Metroplex school holds speedy defenders

Many recruiting fans are well-aware of the talent that comes out of the Metroplex city of Arlington and that will ring true for the class of 2007. At Arlington (Texas) Kennedale High School, there are three players that have emerged as Division I prospects.

Safety prospect Chez Thomas, who plays cornerback for Kennedale, was the first to receive an offer. The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder reeled in an official offer from TCU recently and is hearing from several others such as Baylor, Duke, Arkansas, and New Mexico State.

"This past season, Chez really came out," Kennedale coach Richard Barrett said about his defender. "He plays cornerback for us but I really seem him as a good safety. That's where his experience will be. Everything fell in place for him and he made big plays."

Barrett expects the first offer from TCU to trigger more.

"Well, he's received correspondence from a lot of different schools and he gets so many letters that it's hard to tell where he's going to go with all of this just yet," Barrett said. "Once they find out that TCU has offered, more will come."

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound strong safety Aaron LeBruce is also getting noticed according to coach Barrett.

"He's not quite as big as Chez, but he's maybe a little faster," Barrett said. "He's getting letters from a lot of the same schools as Chez. Aaron has great feet and should get a lot of attention as spring and summer push through here."

Also on the watch list is a prospect that played as a freshman and sophomore, but not as a junior.

"It's a pretty unique situation," Barrett said. "His name is Cordero Gray and his first-cousin plays for Arkansas. I wouldn't be surprised if they get on him. His track coach talked him into saving himself up for track, so he didn't play last year. He finished third in the state track meet as a sophomore in the 100 meters event."

"He's about 5-foot-8, 170 pounds and he will attract attention as he comes back for his senior year."