Texas Spotlight: Five prospects on the rise
In-season evaluations are in full gear for high schools. It doesn't matter if the player is committed or not. Everybody is getting a fresh look. Here are some players from Texas that have improved their stock.
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Sanders is having a breakout senior season, starring as a kick returner, defensive back and also moonlighting at some quarterback in certain situations. With his play on the field, Sanders has also opened the eyes of college coaches, leading to new offers, including one from his father Deion’s alma mater, Florida State. Sanders has great length and is a good cover man, but is also not afraid to come up and deliver a big hit when needed. South Carolina, another school that offered this fall, recently hosted him for a visit and he’s likely to visit Tallahassee in the coming weeks.
Brooks has moved up and down the rankings during his time on the national recruiting scene, once reaching as high as No. 21 overall before slipping down the charts after a forgettable junior season. In 2018, he has finally matched his potential with on-field production and the results are pretty impressive. Brooks is playing both ways for his high school team, putting up big numbers on offense while terrorizing opposing offenses at linebacker. The initial instinct to rank Brooks high might have been the correct one and he’s set for another move up the charts.
The TCU commit kept a relatively low profile during the offseason, but after having a chance to watch him play live, it’s clear he’s a little undervalued. Ellison has a nice set of pass rush moves and is very athletic, and those abilities, combined with his strength, make him a tough customer for opposing offensive linemen. As he continues to grow into more of a true defensive end after spending much of his career at linebacker, his improvement should only continue.
Leal has the kind of physical gifts that aren’t easy for college coaches to find, and he’s been putting them to good use this fall. The 6-foot-7, 270-pound defensive end was in high demand among many top programs before he decided to commit to Texas A&M in the spring. It’s easy to see why the Aggies made him such a priority. What makes Leal special from a rankings perspective is his potential, which appears sky high if he continues to develop.
Lewis is an intriguing prospect because he plays off the beaten path, so it’s been tough to see him as much as some other players on this list. But he does have great size and impressive production, and he came into the season as a player under the microscope for a potential rankings bump. Lewis is averaging more than one touchdown every three receptions this season and continues to create mismatches with his size on the outside. How big of a bump he gets will still be decided as the year plays out, but it’s clear he as earned a move up in the state and position rankings.