From the Road: Texas stars
Rivals.com recruiting analysts had the opportunity to scout some of the nation's top prospects in games this past weekend.
Rivals.com's Barry Every was able to get a good look at Frisco (Texas) Centennial quarterback Ryan Mossakowski before he went out with an ankle injury in a 38-14 loss to Sherman (Texas) High.
Advertisement
Here are some rundowns on the top prospects they saw in person, listed alphabetically.
PROSPECT EVALUATIONS
OT ALEX BULLARD (6-3/285), Brentwood (Tenn.) Brentwood Academy
COMMITTED TO: Notre Dame
PERFORMANCE: Started at left tackle in a hotly contested 13-7 loss to rival MBA.
STRENGTHS: Moves extremely well for his size. He runs well on wide receiver screens and downfield blocking. He is technically sound and has a good frame for an offensive guard.
WEAKNESSES: He isn't always as physical as you would like. He needs to get stronger and more active with his hands. – BARTON SIMMONS
RB VICTOR CARO (5-8/165), Brentwood (Tenn.) Brentwood Academy
2011 PROSPECT
COMMITTED TO: Undecided
PERFORMANCE: Rushed for more than 150 yards against rival MBA in a 13-7 loss.
STRENGTHS: Makes explosive cuts with the ball in his hands. He hits the hole hard and decisively, and he looks as though he has legitimate speed out of the backfield. He is also strong for a sophomore.
WEAKNESSES: Does not have prototypical size yet, but he is young and still has time to develop. – B.S.
DT RYAN CARRETHERS (6-1/286), Brentwood (Tenn.) Brentwood Academy
COMMITTED TO: Undecided; several mid-level FBS programs have expressed interest.
PERFORMANCE: Helped force MBA into passing situations all evening in a 13-7 loss.
STRENGTHS: Very strong and compact. He was disruptive all night long against MBA. He dominated the defensive interior and forced MBA to stay away from him in the passing game and the running game. He is one of the more underrated prospects in the state.
WEAKNESSES: Doesn't have great size at just more than 6 feet tall. – B.S.
RB ORLEANS OPOKU-DARKWA (5-10/180), Nashville (Tenn.) Ensworth
2010 PROSPECT
COMMITTED TO: Undecided
PERFORMANCE: Ran with ease against Pope John Paul II en route to a big win Friday night.
STRENGTHS: Darkwa is a strong back who is put together for a junior and runs downhill. He has good enough speed, and he is efficient as a runner (doesn't make unnecessary moves). He should be one of the top running backs in Tennessee in the 2010 class.
WEAKNESSES: On one or two occasions he could have made better reads on his blocks. He also doesn't have elite speed. – B.S.
ATH JOSHUA EVANS (6-2/185), Irvington, N.J.
»FARRELL'S PLAYER OF THE WEEK
COMMITTED TO: Undecided; he is considering Florida, Miami, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Illinois, Nebraska, Pittsburgh, South Florida, Purdue and Virginia
PERFORMANCE: Evans had eight tackles in Irvington's 42-6 win over Linden (N.J.) High. Also lining up at quarterback, he completed 10 of 14 passes for 214 yards and two touchdowns.
STRENGTHS: Evans is a long and rangy athlete who has started to fill out his frame. With his added size he is not afraid to get in the middle of the action, and he showed an impressive nose for the ball. He has the hips to play cornerback at the next level, a rarity for a player his size.
WEAKNESSES: Evans is almost too aggressive at times, which caused him to overrun a few plays.
– MIKE FARRELL
RB RASHON EVANS (5-10/175), Irvington, N.J.
2010 PROSPECT
COMMITTED TO: Undecided
PERFORMANCE: Evans rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries and also had a 45-yard touchdown reception during a 42-6 win over Linden (N.J.) High.
STRENGTHS: Evans is a shifty runner who is quick to the hole and has a great burst. He has also shown the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield (four touchdown receptions this season).
WEAKNESSES: Evans sometimes doesn't seem to wait for a play to develop. He needs to show more patience. – M.F.
WR MARQUISE GOODWIN (5-10/167), Rowlett (Texas) Rowlett
COMMITTED TO: Texas (for track)
PERFORMANCE: Had three catches for 50 yards and ran a reverse for a 28-yard gain in his team's 28-14 victory over Garland (Texas) Naaman Forest.
STRENGTHS: One of the fastest football players in the country, Goodwin also has a good change of direction for a track athlete.
WEAKNESSES: Needs to stay more focused throughout the game and make the tough catches. – BARRY EVERY
WR JOHN HARRIS (6-2/187), Garland (Texas) Naaman Forest
2010 PROSPECT
COMMITTED TO: Undecided; has offers from Texas Tech and Arkansas
PERFORMANCE: Finished with four catches for 37 yards in a 28-14 loss to Rowlett (Texas) High.
STRENGTHS: He has nice height and does a great job of catching the ball with his hands at the highest point.
WEAKNESSES: He needs to work on his overall speed and increase his strength, which will help him on balls thrown into tight coverage. – B.E.
RB WAYMON JAMES (5-8/199), Sherman (Texas) Texas High
»EVERY'S PLAYER OF THE WEEK
COMMITTED TO: TCU
PERFORMANCE: Rushed 18 times for 206 yards and two touchdowns and also caught one pass for eight yards in a 38-14 victory over Frisco (Texas) Centennial.
STRENGTHS: Has powerful leg drive, superior change of direction, excellent balance, good speed and great hands coming out of the backfield.
WEAKNESSES: Would like to see his upper body become as developed as his lower body, and he needs to continue to become a vocal leader for his team. – B.E.
ATH TAVARRES JEFFERSON (5-9/175), Nashville (Tenn.) Ensworth
»SIMMONS' PLAYER OF THE WEEK
COMMITTED TO: Undecided; has offer from Middle Tennessee in both football and basketball
PERFORMANCE: Made some plays on both sides of the ball while quarterbacking Ensworth to a dominating win over Pope John Paul II.
STRENGTHS: Jefferson may be one of the most underrated prospects in the entire region. He has great change of direction, quickness and acceleration. He is very difficult to tackle in space and is a competitor. He was injured as a junior and should see his stock rise as his senior film is distributed.
WEAKNESSES: At 5 feet 9 and 175 pounds, Jefferson is a tweener. He could project at cornerback, running back or slot receiver, but he doesn't have the ideal body for any one position. He also doesn't have elite top-end speed. – B.S.
TE THAD McHANEY (6-5/240), Brentwood (Tenn.) Brentwood Academy
COMMITTED TO: Undecided; considering Louisville, Auburn, Ole Miss and others; has offers from numerous schools in Southeast
PERFORMANCE: Had one big catch at tight end while playing on both sides of the ball in a 13-7 loss to MBA.
STRENGTHS: He has great size and long arms. Blocks well, is strong and has good balance. He showed good hands on a big gain down the middle of the field against MBA. He has a great body for the position.
WEAKNESSES: At both tight end and defensive end, he lacks an explosiveness to his game. Still looks to be getting comfortable with the position of tight end, where he probably has more upside. – B.S.
RB JONATHAN MILLER (6-0/180), Garland (Texas) Naaman Forest
COMMITTED TO: Oklahoma
PERFORMANCE: Finished with 112 yards on 12 carries and one touchdown while catching one pass for 15 yards in a 28-14 loss to Rowlett (Texas) High.
STRENGTHS: Has excellent acceleration and good change of direction. He also does a nice job of keeping his feet moving after contact.
WEAKNESSES: Needs to add some muscle mass and strength in order to be an every-down back in the Big 12. – B.E.
QB RYAN MOSSAKOWSKI (6-4/201), Frisco (Texas) Centennial
COMMITTED TO: Kentucky
PERFORMANCE: Completed 10 of 19 passes for 101 yards and one interception before leaving the game at the half with an ankle injury in a 38-14 loss to Sherman (Texas) High.
STRENGTHS: Has excellent height and good feet for a tall quarterback.
WEAKNESSES: Needs to become more accurate on his short passes and improve on his progression when the first receiver is not open. – B.E.
WR JERRICK OLIVER (5-11/170), Irvington, N.J.
2010 PROSPECT
COMMITTED TO: Undecided
PERFORMANCE: Oliver had five receptions, including a 55-yard touchdown on a beautiful over-the-shoulder catch, in a 42-6 victory over Linden (N.J.) High.
STRENGTHS: Oliver is a versatile receiver who seemed equally capable of making both the catch in traffic and running the deep pattern. He also showed very good hands.
WEAKNESSES: While Oliver doesn't seem to have any fear catching the ball in traffic, he does need to put the time in the weight room to work on his thin frame. – M.F.
[rl]