Jaxon Shipley to Texas -- First 2011 Commit

by Wescott Eberts (GoBR) on Feb 12, 2010 4:42 PM CST in Texas Longhorns Recruiting

Instant analysis -- The tight numbers at the receiver position in 2011 just got a little tighter with the most unsurprising commit of the 2011 class -- Jordan Shipley's little brother, Jaxon. With only two or three projected spots for receivers, if Miles Onyegbule receives an offer and commits this weekend as expected, Texas could be virtually finished at the position, barring the decision on whether to offer and target Whitehouse receiver Trey Metoyer, an elite talent who probably has more upside than Onyegbule.

The major -- and quite tired, thanks to endless comments from "analysts" calling Texas games -- story here is that Jaxon will join Case McCoy at Texas and yes, they will be roommates. It's a story that will become increasingly irritating, but in the end it will be worth it because Shipley has the potential to greatly impact Texas football. He may not challenge his older brother for the title of one of the most productive receivers in program history, but there's little doubt that he will be an excellent football player.

Instant scouting report -- Jaxon isn't exactly a clone of his older brother, as he's a bit taller and doesn't quite possess the same elite burst, quickness, and change-of-direction ability that defined Jordan in high school. However, it's clear that he benefits greatly from being a Shipley in terms of his understanding of the position and route running. If Mike Davis was the most polished receiver from the 2010 class, Shipley will be the most polished receiver in the 2011 class, regardless of who else commits.

Besides his route-running ability, the younger Shipley has excellent speed, but what stands out the most is his ability to elevate and high point the football in traffic. As a result, he should have the opportunity to come in and earn some early playing time, even with the large group of receivers in front of him -- he's that college-ready, even as a junior.

Without seeing more film on Shipley, it's hard to make judgements based on one play, but he did lose a fumble against Graham because he was carrying the ball loosely and away from his body. The comparison to Davis again could be made, but Shipley's ball security is probably quite a bit better than the former Skyline star, who often carried the ball in high school like it was a loaf of bread.

The only other negative about Shipley is his strength -- he will need several years in the weight room before he even begins to approximate the strength of his older brother, which could impact his ability to fight off press coverage. That may or may not be a factor in his early playing time, depending on if he ends up at flanker or in the slot, as the slot receiver normally plays off the line of scrimmage, making it difficult for opponents to use press coverage in those situations.