Just because the football season is about to be underway doesn’t mean the recruiting trail goes cold. Instead things are going to heat up as players make visits and decisions about where they want to go to school.
Football News
We get the football side of things started with news of two linebacker commits. An MI source let us know that the Miners have picked up a verbal from OLB Cooper Foster from Vista Ridge High School in Cedar Park, Texas. The 6’1″, 190 pound defensive player runs a 4.6 40-yard dash and has no star ranking from Rivals.com
The other verbal commit the Miners picked up comes from Blair Brown from Rancho Verde in California. The 6’0″, 210 pound linebacker was recently listed as one of the top high school linebackers by the LA Times as an aggressive middle linebacker.
In other news, OG Sam Rice (6’4 275 pounds) from Coppell, TX (Coppel HS) received an offer from UTEP. Rice has offers from Memphis, Duke and UTEP. He also was a member of Coppell HS Wrestling team. Rice demonstrates good technique as a run and pass blocker and has the size and athleticism for the offensive tackle position. He needs to improve his upper body strength as well as his ability to knock defenders off the line when run blocking.
- 2010 record: 13-1, 7-0 in District 7-5A (champions)
- 2010 playoffs: Lost in Division I region finals to Euless Trinity, 41-40
- Ratings: 2 stars and #89 OG by scout.com; 3 stars,#105 OG and 76 grade by espn.com
- Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pPR7yp5muc
C/OG Josh Baggett (6’3 292 pounds 40/6.0) s from Celina, TX (Celina HS) is very interested in UTEP and plans to make several trip to see the Miners play this season. Baggette has an offer from Tulsa and Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., Oregon, TCU and Southern Methodist are showing some interest. Baggette was selected by NMpreps.com to the 2011 1st Team Pre-season Offensive Selection while at Rio Rancho, NM (Rio Rancho HS) before he moved to Celina, TX (Celina HS) for the 2011 season.
- His Rating: 2 stars 5.2 by rivals.com; 1 stars with a 66 grade by espn.com
- Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vw0vEqmcuLU, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Do_Ds6nehG0&feature=related
- Stories: http://theoldcoach.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1246361
Basketball news:
DE/F Kyndahl Hill 6’7 200 pounds 4.7/40 from Humble, TX (Humble HS). Hill played basketball and football at Humble HS. So far UTEP is recruiting him as a basketball player but no offer yet. I couldn’t find any videos playing basketball. He is been recruited by Kansas State, Iowa State and North Texas among others to play football.
- Rating: 3 stars by scout.com; 2 stars with 74 grade by espn.com
- He drops football for basketball: http://www.chron.com/sports/article/HS-football-Can-Humble-s-defense-carry-it-in-2081929.php
- VYPE’s 2012 Top 100 Football Recruits: http://www.ihigh.com/centralhouston/article_72463.html (#69)
- Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEwiGhHm_OQ (#19)
Angel Luna can be reached at show@minerillustrated.com.
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Great to see the Miners are continuing their recruitment for the 2012 trail. Just a few more days until the opening game of the season. If it was not for the pre season injuries I think Saturday’s game would be a pass attack against the opposing defense.
Whatever happened to the massive Trent Jenkins that the Miners invested in last year? I have not heard mush of him throughout the training camp or spring ball for that matter. He has the size and weight needed to be an opposing tackle for the Miner offense.
@ John
Jenkins took a grey shirt so he will join the team next sprint. He is at UTEP rigth now.
Angel