When Fort Worth Eastern Hills linebacker Byron Hobbs picked up 14 offers throughout the spring and summer, it was an indication of the player he could be rather than the player he is right now.

That’s not an insult to Hobbs, who is a good high school player at the moment. It’s more of a commentary on what a player with his size and athletic ability could ultimately become.

We most likely won’t see Hobbs as a finished product for a few years, but his senior season will be crucial to see if he’s beginning to take more steps towards becoming the prospect he’s projected to be.

If you’ve followed Hobbs (or his mother) on Twitter throughout the summer, you’ve seen his work ethic. Hobbs has been hard at work to sharpen his skills and maximize his athletic potential.

When Horns247 evaluated Hobbs on his junior film, we saw a need to strengthen his ability at the point of attack. Hobbs added weight to his frame throughout the summer, and he’s starting to fill out into a prospect who could play on the edge in a number of roles.

Fort Worth ISD isn’t known as a strong area of competition, but Eastern Hills has several interesting matchups on the schedule. Forth Worth Southwest, Colleyville Heritage, and Richland all present several athletic challenges that should test his ability — Horns247 will be in attendance at several of these matchups in order to gauge his progress.

One area where Hobbs could really prove to be a difference maker is in the pass rush. His length and explosive ability could overwhelm high school offensive linemen. If he shows the aptitude for it at the high school level, it will give fans an idea of how Todd Orlando can effectively deploy him at the next level.

The bottom line is, while it’s unfair to expect Hobbs to be close to a finished product when he arrives in Austin, he has the opportunity in his senior season to provide glimpses of the special type of player we think he can be.

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