Busy summer slate for QB Johnson Jason Howell Orangebloods.com Recruiting Analyst Talk about it in Inside the 40 Acres Austin (Texas) Westwood quarterback Ben Johnson earned second-team all-district honors as a sophomore and at 6-0, 168 pounds he proved himself to be a moving target for 16-5A defenses.   Ben Johnson did a little bit of everything for Westwood last year. Johnson helped the Warriors to a 7-4 record and a spot in the playoffs in 2009, and prides himself on doing whatever it takes and laying it all on the line whenever he and his teammates take the field. "I'm a competitor," Johnson said. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to win. Even if I'm not playing quarterback I don't care, I'm going to find a way to win. That's what I bring to the table is I'm going to win. I'm a competitor. If I need a first down I'm going to run you over so I'm coming after you and I'm just going to win." Johnson also showed himself to be a versatile athlete lining up at receiver in 2009. His grandfather ran track at Notre Dame and his uncle played football and ran track at Rhode Island before becoming the head coach at New Hampshire powerhouse Bishop Guerdin. However, it is another versatile quarterback/athlete he has watched closely over the last few years. "Tim Tebow, that's my guy," he said. "I saw that guy in high school and heard about his religious beliefs and everything and that's a guy I want to grow up to be like and I'm trying to live my life almost like Tim Tebow. You may not be as good as him but you can at least try." Johnson plans to attend an Under Armour Combine soon, and this summer hopes to attend camps at TCU, SMU, Texas, Texas A&M and Missouri. However, at this point he is playing baseball, where he is a standout in the outfield for the Warriors, and is also looking forward to spring ball and preparing for a strong season in 2010. "We've had to change our offense a little bit because we're losing about 17 starters, and we're losing Princeton Collins and he was our guy last year so we're going to have to throw the ball a little bit more," Johnson said. "But we really came together as a team this offseason so I'm very excited about spring football." Johnson is currently ranked No. 69 in the 2012 Lone Star Recruiting Top 100. As a sophomore he completed 49 of 83 passes for 626 yards and six touchdowns while rushing for 593 yards and seven TDs on 103 carries. He also had seven receptions for 62 yards.   http://texas.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1079011

Thompson showing his well-rounded talents

Jason Suchomel
Orangebloods.com Editor

Talk about it in Inside the 40 Acres

On Sunday afternoon, Texas Longhorn commitment Mykkele Thompson made his way to the Texas Showcase Combine at the Palace on Parmer in Round Rock. But the trip came with a twist for Thompson, regarded as one of the top defensive back prospects in the state.


 

Mykkele Thompson is working at quarterback this spring.

The San Antonio Stevens product worked out with the quarterbacks, where he got a chance to fine-tune some skills that he'll be using during his senior season. With Stevens about to start up its spring season, Thompson is set to play some quarterback next fall and he's trying to improve his game, both on the field and in the locker room.

"I'm focusing on next year, trying to get ready for our upcoming season. I'm trying to be a leader, be more vocal," said Thompson. "Right now, I'm not even sure where I'll play. I'm mainly practicing at quarterback but I'm not sure what we'll do during the season."

The 6-1, 170-pound Thompson (he lost about 10 pounds during track), became one of the Longhorns' first commitments back on February 13. Since that time, he's kept in contact with UT assistant Duane Akina, his future position coach and the San Antonio area recruiter.

"I've talked to him a couple times recently. He's just making sure I'm still doing things right, making sure I'm not looking at any other schools," Thompson said. "I haven't talked to any other coaches. I still get some letters but they really don't say anything.

"In talking to them, it's probably going to be defense. Coach Akina recruited me, so right now they have me projected as a DB but I'm not sure exactly where."

A versatile player who did a little bit of everything as a junior, Thompson understands he's a work in progress at this point of his defensive back career and he plans to put in the work this spring and summer to improve his game.

"I'm not dominant at DB yet. To be a successful DB, I need to get my footwork right, make good decisions, get the coverages down," Thompson said.

Once he gets to Texas, assuming he does wind up in the secondary, Thompson will be coached by one of the country's most successful collegiate defensive backs coaches. Akina has had a terrific run of putting his players into the NFL as high draft picks, most recently Earl Thomas, and Thompson is looking forward to playing for the highly-decorated coach.

"I've heard how he flips over offensive players to defense and they've been successful. That's key," Thompson said. "I think that will help me."

As for the decision to commit early, Thompson said that once Texas came calling, it was a no-brainer.

"That's always been my dream school. I just always wanted to go there," Thompson said. "I was going to do whatever it took to be able to go there. Ever since I moved here in fourth grade, everybody used to talk about Texas, so I just grew up liking them."

April 26, 2010

 

Marcus Hutchins taking on all comers

Jason Suchomel
Orangebloods.com Editor

Talk about it in Inside the 40 Acres

Texas Longhorn commitment Marcus Hutchins is not afraid of competition. The blue-chip prospect out of DeSoto is part of a six-man UT offensive line class that will battle it out for spots on the depth chart in coming years, and Hutchins has taken on all-comers at a recent run of camp stops.


 

Marcus Hutchins is still firmly committed to Texas.

The 6-4, 260-pound Hutchins has already attended a Nike Camp and the US Army Combine. He'll attend a Longhorn mini-camp in June, and last weekend Hutchins was in Round Rock to take part in a Texas Showcase Combine. While a lot of early commitments decide to stay away from such events, Hutchins has been taking advantage of every opportunity to pick up some off-season instruction.

"My purpose in coming out is just to get better, try to get my ranking up, try to improve on some of the things I need to improve on," said Hutchins.

Hutchins, ranked No. 36 on the most recent Lone Star Recruiting Top 100, committed to Texas on February 13 at the Longhorns' first junior day. At the time of his commitment, Hutchins was flying high, and he hasn't come down from his cloud just yet.

"I just couldn't imagine committing this early, and especially committing to Texas. I think I'm the first one in my family as far as going to a D-I school this big. It's exciting," said Hutchins. "It's hitting me that I have to work harder and get better."

Along with his Texas offer, Hutchins has picked up invitations from programs like USC, Texas A&M, TCU, Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Houston and Kansas. He's shut his recruitment down after giving Texas a commitment and Hutchins has no doubts that he made the correct decision.

"I could have waited, but I know it's the right school. It's always been a dream of mine to go to Texas," Hutchins said. "To me, they had the best offer. It's all about education and that sold me and my mom. My family will be right down the road. So it was the right decision to commit to Texas."

Over the course of spring and summer, Hutchins plans to work on his strength and adding muscle mass. A two-year starter for DeSoto, Hutchins will move from right tackle to left tackle in 2010, where he says he feels most natural. Beyond that, Hutchins wants to continue to work towards preparing himself for life as a Longhorn.

"Really, weight is not a problem. I'm just trying to get my bench up and get a little stronger so when I do get to Texas I can be ready," Hutchins said.

Once on campus in Austin, Hutchins will battle it out with the other incoming offensive line prospects, and he's glad to be part of the eventual reloading effort.

"It's a lot of competition but it's great. We know when the seniors leave and they need offensive linemen, at Texas they always have good back-ups," Hutchins said.

http://texas.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=500&tid=142506078&mid=142506078&sid=902&style=2

10 Thoughts from the Texas Showcase Combine   10 Thoughts 1. Victor Irokansi is an athletic freak. He measured in at 6-2.5, 212 and during testing put on a show of explosiveness. I don’t have his numbers but he cleared the broad jump mat and it took a few minutes for coaches to figure out how to handle it. They eventually added a second mat. He is a speed guy on the edge and needs to use his hands better and develop some more moves but is going to be fun to watch as he develops. 2. Curtis Riser was the nastiest, meanest offensive lineman in the group. I had him go up against Irokansi and he put him in the dirt. He drove one guy about 5 yards off the line in one-on-ones and then had a few things to say. He’s a great kid but on the field his competitive nature and his nastiness become very evident. At offensive line you’ve got to love that. 3. I would have loved to see Mykkele Thompson work at defensive back. He worked at QB all day and showed well. He definitely caught the eye of the coaches working the camp. 4. Here’s a name to remember - LaVega 2012 TE/DE Michael Starts. He looks like he’s already about 25 years old. He measured in at 6-4.5, 248 pounds. He worked at tight end/receiver, but he wanted to work at some defensive end and that’s where he likes to play. He didn’t look all that explosive on the day, but I talked to some kids from Waco and the kid is known to be a player. I’m not sure how he tested, but I came away thinking he had more in him than he was showing. As far as eyeball tests go he passed with flying colors. 5. Marcus Hutchins did not do many one-on-ones but he tested well and measured in at 6-4 and was helping to coach up Riser for most of the day. The offensive line coach thought Hutchins and Riser were definitely impressive. 6. Speaking of offensive linemen, Cedar Park’s Spencer Drango was very impressive on the day. He showed great technique, used his hands well, and light feet. 7. Devon Hocutt tested well and is one intimidating looking kid out there, but again he just looks like the ultimate tweener. 8. Marble Falls quarterback Zed Woerner was one of the most impressive athletes on the field with one coach saying he may be the best athlete on the field. He also showed a big and accurate arm. 9. Lake Travis receiver Griffin Gilbert, showed well in testing and caught just about everything thrown his way. He’s a big kid with a lean frame and a lot of room to add to it. I could see him being a flex tight end on the college level. 10. Texas commit Chet Moss made his way to the camp and he is looking like one bad man. He’s ready for spring ball and preparing for 4A competition. Also making an appearance was Dominic Espinosa, whose brother was there working out. He’s re-worked a few pounds and his weight has stayed pretty steady. He can’t wait to get to Texas. Jason Howell Orangebloods.com Recruiting Analyst

April 27, 2010

 

Another Espinosa set to star for Cedar Park

Jason Howell
Orangebloods.com Recruiting Analyst

Talk about it in Inside the 40 Acres

Over the last few years, Dominic Espinosa has made a name for himself on the football field at Cedar Park High School. During the 2009 season, another Espinosa was quick to catch attention.


 

Zach Espinosa participated in the Texas Showcase Combine on Sunday.

As a sophomore on the varsity level, safety Zach Espinosa was a starter in the Timberwolves' secondary, while brother Dominic worked mainly on the interior offensive line. The experience of playing with his brother is one he will not soon forget.

"It was great," Espinosa said. "Sometimes we would run of the field and he would give me a high five or vice versa. Or sometimes I would even look up and he was in there playing d-tackle. It was kind of a shocker, but then I would focus in and give him a pat on the butt if he made a good tackle or something."

One piece the older Espinosa gave his younger brother was to play hard and go 100 percent all the time, and now he is looking forward to continuing to make his own name as the Timberwolves begin spring practice.

"Things are going really good," he said. "We've got some young guys right now stepping up and trying to fill some of the voids we have. We have a lot of people who left on the defense so there's a lot of people stepping up. Our defense or our secondary have experience on varsity so we're all banding together and become more like a family."

Following spring ball Espinosa, who is ranked No. 59 in the 2012 Lone Star Recruiting Top 100, is looking forward to attending a few college camps this summer.

"I'm going to try to do a Texas mini-camp and I'm probably going to want to go out to A&M and TCU, and maybe I'll try to look around," he said. "I may go to Baylor also, and just hit up some camps and get my name out there."

Espinosa is looking hard at several in-state programs and was able to attend the Texas spring game with a few other Cedar Park prospects. As for joining his brother as a Longhorn, Espinosa is keeping an open mind.

"That would be nice," Espinosa said. "If it goes that would be cool, but I'm also going to look at all my other options and see what happens."