:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/28562341/demarkus_lodge.0.jpg)
Wide receiver
Needs: Two
Offers:
- Christian Kirk, Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro
- Damarkus Lodge, Cedar Hill
- Chad President, Temple (Baylor quarterback commit)
- Kemah Siverand, Cypress Ridge
- Keke Coutee, Lufkin
After taking five wide receivers in the 2014 class, this is bound to be a smaller group for the Longhorns, as it's hard to see the staff taking more than two prospects, meaning recruiting will be highly selective at the position.
is that why Coutee decided to open up his recruitment once again? There's not any reason at this point to believe that it was a situation like with Sherman offensive guard Aaron Garza, who basically had his offer pulled, but Coutee is the lowest-rated prospect on the above list. He also said at the time of his decommitment that he was still going to consider the Longhorns.
Kirk is the nation's top wide receiver as an explosive and dynamic slot prospect and is thought to be high on Texas A&M and Oregon. Texas would be lucky to end up as a serious player in his recruitment, but Arizona is a good state to attempt to exploit because neither Arizona nor Arizona State are programs that can compete on a national level, even with in-state prospects.
The real top target in the class for the Longhorns is Lodge, a player whose stock has continued to rise after he got his first extensive playing time as a junior in the loaded Cedar Hill program, taking advantage of it to the tune of 22 touchdowns and over 1,200 yards on 72 catches. Like Soso Jamabo, Lodge was thought to be a Texas lean at one point, but recently released a top 10 list that did not include the Longhorns. Now Baylor is trending heavily in the Crystal Ball for Lodge in recent days.
President is a lost cause in terms of Texas recruiting, as he's set to play quarterback at Baylor after growing up as a fan of the Bears, while the explosive Siverand is thought to be an A&M lean at this point as the Aggies continue to assert themselves in the Houston area, a trend that the Longhorns need to start reversing. The same with East Texas.
Two slot prospects to keep an eye on are diminutive Aledo pass-catcher Ryan Newsome and Prime Prep's James Proche.
If Texas misses on Lodge, the class is going to feel like a disappointment given the strong early positioning with him, and it would take some impressive commitments from other prospects to reduce that sting. Unfortunately, the uphill battle with Siverand is going to make that more difficult.
