MORE: Prospects that earned their stripes at Rivals 3 Stripe Camp in Houston
HOUSTON - Elite prospects from all over the region flocked to the Bayou City on Sunday for the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp Series presented by adidas. College football teams from across the country recruit hotbeds like Texas and top-ranked prospects had plenty to say. Here are the five programs that were talked about most by the elite prospects at Sunday’s event.
TEXAS
You can’t go to South Texas and not expect to hear about the Longhorns. In fact, Texas had more buzz than any other program in Houston on Sunday -- with both the prospects breaking down the latest in their recruitments and what they showcased on the football field.
Five-star running back Zachary Evans, the No. 2 overall prospect in the country, mentioned Texas in the schools pushing hardest for his services and the offensive line they’re assembling up in Austin. Evans briefly performed in the camp, and in a small sample size it’s obvious what he brings to the table. Vernon Broughton, a Rivals Five-Star Challenge presented by adidas invitee, had Texas in his lead group and noted that the Longhorns are doing everything right to land his commitment later this year. Rivals100 safety Bryson Washington, who was also invited to the Five-Star Challenge, mentioned the Longhorns, among others. Washington is a physically imposing safety that flashed the ability to be a dominant cover man. Four-star defensive end Princely Umanmielen has visited the 40 Acres about six times in the past calendar year and lives 15 minutes away from campus. He did his best work on the defensive line rushing from the inside, which is definitely a storyline to follow when it comes to the Longhorns’ defense.
TEXAS A&M
Texas A&M is making a concerted push to secure a commitment from Rivals100 wide receiver Troy Omeire, and it’s obvious why. Omeire was far and away the top performer for his position group on Sunday. He’s a huge target in the passing game with a tremendous catch radius. In one rep, he made a double move and breezed past the cornerback. Omeire is already a physical pass-catcher and has a high ceiling, and he’s highly coveted by the Aggies.
Jaylon Jones committed to Texas A&M on Super Bowl Sunday and it’s quite clear what Jimbo Fisher sees in the Rivals100 cornerback. Jones is extremely long with a terrific wingspan. He’s smooth in coverage and makes it look very easy. He twists and turns with ease and times his breaks on the ball well. The Aggies verbal is locked in with his commitment and feels confident in it early on, and already has his official visit locked in. Jones had a case as the best overall prospect in attendance at C.E. King High School on Sunday and he was named MVP for defensive backs and he earned an invite to the Five-Star Challenge later this summer.
Class of 2021 offensive tackle Bryce Foster had a fantastic relationship with former Aggies offensive line coach Jim Turner, who’s now on the Cincinnati Bengals’ coaching staff. Foster, who lives about an hour away from College Station, is anxious to meet new Texas A&M offensive line coach Josh Henson. The feeling is likely mutual, as Foster was one of the most steady forces at tackle on Sunday. He’s powerful and technically proficient and won the majority of his one-on-one reps on the afternoon.
There were many on hand that are giving the Aggies a strong look, such as Omeire, defensive lineman Tunmise Adeleye, Broughton, quarterback Malik Hornsby, defensive end Robert Wooten, Foster and Hayden Conner. They may only have had one commit competing in this camp Sunday, but many Aggie targets were raving about Fisher and what that staff in College Station is doing, so it is a safe bet to think there will be more from the Houston 3 Stripe Camp that end up signing with Texas A&M down the road. The buzz was very positive around the Aggies.
OKLAHOMA
There are quite a few Texas-Oklahoma recruiting battles in 2020 and 2021, meaning the Red River Rivalry has been amplified both on and away from the field. Umanmielen, Broughton and Omeire all mentioned the Sooners in their top group of schools.
Omeire was supposed to visit Norman for a junior day this weekend, but a scheduling conflict forced the four-star wide receiver to cancel. Omeire is built in the same mold as class of 2019 wide receiver Theo Wease Jr., another Lone Star State product who signed with Oklahoma last December. Lincoln Riley’s team is putting a dent on the bordering state in 2020 already, and a big-time receiver like Omeire could be icing on the cake.
Broughton and Umanmielen are also highly sought after in Oklahoma. As the Sooners look to retool along their defensive front, both four-star defensive linemen mentioned the team as one of their top options at this juncture in the recruiting cycle. Each are eyeing return trips to Norman and both figure to be much-needed pieces as Oklahoma looks to reload on that side of the ball.
GEORGIA
The Dawgs have finished with the No. 1 recruiting class in the country for the last two recruiting cycles, and making a splash in Texas may help Kirby Smart’s attempt for a three-peat.
Evans, the nation’s top running back, is well-aware that Georgia owns the claim to “RBU.” While watching this most recent Super Bowl, he noticed that Todd Gurley and Sony Michel were both alums. He recently made his way to Athens for an unofficial visit.
Donovan Jackson, a class of 2021 offensive tackle who punched his ticket to the Five-Star Challenge, is anxious to make a trip to Georgia. Ace offensive line recruiter Sam Pittman made the trip to Bellaire Episcopal High School multiple times already and Jackson is eager to return the favor. Pittman has his work cut out for him to beat out Ohio State and Texas for Jackson, though.
LSU
Ed Orgeron and LSU always starts their recruiting classes with home-state talent in Louisiana, but they always like to go into the Lone Star State for talent as well. At Sunday's event in Houston, there were several talented prospects on the Tigers' radar. One is defensive lineman Chidozie Nwankwo, who was leaving for Baton Rouge at the end of the camp. This will be his second visit to LSU. The MVP for the defensive line was Adeyele, and he is a 2021 prospect that already has an offer from the Tigers. Joshua Eaton is one of the hottest prospects in the country and he recently added an offer from LSU. He was in Baton Rouge last week for a visit. Jackson is a top 2021 offensive lineman and he was the MVP for the offensive line, and he is an early target in the trenches for LSU. The Tigers definitely are thought of highly by some of the best in Texas, and quite a few of those were on hand Sunday in Houston.