Rivals national recruiting analyst Nick Harris takes a look at the arrival of the Texas high school football season, potential breakout recruits in the 2022 season and the spectacle that will be Denton (Texas) Guyer this season.
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1. Texas high school football is back and these Rivals250 recruits have the best chance at winning state titles.
It's the best time of the year. Football is back in the state of Texas.
Games officially kicked off on Thursday night, but the first Friday night slate will go down this evening as recruits and teams across the state begin their journey to AT&T Stadium.
In looking at recruits in the top 50 nationally that could end up hoisting that trophy in December, here are five 2023 prospects that have the best shot at doing just that.
Dallas (Texas) South Oak Cliff's electric secondary duo of Malik Muhammad and Jayvon Thomas will look to defend their 5A Division II state title this year and bring another championship back to South Dallas. The Golden Bears return a large amount of defensive talent, but it will be the offensive side of the ball that will be the determining factor in their shot at repeating.
El Campo (Texas) made a deep run last season on the legs of Louisville commit Rueben Owens II, but it will take even more to get through the gauntlet that is 4A Division I. Owens will probably need to rush for over 3,000 yards to make it happen, but ask him and that is almost seen as a given.
Denton (Texas) Ryan five-star linebacker Anthony Hill has had a decorated career as a Raider, and he will look to cap it off with another state championship in 2022. After claiming the title as a sophomore in 2020, his Ryan team fell in the semifinals last season to a loaded College Station squad. This season, the path is clear for Ryan to make it back to AT&T Stadium and win a 5A Division I title.
The No. 1 player in Texas, TJ Shanahan Jr., has only known one thing in his time at Westlake: winning. The Chaparrals are gunning for their fourth consecutive state championship, which would give Shanahan, Notre Dame commit Jaden Greathouse and Oklahoma commit Colton Vasek legendary status at a Central Texas program that has seen its fair share of legends go through its system.
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2. These three prospects could have breakout 2022 campaigns in the state of Texas.
Pflugerville (Texas) Weiss has been a program that has been on the rise in Central Texas the last couple of seasons as it combines an electric offense with exciting high-scoring, down-to-the-wire games week in and week out. This season, the stage is set for Baylor commit Micah Gifford to take control of the receiving game and put up major numbers for his squad. If the Weiss offense can continue its massive production, Gifford will have one of the best statistical seasons in the state in 2022.
After coming up just short in the state semifinals in 2021, Timpson (Texas) is back with almost its entire squad, led by junior four-star athlete Terry Bussey. Bussey plays both quarterback and defensive back for the Bears, and his athleticism and skill make him one of the top prospects in 2A football. Bussey and his squad have a chip on their shoulder in 2022, and I think it will be a perfect opportunity for the 5-foot-10, 170-pound two-way star to make himself known on the national stage before the season's end.
Incredible name aside, Longview (Texas) cornerback Willie Nelson has legitimate skill in the secondary, and that talent could translate to a high Power Five program when it's time for him to head to the next level. However, his stock hasn't quite reached that level as he sits on the cusp of a recruiting rise heading into his junior season. College coaches and recruiting fans will come to Longview games to see Jalen Hale, but they'll want to stick around to see what Nelson can do on the defensive side of the ball at one of the more historic East Texas programs.
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3. All eyes are on Denton Guyer and its trio of four-stars this season.
Denton (Texas) Guyer finished as runner-ups for the second time in three years last season after a deep run that saw the Wildcats eventually meet their match in the 6A Division II state championship against Austin (Texas) Westlake.
However, this season all three of the school's four-star prospects in the 2023 class are back, and it's not without a lot of buzz around where the trio will be heading to college. While star quarterback Jackson Arnold is locked in with Oklahoma, Notre Dame commit Peyton Bowen and LSU commit Ryan Yaites have been at the center of flip buzz for most of the summer as Oklahoma is pursuing both to team up with Arnold. Texas A&M is specifically going hard after Bowen.
With so much noise off the field and a pinnacle still to reach on the field, Denton Guyer will have the eyes of a lot of people in not only the state of Texas this season but the entire country.
