Sugar Land DB to visit SMU

[Lotus]

Found this on Rivals:

Sugar Land (Texas) Clements cornerback Alex Wacha is making the rounds and emerging as more than a sleeper prospect. With Signing Day approaching, the two-star Wacha is making trips and taking it all in as more offers start to arrive.Rivals.com

Alex Wacha is in the process of working through his trips.First official visit was Utah on Dec. 2 and up next will be back-to-back trips to SMU and Tulane. His father explained that things are moving right along.

"The trip to Utah was alright," Wacha's father said. "I know that that the safety's coach wants him all the way. He's also got an offer from Tulane. Plus SMU is getting close and may very well offer. He's going to Tulane on Jan. 21 and SMU on Jan. 14."

"He's still open though right now. He has interest in everybody."

SMU is one school that really has impressed the talented Wacha.

"He camped there this summer and he just liked the environment," Wacha's father said. "It's a large metropolitan area and it would be odd for him to go to a smaller city. He also likes the facilities."

"He also is looking forward to Tulane after everything that happened down there. Alex wants to see what it's like."

Wacha's father said that more schools like Utah State, Texas A&M, Texas State, and Stephen F. Austin have all shown interest by coming by the school.

"I think he's going to look at all options until everything has surfaced," he said.

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Rivals lists him at 5-11, 170, 4.5.
Tulane and Utah have offered.

[ALEX LIFESON]

we need some mature lb's!

[Stallion]

you ain't lieing-the situation at LB is as serious as any I've seen at SMU in awhile. I have no idea how we plan to address this need either. There is basically nobody on the Rivals recruiting board or that I know of who looks like they are ready to contribute. We got Carrington, Wilton McCray (6-0, 200) and the JUCO Hurst who is 5-11. I guess they hope the walkon Bonilla(5-11) can contribute. Hopefully, the greyshirt Alexander-who is listed at 6-1, 200- can come in and help. How many of these guys can be counted on to fill holes and stop the run in 2006? Our LBs look like the SMURFs. And looking down the road in 2007, 2008 we will be even smaller when the Senior Carrington graduates. What about injuries? There are long term problems looming at LB. I think we need at a minimum 3 more this year maybe 4 more.

[RGV Pony]

Any DBs that they can convert to LBs? Or undersized DEs...then again we're short there too. Can Phillips tackle?

[JasonB]

But none of those guys are going to be ready to contribute. Hurst is short, but has meat on him. We have no depth at the position right now, however. We could easily be looking at two years ago, when we couldn't stop the run at all.

[SMU Football Blog]

Any DBs that they can convert to LBs? Or undersized DEs...then again we're short there too. Can Phillips tackle?

Dorsey was recruited at DB, whether one of the safeties could be converted to LB is another matter.

[Higher Authority]

How about Tony Hawkins at LB? Foster's gone, but you still Bobby Chase, Rey Pellerin, Jay'Mond Cleveland, Zack Sledge, Blake Warren, Columbus Givens, Devin Lowery, Emmanuel Sanders, Josh Dent, Joe Ferguson, somebody named Mark McFate (who?), Rob Pritchard and Jim Backner coming back. Sounds like a glut of players, and Hawkins seems to have some strength on his frame.

A shot in the dark, I realize, but .... who knows?

[RGV Pony]

But none of those guys are going to be ready to contribute. Hurst is short, but has meat on him. We have no depth at the position right now, however. We could easily be looking at two years ago, when we couldn't stop the run at all.

That's what I think is the most crucial task facing next year's team. People forget that the D looked okay vs. TTech...but then we had a train wreck at LB, and were terrible the rest of the year. IMO PB should've been as concerned and headstrong about not having the LB situation come up again as he was about the QB situation.

[mrydel]

Fitzgerald would be a good candidate for LB. He is good as a RB as we saw late last year, but he could be a good addition to the outside LB position. Fast and has defensive experience. I am not sure about a WR's ability to convert to a LB.

[Higher Authority]

I agree, Fitz certainly is another viable possibility, but didn't the coaches sound like they were thrilled with his play at RB?

The more I think about it, the more it makes sense, though. At RB, Martin is the man, but there's also Dorsey and Massey, and Mapps is supposed to be a stud-in-waiting. If Fitz can play LB, that might be where he's the biggest asset to the team.

[ALEX LIFESON]

I was thinking about Tony Hawkins at safety. 6-1 190

[JasonB]

WRs convert to corner. RBs convert to LB. We have been trying to make Fitz a defensive player for years, I don't think he is adapting to the change because they moved him back to RB and he never saw the field at corner, saftey, or LB, which are all places he was moved to.

If you start talking about moving a WR to LB, you are in a lot of trouble.

[mrydel]

Sometimes it will just click with them. You never know unless you keep trying to use the player where ever he is best suited to play. Robert Popelka was a jack rabbit running back out of high school. You would never have imagined him on defense unless it would have called for a full retreat. But his speed was so good they had to try to get him on the field somewhere. He was a 2nd or 3rd team safety when all of a sudden one day he hit a receiver so hard the whole practice stopped to oh and ah. He never looked back. He earned the name Pop-a-lick and All American honors and went on to a pro career. It is the most amazing transformation I have ever witnessed in a football player and it happened with just one play in practice that I feel gave him the confidence to excel at a position he had not played before.