A Big 12 Analysis of New ESPN 300

ESPN's RecruitNation released their first ESPN 300 rankings earlier today.  David Ubben also had a post today in which he put together a list of all the Big 12 prospects included on the list along with a couple of his thoughts.  Below is that list.

No. 74: Davion Hall, ATH, Baylor
No. 79: Derick Roberson, DE, Texas
No. 97: Justice Hansen, QB-DT, Oklahoma
No. 103: Kyron Watson, LB, Kansas
No. 138: Jerrod Heard, QB-DT, Texas
No. 162: Mason Rudolph, QB-PP, Oklahoma State
No. 165: Jermaine Roberts, CB, Texas
No. 172: Otaro Alaka, OLB, Texas
No. 199: Dallis Todd, WR, Oklahoma
No. 202: Devon Thomas, RB, Oklahoma State
No. 214: Gyasi Akem, OLB, Oklahoma State
No. 222: Samaje Perine, RB, Oklahoma
No. 224: Allen Lazard, WR, Iowa State
No. 231: James David, OLB, Baylor
No. 237: Lorenzo Joe, ATH, Texas
No. 247: Donald Catalon, RB, Texas
No. 282: Carson Meier, TE-Y, Oklahoma

• Not surprised with Davion Hall being on top of this list.  He's pretty much at or near the top according to the other recruiting services.
• Justice Hansen is higher on this list that almost all the others.
• Rivals is MUCH higher on WR Allen Lazard than all other services.  They have him almost 200 spots higher at #25 overall and the top recevier in the nation.
• Kyron Watson is pretty high on this list too, he's in the 300s on the 247Composite.
• I had both Donald "Duke" Catalon and Kansas commit Traevohn Wrench (who isn't on the list) #1 and #2 on my RB rankings ahead of Devon Thomas and Samaje Perine.
• Baylor has two really good LB commits in James David (#231 on ESPN) and T'Kevian Rockwell (#230 on Top247).

Recapping the Weekend's Commitments

New ISU commit Orion Salters

• Iowa State added 2-star ATH Orion Salters.  Salters rushed and caught for over 1200 combined yards and 19 TDs last year.  While he has no other offers, Salters has been on ISU's radar for quite a while.
• West Virginia gained the commitment of hometown OL Amanii Brown.  Brown is a 3-star prospect by 247Sports who also didn't have any offers at the time.  While he wasn't heavily recruited, he was rated by 247Sports as the top prospect in the state this year.
• To nobody's surprise, WR Emanuel Porter committed to Texas on Saturday.  Emanuel attended a camp held by the Longhorns earlier this month and decommitted from TCU a day after.  Porter is a 3-star prospect by both Rivals and 247Sports.
• Another commitment that many recruitniks saw coming was OG Robert Castaneda to Texas Tech.  He entered the weekend committed to Kansas State, but after attending a Tech camp, he is now a Red Raider.  Like I said, there were signs and talk pointing toward this, so it's not a big surprise.  Tough loss for KSU.
• 3-star DE Jordan Brailford committed to the home state Cowboys on Saturday.  A top 10 prospect overall in the state, Brailford had offers from Baylor, Kansas State, Texas Tech, Tulsa, and more.  Here is what he had to say to OKState247 about the decision:   “Oklahoma State showed me the most love recently, we talked a lot and that made my decision easier,” Brailford said. “Coach Mike Gundy and his staff, I think they are going to treat me right when I'm there.''  He's #11 for the Pokes.
• JUCO TE John Thomas committed to the Longhorns over an offer from Auburn.  He visited Austin on Saturday without a Texas offer, but got one and pulled the trigger.  Here is a good writeup by BurntOrangeNation.com on his commitment.

WR Dorian Leonard is #16 for Texas

(h/t news-journal.com)

Longview wideout Dorian Leonard committed to the Texas Longhorns earlier today.  As the title states, this is the 16th overall commit for the Horns and the fourth WR in this year's class.  According to 247Sports, Leonard has other offers from Florida State, Oregon State, Texas Tech, and Oklahoma (the school many experts thought he was going to go to).  The 6'4/200 WR caught 21 passes last year for over 400 yards and 4 TDs.  Both Rivals and 247Sports list Leonard as a 3-star prospect and both have him as a top 5 receiver in the state of Texas.  In an interview with HornsNation.com, Leonard described what kind of player Texas is getting:

“I'm a big, physical receiver,” Leonard said. “I'm a big target to get to, and I have good hands. It feels real good to know I'm a Texas commit and I have a college to go to. I wanted to get committed so I can go back to working hard on the field.”

As I mentioned, this is already the fourth receiver in the class (third if Garret Gray moves to TE), but as the linked article mentions, the Horns will still continue recruiting Armanti Foreman and Emanuel Porter.

2014 Big 12 Recruiting Rankings: June

(h/t BaylorLariat.com)

Below is the fifth set of rankings for the 2014 cycle.  I'm hopeful that I can do a new set of rankings about once or twice every month with new analysis.  The rankings aren't scientific and are based on a number of factors including talent (obviously), class size, potential for growth, and others.  Agree or disagree?  Leave a comment below or tweet me @Big12Recruit.

1. Baylor:  I have to do it.  With Baylor absolutely rolling right now, I'm putting them on top of the conference.  They have 19 recruits (the largest class in the nation), they're getting some of the best receviers avaiable, and they're stealing recruits away from powerhouses like Texas.  They're not going to be here in February, but for now, Art Briles is killing it and deserves to be here.

2. Texas:  If you're a Texas fan and you're putting a lot of weight into these rankings, step back.  The Horns probably don't deserve to be here and will very, very likely have the best class in the end.  However, it's Baylor's moment right now.

3. Texas Tech:  Obviously overshadowed by Texas and Baylor, Texas Tech has put together a nice run since the middle of April as 10 out of their 13 commitments have come during that time.  They lack top-end talent, but when you have 13 commitments already, especially not at a recruiting powerhouse, you're doing something right.

4. Oklahoma:  The Sooners haven't had a new commitment in a couple of weeks, but they still have a top 25 class nationally according to 247Sports.  Justice Hansen and Dallis Todd may be the best QB-WR combo in the Big 12 this year.

5. Oklahoma State:  The Pokes missed out on the Kyle Allen sweepstakes, but still managed to find their QB for the future in Mason Rudolph earlier this month.  RB Devon Thomas and LB Gyasi Akem are pretty good too.

6. Kansas State:  K-State is also in the midst of a drought, having no new commitments since late April.  Still, with their hot start, they still have 7 right now in their class.

7. Iowa State:  Iowa State has picked up the pace, gaining 5 commitments since the beginning of May.  All-American Allen Lazard is the obvious class headliner, but the Clones also seem to be in good position for Rivals250 RB Jeff Jones.

8. TCU:  After losing a pair of commitments, it certainly hasn't been a good week for TCU.  They're currently at 4 right now and are falling behind in the state of Texas.

9. Kansas:  For being Kansas, Charlie Weis has already got some impressive talent in the class with RB Traevohn Wrench and LB Kyron Watson.  The probelm for Kansas is that don't have enough of it yet.  Only 3 commits for Weis so far.

10. West Virginia:  It's got to be a little troubling for Mountaineer fans that they only have a pair of commits right now.  However, there are a lot of prospects with interest in WVU, so that should change.

ULTRA MEGA BIG 12 RECRUITING WEEKEND WRAP-UP THREAD

It's been VERY busy in Big 12 land recruiting-wise over the past couple of days.  So much has happened and Big 12 Recruit has only covered a small portion of it.  Below is what has all happened (I think) with links to some of the stories.  Comment below for any discussion points or questions.

• NEW UPDATE:  Texas landed 3-star WR Garret Gray who had offers from Iowa State, Iowa, Houston, Cal, and others.  At 6'5/205+, he's got nice size and great speed (4.45) with potential to play tight end in Austin.
• NEW UPDATE:  Baylor picked up yet another commit in LB James David.  David, a 3-star prospect, chose the Bears over TCU, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Washington, and Houston.
• Baylor's recruiting being hot is an understatement.  Art Briles picked up FOUR commitments over the weekend.  The headliner being 4-star OLB/S T'Kevian Rockwell with the others being ATH Jourdan Blake, DT Ira Lewis, and DT Andrew Morris.  Baylor now has the largest class in the country along with a top 10 nationally ranked class at the moment.
• Texas gained three 2015 commitments over the weekend including now former TCU safety commit Johnny Shaw.  The other two are ATH Keke Coutee and OT Connor Lanfear.  That's now seven total commits for UT's 2015 class which is larger than TCU, Iowa State, Kansas, and West Virginia's 2014 classes.
• Speaking of Texas stealing TCU commits, Emanuel Porter decommitted from the Frogs a day after receiving an offer from Texas.  Porter signing with Texas seems very likely right now.
• Oklahoma State picked up a pair of commitments on Sunday at their camp.  Edna Karr teammates (New Orleans) DT Joyan Williams and CB Juwan Offray are the two new Cowboys.
• Offensive tackle Justin Murphy is #13 for Kliff Kingsbury and Texas Tech.
• Iowa State WR commit Allen Lazard and Texas QB Jerrod Heard competed this weekend at the Rivals 5-star Challenge.  Expect a post about that tomorrow.

OT Justin Murphy Joins Texas Tech's Class

(h/t DallasNews.com)

Texas Tech picked up #13 this afternoon in Belton, TX offensive tackle Justin Murphy.  Murphy is considered a 3-star prospect by 247Sports, a 2-star by Rivals, and hasn't been ranked yet by Scout.com.  Besides Tech, Murphy had offers from SMU, North Texas, New Mexico, Rice, along with others.  The 6'6/275 prospect seems pretty happy about his commitment to Tech per an interview with RedRaidersSports.com($):

"I've known in my heart that I've wanted to commit for a long time. Texas Tech is where I want to be as an offensive lineman. It's crazy. I wanted to commit because I know there are a limited number of spots, and I know that's where I want to be. I just had to talk it over. I talked to the coaches, my mom, my dad, my grandparents, and I guess that today is as good of a day as any.

And his announcement via Twitter:

Officially a Texas Tech Raider. Committed to the University of Texas Tech! #redraider #commit #gunsup
— Justin Murphy (@JMurphy_73) June 10, 2013

I'm short on time because of all the other Big 12 recruiting news, but check Viva The Matadors later today as I'm sure they'll have a much more detailed post.

Baylor Continues Hot Streak, DT Ira Lewis Commits

(h/t Fansided.com)

Baylor is on fire.

Baylor picked up their 12th commitment since the start of May in Houston DT Ira Lewis today.  Lewis was once committed to the hometown Cougars, but switched to Baylor today, two weeks after they offered.  Besides Houston and Baylor, the 6'3/260 prospect has offers from Boise State, Tulsa, SMU, and New Mexico State.  Last year, he totaled 12 sacks for Houston Lamar.  Because I'm short on time, below is what he had to say to SicEmSports.com($) about Baylor:

"I like how they rotate defensive players and how fast they play,'' Lewis said. "They want their guys to be fresh against these spread offenses. But everything really changed when I saw them at the camp, I really got see what they do and got a great feel with how the coaches get after their players. They challenge them. I loved seeing how coach Chris Achuff worked.''

Safety Johnny Shaw Flips Commitment From TCU to the Texas Longhorns

New Texas commit Johnny Shaw (h/t @KDG1974)

Mack Brown's day has been busy to say the least having picked up three 2015 commitments today (more on that later).  Perhaps the biggest and most surprising is that of safety Johnny Shaw.  The talented safety had committed to TCU in the middle of May, but flipped his commitment to Texas today.  Although this there's a long time until National Signing Day 2015, this is big for the Longhorns.  Below is what I had to say about Shaw after he committed to the Horned Frogs.

Right now, Shaw is a top 20 player in the state of Texas for 2015 (#18 in the '15 LSR). The 6'2/190 prospect is destined to be one of the best safeties, if not the best, to sign with a Big 12 school in 20 months, if he's still committed to TCU (that's a long time). As a sophomore last year, Shaw totaled 88 tackles, 5 INTs, and 2 forced fumbles according to ETSN.fm.

Lousiana Teammates DT Joyan Willians and CB Juwan Offray Commit to Oklahoma State

(h/t seaoforange.com)

Late last night, Oklahoma State added their seventh and eighth commitments in their 2014 class.  New Orleans high school (Edna Karr) teammates DT Joyan Williams and DB Juwan Offray were in Stillwater for camp and they both left town committed.

Williams is a 6'3/255, 3-star DT prospect that had other offers from Georgia Tech, Miami, Oklahoma, and Mississippi State along with some other schools.  He has always been on the Cowboys' radar and was once thought to be committed to Okie State, which didn't turn out to be the case.  Juwan Offray didn't have an Oklahoma State offer until he had an impressive showing at OSU's camp($) yesterday.  Offray isn't ranked, but does hold an offer from Nebraska, which is pretty impressive for a prospect that isn't on many people's radars.  Below is an excerpt from an interview with Nola.com:

“It feels good,” Offray said, “It’s a lot of pressure off my shoulders, I’m just worried about getting through my senior season now. The teammate I committed with, I’ve been playing ball with him all my life. We have a brother-like relationship so it feels good to be able to commit with him.”

 

4-star OLB T'Kevian Rockwell Commits to Baylor

(h/t BleachReport.com)

Baylor continues their hot streak on the recruiting trail, this time it's on the defensive side of the ball.  4-star prospect T'Kevian Rockwell committed to the Baylor Bears late Friday night.  This is a big time get for Baylor as Rockwell is considered a top 250 prospect overall by both Rivals and 247Sports.  He also had a nice offer list including Texas Tech, West Virginia, Nebraska, Kansas, and even Michigan.  Rockwell possesses great speed for his size (6'0/205) which may lead to him playing safety in Waco.  I'll leave you with two reports on Rockwell.

Jason Howell, Rivals($):

"He has the frame to get bigger and while he is projected by many to be an outside linebacker he has the ability to spin up to safety and be a terrorizing figure as a big safety," Rivals Southwest regional analyst Jason Howell said. "He has legitimate track speed and covers a lot of ground very quickly. In the pass happy Big 12 he's the kind of guy who can be an every day player and has the potential to be used in a variety of ways.''

Scout.com:

Looks like he is shot out of cannon as he closes in on ball carriers. He closes ground quickly and relentlessly and does not slow down to impact. He makes good form tackles and explodes through the ball carrier. May be a little undersized, but a prospect can either play football or he can’t -- that’s the bottom line -- and Rockwell can play with the best of them. He is very physically gifted, one of the more impressive specimens in the DFW.

Handicapping DB Arrion Springs's Recruitment

(h/t studentsports.com)

Arrion Springs's recruitment is really starting to heat up.  Springs is a talented 4-star defensive back that has offers from some of the top programs in the country.  He's one of the best uncommitted DBs in the country, making him a key recruit for several programs especially the ones below.

Oregon:  Springs finally received a long awaited offer from Oregon a couple weeks ago.  The Ducks have seemed to be the favorite throughout the whole process.  Many believe that he'll commit to Oregon when he's in the state for The Opening (a camp for elite players) later this month.  Right now, Oregon has to be the favorite.  60%

Texas:  While the Ducks have probably been the leader throughout the process, Texas has quickly closed the gap.  Texas has been the most popular choice for recruiting analysts on 247Sports' Crystal Ball feature.  He attended UT's camp last weekend too.  35%

Florida State:  It once was Miami who was seen as a third option, but Florida State has now moved into that position.  They offered earlier this week, but Texas and Oregon are both way ahead of FSU when it comes to Springs.  There's a chance, but not really.  5%

QB Mason Rudolph Commits to Oklahoma State

(h/t AP)

The Pokes missed out on the Kyle Allen sweepstakes earlier this month, Oklahoma State now has their quarterback.  South Carolina QB Mason Rudolph announced via Twitter today that he has committed to Oklahoma State.  A 3-star prospect by 247Sports and a consensus top 25 pro-style QB, Rudolph chose OSU over offers from top programs including LSU, Virginia, Louisville, Ole Miss, and Virginia Tech.  At 6'4/210, he has a nice build for a pro-style QB which helped him throw for over 4000 yards and 41 TDs last year.  For a little more detailed post, check out Pistol Firing's analysis of Rudolph's commitment.

Big 12's Best Available Recruits: Running Back

Jeff Jones (h/t Scout.com)

We continue our series looking at the best prospects avaiable at each position today with running backs.  Many backs have already committed to Big 12 programs, so the talent available isn't elite.  If you can think of other RB prospects still available, leave a comment below because I have a feeling I left someone off the list.

Joe Mixon:  Mixon is one of the best backs in the country.  While he's from California and USC seems to be the favorite, Oklahoma is still in the mix.  According to 247Sports, he'll take a visit to Norman in October.

Jeff Jones:  Jones is another top 150 player overall who is committed to Minnesota right now.  However, his commitment isn't that strong and he's definitely looking around right now.  Iowa State is perhaps the favorite right now and JC Shurburtt of 247Sports today predicted that he'll sign with ISU.

Vic Enwere:  Isn't ranked in the top 50 at his position, but has plenty of offers including Michigan and Cal.  He doesn't have any offers from Big 12 programs, but I would expect that to change.

Larenzo Stewart:  A 3-star prospect from Spring, TX with an offer from Baylor, the school most recruiting experts see him going to.

Samuel Stewart:  A Cypress, TX native that holds offers from Texas Tech and Iowa State among other teams.

Robert Martin:  Martin rushed for 1800 yards and 18 TDs last year for Harrisburg HS in Pennsylvania last year.  West Virginia and Rutgers are the two favorites for Martin's services.

Best available prospects at other positions:

• Offensive Linemen
• Quarterbacks
• Wide Receivers

Baylor Ends Weekend With a Pair of Commitments

(h/t zimbio.com)

Baylor is the hottest team on the recruiting trail right now in the Big 12.  They added two more prospects over the weekend at their first summer camp, making it now 14 commitments for the 2014 class, the most in the Big 12.  With the verbal commitments of OG Blake Blackmar and CB Chad Adams, Baylor's class is now just outside the top 10 nationally according to 247Sports' rankings.  Below is quick breakdown of Baylor's two new commits.

OG Blake Blackmar

Blackmar was the first out of the pair to commit to Baylor.  This is really nice pickup for Art Briles and company considering I included him on my best available offensive linemen list almost a week ago.  Blackmar is a 3-star prospect and had offers from Mizzou, Minnesota, Kansas State (who were thought to be one of the leaders), Texas Tech, Washington State and others.

CB Chad Adams

Adams is another 3-star prospect with offers from across the country including UCONN, Kansas, Washington, Arizona State, and others.  Adams totaled 98 tackles and 2 interceptions last year with state champions Allen Eagles.  Baylor is getting yet another speedster for their 2014 class as Adams runs multiple events on the Allen track team.

Some of the Big 12's More Underrated Recruits

TCU commit Nick Foster (h/t Scout.com)

So far, I've done scouting reports on 16 prospects committed to Big 12 programs.  As the title suggests, below are some of the more undderrated recruits that I've had the chance to scout.  For a more detailed scouting report, click on the prospects' name.

Chris Platt, WR, Baylor:  Platt is a speedster, winning his third straight 400m state championship earlier this month.  Along with his speed, Platt also shows on video that he can also play physical especially when blocking downfield.  Platt may not be as talented as other Baylor receivers, but he's a nice, well-rounded addition to the 2014 class.

Nick Foster, CB, TCU:  In his scouting report, I talk about Foster's measurables being similar to Tony Brown's, who is a 5-star recruit.  However, TCU is the only program to have offered Foster, but Tony Brown is perhaps the most highly-recruited corner in this year's class.  Foster possesses good hip movement, making him a shutdown corner with Fossil Ridge.

Dalvin Warmack, RB, Kansas State:  Warmack is a 4-star recruit according to 247Sports, so why is he on this list?  Well, because I feel awful that he's at the bottom of the running back rankings (which haven't been updated in a while).  He rushed for almost 40 touchdowns last year on his way to being named Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year.

Victor Holmes, CB, Iowa State:  Holmes does a lot for La Porte, being recruited for his defense and playing multiple positions on offense including QB.  He's got sub 4.5 speed and is a great tackler and there's no way he isn't at least a 3-star prospect.

Baylor Picks Up Commitment From Cordell Dorsey

(h/t timesrecordnews.com)

OLB/S Cordell Dorsey announced today via Twitter that he's committed to Art Briles and the Baylor Bears.  With Cooper High Scool in Abilene last year, he recorded 135 tackles and 11 sacks along with forcing 10 fumbles according to his 247Sports profile.  Dorsey, a 3-star prospect, chose Baylor over offers from Texas Tech, Washington State, Oregon State, SMU, and Texas Tech.  While he's listed as an outside linebacker by the recruiting services, he may wind up playing safety in Waco($).  Dorsey's commitment is the 12th for Baylor in the 2014 class, a class that should turn out to be a special for one for the Bears.

5-star OT Tristan Teuhema and His Brother Commit to the Texas Longhorns

Mack Brown and Texas just gained a huge addition to their 2015 recruiting class along with another nice 2014 prospect.  The Teuhema brothers, Tristan (2015) and Sione (2014), announced today that they will both play their college ball with the Texas Longhorns.

Maea "Tristan" Teuhema is the more higly recruited of the pair.  Tristan is a 5-star prospect, the top prospect in Texas, and a top 20 overall player in the nation for 2015 according to 247Sports' early rankings.  At 6'5/340, Tristan already has NFL size for an offensive tackle, and he's only a junior in high school.  He's picked up offers from elite programs including LSU, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Baylor, and Oklahoma State.

And don't forget about his brother, Sione.  As a weak-side defense end, Sione is a 3-star prospect in his own right.  Sione will undoubtedly be overlooked because of his brother and the fact that Texas signs many great players, but Sione would be a great addition to many other programs in the Big 12.

Check back tomorrow for more analysis on the commitments of the Tuehema brothers.

Joe Dineen Commits to Hometown Jayhawks

(h/t CBSSports.com)

Kansas picked up their third commitment of the 2014 class last night in safety Joe Dineen.  Dineen, a Lawrence native, picked the hometown Jayhawks over an offer from Rice.  A two or three-star prospect depending on the recruiting service, Dineen will end up on defense in college, but he'll likely be his high school's starting QB this year.  Last year, he totaled 62 tackles and 3 interceptions, returning one of them for a TD.  Dineen already has great size and speed for a safety at 6'2/200 with a reported 4.55 40, but there is potential to move positions if he gains weight($).  Below is an excerpt from an article on Dineen from LJWorld.com:

For Free State High coach Bob Lisher, that player is Joe Dineen. According to his coach, Dineen, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound junior, could play linebacker or corner, but Lisher decided the Firebirds (10-1) could use him best in the middle of the field, at free safety. There Dineen is constantly on his toes, making pre-snap reads and checks, breaking up passes and tackling anyone who manages to get beyond the line of scrimmage.

Big 12's Best Available Recruits: Quarterbacks

Look who's son may end up in Waco.

With summer here and recruiting really starting to pick up, it's time to take a look at some of the top prospects at all position groups.  Right now, half of the Big 12 teams already have a 2014 quarterback commitment.  Below are just some of the QB prospects that may end up signing with a Big 12 program in February.

Kyle Allen:  The 6'3/185 Arizona prospect just narrowed his list down to five schools last night and Oklahoma State was included.  Allen is a top 50 prospect overall and one of the best quarterbacks in this year's class.  While the Pokes are on his top 5, it seems that they have some work to do to catch up to UCLA and Notre Dame.

Randall Cunningham II:  Cunningham has yet to start a varsity football game as he had to sit behind an Arizona commit last year.  That's why RCII is a little under the radar, but he still has offers from LSU, Mississippi State, and Baylor (who are thought to be the favorites).  To nobody's surprise, Cunningham is indeed very athletic and an elite high jumper.

Aaron Sharp:  Another 3-star prospect that has a lot of interest in Baylor.  Right now, 247Sports' Crystal Ball predicts him going to Baylor.  Sharp passed for over 3000 yards and 38 TDs last year with Summer Creek.

Jourdan Blake:  Currently, Blake holds offers from several BCS programs including Baylor and Oklahoma State.  Blake is also a threat on the ground having rushed for almost 1000 yards last year at Princeton.

Jarrett Hildreth:  While he only holds two offers right now from Houston and UTSA, Hildreth could be an option for Big 12 teams down the road.

Clay Holgorsen:  Holgorsen is just like Hildreth, under-recruited now, but could be receiving Big 12 offers later in the process.  Holgorsen, the nephew of Dana Holgorsen, impressed many scouts at the Dallas Elite 11 Regional in April.

Texas: Jermaine Roberts Scouting Report

(h/t Rivals.com)

Position:  CB

Height/Weight:  5'9/170

School:  St. Augustine (New Orleans)

Other Offers:  Ohio State, Alabama, TCU, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Michigan, and more.

40:  ~4.4

Ratings:
Rivals: 3*, #31 CB
247Sports: 4*, #25 CB, #15 LA
Scout: 3*, #41 CB
ESPN: 4*, #14 CB, #13 LA

Report:  Roberts has elite ball skills as he intercepted 9 passes last year as a junior (returned 2 for TDs).  He's got great speed which makes him a threat on special teams (6 TDs) in addition to the secondary.   Roberts also shows on video that he has very fluid hips which makes him great in man coverage.  The biggest knock on Roberts is his lack of height at 5'9.  Also, he plays on a great high school team and in some cases, the passes he intercepted were more of a result of the QB being under extreme pressure.  So while there are some questions around Roberts, coaches obviously see a lot of potential in Roberts with all the offers from premier programs.

Baylor Gains Commitments From Blake Mahon And Jamie Jacobs

(h/t Yahoo.com)

Last night, while I wasn't paying attention, Baylor picked up a pair of 3-star commitments from DE Jamie Jacobs and TE Jamie Jacobs.  With these two commitments, Baylor is now up to 11 for the 2014 class.  Since most Baylor fans are probably aware of this, below are just some quick notes on both players.  For a much more detailed post, check out this one from Our Daily Bears.

Jamie Jacobs

A 6'4/210 prospect from Waco, Jacobs chose Baylor over offers from SMU, Oregon State, and Houston.  While he's listed as a defensive end, Baylor could move him to linebacker as SicEmSports.com notes($):

Where Jacobs will play on the defense is unknown but he presents options. At 6-4, 215 he could rotate to either defensive end or linebacker. It's probably going to depend on where the Bears are with their defensive ends within the next couple of years.

Blake Mahon

Mahon, a 6'5/225 tight end from Coppell, only has one offer from Illinois, but you can expect that to change.  Mahon sounds primarily like a blocking tight end and OurDailyBears.com speculates that he may end being moved inside:

Looking at those stats, I have to say I'm a bit concerned by the idea of a TE running a 5.03 40. His shuttle time looks good enough at 4.65, but the vertical leaves a bit to be desired, even from a taller guy. Put all those things together and it makes me wonder if Mahon might not be destined to move inside should he put on enough weight in college. I don't have any specific info to that effect, so it's total speculation, but I'm not seeing anything here that just jumps off the page to me as a TE. Maybe I'm wrong. 95% of his highlight video is blocking, anyway. He does that extremely well.

Big 12's Best Available Recruits: Wide Receivers

KD Cannon

With summer here and recruiting really starting to pick up, it's time to take a look at some of the top prospects at all position groups.  On Tuesday, we covered the best offensive lineman available and the receivers are up next.  Below are just some of the top WR prospects that have yet to commit.

KD Cannon:  If you have been following recruiting at all, you know who KD Cannon is.  Cannon is the top receiver receiver available for Big 12 programs.  A top 100 player overall, Cannon has interest in many Big 12 teams including Texas and Oklahoma, but Baylor is the reported front-runner with Texas Tech still in the mix.

Armanti Foreman:  Foreman was once a Sooner commit, but he decommitted back in early April.  The Texas City receiver, who is a borderline top 100 player, is still considering OU along with Texas A&M, but the clear favorite right now is Texas.

Mark Andrews:  Another top 100 player overall, Andrews hails from Arizona.  The Sooners are still in the mix, but so are several other programs including Notre Dame and a host of Pac 12 schools.

Corey Holmes:  Holmes is another out of the region receiver that Oklahoma is in the running for.  Like Mark Andrews, Oklahoma trails Notre Dame in 247Sports' Crysal Ball prediction for Holmes.

Keenan Brown:  Continuing with the out of state prospects with Oklahoma interest is Keenan Brown from Houston.  Opinions seem to differ heavily on Brown, who is listed at #74 among receivers by 247Sports, but is #219 overall in the Rivals250.  Anyway, Brown has a top two of Oklahoma and LSU.

Monte Harrison:  A 3-star prospect and the top receiver in Missouri has moderate interest in the Jayhawks according to his 247Sports profile.

Jacob McCrary:  McCrary, a Miami native, seems to really like West Virginia($) along with Clemson and Florida State.  247Sports' Crystal Ball feature has him as a future Mountaineer.

Dorian Leonard:  The 6'4 prospect out of Longview is arguably a top 5 receiver in Texas for 2014.  Oklahoma seems to be the favorite, but don't count out Texas.

Baylor, Wide Receiver U

Terrance Williams (h/t nbcdfw.com)

When I began writing this post, the headline was something along the lines of "Baylor turning into Wide Receiver U".  However, right now, I believe Baylor is the premier program, at least in the Big 12 (I can hear the Tech fans now) for developing and recruiting some of the best receivers in the nation.  Art Briles has had a couple players drafted into the NFL since he took in 2008 and he's got some highly-recruited ones coming in.

In the 2010 Draft, David Gettis was the first of the Baylor WRs to be taken in the Art Briles era, going in the 6th round to the Panthers.  After an All-American campaign in his senior season, Kendall Wright was taken 20th overall to the Titans.  Terrance Williams led the nation in receiving yards and was rewarded by being taken in the 3rd round of last month's draft.

But the future for Baylor may be even better.  The gem of Baylor's 2013 class is without a doubt WR Robbie Rhodes.  247Sports lists Rhodes 21st overall (highest prospect in the Big 12), second at his position, and the best prospect in the state of Texas.  Rhodes chose Baylor over competition from Texas, A&M, Oklahoma, and other top programs.

It's only late May, but Baylor's 2014 receivers class is already loaded.  Chris Platt (may end up on defense) is a player that has incredible speed and one of the more underrated prospects in the Big 12 right now.  Top 100 overall player Davion Hall (may play defense, but unlikely) is the top recruit in Baylor's class right now.  Just yesterday, Baylor picked up a commitment from Houston wideout Ishmael Zamora, the same day in which Texas offered Zamora.  Zamora, a 4-star prospect, recently won a state championship in the 110m hurdles.  That's some serious speed, all three of those recruits run sub 4.5 40s.

Robbie Rhodes (via Bleacher Report)

Yet, they aren't even close to being finished recruiting-wise.  Baylor is the favorite for the best receiver in Big 12 land, KD Cannon.  Cannon is the top receiver in Texas and is a top 5 wideout nationally.  It's May and the focus is still on the 2014 classes, but Baylor already has a 2015 commitment.  WR Chad President picked Baylor last month and is #142 in the newly released 2015 Top247.

This isn't good news for the rest of the Big 12 especially for Mack Brown and the Texas Longhorns.  The Horns, who we all know are the kings on the recruiting trail, are being dominated by Baylor in recruiting receivers.  Wescott Eberts of Burnt Orange Nation had a great post detailing this the other day and below is just an excerpt:

Because right now, Art Briles and Baylor are operating in another stratosphere than the Texas offense, a fact not likely to change soon on the Baylor side with all the incoming talent. It may have been incomprehensible when Briles arrived at Baylor, but it's become an unfortunate and uncomfortable reality on some fall Saturdays and especially on the recruiting trail.

The Bears have definitely had one of the scarier offenses in the nation the past two years and it looks like it may only get better.  Now the defense has obviously been subpar in those years and that will need to improve.  However, with Baylor recruiting and picking up elite receiver after elite receiver,  they're going to be in the Big 12 title hunt for years to come.

Early 2015 Rankings: 247Sports vs. LSR

There are still over eight months until National Signing Day 2014, but it's never too early (well, maybe it is) to discuss the 2015 recruiting class.  Recruiting giants 247Sports released their initial 2015 national rankings yesterday, but we'll be focusing on the state of Texas.  Another set of rankings, the Lone Star Recruiting's (LSR) 2015 top 100 has been out for a while now.  Below are some notes regarding these early rankings.  Also, take these with a grain of salt, there are still twenty months until NSD 2015 and there will likely be some major changes until then.

247Sports' Top 10 Rankings

1. Tristan Teuhema (OL - Keller)
2. Daylon Mack (DT - Gladewater)
3. Soso Jamabo (RB - Plano West)
4. Kyler Murray (QB - Allen)
5. Kendall Sheffield (DB - Fort Bend Marshall)
6. Malik Jefferson (LB - Mesquite Poteet)
7. Jay Bradford (RB - Splendora
8. Jordan Stevenson (RB - Dallas Skyline)
9. Chris Warren (ATH - Rockwall)
10. J.W. Ketchum (ATH - Fort Bend Marshall)

LSR's Top 10 Rankings

1. Daylon Mack
2. Soso Jamabo
3. Kendall Sheffield
4. Malik Jefferson
5. Deionte Thompson (DB - West Orange Stark) - Alabama
6. Larry Pryor (WR - Sulphur Springs)
7. Jordan Davis (TE - Clear Lake) - Florida State
8. Jalen Campbell (DB - Flour Bluff) - Texas
9. Kyler Murray
10. Rodney Anderson (RB - Katy)

Big 12 Commits

WR Chad President - Baylor
247Sports: 19
LSR: 12

DB Jalen Campbell - Texas
247Sports: N/R
LSR: 8

DB Johnny Shaw - TCU
247Sports: N/R
LSR: 18

OL Aaron Garza - Texas
247Sports: N/R
LSR: 23

DT Bryce English - Texas
247Sports: N/R
LSR: 76

Other Notes

• The first thing that pops out is Tristan Teuhema's ranking.  Teuhema is a top 11 player NATIONALLY according to 247Sports, but is only 14th in the STATE in the LSR.  That's quite the difference especially for such a highy-touted recruit.
• Both Jalen Campbell and Aaron Garza are in the top 25 in the LSR, but not included in the 247Sports rankings (goes to 33).  Is the LSR biased toward Texas commits?  Maybe a little, but UT's three '15 commits committed after the last update to the list.
• Rockwall RB Chris Warren is 31st in the LSR, but 9th in 247Sports' rankings.

Tulsa TE Carson Meier Commits To Instate Sooners

The Sooners picked up their second instate and eighth overall commitment of the 2014 class in TE Carson Meier.  Meier, a 3-star prospect by 247Sports, chose the Sooners (who offered Friday) over offers from Wisconsin, Oregon State, Rutgers, SMU, and Washington State.  At 6'7/210, Meier was also receiving some interest as a forward on the basketball court.  While this may not seem like a big commitment, it's actually a pretty important one as noted by Jordan Esco of Crimson And Cream Machine.

The news for OU fans is positive for reasons other than another solid addition to their rapidly growing 2014 class, but also because of the position Meier plays. Ever since the departure of Jermain Gresham, the tight end has played less and less of a role in this Oklahoma offense. So much so that at times last year fans were openly questioning if there were any still included on the roster.

Also discussed by NewsOk.com:

Oklahoma’s inexperienced tight ends struggled to get on the field last season, as they adapted to the college game and the Sooners’ deep wide receiver corps flourished. OU didn’t add any tight ends in its 2013 signing class.

2014 Big 12 Recruiting Rankings: Mid-May

Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, home to the Sooners (h/t wikimedia.org)

Below is the fourth set of rankings for the 2014 cycle.  I'm hopeful that I can do a new set of rankings about once every three weeks or so with new analysis.  The rankings aren't scientific and are based on a number of factors including talent (obviously), class size, potential for growth, and others.  Agree or disagree?  Leave a comment below or tweet me @Big12Recruit.

1. Texas - The obvious choice for the top spot in the Big 12 and perhaps in the entire country.  Since the last set of rankings, they lost Daniel Gresham's commitment, but that actually may be a good thing for the Horns.  Right now, they're sitting at 12 commitments headlined by DE Derick Roberson and QB Jerrod Heard.

2. Texas Tech - Tech is here just because of the number of commits they've already picked up.  Right now, Kingsbury has 11 commits, only one less than Texas.  However, don't expect Texas Tech to stay up for long as other teams below them start to gain more and more commitments.

3. Oklahoma - The Sooners have picked up three commits since the last set of rankings in cornerbacks Tito Windham and Marcus Green along with offensive lineman Alex Dalton.  California WR Dallis Todd still headlines the class that probably has the best chance of any Big 12 school to finish second.

4. Baylor - Baylor has also picked up three commitments since the May 6th rankings.  Top 100 player Davion Hall is still the key to the class.  If he sticks it out with Baylor, the Bears are another team that can challenge for #2.

5. Kansas State - The Wildcats haven't recently gained a new commitment, but their great start to the class helps keep them in the top five.  4-star RB Dalvin Warmack is a great get for Bill Snyder and company.

6. TCU - TCU is right behind the Wildcats and you could argue for them to be higher than them (they're tied in the Rivals standings).  All of TCU's five commitments are 3-star prospects.

7. Iowa State - The Cyclones now have four commitments after Wisconsin LB Sam Seonbuchner picked Iowa State a week and a half ago.  WR Allen Lazard could end up as the Big 12's first Rivals five-star recruit this cycle (he seems to be very close).  Like Davion Hall to Baylor, Lazard is without a doubt the key to the class for ISU.

8. Oklahoma State - The Pokes could be (and maybe should be) higher than #8, but it's only May and I'm positive they'll be much higher in February.  While they only have three commits, two of them (RB Devon Thomas and OLB Gyasi Akem) are in the newly released Rivals250.

9. Kansas - KU has two great prospects (for Kansas) committed to start their 2014 class.  The first was RB Traevohn Wrench, who is underrated in my opinion, and LB Kyron Watson, who chose KU over an offer from Michigan.

10. West Virginia - The 'Eers are still stuck at two commitments; QB William Crest and WR Ricky Rogers.

Big 12's Best Available Recruits: Offensive Linemen

Connor Mayes and Ty Barrett (h/t Mayes' Twitter)

With summer here and recruiting really starting to pick up, it's time to take a look at some of the top prospects at all position groups.  We'll start off the series of posts with the big uglies.  Right now, there are eight 2014 offensive linemen committed in the Big 12.  Below are just some of the top o-line prospects still available in Big 12 land.

Tackles:

Jovan Pruitt:  Pruitt, who happens to have an offer from Alabama, seems to have Oklahoma as his favorite right now.  He was in Norman earlier in May and 247Sports' Crystal Ball features has Oklahoma at 100%.  However, don't count out Texas if they end up offering.

Ty Barrett:  The 3-star prospect from Skyline has plenty of offers to chose from.  Just from the Big 12 alone, he has offers from Baylor, Oklahoma, TCU, Tech, West Virginia, K-State, and Oklahoma State.  However, despite all those offers, the Sooners are the clear front-runner for Barrett.

Koda Martin:  Martin is extremely athletic and there is a possibility that he may end up playing tight end or defensive end in college.  The Manvel, TX product has offers from some of the absolute best programs in the country; Texas, LSU, Alabama, A&M, and Oklahoma are in his top 5.  While he has offers from both Texas and Oklahoma, most experts see him ending up in the SEC with A&M.

Guards:

Braden Smith:  Smith is the only prospect on this list not from the state of Texas.  The Olathe, KS native is one of the top guards in the country.  He's #40 overall and the top guard in the country according to the 247Composite.  TCU is in his top three, but they're comfortably in 3rd place behind A&M and Notre Dame.

Blake Blackmar:  With a list of offers from the likes of Kansas State, Mizzou, Texas Tech, Washington State, Texas Tech, and others, he seems very underrated considering he comes in at #54 among OGs in the 247Composite.  K-State has been the favorite since Blackmar attended their junior day back in February.

Centers:

Connor Mayes:  Arguably the best center available in Big 12 land, the favorite for Mayes is TCU.  Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Minnesota (he has a brother who plays there) round out the other three schools with "warmer" interest.

A Big 12 Perspective Of New Rivals100 Rankings

After much anticipation for recruiting fans, Rivals released their new top 100 rankings earlier today.  Below is  analysis of the three Big 12 commitments that made the cut and more.

• Iowa State commit WR Allen Lazard is the highest Big 12 commit in the new set of rankings.  He checks in at #25 and is still the top-ranked receiver in the nation.  He was one of the prospects in serious discussion for being on of the four new five-star prospects, but he didn't get the upgrade.

• QB Jerrod Heard (Texas commit) comes in at #72 and is the 3rd-highest ranked dual-threat QB.  When Heard signs in February, he likely will be the highest ranked QB in the conference.

• The last Big 12 commit in the rankings is DE Derick Roberson.  He's #90 overall and the 7th-highest ranked weakside defensive end in the nation.  Roberson has great upside and I still feel that he's somewhat overlooked by recruitniks.

• With the new updates come some changes in the 2014 team rankings.  The Texas Longhorns are still first nationally, but after that it takes a while to find the next Big 12 team.  Oklahoma comes in at #24 followed by Texas Tech (#25), Baylor (#30), Kansas State and TCU (tied at #34), Oklahoma State (#40), and Iowa State (#41) is the last Big 12 team in the top 50.

2015 Safety Johnny Shaw Commits To TCU

TCU picked up their first 2015 commitment today in Center, TX safety Johnny Shaw according to Jeremy Clark.  It took only a day after being offered for Shaw to commit to TCU.  Right now, Shaw is a top 20 player in the state of Texas for 2015 (#18 in the '15 LSR).  The 6'2/190 prospect is destined to be one of the best safeties, if not the best, to sign with a Big 12 school in 20 months, if he's still committed to TCU (that's a long time).  As a sophomore last year, Shaw totaled 88 tackles, 5 INTs, and 2 forced fumbles according to ETSN.fm.  The TCU coaching staff should be ecstatic as this is a great way to kick of the 2015 recruiting cycle for them.

Tito Windham Verbals To The Oklahoma Sooners

(via DallasNews.com)

DB Tito Windham, just two days after being offered, has become Oklahoma's seventh 2014 commitment and their second today (Alex Dalton was the first).  Windham has only one offer besides Oklahoma in Louisiana Lafayette, but was he was drawing interest from the likes of Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Louisiana Tech, and others.  At Harris Central (Gulfport, MS), he plays quarterback too, but he'll be on the defensive side of the ball with Oklahoma.  Below is what his HS coach had to say about him:

“Tito is probably our best football player,” said Harrison Central coach Steve Jones. “He has a knack for the ball. He’s able to get in the right place, at the right time. He’s got good judgment of where the ball is going.”

And his announcement via Twitter:

I made my commit to OU !! #BoomerSooner
— ThatGuy_ (@HisName_Tito) May 17, 2013

Ohio OL Alex Dalton Commits To Oklahoma

Ohio's Alex Dalton became Oklahoma's sixth overall commitment in the 2014 class and their first o-lineman commit.  With Oklahoma having their offensive lineman coach recruiting Ohio today, Dalton finally pulled the trigger on the OU offer.  The 6'4/280 prospect chose Oklahoma over an impressive offer list (for not being rated yet) including Stanford, Michigan State, Arkansas, Penn State, and more.  Dalton plays guard with his high school, but many experts see him playing center in Norman.  For a more in depth post, check out Crimson And Cream Machine's post on Dalton's commitment.

Big 12 Recruit Links - 5/16

In honor of The Office series finale, Angela Kinsey, a Baylor grad

Below are links to various tweets/articles dealing with Big 12 recruiting.  Hopefully I can do something like this everyday and update throughout the day.  Somewhat busy today, so not much content.

General

• KD Cannon picked up a Purdue offer today.

Texas Longhorns

• CB Jermaine Roberts, current Texas commit, has been offered by Ohio State.
• Texas offered 2015 prospect Jordan Stevenson.

Oklahoma Sooners

• OU offered Mississppi DB Tito Windham.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

• Lake Travis QB Baker Mayfield will be accepted as a preferred walk on.

TCU: Nick Foster Scouting Report

(via Scout.com)

Position:  CB

Height/Weight:  5'11/175

School:  Fossil Ridge (Fort Worth, TX)

Other Offers:  - 

40:  ~4.4

Ratings:
Rivals: 3*, #46 CB
247Sports: 3*, #31 CB, #42 TX
Scout: 3*, #43 CB
ESPN: -

Report:  Foster has prototypical size and speed for a collegiate cornerback.  Compared to Tony Brown, Foster is an inch shorter, around 10-13 lbs lighter, and .05 seconds slower in his 40.  However, Foster only has a single offer while Tony Brown has offers from the top programs across the country. Foster displayed on film that he can play pretty physical, often laying a hard hit.  He's also good in coverage with great hip movement.  While he doesn't get the sacks counted to his stats, the Fossil Ridge secondary, led by Foster, can be attributed to a ton of "coverage sacks".  He doesn't showcase much ball skills, but that's really not who he is.  In the end, Foster has been woefully underrecruited and recruitniks should take note of Foster.

NotRecruit: TCU's Devonte Fields Suspended For First Two Games

(h/t bloguin.com)

TCU opens the season playing LSU in Cowboys Stadium and their chances just took a major hit.  TCU announced today that DE Devonte Fields has been suspended for the first two games on the season for a violation of university and team policy.  Fields is arguably the face of the team after being named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.  Below is David Ubben's take on on Fields' suspension being a loss for the entire conference:

The debate and comparisons between the SEC and Big 12 have raged all season long, but ultimately, you're only as good as your teams prove they are on the field. The two conferences played just twice last season, but the debate was sure to rage in advance of a hyped opening weekend with TCU facing LSU and Oklahoma State meeting Mississippi State in Houston.  

LSU is likely to be a top 15-20 team and a tough matchup for the Frogs that gets a lot tougher without Fields. TCU's Big 12 title aspirations won't be affected very much considering Fields will return for the season opener in Lubbock on Thursday, Sept. 12, but losing him against LSU is huge for more than just Frogs fans. It's handicapped the Big 12's ability to earn a big win over one of the SEC's best teams and biggest brands. TCU, a top 15-20 team in its own right, can definitely still win, but it just became more difficult with Fields' suspension.

LB Kyron Watson Becomes Commitment #2 For The Kansas Jayhawks

(h/t Rivals.com)

The top basketball player in the nation, Andrew Wiggins, committed to Kansas today.  But, Charlie Weis and the football team have landed a big commitment this afternoon in East St. Louis LB Kyron Watson.  Watson is a 3-star prospect by Rivals, 247Sports, and Scout, but ESPN is really high on his abilities.  They give him four stars and list him as the 4th-best OLB and #100 overall in the nation.  Last year, Watson totaled 142 tackles, 5 sacks, 12 TFLs, and 3 interceptions.  There seems to be some disagreement whether Watson will play as an outside linebacker or move inside with Kansas.

Watson's offer sheet, for a 3-star prospect, is pretty impressive.  Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa State, Mizzou, and others have all offered Watson.  The fact that Watson chose KU over Michigan is surprising as most saw him as a UM lock.  He had a visit to Ann Arbor lined up for this weekend, but JayhawkSlant.com reports that he has cancelled that.

Watson's commitment is going to be overshadowed, and for good reason, by Andrew Wiggins.  However, this is a really nice pick up for Kansas considering they beat out a powerhouse in Michigan.  Watson joins Traevohn Wrench in KU's 2014 recruiting class.

Checking In On Kansas's 2014 Recruiting

(via elitedaily.com)

Today, unlike the rest of the sports world, I'll focus on Kansas FOOTBALL recruiting.  Unlike the hoops program, the football team is off to a slow start for 2014.  So far, the Jayhawks only have a single commitment; RB Traevohn Wrench (read his scouting report here).  Still, that's a really nice piece to start the class with and there are a good number of recruits right now with moderate interest in Kansas.  Below are just some of those prospects.

4-star DT Peyton Newell, one of the best prospects in Kansas, doesn't have either instate school in his top two.  Rather South Carolina and Nebraska, who many experts see him signing with, are the top two according to his 247Sports profile.  Still, Newell has "warm" interest in Kansas along with a couple of other schools.  Never count the homestate out of the race.

Kansas is in a group standing out for 3-star Missouri WR Monte Harrison.  Harrison has other offers from Mizzou, Michigan State, Nebraska, etc.

Another instate prospect, 3-star TE Deandre Goolsby, has Kansas among his top choices along with Sunflower state rival K-State and Arkansas.

CB Andre Maloney, the 7th-ranked prospect in Kansas, has moderate interest in Kansas, Mizzou, Minnesota, Oklahoma State, and K-State.  Maloney attended KU's junior day where he picked up the offer.

Perhaps the recruit closest to committing to Charlie Weis right now is Kansas ATH Joe Dineen.  Rice has also offered Dineen, who impressed Jayhawk coaches enough at junior day for them to extend an offer to them.

And like last year, expect Charlie Weis to have a JUCO heavy class to help expedite the process of rebuilding the program.  He's already offered several JUCO prospects, but not many, right now seem to be favoring Kansas.

Reaction: Texas Offers Eighth-Grader Dylan Moses

(Nola.com)

Last week, Texas offered a scholarship to an eighth-grader, the first middle school offer in program history.  Dylan Moses, a 6'1/215 eight-grader, now has offers from some of top programs in the country; LSU, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Ole Miss, etc.  Right now, he's by far the most coveted prospect in the class of 2017.  An eighth-grader receiving all these offers from championship caliber programs has become a bit of a national story with ESPN mentioning him several times this week on different programs.  I'm not really sure what to make of this, but below are just a few random thoughts regarding to recruitment of Dylan Moses.

Some people, from comments I've read, don't think he's talented enough to be offered before playing a down of varsity football.  "Wait until the others catch up to him" is a popular phrase I've read.  Let me remind you, he's 6'1/215 and runs around a 4.5 40-yard dash.  Even if he doesn't improve his strength, skills, and speed, which is highly unlikely, the measurables alone are worth extending an offer to.  To me, there doesn't seem like any way he isn't still a highly sought-after prospect while he's a senior, barring injuries or off the field issues.  He's definitely worthy, talent wise, of a scholarship offer to a top tier program.

Take a guess which one he is.

I'm a little surprise that Texas, a program that doesn't offer many underclassman, offered Moses this early in the process.  Getting to build a relationship earlier is definitely an advantage, but remember, several other programs have already offered Moses too.  There doesn't seem to be that big of an advantage, from a Texas standpoint, to offer Moses now than wait a few more years.  And unless Texas or another program reels of a few championships, he seems destined to end up in the SEC West anyway.  

Does Texas, a great program and university, really want to become "one of those programs" that offers middle schoolers?  The recruiting landscape is rapidly changing, but is it really necessary to offer these prospects at such a young age?  Besides, think of the extra effort you now will put into recruiting him.  Is it worth it considering the low chances of him signing with you in four years?

Lastly, I have some sympathy for Moses, whose each move will be under the spotlight for the next four years.  He'll have to deal with all of the coaches trying to sell him their program, crazy/creepy fans and alumni, along with other off-the-field distractions.  In the end, I wish Moses the best and hope he can make it through these four years with as little drama as possible.

OLB Sam Seonbuchner Chooses Iowa State

(via espn.com)

The Cyclones continue an impressive week with the addition of Wisconsin LB Sam Seonbuchner.  Seonbuchner, a 3-star prospect, chose Iowa State over offers from Ohio, Ball State, Bowling Green, and North Dakota State.  Seonbuchner attended ISU's junior day back in late March and it became clear that ISU has been the favorite since then.  Paul Rhoads and company are hoping they found the second coming of A.J. Klein.  Both are linebackers out of Wisconsin and Seonbuchner is pretty much the exact size Klein was at the time (also, they both share long locks).  Seonbuchner becomes Iowa State's fourth commitment overall and their third in the past week.

What Daniel Gresham's Decommitment Means For Texas

(h/t http://scoresportstalk.wordpress.com)

3-star RB Daniel Gresham has officially decommitted from Texas.  What does it mean for Mack Brown and company?  Not much.

- It's not like this was out of the blue.  When his friend, Demetrius Knox, decommitted and when the Longhorns offered a couple of other backs, it became apparent that Gresham was bound to decommit.  I'm sure Texas was ready for this.

- I think Hornsports.com put it best:

Gresham is a talented player but he is a fullback, not a running back.  He’s a package guy that won’t pull 30 carries a game and Texas might have saved themselves an opportunity here with his decommitment.  Not to devalue Gresham’s athleticism or skillset but there are now two scholarships open for running backs in the 2014 class.  Duke Catalon stands as the lone RB recruit in class and he will have company soon.  In fact Newton High School’s Kevin Shorter was on campus yesterday for a visit.

-  I guess if you really, really care about rankings, Texas no longer has the best class as LSU jumped them in 247Sports' rankings.

Iowa State: Victor Holmes Scouting Report

(via baytownsun.com)

Position:  CB

Height/Weight:  5'11/180

School:  La Porte (La Porte, TX)

Other Offers: -

40:  ~4.45

Ratings:
Rivals: 2*
247Sports: 2*, #100 CB, #210 TX
Scout: -
ESPN: -

Report:  Holmes ended the year with 78 tackles, 4 INTs, and a pair of forced fumbles.  After the season, he was named first team all-district.

Holmes is simply an athlete.  He'll likely play in the secondary at Iowa State, but he plays many positions with La Porte.  On offense, I've seen him play running back, wide receiver, been used in sweeps, wildcat QB, and even returns kicks while playing everywhere in the secondary.  On video, Holmes displays a knack for finding the ball, whether it is deflecting passes or coming up with an interception, with the help of great closing speed.  Also, he is a textbook tackler, wrapping up the players' legs and bringing them down.  Overall, a very underrated player and should receive more attention this fall.

2014 Big 12 Recruit Rankings: Defensive Ends

Below are my first rankings for the 2014 defensive ends.  You can click on their name for a more detailed scouting report.  This list is not final and there could be a lot of movement between now and National Signing Day.

1.  Derick Roberson
Clearly the best DE prospect right now and I feel that he's a little underrated overall.  He has great athleticism and his potential his through the roof.  If Texas can coach him up, he can be a dominant end in the Big 12.

2.  Jake McMillon
Not as highly recruited as many other Texas commits, but has a great motor and puts max effort into almost every snap.  Also, very intelligent player and is surprisingly quick.

3.  C.J. Reese
Reese, who already has nice size for a DE, may be the best run defender in this group of prospects.  Would not be surprised if K-State tries him out at tackle too, where he already plays some in high school.

4.  LJ Collier
Collier is another raw, athletic prospect that seems like he has some potential.  However, there isn't a lot of video on him right now, so I couldn't really get a good read on him.

Texas Tech: LJ Collier Scouting Report

(h/t timesrecordnews.com)

Position:  DE

Height/Weight:  6'3/230

School:  Munday (Munday, TX)

Other Offers:  -

40:  ~4.95

Ratings:
Rivals: 3*
247Sports: 3*, #45 WDE, #179 TX
Scout: 3*, #48 DE
ESPN: 3*, #27 DE, #51 TX

Report:  On defense last year, Collier totaled 77 tackles (22 TFL), 5 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries, and an interception.  For his performance in the 2012 Texas 1A State Championship game, he was named defensive MVP of that game.

There isn't much video available for Collier, so it was hard to get a good read, but below are some quick observations.  Collier is another raw defensive end prospect that will need some coaching to be productive at the next level.  However, he's got the potential and upside to produce with Texas Tech.  He's athletic for a DE and also plays TE on offense.  Also, Collier has nice speed and quickness, which may be his greatest asset.  He sometimes doesn't seem that motivated and takes some snaps off, which he admittedly is working on.

Texas: Jake McMillon Scouting Report

(h/t MaxPreps.com)

Position:  DE

Height/Weight:  6'3/240

School:  Abilene (Abilene, TX)

Other Offers:  SMU, TCU, Baylor, Texas State

40:  ~4.8

Ratings:
Rivals: 3*, #22 SDE
247Sports: 3*, #25 SDE, #97 TX
Scout: 3*, #43 DE
ESPN: 3*, #30 DE, #55 TX

Report:  McMillon will become a four-year starter this fall for Abilene, an impressive feat.  Last year, he totaled 42 tackles, 13 sacks, and 2 forced fumbles.  For his performances, he was named district defensive MVP.

McMillon seems like a player that staffs dream of coaching.  He has a great motor and exerts maximum effort of basically every down, always sticking with the play.  McMillon is an intelligent player and seems to especially excel at reading options.  Although he doesn't look like he would be, McMillon is surprisingly quick.  Also, he does a nice job of extending his arms on blockers and then shedding the block.  Listed as an end, McMillon played on the inside too in high school and some feel that he may play tackle in Austin.