3***
Houston, TX (North Shore)
Initially a questionable take, Houston’s senior tape reveals that the North Shore back actually excels at reading linebacker leverage and cutting up field with acceleration. This trait is the key to executing Wickline’s schemes, which often ask the RB to threaten the cutback at the hand-off and guide linebackers into the waiting arms of the Texas OL and lead blockers. His 10.88 track speed clearly translates in pads and he also adds a willingness to punish opponents at the end of runs.
If he can pick up protection duties and catch out of the backfield, he may surprise.
Fit: Change of pace runner, potential feature-back
Chris Warren.
Chris Warren, 6’2â€, 235. 4****
Rockwall, TX (Rockwall)
Warren is the feature back of Strong’s dreams; a big, punishing runner who can also pull away from defenders at the 2nd level. Warren can win the edge on zone, jump-step into a cutback lane and then accelerate, he can break tackles and punish tacklers or he can just burn them if he hits a crease.
With his soft hands and capable blocking, he’s the total package as a running back.
Fit: Feature-back
Grade: A-
Soso Jamabo is one of the best athletes in the state, but it’s hard to do better than a player who fits the scheme while offering homerun speed along combined with a potential war-horse.
Tight Ends
Devonaire Clarington, 6’5â€, 238. 4****
Miami, FL (Booker T. Washington)
Clarington is currently a pure receiver with fluidity comparable to Burt or Johnson but less top speed…of course he’s not going to play receiver at Texas. Instead, his ability to high point the ball and run routes at 6-foot-5 are going to be put to use at tight end, where he could be a killer in this league.
Even worse for Big 12 opponents, Clarington was one of the better pass-rushing ends in Florida last year and has a willingness to mix it up in the trenches, although not yet the size, to become a punishing blocker on the edge with time. This is the best tight end prospect Texas has taken since JerMichael Finley.
Fit: Tight End
DeAndre McNeal.
DeAndre McNeal, 6’2â€, 228. 4****
Mesquite, TX (Poteet)
McNeal could become the ideal H-back who can line up in the backfield as a sort of winger/fullback, flex out and run routes as a slot receiver, line up as an outside receiver, or perhaps even play as an in-line tight end. The key will be if he’s willing to become a punishing blocker who traps and leads like a fullback when he’s not flexing out to run routes against over-matched linebackers. If he accepts this role, McNeal could be a constantly motioning piece that puts tremendous stress on defenses so that they can no longer function. It’s hard to overstate how much value he could have.
Fit: H-back
Grade: A+
Tight end had been a wasteland at Texas for too long, Greg Davis included TEs in his base offense but Texas often just hoped some big receivers would spin down and become effective blockers. Harsin desperately tried to stock up on big bodies who could allow him to move blockers around and attack the edges, now Strong has at last found some players who are likely to thrive in both roles.
Wide Receivers
John Burt, 6’2â€, 180. 4****
Tallahassee, FL (Lincoln)
John Burt.
You can’t help but be reminded by John Harris watching Burt’s tape. He’s big and smooth on the outside and will probably enjoy playing with Swoopes, whether that occurs on the practice field or on Saturdays. The difference is that while Harris didn’t run by people often and often had to fight through defenders, Burt has some good speed to go along with his size. Burt should grow into a nightmare on the edge that many defensive backfields will have to double in order to control.
Fit: X receiver
Gilbert Johnson, 6’2â€, 190. 3***
Atlanta, GA (Georgia Prep Sports Academy)
There’s very little difference in my eyes between Johnson and Burt other than Gilbert being a possible grades casualty. Gilbert has great fluidity, great hands, and some pull away speed that could make him another great vertical threat. Texas is looking for players outside that can beat up smaller corners on timing routes or over the top.
Fit: X or Z receiver
Ryan Newsome, 5’8â€, 170. 4****
Aledo, TX (Aledo)
Newsome is a great athlete with great hands who’s role at Texas could range from “kick returner†to “slot weapon†to “outside receiver†depending on how his route running and skills develop. He has some Quan Cosby in him, who used his quickness and great hands to win battles on the outside, but he’ll more likely play in the slot and catch quick timing routes and screen passes when opponents try to outnumber the run. His breakaway speed will make that a risky proposition.
Fit: H or Y (slot receiver)
Grade: B-
The class loses a couple of points for missing out on a more explosive outside receiver as well as the fact that Gilbert Johnson might not make it. Nevertheless, Texas got players who are good, valuable fits.
THE DEFENSIVE CLASS
Strong’s calling card was always going to be dominant defense and he showed the league glimpses in 2015 of what their future facing Strong will look like. As soon as 2016, when this class are sophomores, opponents might realize the grim reality of what’s facing them.
This is one of the most athletic groups Texas fans have ever seen with size, quickness, and power up front and backed by some of the biggest and most athletic defenders this league has ever seen.
Defensive Line
Du’Vonta Lampkin, 6’3â€, 291. 4****
Houston, TX (Cypress Falls)
Lampkin’s quickness at his size will make him an unpleasant matchup for opposing OL when he’s developed some college strength and learned some technique, especially when he’s stunting. His best deployment at Texas will be at nose tackle where he can either command a double team with his size and power freeing up the freakish athletes that will be playing behind him, or knife into the backfield and blow up blocking schemes.
Fit: Nose tackle
Quincy Vasser, 6’4†260. 3***
Corsicana, TX (Navarro)
Vasser is immediate help at strongside DE in place of Cedric Reed who nobly sacrificed numbers and played through injury to help Texas control the line of scrimmage in 2014. He’s got enough size to stunt into the 3-tech role in Texas’ flex fronts along with the needed speed control the edge like a traditional DE. He’s probably not a big time playmaker but he should be a useful cog in an efficient machine.
Fit: Strongside defensive end
Charles Omenihu, 6’5â€, 232. 4****
Rowlett, TX (Rowlett)
Omenihu is a fighter who has some good power to either beat blocks or else close on the ball with shocking quickness when his long legs dig down and propel him forward. He’s going to be excellent at playing contain on the edge, the question is what happens after he’s been working with Moorer for a few years? Omenihu’s frame suggests he might eventually be as large as 270 where he could be a better version of what Reed and Vasser were asked to be in this defense.
Fit: Strongside defensive end
Grade: B-
Omenihu and Lampkin have big upside, Vasser was a great find, but Texas needs to get more big bodies in 2016 and start to lock down the state’s best talent.
Linebackers
Breckyn Hager, 6’4â€, 220. 3***
Austin, TX (Westlake)
Hager’s skill as a downhill player with a violent disposition and large frame has less obvious application in an era of spread offenses and versatility, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable. In an old school defense, Hager would be a middle linebacker, but players with limited lateral range can get picked apart these days so if he lacks the quickness, he may end up as a Fox-linebacker who spends most of his time blitzing. There’s also the chance his frame takes him down to DL or his hands allow him to make a fearsome H-back but most likely, when he sees the field, it’ll be as a 3rd down pass-rushing specialist that the staff fires into the backfield from different angles.
Fit: Fox linebacker
Cecil Cherry, 6’0â€, 230. 4****
Lakeland, FL (Victory Christian Academy)
Cherry is as violent a player as Hager but with better lateral range and less length. Like Hager, he could become an effective fullback thanks to his soft hands and punishing approach to the game but he’ll first audition for the role of dominating between the tackles. Cherry’s ability to generate power in a broom closet to stonewall runners or blow up blocks is rare in the Big 12.
Fit: Middle linebacker
Cameron Townsend, 6’0â€, 200. 4****
Missouri City, TX (Ridge Point)
Townsend reminds of Ohio State’s star space-backer, Darron Lee, who dominated the college football postseason and allowed the Buckeyes to play base 4-3 personnel against Oregon’s spread. Unfortunately, UT’s defense works differently and it’s more likely that Texas will play nickel packages over the slot. Nevertheless, Townsend still has athleticism that should easily translate to the Big 12 and his lack of height and ability to play low may actually prove beneficial in wrestling past blockers in the middle of the field. If he’s exceptional enough as a blitzer, he may find a home at Sam linebacker, even staying on the field against spread teams, but most likely he’ll play the other outside spot.
Fit: Strongside/Weakside linebacker
Anthony Wheeler, 6’2â€, 225. 4****
Dallas, TX (Skyline)
Wheeler would have been a weakside linebacker in another era but at Texas he’ll end up as a middle linebacker and when he’s a 240-pound upperclassman who’s seen all of the Big 12’s fairly straightforward blocking schemes, he could be a dominant one. Wheeler could be a strong point in coverage at MLB, where he won’t be asked to do anything terribly difficult, and is yet another player who will be a terror in Texas’ multitude of zone blitzes. This is a fantastic all-around prospect of the likes that Mack was bringing in all too rarely.
Fit: Middle linebacker
Malik Jefferson, 6’3â€, 215. 5*****
Mesquite, TX (Poteet)
Malik was the best prospect in Texas for 2015. He’s faster than the fastest linebackers in the league without sacrificing any of the size that other teams generally surrender in order to get quicker backers on the field. All he did in high school was camp out on the edge and dominate people so he’ll have a steep learning curve learning to read backfield flow and playing coverage…good thing he’s a willing worker and an early enrollee. Malik probably has a good chance to start as a weakside linebacker in 2015, ala Derrick Johnson. Provided he grows his dreads out more it is my intention to nickname him “Predator 2,†as Sergio Kindle was the first of that name.
Fit: Weakside linebacker
Grade: A+
In addition to taking players to fill each nice role on the team who are excellent, Strong took them in big numbers. Malik Jefferson is an elite talent and each player has a chance to become a weapon in Strong’s 3-3 Under, anti-spread packages.
Defensive backs
Holton Hill, 6’3†184. 4****
Houston, TX (Lamar)
Holton Hill is the ideal cover 3 corner since his combination of length and quickness are going to make him very difficult to beat over the top but he’s also a willing tackler who will help rally and tackle the short passes Strong is willing to concede. Hill may have been the best corner prospect in the state, and was certainly amongst the best, this was an important win for Strong.
Fit: Corner
Kris Boyd.
Kris Boyd, 6’0â€, 185. 4****
Gilmer, TX (Gilmer)
Sheffield is generally considered the best corner, Holton Hill has a claim for that spot as well, but Kris Boyd was the best overall DB prospect. In conjunction with his good shuttle time and blazing acceleration, Boyd plays really physical and will likely play from 200 to 210 pounds in college. Think Aaron Williams with this kid, who served Texas as a lockdown corner and nickel/edge enforcer in his time on the 40.
Fit: Nickel/corner
Davante Davis, 6’3â€, 200. 4****
Miami, FL (Booker T. Washington)
“The silencer†is yet another absurdly long corner with the added benefit of skills training in South Florida. Opposing defenses are really going to struggle to find matchup opportunities to generate big plays with long players like Davis covering them up in match-zone coverage. He might grow into a safety that can cover up tight ends or else stay at corner and make the deep field a no-fly zone.
Fit: Corner
Kirk Johnson, 6’1â€, 200. 4****
San Jose, CA (Valley Christian)
Johnson is one of the best pure athletes in the class with a 4.57 40 time, a 4.0 shuttle, 36†vertical, and 36’ power ball toss. He may get a start at running back but DB seems his most likely final destination. He’s probably athletic enough to play corner but probably ends up inside at safety where his combination of size and speed will make him a nightmare in the middle.
Fit: Strong safety
DeShon Elliott, 6’1â€, 200. 4****
Rockwall, TX (Rockwall-Heath)
DeShon Elliott at UTL camp.
Elliott is a classic, hard-hitting safety with the range to dominate in the modern era. On tape, he plays a lot of cover 2 schemes and demonstrates the range to defend vertical routes and fill the alley in run support. At the high school level, he looks like a Haha Clinton-Dix or Landon Collins. He can also play in the box and blitz the edge or be an extra man in the front. His overall range suggests he belongs in space but Texas will be sure to get him into the action in the middle.
Fit: Strong safety
P.J. Locke, 5’10â€, 189. 3***
Beaumont, TX (Central Senior)
Locke’s short area quickness, change of direction, use of his eyes, and violent play made him the ideal cover 2 safety for Oregon but for Texas his fit is a bit different. Locke’s play is very similar to that of recent Longhorn nickel/corner Quandre Diggs and it’s likely that Locke will have similar roles at Texas. He’s quick enough to play outside at corner but physical enough to play over the slot as well. Likely the coaches will cross-train him and move him around based on matchups and need, or just stick him wherever Kirk Johnson and Kris Boyd don’t end up.
Fit: Nickel or corner
Grade: A+
It was essential that Strong nail it here as his best teams in the past, and general strategy as a coach, have both relied on shrinking the field, eliminating match-ups, and controlling (intimidating) the passing game with elite athletes on the back end who bring violence to the game. Mission accomplished.
Overall summary
It’s mildly disturbing that Texas had to go out-of-state so heavily in order to secure the strong offensive class the team needed in the wake of a dismal finish to 2014. It’s likely that Strong and his offensive staff will have to go in-state more in the future to consistently land such good players, and they should anyways as Texas produces some of the best offensive skill talent in the country.
However, there were no failures in this class provided the staff is able to get a grad transfer to help at quarterback. Wickline took numbers and variety to bolster the offensive line and he took players of the type that he knows he can mold into punishing players. Watson got some cool new toys as well with some raw talent at quarterback, this group has a lot of potential.
Of course, Strong’s defense will be absolutely loaded with talent in the coming years and Charlie will probably be having a lot more fun on Saturdays in the next two years.
Ian Boyd from Inside Texas & SB Nation's Football Study Hall just did a piece on how the 2015 recruiting class fit into our schemes:
"
The Gameplan: Finding fits in 2015
February 5, 2015 by Ian Boyd
Kris Boyd.
Now that signing day is over, we can at last take a few deep breathes and look back at Charlie’s first full recruiting haul. It was a big one, and necessarily so after “the purge†that took place in the offseason, the failure of Mack to recruit and develop depth at key spots, and Strong’s general desire to get his own selections into the program.
Going off our handy guides for recruiting to the current offensive and defensive systems, we’re going to dive fully into the 2015 Texas recruiting class and talk about where all these kids fit in Charlie Strong’s master plan to conquer the Big 12.
I’ve listed individual players’ star rating by 247 but I have my own thoughts and I’m going to give positional groups grades based on whether each unit presents a good chance of filling the team’s needs provided they are well developed.
THE OFFENSIVE CLASS
Some of the “Texas is going spread!†talk can be demonstrated as overblown by just examining the class Strong signed on offense. If every player pans out, Texas will be multiple in the formations they can bring with excellent pro-style and spread fits in the fold.
Interestingly, there could be amazing potential for this group as an up-tempo, pro-style offense that can pound the ball on the ground or throw it around as teams desperately try to adjust to all the big, fast people Texas will put on the field. It’s an athletic group but size is the name of the game with only Ryan Newsome standing out as a smaller player. Everyone else has a good chance of being larger than the defender across from them, some of them will be faster as well.
Quarterback
Kai Locksley, 6’3†190. 4****
Baltimore, MD (Gilman)
If I can find complete games online later, I’ll dive into them but for now I think it’s clear enough what Texas has here, which is a great athlete with a strong arm but questionable fit within a pro-style scheme. His arm strength is good, and he does a good job of making the simple progressions asked of him in his high school’s Wing-T style offense.
Kai Locksley.
He’s shown an ability to kill with the option run game on both zone and power read schemes as well as a few others and is just a natural ball-carrier. He’s also great in play-action with good touch and strength throwing deep bombs, he’s only solid in the rollout game that is a key at Texas. Locksley has little experience in the quick passing game that Watson teaches but it would be silly to rule out the possibility of him mastering it.
If Locksley proves less capable of managing the game as the QB in this system, he’s still exceptionally fluid, has great hands, and has already shown a serious aptitude for WR, which is where he was most likely to end up at FSU with several other QBs recruited over him.
Fit: Spread-option trigger-man/wide receiver
Matthew Merrick, 6’3†185. 3***
Irving, TX (Cistercian Prep)
Merrick is Shawn Watson’s personal hedge fund if the raw, athletic quarterbacks on campus don’t pan out. He has Big 12-average arm strength and athleticism with some ability to find receivers on the run and good accuracy when doing so.
If he can learn the system and how to manage games he could become an important figure in Texas football history should the Texas OL and run game get going in the future. It’s easy to see him developing enough mastery of the Watson passing game to at least be a serviceable option here.
Fit: Pro-style game manager
There are several external factors that are hard to overlook here. One is that the state of Texas produced blue-chippers Kyler Murray and Jarrett Stidham but Texas whiffed on both, losing out to the state’s premier offensive powers Texas A&M and Baylor. Also concerning, the state produced some other prospects like Quinten Dormady and Ben Hicks that the staff ignored in order to secure OOS prospect Zach Gentry (inevitably lost to another OOS power in Harbaugh’s Michigan).
Another is that Texas needs immediate help at the position, which is generally impossible to find at the high school level, and now must come in the form of a grad transfer. Really the staff should get an “Incomplete†here since the need for a transfer is so high and they could get a failing grade if you wanted to punish them for allowing yet more of the state’s bountiful QB prospects to go elsewhere.
Grade: B-
At the end of the day, the staff took two players with upside as potential starters, and if there are problems down the line, it won’t be due to lack of raw talent but instead fit or lack of development.
Offensive Line
Ronnie “Buck†Major, 6’6†290. 4****
Huntsville, TX (Huntsville)
Major is a big-time grades risk, which is a shame because he’s one of the most promising recruits in the entire class. He’s fairly raw as a prospect but has the knee-bend and athleticism to be a great tackle along with the will to dominate on the edge. Major has the quickness and length to handle the athletic demands of Wickline’s zone schemes and could be a downright menace climbing up to linebackers on power.
Fit: Right tackle
Connor Williams, 6-5, 285. 3***
Coppell, TX (Coppell) (Early Enrollee)
Williams has fantastic athleticism and might be the best OL in the class even if Buck doesn’t have to go the JUCO route. Great knee bend and mobility, when he’s a veteran at 300 pounds, he’ll be tough to get past and likely a terror in the run game.
Fit: Left tackle
Tristan Nickelson, 6-9, 319. 2**
Corsicana, TX (Navarro College) (Early Enrollee)
Nickelson already has the ability to hook or ride defensive ends in zone schemes thanks to improving footwork combined with impossible length and mass. He’s solid climbing to the next level or playing pass protection as well but is best when he can get his big mitts on one defender and then bully them. There’s no getting through him with his size and going around can be tricky because of the range of his punches, opponents will have try and get inside of him.
There’s a good chance Nickelson makes an immediate impact for Texas due to the fact that only ends with explosive speed will be able to attack him.
Fit: Right tackle
Brandon Hodges, 6-5, 295. 3***
Scooba, MS (East Mississippi C.C.) (Early Enrollee)
Hodges is a big body that can kick-step and drop step without getting put on skates, which makes him valuable to Texas’ OL depth chart. Like most college linemen, he can be confused by stunts and might have the highest ceiling at guard, but he has quick feet and represents a likely upgrade at either tackle position barring big improvement from Texas’ younger OL.
Fit: Left tackle
Patrick Vahe.
Patrick Vahe, 6-3, 300. 4****
Euless, TX (Trinity)
Vahe is the rare sub 6-foot-4 interior OL who isn’t just a fast and heady player that teams trust to make line calls at center. He’s actually very powerful as well and is pure murder when pulling thanks to his nasty disposition and the terrifying combination of his upper body strength and overall agility and speed.
Barring football IQ and leadership that makes him a great candidate to make line calls as center, you want this guy in a spot where he can pull and lead for your running back, left guard is best since you often have bigger maulers on the right side that can cave in a defensive line before that puller arrives. His challenge will be not allowing penetration on zone.
Fit: Left guard
Garrett Thomas, 6-5, 306. 3***
Many, LA (Many) (Early Enrollee)
Most of Garrett Thomas’ power is in his base, which is actually a good thing for an OL, and his upper body strength will surely improve as he lifts with Moorer. Thomas is decently quick but this is perhaps your best fit at center, a player has the size and length to grabble with and control d-tackles or steadily climb up to the next level and screen linebackers off the ball. He’ll fit somewhere inside where his length will allow him to cover up DL and prevent penetration.
Fit: Center
Grade: B+
The likely combined loss of Major in addition to Weathersby will decrease the overall athleticism of this group but each player has at least one fit and Williams might end up becoming a star. There’s also the fact that Wickline has a proven track record with players of these types, this is the kind of clay he loves to mold.
Running backs
Tristian Houston, 5-11, 195. 3***
Houston, TX (North Shore)
Initially a questionable take, Houston’s senior tape reveals that the North Shore back actually excels at reading linebacker leverage and cutting up field with acceleration. This trait is the key to executing Wickline’s schemes, which often ask the RB to threaten the cutback at the hand-off and guide linebackers into the waiting arms of the Texas OL and lead blockers. His 10.88 track speed clearly translates in pads and he also adds a willingness to punish opponents at the end of runs.
If he can pick up protection duties and catch out of the backfield, he may surprise.
Fit: Change of pace runner, potential feature-back
Chris Warren.
Chris Warren, 6’2â€, 235. 4****
Rockwall, TX (Rockwall)
Warren is the feature back of Strong’s dreams; a big, punishing runner who can also pull away from defenders at the 2nd level. Warren can win the edge on zone, jump-step into a cutback lane and then accelerate, he can break tackles and punish tacklers or he can just burn them if he hits a crease.
With his soft hands and capable blocking, he’s the total package as a running back.
Fit: Feature-back
Grade: A-
Soso Jamabo is one of the best athletes in the state, but it’s hard to do better than a player who fits the scheme while offering homerun speed along combined with a potential war-horse.
Tight Ends
Devonaire Clarington, 6’5â€, 238. 4****
Miami, FL (Booker T. Washington)
Clarington is currently a pure receiver with fluidity comparable to Burt or Johnson but less top speed…of course he’s not going to play receiver at Texas. Instead, his ability to high point the ball and run routes at 6-foot-5 are going to be put to use at tight end, where he could be a killer in this league.
Even worse for Big 12 opponents, Clarington was one of the better pass-rushing ends in Florida last year and has a willingness to mix it up in the trenches, although not yet the size, to become a punishing blocker on the edge with time. This is the best tight end prospect Texas has taken since JerMichael Finley.
Fit: Tight End
DeAndre McNeal.
DeAndre McNeal, 6’2â€, 228. 4****
Mesquite, TX (Poteet)
McNeal could become the ideal H-back who can line up in the backfield as a sort of winger/fullback, flex out and run routes as a slot receiver, line up as an outside receiver, or perhaps even play as an in-line tight end. The key will be if he’s willing to become a punishing blocker who traps and leads like a fullback when he’s not flexing out to run routes against over-matched linebackers. If he accepts this role, McNeal could be a constantly motioning piece that puts tremendous stress on defenses so that they can no longer function. It’s hard to overstate how much value he could have.
Fit: H-back
Grade: A+
Tight end had been a wasteland at Texas for too long, Greg Davis included TEs in his base offense but Texas often just hoped some big receivers would spin down and become effective blockers. Harsin desperately tried to stock up on big bodies who could allow him to move blockers around and attack the edges, now Strong has at last found some players who are likely to thrive in both roles.
Wide Receivers
John Burt, 6’2â€, 180. 4****
Tallahassee, FL (Lincoln)
John Burt.
You can’t help but be reminded by John Harris watching Burt’s tape. He’s big and smooth on the outside and will probably enjoy playing with Swoopes, whether that occurs on the practice field or on Saturdays. The difference is that while Harris didn’t run by people often and often had to fight through defenders, Burt has some good speed to go along with his size. Burt should grow into a nightmare on the edge that many defensive backfields will have to double in order to control.
Fit: X receiver
Gilbert Johnson, 6’2â€, 190. 3***
Atlanta, GA (Georgia Prep Sports Academy)
There’s very little difference in my eyes between Johnson and Burt other than Gilbert being a possible grades casualty. Gilbert has great fluidity, great hands, and some pull away speed that could make him another great vertical threat. Texas is looking for players outside that can beat up smaller corners on timing routes or over the top.
Fit: X or Z receiver
Ryan Newsome, 5’8â€, 170. 4****
Aledo, TX (Aledo)
Newsome is a great athlete with great hands who’s role at Texas could range from “kick returner†to “slot weapon†to “outside receiver†depending on how his route running and skills develop. He has some Quan Cosby in him, who used his quickness and great hands to win battles on the outside, but he’ll more likely play in the slot and catch quick timing routes and screen passes when opponents try to outnumber the run. His breakaway speed will make that a risky proposition.
Fit: H or Y (slot receiver)
Grade: B-
The class loses a couple of points for missing out on a more explosive outside receiver as well as the fact that Gilbert Johnson might not make it. Nevertheless, Texas got players who are good, valuable fits.
THE DEFENSIVE CLASS
Strong’s calling card was always going to be dominant defense and he showed the league glimpses in 2015 of what their future facing Strong will look like. As soon as 2016, when this class are sophomores, opponents might realize the grim reality of what’s facing them.
This is one of the most athletic groups Texas fans have ever seen with size, quickness, and power up front and backed by some of the biggest and most athletic defenders this league has ever seen.
Defensive Line
Du’Vonta Lampkin, 6’3â€, 291. 4****
Houston, TX (Cypress Falls)
Lampkin’s quickness at his size will make him an unpleasant matchup for opposing OL when he’s developed some college strength and learned some technique, especially when he’s stunting. His best deployment at Texas will be at nose tackle where he can either command a double team with his size and power freeing up the freakish athletes that will be playing behind him, or knife into the backfield and blow up blocking schemes.
Fit: Nose tackle
Quincy Vasser, 6’4†260. 3***
Corsicana, TX (Navarro)
Vasser is immediate help at strongside DE in place of Cedric Reed who nobly sacrificed numbers and played through injury to help Texas control the line of scrimmage in 2014. He’s got enough size to stunt into the 3-tech role in Texas’ flex fronts along with the needed speed control the edge like a traditional DE. He’s probably not a big time playmaker but he should be a useful cog in an efficient machine.
Fit: Strongside defensive end
Charles Omenihu, 6’5â€, 232. 4****
Rowlett, TX (Rowlett)
Omenihu is a fighter who has some good power to either beat blocks or else close on the ball with shocking quickness when his long legs dig down and propel him forward. He’s going to be excellent at playing contain on the edge, the question is what happens after he’s been working with Moorer for a few years? Omenihu’s frame suggests he might eventually be as large as 270 where he could be a better version of what Reed and Vasser were asked to be in this defense.
Fit: Strongside defensive end
Grade: B-
Omenihu and Lampkin have big upside, Vasser was a great find, but Texas needs to get more big bodies in 2016 and start to lock down the state’s best talent.
Linebackers
Breckyn Hager, 6’4â€, 220. 3***
Austin, TX (Westlake)
Hager’s skill as a downhill player with a violent disposition and large frame has less obvious application in an era of spread offenses and versatility, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable. In an old school defense, Hager would be a middle linebacker, but players with limited lateral range can get picked apart these days so if he lacks the quickness, he may end up as a Fox-linebacker who spends most of his time blitzing. There’s also the chance his frame takes him down to DL or his hands allow him to make a fearsome H-back but most likely, when he sees the field, it’ll be as a 3rd down pass-rushing specialist that the staff fires into the backfield from different angles.
Fit: Fox linebacker
Cecil Cherry, 6’0â€, 230. 4****
Lakeland, FL (Victory Christian Academy)
Cherry is as violent a player as Hager but with better lateral range and less length. Like Hager, he could become an effective fullback thanks to his soft hands and punishing approach to the game but he’ll first audition for the role of dominating between the tackles. Cherry’s ability to generate power in a broom closet to stonewall runners or blow up blocks is rare in the Big 12.
Fit: Middle linebacker
Cameron Townsend, 6’0â€, 200. 4****
Missouri City, TX (Ridge Point)
Townsend reminds of Ohio State’s star space-backer, Darron Lee, who dominated the college football postseason and allowed the Buckeyes to play base 4-3 personnel against Oregon’s spread. Unfortunately, UT’s defense works differently and it’s more likely that Texas will play nickel packages over the slot. Nevertheless, Townsend still has athleticism that should easily translate to the Big 12 and his lack of height and ability to play low may actually prove beneficial in wrestling past blockers in the middle of the field. If he’s exceptional enough as a blitzer, he may find a home at Sam linebacker, even staying on the field against spread teams, but most likely he’ll play the other outside spot.
Fit: Strongside/Weakside linebacker
Anthony Wheeler, 6’2â€, 225. 4****
Dallas, TX (Skyline)
Wheeler would have been a weakside linebacker in another era but at Texas he’ll end up as a middle linebacker and when he’s a 240-pound upperclassman who’s seen all of the Big 12’s fairly straightforward blocking schemes, he could be a dominant one. Wheeler could be a strong point in coverage at MLB, where he won’t be asked to do anything terribly difficult, and is yet another player who will be a terror in Texas’ multitude of zone blitzes. This is a fantastic all-around prospect of the likes that Mack was bringing in all too rarely.
Fit: Middle linebacker
Malik Jefferson, 6’3â€, 215. 5*****
Mesquite, TX (Poteet)
Malik was the best prospect in Texas for 2015. He’s faster than the fastest linebackers in the league without sacrificing any of the size that other teams generally surrender in order to get quicker backers on the field. All he did in high school was camp out on the edge and dominate people so he’ll have a steep learning curve learning to read backfield flow and playing coverage…good thing he’s a willing worker and an early enrollee. Malik probably has a good chance to start as a weakside linebacker in 2015, ala Derrick Johnson. Provided he grows his dreads out more it is my intention to nickname him “Predator 2,†as Sergio Kindle was the first of that name.
Fit: Weakside linebacker
Grade: A+
In addition to taking players to fill each nice role on the team who are excellent, Strong took them in big numbers. Malik Jefferson is an elite talent and each player has a chance to become a weapon in Strong’s 3-3 Under, anti-spread packages.
Defensive backs
Holton Hill, 6’3†184. 4****
Houston, TX (Lamar)
Holton Hill is the ideal cover 3 corner since his combination of length and quickness are going to make him very difficult to beat over the top but he’s also a willing tackler who will help rally and tackle the short passes Strong is willing to concede. Hill may have been the best corner prospect in the state, and was certainly amongst the best, this was an important win for Strong.
Fit: Corner
Kris Boyd.
Kris Boyd, 6’0â€, 185. 4****
Gilmer, TX (Gilmer)
Sheffield is generally considered the best corner, Holton Hill has a claim for that spot as well, but Kris Boyd was the best overall DB prospect. In conjunction with his good shuttle time and blazing acceleration, Boyd plays really physical and will likely play from 200 to 210 pounds in college. Think Aaron Williams with this kid, who served Texas as a lockdown corner and nickel/edge enforcer in his time on the 40.
Fit: Nickel/corner
Davante Davis, 6’3â€, 200. 4****
Miami, FL (Booker T. Washington)
“The silencer†is yet another absurdly long corner with the added benefit of skills training in South Florida. Opposing defenses are really going to struggle to find matchup opportunities to generate big plays with long players like Davis covering them up in match-zone coverage. He might grow into a safety that can cover up tight ends or else stay at corner and make the deep field a no-fly zone.
Fit: Corner
Kirk Johnson, 6’1â€, 200. 4****
San Jose, CA (Valley Christian)
Johnson is one of the best pure athletes in the class with a 4.57 40 time, a 4.0 shuttle, 36†vertical, and 36’ power ball toss. He may get a start at running back but DB seems his most likely final destination. He’s probably athletic enough to play corner but probably ends up inside at safety where his combination of size and speed will make him a nightmare in the middle.
Fit: Strong safety
DeShon Elliott, 6’1â€, 200. 4****
Rockwall, TX (Rockwall-Heath)
DeShon Elliott at UTL camp.
Elliott is a classic, hard-hitting safety with the range to dominate in the modern era. On tape, he plays a lot of cover 2 schemes and demonstrates the range to defend vertical routes and fill the alley in run support. At the high school level, he looks like a Haha Clinton-Dix or Landon Collins. He can also play in the box and blitz the edge or be an extra man in the front. His overall range suggests he belongs in space but Texas will be sure to get him into the action in the middle.
Fit: Strong safety
P.J. Locke, 5’10â€, 189. 3***
Beaumont, TX (Central Senior)
Locke’s short area quickness, change of direction, use of his eyes, and violent play made him the ideal cover 2 safety for Oregon but for Texas his fit is a bit different. Locke’s play is very similar to that of recent Longhorn nickel/corner Quandre Diggs and it’s likely that Locke will have similar roles at Texas. He’s quick enough to play outside at corner but physical enough to play over the slot as well. Likely the coaches will cross-train him and move him around based on matchups and need, or just stick him wherever Kirk Johnson and Kris Boyd don’t end up.
Fit: Nickel or corner
Grade: A+
It was essential that Strong nail it here as his best teams in the past, and general strategy as a coach, have both relied on shrinking the field, eliminating match-ups, and controlling (intimidating) the passing game with elite athletes on the back end who bring violence to the game. Mission accomplished.
Overall summary
It’s mildly disturbing that Texas had to go out-of-state so heavily in order to secure the strong offensive class the team needed in the wake of a dismal finish to 2014. It’s likely that Strong and his offensive staff will have to go in-state more in the future to consistently land such good players, and they should anyways as Texas produces some of the best offensive skill talent in the country.
However, there were no failures in this class provided the staff is able to get a grad transfer to help at quarterback. Wickline took numbers and variety to bolster the offensive line and he took players of the type that he knows he can mold into punishing players. Watson got some cool new toys as well with some raw talent at quarterback, this group has a lot of potential.
Of course, Strong’s defense will be absolutely loaded with talent in the coming years and Charlie will probably be having a lot more fun on Saturdays in the next two years.
