LSR final Texas 100 & I mean Texas as in UT
Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2009 4:29 amThey drop McFarland to 16, I am sure that would have happen regardless which school he chose....
Prospect Ranking
Lone Star Recruiting's Top 100 (2009) | Orangebloods.com | last sorted on 1/14/2009
2009 Rank Pos Ht/Wt Schools
1 Garrett Gilbert
Austin (TX) Lake Travis QB 6-4/205 Texas
In a state that has become a new cradle of college quarterbacks, the Lone Star State might be looking at its finest passing prospect in the last decade. While Gilbert doesn’t have the big arm that a guy like Ryan Mallett had coming out of Texas High, he rates off-the-charts in a number of other categories. The 6-4, 208-pound Gilbert is one of the most accurate passers among the high school ranks that I’ve ever seen, especially when rolling to his left or right. Although he’s not a guy that’s going to make his living at the college level making plays with his feet, Gilbert is an above-average athlete that understands his limitations as a runner, but he also knows when to pick his spots if opportunities open up. More than anything else, Gilbert’s top assets are his intangibles. As a leader, Gilbert has already proven how strong his presence on the field can be after leading Lake Travis to new heights with back-to-back state championships. In addition to the titles, Gilbert put up ridiculous numbers throughout his career. The only concern with Gilbert, who committed to Texas shortly after signing day in February, was a torn labrum that he played with for almost the entire 2007 season. But, it was clear by the second or third week of the season that Gilbert was fine and by the end of the season, it was hard to remember why anyone had any concerns in the first place. In all of the years that I’ve been in this business, Gilbert is right up there with Vince Young and Drew Brees as the best in-state quarterback I’ve seen.
Previous ranking: 1
Highest ranking: 1 (final)
Debut ranking: 2 (7/9/07)
2 Russell Shepard
Houston (TX) Cypress Ridge QB 6-1/179 LSU
What Gilbert is to passing quarterbacks, Shepard is to dual-threat quarterbacks. An amazing runner in the open field that has the kind of quickness, acceleration and raw explosiveness to take over a game, Shepard looks like current West Virginia star Pat White, but he possesses a higher ceiling as a thrower. When you look at Shepard’s skill set as a college quarterback, arm strength and mechanics won’t be an issue as much as a lack of reps in the passing game will. It might take him a few seasons to develop, but if/when the light switch comes on in that area, he could emerge as one of the most dangerous weapons in college football. Of course, there’s always a chance that Shepard could end up playing wide receiver, but the bottom line is that barring injuries, Shepard should emerge as a superstar at the next level because of his ability to make plays when the ball is in his hands. Finally, when you throw in his immense leadership qualities, the only thing to dislike is his lack of experience in the passing game. He has a chance to be the spectacular talent in this class.
Previous ranking: 3
Highest ranking: 1 (7/9/07)
Debut ranking: 1 (7/9/07)
3 Alex Okafor
Pflugerville (TX) Pflugerville DE 6-4/232 Texas
There was a time when the national experts were sleeping on Okafor, but after an amazing spring and summer, Okafor followed it up with a dominant senior season and he ended up locking down a fifth star as one of the nation’s truly elite prospects. As a junior in 2007, Okafor was a very good player for much of the season, but once the playoffs rolled around, he was arguably the state’s most dominant defender and he helped lead the Panthers to the state championship game. At 6-5, 235 pounds, Okafor not only has the size and strength to excel at the point of attack in the running game, but his burst off the edge makes him a potential star pass-rusher at the next level. Okafor does a great job of using his hands to get off of blocks and his athleticism makes him a threat to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage. If you’re talking NFL upside, Okafor might have as much as any player in the state.
Previous ranking: 5
Highest ranking: 3 (final)
Debut ranking: 10 (7/9/07)
4 Craig Loston
Aldine (TX) Eisenhower DB 6-2/193 LSU
Let’s just cut right to the chase – Loston is the state’s top safety prospect, the most intimidating defender in the state and perhaps the best player at his position that I have seen in the last decade inside Texas borders. The 6-2, 203-poiund Loston is a sledgehammer in run support and he’s extremely comfortable playing near the line of scrimmage. Yet if you think Loston is a one-trick pony, you’d be wrong because he’s also a guy that uses his outstanding range and ball skills to make plays in coverage at the drop of a dime. That being said, Loston’s biggest asset is the fear he places in the hearts of his opponents on the field. Every receiver that plays against Eisenhower knows exactly where Loston is on the field at all times because there’s a very clear understanding that he might knock you unconscious if you’re not careful. While Loston can cover a lot of ground in the secondary, there are some questions about his cover skills and there’s some speculation that he might eventually be a player that spins down to linebacker.
Previous ranking: 4
Highest ranking: 4 (final)
Debut ranking: 7 (7/9/07)
5 Mason Walters
Wolfforth (TX) Frenship OL 6-6/290 Texas
There’s a lot to love about the skill set that Walters brings to the table as an offensive line prospect. Although he’s a dominating center at the high school level, most schools envision the 6-6, 290-pound Walters on the perimeter because of his outstanding combination of size and great feet. At this point of his career, Walters is a dominating presence in the power running game and he excels at playing in space, and he’s asked to pull from the center position quite a bit. As a physical presence, there’s not a more impressive looking lineman in the state. In fact, if you were putting together a recruiting dictionary, you could put Walters’ photo next to the definition of “idea line prospectâ€
Prospect Ranking
Lone Star Recruiting's Top 100 (2009) | Orangebloods.com | last sorted on 1/14/2009
2009 Rank Pos Ht/Wt Schools
1 Garrett Gilbert
Austin (TX) Lake Travis QB 6-4/205 Texas
In a state that has become a new cradle of college quarterbacks, the Lone Star State might be looking at its finest passing prospect in the last decade. While Gilbert doesn’t have the big arm that a guy like Ryan Mallett had coming out of Texas High, he rates off-the-charts in a number of other categories. The 6-4, 208-pound Gilbert is one of the most accurate passers among the high school ranks that I’ve ever seen, especially when rolling to his left or right. Although he’s not a guy that’s going to make his living at the college level making plays with his feet, Gilbert is an above-average athlete that understands his limitations as a runner, but he also knows when to pick his spots if opportunities open up. More than anything else, Gilbert’s top assets are his intangibles. As a leader, Gilbert has already proven how strong his presence on the field can be after leading Lake Travis to new heights with back-to-back state championships. In addition to the titles, Gilbert put up ridiculous numbers throughout his career. The only concern with Gilbert, who committed to Texas shortly after signing day in February, was a torn labrum that he played with for almost the entire 2007 season. But, it was clear by the second or third week of the season that Gilbert was fine and by the end of the season, it was hard to remember why anyone had any concerns in the first place. In all of the years that I’ve been in this business, Gilbert is right up there with Vince Young and Drew Brees as the best in-state quarterback I’ve seen.
Previous ranking: 1
Highest ranking: 1 (final)
Debut ranking: 2 (7/9/07)
2 Russell Shepard
Houston (TX) Cypress Ridge QB 6-1/179 LSU
What Gilbert is to passing quarterbacks, Shepard is to dual-threat quarterbacks. An amazing runner in the open field that has the kind of quickness, acceleration and raw explosiveness to take over a game, Shepard looks like current West Virginia star Pat White, but he possesses a higher ceiling as a thrower. When you look at Shepard’s skill set as a college quarterback, arm strength and mechanics won’t be an issue as much as a lack of reps in the passing game will. It might take him a few seasons to develop, but if/when the light switch comes on in that area, he could emerge as one of the most dangerous weapons in college football. Of course, there’s always a chance that Shepard could end up playing wide receiver, but the bottom line is that barring injuries, Shepard should emerge as a superstar at the next level because of his ability to make plays when the ball is in his hands. Finally, when you throw in his immense leadership qualities, the only thing to dislike is his lack of experience in the passing game. He has a chance to be the spectacular talent in this class.
Previous ranking: 3
Highest ranking: 1 (7/9/07)
Debut ranking: 1 (7/9/07)
3 Alex Okafor
Pflugerville (TX) Pflugerville DE 6-4/232 Texas
There was a time when the national experts were sleeping on Okafor, but after an amazing spring and summer, Okafor followed it up with a dominant senior season and he ended up locking down a fifth star as one of the nation’s truly elite prospects. As a junior in 2007, Okafor was a very good player for much of the season, but once the playoffs rolled around, he was arguably the state’s most dominant defender and he helped lead the Panthers to the state championship game. At 6-5, 235 pounds, Okafor not only has the size and strength to excel at the point of attack in the running game, but his burst off the edge makes him a potential star pass-rusher at the next level. Okafor does a great job of using his hands to get off of blocks and his athleticism makes him a threat to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage. If you’re talking NFL upside, Okafor might have as much as any player in the state.
Previous ranking: 5
Highest ranking: 3 (final)
Debut ranking: 10 (7/9/07)
4 Craig Loston
Aldine (TX) Eisenhower DB 6-2/193 LSU
Let’s just cut right to the chase – Loston is the state’s top safety prospect, the most intimidating defender in the state and perhaps the best player at his position that I have seen in the last decade inside Texas borders. The 6-2, 203-poiund Loston is a sledgehammer in run support and he’s extremely comfortable playing near the line of scrimmage. Yet if you think Loston is a one-trick pony, you’d be wrong because he’s also a guy that uses his outstanding range and ball skills to make plays in coverage at the drop of a dime. That being said, Loston’s biggest asset is the fear he places in the hearts of his opponents on the field. Every receiver that plays against Eisenhower knows exactly where Loston is on the field at all times because there’s a very clear understanding that he might knock you unconscious if you’re not careful. While Loston can cover a lot of ground in the secondary, there are some questions about his cover skills and there’s some speculation that he might eventually be a player that spins down to linebacker.
Previous ranking: 4
Highest ranking: 4 (final)
Debut ranking: 7 (7/9/07)
5 Mason Walters
Wolfforth (TX) Frenship OL 6-6/290 Texas
There’s a lot to love about the skill set that Walters brings to the table as an offensive line prospect. Although he’s a dominating center at the high school level, most schools envision the 6-6, 290-pound Walters on the perimeter because of his outstanding combination of size and great feet. At this point of his career, Walters is a dominating presence in the power running game and he excels at playing in space, and he’s asked to pull from the center position quite a bit. As a physical presence, there’s not a more impressive looking lineman in the state. In fact, if you were putting together a recruiting dictionary, you could put Walters’ photo next to the definition of “idea line prospectâ€