College Football Recruiting Report: Malcolm Williams, Aaron Green, and Others

I finally caught up on a bunch of DVRed high school games and wanted to share my thoughts on a few guys.

Manatee vs. Plant

This was a battle between Florida powerhouses and it was over in the first half. The best player on the field was Manatee’s Mike Blakely and though he is currently rated behind Malcolm Brown and Aaron Green on the lists, he has a better pure skill set than both. He’s a more athletic Herschel Sims. Great power for his size and quickness to burn. I don’t know his straight line speed and don’t really care. He dropped 140+ yards rushing and three TDs, threw for a TD, and had a 50-yard kick return. Pure all-purpose back with toughness who can beat you catching, running, and returning.

Madison vs. Steele

Looks like Steele has a new offensive line and it gave me a new perspective on Malcolm Brown. Mostly for the better. I used to laugh at people who were in awe of Brown’s junior highlight tape. An FBS-level back can run through a nine-yard hole and run to the end zone untouched. Wow, amazing!

So it was good to see Malcolm get his against tough sledding. The 88-yard run was absolutely sensational. He broke five or six tackles, showed fantastic balance, great strength, and the ability to finish. I like that he wore down a superior Madison defense with minimal OL support, doing the Cedric Benson end-of-run lunge to wring out an extra 18 inches.

From a developmental perspective, he’s 10 pounds over his ideal playing weight at this stage in his career (he’ll carry 225 when it’s distributed right) and that affected his endurance and burst. He has mediocre top end speed and the weight gain hasn’t served his lateral movement well. He’s not a super-elite generational talent as he has been billed, and the comparisons to Adrian Peterson are idiotic. People need to understand the difference between a 10.3 100-meter guy and a 10.8. He’s cut high like Adrian, has a similar body type, and he shares the same upright style. Ends there. Obviously, a very good player.

I like Aaron Green plenty though I still prefer OU verbal commit Brandon Williams as my in-state speed back. Green has real cut-and-go ability and he does a nice job of setting up defenders for an ankle break. He’s not powerful, but I wouldn’t call him soft either. The two red zone fumbles were distressing, but that’s something you can correct. Really quick and a nice complementary back for any program. Feed him 10-15 carries and four-to-five catches a game and get him involved in the return game.

Madison sophomore NG Vincent Taylor was the most dominant defensive player on the field. Legit 6'3", 235, great motor, excellent strength, uses his hands, frame can handle big boy weight. OL doesn't fear size; they fear quickness, explosiveness, and motor. Taylor has it. If he continues to develop, snap up this Energizer Bunny ASAP.

I watched OU commit Marquis Anderson quite a bit. He made one amazing play—a sack, TFL, forced fumble early that highlighted his speed and power—but as the game wore on, he wore down. Madison had a couple of big kids on his side of the OL and in the second and fourth quarters he was waving the white flag. However, I saw plays that legitimize his ranking. His motor won’t be confused with Vincent Taylor though.

Steele QB Tommy Armstrong struggled with jitters, but he’s a good athlete. He looked every bit of 6'1", 195 lbs. and looked like he ran a legit 4.6. As a junior, that’s worth putting on my ATH watch list.

Madison safety Andre Wiggins goes 6'3", 200 lbs., benches 350 lbs., and runs track. He loves contact and has a nose for the ball. Apparently he was injured last year and totally flew under the radar. Fun to see these sleepers emerge.

Loved Madison FB Troy Williams. Great blocker for his size, good ball carrier, excellent 1-2 with Green. He’s a UTSA commitment right now, but he may get an upgrade based on exposure. Not Texas good, but a fine little player.

Trinity vs. Tyler Lee

If Trinity had played SA Madison, the score would have been 42-7.

Trinity WR Brandon Carter is sensational and another example of a great Sooner evaluation of a player not considered an elite recruit. Odd. He pretty much jumps off the screen, he was the best player on a state champion, and he scored the game winning touchdown in the state title game last year. He dominated this game too. And he can’t get recruiting list love? He’s skinny, but it’s wiry Allen Iverson skinny, his quickness is off the charts, and he has excellent ball skills. OU wants to play him at cornerback, but he looks like Mark Clayton.

He’s currently ranked as Rivals 2-star. Laughable. Double that, you fools.

Loved the Trinity OL. So physical and well-coached that you pity opposing DLs. Their skill players are all very good, but it all begins and ends with their Tongans hogs.

Tevin Williams is very solid. See OL comments. He should go to Utah/TCU.

Trinity QB Lahi Kautai is basically a more composed Tommy Armstrong from Steele. Strong, tough kid. Good leader. Not Texas good.

Tyler Lee sophomore LaQuintas Wallace was the most intriguing player in all of the games. Remember this name. Electrifying. He’s not well utilized in Lee’s schemes, as he had six carries for 63 yards at halftime, including a 42-yarder. He finished the game with seven carries, but why didn't he have 15? His athletic ability for his age is absurd. He looked every bit of 5'10" 195 and he could really scoot. He has an amazing ability to break his hips and explode when he plants a foot. He has to be the apex of the 2013 RB class. If there’s someone better, I’d love to see him.

He’s an East Texas dude named LaQuintas so I’d be interested to know about potential grades/probation officers/babies…

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