2011 Texas Big Board: The Defensive Ends

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Feb 12, 2010 11:00 AM CST in Texas Longhorns Recruiting

Defensive ends on the 2011 roster -- Russell Carter (2011), Dravannti Johnson (2012), Alex Okafor (2012), Tevin Mims (2013), Dominique Jones (2013), Kyle Kriegel (20013), Greg Daniels (2013/14), Jackson Jeffcoat (2013/14), Reggie Wilson (2013/14)

Needs -- Two

Targets --

Name (School)	JD invite?	Offer?	Commitment odds	Favorites	Quick take
Jermauria Rasco (Shreveport (LA) Evangel Christian)	Date unconfirmed (pending ride)	No-bainer	50%	Texas LSU	Had one of the best sophomore seasons in the history of high school football with 29 sacks and almost 150 tackles. National recruit who may be a top-10 player in the country. Excellent edge rusher with advanced technique, but may not have a projectable -- he has relatively narrow shoulders, though he will have no trouble playing at 240-250 pounds in college. Traveled to Dallas to watch Texas against Oklahoma this season. Coached by former Longhorn Phillip Geiggar. Epected to come down to Texas and LSU.
Cedric Reed (Cleveland)	Feb. 13	No-brainer	55%	Texas LSU Oklahoma	Possesses raw athleticism, as evidenced by his success on the basketball court and at the tight end position. Could stand to use his hands better but clearly has impressive natural strength and explosiveness.National prospect.
Nathan Hughes (Klein Oak)	Feb. 13	Highly likely	80%	Texas LSU Oklahoma	Big kid at 6-5 and 240+ -- has the frame to play some three tech situationally. Plays a five tech in the Klein Oak 3-4, so he has little experience as an edge rusher. Would project as a run-stopping defensive end in college. Reportedly loves Texas (comes from a family of Texas fans) and has a big-time offer list.
Lance Skyler (Lancaster)	Feb. 27	Possible	?	Unknown	Relatively undersized at 6-3, 220 pounds. Little information about him available, but he could be the project edge rusher in the class. Plays on a talented high school team. Played some linebacker as a sophomore.

Other names to know -- Jimmy Bean (Denton Guyer), Ben Goodman (Beaumont West Brook), MJ Sam (Strake Jesuit), James Rushing (Houston Memorial), Darrell Thomas-Kelly (Lufkin)

Overview -- After landing two of the top several players in the country at defensive end and with Alex Okafor a member of the previous class, the Longhorns should be set at defensive end for years to come. The deepening depth chart could end up being a problem for Texas as 2011 recruiting progresses, but the good news is that the top three players on the board -- Rasco, Reed, and Hughes -- are all high on Texas, with Hughes looking like a possible early commitment. The recruitments of Reed and Rasco will be national in nature, but the Longhorns are in good shape with both of them and Texas would likely be willing to wait for both.

Ideally, the Longhorns would take one run-stopping defensive end like Hughes and then take an edge-rushing defensive end capable of getting to the quarterback like Rasco or Reed. It's also possible that a linebacker like Anthony Wallace or Kendall Thompson gets offered as a defensive end.

Wish list --

Rasco
Reed
Hughes (if no commitment from Desmond Jackson or Marquis Anderson)

The most likely scenario is that Hughes commits early and then the Longhorns wait for either Reed or Rasco -- despite only needing two defensive ends in the class and the position being relatively low in terms of the overall needs of the class, the edge rusher is so important in the Big 12 that there should always be room for a guy like Reed or Rasco. Don't be surprised if Texas offers somewhere currently under the radar at the defensive end position.

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Comments

GoBR

I think you forgot to list Reggie Wilson

by 7Swords of Salat on Feb 12, 2010 11:05 AM CST reply actions

+1

"Football's so important in Texas. On the West Coast, it's a social. On the East Coast, it's a culture. Here, it's a religion."
-- Major Applewhite

by Sunkist on Feb 12, 2010 11:41 AM CST up reply actions

Obligatory where is Acho and Eddie Jones question?

by hayzer13 on Feb 12, 2010 11:10 AM CST reply actions

Follow up, this reflects the 2011 roster answer.

by hayzer13 on Feb 12, 2010 11:10 AM CST up reply actions

haha

Thanks for clearing that up

"The best decision I ever made was coming to Texas," James said. "The second-best decision was coming back."

by blazzinken on Feb 12, 2010 11:20 AM CST up reply actions

Couple of things

1. Have not seen much film on Nathan Hughes, who would you guys compare him to that is currently in the Texas system or has been?

2. Also not that we just signed a kicker from Shreveport (LA) Evangel Christian, Rasco’s school!

"The best decision I ever made was coming to Texas," James said. "The second-best decision was coming back."

by blazzinken on Feb 12, 2010 11:23 AM CST reply actions

I can't think of anyone who has been a big stack end like GoBR makes Hughes sound

Maybe one of the past spin-down tackles, I guess, but I cannot recall seeing an oversized end at Texas in the Mack Brown era. I can’t remember exactly, but I think I recall Brackens being pretty big out there pre-Brown, but he was definitely a rusher, not a 5T.

I have beat wholesale ass for a whole lot less.

by burntorangehorn on Feb 12, 2010 12:01 PM CST up reply actions

The Longhorns recruiting word du jour is...

…“spin-down”. Don’t think I’d ever heard it before a couple of weeks ago, now it comes up in virtually every discussion of a beefy DE recruit.

by BurntOrangeCanadian on Feb 12, 2010 12:21 PM CST up reply actions

I used it incorrectly there

The correct participial adjective would have been “spun-down” there. ;)

I have beat wholesale ass for a whole lot less.

by burntorangehorn on Feb 12, 2010 12:24 PM CST up reply actions

As per above

not sure there is a good comparison for Hughes. Maybe Aaron Lewis, but I’m not sure if Hughes is quite as quick.

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Feb 12, 2010 12:17 PM CST up reply actions

Crowder?

by Horncasting on Feb 12, 2010 1:34 PM CST up reply actions

I can see that.

Good call.

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Feb 12, 2010 3:54 PM CST up reply actions

Damn, somehow forgot about him

I have beat wholesale ass for a whole lot less.

by burntorangehorn on Feb 13, 2010 11:07 AM CST up reply actions

Hmm, I recall just the opposite. I remember Brackens being somewhat undersized but strong for his size. I think he was one of the smallest DE in pro football when he played but also one of the quickest; had just an amazing first step.

by jpsantini on Feb 12, 2010 12:14 PM CST reply actions

He played at over 260lbs. in the NFL

So maybe I’m just not remembering when it was that he got up to that weight in the NFL. You know how 6’5" is the new 6’3" for QBs? Same principle, because I remember him as a pretty big end at least in the NFL. If he wasn’t at UT, no biggy, because I’m probably just remembering incorrectly. I admit that I wasn’t as big a football fan in those days, at least not to the point where I knew where certain NFL players went to freaking high school.

I have beat wholesale ass for a whole lot less.

by burntorangehorn on Feb 12, 2010 12:22 PM CST up reply actions

With the depth we're building in the DL

a lot of guys could be changing positions once they get here, especially at DE with Okafor, Jeffcoat, Wilson in place.

GoBR what do you think about Dravannti Johnson? He looks like he’s ready to play when he’s on the sidelines but I never hear the coaches mention him.

"If worms carried pistols, birds wouldn't eat 'em"- Darrell Royal

by SpiritOfTheFedora on Feb 12, 2010 12:20 PM CST reply actions

It's his time

I suspect that if he doesn’t break onto the depth chart this spring at the Buck position than a change of scenery could be in store for him. The knock on him is that he’s a bit of a tweener — too small to play defensive end full time and not fast enough to play linebacker. He was also in the doghouse — don’t recall why — and didn’t travel with the team to the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State his redshirt year, so that probably slowed down his ability to get on the field.

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Feb 12, 2010 12:31 PM CST up reply actions

Are you sure you aren't thinking of Carter

Who didn’t travel with the team, I believe because of grades.

by Horncasting on Feb 12, 2010 1:35 PM CST up reply actions

Carter was this year I believe.

Pretty positive on Johnson. Remember, this was the bowl game for the 2008 season.

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Feb 12, 2010 3:55 PM CST up reply actions

Right on Drav. Johnson; it was the Ohio State game

What mystifies me about Johnson is that he never got into a game in ’09 (according to the writeup on MB-TF).

Several apparent non-players (Fitzhenry, Carter, Payne to name three) played. My assumption was Johnson was being punished for some unpublicized sin — his non-playing status (since he’d already redshirted) has led me to eye him as a likely attrition candidate in the next few months.

by edsp on Feb 12, 2010 4:35 PM CST up reply actions

Reed elite enough to wait on?

Let’s say Hughes committs along with another “under the radar DE.” We’re then faced with the Reed and Rasco waiting game. Is Reed elite enough that Texas would take both Reed and Rasco? Would Reed committing first giving Texas 3 DE’s in a class knock Texas out of contention for Rasco? Already seems like Reed is almost a sure thing to spin down to defensive tackle

by billfromlaketravis on Feb 12, 2010 12:27 PM CST reply actions

I think Reed has the ability to spin down

but I think he’s athletic enough that he could be an edge rusher, though I’ve questioned that in the past. As for the scenario you’ve mentioned, I think Texas would only take one and would be wiling to wait for Reed, but some of that depends on their evaluation of he and Rasco and whether or not they think one of them is much better than the other. Could definitely get tricky at that point, though.

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Feb 12, 2010 12:35 PM CST up reply actions

Any news on Tevin Mims spinning down?

MIms is another guy who was rumored to be spinning down from DE to DT . Has that process already begun or does Boom and Oscar Giles like Mims at DE?

by billfromlaketravis on Feb 12, 2010 12:56 PM CST reply actions

No news.

Depends on his physical development, but he played some five tech last year and could play some situational three tech like Sam Acho and Eddie Jones did last year.

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Feb 12, 2010 1:19 PM CST up reply actions

Off topic, slightly

For us non-technical folks, could you provide a brief description of 1-technique, 5-technique, etc.? I had a HS coach try to get this terminology through my thick skull years back; since he failed, I’m left trying to visualize what the terms mean. I have some idea . . .

by edsp on Feb 12, 2010 4:37 PM CST reply actions

I gotcha

0 – head up on center

1 technique – generally a stouter player and plays on either eye of the center (usually identified by center as shade right or shade left).

2 (eye) – plays on the inside eye of either guard

2 – plays head up on either guard

3 – plays on the outside eye of either guard

4 (eye) – inside eye of tackle

4 – head up on tackle

5 – outside eye of tackle

7 – outside eye of tight end.

"I want to be remembered as the guy who gave his all whenever he was on the field."
-Walter Payton

by CoachEtch on Feb 12, 2010 5:23 PM CST up reply actions

thanks much, etch

I remember writing once, after talking to several HS coaches who had graduated from line play to coaching, that it was a shame the guys who did so much hard work on the lines got so little recognition — from fans, as well as from us writers.

by edsp on Feb 12, 2010 9:01 PM CST up reply actions

Anytime, man. Eh, I prefered it that way

I think most linemen do. I liked getting to hit every play and watching my teammates succeed. That is why I think football is the greatest sport ever. Everyone is dependent on everyone else to succeed. It makes all the hard work worth it even if you don’t get your name in the paper or get to score a touchdown.

"I want to be remembered as the guy who gave his all whenever he was on the field."
-Walter Payton

by CoachEtch on Feb 12, 2010 9:17 PM CST up reply actions