– As you all know by now, 2019 DB, Kenyatta Watson (GA) recently took an unofficial to Texas. It was announced today that Watson has narrowed things down to Notre Dame and Texas. However, if you read our site (and I know you do) this is old news to you. In last week’s update on Watson we wrote…

In fact, Watson Sr. says they feel like things are really narrowed down to Texas and Notre Dame. Both schools are obviously know for their alumni network and brand names.

The family will take an official visit to Notre Dame on April 13th through the 15th. They will then take an official visit to Texas on April 27th through the 29th.

A decision will come almost immediately after as Watson Sr says, “We want to be done before May 1st”.

I spoke with Watson’s father this weekend and he tells me that they are going to move the decision timeline up.

He said, “you might see something happen, I’d say, within the next two weeks”.

The family did not take the scheduled trip out to USC this past weekend. Texas is trending hard here. Stay tuned…

– (Super K)

– Texas extended an offer to Wekiva (FL) DE/OLB Rian Davis on Monday.

Very blessed to receive an offer from the university of Texas #Longhorns pic.twitter.com/EBgzz0XZgW — Rian "Trouble" Davis (@Trouble_R4) March 6, 2018

Davis isn’t a guy that just started to draw interest from the Texas staff. Davis was living with his uncle and attending Clear Lake HS in the Houston area before recently moving to Florida. I spoke to Davis and he told me he moved back to Florida because that’s where his mother is and she wanted him to come home. When I asked if his mother is going to want him to stay closer to home in Florida for college he told me, “It doesn’t matter to her.” Right now Davis doesn’t have any visits planned. He told me he will “most likely” visit Texas. Obviously it’s much harder to get to Austin now that he’s in Florida, but he definitely has interest. When asked about Texas, he said “I really like the coaching staff over there, and the fan base is legit. I like what they’re building over there.” Davis’ recruitment has continued to soar. Just in the past few days he’s added offers from Texas, Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, and North Carolina. He’s a name to keep an eye on moving forward. – (Andrew)

– It was first reported by 247Sports that Grayson (GA) 5-star OLB Owen Pappoe plans to officially visit Texas on April 27th. He is the teammate of Grayson (GA) S Kenyatta Watson, who recently named Texas in his final 2 with Notre Dame. Watson also plans to officially visit Texas on April 27th.

Pappoe named a Top 3 of Georgia, Clemson, and Nebraska. He has recently backed off that stance, saying Georgia and Auburn are two teams which are standing out right now. He plans to take some visits this Spring. Ohio State, Penn State, and Texas, along with return visits to Georgia and Auburn.

If Texas can land Kenyatta Watson, it would help their chances to land Pappoe. I have a hard time seeing Pappoe ending up at any school besides Georgia, but as we have seen before, never count out Tom Herman and his staff.

– (Andrew)

– Team Note: Last week, K mentioned a few of the young guys on the team that are standing out. Sterns and Foster were two of those standout players. To add to the excitement…

I spoke with a source close to the program and was told that “Caden Sterns and BJ Foster are ridiculously athletic.”

I was also told that the two have some of the highest testing numbers of the early enrollees and are definitely candidates to snag a good chunk of playing time next year. – (Will)

2019 Big Board Introductions | Defensive Line

So now that we’ve come to a bit of a down period in terms of me traveling all over the state, I had some time to come back to this to finish it out.

Defensive line, in the state this year, is a lot deeper than last year. Right now there isn’t a big NT prospect like there was in Moro Ojomo or Keondre Coburn, but there are plenty of threats coming off the edges. Texas will likely look to take 5-6 DL this cycle to try to replace Charles Omenihu, Breckyn Hager, Chris Nelson, Jamari Chisholm, and whoever may leave for the NFL.

Furthermore, in this post I’m just doing NT and 4i. I will have a separate post for B-Backers (because there are a lot) and another for MLB/Rover.

Just a disclaimer that this is not a complete list and there will be more guys who come out of the woodwork as camps come and go, as well as guys out of state.

DL

– 5-star DT Faatui Tuitele – St. Louis (Honolulu, HI) 6’4″ 300

The 5-star is quick on his feet, strong like a mack truck, and sheds blocks with ease. He could come in on day one and contribute.

Tuitele is being recruited by just about everybody in the nation, but he will be using one of his 5 official visits to make his way down to Austin, TX this spring. I wouldn’t count on it, but if he’s choosing to come to Texas with one of his 5 OV’s then there is a chance.

– 4-star DL DeMarvin Leal – Judson (Judson, TX) 6’4″ 280

Leal is Texas’ top target in the class by far. In the system that Todd Orlando runs athleticism upfront is better than size, but having both is a huge benefit. Guys with the kind of frame, bend, and get off Leal has are hard to find. He has a tremendous quick step that allows him to play either outside or inside the tackle and strength to succeed either way. He is like if Taquon Graham was 280 to start with. When he gets to Texas he has the ability to be a NT or a 4i, which is rare.

He is a must get for Texas, which is good because Texas is very much in the lead for this recruitment. They heap attention on him daily and he is loving the “love”. Right now the teams that have a shot at him beyond Texas are Oklahoma State, Alabama, and maybe Texas A&M.

– 4-star DE NaNa Osafo-Mensah – Nolan Catholic (Fort Worth, TX) 6’4″ 230

NaNa is a long, quick, and powerful presence on the edge. He was recently asked to put his hand in the dirt to attack the QB, and has looked good doing so over the past year. If he were to come to Texas he’s been told he’d likely be asked to play B-Backer; however, he has a frame that could carry weight well to play 4i. Texas needs a player like this.

NaNa is also a great student and therefore will have the options of going to a place like Notre Dame. However, NaNa currently has a very good relationship with the Aggies’ coach Terry Price and was being recruited by Elko at Notre Dame. LSU and OU have been hard on NaNa for the past few months and have solidified great relationships.

NaNa will be committing soon. While I believe the Longhorns have a shot, they have some ground to make up. Notre Dame is the team to beat.

– 4-star DE Marcus Stripling – Mayde Creek (Houston, TX) 6’2″ 260

Talking to people around Marcus, I was told Texas wants him in the 4i position on the line. Marcus is already a force to be reckoned with. He could work on his speed off the line, but he has the raw talent and finesse to be something special. He’ll likely end up growing out of his DE role and into a DT. He’d still fit at a 4i, but probably works better in a 4-man front.

Texas is again, on the outside looking in right now with A&M and Oklahoma being the favorites.

– 4-star DE Braedon Mowry – Taylor (Katy, TX) 6’4″ 235

Mowry is a wrecking ball at defensive end. The thing the Texas staff would love about him is he’s a perfect fit for their defense. He possesses some top-line burst and strength, and he can play standing up or with a hand in the dirt. He’s the guy who is always around the ball making a play because it appears getting off blocks comes second nature to him. Double teams do not stop him, as he will charge through an offensive guard and tackle and still find a way to take down the quarterback. He’s an excellent mix of speed and power that coaches want in a defensive end.

However, what I’m most impressed with is his awareness on the field. He knows where a play is going and follows it to break it up whether it’s a pass or a run. He recorded a number of PBUs last year due to some pretty athletic plays.

– 3-star DE T’Vondre Sweat – Huntsville (Huntsville, TX) 6’3″ 250 – TEXAS

The 3-star next to his name doesn’t do him justice. There is a reason Sweat is garnering interest and collecting offers from programs like A&M, Texas, and Alabama. He may be relatively raw on the field, but that guy looks scary on the field. He possess the length and strength that Tom Herman and Todd Orlando covet in their linemen and a frame that could add weight and carry it well. He’s a strength and conditioning coaches dream and given the proper coaching has a very high ceiling. I expect his star rating to just go up over the next year.

He’s a Longhorn and it looks like it’ll stay that way.

– 3-star DE MJ Anderson – Christian Brothers College HS (St. Louis, MO) 6’4″ 250

MJ Anderson is a prospect to keep an eye on. He broke his leg his Junior year, so he doesn’t have any film from then, but he was an absolute freak of nature his sophomore year. He has a frame that will be able to hold the weight for a 4i pretty well. On top of that he has some crazy athleticism. I think if he doesn’t break his leg than he is higher rated than what he is now.

As we noted before, Anderson and the Texas staff have been in contact for a while now, and we feel an offer is coming soon for him. Texas will then be fighting with Notre Dame and South Carolina during his recruitment.

– 3-star DT Enoch Jackson – Legacy (Mansfield, TX)

The closest thing in this class to Keondre Coburn. This guy is the Poona Ford type of NT where he eats up gaps in the middle of the defense. The only thing holding back this guy is his height. Other than that he checks off all the boxes on his film.

I expect him to get a lot more love in the future due to his film and him already holding offers from Arkansas and Florida. He was on campus for Texas’ Jr. Day, and I’d expect Texas to want to see him again at a camp.

– 3-star DT/DE Jason Gold – Clear Springs (League City, TX) 6’4″ 250

Talk about flying under the radar on the recruiting sites. Jason is a quick burner on the inside who has a frame to fit at the very least 30 more pounds. He’d ideally be your NT, but could definitely be your strong side 4i. He is quick off the ball and uses his hands to get through guards like nothing.

Gold was supposed to attend Texas’ Jr. Days, but didn’t make it. He currently holds offers from TCU, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, and a few others. He’ll likely be a late bloomer in terms of big time offers.

– 3-star DE Colt Ellison – Aledo (Aledo, TX) 6’4″ 240

The guy plays like Breckyn Hager. He is a electric off the ball and will come for your head. While he mainly has good speed rushing off the edge, like I said above, athleticism is what matters on this defensive line, and Ellison has plenty of it.

Ellison currently has offers from Arkansas, Notre Dame, and TCU. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Texas sneak in if he makes it to campus for a camp.

– 3-star DE Isreal Isuman-Hundley – Liberty Christian (Argyle, TX) 6’5″ 230

Extremely raw, but a sight to behold. If you factor in the fact that he is new to Varsity football and playing at Liberty Christian, then the curve for improvement looks exponential. The staff will want to get him on campus again (he was here for Jr. Day) for a camp to see what he is made of. If he gets to Texas, he can easily be a 4i with his body type. – (Will)