Riding the Recruiting Rollercoaster: Kyler Murray, Damarkus Lodge, Zach Gentry, Du'Vonta Lampkin

The ride has begun and I just saw the carny operator take a huge hit of acid.  These Mexican roller coasters are safe, right?

Win A Prize!

Kyler Murray and Damarkus Lodge are in Austin on official visits.  Lodge is the best wide receiver in the state and the undersized Murray is somehow simultaneously one of the most dominant and polished players in Texas state high school history while also possessing big question marks about his ability to adapt to the next level against the elite or whether he makes that step at all (pro baseball will have its say).  We can have the Murray college suitability debate, but his floor is probably Todd Reesing and I would cut off your femininely painted pinky toe to have Todd Reesing QBing the Longhorns right now.  Of course, he may just sign a fat bonus and go dick around in a park for a few years playing a boring game where you don't get injured by 320 pound mutants.

This came about because Murray's father isn't particularly enamored with Kevin Sumlin and the question is whether this is a late tire-kicking at the behest of his Dad (though Murray had been communicating with Texas long before this trip) which will only reconfirm his commitment to A&M or a legitimate late attempt to flip to a cross-state rival.  If Murray does switch, it's a good bet Lodge will follow.  Forgetting football altogether, I want this to happen largely because the Aggie boards would make for an amazing afternoon of reading.

If Texas wants some spice and improvisation in its offense that isn't going to be provided by its innate structure, having Murray running around dissecting defenses throwing Dez Bryant balls to Lodge is a good way to start.

Careening Off The Tracks!

Why would Texas entertain a visit from Kyler Murray when they have their own highly coveted QB in the fold?  Zach Gentry seemed like the most secure of Longhorn commitments until the 49ers nitwit front office kept antagonizing Jim Harbaugh (Texas was a year late in their hiring timing - why didn't we just appoint Bruce Chambers as our one year interim coach?, the writer mused while Barking Carnival commenters pelted him with hot garbage) and sent him to Michigan to be replaced by a DL coach.  Very Oakland Raider-ish, Niners.  But San Francisco's front office is smart! They have Ivy League MBAs and they talk about disruption!

Harbaugh is looking for a smart, young QB in the Andrew Luck mold to groom for his offense and Gentry is his top target.  Do you think Harbaugh can tell a fairly compelling story about masterminding a rebuild with a young QB that he turned into a NFL elite 1st pick of the draft?  Yeah, he does.  There's a very real chance Texas could lose its offensive bell cow.  Gentry trips to Ann Arbor soon.

In stranger news, sole DT commitment Du'Vonta Lampkin, who turned in a senior campaign that raised his stock from widely respected to downright coveted seems shaky on his Texas commitment.  Anyone professing to know exactly why probably doesn't, but this doesn't look good.

The Unknown

What this class looks like on signing day.  Belt yourself in.