In this week's edition of the Roundtable, the RRS staff answers this question: With their senior season still in front of them, what high school prospect committed to Tech has the most upside and biggest chance to 'blow up' this fall?
Level: With the way the question is worded I'm going to assume we're not including any of the junior college prospects because if so, I might've considered Derrick Willies. Of the high school kids currently committed I think I'd have to go with linebacker Brayden Stringer. Stringer has already had plenty of traffic and he's done really well on the camp circuit this summer which will mean ever more this fall, especially since he's located in Houston. Several schools see Stringer in a variety of roles at the next level, which only enhances his value as a prospect. He can cover in the open field, and he can really, really run. Now, I don't think Tech has anything to worry about with him but he's going to have to tell many an assistant coach "no thanks" this fall and into 2016 before he's officially a Red Raider.
Dickens: This might be a cop-out, but I find Jett Duffey to be an intriguing prospect that has interesting tools and is completely underranked. I think people will pay more attention to him this season due his success on the camp circuit and commitment to Texas Tech, and I imagine those folks will be impressed with what they see. Duffey will never be the biggest quarterback in the Big 12, but he may very well be the fastest. That's fun dynamic.
McKay: There are several candidates in this class that I could see really exploding onto the scene in the next six months, including Jett Duffey, Da'Marcus Fields, and Ivory Jackson. But, I'm going to go with Cibolo Steele wideout Antoine Cox-Wesley. Mike Jinks has really built a knack for finding diamonds in the rough, and Wesley is a player he certainly knows more about than anyone else.
He's a lanky, wiry pass catcher right now, but the raw tools and materials are there for a Big 12 starting Z receiver in the mold of a player like Darrin Moore. He's long with a good frame, moves extremely well in and out of breaks for a guy his size, and from what I saw at Tech's New Braunfels camp, he'll catch the ball if you simply put it in his vicinity.
I think he very well may have the most upside of any player in Tech's class right now, so that's why I'm picking him.
Clare: I have to say Southmoore (Okla.) defensive end Noah Jones is my choice for "blowing up" this season. At six-foot-five, 250-pounds, Jones is already playing both sides of the ball and will only continue growing once he gets into a college strength & nutrition program. With the right development, his upside is easy to see.
This is a very difficult question though. I battled between going with Ivory Jackson and Houston Miller as well. The team needs talent on the defensive line badly and the coaching staff is building depth for the future.
Kohnle: I really like the earning potential of defensive end commit Houston Miller. Miller’s tangible measurements—six-four, 230 with a recently timed 4.54 40 yard dash—all show he projects really well to the next level which is something Rivals loves. Miller also has the visibility—currently holds 15 offers—so he is not an unknown by any stretch and could receive many more top offers this fall. Outside of offers and physical attributes, Miller can flat out play and brings it on every snap. His relentlessness on the field alone will help him to breakout this next year. Unlike some prospects who commit to a school and then fade away their senior years, I can see Miller using his commitment to Tech as fuel to his already burning fire and have a huge senior year on defense, special teams, and wherever else the coaches at Keller will let him play.
Level: With the way the question is worded I'm going to assume we're not including any of the junior college prospects because if so, I might've considered Derrick Willies. Of the high school kids currently committed I think I'd have to go with linebacker Brayden Stringer. Stringer has already had plenty of traffic and he's done really well on the camp circuit this summer which will mean ever more this fall, especially since he's located in Houston. Several schools see Stringer in a variety of roles at the next level, which only enhances his value as a prospect. He can cover in the open field, and he can really, really run. Now, I don't think Tech has anything to worry about with him but he's going to have to tell many an assistant coach "no thanks" this fall and into 2016 before he's officially a Red Raider.
Dickens: This might be a cop-out, but I find Jett Duffey to be an intriguing prospect that has interesting tools and is completely underranked. I think people will pay more attention to him this season due his success on the camp circuit and commitment to Texas Tech, and I imagine those folks will be impressed with what they see. Duffey will never be the biggest quarterback in the Big 12, but he may very well be the fastest. That's fun dynamic.
McKay: There are several candidates in this class that I could see really exploding onto the scene in the next six months, including Jett Duffey, Da'Marcus Fields, and Ivory Jackson. But, I'm going to go with Cibolo Steele wideout Antoine Cox-Wesley. Mike Jinks has really built a knack for finding diamonds in the rough, and Wesley is a player he certainly knows more about than anyone else.
He's a lanky, wiry pass catcher right now, but the raw tools and materials are there for a Big 12 starting Z receiver in the mold of a player like Darrin Moore. He's long with a good frame, moves extremely well in and out of breaks for a guy his size, and from what I saw at Tech's New Braunfels camp, he'll catch the ball if you simply put it in his vicinity.
I think he very well may have the most upside of any player in Tech's class right now, so that's why I'm picking him.
Clare: I have to say Southmoore (Okla.) defensive end Noah Jones is my choice for "blowing up" this season. At six-foot-five, 250-pounds, Jones is already playing both sides of the ball and will only continue growing once he gets into a college strength & nutrition program. With the right development, his upside is easy to see.
This is a very difficult question though. I battled between going with Ivory Jackson and Houston Miller as well. The team needs talent on the defensive line badly and the coaching staff is building depth for the future.
Kohnle: I really like the earning potential of defensive end commit Houston Miller. Miller’s tangible measurements—six-four, 230 with a recently timed 4.54 40 yard dash—all show he projects really well to the next level which is something Rivals loves. Miller also has the visibility—currently holds 15 offers—so he is not an unknown by any stretch and could receive many more top offers this fall. Outside of offers and physical attributes, Miller can flat out play and brings it on every snap. His relentlessness on the field alone will help him to breakout this next year. Unlike some prospects who commit to a school and then fade away their senior years, I can see Miller using his commitment to Tech as fuel to his already burning fire and have a huge senior year on defense, special teams, and wherever else the coaches at Keller will let him play.
