RECRUITING SHOW: Future College Football Stars Going Off + Top High School Performers
47m 3s
The recruiting show highlights standout high school athletes and emerging college football prospects, emphasizing how physical traits, mental edge, and competitive drive define top-tier talent. Amir Sears, a reclassified quarterback, is praised for his lightning-fast reaction time and maturity, likened to Travis Hunter. David Gabriel George, a Canadian running back, stands out with explosive power and balance, making him a key asset for Tennessee’s offense. Trey Taylor, a transfer quarterback to Nebraska, shows promise through his adaptability, game IQ, and ability to perform under pressure, signaling strong potential as a true freshman starter. The discussion also explores the impact of reclassifying players, the growth of Canadian talent in the NCAA, and the importance of early performance in shaping future success. Other notable mentions include Keelon Russell, a top-tier Alabama quarterback with elite pocket presence and ball control, and USC’s recruiting success built on a core of blue-chip players like Mark Bowman and Rook Wafel. LSU’s defensive depth is highlighted by Richard Anderson, a towering, agile defensive lineman with exceptional range, and Duce Gerald and Lamar Brown, who bring elite pass-rushing and versatility. The segment concludes with an exciting preview of Louisville’s Lincoln Keenholz, a unique quarterback from South Dakota with a dramatic recruitment journey, set to debut against Ole Miss. These stories underscore how player development, physicality, and situational intelligence shape college football’s future.
What's going on y'all on Budellate? And that's Andrew Iveens 24/7 sports director of scouting in this is the cover for the recruiting show, man. Glad to be back here and talk with the recruiting and Iveens how you've been, man. Doing good, bud. This is, I don't know, kind of like Christmas morning for me this time of the year because all the guys we ranked, all the guys that we've spent so many years evaluating. You get to see them play actual football, kind of like that, you know, meme on my couch. Hey, I remember that guy and with the transfer portal, it's also fun to kind of go through some of these two deeps and box scores and learn where players journeys have progressed because it seems like every time you're like, wait, I had no idea that individual was there. So I'm fired up. High school football is underway, obviously, signing day, a little over three months away. So doing good, man. Things are rolling, man. But checking all these depth charts coming out yesterday and today and obviously as we go into the week and I'm like, okay, yeah, like that, I like that, like the guy that I feel like has the high ceiling is the one that won the starting job. Like that, that's an encouraging, you know, development for whatever team that is. And in some cases, I'm like, ooh, okay, all right, maybe we'll downgrade there. We'll, we'll see. But you mentioned you've watched some high school football. I have as well on TV. You were actually, I believe down in South Florida recently, checking out some of the showcase stuff. Let's go ahead and hit our first block here and then let's go ahead and talk about some of these guys that like if, and I think like the goal for this show is largely, you may, like if you're recruiting diehard, you'll get something out of this, right? But like for the masses out there, like this one is kind of a little more for the recruiting casuals. We're going to try to just help you kind of dip your toe into the recruiting waters because it is, you know, like the, like the, it's what drives college football. Ultimately, the talent acquisition process. Let's talk about some of these guys that have been killing it so far that you've had a chance to see either in person or on TV or just the stats are just too big for us to ignore. Let's start with the mere seers, five star athlete Columbus committed to Miami. I mean, dude, I saw your tweet. Have you ever seen a better performance for high schooler in this game? Yeah, but I mean, that's like the question I always get at neighborhood barbecues or when I'm with my wife's friends and they, they figure out what I do for a living. It's like, hey, yeah, I know I rank 15, 16, 17 year olds and then it's quickly, okay, which one's the best one you've ever seen? And the go-to answers have been Travis Hunter. I saw him back in 2023 there inside the bins in Atlanta and he had a nuclear performance. It was like 13 catches, 232 yards, he caught a touchdown, he threw a touchdown, had an interception on defense. One example, number one, it's H, well, one high-spin trophy, number one over our high selection in the NFL draft. The second one would be Jeremiah Smith, that was much more recent, took on Burgeon Catholic when he's at Shamanah and Madonna Prep, 17 catches, 321 yards, three touchdowns, he was unguardable. And on Saturday, a mere seers, he kind of enters that fraternity, right? A mere seers, he's now at Miami Columbus, that's the same high school that turned out, Fernando Mendoza, Cam Bouser. So they've had some legendary athletes come through there, it's right, right? In the heart of Miami, against number one, ranked Bishop Gorman. This guy was the difference, he caught five passes for 67 yards and two touchdowns and he had three interceptions on the other side of the ball. And a mere seers is a kid that we had ranked number one in the class of 2028, right? So that would be, he's supposed to be a high school junior, but he has reclassified. And this is now senior season, and we've been trying to figure out, okay, how does this guy stack up with the rest of the class, the rest of the guys that we've had a ton of exposure points to. And I think through three weeks of his senior season, I mean, we can go as high as we want to go. I said it back in January, this kid reminds me of Travis Hunter, and I feel even more confident saying that after watching what he did on Saturday, especially when you just consider biggest win in school history. This kid is a program changer, and he said it to Miami, Mario, Chris, the ball was there on the sidelines. What do you think, like physically, we've seen a lot of guys dominate the high school level, and obviously doing it against lead competition, doing what they did over the weekend, certainly is a good indicator, but like physically what makes this guy special, like the mental appears to be there. Yeah, but I don't know if it's like a physical thing. Now, Amir Sears, he's over six feet, right? I mean, he's a guy that has cleared six one in the high jump. He's got these athletic markers you want to see, but to me, and why I compare Amir Sears to Travis Hunter, you know, the ball skills certainly show up just that coordination, the timing. But I just think it's the reaction times. I always thought what makes Travis Hunter what Travis Hunter is, I just think he sees it a second faster than everyone else on both sides of the ball. And I think Amir Sears has a lot of that as well. It's the quick twitch fiber. It's the ability to process. I don't think we talk about that enough with the skill players, right? You hear process. It's always quarterbacks and how they see the game. But Amir Sears, it's just one of those guys where he's moving a step faster than everyone else. And that's really what I think makes him who he is. The other thing is the competitive drive and the maturity for him. I mean, this is a kid, again, who's going to start college a year early. We've seen this reclassification trend kind of explode in college football. It's long been a thing in college basketball. But now with the name of engine lightness and the revshare, everyone wants to get to that paycheck a little bit sooner. And the track record with that hasn't been great. There's been a lot of guys that haven't been able to adapt to college very quickly. To me, just being around Amir Sears, the second game I've seen from him in this now senior season. I think this guy's ready to go. I think he's got a mental edge. There's like a locker room speech making its rounds on social media, but so it's a variety of different things. But the biggest one is that reaction time. It's just special. When you see it, you know it, I think that's the case for the Amir Sears. Travis had that too. I can pretty vividly recall being out of 7 on with you at IMG. We were sitting on something like, he's just like baiting the hell out of these guys. It's like the bait is just so tempting. He's playing so far off, and just the physical ability certainly will be like the reaction time. Like you said, that makes a ton of sense. All right. Let's pivot here. Five start running back. David Gabriel George is going to Tennessee, pick them over Ohio State, you know, pretty well publicized the probably the first $2 million running back, which is kind of insane on its face, but also it's not like Tennessee plays back by committee, right? They're playing an uptempo offense like like they're like they run a lot of plays. They don't sub in between plays. So, you know, if this guy's immediately one of the best running backs in the SEC as a freshman and gives you 180, 200 carries, like that's money well spent because it looked like like dude. Just dude is an absolute freak. What do you think sets him apart? I think everyone got was introduced to David Gabriel George is two weeks ago when he played Thursday night on ESPN, Baylor versus Brentwood Academy, I mean, he ran for 173 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries, also had 78 yards receiving. I was texted a buddy who, you know, kind of knows recruiting, but isn't, isn't living it like myself. And he's like, what, what makes this guy special? And this is what I texted him. I was like, he's a full speed violent finisher with rare juice imbalance for someone that's carrying 225 pounds. I mean, I have not seen a high school running back built like him in a while and a guy that moves like him and that violence consistently just throwing his body into contact. I mean, he gets the tough the yardage, he finds the yardage, but I was searching and searching and searching for like a player comp for DGG, that's what everyone calls him and I've settled on Trent Richardson. I think Trent Richardson, kind of Alabama and the reason why I say that, if you remember Trent Richardson under Nick Saban, kind of a lot of swing passes, right? They got him the ball kind of with a runway and then he would create even more of a pass to the end zone and I think the same thing with DGG and it's interesting you bring it up, right? That $2 million price tag, DGG was one of the last five stars to make a decision. It was an Ohio State Tennessee battle, you know, a lot of, I don't know, a lot of different takes on social media about it, but I think you nailed it on the head here. There's a reason why everyone wanted this guy and they think he could be a centerpiece for a college football playoff championship roster and when you get into, you know, game 14, 15 and 16, you want a battering ramp, you want a guy that is going to be able to consistently move the chains and to me that is DGG, the other thing Tennessee, I know we're kicking off the 2026 season, but if you want to spin it ahead to 2027 when DGG would be a true freshman, I think Tennessee is going to be only school in the country with a 5 star quarterback, right, Faisen Brandon, a 5 star wide receiver and TK keys and then a 5 star running back in David Gabriel, George's, so and Josh Heipel, you think about what he's been able to do with some of his offenses while in Knoxville, I mean, this
This unit is going to be primed to do some big things. - 100%. I was talking to Felix at campus to Ken. I think you're a pretty big college fantasy guy, as am I. As soon as I think a lot of the people watching this show might dip their toes in the college fantasy waters as well. And he was like, I see Journey Brown in that one amazing year he had at Penn State. Like cotton bowling BP, 200 plus rushing yards in that game, seven yards of carry. His career ended with Cardiomyopathy, right. And he had to retire. He's working in NASCAR now, I didn't realize that. But you know, again, kind of that like explosiveness, power through contact for a guy that does run up right at times. Like it's, I like the tradition a lot though. Like that's, if you told Tennessee they're getting trip registered and they're going to take that like every single day man, that's fantastic. - And the other thing that's unique about David Gabriel to Orange is originally from Canada, right? And we've seen some more of these Canadian running backs kind of, kind of breakthrough. Obviously Antoine Redman there at Rutgers, one of the best in the big 10. And then you got two in the NFL with Cheva Hubbard and I'm gonna miss it, chase Brown there with the Bengals. Also Canadian. So I don't know what's in the water up there. A majority of them have played high school football in America. But there's something about this Canadian running back movement that they're churning them out right now. - All right, go in from the SEC over to the big 10. Trey Taylor, number one quarterback, Nebraska commit, transferred down there, you know, to Nebraska from Illinois. Nebraska's holding up a Ohio State here and also he is bawling out this year. - He is, but I was two nights ago, watched his season opener. So he's now at Millard South. This is a kid that's originally from Illinois. Trey Taylor was the MVP of the Elite 11 finals. And he's someone that has moved to five star status for us at 24/7 sports. You see a QB1 there and we were really interested to see, okay, what does it look like now that, you know, he's in a new environment. He is learning a new playbook. First thing I'm gonna say, bud, I didn't know Nebraska high school football did it like this. It was Millard South against rival Millard North over 7,000 fans there, quite the environment, which makes sense, right? You know, Trey Taylor, Nebraska quarterback commit, you can go see him play. The stat line I don't think is gonna blow many people away. I mean, 16 of 31, 311 yards, two touchdowns in an interception, but he also ran for 101 yards. And he also ran for a touchdown. I would love to see the adjusted completion percentage here, a few drops from his wide receivers. I don't think they were used to catching passes from an elite 11 MVP, but man, the more I watch Trey Taylor, and this is a guy that we love them coming off his sophomore year, completely took it to a next level as a junior. And then through this one game as a senior, he's playing his best football. I mean, he is someone that can do whatever he wants with the football in terms of just putting it to any level, but to anywhere, back shoulder over the shoulder, he can get it where he wants. And I thought he showed some grit in this game, you know, almost lost a fumble early, bad interception a few minutes later. And then he kind of found a groove. And, you know, to me, again, that growth, I'm excited to see what he does at Millard South. And the other thing is, I think this time next year, we're gonna be talking a lot about Trey Taylor, much like we are with Jared Curtis and FaZe on Brandon. You know, he has what it takes to be a year one starter. Like that's where I view him right now. He's played a lot of football. I think he is short between the years. I kind of love the mindset, you know, one of these guys where I think you gotta get around him and learn what he's about. And Nebraska, you know, we'll see what happens. He's certainly moved closer to Lincoln to get around Matt Rule and that staff, but it's also a big year for Matt and Rule. So I think Trey Taylor's a name, we're gonna be talking a lot about here as we approach the early signing period. - Yeah, and I like that he's a son of a coach as well. Like a guy who's grown up around the game. I think I see like a little just fields there. You know, like just the ability to get the ball to all spots. Maybe like some question about like the layering of the football. Like just, you know, like that throw, I guess I wanted to see more of. But like when we were out there lead 11 finals, he was kind of one of these guys like those college level ball. And even some of these really good receivers at the finals out there in Portland, I was like, oh man, like they just can't handle this heat on somebody's out breaking routes. Like they're not used to that ball being on them, you know, as quick as it was. Like with Nebraska, I mean, they're win totals like five and a half for a reason. That they have largely squandered a cake walk scheduled the last two years. And now the big 10s, like now it's your turn to play all the big boys for the next two seasons. So, you know, I think if, like I'm sure, great Taylor as the internet can look at their schedule and say, okay, like I believe in what the new staff is doing, right, like kind of Matt rule 2.0 there. I've probably made some, some misfires maybe with some of his initial staff hires, but I like what they're doing and recruiting now, man, like Jamal rule as well. They seem to have hit on him. Let us be pushing for the start of the role there in Lincoln at running back. A kid that got out of North Carolina last year. Yeah, I think there's some good stuff going on at Nebraska, but if they can hold on to Taylor, like that, that is the kind of guy that could be like a real program changer for you. I agree, and you're right, like that's the one note I keep coming back to needs to learn to kind of change speeds when the situation calls for it. But I'll add, I think what he is showing with his legs and the ability to extend plays, I don't know if we knew he had that in him from an early age. He has certainly found that element to his game. And if he's at Nebraska or wherever, it's not always going to be clean in front of you. So a guy that can certainly navigate, not ideal situations. For sure. All right, let's hit our first break here. On the flip side, we got something really fun planned. Let's call this, remember some dudes, and I'm going to break out some recent-- after this year, I got my signed auto Keelon Russell, who won the starting job at Alabama. They're going to be starting the freshman quarterback there in Tuscaloosa, really excited to see what he looks like. He's a guy I know Recruitniks have been excited about for a long time and kind of burst on the scene and just kind of kept improving. What did you love about Keelon as a Recruit? Let's kind of do a little flashback here. Not only what we're expecting at him, but what we liked about him when he was in high school. Oh, but I want to tell what the fraternities, what to do in Tuscaloosa on Saturday. But you know, the song by Stephen Wolf, Magic Carparet, I think that needs to be blaring. Because when I go back to what Keelon Russell did in high school, I always thought he had a magic rug underneath them. Like he was a Thoudini in the pocket in terms of just getting out of sacks, extending plays, creating with his legs. And he is a talented athlete, right? He's electric when he decides that he wants to take off. But at the same time, this is a guy that wants to win with his arm. You look at his career in Duncanville High School there in Texas. He went 42 and two as a starter. As a senior, he completed 69.3% of his passes. He threw for 4,100 yards, 55 touchdowns. That was more than any other quarterback inside the top 247. And the thing I'll never forget about Keelon Russell is we had this kid ranked as the number 63 overall player in the country when he was committed to SMU. We saw him after his junior season, I saw him at a 7-on-7. And the big takeaway is, OK, this guy's a little bit different. So we shot him up in the rankings. Next thing you know, a month later, Alabama's offered, Oregon got involved there. Ole Miss, when Lane Kiffin was there, Texas A&M, Steve Sarkieson and the Longorns even tried to throw their hat in the ring there down the stretch. But the player comp for me always was Jaden Daniels. That's who I thought he was, just because of how he moved and how he threw the football. He's a guy that I think was one of the best in recent years at kind of feathering that fine line between risk and reward. And I think that speaks to his ability as a passer. He is confident in what he's able to do. So huge fan of Keelon always have been and got a chance to see him at the opening finals there. This summer, I was shocked by just how much bigger he had gotten. Good reminder that, hey, once you get these guys in a college strength program, you know, around the training table, they can add some size. So I think he's going to be a lot of fun there in Tuscaloosa. And I think he's in the perfect offensive system. And I think there's going to be a ton of fireworks. And you know, like watching these clips, I'm just reminded of like the ability to avoid pressure. But also like his balance, like when he's not had, like actually has his base under him and the ability to like the ball control is kind of silly. Like that, that's not normal. And I don't know if that's something you can really teach, man. You might either just kind of have that ability or not. Like, I mean, these are all, you know, practice clips, but like what would in the clips of Taff was rolling before? Like some of those are like one-footed throws and they're just dimes. Like that, that's pretty damn impressive, man. I do wonder like how it was this a real competition or did they make, like clearly they're going to have him compete for the job because Max has been in that system for quite a long time and they're killing DeBora. But you know, since Max decided not to transfer, did they kind of have to make it, you know, see him like a little more of a competition that maybe.
It really was or maybe it was really tight man and maybe you have two guys that are are you know legitimately good I remember you know back at Tallahassee long long time ago like Jimbo is adamant that Coker was actually pretty damn good. We're like yeah, sure right And then they picked James and you know James won that the title as a pressure at freshman And it Coker went goes and went and it takes pamper the national title game after transferring out So you know sometimes you do have two studs in the room. I guess we'll see you know how that shakes out I also can I say this I was Shocked in the Rose Bowl right Tyson's who went out and Austin Matt came in The 24/7 sports scouting chat was was going wild because I thought Keelan was gonna step on in the field because You know how it is, but everyone's trying to defend their roster every offseason. I just thought you know We would see Keelan over over Austin back, but hey, I certainly get it and you know to me I'm not surprised by the outcome of that quarterback competition because I think Alabama has major concerns up front and I think Alabama fans know this, you know I was thinking about it this morning What is the last time the Crimson tie didn't have multiple five stars? Penciled in as starters on the O line. I mean I look at the 2D. I see just one of them in Michael Carroll and You know you need a guy that's gonna be able to move especially with that schedule and and to me I mean just what what Keelan's able to do with this pocket field pocket presence pocket awareness It's on a different level than Austin Mac. I was also happy to see him bulked up because if you look at to bore Not really but historically he has been a pretty heavy QB run guy as an offensive coordinator as a head coach at prior stops You know back back at at you know Where he was before washed in and also like back in the FCS ranks like he he's a guy who would use it quarterback mobility So I'm kind of serious to see like how much is it his scramble how much of it is designed runs? Obviously want to keep him healthy, but you do have Mac there as well. So like you you may want to go ahead and run some Another guy stepping in as a freshman true freshman now in the SEC phase and branded man When's the job at Tennessee over Mac entire I not really a surprise? I don't think but still had to go out there and prove it in practice. Why are we so excited about phase on Brandon? Because I think he's got all the tools right and this is the kid We had ranked as a four star prospect after his freshman season where he didn't even start a game He finished his career with a 35 in one Record at Grimsey high school one a pair of state titles and and bud what really stands out to me about phase on is during his senior season game one injures his thumb in over time on on a game winning touchdown run and He could have shut things down and just prepared for Tennessee, but he did not He actually returned in the state playoffs and guided his team to another championship and that has always stuck with me Just with where we are in in in college football and everything that's available to these athletes from a Compensation standpoint, you know, we've seen guys opt out of senior seasons We've seen guys try to get to the next level as fast they can and Phase on was a guy that he wanted to play more football. He wanted to do it for his teammates So I think that speaks to his competitive nature The other thing that stands out to me this guy is Taylor made for what Josh Hyple wants to do on offense He's he's extremely athletic He has coordinated a ton of RPOs and high school the average seven point one your yards per carry I mean early on we kind of said all right He reminds us of of hidden hooker who obviously had a ton of success in that Josh Hyple offense But he's there's more to him as a passer and he's very methodical that that's the word I would use to describe him a guy that protects the football a guy that Isn't going to put it in harm's way, but at the same time he could be extremely efficient as a passer You know, it's what's what's kind of unique having I don't know sat in this chair for a few years and You know got multiple elite 11 finals under under my belt One of one of my working theories, but is that seven on seven day at at the elite 11 finals I think it kind of tells you what these quarterbacks are right, you know They're running in a completely new offense. It's not their high school team Everything's new to them and they got 20 minutes to show what they can do and if you go back to phase on seven on seven game So that had been two years ago at the elite 11 finals. He was 17 for 20 a Bunchy yards multiple touch shouts, you know the three incompletions one of them was an interception and the other two were drops So he's a guy that has a process He he's very deliberate with what he wants to do with the football and I think for a true freshman starter stepping in In a situation where there's already a lot around him. I mean This guy is ready to go and you know, he probably would have finished number one overall for us and in the in the class of 2026 if it wasn't for that injury I mean we would have been standing on the table saying hey, this guy's ready to go what he got her and You know, we were unsure what it would look like so I think the fact that he is healthy all the reports that have come out of Knoxville about him You know connecting on these long passes if you're a Tennessee fan you should be excited and I think if you're in the Fan of another school in the SEC get you to learn in that name because you're not to figure out a way to To defuse him. I mean for sure like if you think back like just I'm going through my mind here I don't think seven on is like an included is like you stamp the guy as like a no-dowder Personally, I do I struggled to remember guys who were legitimately bad seven on who ended up being really good in college You know like excluding the guys were the multi-sport guys who had never played it before You know like like the dudes were legitimate baseball guys who aren't playing in the spring type type thing, you know it? I mean I'm not putting on the spot here. I'm just trying to think like is there anybody or like God? He was really bad at seven on any crush. There's probably a couple but not many Yeah, well like I more so like I just think you kind of learn a little bit, right if we go back to that thing too Yeah, if you go back to DJ lagway struggle the process there in that and that seven on seven environment Hey, what did he do last season of Florida? He struggled the process you go to Camarita Taylor Camarita Taylor first two days of the In 11 eight we're talking about the Mississippi State quarterback It was it was not pretty get in the actual game you threw eight touchdowns in in 20 minutes, right? So it's very boomer bust and I think that's how you would Describe Camarita as he gears up for year two there in Starkville, but no, I think you're right. I mean It's hard to find a lot of guys that Struggle playing on seven on seven that are getting it done on Saturdays and Sundays kind of the same thing with sacks to in high school I gave you back to you know we just talked about Keel and I mean Aborting the sacks there like that that seems to translate a little bit and like we see it translate college the NFL very much Like sacks as a stat that quarterback has at least some real ownership in it's not just on the offensive line You don't really see a lot of guy and it's hard to get high school stats on sacks, right? Like I wish we had like we had real play went play data. We could actually probably put some numbers behind this But like guys who get sacked a lot in high school tend to take a lot of sacks in college It's I do think there's something innate there, but the high school stats, right? There's there's a defensive in that max prep sad with 31 tackles This past Friday, I don't even think he I don't even think he played 31 snaps. So I'm still trying to To piece that one together. Got to work on our API there a little bit. All right. Let's let's hit a break here on the flip side More guys you really need to know this time guys will be making their college abuse pretty soon back here All in the cover three recruiting show with Andrew Reibens director of scouting for 24/7 sports Let's talk about some teams that are relying heavily on some five stars that then and some like highly rated four stars Who they went after and got and they are sticking them in the lineup to start We saw the first group here this last Saturday and you know, I was looking like okay So Heinz is out and Anderson's out for USC looking at the the death chart men they had the number overall recruiting class and I've you got to be feeling pretty good about putting that put that number one stamp on there after seeing these guys play I know it's San Jose State, but still like first ever college game Some of these guys did not look like freshman or supposed to look Yeah, and You know first off, but it's number one. It's a formula, right? In terms of how we get to the the number one class, but I mean credit USC and general manager Chad Bowden what they were able to do last cycle and Every time he talked to someone there in Los Angeles You started to hear more and more how much they like this group and how much they were gonna lean on this group and I think With where we have gotten in terms of roster management and how you build these things out There's there's a variety of different ways to get it done And USC that they went heavy on on on the blue chippers and you know, they paid up for them But I think this has a chance to be a a foundational group and you know, look back at Miami last season and some of those guys that You know, we're a big reason why they played for a national title. I mean Ruben Bay and Francis, Mauin, Noah Those were guys that Mario Cristobal had to get and how how big did they get did they prove to be down the stretch and you know You supplement with some some free agents some transfers, but you have to kind of establish a core and I think for USC they have it and and what's fun for me is You know, you got all the NFL draft pundits, you know tweet now to okay Mark Bowman draft eligible and in 2029 and and Luke way full. It's like guys, you know after the Navy all American bowl. We said loop
way full was mock draft ready, but those are the two that jump out to me. I mean, Mark Bowman, one of the best titans I've ever scouted, another kid that reclassified, played three years there at Matterday and the Trinity League. I think all those Brock Bowers comparisons, they're absolutely warranted. And what had me so convicted on Mark Bowman was what he did in the run game. It's so rare to see these high school tight ends, you know, getting a three point stance and be asked to pave the way for their running backs. I mean, Mark Bowman last year, Matterday came down to Florida to play a game and I'll never forget it was like third and sixth and Matterday needed a first down. And what do you see, you know, you see Mark Bowman coming around the corner, paving the way, and they pick up that first down. So they love him there in Los Angeles, you know, not a ton of, like statistical production in week zero, but he's certainly a guy that I think as the season progresses, he's going to be involved more and more in that passing attack. Rook Wafel, man, I was, I don't want to say this louder, but we just needed to see it to believe it. And that happened at the Navy All-American Bowl in San Antonio right before he went off to USC. He was MVP of that game. So we always say best on best setting, three sacks. No one could block him all week during practices. I say it, you know, check your brakes power. I mean, this is a power-based player and he's got a motor and he finds energy late. I think you saw that a little bit against San Jose State. I compared him to one of the Bosa Brothers. Yeah, I think. Take it. Nick and Joey Bosa, what's funny? You know, Cooper Patagon was talking to an NFL scout that had been through USC, just kind of making the rounds and they're like, man, that wayful kid looks like a Bosa brother. So they held that player comp already and he's a guy. And then, you know, the other ones, but Trent Mosley, the receiver, he went off. I think he'd be the true freshman of the week, Kate and Dixon. The fit on Mosley for replacing what lemon did for them out of the slot, like his ability to like understand and feel spit. I know he's like 20 years old, right? As a freshman. So, you know, I guess with a grain of salt, but they're going to get him for three or four years. That stood out to me. I was like, oh, man, okay, like they need that. I figured they would have a freak on the outside right to replace with the last outside, but like the losing macaque lemon, like he did so many little things for them. Like we talked to Forens at a big 10, a meeting day and he's talking about like they just couldn't really cover macaque lemon. Like he just, you know, because they're so zone heavy, you just find the spots. And I know in San Jose State, but then like he looks so comfortable out there. And he's a guy that throughout his high school career was injured, right? But finally got healthy for the playoffs as a senior had a few monster games. And I'll never forget, but sitting down with kind of my team at the buzzer. It's like, all right, guys, who do we think can have a malachytony type of impact next fall? And the first thing we came up with was Trent Mosley. And you know, we moved him into the top 247. We made him a four star prospect. So he's fun. He is he is electric. He is hard to tackle. I thought his catch radius really stood out there on Saturday. And they are big believers, but every time you bring up Trent Mosley, it's like, gotta keep him healthy. Gotta keep him healthy. So we'll see what it looks like. And to me, my personal favorite of all the receivers that they they signed last cycle was Katie and Dixon. Why don't want to be a little bit of carnal tape, probably a little more muscle to him. But man, I always thought like one of the best slant runners in the class, just in terms of his positioning, how he attacks the football. And then you look up against San Jose State, he catches a night yard slant for a touchdown. So that's already translating there. Speaking of a guy who was like, consistently injured in high school. And then when he play you with flashes, Mark Cooper, like, couldn't never stay healthy. And then finally senior at Northwestern after he balled out at the Bama Camp in 20, I guess summer of 11, right? And then he goes and he averages like 25 yards of catch or something crazy. And obviously went on to have a, you know, pretty nice career. I mean, like, and they got Booby Feast or two and Baker, I feel like there's another guy there. I mean, obviously they just signed him. So of course, they're still behind him. Like, I've heard good things about Baker. Like, man, I, I, I don't know if USC's a playoff team or not this year, I do think they're a much better team than they were last year. The schedule's pretty daunting. But like, you got to feel like things just feel different. I know it's hard. Like when I'm talking to the cover three audience, they're like, how does it feel different? They've had good classes before. This does feel different to me. But even if it goes south this season, and when I was there this summer, like that Oregon game was mentioned multiple times, they are going to be very attractive to any candidate out there. If it's not Lincoln Riley, because of all these young freshmen we're talking about, right? Like you got that core nucleus. You got the spine of your roster in place. They just opened up a brand new football building and a new, you know, practice facility. So, you know, I think again, Chad Bowden, the GM there, he's got a vision and we're seen it kind of all play out. All right. Now let's, let's flip the page here to a team that is playing, you know, this weekend. LSU welcomes Clemson to town. If you look at this LSU Jeff chart, and a lot of freshmen littering this defensive line, which is not always recipe for success, but we think they might have success because these guys, they're built a little bit different. Big Rich get used to that to that name Richard Anderson. He's a unicorn to me, right? I mean, he is six five three hundred and fifty pounds, but he moves like he's two hundred and fifty pounds, but the game for me with Rich Anderson was Edna Carr took on American Heritage last season at some point there in the dome in New Orleans and Richard Anderson was all over the field with better than expected range. We also saw him at the Under Armour All America game just talking with some people there in Bat Rouge. They they love this kid. They think he is everything they thought he would be in. I think we're going to see him Saturday night against those Clemson Tigers playing a lot of snaps. And the thing with him is he's good when the tank is full and I'm optimistic that LSU has been able to kind of expand that tank a little bit and improve the conditioning. So he's the one to me when I asked like, all right, who's going to be the guy? Rich Anderson with the name that came up, but I also think Duce Gerald Lamar Brown, these guys are going to have to play as well for LSU and and Duce Duce is a fun one. George's all-time leader in Sacks. You go back to what he did in high school. You see Collins Hill right there same school as Travis Hunter, but he also ran for over 500 yards out of a running back. Kind of reminds me of Jerseyon Newton. Remember him out of Illinois? Yes. Same thing in high school. He was also a you know little undersized three tech, but played some running back. So that was my player comp for Duce Gerald's. And then finally Lamar Brown, I mean, you know, we always said if he could be DL1, IOL1 went both ways at lab school there, right? And LSU's backyard. Not surprised, you know, maybe it's taken a little bit longer for him to adjust just because, you know, I didn't think he was physically in terms of like the snap to snap as far along as maybe Rich Anderson was, but I mean, the sky's the limit with this kid. So it's funny just kind of how this is all, I don't know, came to be because, but if you go back to the early signing period, remember Lane Kiffin's hire, who are the first few guys he's trying to meet with? It's it's Richard Anderson. It's Lamar Brown. It's Duce Gerald's. Those were the guys that didn't sign day one. You know, it was drifting into Friday. You were wondering if other schools were going to get involved. So yeah, people can say, all right, you know, recruiting doesn't matter, but LSU is going to, you know, play all three of these guys over 250 staffs this season and that one came down to the wire. So they are the real deal. And I think, you know, by October, a lot of college football fans are going to know their numbers and going to know their names. Do you have a player comp for Anderson? I mean, T-box is yours, man. Like I've never seen anyone as wide as him move the way he does. Wilfork, I like it. I mean, like, so now Wilfork was a three sport guy in high school, right? Football wrestling. I believe still holds the state record for the shot put in Florida at at 68 feet, which is pretty nuts. Yeah. Yeah, then also through a disc, it's 180. So, you know, and one, uh, one of the championships and wrestling as well. Like, because who wants to wrestle Vince Wilfork in high school. But like, I was impressed with Anderson, like, when I rolled up to Under Armour, you know, in Orlando, where he was at, I was like, the body was a little bit like sloppy looking, you know, and like you mentioned, LSU got his weight down. I was in, I think he was going to have to like tap out earlier. And like, he was still like maintaining his leverage and playing low, even when the guy was like clearly, and there's not a lot of dudes who are just, I don't call him a fat dude, but like just, you know, he wasn't like real trim at the time. And yet like, he wasn't standing up. His legs weren't going dead on contact. Like, it was just like, okay, like this is, this is kind of rare to be that big and to still be twitchy and, and still bend. I'm telling you, that American heritage game, that is like the one for me. And
And it's why I think you got to watch the tape, like you've got to see these guys and just the range, the consistency and I know Mike Smith, the head coach at American Heritage, he was actually coaching the Navy All-American Bull this year and kind of asked him about it. I'm like, how did you, like what was your guys' game plan? He's like, just run away from that guy. He's like, we had four plays at one point and it was just go away from seven. Like that's what it turned into with some misdirection. But yeah, and I don't think what's talked about enough with these point of attack players is being wide, being able to eat up space and being very effective at it. And Richard Anderson, again, I said, like unicorn, just not a lot of humans walk in the earth as wide as him that moved the way he does. I mean, 53 tackles for a guy who I think visually looked over 350 last year, like to my naked eye, is- That's nuts, man. That is ranged to your point, like in 22 tackles for loss. So absolutely crazy there. We will see how Clemson handles those guys, you know, some guys, and then we like Clemson offensive line. But I guess we'll see how they handled them there in Death Valley. Let's head our final break and then we have a really fun second for you to finish this thing out. Back here on the Cover 3 Recording Show, let's talk with Ender Ivans here about a fun thing he brought up, a game that we will see on what Sunday night, I believe, neutral site game there. And Nashville, Lincoln Keenholz debuting for Louisville, a guy who honestly kicked off quite a few interesting recruiting and quarterback Domino's, as we always like to say, Ivans the floor is yours. Let everybody know why they didn't know about this guy, kind of a blast from the past name who's now earned the starting spot for Louisville as they take on Ole Miss. Yeah, I've been waiting and waiting and waiting to see Lincoln. I actually thought when he was at Ohio State last season, I thought there was a chance he might edge out Julian Sian and, you know, what do I know? But I think what's fun about him is there's a ton of layers to his recruitment. He was a long time Washington commit and he was from South Dakota where he did everything, right? This is a kid that hit 472 with six homeruns as a junior. He was also at a 1-2-4-ERA on the pitching mound. He was an all-state basketball player, also played some safety when he wasn't a quarterback there at T.F. Riggs High School, same high school as Grace Abel, who is now with the Seattle Seahawkson. So, I said, "If long time Washington commit, flip to Ohio State on signing day after the buckeye's lost Procline to Florida State." That's when Kaelin DeBoer, who was the head coach at Washington, made a move on Austin Mac. We just talked about him a few minutes ago and got him to reclassify in the role early and obviously Austin Mac is now at Alabama, QB2, behind Keel and Russell. He's just a lot about this kid and he was a super late invite to the Navy All-American Bowl. That's the same Navy All-American Bowl where Carl Tate was in it, Caleb Downs was in it, Owen and Dante Moore was there and I thought of the six quarterbacks like Lincoln to me was number two behind Dante and he threw two touchdowns in the actual game. One of them was crazy, just scramble in all over the place and just took a shot to the end zone. So, I'm excited to finally see this kid just because I think it's a unique story. I'll never forget like when you would watch his highlights and game tape of him there in South Dakota, you're like, "What is going on in the background? There's like a mountain range. There's like a dog running on the sidelines." It's just, you know, I always said it was like, it was like your watch movie Red Dawn. Like one of those high schools, like just in the middle of nowhere and when the kids play in that level of competition, they better look like a future Super Bowl MVP and that was Lincoln. And the other thing too, bud here, like Jeff Brahm, what he's been able to do with some of these transfer quarterbacks, I'm just, I'm excited to see what it looks like in a game where they've had a ton of time to prepare. I think the other interesting thing here, I cannot really remember a Brahm quarterback who had this level of athleticism and mobility, you know, and he's at all off season. Think about this, Jeff Brahm, like kind of a quarterback whisperer guy almost never has poor quarterback play. Typically has a very good quarterback play that's, I mean, above averages, almost a gift. And like this is the guy he picked, right? Like that's a lot of risk because there's a lot of players that Louis Vuitton got to put around him both on offense and defense and some guys they certainly had to pay up for to keep on the roster and that it does feel like this is an important year for Louisville. And like that's, that's who he put his chips on. So it makes me wonder like how good was this Ohio State practice film like for Kenos? Obviously he didn't, you know, get to play in games and I'm curious like what is Brahm able to cook up for this old Miss defense because it, I bet you're going to see more QB runs for Kenos than like the last three or four Brahm quarterbacks combined. I would have to think. I mean, this could be a lot of fun, man. Yeah. Well, he's going to have to get away from from a Will Eccles there in the mid hole. And a really good lineback for old Miss that I think is kind of underrated, honestly. Yeah, I just, I can envision a scenario where we all wake up on Monday morning and, you know, Lincoln is all of a sudden, we, we seem in mock drafts now. I'm just kidding. But in full star prospect again, this is a guy that he's got two years, right? Well, there was a lot, there was a lot to the recruitment and it's just a very unique story and shows that, hey, we're going to rank the kids high no matter where they are in, in America. 100%. By the way, continuing on our little anecdote about Will Fork, he then stepped on Miami's campus as a freshman and set the school's shot put record as well. And he that discous throw, we mentioned also was the state championship that year. But not by like 20 feet over everybody else because 68 feet. Well, those are like Jackson can't well numbers, right? The number, yeah, Miami's offensive tackles, signing, I mean, I wonder if Cantwell is going to shatter those records. Is he throwing there? I, I don't even know. I mean, like that, that'd be cool to get to get Vincent Cantwell out there and see those dudes throwing at the, what, what did he throw? Yeah, 76 foot, 11 inch, which is also a Missouri record because, of course, of this. Yeah. These guys are not built like everybody else, man. This is, this is different. I'm telling you, on, on, on, when everyone's watching on Saturday night, they see Richie Anderson. They're like, well, okay, we have, we have not seen this. Yeah. I don't, I don't know how you simulate that in practice either. Like that, that's just, that's, and we're talking about a freshman like this, man. It's cool. It's not like some transfer comes in just 25 years old, you know, and, and are back fresh from the NFL lane. But yeah. Awesome. And this has been the cover three Recording Show with Andrew Evans. I'm, I'm Bud Elliott. Join us every Wednesday. I think it's a lot of fun, yes. Appreciate you having, Bud.
Podcast Summary
Key Points:
Amir Sears, a reclassified 5-star quarterback from Miami, stands out for his elite reaction time, mental processing, and competitive drive, comparing closely to Travis Hunter in his ability to anticipate plays and dominate on both offense and defense.
David Gabriel George, a Canadian 5-star running back committed to Tennessee, excels with violent, explosive carries and a rare combination of power and balance, drawing comparisons to Trent Richardson, and is seen as a foundational piece for Tennessee’s future success.
Trey Taylor, a 5-star quarterback from Illinois transferring to Nebraska, demonstrates improved game intelligence, versatility, and resilience in his debut, showing strong potential as a true freshman starter with the ability to thrive in complex offensive schemes.
Summary:
The recruiting show highlights standout high school athletes and emerging college football prospects, emphasizing how physical traits, mental edge, and competitive drive define top-tier talent. Amir Sears, a reclassified quarterback, is praised for his lightning-fast reaction time and maturity, likened to Travis Hunter. David Gabriel George, a Canadian running back, stands out with explosive power and balance, making him a key asset for Tennessee’s offense.
Trey Taylor, a transfer quarterback to Nebraska, shows promise through his adaptability, game IQ, and ability to perform under pressure, signaling strong potential as a true freshman starter. The discussion also explores the impact of reclassifying players, the growth of Canadian talent in the NCAA, and the importance of early performance in shaping future success. Other notable mentions include Keelon Russell, a top-tier Alabama quarterback with elite pocket presence and ball control, and USC’s recruiting success built on a core of blue-chip players like Mark Bowman and Rook Wafel.
LSU’s defensive depth is highlighted by Richard Anderson, a towering, agile defensive lineman with exceptional range, and Duce Gerald and Lamar Brown, who bring elite pass-rushing and versatility. The segment concludes with an exciting preview of Louisville’s Lincoln Keenholz, a unique quarterback from South Dakota with a dramatic recruitment journey, set to debut against Ole Miss. These stories underscore how player development, physicality, and situational intelligence shape college football’s future.
FAQs
Amir Sears is a five-star recruit who stands out for his exceptional reaction time and quick twitch reflexes, which allow him to process and react faster than most players. He has also shown strong mental toughness, competitive drive, and maturity, making him a unique prospect despite his reclassification.
David Gabriel George is known for his violent, full-speed finish and rare juiciness for a 225-pound running back. He demonstrated elite ability to break tackles and gain yards consistently, earning comparisons to Trent Richardson for his explosive, contact-breaking style.
Amir Sears is seen as a program changer due to his performance against top competition, especially in his school's biggest win. His elite reaction time, mental edge, and maturity suggest he is ready to contribute immediately at the collegiate level.
Trey Taylor impressed with his ability to perform in multiple ways — throwing, running, and making tough reads. His growth from junior year to senior season, along with his composure and grit, shows he has the potential to be a true freshman starter and a key player for Nebraska.
Keelon Russell is known for his elite pocket presence, ability to avoid pressure, and exceptional ball control. His performance at the Elite 11 and growth in size suggest he has the tools to thrive in Alabama's offense, especially as a freshman.
Phaseon stands out for his resilience, leadership, and ability to perform under pressure. After recovering from an injury during the state playoffs, he led his team to a championship and demonstrated strong decision-making and efficiency as a passer.
Chat with AI
Loading...
Pro features
Go deeper with this episode
Unlock creator-grade tools that turn any transcript into show notes and subtitle files.