FB: TCU Recruiting Roundup 2011
RECRUITING
ROUNDUP HOMEPAGEFeb. 2, 2011FORT WORTH, Texas - TCU head coach
Gary Patterson and the Rose Bowl-champion Horned Frog football program
have announced the signing of 24 players.
The Horned Frogs’
recruiting class is rated 23rd nationally by Scout.com and 25th by
Rivals.com, the highest rankings in TCU’s history.
All the
newcomers are three star and above recruits. Three of the newest Horned
Frogs earned four-star status: wide receivers LaDarius Brown
(Waxahachie) and Brandon Carter (Euless) and defensive tackle Chuck
Hunter (West Monroe, La.).
Brown and Carter are ranked among the
top-five athletes in Texas, while Hunter is listed as one of the
nation’s best defensive linemen.
Brown is ranked by Rivals.com as
the top athlete in Texas and the No. 4 athlete in the nation. He’s also
No. 1 in the country in ball-handling skills for athletes. Carter, who
played quarterback at Trinity High School, is the No. 5 athlete in the
state and No. 33 in the nation. Hunter is ranked as the third-best
defensive tackle in Louisiana and the 27th-best player at his position
in the country.
TCU has now signed nine four-star recruits in the
last three classes. The Horned Frogs had just five four-star signees in
the previous eight years combined (2001-08).
Eighteen of the 24
signees are in-state products with 10 landing in the Rivals.com Texas
Postseason Top 100.
Six states are represented in this year’s
recruiting class. Two signees come from Oklahoma, including Del City
High School teammates Chazten Gonzales and Jamelle Naff. Gonzales is
listed No. 2 among dual-threat quarterbacks in Oklahoma, while Naff is
the top-rated guard prospect in Oklahoma and the 21st-ranked player in
the nation at his position.
Linebackers Deryck Gildon (Arlington)
and Austin Terry (Lago Vista) and cornerback Jason Verrett (Santa Rosa,
Calif.) have already enrolled at TCU and will take part in spring
practice.
The 24 signees are split evenly between offense and
defense.
The most-common position signed was wide receiver with
five players, while four safeties were inked. There were three
cornerbacks and three linebackers signed.
Verrett is ranked as
the sixth-best junior college defensive back in the nation and the
35th-best overall JC prospect. He is joined at cornerback by Travoskey
Garrett (Lufkin) and Kolby Griffin (Houston). Griffin is rated No. 8
among cornerbacks in Texas and No. 51 in the nation.
Rivals.com
ranks Chris Hackett (Tyler) as the No. 2 safety in Texas and No. 38 in
the nation. He was a first-team Rivals.com High School All-American and a
second-team Parade All-American. The other incoming safeties are Quincy
Aldridge (Whitehouse), James Bailey (Everman) and Jamie Byrd (Dade
City, Fla.). Aldridge totaled 20 interceptions in his high school
career. Bailey was the 4A District 7 Most Valuable Player.
In
addition to Hunter, the other signee at defensive tackle is Jon Lewis
(Spring). A Klein Oak High School product, Lewis posted 13 sacks as a
senior.
Joining Gildon and Terry at linebacker in the recruiting
class is Laderice Sanders (Arlington), who is rated ninth and 36th among
inside linebackers in Texas and the nation, respectively.
Trevone
Boykin (Mesquite) totaled 4,729 yards of offense and 58 touchdowns as a
senior. He rushed for 1,799 yards and 30 touchdowns while passing for
another 28 scores. Boykin is rated as the fifth-best dual-threat
quarterback in Texas and No. 24 in the nation.
Wide receiver
David Bush (Tyler) and Dominic Merka (Crosby) were both quarterbacks in
high school. Bush is ranked as the seventh-best athlete in Texas and No.
50 in the nation. Merka totaled 3,096 yards of offense and 24
touchdowns his senior year.
Bolstering the wide receiver position
are DeSoto High School teammates David Porter III and Cameron White.
The duo combined for 21 touchdown catches as seniors. Porter and White
are ranked ninth and 10th, respectively, among wide receivers in Texas.
Joining
Naff among the offensive linemen are Brady Foltz (Rose Hill, Kan.),
Bobby Thompson (Midland) and Carter Wall (Richmond). All carry rankings
among the best in the state and nation. Foltz, like his older brother
and current Horned Frog Blaize Foltz, is a guard. Thompson and Wall are
tackles.
Quincy Aldridge (S, 6-2, 195, Whitehouse, Texas;
Whitehouse High School)
First-team 4A All-District 14 as a junior and
senior … totaled 48 tackles and four interceptions his senior year ...
added six receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown … totaled 20 picks in
his high school career … was a second-team all-district pick and
third-team all-state selection his sophomore year ... named the
district’s Newcomer of the Year as a freshman ... also lettered in
basketball for three years and in track and field for two years … chose
TCU over Notre Dame and Illinois … comes from the same Whitehouse
program that produced TCU fullback Luke Shivers ... his father, Jerry
Aldridge, played for the San Francisco 49ers from 1980-82 ... has an
older brother, Cory Aldridge, who was a fourth-round draft pick of the
Atlanta Braves and currently plays for the Los Angeles Angels ... a
cousin, Kevin Aldridge, played for the St. Louis Rams and Tennessee
Titans from 2003-07.
James Bailey (S, 6-1, 200, Everman, Texas;
Everman High School)
Earned 4A District 7 Most Valuable Player honors
as a senior … rushed for 967 yards and 12 touchdowns, including a
77-yard score, as a senior … added 591 yards receiving with eight
touchdown catches … had a long receiving score of 87 yards … totaled 48
tackles on defense … had a 64-yard kickoff return … rushed for 565 yards
and six touchdowns his junior year … had 161 receiving yards and three
scores … recorded 29 tackles and three interceptions on defense … chose
TCU over Oklahoma State, Baylor and Arizona.
Trevone Boykin (QB,
6-1, 205, Mesquite, Texas; West Mesquite HS)
Ranked by Rivals.com as
the No. 24 dual-threat quarterback in the nation and No. 5 in the state
of Texas … listed as No. 100 in the Rivals.com Texas Postseason Top 100
... district most valuable player and honorable-mention all-state as a
senior … rushed for 1,799 yards and 30 touchdowns … also completed 60.7
percent (198-of-326) of his passes for 2,930 yards and 28 touchdowns
with just 11 interceptions … totaled 4,729 yards of offense and 58
touchdowns … ran for 1,380 yards and 24 scores as a junior … completed
53.2 percent (116-of-218) of his pass attempts for 1,666 yards and 10
touchdowns … totaled 3,046 yards and 34 touchdowns … chose TCU over
UTEP.
LaDarius Brown (WR, 6-2, 190, Waxahachie, Texas; Waxahachie
HS)
A Rivals.com four-star recruit … ranked as the No. 4 athlete in
the nation and the No. 53 overall player in the Rivals 100 … ranks first
nationally in ball-handling skills for athletes ... the top-rated
athlete in Texas and the seventh-ranked in-state prospect for all
positions … the 4A District 15 Offensive Most Valuable Player at wide
receiver … was also honorable-mention 4A All-State at receiver … totaled
781 receiving yards and eight touchdowns as a senior … chose TCU over
Alabama, Auburn, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas
A&M and Texas Tech.
David Bush (WR, 5-10, 165, Tyler, Texas;
John Tyler HS)
First-team all-state and the 4A District 14 Most
Valuable Player … All-East Texas ... ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 50
athlete nationally and No. 7 in Texas … a triple-threat in high school,
finishing with 1,998 yards passing, 1,450 yards rushing and 365 yards
receiving in his career … lettered one year in basketball … chose TCU
over SMU and Tulsa ... has a brother, Antione Bush, who played football
at North Texas.
Jamie Byrd (S, 5-11, 180, Dade City, Fla.; Pasco
High School)
A two-time All-Sunshine Conference selection and the
league’s Defensive Player of the Year ... led Pasco in tackles his
junior and senior seasons ... averaged 12.9 tackles per game as a senior
... totaled 129 tackles, including 101 solo stops, with six sacks his
junior year ... added four fumble recoveries and a pass breakup ...
helped lead Pasco to a pair of district championships in addition to
region and conference titles ... a two-year recipient of a Pasco
Leadership Award ... chose TCU over Boise State and Purdue.
Brandon
Carter (WR, 5-11, 161, Euless, Texas; Trinity HS)
A four-star
recruit by ESPN and Scouts.com … ranked by Rivals.com as the nation’s
No. 33 athlete and No. 5 in Texas ... listed as the No. 70 overall
player in the state … Scouts.com tabs him the nation’s 21st-ranked wide
receiver … an all-state selection his senior year and the 5A District 6
Most Valuable Player … rushed for 1,239 yards on an 11.6 per carry
average with 14 touchdowns as a senior … also had 25 receptions for 394
yards (15.8 average) and four scores … totaled 2,300 yards of offense
and 18 touchdowns … chose TCU over Oklahoma.
Brady Foltz (OG,
6-4, 290, Rose Hill, Kan.; Rose Hill HS)
Ranked by Rivals.com as the
No. 41 guard nationally and No. 2 in the state of Kansas … the
10th-ranked overall recruit in Kansas … a 4A first-team all-state and
all-league selection on the offensive and defensive lines as a senior
and junior … did not allow a sack his final two seasons ... totaled 101
pancake blocks his senior year as Rose Hill rushed for 3,500 yards ...
totaled 21 tackles on defense with a sack and an interception return for
a touchdown … team captain and most valuable player ... a Wichita
All-Metro selection and a member of the Wichita Eagle Top 22 ... a
four-year letterman in football who also lettered three years in
basketball and track and field ... younger brother of current TCU
offensive guard Blaize Foltz … his father, Roger Foltz, played football
at Wake Forest ... his mother, Heidi Foltz, was a basketball player at
Fort Hays State ... chose TCU over Air Force and Colorado State.
Travoskey
Garrett (CB, 6-1, 186, Lufkin, Texas; Lufkin HS)
Named to the 5A
Division 14 first-team defense … totaled 75 tackles and three
interceptions as a senior … also lettered in track and field and was a
district champion in the triple jump.
Deryck Gildon (LB, 6-2,
205, Arlington, Texas; Martin HS)
Ranked by Rivals.com as the
nation’s No. 34 outside linebacker and No. 4 in the state of Texas … the
66th-best prospect for all positions in Texas … recorded 50 tackles
with a sack and interception as a senior … added 338 receiving yards and
four touchdowns at tight end … chose TCU over Baylor, Colorado, Iowa
and Texas Tech.
Chazten Gonzales (QB, 6-2, 185, Del City, Okla.;
Del City HS)
Ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 15 recruit in the state
of Oklahoma … listed as the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in Oklahoma
... completed 56.6 percent (159-of-281) of his passes for 2,455 yards
and 15 touchdowns as a junior … rushed for 432 yards and five touchdowns
… chose TCU over Oklahoma State.
Kolby Griffin (CB, 5-11, 176,
Houston, Texas; St. Pius X HS)
Ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 51
cornerback nationally and No. 8 in the state of Texas … has a No. 96
ranking in the Texas Top 100 … first-team all-district and first-team 5A
TAPPS All-State as a junior and senior ... returned the lone
interception of his junior season for a touchdown … chose TCU over
Arkansas, Baylor and Texas Tech.
Chris Hackett (S, 6-1, 185,
Tyler, Texas; John Tyler HS)
A Rivals.com first-team All-American and
a second-team Parade All-American ... ranked by Rivals.com as the No.
38 safety nationally and No. 2 in the state of Texas … listed No. 49 in
the Texas Top 100 … a first-team all-state selection ... was also
first-team All-East Texas and a first-team 4A District pick … named the
East Texas Defensive Player of the Year … also selected to the East
Texas Dream Team ... totaled 62 tackles, 12 interceptions, 12 pass
breakups and four forced fumbles as a senior … was also a three-year
letterman in basketball … chose TCU over Utah.
Chuck Hunter (DT,
6-1, 294, West Monroe, La.; West Monroe HS)
A Rivals.com four-star
recruit … ranked as the No. 27 defensive tackle in the nation and No. 3
in the state of Louisiana ... the No. 15 overall player in Louisiana … a
5A first-team All-State selection … named Louisiana’s Outstanding
Defensive Player of the Year … was also the 5A District 1 Defensive Most
Valuable Player … totaled 82 tackles, including 18 for loss with five
sacks as a senior ... added three forced fumbles, one recovery and two
pass breakups … recorded a game-high nine solo stops, including a
12-yard sack, in the 5A championship game ... chose TCU over Baylor,
Illinois, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri and Oklahoma State.
Jon
Lewis (DT, 6-2, 265, Spring, Texas; Klein Oak HS)
A 5A District 13
second-team selection … totaled 89 tackles with 13 sacks as a senior …
chose TCU over Alabama, Arizona, Baylor, California, Michigan, Oklahoma
State, Oregon and Texas Tech.
Dominic Merka (ATH, 6-4, 220,
Crosby, Texas; Crosby HS)
A 4A District 19 first-team selection at
quarterback … totaled 3,096 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior … ran
for 995 yards and 12 scores … passed for 2,101 yards and 12 touchdowns …
rushed for 1,009 yards and nine scores his junior year … added 1,320
yards passing and 10 touchdowns with just five interceptions … his total
offensive output was 2,329 yards and 19 touchdowns … recipient of
Newcomer of the Year honors ... also lettered in track and field ...
chose TCU over Baylor and Utah.
Jamelle Naff (OG, 6-4, 311, Del
City, Okla.; Del City HS)
Ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 21 guard
nationally and No. 1 in the state of Oklahoma … listed as the
fourth-best overall prospect in Oklahoma … a first-team all-state
selection … chose TCU over Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Kansas State and
Missouri.
David Porter III (WR, 6-0, 185, DeSoto, Texas; DeSoto
HS)
Ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 45 wide receiver nationally and
No. 9 in the state of Texas … listed as the No. 61 prospect in Texas … a
5A District 11 first-team selection as a sophomore, junior and senior …
was third-team all-state his junior and senior years ... totaled 70
receptions for 905 receiving yards and seven touchdowns as a senior …
had 63 catches for 1,033 yards and nine scores his junior year ...
recorded 31 receptions for 255 yards as a sophomore ... DeSoto’s Most
Valuable Player his senior year ... named the Wide Receiver of the Year
as a junior ... a three-year football letterman who also lettered three
years in track and field ... an honorable-mention academic all-state
honoree his senior year ... a member of the National Society of High
School Scholars ... chose TCU over Cincinnati, Iowa State, Virginia and
Wake Forest.
Laderice Sanders (LB, 6-1, 220, Arlington, Texas;
Arlington HS)
Ranked by Rivals.com as the No. 36 inside linebacker
nationally and No. 9 in the state of Texas ... rated as the No. 95
overall prospect in the state of Texas … a first-team 5A All-District 4
selection … chose TCU over Minnesota.
Austin Terry (LB, 6-2, 221,
Lago Vista, Texas; Lago Vista High School)
A 2A second-team
All-State selection … the District 13 Defensive Most Valuable Player …
chose TCU over Rice.
Bobby Thompson (OT, 6-7, 285, Midland,
Texas; Midland Christian)
The 37th-ranked offensive tackle nationally
by Rivals.com and No. 6 in the state of Texas … also listed as the No.
62 overall prospect in Texas … a TAPPS first-team All-State selection …
was also a TAPPS District 1 first-team pick … chose TCU over Baylor,
Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
Jason Verrett (CB, 5-10, 180, Santa
Rosa, Calif.; Santa Rosa JC)
Ranked by Rivals.com as the sixth-best
junior college defensive back ... also listed 35th nationally for
overall JC players ... chose TCU over Boise State.
Carter Wall
(OT, 6-5, 263, Richmond, Texas; Travis HS)
Ranked by Rivals.com as
the No. 79 offensive tackle in the nation and No. 13 in the state of
Texas … a 5A District 23 first-team selection … chose TCU over Arizona
State, Baylor, Kansas, Mississippi State, Missouri, Utah and Virginia.
Cameron
White (WR, 6-2, 185, DeSoto, Texas; DeSoto HS)
Ranked by Rivals.com
as the No. 50 wide receiver nationally and No. 10 in the state of Texas …
the 72nd-ranked player in Texas … a 5A District 11 second-team
selection as a junior and senior … recipient of Wide Receiver of the
Year accolades ... totaled 45 receptions for 700 yards and 13 touchdowns
as a senior … had 59 catches for 729 yards and 10 scores as a junior … a
two-year letterman in football who also lettered in track and field ...
chose TCU over Arizona, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Texas
A&M, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt and Virginia.
--
Mark Cohen
TCU
Athletics Media Relations Director