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Various UT sources are basking in optimistic sunshine, so I'll be doing plenty of rounding down. It looks like Texas should finish with a hell of a class, with quarterback as the final necessary ingredient needed to make it a foundational one.
**
Feeling good
Kris Boyd - DB
Holton Hill - DB
Daylon Mack - DT
Soso Jamabo - RB
Chris Warren - RB
Texas should benefit from making both Boyd and Hill consistent priorities while A&M seems to be trying to make up some ground. The late scholarship offer to Boyd's younger brother may be too little, too late. Hill should follow the Houston Lamar Redskin warpath of Drew Kelson and Rod Babers to Austin. We'll know in less than a day.
Daylon Mack has led us on an amusing journey and given us windows into the teenage mind that Judy Blume couldn't imagine, but the tea leaves say Texas given his cancellation of a TCU official visit this weekend. If his recruitment went on for another two weeks, he probably would end up at Vassar.
UCLA led comfortably for Jamabo once the old regime left, but Soso was blown away by his official visit to Texas and he seems likely to continue the Longhorn tradition of West African origin (well, more recent origin) scholar athletes who go to the library, make plays on the field and model in Lands End catalogues.
Will Warren avoid Jamabo?
Getting 4 out of the 5 aforementioned isn't crazy talk.
Flip a coin
Kyler Murray - QB
Kai Locksley - QB
FSU just lost their top rated QB recruit, Deondre Francois. Like, just now. Not good for us. Also, Jimbo Fisher has a pretty compelling story to tell with respect to QB development in EJ Manuel and Jameis Winston (I didn't say character development).
I won't get into the Kyler Murray debate lest I be threatened by terrifying Twitter gangsters, but it's safe to say that none of us know anything and when Strong or Sumlin gets the call a couple of days before NSD, we still may not know until the letter is faxed. I suspect we'll know the losing camp by how many folks from that side suddenly realize Murray is 5-10 again. "Doesn't project!"
Look - there's a real possibility of busting here. So that means less competition for Braxton Miller and a plastic surgery altered Matt Leinart (reality show - don't want to say more) this summer. You read it here first.
Long shots
Damarkus Lodge - WR
Dominique Reed - WR
Whatever % you assign to Kyler Murray flipping to Texas late, subtract 12.3% from that number and that's the likelihood of Damarkus Lodge ending up in Austin.
JUCO Dominique Reed has grade issues. If we feel like it can work, there's a better shot.
Contingencies
Deandre Baker - CB
Sheldrick Redwine - DB
If we lose out on current or expected DB commits or just want to round out the class late, don't be surprised to see one of these gentlemen included. Since Baker is the youngest, rawest and seems to have the most upside, he's the one I like best.
Retention Status
Davante Davis - DB
Du'vonta Lampkin - DT
Lampkin seems solid again. Give it 48 hours. I'll put the odds of Daylon and Du'Vonta having Chris Rumph physically kick one of them in the ass before their 3rd practice at 97.4%.
Davis is getting love from FSU late. His dream school. When Texas was Texas, we used to be able to pull this off - the late full court press to snag someone we'd largely ignored after some room opened up. Interested to see if FSU can do the same to us. Hopefully, Davis is vindictive and resentful and sticks with us.
Dark Horses
The staff will be seizing opportunistically on any late breaking blue chips and various developmental types that pop up on their board. For example: TCU DE/OLB commit Tipa Galeai, who our staff has expressed interest in recently. Actually, as a general rule, just assume everyone has a list of TCU's 3 stars and is calling them before signing day to weight their interest.
Random Musing
The late break to Texas speaks to a number of different dynamics that we've explored, but I think there's an obvious one that hasn't been mentioned: Charlie Strong is the best recruiter on his own staff. And he's taking point now. This momentum may be little more than the head man being able to sit in living rooms, have long thoughtful conversations and convey his message and mission.