Texas spotlight: Emerging Lone Star State talent
The end of spring and early summer has been fruitful for the next wave of talent in Texas. A few big performances at key events have, in some cases, single-handedly put a couple of up-and-coming prospects on the map. Here’s a look at five names in 2019 and 2020 that already are on track to be household names on the recruiting front.
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Brooks caught fire so quickly this offseason that he’s already pared his offer list down to a top 13. Of course, he’s added the disclaimer that "things can change," but many of the programs in the running aren’t usually fringe options to many recruits. He’s expressed gratitude for the teams that have made him their first offer at outside linebacker, like Oklahoma State and Texas, and called Penn State his "dream school" upon receiving his offer from the Nittany Lions. He’s paid recent visits to Texas, Texas A&M and TCU, and picked up June offers from Florida State, Mississippi State, and Oregon. Brooks is a lethal edge rusher and has the look of a player that will develop physically into an absolute monster by the end of his senior season.
Morris patrols the secondary with fellow intriguing 2019 defensive back Erick Young, who both paid a recent visit to Baylor. Morris said that he came away from that visit more interested and comfortable with the program than he thought he would, but he’s going to continue to pick up big offers this fall and it wouldn’t be at all surprising if a few more came in before summer’s end. Morris and Young are both planning on visiting TCU this month as well, but Morris said that Michigan has been the big offer that has raised his eyebrows early on in the process. Morris is a naturally athletic safety with an easy ability to track down.
Wright was a literal overnight success after his appearance at an adidas satellite camp held at Texas-San Antonio last month. He came away from that camp with offers from Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana Tech, Nebraska, Tulsa and UTSA following that camp and finished his month of June with an offer from Minnesota. Wright undoubtedly passes the eye test, but his recruitment has only started to pick up steam this offseason after his switch from quarterback to wide receiver. This year will be important for him to become the route runner he’ll need to be to find big success in college, but physically, all the tools are already in place for him to be a star for the next two seasons at Ennis.
Opinions vary as to what the future holds for Sanders, who at the moment is a quarterback prospect with the athleticism to transition to a number of other positions. That hasn’t kept high-level FBS programs from offering the 2020 prospect, and he already holds scholarships from Baylor, Georgia, TCU, Oklahoma, Oregon and others. Sanders is originally from Oregon, but he called Oklahoma a dream school after picking up his offer from the Sooners in May. He was on campus in Norman at the end of June, but his size and versatility will continue to make him a top target for other top programs for the next few years.
Evans made a quick impression with his appearance at the Rivals Three Stripe Camp presented by adidas in New Orleans earlier this spring, but he opened up his recruitment with an offer from LSU in February. Since then, he’s added offers from Baylor, Oregon, Texas and Texas A&M, among others. He’s a longer running back that looks comfortable running routes and could be a super dynamic all-purpose back if he doesn’t bulk up too much into a more traditional halfback. Even then, his instincts as a pass-catcher should keep him among the top running backs in the state, if not the country.