Friday Recruiting Notes: UIL Football State Championships

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Hook Em Commit Breaks State Rushing Record

Cuero's Jordan Whittington (6'1, 200) set the UIL State Championship rushing record with 334 yards.

The record was previously held by Aledo's Johnathan Gray (Texas Longhorns).  

Jordan Whittington

"It's unbelievable," said Cuero head coach Travis Reeve when asked about Wittington's record-breaking day.

"To have that type of performance on a stage like this is something special."

"We had the mentality that you're not going to beat us," Whittington added. "We didn't come this far to come this far. That was our quote this whole week."  

Whittington, who signed with the Longhorns on Wednesday, was recruited to play wide receiver in Austin.

He tried not to let his signing be a distraction during preparation for the title game. 

"Signing, that was another dream that came to reality," Whittington said. "Signing, you know its special of course, but this (game) was the main thing I was worried about this week."

 Pleasant Grove head coach Josh Gibson did not mince words when he was asked about Whittington. 

"Without a doubt, offensively," Gibson answered when asked if he was the best player he's coached against. "He's special."

Next Kinne in the Pipeline

2020 Waco La Vega ATH/QB Landry Kinne (6'0, 170) is the younger brother of former Tulsa quarterback GJ Kinne and the son of former Baylor linebacker Gary Joe Kinne, so he has a college football pedigree. 

Landry transferred to La Vega midseason from Denton.

Landry Kinne

"Coming into a new school during the season is tough," Kinne said. "The guys accepted me and they just wanted to win, as long as I could help them win that is all they cared about and they accepted me."

Kinne felt it was a blessing to be a part of the state title team. 

"It is unexplainable," Kinne explained. "You can't really explain it until you do it. I just want to thank my teammates and coaches for accepting me and lettig me play and contributing. It is just an awesome feeling."

Kinne reports that he has been hearing from schools like Air Force, Northwestern, Arkansas, Houston, and UTEP. 

This season, he took an unofficial visit to Houston.

"I went down to a Houston game this year," Kinne reported. "I liked Houston a lot. The atmosphere was crazy and that offense was one of the top offenses in the country, so it was a cool place."

OU Commit Runs Hard in 5A DII Title Game

It was Jase McClellan's third state title game and his second championship victory.

That is qute an accomplishment, especially considering he is just a junior and has a chance to play in the title game for a fourth straight year next season. 

Jase McClellan

McClellan rushed for 147 yards and scored three touchdowns on Friday night. He has now rushed for 382 yards and six TDs in his three title game appearances. 

McClellan made a commitment to Oklahoma prior to the start of the 2017 season, so he has already been committed to the Sooners for a year and a half. He also reports offers from schools like Alabama, Baylor, Georgia, LSU, Michigan, TCU, Texas, and Texas A&M. 

McClellan State Title Breakdown: McClellan has advanced his game on the field. He is checking in around 5'10, 200. He is a step faster and more explosive than he was in the title game one year ago. McClellan cuts on a dime and accelerates quickly. He plays with good pad level and can power the ball in the middle of the field, dash to daylight, and make defenses pay if they don't wrap up. McClellan had the chance to showcase his ability as a pass catcher, scoring on a screen pass at the end of the first half. He has tremendous patience and knows when to hit the crease.

 

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