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BOOM. On3 four-star S'Maje Burrell commits to Texas

On3 imageby:Justin Wells•04/02/22
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North Crowley LB S'Maje Burrell during his trip to Texas. (courtesy of Burrell)

One of Texas’ biggest needs in the 2023 class is a traditional inside linebacker. When Fort Worth (Texas) North Crowley’s S’Maje Burrell committed on Saturday, mission accomplished.

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The 6-foot-1, 215-pounder chose the Longhorns over Oklahoma, Ohio State, USC, and Florida. He notched 104 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, and four forced fumbles on his way to being named District 3-6A co-defensive player of the year in 2021.

Excerpt from the Recruiting Notebook:

Coach Says: Strengths — Good height and frame for off-ball LB. Can add weight. Thick through the shoulders and tapers through the core. Good lower body flexibility. Good lower body explosiveness with good functional strength. Shows impressive acceleration once he diagnoses the play. Good change of direction. Straight line speed is at above average. Once he diagnoses the play, he’s closing fast. Few false steps. Active hands and strong upper body/shoulders. Consistently will keep his outside shoulder free and it’s rare to see an offensive lineman control him. Stays square to the line and has good gap discipline. Plays consistently under balance. Great lateral range. Active in zone defense and some man-to-man on film. Tracks the ball well. Soft hands. Some kick block and goal line blocking film. Good GPA. Body language on film is good. Available interviews show a thoughtful kid who seems to have some good leadership potential.

Areas for improvement — Would like to see him break down more consistently on arriving at the ball carrier. What’s his best size? Gets upright too quickly at times. Want to see legs moving more consistently under contact. Rush techniques are a bit unknown.  

Burrell released his top 11 the morning of the Under Armour Next Series Camp Dallas March 13th. The top 11 consisted of Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Baylor, USC, Florida State, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Ole Miss and Utah.

According to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, Burrell is the No. 23 linebacker. He is also the No. 258 player overall and No. 44 junior in Texas.

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