Mack Nabs Another Big Name For Class Of 2009

by PB @ BON on Feb 12, 2008 6:08 PM CST in Recruiting Comment 12 comments

Not a week out of signing day and Texas is up to seven commitments for the 2009 class, including Thomas Ashcroft (Cedar Hill), a 6-5, 280 pound lineman who checks in at #59 on the Rivals100. That now gives Texas four Top 100 prospects (Gilbert, Whaley, Ashcroft, Timmons) already, and we've only just begun. If the class of 2008 wasn't one of Mack's best, the class of 2009 is shaping up to be a special one.

Yesterday I wrote about why I thought it made sense not to limit one's sphere too much and to supplement the in-state targets by taking shots at some elite national prospects. That argument rests on the premise that unless you clean house in-state, you run the risk of being left holding the bag.

In the end, though, it might have just been an academic point. Because more often than not of late, Mack Brown's been doing just that: cleaning house in-state.

Seven future Horns in the books with a lot of big, big names still on the board.

--PB--

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Class of 2009

Orangebloods is reporting a 2009 commit may already be on shaky ground. Can anyone shed some light on this situation? Thanks

by ANGST on Feb 12, 2008 6:50 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Non-story

There's no meat in the story. Ignore.

--PB--

by PB @ BON on Feb 12, 2008 7:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Thank you...

I appreciate the info..

by ANGST on Feb 13, 2008 3:52 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Emory Blake

bad call not offering him a scholarship. That kid can play. Ive seen him do it

by WesleyGottesman on Feb 12, 2008 6:56 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Loyal Forever

I'd love to nab Blake... Word is he loved his visit, though. Think we still have a good shot.

--PB--

by PB @ BON on Feb 12, 2008 7:37 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Injury

Isn't the reason we didn't offer this weekend was because he is still recovering from an injury? If he can show that he's recovered by this summer, I bet we offer and he commits.

by R00T4UT on Feb 12, 2008 8:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Exacttly right

--PB--

by PB @ BON on Feb 12, 2008 9:24 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

WR position

Including Timmons we have 11 WR with eligibility through 2010. Plus Shipley will likely get an extra year and be here through 2009. Too many other gaping holes to fill to take another WR in this class. Plus you've got to consider Shepard has a decent shot of ending up there if we get him and he doesn't pan out at QB.

It sounds like we may get OL Walters on the 23rd. At that point we'll have 8 commitments and will have not addressed huge needs at LB, DE, TE and DT.

by Horncasting on Feb 13, 2008 1:10 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

any word

on Shepard?

by Hook'em13 on Feb 12, 2008 8:44 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

New video

http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com...

by sosodef76 on Feb 12, 2008 9:57 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Im so excited about the season

All this videos and all this recruiting hype makes me really excited about football. And its great because the first game isnt to far off...198 days 24 hours and 34 min...and the depression has set in

by blazzinken on Feb 13, 2008 1:28 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

New Blood Mack

Maybe it was the second consecutive loss to KSU. It could have been the aTm loss. Well, whatever it was, it seems to have finally hit the tipping point with Mack Brown. 2007 was a shitter of a year. The recruiting class was top notch, but the team left a lot to be desired on and off the field.

I think what we're seeing here -- this commitment from yet another national 100 player as the most recent evidence -- is a coach who hit a tipping point and found his fire.

Right now there are seven sick commitments in the bag (as much as verbal commits can be) and the coaching staff is just hitting its stride. There's a bevy of top talent hitting Austin in ten days for the second Texas Junior Day. The monumental coaching changes caught our attention shortly after the Holiday Roll.

What really caught my eye, though, is the expansion of the recruiting territory. While locking down much of Texas' best prospects, Mack and Co. have expanded their web beyond the safe confines of this state. Two absolute studs have received offers. Dre Kirkpatrick of Alabama is the #1 DB in the country and Devon Kennard of Arizona is the #1 DE in the country. Both rankings according to Rivals. Whether Texas can seriously compete for these two is not really my concern. To land either would be huge, but missing out on both would have a neutral impact on the class.

I am excited by the offer from the Longhorn staff. Just the fact that Mack is showing some flexibility we haven't seen all that often. Some of the data posted in Peter's critique of the MB philosophy illuminated the scarier side of a Texas-centric approach to recruiting -- namely that if Texas misses out on a few top Texas recruits, the class takes a significant hit. These two bigtime out of state offers show me that Mack is still evolving as a coach and recruiter. I think getting the attention of Top 10 recruits early in the game is a fantastic way to go, and I'm curious to see how it plays out in this class and in future classes.

by Kool Hand on Feb 14, 2008 12:50 AM CST reply actions 0 recs