Area college football recruits benefiting from online source
East Texas has gained a reputation for producing high-caliber college football prospects over the past few years. The recruiting coverage boom spurred by online recruiting source Rivals.com has helped area players gain more exposure during the recruiting process.
That process is a tedious one. Jeremy Crabtree, a national analyst for Rivals.com, said recruiting gurus watch a lot of tape and are on the road much of the high school football season so they can produce their comprehensive prospect lists for every state in the country.
"We do most of the evaluating all throughout a kid's senior season, and tape will come in that we watch," said Crabtree, who was in Tulsa, Okla., Friday on a road trip. "We're going to evaluate more and more in the season, and there's going to be guys that may be bubble guys that could come out of nowhere. We just need to see more of these guys, just like the college coaches. There's going to be guys during the season who become Big 12- or SEC-caliber kids just based on what they do on the football field."
The Web site recently updated its rankings for this month. Crabtree said the analysts will allow seniors to play some games before re-evaluating prospects for revised rankings, which will come in October.
"We'll (revise rankings) at least three more times before signing day, so there's plenty of opportunities for kids that might be on that bubble."
In 2006, East Texas had 11 recruits rank in the top 69 players in Texas, including Kilgore's Eddie Jones, one of only three five-star players in the state that season. Jones ranked third in the state, while Longview running back Vondrell McGee was seventh. Both now play for Texas.
Last year, 13 East Texans were in the top 83, and the list was top-heavy. Five-star Texas High quarterback Ryan Mallett (Michigan) was the state's top prospect, while five-star Gilmer athlete Curtis Brown (Texas) was fourth. Kilgore's Michael Huey (Texas), Lufkin's Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State) and Tatum's Lennon Creer (Tennessee) ranked sixth, seventh and eighth, giving East Texas five of the state's top eight players.
This season appears different on the surface. Although the 2008 class has more prospects (14) in the state's top 100 than the past two years, only two rank in the top 20. Several of this year's prospects are found on East Texas' periphery, including three Paris players in the top 54 and one Liberty-Eylau player.
Crabtree, however, doesn't think this is a down year for East Texas, noting Van running back Jermie Calhoun, the state's No. 1 recruit and an Oklahoma commit, as reason enough for dodging that label.
"Any time you have the top player in the state of Texas, it's kind of hard for me to say it's a down year," Crabtree said. "Pound-for-pound I truly believe East Texas is the best football in the entire country. There are plenty of high-profile guys ... I just can't brag enough about the region."
Crabtree, who said he will swing through the area next week, mentioned a couple players he believes are still under the radar but could explode onto the scene during the season, including Liberty-Eylau rusher LaMichael James.
"I really truly think this kid's got a good chance of being an impact college player. He's got a lot of skills even if he doesn't have the prototypical size for a running back," Crabtree said. "I know there are guys at Lufkin still kind of under the radar. (Receiver) James Davis is a kid to keep your eye on. He could be a Big 12-caliber-type kid."
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