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Texas Recruiting Notes 2021

Reese Bennett

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(Justin Wells) The Next Big Thing: Clayton Smith

At first glance, it's difficult not to notice the 6-foot-4, 220-pound sophomore on the practice field at Texas High. 

He's long, athletic, and seems to find the ball on most plays. Three plays into his scrimmage, and he had two PBUs and a sack from OLB and DE. But there's something else to see. 

Texas High coach Gerry Stanford raves about the junior-to-be. But not in the on-field sense, it's the off the field stuff that he gushes about. Hard-working, hustles, and great example to teammates are attributes in how he's described. Then I notice something. 

It's hot and humid, and some of the players are dragging, complaining about water breaks, and showing very little enthusiasm. Then you hear this voice.... "Get it together, defense. Shut up and hit." Smith is going from being just a sophomore on varsity to a leader in a matter of months. 

I watched this kid run to pick up folding schutes (two at a time, while teammates retrieved one). I saw him picking up cones, paper cups, and helping with the water station, all without being asked. That's a leadership trait. 

"Last week was a rough week at practice but we came out better on Monday," said Smith. "Last year I came out here as the young guy, now I have to be the leader of this program. Late in practice I see guys with their heads down. I need to do a better job of leading this group and I will." 

He knows what he needs to do now. 

"I'm growing verbally, because last year I really just tried to be a great example," Smith said. "This year, I don't have a choice. If I don't say anything, nobody will."

Then we discussed his growth as a football player, which has one of the highest ceilings I've ever seen at 16 years old. 

"As a player, I'm getting more used to the speed of varsity play," said Smith. "I'm adjusting from OLB to DE this season. I need to get stronger at the point of attack and set the edge."

Recruiting is new to the quiet, soft-spoken prospect with no clue of his own potential. 

"Arkansas, Southern, Nebraska, and Tulsa have offered," Smith said. "The process is the fun part. Seeing these big schools, I need to get some of my boys to go with me on these trips so they can see what we're working for. That's my goal; not just for me, but to help get my teammates out of this city." 

He's been to Austin twice since February, including the spring game. Texas has opened his eyes to the possibilities of major college football.

"Honestly, I love it," said Smith, about the University of Texas. "Austin is amazing. The energy is crazy, unlike anything I've seen before. The coaching staff is great and they make me feel important. Coach Warehime is a cool dude, family man. He's dedicated and I like that. The weight room, I haven't seen one like it yet. The facilities, all first class."

One thing really stands out about UT; the culture. 

"The team chemistry is unlike any I've ever seen," Smith explained. "I want to bring that up here to my team. I love everything about it." 

Ole Miss, Minnesota, and UH are probably the next offers for the rising prospect in Texarkana. But give it 12 months, and this kid might have his choice of schools across the country. 

When you combine his attitude, ability, potential, and leadership qualities, you get the total package. Or the next big thing.

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texifornia

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3 minutes ago, markstanco said:

WV is always >>> Ohio.  Many parts of WV are beautiful.  All of Ohio sucks.   

I've always enjoyed my time in Cincinnati and Cleveland. Friendly people, plenty to do around work/family obligations. The "cities" in WV are just depressing. Nice scenery though.

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markstanco

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2 minutes ago, texifornia said:

I've always enjoyed my time in Cincinnati and Cleveland. Friendly people, plenty to do around work/family obligations. The "cities" in WV are just depressing. Nice scenery though.

Cincinnati I will give you, and going to a Reds game is fun (went when Drew was playing).  Cleveland I dont get, I have been there a dozen times.  Better than Detroit though. 

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KYHorn

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4 minutes ago, texifornia said:

I've always enjoyed my time in Cincinnati and Cleveland. Friendly people, plenty to do around work/family obligations. The "cities" in WV are just depressing. Nice scenery though.

This. Ohio has some enjoyable cities with lots of options. WV is beautiful and offers lots of outdoors activities, but if you're looking for city life or interaction with locals, this is not the state.

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closetojumping

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2 hours ago, texifornia said:

I've always enjoyed my time in Cincinnati and Cleveland. Friendly people, plenty to do around work/family obligations. The "cities" in WV are just depressing. Nice scenery though.

Two of the bigger cities in this country that I've never visited. Been to Columbus a few times. I view the state of Ohio as an absolute shithole from the 3-4 times I've visited a few locations. I've seen people compare Columbus to Austin and outside of them both being capitals, I find the comparison flat out fucking absurd. If Ohio was such an awesome place, the fatasses wouldn't be evacuating south en masse as though there was a pending ice age. 

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texifornia

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22 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Two of the bigger cities in this country that I've never visited. Been to Columbus a few times. I view the state of Ohio as an absolute shithole from the 3-4 times I've visited a few locations. I've seen people compare Columbus to Austin and outside of them both being capitals, I find the comparison flat out fucking absurd. If Ohio was such an awesome place, the fatasses wouldn't be evacuating south en masse as though there was a pending ice age. 

Cincy is really a unique place - cool blend of north and south with pretty terrain and a couple of really solid nightlife districts. Met up with an Irish friend there and he was clearly pleasantly shocked after assuming every Midwestern city was a variation on Indianapolis.

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2 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Cincy is really a unique place - cool blend of north and south with pretty terrain and a couple of really solid nightlife districts. Met up with an Irish friend there and he was clearly pleasantly shocked after assuming every Midwestern city was a variation on Indianapolis. 

My friend who's a professional athlete for a Cincinnati team likes the city way more than he expected to  

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MuellerHorn

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5 hours ago, CBHorn said:

Kid is from Ironton, OH.  That is one shitty town.  I had to go there for work.  You know Ohio sucks when you cross the river into West Virginia and it's a drastic improvement.

I'm nitpicking, but Ironton borders Kentucky on the Ohio River. However,  Huntington, West Virginia is just 30 minutes SE, and you cross the Ohio River to get there as well.

Today's takeaway is this: don't live anywhere along the Ohio River.

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LTtxfan

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21 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Per TFLoss, OB is saying Landon Jackson and Marcus Burris will be on campus tomorrow.

Crazy that there's two DE's of this caliber at the same school in Texarkana......

https://247sports.com/Player/Marcus-Burris-46050583/

https://247sports.com/Player/Landon-Jackson-46049327/

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TommyGufano

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34 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

Crazy that there's two DE's of this caliber at the same school in Texarkana......

https://247sports.com/Player/Marcus-Burris-46050583/

https://247sports.com/Player/Landon-Jackson-46049327/

Plus Clayton Smith, whose eventual position could end up DE (prolly B-backer, imo). Seems a statistical anomaly if all these kids end up as good as they're being talked up 

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Bevo14

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1 hour ago, TommyGufano said:

Plus Clayton Smith, whose eventual position could end up DE (prolly B-backer, imo). Seems a statistical anomaly if all these kids end up as good as they're being talked up 

In another 10 years, 7 foot 400 pound kids that run a 4.5 will be the norm

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closetojumping

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5 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Who will this board be more bummed out about getting a potential commitment from between Stone and Troy Omeire???

Can't speak for the board, but it would be Stone for me. Not even close. Omeire - I'm fine if he goes elsewhere, but if he comes to Texas, I'll laugh at the H2H win over ATM and cheer for him to gain either a couple of inches or a couple of seconds on his 40. 

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Elmer_Fudd

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5 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Can't speak for the board, but it would be Stone for me. Not even close. Omeire - I'm fine if he goes elsewhere, but if he comes to Texas, I'll laugh at the H2H win over ATM and cheer for him to gain either a couple of inches or a couple of seconds on his 40. 

Yeah it looks like Stone is going to be the QB for this class.  No other offers out and doesn't seem like much communication with others.  Figured Davis or Stowers might get a look.  I've seen that Stone supposedly is over 200 lbs. now.

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closetojumping

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10 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Yeah it looks like Stone is going to be the QB for this class.  No other offers out and doesn't seem like much communication with others.  Figured Davis or Stowers might get a look.  I've seen that Stone supposedly is over 200 lbs. now.

Most of the weight he's added is ego.

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25 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Yeah it looks like Stone is going to be the QB for this class.  No other offers out and doesn't seem like much communication with others.  Figured Davis or Stowers might get a look.  I've seen that Stone supposedly is over 200 lbs. now. 

Stowers would probably be the Ja'Quinden for the 2021 class, if we can get him 

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Elmer_Fudd

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4 hours ago, LTtxfan said:

Crazy that there's two DE's of this caliber at the same school in Texarkana......

https://247sports.com/Player/Marcus-Burris-46050583/

https://247sports.com/Player/Landon-Jackson-46049327/

The DL group for this class is almost as stacked and deep as OL.  These 2 guys, Adeleye, Jordon Thomas, Clayton Smith, Ja'Tavion Sanders, I suppose you could throw in Blackshire??  I may be missing someone and I'm sure a couple more names will pop up within the next year.

Another 10+ win year and aggy stumbling to 4-6 losses and we'll be getting just about whoever we want from these groups.

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satyanash

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Mike at Night: A complete look at 2021 QB Preston Stone

—I had the opportunity to spend a few hours watching 2021 Parish Episcopal quarterback Preston Stone today. Stone is the lone Texas target at quarterback in the 2021 class, and Tim Beck is all in on him right now. Physically, there is a lot to love about the kid, and he has the mental makeup to be a special player at the college level.

—Let’s start with the physical. Stone showed off an incredibly quick release today, and I think that’s his most impressive trait. His frame is really developing, and he’s now at around 6-feet-2, 205 pounds. He’s built really well in his lower body, and he uses his lower half well to drive the ball. Stone has been working on utilizing more fundamental mechanics inside the pocket this year, and he’s a strong all-around passer. He showed off his arm strength several times, but his timing and touch are next level.

—As for the intangibles, the only way I can sum them up is to say that Stone has a noticeable presence. This presence deftly walks the line between arrogance and confidence, and I think it’s a trait that special athletes have inherently. You can tell that he’s one of those guys who would probably be one of the best at any sport he plays. I love that presence at the quarterback position because you can drive your team to do anything if they see it in you. It’s very similar to the way Sam Ehlinger operates. Stone also showed off some great vocal leadership, and he was extremely coachable on the day.

—I’ve written a lot of good about Stone, so let’s take a look at some of the negatives surrounding his game. With his presence comes a gunslinger mentality. There isn’t a throw that this kid thinks he can’t make. He will likely get his team into trouble at times with that approach, but it’s also what can produce some truly special moments. The other damning thing standing in his way is the fact that TAPPS (Texas private schools) rarely produces high-end passers. The level of competition will always be a question, and frankly, it’s a valid one.

—So where do things stand with Stone? Publicly he’s letting everyone know that he’s open, but I’ve heard that Texas and SMU are out in front. SMU is actually a somewhat serious contender in this race. Stone has family ties to the University, and his brother will be enrolling this fall to play wide receiver for the Ponies. Rhett Lashlee and Sonny Dykes have been all over him, and there is some real confidence in Dallas surrounding their chances. I think Texas holds the lead, and I think they will eventually be his pick, but SMU shouldn’t be disregarded. I think that Stone has the closest relationship with Tim Beck out of all of the coaches recruiting him, and he really likes the fit within the Texas offense.

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