By Josh Austin, Recruiting Writer
When the national talking heads talked Texas football this season, they talked about Vince. When they weren't talking about Vince, though, they were talking about the lines. Texas ran the table this year because they dominated the line of scrimmage in the trenches. The defensive line loses star Rodrique Wright to the NFL, but retains three starters. Texas has recruited very well on the D-Line in the past few years, 2006 being no exception. The unquestioned stud of this group is Eddie Jones.
The Kilgore Texas stand out is a Rivals Five Star and the third ranked DE in the country. Ed isn't a monstrous specimen (6'3 240lb), but he is a speed demon. He clocked a 4.6-40 at the Alamo Dome several weeks ago. Jones recorded over 250 tackles and 20 sacks over his last two seasons at Kilgore, leading the Bulldogs to the state championship his junior year.
Like Wooderson at a high school party, Mack & the Boys do pretty well with recruiting defensive linemen. This recent success has given Texas plenty of depth on the defensive line. Crowder, Robison, Okam, Dibbles, & Orakpo all made contributions last year. What does this mean for Jones? Well, it could mean a red shirt. EJ had surgery in early January to repair a torn meniscus. If his recovery goes slowly, this may make the decision easier. If Jones wrecks O-linemen in workouts, the decision may be tougher. Still, Crowder & Robison get helped off the field as often as Xtina wears a see-thru shirt. If those two guys get nicked during the season, however, Eddie may be forced to play.
Watching EJ will remind lots of Horns fans of a faster Tim Crowder. Not huge, but fast off the end. With a good summer conditioning program and an extra 20 lbs, Jones will be a force to be reckoned with. As of today, Jones has not yet signed a letter of intent but is considered to be a lock to be in Austin.
These linemen keep getting younger, but I just stay the same age.
--JA--