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SIGNING DAY EVALUATIONS By David McNabb PDF Print E-mail
by Scott Bennett    Fri, Feb 3, 2006, 05:16 AM

Texas has had a great class since December. Texas A&M took a big dent when Skyline LB Michael Morgan shunned the Aggies for USC on the night before signing day. Morgan made his pick at 9:50 p.m. Tuesday live on Fox news for broadcaster Max Morgan.

Texas: A+

What to know: Ben Alexander from S. Carolina isn’t know around here, but Florida State, Virginia Tech and Georgia were dying for him. He’s a 5-11, 295-pound nose guard that Mack Brown has specialized in … Woodrow’s Sergio Kindle was thought to be a LB prospect last summer but don’t rule out RB … Texas High LB Dustin Earnest and Kilgore DE Eddie Jones have the first impact … Love QB Jevan Snead and enrolling this spring, but redshirt freshman Colt McCoy starts at the beginning of the year next season. Arlington Bowie QB Sherrod Harris could be great but he needs lots of experience to make up for injuries last two seasons.

Oklahoma A

What to know: The Sooners didn’t take an Adrian Peterson, Rhett Bomar or Tommie Harris out of Texas, so it doesn’t seem like they’re having a huge year. But trust Bobby. To counter Mack Brown’s skill at getting super-talented, usually 6-foot cover corners, OU is loading up on 6-4-plus receivers like Irving’s Adron Tennell. Stoops also goes a little to the West and has a couple of super prospects from Nevada (one being RB Demarco Murray.) And for those really worried after this year’s offensive performance, there’s 10 linemen signed and many will end up on offense.

Texas Tech B +

What to know: Don’t sweat losing QB Greg McElroy to Alabama. Tech can create QBs and there are lots of questions about McElroy, who operated with no rush pressuring him at Southlake Carroll. Abilene QB Taylor Potts is a better prospect. Tech gets OL Ofa Mohetau from junior college. In ’03, he helped make Texas’ class grade exceptionally high. From Euless Trinity, Mohetau starts next year. Midland RB Baron Batch looks like another great one-back guy. There’s some much needed speed in the secondary with Daniel Johnson (Spring Woods) and Leonard Hewitt (Lufkin.) Not sure what Carter’s Michael Crabtree will play, but he’s got intangibles and talent at WR or DB. He led Carter to basketball Final Four as junior point guard _ and don’t think Coach Knight hasn’t noticed a Quinn Buckner type is in Lubbock.

Texas A&M B-

What to know: There’s some great players with Klein Collins RB Michael Goodson, Humble QB/WR Jerrod Johnson and Haltom LB Anthony Lewis but not enough depth. If Goodson turns into Ricky Williams and Johnson is a QB like Vince Young then it’ll be a lot different but that’s high bar set to raise a whole class. The loss of Skyline LB Michael Morgan to USC on Tuesday night was tough on the Aggies’ class. A big factor for Fran’s future recruiting will be the development of last year’s stud, TE Martellus Bennett. It will be used mightily against Ags if Bennett doesn’t emerge after Reggie McNeal’s decline. The Ags have to steal more kids out of the Southeast or the West because they’re definitely sliding to No. 3 around here.

Baylor C

What to know: Baylor coach Guy Morriss recruits a different type of player the way Grant Teaff did but they’re similar in two very important categories _ they know what they want and they know that finishing second to UT, OU and A&M on a bunch of players doesn’t do any good. Morriss picks his guys like Teaff did and then seduces them by making them Baylor’s top recruit. Teaff was the master of calling the kids on Sunday night after a Texas visit in which they didn’t get a scholarship offer but were told to keep waiting for the Longhorns and things could break right. Morriss played at TCU and knows the profile for that kind of program. Talented, late-bloomers wanting to show they can beat the high-profile guys. Names: QB Taylor Beatty, WR Ben Randle, DB Tim Atchison, WR/DB Jeremy Sanders, WR Ernest Smith, WR Justin Fenty, DB Dominique Criss. Would have been nice to snare Waco U.’s DB Perrish Cox, but he’s off to LSU.

Oklahoma State C

What to know: The Cowboys lost some early commitments, but that also means some other school’s like their potential class. Oklahoma State hardly ever gets the Wow factor and when they have _ signing Hart Lee Dykes in the 1980s _ probation followed. OSU coach Mike Gundy wants more speed and the key could be keeping RB Dantrell Savage, a junior college transfer. The real hit could be Richardson Berkner DE Ugo Chinasa. The 6-5, 230-pounder sees himself as a basketball player just like Julius Peppers wanted to be at North Carolina. But 6-5 floor runners in hoops don’t rate nearly as high as they do in cleats.

SMU/TCU/North Texas

SMU C

What to know: Phil Bennett has learned to survive the ebbs and flows of college football at many places. He’s gotten a contract extension that helped recruiting but the Mustangs’ revival depends on some hits that others miss. Scurry-Rosser WR Phillip Burley (6-5, 205) might be a real catch. I’m not big on stats, but he averaged about 25 yards on 38 catches. There’s a little more speed with the class such as DB Tim Crosby of Garland and LB Taylor Bon. Don’t be surprised if there aren’t some transfers from DI schools into the Hilltop during the summer.

TCU B

What to know: There’s ex-appeal with WR Clint Renfro, the son of ‘70s Horned Frog star Mike Renfro. Clint has great speed and can make some incredible acrobatic catches in helping win two state titles at Southlake Carroll. He’s listed at 165 pounds, but that’s only he’s just leaving CiCi’s buffet. A lot of people are very high on Katy QB Andy Dalton. He made great plays to get them to the 5A Division II state final and he’s got some measurables (6-2, 185), good arm strength and accuracy. The real steal is DE Clarence Leatch of 3A Division II state champs Tatum. He’s 6-5, 210 and runs a 4.6 in the 40. Great frame to add muscle and he’ll still be able to cover whole field.

North Texas C

What to know: That Coffeyville (Kan.) CC went 9-3 and has had 12 players sign with 4-yuear schools is good news since three are headed to Denton. G Trent Stanley (6-3, 285) should help immediately along with FS Roy Loren and QB Woody Wilson. Coppell DE Marquis Sykes (6-3, 250) is typical of the class in that he’s a marginal major school guy that has upside to develop but also is a tad undersized and a step slow right now to interest the big guys. There’s no Jamario Thomas, a bona fide blue-chipper from Longview Springhill who signed with the Mean Green two years ago.

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