Three-Point Stance: Big commits, recruiting Texas, replacing stars
Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here ranking the week’s biggest commitments, breaking down the out-of-state programs that recruit Texas the best and looking at the stars best situated to replace this year's high NFL Draft picks.
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1. LAST WEEK'S 10 BIGGEST COMMITS
Commitments continue to heat up and it’s getting harder already to name the top commits of each week. Here’s my best crack at it this week.
1. OL Wayna Morris, Tennessee – I’m a huge fan of Morris’ upside and think once he fills out his upper body and adds some strength, he could very well be a five-star in this class.
2. OL Quinn Carroll, Notre Dame – The comparisons to Mike McGlinchey are there but Carroll is more filled out and stronger at the same stage.
3. LB Owen Pappoe, Auburn – Roquan Smith Part 2? He could be that next great undersized linebacker in the SEC.
4. CB Kenyatta Watson, Texas – A smart and aggressive cornerback with good bloodlines, he will not only help Texas on the field but also as a recruiting boost in the Southeast.
5. ATH Braedin Huffman-Dixon, Colorado – He can play a few different positions but wide receiver is where he can make the biggest impact. This is a huge commitment for the Buffs.
6. DE Kevin Harris, Alabama – Tim Williams? That’s who he will become at Alabama and that’s not shabby.
7. RB Rahmir Johnson, Nebraska – A big-time offensive talent who can make anyone miss in space and can be a part of the passing game, this is a huge commitment for Nebraska.
8. RB Qualan Jones, Baylor – A powerful running back with sneaky speed, he can run with power but has good feet as well.
9. OL Karsen Barnhart, Michigan – A physical and nasty offensive lineman is a position of need for Michigan and he has plenty of room to fill out.
10. DT DJ Dale, Alabama – Athletic interior lineman who will probably outplay his ranking as most defensive linemen at Alabama do.
2. FIVE OUT-OF-STATE PROGRAMS THAT RECRUIT TEXAS THE BEST
1. Oklahoma – The Sooners have recruited 31 four- or five-stars from Texas since 2013 which includes six in 2019 already and two for 2020. This is far and away the most of any school and it’s clear Lincoln Riley - and, of course, before him Bob Stoops - are the biggest threat to Texas, Texas A&M and others.
2. LSU – Bordering Texas and a short drive from Houston, you would expect LSU to be high on this list and they are No. 2 behind Oklahoma with 14 four- or five-stars since 2013, including one for 2019. Les Miles and Ed Orgeron are known as excellent recruiters and I would expect LSU to continue to be a player for Texas recruits under the latter.
3. Alabama – The Crimson Tide raid many states, but it’s a bit surprising to see how high they are in the Texas out-of-state rankings. They have landed 12 four- and five-stars since 2013, just two off of LSU’s pace and you could argue they have bigger names. Nick Saban can recruit anywhere and Texas is an area he loves to spot recruit.
4. Ohio State – The Buckeyes have done damage in Texas and landed a bunch of star power in the process. They have landed nine four- and five-stars since 2013 including one in 2019. Ohio State continues to show that Urban Meyer is the best recruiter in the nation.
5. Ole Miss, Oklahoma State – The Rebels and Cowboys are tied with seven four- and five-stars since 2013 with Ole Miss tying things up with a commitment from Grant Tisdale in 2019. Ole Miss has lured some big names and Oklahoma State’s recruiting in Texas has been overlooked a little bit.
3. WHO WILL REPLACE BIG-TIME DRAFT STARS
In Monday’s Take Two, we compared Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley to Baker Mayfield and think the former could play the role of Mayfield in college football next season. Here are a few others who could replace big-time NFL Draft stars…
Jarrett Stidham, Auburn – Could Stidham play the Sam Darnold role? How about Josh Rosen instead? He doesn’t move around the pocket the same way as Darnold, but he has the downfield vision and arm strength to replace Rosen in college football.
Bryce Love, Stanford – Who else can we compare to Saquon Barkley? Love has put up crazy numbers and can do a lot in the passing game as well.
A.J. Brown, Ole Miss – I like the comparison to Calvin Ridley more than D.J. Moore but he could replace either. I like the Ridley comparison because Brown will make a national impact the way Ridley did while Moore didn’t impact college football much.
Nick Bosa, Ohio State – This one is easy and it’s Bradley Chubb. Rashan Gary could also be in this category if he takes the next step.
Ed Oliver, Houston – He’s going to be better than Da’Ron Payne, and we all know how much I love Da’Ron Payne.