Patterson's Takeaways: Visiting some of the top Dallas-Fort Worth programs

Rivals national recruiting analyst Cole Patterson traveled around the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex last week and attended spring practices at several of the area's top high school programs. Here are some of his major takeaways from his tour.

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Colin Simmons is the top-ranked defensive prospect in the nation and he has no shortage of suitors after him. The five-star has locked in three official visits for the month of June: Miami, Oregon and Texas. Simmons is also eyeing official visits to Alabama, LSU and Texas A&M and has a good idea of when the Crimson Tide and Tigers will host him.

LSU and Texas have been at the top of his recruitment for months now, and those are the two still generating the most steam. However, Simmons is in no rush to make a commitment and is more than willing to take his recruitment to the finish line. Official visits will go a long way in determining which program wins out. This recruitment could very well go all the way to signing day, but I like where the Longhorns and Tigers sit entering the summer.

Corian Gipson has been a coveted defensive back prospect for much of his high school career at Lancaster. Texas jumped to the top of his recruitment early on, but the Longhorns have seen stiff competition emerge in recent months. The four-star will take official visits to Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Texas and TCU as he sorts out his top-five. Clemson will get the first crack at Gipson and has been surging since offering this spring. The Tigers are in a great spot to land the DFW defender.

Caden Durham is one of the fastest prospects in Texas with blazing track speed that translates well to the football field. Durham was the engine for a Duncanville offense that won the state title in the Lone Star State's biggest classification last December. On the recruiting front, Durham has been linked to Oklahoma given that's the school where his mother starred in track. However, LSU has made a serious move as of late and have given the four-star back the opportunity to play football and run track for the Tigers. Alabama, Michigan State and TCU are also involved, but this is shaping up to be a heated two-team race between Oklahoma and LSU.

Defensive tackle Alex January has been active with recruiting visits this offseason. The Texas legacy is a top priority for Bo Davis and the Longhorns and they seem to have the inside track. But Oklahoma is not making things easy for the Longhorns, as the Sooners have hosted January on campus and are set to get an official visit this summer. January is also eyeing trips to Florida State, LSU and Texas Tech this summer. However, much like his teammate Durham, this could very well be a two-team battle.

Lancaster running back Kewan Lacy is a Swiss Army knife with his ability to impact the game as a rusher and receiver. He's a dynamic playmaker that colleges are hoping to add to their 2024 class. Lacy released a top-six this spring of Arizona State, Baylor, Miami, Nebraska, Ole Miss and TCU, and he plans to take official visits to each before a commitment is made. As the calendar flips to June, Arizona State and Nebraska appear to be positioned the best for the Metroplex playmaker.

DeSoto defensive back Mario Buford, who is originally from Chicago, has been on college radars for years and is now gearing up for his senior campaign on the high school level after winning a state title as a junior. Buford has notable connections to Nebraska, where his older brother, Marques, starts at safety for the Huskers. Matt Rhule and staff have positioned themselves to add another Buford to the roster, but Big Ten rivals Michigan State and Penn State are also in the picture.

Fellow DeSoto defensive back Sael Reyes is also from the Midwest, moving down to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex from St. Louis this spring. He is the younger brother of former All-SEC and Texas A&M safety Antonio Johnson and is no stranger to the Aggies. Reyes has added several power programs to his offer sheet this offseason, headlined by the likes of LSU and Texas. The Aggies could prove to be tough to beat for the newest Texan, but there will be competition to land the 6-foot-1 safety.

Class of 2025 running back Deondrae Riden is a coveted prospect in his own class. The Rivals100 rusher has Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M and USC, among others, on his offer sheet. Early on, the Longhorns have done a solid job recruiting him with Tashard Choice leading the way.

Two other 2025 standouts that are worth watching are Duncanville QB Keelon Russell and Lancaster WR Emmanuel Choice. Russell is a dual-threat QB that led the Panthers to a state title last season and has recently added offers from Ole Miss, TCU and Texas A&M. Choice grabbed his first offer from Oklahoma and is oozing with potential on the outside.