40 Acres Sports

Matt Barkley not alone in talented ’09 class. Talk about top quarterback recruits including Garrett Gilbert.

DJ Monroe impressive in THSCA All-Star game. Future Horn cornerback had 66-yard touchdown run and was game’s MVP.

Former Longhorn and US Army All-American [tag]Jerrell Wilkerson[/tag] will attend the University of the Incarnate Word on a football scholarship. The Division II school in Wilkerson’s hometown of San Antonio will not begin it’s first football season until 2009 but he will be practicing with the team and attending school starting this fall. He’ll be the biggest name on the team.

Wilkerson was a running back/wide receiver recruit that excited Texas fans because of his speed, shiftiness, and electric highlight videos. Fans couldn’t wait to see what the undersized back could do with a football in his hands for the Horns. He is San Antonio’s all-time leading rusher with 7,249 rushing yards and 110 touchdowns at Clark High School.

At Texas Wilkerson was redshirting during his freshman season but left school and the team abruptly just weeks before the national championship game. He left the team not over playing time but in order to take care of his responsibilities as a man. He was forced to return home to San Antonio to work to support his newborn son financially.

Jerrell had things in his life he had to get in order. Now after three years away from the field he’s getting a second chance at football and an education. I hope he enjoys the opportunity he’s getting to play football but if he uses it to get a college degree he’s going to be a better man for it. We’ll be keeping an eye out for him and rooting for him both on and off the field. Good luck.

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Five-star future Texas quarterback [tag]Garrett Gilbert[/tag] received another honor last week when he was named as one of the invitees to the prestigious Elite 11 quarterback camp. The invite-only camp is the top quarterback instructional camp in the country and only the best of the best attend. Previous Elite 11 QB’s include Vince Young, Matt Leinart, and JaMarcus Russell. Our own [tag]Colt McCoy[/tag] will be one of the counselors this year along with other top college players.

Here’s the writeup on Gilbert from the ESPN story:

A record-setting Texan with tremendous pocket-passing ability and deceptive athleticism. He emerged as a rising junior when he threw for 2,859 yards and 30 touchdowns and impressed on the Nike Camp and EA SPORTS Elite 11 regional tour. He’s showed not only great skill but also intangibles and toughness last fall, leading his team to a state title despite suffering a shoulder early in the season that required surgery in the off-season. Despite not even turning 17 yet, is a confident, versatile and productive performer who set Texas state records last fall and should only get better as he matures. Son of former NFL quarterback Gale Gilbert. Committed to Texas way back in February over Texas A&M, Nebraska and a host of others.

Texas track/football commit Marquise Goodwin part of winning relay team. Goodwin also won the World Junior long jump title.

Texas 2009 commit [tag]Chris Whaley[/tag] is one of the top recruits in the state and top running backs in the country. With 4.5 speed at 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds (and still growing), Whaley possesses a rare combination of speed and power for a high school back. He’ll be a great complement to the speed backs (Vondrell McGee and Fozzy Whittaker) when he first gets on campus and could be Texas’ next big time running back.

Check out his highlights below:

Can’t wait till he gets onto the Forty Acres.

AC100 On Campus: Chris Whaley. Good Athlon Sports video piece on the future Texas running back.

A history of recruiting & how coaches have stayed a step ahead. Fake magazine covers, video chats, & other ways to bend the rules.

Temple running back Lache Seastrunk (it’s pronounced “Lake”) is still just a sophomore in high school but he’s starting to blow up the Internet thanks to his highlight videos. He’s blazing fast and spends about half the video juking people out of their jock straps. Pretty incredible stuff from a kid who probably isn’t 16 yet.

Check out the videos from YouTube below:

And now another one below from TexasPreps.net:

The videos remind me of former Florida prepster Noel Devine, hopefully without the off field stuff and multiple children.

For those who are geographically challenged, Temple is just an hour away from Austin. With most of the 2009 class already wrapped up, Mack and Company have to make him a top recruiting priority now. I’d love to see some highlights of Lache wearing the burnt orange in a couple of years.

Update: Just got a text from Orangebloods that Lache would be in Austin this Sunday for a one-day camp. Fantastic news. (10:21pm)

Varez Ward signs with Texas. Sounds like he could be Justin Mason 2.0 which is not a bad thing at all.