Texas recruiting has been on a roll of late, so it was a bit of a disappointment when the Longhorns’ second junior day failed to yield any commitments on Saturday. Additionally, several top prospects were unable to make the trip. That’s not uncommon, as it is tough for many kids to secure a ride. Still, Texas fans weren’t particularly happy, even if they understood that Texas was taking it slower as a matter of choice this season.
Texas’ Second Junior Day Yields Deoundrei Davis, Others
Texas’ second junior day paid big dividends Sunday when Deoundrei Davis, Daeshon Hall and Jacorey Warrick all made commitments to the Longhorns.
That all changed Sunday when the second junior day did manage to turn quite a few heads. They just happened to wait a a day to commit.
First was Deoundrei Davis, a 6’2, 210-pound prospect considered by many to be the top linebacker prospect in Texas. Texas recruiting expert Wescott Eberts of Burnt Orange Nation had this excellent scouting report on Davis:
The Longhorns are getting an extremely impressive prospect who is set to make some leaps up the various rankings when they get updated, as he's universally considered a four-star recruit and a likely top 15 or so player in the state. With a frame that has the room to add the mass to eventually play at or beyond 230 pounds and a reported 4.65 that doesn't seem like a stretch based on his speed on film, Davis is now receiving mention as the top linebacker in the state, a belief the Texas staff may have arrived at themselves based on the offer.
What really stands out about Davis though is his striking ability. There's no other way to describe Davis except as a violent dude who brings some bad intentions with him to the football field and makes good on them consistently with his strong tackling radius, ability to sink his hips and uncoil, then finish tackles with a strong core. A rangy player like Tevin Jackson is probably a good comparison in terms of overall violence, athleticism, and upside.
The fact that Davis also shows the ability to diagnose plays quickly and without taking false steps is also a major part of his value. A terror of the edge when unblocked, Davis uses his strong ability to accelerate quickly to run down plays in the backfield before they even come close to having a chance to get started.
There's enough versatility in his game for his high school coaches to feel comfortable moving him out onto inside receivers in coverage, though there isn't much film on whether or not he can drop into coverage, as was the case with other downhill linebackers Texas has recruited in the past, like Jackson and Sergio Kindle before him.
It's heartening to see the willingness of Davis to battle through traffic and pack enough of a punch with his hands to be able to hit and separate at the high school level, as well as use them to fend off blockers at his legs.
That’s just an example of the incredible, free analysis provided regularly by Eberts at BON. Davis is an excellent pickup for the Longhorns.
But Texas wasn’t done, as the Longhorns also added Jacorey Warrick, a surprise receiver commitment. Eberts feels that the commitment of the 5’11, 170-pound Warrick could signal that Texas might take more than the two receivers it was originally believed to be taking.
The night cap was the commitment of Daeshon Hall, a 6’6, 220-pound defensive end out of Lancaster (Texsa) High School. Hall is raw, but has significant potential and is one of the 10 best weak-side defensive ends in the country.
For more on Horns football, visit Texas blogs Burnt Orange Nation and Barking Carnival, plus SB Nation Dallas.
