Grand Theft Athlete
Top 10 Steals of national signing day
Originally appeared on Vype.com
Every season, I look back at my Top 100 and see who are the best values, surprises and steals of the bunch.
It may be a college that came into Houston and pulled the most interesting prospect. It may be an athlete choosing what seemed like a surprising college choice. It may be a player who just slipped through the cracks of recruiting.
The Class of 2018 has some elite talent. At first glance, the Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M; Aggies seemingly did well this year, signing a ton of top recruits. But lets look a little deeper.
Let’s save this post and revisit four years from now to see how this all plays out.
CLICK HERE FOR UPDATED TOP 100
THE BIGGEST STEALS AND VALUES OF 2018Â
No. 1
Missouri could have pulled the biggest heist in Houston, signing Manvel WR Kam Scott (VYPE’s No. 7) and Ridge Point LB Chad Bailey at No. 9. The SEC strikes again but by the Missouri Tigers? Kam Scott is a do-it-all guy, who can return kicks, high-point balls and get away from tacklers. Bailey is a smart, physical, prototypical run-stopper.
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No. 2
How did Miles Battle not stay in Texas? Honestly. He chose Ole Mill over Oregon at the last minute. A program that has been in trouble of late. Battle is a game-changing WR at 6-foot-4 with basketball ability. Not sure about his breakaway speed, but Battle is going to make some programs pay.
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No. 3
Cy-Fair DB Erick Hallett (No. 28) shutdown the entire side of the field he was playing on for the state champ Bobcats. He flipped late from Washington State to Pittsburgh, but he’s a stud. He played on offense when a big play was needed as well. Teams whiffed on this guy.
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No. 4
Ridge Point’s Aaron Allen (No. 39) is a little undersized, but will be a great fit for Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs got a great one out of Mo City, who could open the doors for La Tech to continue to recruit the FBISD. Allen could have made a great choice also choosing to play for a smaller program that will give him a chance early.
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No. 5
Klein Collins’ Donavan Mutin (No. 20) is all about football. No social media, no flash. He’s about football and UH got a guy who will get in the playbook and be a three-year starter. He plays with a chip on his shoulder and dominated games that I covered against good competition. See Lamar…
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No. 6
North Texas pulled a winner out of Alief Hastings with District MVP Austin Ogunmakin (No. 65). The Bears were OFF THE GRID before Ogunmakin went off this year. The transition to college should be easy on the field, and staying relatively close to home is key. If he believes in his ability, this guy has a high ceiling at the next level.
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No. 7
Katy’s Josh Oglesby (No. 75) is a DI back. He was committed to BYU, then ends up at Texas A&M-Kingsville.; What gives? I witnessed the Tiger RB RUN AWAY from The Woodlands’ defense, which is very good. He’s durable and has great ability. Not sure what happened here, but he could be the king of Kingsville.
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No. 8
FB Travis has had one of the best aerial assaults with the likes of QB Amryn Jeffrey and WR Naveon Mitchell (No. 91). Mitchell is headed to New Mexico State as the top WR in Houston by yardage and receptions. Weird. He has decent size and can escape tacklers.
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No. 9
The Woodlands’ Kesean Carter (No. 18) exploded onto the scene as a junior, earning VYPE’s Athlete of the Year. He’s headed to Texas Tech, which is a good get for the Red Raiders. The value play is that he can play football and run track. He won the state 100-meters a year ago and led the Highlanders to a state title. He will be tough to deal with in the slot.
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No. 10
Why is Dekaney’s Malcolm Epps on this list at No. 6? Well, the 6-foot-6 TE is never in the conversation as one of the top players in the Texas. Epps could be a pro with that size and he likes to compete (see Dekaney basketball). He has swag and has grown into his body since his freshman year. He has great hands and could be a STAR at Texas and beyond.
