AP Top 100 - Central Capsules: Texas dominates AP list of top preps in region
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — In a few years, many of the players on the inaugural Associated Press list of the 25 best high school football players across the Midwest and Southwest may bear a strong resemblance to the starting lineup for the Texas Longhorns.
The perennial college powerhouse has an eyebrow-raising 10 commitments from that list.
One of the biggest stars in the group is running back Malcolm Brown, who has chosen Texas over Alabama. Brown rushed for 2,170 yards and 33 touchdowns as a junior at Cibolo Steele.
Brown's high school coach, Mike Jinks, said Brown eventually should play in the NFL.
"Texas don't even know what they got," the coach said. "It goes way beyond football."
Jinks said Brown, at 6-foot-1 and 215 pounds, runs a 4.4-second 40-yard dash. He said Brown chose Texas because Austin is just 40 miles from home and the Longhorns have committed to the running game.
The list was compiled by AP reporters who looked at top prospects in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.
It shouldn't be a surprise that the Lone Star state dominated the list. And the Longhorns look like they are ready to reap the rewards.
Oklahoma is the only school other than Texas to have more than one commitment from the region.
Nebraska might have nabbed the quarterback to help make its return to the national spotlight last. Bubba Starling of Gardner, Kan. is one of two quarterbacks chosen for the regional list. The other, Kiehl Frazier of Shiloh Christian in Springdale, Ark., has committed to Auburn.
Among the top undecided stars is receiver DaVaris Daniels of Vernon Hills, Ill. His father, Phillip Daniels, plays defensive end for the Washington Redskins.
The complete list of the 25 best players in the Central who will be part of the 2011 recruiting class:
DeAnthony Arnett, wide receiver, Saginaw (Mich.) HS; Ladarius Brown, wide receiver/defensive back, Waxahachie (Texas) HS; Malcolm Brown, running back, Steele HS, Cibolo, Texas; Rodney Coe, running back/linebacker, Edwardsville (Ill.) HS; Brey Cook, OL, Har-Ber HS, Springdale, Ark.
DaVaris Daniels, wide receiver, Vernon Hills (Ill.) HS; Quandre Diggs, cornerback, Angleton (Texas) HS; Steve Edmond, linebacker; Daingerfield (Texas) HS; Sheroid Evans, cornerback, Fort Bend Dulles HS, Sugar Land, Texas; Sedrick Flowers, G, Galena Park North Shore HS, Houston.
Kiehl Frazier, quarterback, Shiloh Christian HS, Springdale, Ark.; Christian French, linebacker/wide receiver, Kennedy HS, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Aaron Green, running back, James Madison HS, San Antonio; Garrett Greenlea, OL, Klein Collins HS, Spring, Texas; Desmond Jackson, defensive tackle, Spring Westfield HS, Houston.
Trey Metoyer, wide receiver, Whitehouse (Texas) HS; Trevon Randle, linebacker, Clear Springs HS, League City, Texas; Cedric Reed, defensive lineman, Cleveland (Texas) HS; Leroy Scott, cornerback, South Houston HS, Pasadena, Texas; Herschel Sims, running back, Abilene (Texas) HS.
Bubba Starling, quarterback, Gardner-Edgerton HS, Gardner, Kan.; Lawrence Thomas, linebacker, Renaissance HS, Detroit; Josh Turner, cornerback/wide receiver, Millwood HS, Oklahoma City; Anthony Wallace, linebacker, Skyline (Texas) HS; Brandon Williams, running back, Brookshire Royal HS, Brookshire, Texas.
Speedster Arnett is everywhere on field
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — DeAnthony Arnett doesn't switch teams during games, it just sometimes seems that way.
The Saginaw High (Mich.) receiver uses his ball-hawking skills so well on defense that he often appears to be the intended receiver when the other team passes.
"There were times when it looked like they were throwing the ball to him," Saginaw coach Gary Lee said.
Lee says Arnett runs a 4.45-second 40-yard dash. But Arnett, who is considering Michigan State, USC, Tennessee, Iowa and Oklahoma, has other attributes.
"He has great balance when he runs his routes," Lee said. "He's never stumbling or tripping, which is unusual for a high school player. He has phenomenal football sense. When I say this kid gets open, I mean he's wide open. He's spinning kids around."
Lee said Arnett played defense last season for the first time as a high school player. He calls his player a "sponge" when it comes to gathering football knowledge.
"I'm not going to take credit for teaching this kid," he said. "Sometimes, he does things and I wonder, 'Where did he learn that?'"
A big-time performance against Flint Northwestern was his highlight last season. Lee said Arnett leaped between two defenders to make a catch on his way to a long touchdown play that gave Saginaw the lead. He then intercepted a pass on the next possession to preserve the win.
Lee said Arnett studies opponents so well that he often predicts how they will defend him.
"This kid has learned it and he has perfected it," Lee said. "It's fun to watch him play."
-- Cliff Brunt
Texas prepster Brown a top RB recruit
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Always proud of his son, Tommy Brown knew Malcolm was a good player but wasn't really sure if what he saw was special.
Others could see it right away.
That's why Malcolm was called up to the Cibolo Steele varsity late in the season — as a ninth-grader. And that's why he got the ball to score the winning touchdown in overtime in a victory that sent Steele to the playoffs that season.
"It may not have been a big thing to him," Tommy Brown said. "But it was exciting for us."
That was just the beginning. Now everyone has taken notice of the power, speed and bruising skill in the 6-1, 215-pound senior who rates among the top running back recruits in the country.
Scholarship offers poured in, but Brown weighed only two options for college: Alabama, last season's national champion and home of Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, and Texas, the team the Crimson Tide beat in the Rose Bowl and just a 60-mile drive away from his home in the San Antonio suburbs.
Brown's coach says he has chosen Texas, making him coach Mack Brown's first big catch at the position since Jamaal Charles in 2005. Since then, the Longhorns have watched a trove of talented running backs head elsewhere.
Brown's size and strength belie a teenager who is one of the youngest in his class. He just turned 17.
Brown rushed for 2,170 yards and 33 touchdowns as a junior. He had 299 yards in a 27-20 playoff loss, getting stopped just a few feet from the end zone in the final seconds.
A 2010 season similar to his junior effort would be impressive because Brown will have to play behind an entirely new offensive line. Brown had 179 total yards with an 88-yard touchdown run in Steele's first game.
The son of an Air Force veteran, Brown is an active member of his church where his father is a deacon. He often participates in community outreach with the homeless and church visits to the sick in hospitals.
"We know eventually that football is over and life will go on," Tommy Brown said. "He's pretty grounded. Malcolm's faith plays a part in that."
-- Jim Vertuno
Texas star Brown a late bloomer
DALLAS (AP) — Ladarius Brown didn't play sports as a freshman at Waxahachie High School. A year later, he was a three-sport athlete who was on the field just about every snap for the football team.
Brown can't really explain the sudden transformation. He says he just wanted to play football again for the first time since his peewee days, then decided to join the basketball and track teams when those seasons rolled around.
He plans to keep playing all three as a senior, even though the receiver-defensive back has blossomed into one of the top recruits in football-crazy Texas. He's considering Texas A&M, TCU, Baylor, Oklahoma and, of course, Texas.
His potentially bright future won't change his football workload, either.
"We don't baby those guys," Waxahachie coach David Ream said. "He'll start and play both ways."
Coaches found Brown in a physical education class the spring of his freshman year. Ream said he was a starting safety before the end of spring practice that year, then had three receiving touchdowns in a game as a sophomore. Brown returned two fumbles for touchdowns in the first game of his junior season.
"He really came on," Ream said. "He's just an all-around good player."
Running, jumping and hitting come a lot easier to Brown than talking, but he says he knows he'll have to be more vocal with Waxahachie losing a bunch of seniors from a 13-1 team that lost to Class 4A state finalist Longview in the playoffs.
"I'm going to have to lead," said Brown, who averaged 26 yards per catch and had nine receiving touchdowns last year.
Ream said Brown "spent a whole year on varsity and I never heard him say a word." But he said Brown was more talkative during spring practice and understands his role is bigger than touchdowns and interceptions.
"We had 35 seniors that were all good players and good leaders for us," Ream said. "He kind of took it in, and now it's his time to step it up."
Edwardsville's Coe "once in a lifetime" player
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Mark Bliss says he has coached five high school All-Americans, but none of them was as dynamic as his latest star, Edwardsville (Ill.) running back Rodney Coe.
"He's one of those kids who come once in a lifetime for a particular coach," Bliss said.
Coe couldn't play offense for three games last season because he had a cast on a broken right hand and couldn't secure the ball, but he still ran for 898 yards and 13 touchdowns in seven games. The 246-pound bruiser averaged 8.5 yards per carry, a number that shows he's not just a short-yardage back.
"He's got good open field moves," Bliss said. "Every time he touches the ball, you just kind of hold your breath because you never know what he's going to do."
And as a linebacker, Coe led the defense with six sacks and had 31 total tackles.
Coe further demonstrated his athletic ability during basketball season, when he averaged 4.8 points and 4.6 rebounds last season as a varsity starter.
"He can dunk a basketball about any way you want," Bliss said.
Bliss said Coe's best game last season was against Belleville West. He carried 28 times for 202 yards and three touchdowns to help Edwardsville to a 34-31 win.
"He just took it over," Bliss said. "It was a crucial game, and we needed a win to guarantee a playoff spot."
Success is in his genes. His grandfather, Charlie Coe, played baseball for the Detroit Tigers and football for the St. Louis Cardinals. His uncle, Michael Coe, plays cornerback for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Coe is undecided on a school, but Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Iowa are the front-runners.
-- Cliff Brunt
OL Cook a standout in Arkansas
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (AP) — The most important thing to understand about last year's Har-Ber Wildcats is that they weren't about glamour.
They won the championship in Arkansas' top high school class with a stout defense and an offense led by players like Brey Cook, a 6-foot-7, 300-pound offensive lineman who is probably the state's top prospect in 2010.
"We kind of went as he went," coach Chris Wood said. "He was a pretty important piece of the puzzle."
Even as a 10th grader, Cook was big enough to draw attention — but it takes more than size to succeed at the college level. Cook's agility is also impressive, and as he enters his senior season, his skills and mobility will be on display for all to see as he tries to lead his team to another state championship.
"He's just athletic for his size," Wood said. "He's got great feet."
Cook has verbally committed to Arkansas, which plays home games about 20 minutes from his high school. If Razorbacks fans want a glimpse of the future, they might want to set aside a Friday night or two to check out Cook.
The Razorbacks were known for their powerful offensive lines when Houston Nutt roamed the sidelines and Darren McFadden was in the backfield. Bobby Petrino is the Razorbacks' coach now, and he's revamped the passing game — but strong offensive line play is no less important.
Blocking Southeastern Conference defensive linemen isn't easy, but if any high school player in the state is ready, it's Cook.
And Wood says his attitude will be a boost to any college team.
"He's a great guy — real humble kid," Wood said. "He's the type of guy you want in the program."
Success runs in family for WR Daniels
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — DaVaris Daniels started his high school career the way most players dream of.
As a freshman, his first varsity touch for Vernon Hills (Ill.) was a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
"When he came to us as a freshman, his football instincts were so rare for his age," coach Tony Monken said. "He burst onto the scene."
He hasn't let up. During his career, he has gained 1,082 yards receiving, 625 yards rushing and 467 yards passing while lining up at receiver, running back and quarterback in the wildcat. He's done all this in the shadow of his father, Phillip Daniels, currently a 37-year-old defensive end for the Washington Redskins.
Monken said the younger Daniels' 6-foot-3 height, 41½-inch vertical jump and 4.4 40-yard dash speed allow him to be a dominant force.
"There's a lot of guys out there who are fast, but not a lot who are taller than 6-1," Monken said. "It's freaky."
More important, Monken said, Daniels does the little things right.
"He has great peripheral vision," he said. "He doesn't slow down out of his breaks, so he can make that cut that puts a defender on his butt."
Daniels is undecided on a college. He had planned a June 22 press conference to announce his decision, but since has chosen to wait until after his senior season.
Daniels shares the spotlight at Vernon Hills with Evan Spencer, a receiver who has committed to Ohio State. Monken said Spencer's presence takes some of the pressure off Daniels, but he thinks Daniels could handle it anyway.
"I think he kind of thrives on it," Monken said. "He's such a fun kid to be around. I don't think that fazes him."
-- Cliff Brunt
CB Diggs makes name for himself in Texas
ANGLETON, Texas (AP) — Quandre Diggs has known about big-time football for quite some time.
The 5-foot-10, 190-pound cornerback is the younger brother of San Diego Chargers cornerback Quentin Jammer.
Diggs primarily plays running back and cornerback. He rushed for over 1,200 yards the past two seasons and has run the 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds.
He is verbally committed to Texas and worked out as a cornerback at a Longhorns' mini-camp. But Angleton High School coach Finis Vanover says Diggs does it all, from playing quarterback to returning kicks.
Vanover said his star is happy taking on the added responsibility of multiple positions.
"He's old school," Vanover said. "He thinks that you're supposed to stay on the field and play."
Diggs was a member of Angleton's 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams at last spring's Texas Relays in Austin. Vanover thinks Diggs is such a versatile athlete that he could play several positions at the Division I level. He has a knack for playing defensive back, Vanover says, and has developed into a hard tackler.
"He's an incredibly vicious hitter," Vanover said. "He could probably become a starting inside linebacker some day. He's that physical, that powerful and that strong. He's a rare one."
Vanover said Texas coaches were going to mull where Diggs fits on the depth chart.
"They're in a pickle trying to decide if he's going to be a defensive back or a running back or a kick returner," Vanover said. "He can score 100 different ways on the field through the course of a game."
Vanover said Diggs intends to graduate early so he can join the Longhorns at spring practice next year.
LB Edmond coming of Texas title
DAINGERFIELD, Texas (AP) — Steve Edmond has weathered losses far more lasting than any football defeat.
Two years ago, the senior linebacker's father died after battling multiple sclerosis for years. Last season, his uncle — a member of 1983 Tiger team that went 16-0, got 14 shutouts, won the state title and gave up just eight points the entire year — was killed in a car accident as he drove back from one of Daingerfield's playoff games.
"He's dealt with that kind of thing," said Edmond's coach, Barry Bowman.
Edmond, one of the top players in Texas, is coming off a championship year in which he made 182 tackles — 32 for losses — and snagged five interceptions. The defense gave up an average of just nine points a game and 144 yards.
"I just read (the quarterbacks') eyes and go to the ball," he said.
Bowman sees a big future for Edmond and knows he's got the dedication to improve when he plays college ball at Texas.
"I will not be surprised all of us watching him on Sunday," he said. "He knows how to work."
The linebacker isn't interested in drawing attention, though, said Barry Bowman, his coach. "He does not like the limelight," Bowman said. "He's just a kid who happens to be a great football player."
And how to be a leader without making a lot of noise.
"He's more by example," Bowman said. "He's not a rah-rah guy."
Edmond was recruited by Notre Dame, Oklahoma, USC, Alabama and Florida State, but he has given a verbal commitment to the Longhorns.
"I will be ready for it," he said.
Texas sprinter looking to 'Horns
HOUSTON (AP) — Fort Bend Dulles coach Jim Creech knows that sometimes being a great sprinter doesn't translate into success on the football field.
That's not the case with Sheroid Evans.
Evans is a champion sprinter, having won the state titles in both the 100 (10.39 seconds) and 200 meter (20.82) races in the highest classification in Texas this spring. He also took first in the 400-meter hurdles (50.55) in the USA Junior Outdoor Championships this summer.
"You can't coach what he's got and that's just pure speed," Creech said. "We're talking about world class speed, state championship speed. But he'll be the first to tell you that he's a football player who runs track instead of a track guy who plays football."
He'll play defensive back in college, likely at Texas, but for now, the Dulles football team is using him in plenty of other ways, too. Along with his defensive duties, he also plays wide receiver, returns kicks and lines up at running back when they're in their two-back set.
"So he does a lot for us," Creech said. "He doesn't get off the field much."
Creech got the first taste of Evans' football chops when he saw him play as a freshman. Evans was at free safety on an isolation play inside the tackle and blew through the fullback before taking the running back down for a short gain.
"Most defensive backs at that age and especially kids whose whole adolescence has been spent running track and not so much playing football, wouldn't have stayed up in there like that," Creech said. "That was one of those: 'Wow did you see that?' moments. You can't teach kids to want to hit. Fortunately for us, he's one of those kids who will stick his helmet in there and get it done."
Creech said Evans is so fast that defenses have to figure different angles to use to try to get to him before he breaks away for a big gain. He has also been able to use his speed to make up for his mistakes as he refines his skills in the secondary.
In the team's first game last season, he moved up to defend a halfback pass, but the passer threw long instead. The receiver caught the ball and had about a 15-yard lead on Evans, but the star linebacker caught up, stripped the ball and forced a turnover.
"You can't coach that," Creech said. "You can coach not making that same mistake, but to be able to regroup and do what he did is unbelievable."
G Sedrick Flowers looking to Longhorns
HOUSTON (AP) — If Mack Brown is serious about recommitting the Longhorns to the running game, he'll be happy with Sedrick Flowers.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound senior guard for Galena Park North Shore High is expected to join Texas next season. Brown, the Texas coach, has indicated he'd like to have a more bruising, time-chewing running game this season after enjoying Colt McCoy's services at quarterback the past couple of seasons.
Flowers and his coach did not return calls seeking comment after he was named to The Associated Press list of Super 100 recruits. But he comes from a program accustomed to winning: The Mustangs were 113-13 from 2000-2009, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Flowers is one of seven starters back on offense this season, a year after going 8-4 — just one disappointment in a season that saw the school's state record 78-game regular season winning streak snapped
North Shore opened the season with a 44-6 loss to another Houston-area power, Katy. It was the Mustangs' worst loss since 2004 and they managed just 186 total yards, according to the Chronicle.
Ark QB recruit looking to Auburn
SPRINGDALE, Ark. (AP) — Shiloh Christian has been a powerhouse in Arkansas football for the last decade, but the small private school in the northwest corner of the state might never have had a prospect as polished as Kiehl Frazier.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback threw for 3,817 yards and 48 touchdowns last season, leading the Saints to their second straight state title and third in four seasons. He also ran for 764 yards and 14 touchdowns.
"He's probably the most highly recruited kid" the school has had recently, coach Josh Floyd said.
Frazier was named to The Associated Press Arkansas Super Team last season as a junior.
There's no doubt Frazier has the size to play quarterback at the next level, and he has one more high school season to work on his fundamentals and footwork while chasing a third straight championship for his school.
The Saints like to spread the field, and with a quarterback like Frazier, they're tough to stop. Shiloh Christian started only six seniors in the state title game last season, so the best may be yet to come for Frazier and his teammates.
Frazier has verbally committed to Auburn, where Gus Malzahn is the offensive coordinator.
Malzahn was one of the most successful high school coaches in Arkansas history before moving on to the college level in 2006. He even coached at Shiloh Christian at one point, and although that was well before Frazier arrived, the chance to play for Malzahn at Auburn was obviously attractive.
"I think it had a little bit to do with it," Floyd said. "The offensive system is similar to what he does here."
Iowa athlete French has colleges buzzing
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Christian French's size, speed and athleticism has college coaches drooling — even if they don't know where they'd put him.
French is a 6-foot-6, 229-pound senior for Cedar Rapids Kennedy High (Iowa) who can run a 40-yard dash in 4.4 seconds and play safety, linebacker and receiver. He's also got a 3.0 GPA, according to Kennedy coach Tim Lewis, and the attention of nearly every major program in the Midwest.
"Athletically, he's a freak," Lewis said. "You just don't see many young people like that, as big as he is and runs as well as he does."
Perhaps the most intriguing thing about French is how raw he is.
French didn't play freshman ball because he wanted to focus on basketball, and the only way coaches could persuade him to come out as a sophomore was to play free safety.
French stayed at free safety as a junior last season in Kennedy's 3-5-3 defense, but the coaching staff will move him to outside linebacker and receiver this season. French has already packed on about 10 pounds this summer.
Lewis said French currently has offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Oregon, Texas A&M and Louisville.
Lewis thinks outside linebacker would be French's best spot to play in college, given his size and ability. But he could play defensive end someday given his frame, and schools are also looking at him as a potential receiver. He didn't touch the ball much last season, but he had returned a punt for a touchdown and also scored on a reverse.
"It's all God-given ability, because up until this summer he hadn't touched a weight ... never worked on his running form," Lewis said. "The combination of all that has college coaches going 'Wow. What could he be if we got a hold of him and he focused just on football.'"
-- Luke Meredith
Texas RB Green turning heads
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Coach Jim Streety has no doubt why his team was tabbed to open the season on national television.
San Antonio Madison running back Aaron Green is the big draw, having already rushed for 3,320 yards and 39 touchdowns in his Madison career. Green is expected to surpass former Oklahoma running back Jacob Gutierrez as the school's all-time leading rusher.
So, would Madison be playing on ESPN without Green?
"Probably not," said Streety, one of the winningest coaches in Texas high school football history. "I have my doubts whether they picked this game because of me."
Green hardly needed an ESPN showcase to introduce himself to the country. Every top college program has been well acquainted with the 5-10, 191-pound speedster since 2008, when Green rushed for more than 2,000 yards and scored 27 touchdowns as a sophomore in the largest and toughest classification in Texas.
An inexperienced offensive line the next year diminished those gaudy numbers, but not his prospects. Texas, California and Nebraska — where his brother, Andrew, is a defensive back — are among the schools eager to plant Green in their backfield.
Perhaps the only more sought-after running back in the 2011 class is Malcolm Brown of Cibolo High School — just a 10-mile drive from the Madison campus. Green said he and Brown have known each other since seventh grade, when they ran on the same summer track program.
"I was faster than him," Green said.
They're virtually equals now, and Brown and Green haven't ruled out becoming teammates at the same college.
Green is the last — and arguably best — of a line of brothers and cousins who have starred at Madison. Besides Andrew, his oldest brother, Tony, now plays at Alabama A&M. Gary Green, Aaron's cousin, also went from Madison to play at Kansas.
Streety said what separates Aaron from his family is his speed and athleticism. Green also qualified for the state meet last year in track, finishing eighth in the Class 5A 110-meter hurdles.
"I wouldn't say he's the best," said Streety, who's coached for 37 years. "But he's in the top five."
Star DT Jackson headed to UTexas
HOUSTON (AP) — Spring Westfield coach Corby Meekins marvels on how far Desmond Jackson has come since his freshman year.
The defensive tackle has improved not just on the football field but in the classroom.
"From where he was when he came in as a freshman to where he is now is night and day," Meekins said. "He's a great student and just done a great job in the classroom. His strength levels have just jumped exponentially from year to year. He's done a great job in the weight room. His technique on the football field is really good. He's worked really hard to develop to where he is now."
Meekins said the 6-foot-1, 278-pound Jackson has always had a "great motor" and that his one speed is high. Now that he's combined strength with that attribute, he's become even more difficult to stop.
"When he came in he had some natural strength, but that doesn't get you anywhere," Meekins said. "It's what you do after that. He benches 400 pounds, squats 555 pounds, power cleans 330 pounds. So, yeah from where he was as a freshman that's just blown up. The game is won in the trenches, so you better be able to move some people and stop some people down there and he does."
Jackson, who's planning to play for Texas, uses different tactics to encourage his teammates. Sometimes he'll sit back and think before giving another player advice or weighing in on a situation. Other times he'll get loud.
"He's got a great personality," Meekins said. "He does a little bit of everything."
Meekins hasn't asked Jackson to improve in any one area, instead he asks him to do what he expects from each member of his team.
"We've got one goal and that's to be better tomorrow than we were today," Meekins said. "He wants to be better each week as we go through the season."
Texas WR Metoyer looking to Sooners
DALLAS (AP) — Whitehouse High School receiver Trey Metoyer watches YouTube videos of running backs, looking for the next shifty move that might get him to the end zone.
When he sits down to watch football on TV with his dad, casual viewing usually morphs into a film session. It wasn't by accident that Metoyer ended up as one of the top pass-catching recruits in the country.
"There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about football," said Metoyer, who has made a verbal commitment to Oklahoma. "If I'm not watching it, I'm looking at a book."
When Metoyer was younger, his dad, David Metoyer, couldn't even get in the front door after work without throwing some passes to the budding receiver. Father taught son how to use his hands by throwing the ball hard enough that it hurt to catch the ball with his chest.
"He always said even as a little kid he wanted to play pro football and he wanted to play college ball and he wanted to be a receiver," David Metoyer said.
Trey Metoyer actually played some quarterback last year at Whitehouse, but that was because a young quarterback was struggling during a tough season for the team. That quarterback, Hunter Taylor, returns with experience and in Metoyer has a receiver with more than 2,000 yards and 28 touchdowns in his career.
"We practiced a lot of 7-on-7 during the summer and that's when we kind of worked on our timing," Metoyer said. "And now we're clicking and we love it."
Whitehouse coach Randy McFarlin was a run-always coach — "We used to throw it twice on Thursdays," he joked — before switching to the spread about six years ago. It's hard for him to imagine going back to the run while Metoyer is on the field.
"This kid is special," McFarlin said.
Randle finds home on defense, looking to LSU
LEAGUE CITY, Texas (AP) — At the beginning of last season, Trevon Randle appeared destined to become one of Clear Springs High School's top running backs. Except things didn't go so well in the first game.
"He fumbles the ball three times," coach Clint Hartman said. "About 4 in the morning, I made the decision he couldn't fumble on defense."
Nope. When Randle is at the linebacker spot, he wreaks havoc on the other team's offense, and that's what has him on the road to the Southeastern Conference. Randle has verbally committed to LSU after a tremendous junior season in which he had more than 170 tackles.
Randle has also impressed off the field.
"He's a December grad, so his grades are As and Bs and he's got everything taken care of," Hartman said. "Not a greater kid in the world, and that's just the truth."
Randle is speedy, and it's easy to understand why Hartman played him at tailback throughout the opener last season. That quickness, along with his 6-foot-2, 219-pound frame, helps him disrupt whatever the opposition might be doing.
"He runs a 4.5," Hartman said. "Long, athletic, rangy. I know he eats up space in the passing game. He's very physical."
Hartman expects Randle to get a little bigger after this season as he prepares for the SEC.
If his junior season in high school is any indication, Randle is a quick learner. Hartman still let him play running back on occasion, and he bounced back from that tough opener.
"He never fumbled the ball the rest of the year," Hartman said.
By then, though, he was primarily a defensive player — perhaps those fumbles worked out for the best.
"Maybe it was just God telling me, 'Don't be stupid,'" Hartman said.
Texas DL Maple stands tall
Cedric Reed has learned to make his height an advantage on the football field.
Cleveland coach Clayton Maple said the 6-foot-6, 245-pound defensive lineman specializes in rushing the passer, using his long arms and quick first step to move past offensive linemen.
"He really has a lot of intangibles for a defensive lineman," Maple said. "There's a tendency for players to play too high when they're 6-5 or 6-6. Those guys who are 6-foot offensive lineman and can squat the house, they might be able to get under your pads and drive you.
"He's worked hard on using those arms to learn to get some leverage. He doesn't look at that as a disadvantage. It hasn't been a problem yet."
Reed does most of the driving. The Texas commitment recorded 88 tackles and 12 sacks in 2009.
Maple said Reed is also an smart, instinctive player who excels at stopping the run.
"We were doing inside drills, he used that first step, went down the line and wrapped up one of our running backs about a half-yard behind the line of scrimmage," Maple said. "When he saw that kid had the ball, he was down there in a hurry, in the blink of an eye."
Reed also will play tight end this season.
Maple said Reed has run the 40-yard dash in 4.8 seconds. He was recruited by several schools in the Big 12 and Southeastern Conference before choosing Texas. "He had quite a few offers," Maple said. "He just wants to be a Longhorn."
Pasadena, Texas CB Scott loves to press
For a glimpse of just how effective a cornerback Leroy Scott is, check out his interception totals. He only has a couple in his entire high school career.
"They don't throw at him much," said C.L. Whittington, his coach at South Houston High School. "That's a deceiving aspect of his stats."
Opposing quarterbacks aren't about to be deceived. They know better than to challenge the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Scott, who has verbally committed to play college football for the Texas Longhorns, his state's biggest program. Until then, Whittington wants to get as much as he can out of Scott, who occasionally plays running back and returns kickoffs as well.
"He's going to surprise a lot of people," Whittington said.
Scott's all-around athletic ability is a challenge for any opposing wide receiver. This is one defensive back who doesn't shy away from the physical component of the game.
"He loves to press coverage," Whittington said. "He can play press the whole game."
If there's one aspect of the game Scott has improved at recently, it's his hands — and Whittington hopes that continues during his senior season.
"Working on his hands — he wants to become more consistent," Whittington said. "He's come a long way."
If Scott's hands do improve, perhaps that paltry interception total will increase this season.
If the ball is anywhere near him, that is.
"Like I say," Whittington said, "he doesn't get the ball thrown to him as much."
Texas RB Sims knows work ethic matters
ABILENE, Texas (AP) — Herschel Sims knows his football accomplishments at Abilene High will mean nothing when he enters college.
His main goal this season is to stay healthy. After that, he'll start a fresh slate at Oklahoma State.
"You're the new kid, and I got to earn my way," he said. "I'm going to work my way into the backfield."
Sims heads into his senior season after coming off a stellar year. The team went undefeated (15-0) and won the state 5A-Div. II championship.
He rushed for 2,352 yards and 33 TDS, caught passes for five more touchdowns and ran back two kickoffs for scores.
This summer he volunteered for three days at a football camp run by his coach, Steve Warren.
"He just likes being a role model, no question about it, and does a great job of it," Warren said. "He's a tremendous kid on and off the field."
Sims played plenty as a sophomore behind a strong senior in the backfield. His numbers last season didn't come as too much of a surprise, said Warren, who is counting on Sims' leadership this year.
"We obviously knew that the physical ability was there all along," he said. "He's a tremendous athlete, very explosive, and has great strength and vision."
He'll get help in the backfield from his cousin, quarterback Ronnell Sims, who rushed for 17 touchdowns and passed for 18 more last year.
Recruiters from big programs, including Notre Dame and USC, courted him.
Sims has talent but understands what breeds success.
"The thing that separates you is your work ethic," he said. "I feel like I still got a lot of room to grow. There's always room for improvement, no matter where you are."
QB Starling set to take game to Big 12
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Kansas prep quarterback Bubba Starling is a true dual threat.
Sure, Starling can run and throw a football like few of his peers. But he also hit, pitch and play the outfield with the best of them.
Starling, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound senior from Gardner-Edgerton High just outside of Kansas City, Mo., has committed to Nebraska to play both football and baseball.
Baseball might be Starling's best sport, and he's projected as a top pick as an outfielder in the 2011 major league draft. But he's also one heck of a quarterback.
Starling threw for 1,433 yards and 18 touchdowns as a junior last season and ran for 1,381 yards and 19 TDs on just 124 carries. Numbers like that — and 40-yard dash time of 4.36 according to Gardner-Edgerton coach Marvin Diener — drew the interest of schools such as Notre Dame and Alabama before Starling settled on the Huskers.
"He has just dynamic physical skills," Diener said. "He's big-time fast."
Starling broke into the Blazers' starting lineup as a sophomore, and last season he led his team to a 12-1 record and the Class 5A title game.
Starling has earned a special place in the eyes of his community, no matter what sport he ultimately chooses to focus on.
"He's a very down-to-earth kid," Diener said. "His best asset is, his peers like him, and he's very easy to cheer for. He's no question a small-town hero here. Our young kids, they want to be wearing No. 16."
-- Luke Meredith
Detroit's Thomas earns initials "L.T."
Lawrence Thomas shares initials with legendary New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor, but the Detroit Renaissance star had to earn the right to be called L.T.
He eventually did. But the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Michigan State commitment didn't know much about Taylor until his coaches educated him.
"Once we explained to him the significance of who L.T. was, we told him he should be honored that we call you that," Renaissance coach Antonio Watts said.
Like Taylor, Thomas has a reputation for creating chaos from the linebacker position. Last season, he had 97 tackles, including 26 for loss, and eight sacks. He also had three interceptions and four fumble recoveries. He said Thomas' best game last season was against Detroit Cody, when he had 19 tackles, including seven for losses, and an interception.
None of those stats quantify what he's best known for.
"The kid is a ferocious hitter," Watts said.
You'd never know that if you caught him off the field.
"He's a big, silly kid," Watts said. "He's by no means an introvert. You would think a kid that size would be the quiet type, mean type. He gets mean when we line up against another team."
As an offensive player, he demonstrates versatility. Thomas also plays tight end, running back, fullback and occasionally, quarterback.
"For a guy his size, he has the speed and the hands," Watts said. "He runs great routes and has great lateral speed."
He also punts.
"The kid wants to be in the mix every play," Watts said. "He's a dominant force on both sides of the ball."
Milwood High star Turner does it all
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Josh Turner figures it's only natural that he has fit in so well as a cornerback.
In basketball, his first love, he's always been called on to defend the best player on the opposing team. Why shouldn't it be the same in football?
After starting out in the new sport in eighth grade, Turner quickly developed into one of the nation's top-rated high school cornerbacks. And for Millwood High School, he's even more.
Turner is a do-it-all star for the Falcons, also playing at receiver, deep snapper, kick returner, kicker and occasionally at quarterback. This season, he's even expected to get some playing time at running back.
Then, he's off to Texas, where he made an early commitment.
"I can see myself at Texas being a corner, but I can see also kind of being moved around at receiver and kick return or punt return," Turner said. "But I want to play corner at the next level."
Turner said he chose Texas because "it's not too far from home, not too close, and they have a great program and great coaches, and I have a chance to play early."
"I know it gets crazy with recruiting during the football season and trying to balance the classwork," Turner said. "I know Texas was where I was leaning to from the beginning, so I chose just to get it out of the way now."
The oldest of four brothers, Turner also is a sprinter and high jumps on the Millwood track team and he was a member of the school's Class 3A state championship team in basketball last season.
A chance at repeating will keep him from joining the Longhorns early to go through spring practice.
"I was thinking about graduating early, but I just couldn't leave my teammates," Turner said. "I wanted to ... just leave the right way. I didn't want to leave early."
Assistant head coach Kevin Cox said Turner impressed coaches by being a quick learner, even coming to the sidelines to point out tendencies the staff hadn't picked up while watching film.
Cox sees better days ahead for Turner.
"He's a big physical corner right now. He's skinny, but if you look at him, he's got these long arms and long legs and he's just going to be able to carry 195 to 200 pounds and he's still going to run a 4.4 and he's still going to vertical jump 39 inches," Cox said.
"He's going to close on people extremely fast, and he's going to be able to recover if he gets beat."
-- Jeff Latzke
Dallas standout Wallace in control
DALLAS (AP) — Anthony Wallace was just another linebacker at Dallas Skyline High School last year. Now he's being touted as the next great one at a school that routinely sends the quarterback of its defense to a major college.
Coaches were content a year ago to let Wallace play a secondary role to a pair of Division I-bound linebackers in Corey Nelson (Oklahoma) and Domonique Patterson (Texas A&M). Things are different now.
"He's kind of been the pup growing up with the other linebackers that graduated the last three years," said linebackers coach Jason Todd. "I'm looking for him to turn that next page and be a dominant force play in and play out."
Nelson was a rare two-time first-team selection on The Associated Press Sports Editors Class 5A all-state team, topped by the Defensive Player of the Year award last season. Wallace isn't as fast as many of his predecessors, but is a better mix of speed and size for a middle linebacker.
"I really feel Anthony has the potential to be the best one," Todd said. "He can run. He's very physical. He has a real nasty linebacker mentality on the field."
Todd said Anthony is a thinker, too, which is important in a system that makes him responsible for putting teammates in the right spots before each snap.
"You've got know what the person next to you, behind you, in front of you is doing and still do your job at the same time," Anthony said. "I kind of like that, being in control of it."
The son of a college linebacker from Texas Southern, Anthony rarely wavered on his favorite position growing up. There was never a question about where he'd play at Skyline either.
"We were told in eighth grade that he was an animal, and it panned out," Todd said. "Everything we were told was the truth."
Texas RB Williams features power, speed
Brandon Williams already has flashed the speed.
Now, the Brookshire Royal (Texas) running back wants to show he has power, too.
The 6-foot-1, 188-pound Oklahoma commitment topped 1,800 yards rushing and 500 yards receiving as a junior, then he won the 200-meter dash at the state track championships in the spring. Brookshire Royal coach Marshall Green said Williams spent much of his summer lifting weights, to add power to his speed.
Williams was committed to Baylor but soured after a campus visit and instead chose Oklahoma, the school of his boyhood idol, Adrian Peterson. Green said Williams has the potential to blossom into a back like Peterson, now an All-Pro with the Minnesota Vikings.
"He runs hard, he has power and he has breakaway speed," Green said. "You can see a resemblance."
Green said Williams joins coaches in meetings to break down game video, helping him develop a strong understanding of the game to go with his physical skills.
"Every day, you hear him say that he's learned something new," Green said. "He's learning how to read defenses, he's learning how to pick up blitzes, how to run screens correctly. And whatever he's lacking, he's willing to learn how to do it, so that he's not lacking in it anymore."
Green said Williams is hoping to graduate from high school early and practice with the Sooners next spring.
