For Baylor defensive coordinator Phil Bennett, Monday was a good day. The Bears added two defensive recruits to the 2013 class, with Hutto (TX) defensive end Tanner Thrift joining Rockwall (TX) Rockwall-Heath linebacker Raaquan Davis.
Baylor Recruiting 2013: Tanner Thrift Commits To Bears
Is Baylor’s newest commit a diamond in the rough or a questionable take? Only time will tell.
The ninth pledge in this cycle, Thrift is the second defensive end and the sixth defensive player. He held only the offer from Baylor, with interest from Louisiana Tech and Rice listed on his Rivals profile.
An under-the-radar prospect as a strongside end at 6’5”, 230 pounds, Thrift seems to have received his Baylor offer within the last several days, based on a quick Twitter search -- none of the four major services have done a story on him other than a brief mention ($) from the Texas 247Sports site, Hookem.com. Likewise, none of the services currently have him rated, which likely puts him in the two- or three-star range when he eventually is rated, likely some time this fall.
Unfortunately, Thrift’s highlights on Hudl -- seemingly his only available film -- are set to private, so there’s no way to put together a scouting report at this time. He was credited with 53 tackles, six sacks, two forced fumbles, a blocked field goal and blocked punt during his junior season. His projection as a strongside end, despite weighing 230 pounds, suggests that he’s viewed more as a potential run-stuffer and contain player than a pure pass rusher at the next level. Hookem.com scouting analyst Jeff Howe also believes that Thrift could eventually play inside if he adds enough weight.
Mark C. Moore, the manager of SBNation’s Baylor blog Our Daily Bears, encapsulated the smart take on Thrift at this point:
Tanner Thrift is either the ultimate diamond-in-the-rough (in that nobody but Baylor seems to know he exists) or ... he’s just a recruit that has yet to be ranked because we’re still 9 months from 2013 Signing Day. Hutto (their mascot is the Hippos) is a 4A school, so the fact that he’s flown so far under the radar is a bit concerning, but the word is that Phil Bennett offered him in person this past week after watching him at practice.
Until some film is available, assessing whether this is a quality take depends entirely on the amount of confidence placed in Bennett or a stark look at Thrift’s offer list, though the assessment from Howe seems to be that Thrift is a solid take for the Bears. And, after all, defensive lineman are difficult to find.
However, as with any recruit, the true test won’t come until several years into his college career, well into the future.
For more on Bears football, visit Baylor blog Our Daily Bears, plus SB Nation Dallas.
