Texas Football

By Matt Malatesta/rivals100.com

Lamar Consolidated High School’s (Texas) Jacquizz Rodgers is starting to move the needle. The 5-foot-7 running back has electrified Houston-area stadiums over the past two seasons, gaining yards by the clumps. His scholarship offers, however, have not matched his on-field heroics.

Rodgers had been offered by Baylor, Arizona and SMU as of last week. This week he received offers from Louisiana Tech, Illinois and Boston College. Northwestern is also nearing.

He is ahead of his older brother, James, who didn’t receive a Division I offer until the January before signing day. James Rodgers committed to Oregon State after a terrific career at Lamar Consolidated, where he was the district’s MVP as a receiver, defensive back and returner.

“James Rodgers was the best pure football player in Greater Houston last year,” former Houston Oiler and Green Bay Packer scout Alonzo Highsmith said. “I’ve been watching Jacquizz since he was a pee-wee. He’s done it at every level. When he was in junior high they said he was too small for high school. Look what he’s done in high school.

“The same was said for Emmitt Smith when we were growing up in Florida,” he said. “Jacquizz is stronger than Emmitt in high school. He’s going to be a great college running back. He has what the great ones have – vision and instinct.”

“I’m a big proponent of track record,” he said. “He’s got a tremendous track record.”

Rodgers has rushed for over 5,000 yards and 68 touchdowns in two seasons, helping lead his team to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

“He’s tough to bring down,” Yates defensive end Damion Square said. “You just can’t hit him and expect him to come down. He will bounce on you and take it to the house.”

Houston school has full den

Klein High School is one of Houston’s hotbeds for 2008 talent. With six possible Division I prospects, Klein has logged dozens of visits from college coaches across the country.

Ohio State-verbal commit J.B. Shugarts headlines the bunch followed by Rice University pledge Clay Hebert.

Four more Bearkats are receiving significant Division I interest, including nationally-recognized kicker Randy Bullock, defensive end John Youboty and hybrid athletes Brian Moore and C.J. Palmer.

All were on display Thursday night at the school’s spring game.

“John has had a tremendous spring and the light has really turned on for him,” Klein coach Stan Labay said. “As for Randy, I’m surprised he hasn’t been offered yet. I know everyone doesn’t need a kicker but he’s special.”

Youboty, the brother of Buffalo Bill defensive back Ashton Youboty, is nearing an offer from Missouri and Houston, while Bullock will be participating in a national combine in Las Vegas this weekend.

After showing out at the Nike Camp in Fort Worth, Texas, Moore was offered by Tulsa University at linebacker. Moore moves back to outside linebacker from defensive end, and is also receiving interest from Oklahoma State, TCU and Tennessee.

Running back/middle linebacker C.J. Palmer is another interesting prospect. Palmer rushed for over 1,000 yards as a sophomore before playing linebacker last season.

“He’s a very good running back and is in good shape right now,” Labay said. “He’s also instinctive on defense, so he’s got a shot.”

Oak Ridge on the come with brother combo

With the splitting of super-school The Woodlands (Texas) into two and the tremendous housing development in east Montgomery County, Oak Ridge High School could become the largest school in the Conroe Independent School District, drastically changing the dynamics of a talented football district.

“We are seeing it some at the high school level, but it’s the junior highs that are really filling up,” Oak Ridge coach Bob Barrett said. “We are definitely seeing more kids out for football.”

Oak Ridge has traditionally bounced from Class 4A to 5A over the years due to a small enrollment, which has meant the War Eagles have been thin on talent and heavy on losses. Things are changing under Barrett, who led his team to the playoffs last season with a wing-T rushing attack.

While Oak ridge lost several key players from last year’s post-season squad, Barrett welcomes some talented underclassmen who should play on the next level.

Brothers Jay Buchanan (6-2, 180-pound) and Tevin Henderson (6-2, 235-pounds) are juniors that combine size, talent and welcomed physical play to the War Eagle defense.

“Jay started out as a quarterback and we moved him to safety,” Barrett said. “He’s learning the position but just flies around the football. He’s so physical sometimes we have to back him off at times. He has unlimited potential.

“Tevin will start at defensive end and did get a lot of reps as a sophomore,” he said. “He’s going to continue to grow into a Division I defensive end.”

On offense, Barrett will be turning the running game over to sophomore-to-be Freddie Dotson.

“Freddie is another one that has a good chance,” he said. “He’s explosive and has such good hands for is size.”

Anchoring the offensive line is Nick Peterpaul, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound guard with three years of experience.

“We expect to really blossom over the next couple of months and could be a lower Division I or I-AA guy,” he said.

Times are changing for the War Eagles and their fans.

Meekins’ made-for-television movie

Westfield High School coach Corby Meekins has directed some of the most talented athletes deep into the Class 5A state playoffs over the past several years.

But he may have a bigger future in directing made-for-television movies.

Meekins weaves a magical tale of one of his athletes, which really could be a television drama.

Quick tackle Brenel Myers (6-foot-2, 265-pounds) is a Hurricane Katrina victim from the West Bank of New Orleans, who moved into Westfield two years ago. Myers never played organized sports in the Big Easy and was walking the halls of the north Houston school when destiny hit.

“Our offensive line coach saw this kid and approached him,” Meekins said. “He asked him if he ever played football and he hadn’t. No basketball, no nothing. The coach got him out for the offseason after the 2005 season and the rest is history.”

Myers started 10 games on the junior varsity level last year, before getting pulled up the varsity for the playoffs. He played three offensive series during The Woodlands’ playoff game, replacing a dinged starter. The starters came back and Myers was back in a reserve role for the remainder of the playoffs.

Six months later, Myers completed a terrific offseason where he earned a starting spot on the offensive line and shined at Wednesday’s spring game.

“Brenel was just offered by UTEP and Boise State after the game,” Meekins said. “He’s a great kid and has persevered. It’s going to be amazing when he makes the league and they really do make a movie about him.”

While Myers has an unconventional recruiting story, linebacker Herman Mitchell is writing his own chapter at Westfield. Mitchell is the next physical hybrid athlete at Westfield, who collected offers from Arkansas, Baylor and Louisiana Tech this week.

“He’s just a tremendous player,” Meekins said. “He’s being recruited at linebacker and he is very physical. He could be one of the best to come out of here. Oklahoma is evaluating him very seriously as well.”

Mitchell also has offers from Colorado and Missouri.

Harris, Hinton double up

Channelview (Texas) prospects Duriel Harris and Jackie Hinton have doubled their offers in one week.

Hinton, who had been offered by Oklahoma State and Houston, added Rice, Arizona State and Utah last week. Harris also added Utah to complement Rice and Houston.

“They had a good spring and Jackie did well at the Nike combine in Houston,” Channelview Averion Hurts said. “Boston College, Iowa State and Baylor are getting close to offering Jackie and Nebraska, Iowa State and Baylor will probably offer Duriel before the fall.”

Both athletes hit the recruiting map after solid junior seasons. Hinton moved in from Shreveport, Louisiana, and earned first-team, all-district honor on offense, defense and special teams. Harris led his team in receptions and also earned all-district honors.

“Both will be qualified and have great upside,” Hurts said. “They need to work hard this summer and not let up. I don’t think that is in their character. I know we’ll do some seven-on-seven this summer, so they can get some more reps.”

Square all grown up

Whether it be running 200-yard sprints in the inner city Houston heat or doing an abdominal burnout in a humid weight room, Jack Yates defensive end Damion Square is leading the charge.

Square, a local neighborhood celebrity in the tough street of Houston’s third ward, is growing up before everyone’s eyes. He’s gained 25 pounds of muscle since the football season and his voice can be heard loud and clear throughout the weightroom.

“He’s really working and growing up,” defensive coordinator Jeff Ceasar said. “I take him against anyone in the state right now at defensive end. His legs have gotten so much stronger. He’s just older and maturing, but he’s not losing a step.”

Square has seemingly matured about his present status and his upcoming future.

“I'm so happy to be making my family proud,” he said. “We are getting calls from people I haven’t heard from in forever. They are telling me how proud they are of me and it’s a good feeling. People have been expecting a lot from me since I was a little kid, and I’m trying to make my neighborhood proud.”

Square, who has been raised by his grandmother, earned first-team, all-district honors for the second time this year and now prepares for his final encore. He’s also re-opened his recruitment after initially verbally committing to Texas A&M.

“I’m going to decide before we strap it back on in the fall,” he said. “I know that everyone thinks that I’m going to Miami, but I’m going to make this decision for me,” he said. “Arkansas recently offered me and Florida and Florida State are coming at me pretty hard. I want to go see Florida, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Florida State this summer before making a decision.”

His work-out mate and good buddy Leroy Chevalier takes his turn on the power clean. Chevalier’s has also transformed. He’s stronger and has more urgency in the mundate offensive line drills.

“I just got offered by Georgia and I really like the SEC,” he said. “I’m hoping to get offered by LSU also. That league does a great job at putting kids in the NFL.”

While Square and Chevalier are the only Lions with offers, other prospects including defensive end Kenneth Frankson, receiver Quintin Powell and safety Mark Posey are receiving significant interest from the likes of UTEP, Kansas, Baylor and Alabama, just to name a few.