Thoughts on Texas Longhorns at the All-American Bowl
I spent yesterday watching the All-American Bowl paying particular attention to the Texas Longhorns signees.
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Here are my thoughts:
Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Denton Ryan
You’re not supposed to be his age, be that big, and run that well. That’s why he’s at the all-star game in the first place. But he was not a dominant force on the field. No one was for the West team. They got blown out by the East. However, individually he made some nice plays, including getting into coverage and batting down a pass. But what I liked most is that he seemed to understand what he was supposed to do, where he was supposed to be, and he was plus-physical and fast. In my book, he will compete for immediate playing time, period. Too talented, and perhaps a smarter player for his age than given credit for.
S’Maje Burrell, LB, North Crowley
Come in as a late addition and don’t get to practice all week. And then, you lead your team in tackles. That’s what Burrell did. He’s sneaky athletic in the middle, but what I really liked is that he could keep an arm free and leverage while taking on blocks in the middle. That’s what made him a tackling machine in the game and it’s what makes most successful middle linebackers the same. You have to be able to fight through the trash and plug holes. He did that better than any linebacker on either side.
Ryan Niblett, WR, Aldine Eisenhower
My biggest question going into this game: is he a natural pass catcher? We saw him do so many things at Ike that whether or not he was an easy pass catcher was never really on display. I’m happy to say those concerns were more than alleviated. He’s also slippery after the catch and is a willing blocker. I was really excited with what I saw from the game even though it was a small sample size.
Jelani McDonald, ATH, Waco Connally
McDonald, a future linebacker, played cornerback during the game. He truly didn’t do much other than drop into coverage during the game. Yet he was physical when the ball came his way, either in the run or pass game. Eric wrote a nice piece about how he could fit at linebacker for the Horns that is worth your time. But I can’t help but think he might end up being a big nickel or even a safety. The possibilities with him are really endless to a degree. His pledge to Texas was a nice way to end the game.
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Payton Kirkland, OL, Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips
Kirkland is a guard all the way. That’s not a bad thing. It’s just that folks thinking he might be a future tackle are just off. He can be a plus-player on the interior IMO. Very strong, can stay low and will move people when called upon. Kirkland was slightly better than I expected IMO. The fact that he was also named captain by his coaches and peers is another feather in his hat.
Tausili Akana, LB, Lehi (Utah) Skyridge
Akana looked fairly athletic but the question is what position will he play. Is he ever going to big enough to play on the edge or will he be natural enough to play off the ball? He’s the lone Longhorn signee that I came away with more questions than answers.
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I interviewed Charles Power, the director of scouting and rankings for On3, for an episode of On Texas Football later this morning. Charles is the guy who has the final say on all rankings for On3.
He was at both the Under Armour and San Antonio games and practices. I asked him about each of the Longhorns. I think recruiting fans will find what he has to say interesting.
