Signing Day Drama Throughout the State
Another National Signing Day has come and gone and in the state of Texas it proved to be one of the most eventful days in recent memory. When you combine the icy weather in the DFW weather that forced school closings and delays in Letters of Intent being sent in, to drama involving recruits from Texas and out of state recruits committing to in state schools it was an action packed day.
Texas College Recap
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When you talk about in state schools everything begins with Texas and despite the 5-7 season and off-season coaching turnover, the Longhorns managed to hang on to their outstanding class with the exception of OL Christian Westerman.
Texas did make late runs at Le'Raven Clark, Spencer Drango and Brandon Alexander but failed to make a late splash.
The obvious headliner for Texas is Cibolo Steele RB Malcolm Brown.
Texas Tech landed their best class in history and despite losing a few key commits they finished strong including landing DE Cooper Washington out of Muleshoe.
The Red Raiders got one of the state's fastest players in Jakeem Grant out of Mesquite Horn and they were strong out of state landing the top player from New Mexico in RB Ronnie Daniels.
TCU took advantage of a banner season and earned their first ever top 25 recruiting class in the Rivals.com rankings. The Horned Frogs ended up flipping Euless Trinity wide receiver Brandon Carter who had been committed to Oklahoma and the day before signing day TCU flipped DB Jamie Byrd from Boise State.
The real steal of this class is four star recruit Ladarius Brown out of Waxahachie. Brown is the highest rated recruit TCU has ever landed.
Texas A&M didn't sign a big class but the Aggies made a late run landing Brenham DE Brandon Alexander and four star DB Floyd Raven.
Raven's recruitment may have been one of the most intriguing sagas in all of the country, the Louisiana DB went back and forth between Mississippi and Texas A&M all the way to signing day. It was thought early in the day that Raven had sent his letter of intent into Mississippi, but it was learned that the NOI was voided as apparently Raven's mother signed the NOI for Raven. Raven then managed to send the NOI into Texas A&M.
Baylor's class lacked the wow factor at the skill positions of some of the other classes, but the Bears did land some solid players in the trenches highlight by Cedar Park's Spencer Drango.
Houston mined junior college talent after losing some commits to other schools late in the process, West Orange-Stark WR Mark Roberts is the highlight of the class.
SMU did a great job pulling some talent out of state landing five players from California along with 2009 state championship MVP Ronnell Sims from Abilene.
North Texas under new head coach Dan McCarney made a late push flipping a pair of defensive backs from the Dallas ISD. Lincoln DB Kerry Swarn flipped to North Texas after being committed to Arizona. Pinkston DB Freddie Warner flipped to UNT from Texas Tech.
UTEP was able to land a late gem in Lancaster LB Trey Brown.
Signing Day Switches
Hurst Bell TE Chris Barnett who once was committed to Oklahoma, switched to Arkansas during the fall but a visit last weekend to Michigan caused Barnett to have another change of heart and he signed with Michigan.
One of the more interesting stories centers around Euless Trinity TE Nila Kasitati. Kasitati had been committed to Baylor for quite some time, but after much consternation at the Trinity fieldhouse on Wednesday morning Kasitati had a change of heart and signed with Oklahoma.
Oklahoma did lose one recruit as the aforementioned Cooper Washington from Muleshoe signed with Texas Tech and apparently according to some photos floating around on the internet word that Washington planned on signing with Texas Tech didn't quite make it to most in Muleshoe.
TOC Senior Analyst
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