Commit Analysis | 2021 TE Lake McRee

– Darius Terrell

COMMITMENT ANALYSIS: LAKE MCREE

On a day that already had Texas fans expecting good news in the 2020 class, Texas made a surprise addition to their 2021 class when Lake Travis HS (Austin TX) TE/H-Back Lake McRee announced his commitment to the program via social media. McRee becomes the second member of the 2021 recruiting class.

I am very thankful to say that I am staying home and committing to THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS! #HookEm pic.twitter.com/TyY0d8UpoJ — Lake McRee (@lake_mcree) July 9, 2019

What is Texas getting in McRee?

Ranking: 3-Star (247), 3-Star (Rivals)

Top Offers: USC, Texas A&M, Arkansas, TCU, Baylor, Arizona, Arizona St.

Size: 6’4.5, 210lbs

Projected College Position: H-Back/TE

Player Comparison: Jared Wiley (Texas 2018-)

Analysis: McRee is a player that I first introduced to you all back in February.

Here was my write up on him back then, when he only held an offer from SMU: “McRee is a smooth athlete that has a chance to grow into a true two-way Tight End at the next level. He spends the majority of his time on tape playing H-Back and lining up in the slot at Lake Travis, but he can also be seen mixing it up in the run game and having success. Keep a close eye on this one moving forward.”

Texas signed an excellent Tight End duo in 2019.They appear to be passing on the position in 2020, only taking a swiss-army knife type of athlete in Jaden Hullaby. At nearly 6’5, McRee has a frame that will easily hold an additional 30lbs+ as his body matures in the coming years. He is already a natural pass catcher and has a feel for route running that is apparent when you watch him play. With his willingness to get dirty, he has a chance to develop into the rare Tight End that can stay on the field in all situations at the next level.

Texas has had recent success with TEs from Lake Travis (Cade Brewer) and McRee is the next in line of what appears to be a developing pipeline for the Longhorns. He is currently rated as a 3-star prospect early by the recruiting sites, but I expect that to eventually get a bump as he has an opportunity to showcase his skills at sanctioned events.

Highlights:

Commit Analysis | 2020 OLB/Edge Prince Dorbah

– Darius Terrell

COMMITMENT ANALYSIS: PRINCE DORBAH

Around noon on July 9th, Texas picked up their second Defensive commitment in the #cloUT2020 class, and he’s a big one. Highland Park LB/DE Prince Dorbah became the 8th commitment in what is expected to be another extremely talented class for the Longhorns.

What is Texas getting in Dorbah?

Ranking: #90 overall, #9 OLB (Rivals), #108 overall, #9 OLB (247), #234 overall, #17 OLB (ESPN)

Top Offers: LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, Notre Dame, Baylor, Arkansas

Size: 6’2 215lbs

Projected College Position: Linebacker/Rush End (B-Backer for Texas)

Player Comparison: Tyus Bowser (Houston 2013-2016)

Analysis: This is a much-needed get for the Longhorns. Dorbah is an elite athlete at a premium position, who has an innate feel for rushing the passer and is one of the most productive players in the entire state for one of the powerhouse programs in Texas. He’s twitchy and has some natural bend/ankle flexibility around the edge that can’t be taught.

The only thing that is holding Dorbah back from “elite” status is his size, as he’s too light to play his current position with his hand in the dirt at the next level. In my opinion, after seeing him in person twice this spring, he doesn’t have the frame to add a ton of weight without hindering his athleticism as he’s already very defined physically.

His optimal role is as a 3-4 LB and he has the skillset to naturally fit into the B-Backer role for Texas and get upfield and use his burst and pass-rushing talents to wreak havoc on passing downs. It will be interesting to see how he fares in coverage, as he is not asked to do this at the high school level. Dorbah’s success, more than most prospects, will be dependent upon how his skills are utilized. I think he picked the perfect situation choosing to play for Todd Orlando, who has used similar talents like him in the past (Bowser) and helped them reach the next level.

Highlights: (Sophomore Clips)

Bijan Robinson | Why the Predictions?

– Super K

***You may have already noted that Bijan Robinson has set his commitment date to August 2nd. This is a modification of his original plans. According to his mother, the original plan was for him to make a silent commitment this summer and announce at the Under Armour game.

***I know there were a number of crystal balls from 247 writers yesterday predicting Robinson to Ohio State.

I checked with someone I’ve know for quite some who covers Ohio State and was told that according to sources inside the building, Bijan has not silently committed to Ohio State. In fact said person went as far to say, “Not entirely sure why the crystal ball run came in today”.

***Back on June 25th there was a rumor circulating from a family member of one of the top players on the West Coast that Robinson was Ohio State bound. I’m not sure if that’s where all this is coming. Or perhaps it’s because most now believe that Bijan’s teammate, Lathan Ransom is likely to choose Ohio State when he announces on July 16th.

***I am digging on it. Based on the conversation I had with Bijan’s mother, if he does choose Ohio State, I’ll take it as a sign that Bijan was adamant that Ohio State was the right spot for him. As I didn’t get the sense that Ohio State would be mom’s first or even second choice.

***Should Drayton strike on Bijan and Evans, there is going to be a need for some serious soul searching.

***More on this forthcoming.

Texas Reveals Sugar Bowl Rings

– CJ Vogel

The members of Texas’ 2019 Sugar Bowl victory received their rings as a result of the 28-21 victory.

And maaaaannnn….. they are clean.

The bar has been set for this group entering the 2020 season and the rings alone should be motivation with sights on a College Football Playoff appearance.

Vernon Broughton | Decision on the way

– Super K

Last I checked with Vernon Broughton’s mother, she let me know that Vernon was eying an “early August” commitment date.

I don’t know if that timeline has been updated but what I have been told is that Broughton has made his decision.

I’ve also got a wind that a video is in the works. We are not shooting it.

I think we can expect an announcement sometime within the next couple of weeks.

I’ll be digging to see which way this one is leaning. I’ll update when I have more.

Top 2021 Recruits Trim Lists

– Andrew King

Recruiting in 2019 isn’t just players announcing their commitments. Just about everything is announced now of days, and four of the top recruits in the 2021 class trimmed their list of schools down. And Texas made the cut for all four.

First is Tompkins (TX) DE Tunmise Adeleye. He trimmed his list from 25 to 10 and Texas, along with quite a few other college football powers, made the cut. Adeleye is a top 50 recruit nationally and Texas and Texas A&M are in a good spot with him early on. But out of state powers like Alabama and Oklahoma have done a great job with him too, and that looks like his early top 4 as of today.

Next is Pleasant Grove (TX) DE Landon Jackson, who cut his list from 22 to 10. Jackson is a top 40 recruit nationally but there are some questions going into his junior season after tearing his ACL as a sophomore. I expect Jackson to bounce back in a big way, as he’s one of the most talented recruits in Texas. I’d be surprised if this one didn’t come down to Texas and Texas A&M. But with schools like Alabama and LSU likely to go all-in on a guy like Jackson, it’s not completely out of the question for him to leave the state.

Next up is a guy we’ve written about quite a bit recently, in Tompkins (TX) QB Jalen Milroe who cut his list from 19 to 8. Milroe is the most interesting out of this group because he’s told me a few times he’d like to make a decision before the season begins which isn’t a huge shock as quarterbacks are usually some of the first recruits to make a decision every cycle. I’m not sure what to think here. Texas A&M landed a 2021 QB last week, which could take them out of the running for Milroe. Texas could be in a great spot if they push, but 5-star QB Preston Stone has seemed to be trending Texas for a while. So if the staff has Milroe as their top priority, he could very likely end up a Longhorn but that remains to be seen. He plans to take visits to Oregon and Florida State this summer, so those are two schools to watch as well right now.

The final one is Episcopal (TX) OT Donovan Jackson, who cut his list from 33 to 12. Right now if I had to give anyone the edge it would be Texas A&M. Jackson won the OL MVP last week at The Opening Finals. Only a few underclassmen are invited to the event and the fact that he won the award for the top lineman over guys who are the top lineman in the 2020 class speaks to his elite talent. And the fact that he could very likely end up being the highest rated tackle in the 2021 class means every blue blood program on this list is going to do everything they can to get him on board.

Update | 2020 DB Chris Thompson Sets Announcement Date

– Charlie S

2020 Texas defensive back target Chris Thompson (Duncanville, TX) tweeted out that he will be making his commitment on August first.

Choosing a home August 1st! Let’s Rockkkk pic.twitter.com/EK0CWVbTtD — ChrisThompsonJr (@cdotcaash_) July 11, 2019

Thompson officially visited Austin back in May and he followed that up with visits to Ohio State, Notre Dame, and USC.

We feel very good about where things stand between Texas and Thompson.

The Latest | Broughton and Bijan

– Super K

Here’s the latest…

***Vernon Broughton’s mother tells me that the video has not been shot yet but she added Vernon is looking to shoot it fairly quickly.

One source I spoke to said the plan is to shoot it this weekend which again would indicate he has likely made his decision.

I was told the name of the person likely to shoot the video but don’t know who said person is. So, I can’t say whether there is some affiliation with a particular school site.

In terms of which way this thing is leaning, I honestly don’t know just yet.

CJ and Baizer both saw him at the Opening. CJ came away feeling good about Broughton and Texas, Will’s opinion was probably more in line with the opinion I’ve held for a while. In particular, he said:

Vernon Broughton came in late today, so we didn’t see him work. I think Texas is in a good position here, but not the best. I’d reiterate a point that K made earlier this year about SEC being a huge threat.

***I also spoke with the mother of Bijan Robinson. Robinson is set to announce his decision in early August.

Bijan’s mother told me that Bijan has made a decision.

She would not, however, confirm which school it is. Folks around the program at Salpointe seem to think it’s Ohio State and I believe that probably explains the run of predictions for him.

I can tell you that in my conversations with Bijan’s mother, I get the sense that she prefers Texas. So once the staff gets back from vacation, even if the sense is that Ohio State is the choice, I’d be busting my tail trying to change this back in Texas’ favor.

This should especially be the case given it’s looking like Ohio State is going to get former OU RB commit, Jaylen Knighton. Bijan is a stud – perhaps the best RB in the country. But Knighton is a monster, as well. And I’ve never gotten the sense that Bijan was necessarily keen on being one of two major RBs in one class.