Five-star WR Damarkus Lodge commits to Texas A&M Aggies

It was the third commitment of the week for the Aggies, who continue to dominate recruiting in the state of Texas -- hence the #WRTS tag in Lodge’s tweet. Texas A&M fans, recruits, players, and coaches have been using the hashtag recently, which stands for We Run The State. Texas A&M is also expected to add Lodge’s teammate Richard Moore on Thursday, an instinctive but undersized linebacker.

A consensus five-star prospect, the 6’3, 190-pound Lodge is considered the No. 6 wide receiver nationally, the No. 6 player in the state of Texas, and the No. 36 player nationally in the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Once considered a Texas lean, Lodge stopped considering the Longhorns following the school’s coaching changes and was viewed as a lock to Texas A&M in the weeks leading up to his decision, even though he had briefly named LSU the leader and had talked about taking an official visit to Ole Miss. The Rebels were even thought to have a chance at landing his services because he is a native of Mississippi.

Lodge also held offers from around 25 schools, including Alabama, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, California, Clemson, Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Tennessee, Texas Tech, USC, and Utah.

The Aggies now hold commitments from three of the top six players in the state and are considered the leader for the other two uncommitted recruits in that group. On the whole, A&M has pledges from the state’s top quarterback, wide receiver, tight end, and defensive tackle in a class that has 16 pledges and ranks No. 2 in the SEC and No. 2 in the country by the 247Sports Composite team rankings.

After playing sparingly as a sophomore because he was stuck behind a handful of FBS prospects at talent-laden Cedar Hill, Lodge saw his recruitment take off during the spring and summer following his sophomore season despite his limited film -- coaches were offering Lodge based on the belief that he would break out as a junior.

To say that Lodge did exactly that feels like an understatement, but the stats tell the tale, as he went from six receptions for 59 yards as a sophomore to 72 catches for 1,255 yards and 22 touchdowns, along with another 176 yards and three touchdowns on eight carries.

Though it’s hard to find an accurate 40 time for Lodge, he did register a 32.7-inch vertical and a 4.34 shuttle time last spring at a Nike event. However, tests of athleticism don’t accurately measure what Lodge can do in pads, as he’s an elite deep threat with the rare ability to run by defensive backs deceived by his speed.

He eats up cushions quickly and even if defenders do manage to stay with him, his leaping ability and ball skills render the good coverage irrelevant in the end.

A good route runner overall, Lodge can steam and weave defenders and also does a good job with his shoulder fakes to help him create separation. Changing speeds is another tactic that Lodge uses to his advantage -- he can come off the line of scrimmage slowly at times to lull defenders to sleep before creating separation with his burst.

After the catch, he’s not a dynamic prospect, but he can pick up extra yardage because of his size and above-average lateral quickness for his size. Strong hands and ball skills ensure that he comes down with the football when he has a chance

Having fulfilled his enormous potential as a junior, Lodge projects as a big-play receiver in college because of his ability to get open deep, as well as a red-zone threat because of his ability to attack the football at its highest point.