They came. They saw. They floated. Jake Spavital and his staff continued a mini recruiting tradition of inviting a select group of prospects for a tour of the Texas State facilities and a chance to test out the San Marcos River. 14 recruits attended with one committing that day and a few others hinting they might be close.
No. 1: Issiah Nixon, Elkins running back/tight end.
The lone commit of the day, Nixon is a big back at 6’1″, 215 pounds that can run, block and catch. His primary position at Elkins is running back – 87 career carries for 634 yards (7.3 yards per carry) and seven touchdowns – but he also lines up at tight end for the Knights with 16 catches for 326 yards (20.4 yards per catch) and two touchdowns. Nixon’s versatility as a blocker really shines in his highlight footage. That along with his ball security (one career fumble his freshman season) shows a lot of potential for a player with no other offers. His primary recruiter was Archie McDaniel.
(Couldn’t be reached for comment.)
No. 2: Zion Childress, New Caney quarterback.
Childress plays quarterback at New Caney but he is being recruited as a defensive back to Texas State. After his visit to San Marcos on Saturday, he posted on Twitter that his top three was Texas State, Rice and UTSA. He is being recruited as a defensive back to UTSA and a receiver to Rice, although he said that he prefers defensive back. He visited Rice on May 25 and is set to visit UTSA in “late July.”
Childress on his visit to Texas State, “It was great. I absolutely love the campus. They let us swim in the river and me and the other recruits had a blast… The new staff is fixing some broken pieces the old staff disrupted. It should be a good year.”
No. 3: Quade Mosier, Fayetteville linebacker.
At 6’2″, 223 pounds Mosier has great size for an inside backer but he also has track-down speed as he demonstrates in his Hudl. He has offers from UCF, Bowling Green, Army and Air Force, with a visit to UCF scheduled for the end of July. An advantage for Texas State is his former high school teammate, Dotson Shaeffer, is a defensive end for the Bobcats.
Mosier on his visit to Texas State, “I loved it. We had a great tour through the facilities – which are amazing – and a sweet photo shoot after that. I actually know a player on the Bobcats from my high school so I got to talk to him for awhile at the park so I enjoyed that. The coaches were awesome too so I look forward to keeping in touch with them.”
No. 4: Vinson Brown, Manvel corner.
Brown is a corner that doesn’t shy away from contact and has good length at six feet tall to take on bigger receivers. He has other offers from Abilene Christian, Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word and Southern University, but said Texas State is “top of my list right now” after his visit. He has a visit to Southern Miss scheduled for July 27th.
Brown on his visit to Texas State, “I had a great visit. Really loved the facilities and the coaching staff. Feeling more like home for me.”
No. 5: Kaleb Luna, Ellison offensive lineman.
Luna dominated at left tackle last season but has the versatility to also play guard. At 6’4″, 280 pounds Luna has offers from Louisiana-Lafayette, ULM, Sam Houston State, Army, Navy, New Mexico State, McNeese and Incarnate Word. He has visits to Army and Navy planned for this summer.
Luna on his visit to Texas State, “It went great, I learned a lot about Texas State. Had an amazing time as well, especial with coach (Boone) Feldt and coach (Clay) McGuire. Exploring the facilities and meeting coach (Jake) Spavital was an exceptional honor.”
No. 6: Daniel Keys, Langham Creek offensive lineman.
While there isn’t a big sample size in his Hudl, Keys definitely has the size to be an imposing tackle at 6’5″, 265 pounds. He has offers from Arkansas State, Troy, Houston Baptist, Incarnate Word, Lamar and Texas Southern. He doesn’t have an offer from UTSA but he does have their interest and may visit either them or Troy next month along with a visit to Arkansas State.
Keys on his visit to Texas State, “Great, I loved it. Everything was good.”
On whether Texas State was on top of his list, “Oh yeah, for sure. I was talking to my sister and my mom about that on my way home.”
No. 7: Romelle Grier, Whitmer defensive tackle.
Coming all the way down from Ohio, Grier is very quick off the snap for a guy that is 6’2″, 275 pounds. He didn’t have an offer when he arrived in San Marcos but left with one to go along with his offers from Grand Valley State, Youngstown, SVSU and Northwood. He visited Bowling Green last month and may visit Kent State and Tennessee this summer.
Grier on his visit to Texas State, “It was awesome, I loved it. The coaches are dope. Coach (Tevin) Mims, coach Jack (Tremaine Jackson), those dudes are real. They keep it real with you. It was a unique campus. The only college I know with a river on campus.”
No. 8: Ty Smith, Glen Rose offensive lineman.
Smith is a lean 290 pounds at 6’5″ and has quick feet with a tough initial punch. He isn’t on many radars with his only two other offers from Abilene Christian and Incarnate Word but might be a diamond in the rough for a team that is in need of offensive line assistance.
Smith on his visit to Texas State, “I thought it was beautiful. There were a bunch of people there, even during the summer days.”
No. 9 and 10: Joshua and John Emmanuel, Bishop Dunne linebackers.
The Emmanuel twins each have an offer from the Bobcats, one of six total schools they share offers with – Navy, Toledo, Grambling State, UAPB and Northwestern State. Joshua has offers from Air Force, Sam Houston State, Nevada and Southern while John has one from East Central. They have visits to McNeese State and Northwestern State planned for this summer.
On their visit to Texas State, “We liked it. It was a great environment and the coaches were cool.”
No. 11: Austin Woods, Verdigris offensive lineman.
Hidden up in Oklahoma, Texas State was the first to offer the 6’6″, 280-pound Woods. Since the Bobcats offered him in May, he is up to nine total offers, including Illinois, Tulane, Arkansas State, Eastern Kentucky and Louisiana Tech.
Woods on his visit to Texas State, “Went great!”
No. 12: Jaelon Travis, Mansfield Summit receiver.
A Kansas State commit, it is unlikely he is taking the Bobcats seriously and may have just been there to support his teammates (see No. 13). His Hudl is still worth watching even if just for the graphics.
(Could not be reached for comment.)
No. 13: Brendan Sirls, Mansfield Summit receiver.
Teammate and cousin of Jaelon Travis, Sirls doesn’t have an offer from the Bobcats but he has the size and speed to stay on the coaches’ radar.
Sirls on his Texas State visit: “All the coaches are so relaxed and upbeat so I’m glad to have been around them and make a good impression… No (offer) yet but I have a feeling it’s coming and would honestly be a dream.”
No. 14: Noah Caldwell, Electra tight end.
A torn ACL playing basketball forced Caldwell to miss his junior season and has negatively effected his recruiting but his size and athleticism make him a tantalizing prospect. A potential hidden gem, he’s been cleared to play and has been making his way to camps this summer to find his first offer. He didn’t receive one from the Bobcats but is confident they will come calling soon. He also has interest from SMU and Texas Tech.
Caldwell on his visit to Texas State, “I had a great visit at TXST. I really liked the coaching staff and their values. San Marcos is a great little college town that’s basically the college. All in all, I had fun and I think Texas State is a great college.”
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Great update!