Super 60
VYPE Ranks the Top 60 2019 Football Recruits in Houston
Matt Malatesta
May 15, 2018, 8:10 pm
Grant Gunnell of St. Pius X Vype
VYPE's Annual Spring Football magazine hits stands this week. In this month's issue, VYPE explores the Greater Houston Area searching for the best football stories as we head into the Summer.
One thing that remains consistent from year to year in Houston? Recruiting across the Bayou City is absolutely on fire.
Offers are being extended to athletes in Houston at an alarming rate, and why wouldn't they? It's no secret Houston is the hottest of hotbeds when it comes to football talent.
VYPE's Matt Malatesta and Taylor Hamm worked together to come up with the 60 best 2019 recruits. Without further ado...
THE LIST
The Class of 2019 Super 60
By Matt Malatesta and Taylor Hamm
Rank, Name, School, Position, College
1. Grant Gunnell, St. Pius X, QB
2. Kenyon Green, Atascocita, OL
3. Marcus Stripling, Mayde Creek, DE
4. Erick Young, FB Bush, DB
5. Javonne Shepherd, North Forest, OL
6. Braedon Mowry, Katy Taylor, DE, Texas A&M-commit
7. Isaiah Spiller, Klein Collins, RB
8. Tyler Johnson, Oak Ridge, OL
9. Arjei Henderson, FB Travis, WR, Oklahoma-commit
10. Bobby Wolfe, Madison, DB
11. Andrew Coker, Katy Taylor, OL
12. Deondrick Glass, Katy, RB
13. Marcus Banks, Dekaney, DB
14. Ainias Smith, Dulles, WR
15. T’Vondre Sweat, Huntsville, DE, Texas-commit
16. Kori Roberson, Manvel, DE, Oklahoma-commit
17. Jalen Curry, St. Pius, WR
18. Jamal Morris, FB Bush, DB, Oklahoma-commit
19. Terrance Gipson, Westfield, QB
20. David Ugwoegbu, Seven Lakes, TE
21. Marques Caldwell, Alvin, DB, Oregon-commit
22. David Gbenda, Cinco Ranch, LB
23. Chase Lane, St. Pius, WR, Texas A&M-commit
24. Chris Herron, Langham Creek, QB
25. Rian Davis, Clear Lake, DE* (Moved to Apopka, FL)
26. Jalen Wydermyer, Dickinson, TE
27. Thomas Gordon, Strake Jesuit, TE, Northwestern-commit
28. Gilbert Ibeneme, Pearland, DE
29. Gabriel Hall, Waller, DT
30. Nelson Ceaser, Ridge Point, DE
31. Zach Zimos, FB Travis, LB, Cal-commit
32. Corien Azema, Langham Creek, DB
33. McKade Mettauer, St. Pius, OL
34. Kaymen St. Junious, Shadow Creek, DB
35. Garrison Johnson, Manvel RB, North Texas-commit
36. Gerald Irons III, Klein Oak, DT
37. Peter Mpagi, George Ranch, DE
38. Harrison White, Klein, DE
39. Nathaniel Beal III, Strake Jesuit, WR
40. Tony Bradford, North Shore, DT
41. Shae Suiaunoa, Clear Lake, QB
42. Shea Whiting, Alief Taylor
43. Tyrone Brown, Atascocita, LB, Baylor-commit
44. Jason Gold, Clear Springs, DE
45. Bryton Thompson, Atascocita, DT
46. Corey Williams, Episcopal, ATH
47. Alex Hogan, Lamar, DB
48. Cole Birmingham, Katy, OL
49. Rayshawn James, Westfield, RB, Houston-commit
50. Rodquice Chaney, Elsik, OL
51. Korey King, FB Marshall, WR
52. Ja’Corey Benjamin, Hastings, DB
53. Layden Robinson, Manvel, OL
54. Kenneth Dotson, Lamar, DE
55. Todd Hudson, Clear Springs, Athlete
56. Peyton Matcocha, St. Thomas, QB
57. Asher Alberding, Clear Lake, TE
58. Jaiden Howard, Crosby, QB
59. Kealon Jackson, Shadow Creek, WR
60. Ben Montgomery, Katy Taylor, DB
What looked like a minor blip after an emotional series win in Los Angeles has turned into something more concerning for the Houston Astros.
Swept at home by a Guardians team that came in riding a 10-game losing streak, the Astros were left looking exposed. Not exhausted, as injuries, underperformance, and questionable decision-making converged to hand Houston one of its most frustrating series losses of the year.
Depth finally runs dry
It would be easy to point to a “Dodger hangover” as the culprit, the emotional peak of an 18-1 win at Chavez Ravine followed by a mental lull. But that’s not the story here.
Houston’s energy was still evident, especially in the first two games of the series, where the offense scored five or more runs each time. Including those, the Astros had reached that mark in eight of their last 10 games heading into Wednesday’s finale.
But scoring isn’t everything, not when a lineup held together by duct tape and desperation is missing Christian Walker and Jake Meyers and getting critical at-bats from Cooper Hummel, Zack Short, and other journeymen.
The lack of depth finally showed. The Astros, for three days, looked more like a Triple-A squad with Jose Altuve and a couple big-league regulars sprinkled in.
Cracks in the pitching core
And the thing that had been keeping this team afloat, elite pitching, finally buckled.
Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, both dominant all season, finally cracked. Brown gave up six runs in six innings, raising his pristine 1.82 ERA to 2.21. Hader wasn’t spared either, coughing up a game-losing grand slam in extra innings that inflated his ERA from 1.80 to 2.38 in one night.
But the struggles weren’t isolated. Bennett Sousa, Kaleb Ort, and Steven Okert each gave up runs at critical moments. The bullpen’s collective fade could not have come at a worse time for a team already walking a tightrope.
Injury handling under fire
Houston’s injury management is also drawing heat, and rightfully so. Jake Meyers, who had been nursing a calf strain, started Wednesday’s finale. He didn’t even make it through one pitch before aggravating the injury and needing to be helped off the field.
No imaging before playing him. No cautionary rest despite the All-Star break looming. Just a rushed return in a banged-up lineup, and it backfired immediately.
Second-guessing has turned to outright criticism of the Astros’ medical staff, as fans and analysts alike wonder whether these mounting injuries are being made worse by how the club is handling them.
Pressure mounts on Dana Brown
All eyes now turn to Astros GM Dana Brown. The Astros are limping into the break with no clear reinforcements on the immediate horizon. Only Chas McCormick is currently rehabbing in Sugar Land. Everyone else? Still sidelined.
Brown will need to act — and soon.
At a minimum, calling up top prospect Brice Matthews makes sense. He’s been mashing in Triple-A (.283/.400/.476, 10 HR, .876 OPS) and could play second base while Jose Altuve shifts to left field more regularly. With Mauricio Dubón stretched thin between shortstop and center, injecting Matthews’ upside into the infield is a logical step.
*Editor's note: The Astros must be listening, Matthews was called up Thursday afternoon!
The Astros are calling up Brice Matthews, their top prospect on @MLBPipeline
via @brianmctaggart pic.twitter.com/K91cGKkcx6
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 10, 2025
There’s also trade chatter, most notably about Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins, but excitement has been tepid. His numbers don’t jump off the page, but compared to who the Astros are fielding now, Mullins would be a clear upgrade and a much-needed big-league presence.
A final test before the break
Before the All-Star reset, Houston gets one last chance to stabilize the ship, and it comes in the form of a rivalry series against the Texas Rangers. The Astros will send their top trio — Lance McCullers Jr., Framber Valdez, and Hunter Brown — to the mound for a three-game set that will test their resolve, their health, and perhaps their postseason aspirations.
The Silver Boot is up for grabs. So is momentum. And maybe, clarity on just how far this version of the Astros can go.
There's so much more to discuss! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode now on Thursday.
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*ChatGPT assisted.
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