Class of 2007

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Here's the 10th and final installment on the Class of 2007. Today we highlight quarterbacks:

Top area QBs

1) Nathan Dick, Allen: Nathan Dick (6-3, 194) may be a better prospect than older brother Casey, who is the starter at Arkansas. Nathan is a pocket passer with a good arm and is smart like his older brother. Nathan completed better than 57 percent of his passes for 1,213 yards and seven touchdowns last season despite missing several games with a broken tibia. He also rushed for 294 yards.

2) Brock Mansion, Episcopal School of Dallas: The Plano option system didn't fit Mansion so he transferred to Episcopal School of Dallas. Mansion (6-5, 221) has all the tools -- obviously he has great size and a strong arm. Mansion had a terrific junior season, passing for 1,680 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also rushed for 937 yards and nine touchdowns. Mansion has made several trips to Austin and really wants to go to Texas, but he may be the Longhorns' third or fourth option.

3) Cal Farley, Keller: There would appear to be a slight dropoff after Nathan Dick and Brock Mansion, but Cal Farley (6-2, 185), a pro-style quarterback, certainly has the numbers to suggest he's a strong prospect. Farley passed for 2,254 yards and 14 touchdowns despite missing his team's final two games with a fractured fibula. Farley list of schools includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Virginia.

4) Darren Dillard, Garland Lakeview: Dillard (6-2, 180) is the top dual-threat quarterback in the area. He threw for 2,118 and 13 touchdowns and also rushed for three scores. His college choices are Florida, Georgia Tech, LSU, Missouri, Oklahoma and TCU.

5) Kyle McDonald, Haltom: McDonald (6-3, 175), a district rival of Farley's, is another top prospect who threw for more than 2,000 yards as a junior. McDonald passed for 2,079 yards and 14 touchdowns. He is looking at Arizona, Baylor and Texas A&M.

The state's best: Texarkana Texas High QB Ryan Mallett is the state's best. Mallett (6-7, 230) may have the strongest arm in Texas schoolboy history, at least in recent memory, recruiting experts say. So where will he end up? Texas appeared to be the obvious destination, but the Longhorns asked Mallett to make a decision on their offer last week and he didn't bite. If Texas moves on, it could be Michigan that takes the lead.

The nation's best: Well, here comes another Clausen. This time it is Jimmy Clausen from Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian. The younger brother of Casey and Rick is getting every bit of the hype that his brothers received. It is well deserved. Jimmy (6-3, 200) passed for 3,665 yards as a sophomore and 2,778 as a junior. Southern Cal may well be the favorite, but Clausen has several offers, including ones from Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

Posted by Todd Wills at 9:31 AM (E-mail this entry)

April 3, 2006

Class of 2007 breakdown: athletes

Here's the ninth installment on the Class of 2007.

Today we highlight athletes, those recruits who are likely to play a position other than the one they play in high school:

Top area athletes

1) John Chiles, Mansfield Summit: It's been said here before, watching Chiles on video is worth seeing. He is the first player in the area I will make a point of seeing this fall. Chiles (6-1, 195), who has orally committed to Texas, said he wants to play quarterback for UT. He will play there for Summit after splitting time at receiver and quarterback last year.

2) Justin Johnson, Richardson Berkner: Johnson (6-1, 208) plays quarterback very well in high school and wants to keep doing so in college. We'll see. He did an exceptional job of running Berkner's offense before getting injured in the playoffs. Johnson rushed for 1,566 yards and 14 touchdowns and passed for 402 yards and five touchdowns.

3) Christian Scott, Skyline: Scott (6-0, 185) started at safety as a junior and played running back when Skyline went to the I-formation. He'll play quarterback this year, but probably will end up playing safety in college. And with his size, he could be a wide receiver or grow into a linebacker.

4) William Cole, Cedar Hill: Cole (5-10, 165) is a guy you want to get into space, whether it's on the football field or the basketball court. He can jump through the roof. Cole will play some quarterback to run the zone read this fall and he will also play receiver and running back. He is an exceptional return guy.

The state's best: Chiles is an exceptional athlete, mentioned by some in the same breath with Vince Young, only Chiles is not as big and physical. Chiles passed for 237 yards and rushed for 491 yards last year. At receiver he showed an ability to turn short passes into long gains with 694 yards receiving and eight touchdowns.

The nation's best: It may well come down to Chiles and Joe McKnight from River Ridge (La.) John Curtis. McKnight (6-0, 197) had his season shortened by Hurricane Katrina, but that didn't keep him from making a ton of big plays. He averaged 17.7 yards every time he touched the ball. McKnight has offers from LSU, Florida, Florida State, Arkansas and Ole Miss.

Tim MacMahon says: Chiles and Johnson want to play QB in college, but I project both to play different positions. I see Chiles, who has one of the most entertaining highlight reels I've seen, as a Ramonce Taylor type -- a guy UT moves around to create mismatches. I'd make Johnson a safety or outside linebacker. He's a great athlete with smarts and toughness, as evidenced by playing most of a playoff game with a broken jaw.

Coming Tuesday: Quarterbacks

Posted by Todd Wills at 1:12 PM (E-mail this entry)

March 31, 2006

Class of 2007 breakdown: running backs

Here's the eighth installment on the Class of 2007. Today we highlight running backs:

Top area running backs

1) Johnny Wooten, Garland: Wooten (6-0, 205) will get a chance to prove his recruiting stock is on the mark for run-oriented Garland. He already has a scholarship offer from Texas A&M and is also looking at Texas Tech, Arkansas, Nebraska and Southern Cal. Wooten averaged 6.1 yards per rush and scored six touchdowns as a junior.

2) Shawnbrey McNeal, Madison: The speedy back from Madison already has offers from Florida, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and Kansas State and surely will get more. McNeal (5-9, 181) had a sensational junior season, rushing for 1,556 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has great vision and a feel for the position.

3) Shaka Harris, Carrollton Ranchview: Harris (6-1, 195) has as much speed (4.4 in the 40) as any running back in the area, and he is built like a high profile running back. He comes off a 1,047 yards and three touchdowns despite missing time with a broken vertebrae in his back. He doesn't have any offers yet, but they will come.

4) Michael Hicks, Carter: Hicks (5-8, 185) is a north-south runner who is very tough. He punishes tacklers and keeps his pads low. The question is: Can he take the pounding that a feature back would take in a major conference? Hicks had 1,113 yards on 155 carries last season as he rested often in the second half of Carter blowouts. He doesn't have any offers yet.

The state's best: It's not a particularly strong year for running backs in Texas, but three have already made oral commitments - Waller's Cody Johnson (5-10, 225) and Pearland's Foswhitt Whittaker (5-9, 170) have given pledges to Texas and McAllen Memorial's Bradley Stephens (5-10, 180) to Texas A&M. Johnson is considered by most to be the best prospect, averaging 10 yards per carry last year while scoring 19 touchdowns.

The nation's best: They don't get much better than North Fort Myers RB Noel Devine, who almost wound up playing for Prosper last fall. Things didn't work out for him and Deion Sanders, but Devine still had a spectacular junior season, rushing for 1,986 yards and 24 touchdowns. The thought is Devine will stay in state, but Southern Cal could be a darkhorse.

Tim MacMahon says: Fullback is an endangered species, with one-back sets and spread offenses now the norm, but Skyline's Sinatra Wallace would be a good fit for an I-formation team. He's a 5-10, 250-pound battering ram who starts at middle linebacker and plays offense when Skyline lines up in the I.

Coming Monday: Athletes

Posted by Todd Wills at 1:43 PM (E-mail this entry)

March 30, 2006

Class of 2007 breakdown: wide receivers/tight ends

Here's the seventh installment on the Class of 2007. Today we highlight wide receivers and tight ends:

Top area wide receivers

1) Malcolm Williams, Garland: Williams (6-3, 205) gave an oral commitment to Texas over the weekend. He had 17 catches for 283 yards during an injury-plagued junior season. Williams overwhelms opposing defensive backs with his 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash. He also could be a capable shutdown cornerback.

2) Romie Blaylock, Cedar Hill: Another 4.4 speedster, Blaylock (5-11, 175) has offers from Baylor, Houston and Kansas State. Also in the mix are LSU, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M. Blaylock wants to play in a spread offense and may be enticed by a program that lets him run track. Baylor has offered to let him do that.

3) Hubert Anyiam, North Garland: It's a speed year for receivers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Anyiam (6-1, 175) can flat out fly and he has the attention of Texas A&M. Anyiam averaged 22.5 yards per reception and scored six touchdowns as a junior.

4) Anthony Ford, Southlake Carroll: Ford should follow in the footsteps of Clint Renfro and McKay Jacobson as a highly sought after receiver from Carroll. Ford had eight receptions for 75 yards last year, but he mainly played cornerback because Carroll was stocked at receiver. He had three interceptions. Ford should fit into Jacobson's role as a slot receiver this fall.

The state's best: This a tossup between Malcolm Williams, Lufkin's Dez Bryant and Gilmer's Curtis Brown. I'm going with Bryant, and maybe that's just because he blew me away against Southlake Carroll in the playoffs. Bryant (6-1, 195) has outstanding leaping ability and great hands. His top two schools are Texas A&M and Texas Tech. Brown and Williams have both committed to Texas.

The nation's best: Arrelious Benn, Washington D.C. Dunbar. Benn already has a ton of offers from a who's who list in college football - Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Tennessee and Southern Cal. He's the first receiver in Dunbar school history to have 1,000 yards in a season. He has great speed and is exceptional running after the catch.

Tim MacMahon says: Cedar Hill's William Cole (5-10, 165) and Irving MacArthur's Ron Brooks (5-10, 170) are two of the area's top all-purpose threats. They will probably play receiver in college, but Cole and Brooks could see a lot of time at quarterback and/or running back next season as well as returning kicks. Neither guy is very big, but they have great speed and are extremely elusive.

Top area tight ends

1) Dante Pinchback, Irving: Pinchback is huge (6-5, 255) and he can run (4.8 in the 40-yard dash). He is physical and could wind up as an offensive tackle. Pinchback had three catches for 59 yards. He told Rivals.com that his focus must be on academics, particularly the ACT, and then the offers should start flowing in.

2) Jordan Scoggins, Euless Trinity: Scoggins (6-3, 260) is another local product with the size college coaches crave. Scoggins had 11 catches for 361 yards and two touchdowns last year.

3) Kramer Lucio, Richardson Berkner: Surprise, surprise, another Berkner product pops up on the 2007 breakdown. The Rams kind of look like a state championship contender, don't they? Lucio (6-5, 230) can play either tight end or defensive end. He had only one catch for 19 yards as a junior.

The state's best: Pinchback is considered the best in the state, but Brenham's Ahmard Howard (6-4, 240) has already made an oral commitment to Texas. Howard is an athletic tight end prospect who runs a 4.67 in the 40-yard dash.

The nation's best: All you need to know about Jacksonville (Fla.) Andrew Jackson tight end De'Angelo McCray (6-5, 265) is that he runs on his high school track team's 4x100 relay team. McCray, one of the two prospects in Florida, has offers from Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami (Fla.), Notre Dame and Tennessee. He had 18 catches for 369 yards last year, plus 52 tackles and 13 sacks at defensive end.

Tim MacMahon says: It's been a while since the area had a crop of tight ends this good. Spread offenses have become the norm, but these three guys all play in run-based offenses. Pinchback and Scoggins have proven themselves as dominant blockers. Their soft hands are a bonus.

Coming Friday: Running backs

Posted by Todd Wills at 11:57 AM (E-mail this entry)

March 29, 2006

Class of 2007 breakdown: offensive linemen

Here's the sixth installment on the Class of 2007. Today we highlight offensive linemen:

Top area offensive linemen

1) Tray Allen, South Grand Prairie: Allen (6-4, 285) is one of the top three recruits in the Dallas-Fort Worh area along with Lincoln DE Richetti Jones and Mansfield Summit QB/ATH John Chiles. Allen gets the pick of where he wants to go - Florida, LSU, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M and Texas Tech have all offered him. South Grand Prairie coach David Fisher calls Allen one of the best finishers of a block he's ever seen.

2) John Jones, Cedar Hill: Jones (6-5, 280) already has offers from Baylor, Houston and Kansas State. He also plays basketball, so scouts have been able to pick up on the quick feet that make him one of the best tackle prospects in the area. He made varsity as a sophomore, but started for the first time as a junior.

3) Jeremiah Hatch, Carter: Hatch (6-3, 280) spent his first full season on varsity last year and produced an all-district season at center. He already has an offer from Arizona and is also drawing interest from Oklahoma, TCU, LSU and Iowa. Hatch has great quickness and is equally consistent as a run blocker and in pass protection.

4) Josh LeRibeus, Richardson Berkner: LeRibeus (6-3, 321) has offers from Baylor, Houston and Boston College. Also in the picture are Texas A&M and Oklahoma State, which made inroads at Berkner by signing Ugo Chinasa. LeRibeus is a two-year starter for one of the top programs in the area.

The state's best: Tray Allen is considered the best in a strong crop of offensive linemen in Texas. Allen could play tackle in college, but he is considered to be the best incoming freshman at guard in the country.

The nation's best: Tray Allen may well be the best line prospect in the country. He gets competition from Littleton (Colo.) Columbine's Ryan Miller. The 6-8, 280-pound tackle has offers from Colorado, Colorado State, Miami (Fla.), Kansas State, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Washington. Southern Cal and Oklahoma are also pursuers. Miller's major strength is his aggressiveness.

Tim MacMahon says: Another intriguing prospect is Keller Fossil Ridge’s Chris Perry. He’s a 6-3, 319-pound guy with great quickness. He’s making the transition from defensive tackle to guard for his senior season. Texas A&M and Baylor are among a handful of schools that have offered him. He told Rivals.com he’s holding out for an offer from Miami (Fla.).

Coming Thursday: wide receivers/tight ends

Posted by Todd Wills at 11:06 AM (E-mail this entry)

March 28, 2006

Class of 2007 breakdown: defensive tackles

Here's the fifth installment on the Class of 2007. Today we highlight defensive tackles:

Top area defensive tackles

1) Adrian Campbell, Richardson Berkner: Campbell follows Oklahoma State signee Ugo Chinasa as another blue-chip defensive lineman at Berkner. Campbell (6-5, 241) has been offered by Baylor (the runner-up for Chinasa) and is being recruited by Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. He is a more active player than Chinasa. Campbell had 108 tackles and five sacks last year.

2) Stephen Thomas, Lancaster:Thomas (6-3, 287) has already racked up several offers, including ones from Kansas, Florida, Arizona, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Texas Tech. Thomas, who transferred from North Mesquite, also has Southern Cal assistant Ken Norton Jr. hot on his trail. Thomas only played in a few games last year due to academic problems.

3) Anthony Morgan, Lancaster: Morgan (6-4, 336) gives Lancaster two blue chip defensive tackles, although he is being recruited by several schools as an offensive lineman. Like Thomas, Morgan has several offers, including from Alabama, Baylor, Florida, Kansas, Kansas State, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State and TCU.

The state's best: Andre Jones, El Paso Andress: The expected battle between Texas and Notre Dame never materialized after Jones gave an oral commitment to the Longhorns last month. Jones (6-4, 305), on Rivals.com's pre-evaluation national top 100, is noted for coming off the ball quickly and his great footwork.

The nation's best: Portland (Ore.) Benson Tech defensive tackle Myles Wade (6-2, 290) gives the state of Oregon one of the top defensive players in the country. Not only is Oregon State in the picture, but so are Texas, Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Southern Cal, Stanford and UCLA. Wade had 40 tackles and eight sacks as a junior.

Tim MacMahon says: Campbell and Thomas aren't your typical hole-clogging tackles. These guys are extremely athletic. Campbell was a key reserve on Berkner's Class 5A state semifinalist basketball team. Thomas started for North Mesquite's basketball team as a sophomore. They're tough enough to battle centers and guards at the line of scrimmage, but their ability to make plays in the backfield is what makes them special.