40 Acres Sports

Garrett Gilbert runs against Hutto

Wow. Future Longhorn Garrett Gilbert led his number one ranked and defending state champion Lake Travis team to a huge win over the Hutto Hippos. Hutto was considered to be the biggest challenger for Lake Travis in district play. If Hutto truly is the best team not led by Gilbert in district 25-4A, then Lake Travis is on their way to another state title.

Gilbert did anything and everything, going 14 of 16 for 274 yards and six touchdowns. The five star recruit made every throw in the passing tree, using touch and zip to shred an overmatched group of defenders. The highlight of the night came when Gilbert was flushed from the pocket, rolled to his right, and hit a streaking receiver down the sideline on a perfect pass that flew at least 50 yards in the air. The pass couldn’t have been delivered better if Gilbert ran the ball down the field and handed it to the receiver himself.

Colt McCoy is a great quarterback, but there is no doubt that the junior can not make every throw possible. McCoy will be a great college quarterback, but not much else because of his limitations on the passing tree, much like current coach Major Applewhite. Gilbert has no such limitations. He can throw the 15 yard out, the 40 yard post, and the out route from the opposite hash mark. His timing was spot on, and his pocket presence appeared to be beyond his years.

Gilbert impressed even the opposing coach.

“Number 7 [Gilbert] is a freak,” said Hutto head coach Lee Penland after his Hippos lost 55-20. “I mean that in a good way. I’m an ex-Longhorn, and I’m so glad he is going to UT. I just wish he went last week. I would not be surprised to see him play on Sundays.”

Before Friday Cedric Benson was the most dominant player I had seen in person at a high school football game (remember I’m only 23). But after the performance that only saw two balls hit the ground, one being a drop the other a throw away, “EL CED” could have been replaced. The guy is huge; he looks like a man playing against boys. And he is a winner. After only watching one game it is clear who the leader of the football team is as Gilbert involves himself in sideline talks with the special teams, the defense, as well as his offense.

I am also a Longhorn, and like coach Penland, I think Texas has found their quarterback of the future.

(Image courtesy of Statesman.com)

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

Five-star future Texas quarterback Garrett Gilbert 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 Colt McCoy 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.

It’s still a year away, but already five 2009 Texas commitments have received the honor of being named to the Under Armour All-America Game roster. The Longhorns currently lead the way with players in the game, with quarterback Garrett Gilbert. tight end Barrett Matthews, and offensive linemen Thomas Ashcraft, Paden Kelley, and Mason Walters on the roster. The 2008 Under Armour game featured five Longhorns as well.

The list of players is impressive but still not 100% complete, I’m sure there will be some additions and subtractions between now and January 4, 2009. Maybe a few more Texas commits can earn their way onto the team, or maybe the coaching staff can convince Florida stud running back Trent Richardson to come play for the good guys.

Here are the Scouts, Inc. profiles on the five Texas players:

Garrett Gilbert

Quarterback
Lake Travis (Texas)
6-3, 186 pounds

Junior accolades: Set Texas records with 359 completions, 555 attempts and 4,826 passing yards. Also threw for 52 touchdowns and named First Team All-State by The Associated Press.

On goals for his senior season: “Hopefully to win another state championship.”

Favorite movie: “Wedding Crashers.”

Scouts Inc. says: The more you watch Gilbert, the more you realize how heady and savvy he is. He is similar to Aaron Corp from the 2007 class in terms of size and athleticism, only Gilbert is much further along at this stage and has a bigger arm. He has prototypical drop-back passer size but is a sneaky athlete who will surprise you and hurt you with his feet if you don’t respect that aspect of his game.

Barrett Matthews

Tight End
North Shore (Texas)
6-2, 225 pounds

Junior accolades: Caught 13 passes for 395 yards and seven touchdowns. Named to 22-5A First Team All-District and Houston Chronicle Second Team All-Area.

On why he chose Texas: “The coaching staff reminds me of our coaching staff [at North Shore] and Coach [Mack] Brown reminds me a little bit of Coach [David] Aymond. The facilities are amazing and I get to work with one of the best [strength] trainers in the nation.”

Favorite movie: “‘Any Given Sunday.’ I love the ‘piece with inches’ speech by Al Pacino’s character.”

Scouts Inc. says: An exciting prospect with the tools to be well-rounded at the college level. He’s a sound, tenacious blocker while also a weapon as a receiver. Has the ability to stay on the field in all situations and be a factor, making him a player to watch.

Thomas Ashcraft

Offensive Lineman
Cedar Hill (Texas)
6-5, 280 pounds

Junior accolades: First Team All-District, Honorable Mention All-State.

On why he chose Texas: “I felt at home at Texas. The coaches were real, they didn’t feel fake like they were putting on a show or it was rehearsed — they were real comfortable and natural. My parents liked it and my major [mechanical engineering] is a top major there.”

Favorite TV show: “The Boondocks.”

Scouts Inc. says: A gifted lineman with the size college coaches seek. He has shown the foot agility to both pull and trap from the offensive tackle position and also get back from a three-point stance and set before a defensive lineman gets into his frame. Ashcraft has the tools to develop into one of college football’s best, most athletic offensive linemen.

Paden Kelley

Offensive Lineman
Lake Travis (Texas)
6-6, 270 pounds

Junior accolades: Named to Texas 4A first team by Texas Sportswriters Association. Also named to First Team All-District.

On goals for his senior season: “I have hopes of leading my team to a back-to-back state championship and being awarded First Team All-State.”

Favorite band: Rage Against the Machine.

Scouts Inc. says: Kelley’s a very athletic offensive tackle with the versatility to also play guard. Tall and rangy, he looks the part, carrying his weight extremely well. Biggest strength may be his reach-blocking skills.

Mason Walters

Offensive Lineman
Frenship (Texas)
6-7, 285 pounds

Junior accolades: Named All-District, All-Area, All-South Plains, All-City and 4A Second Team All-State.

On what he’s looking for in a school: “Coaches you get along with for five years, a winning tradition and a bunch of good talent that is going to be there when you are there to give yourself a chance to win the national championship.”

Favorite food: Buffalo wings with ranch sauce.

Scouts Inc. says: A max-effort player with exceptional ability, he’s a self-starter who clearly loves the game. He goes after opponents like a heat-seeking missile. Comes off the ball aggressively and has the skills to reach, block back and even get to the second level with little trouble. Shows outstanding hustle by frequently getting a second block after executing his initial assignment.

Many Texas fans are disappointed that stud prospect Russell Shepard won’t be a Longhorn, but the coaches did reel in the player I think is an even bigger recruit in Lake Travis quarterback Garrett Gilbert. The elite QB can sling the football around the field with the best the state’s ever produced at the position. He’s intelligent, talented, and polished, and with the talent that will be around him at Texas my expectations for him are incredibly high.

If you’ve got any doubts, check out the highlight video below from his sophomore season:

I can’t help but think Gilbert’s career leading the Longhorns is going to be a fun time to be a Texas fan.

Texas’ first Junior Day of 2008 over the weekend resulted in seven young men giving Mack Brown their pledge to become Longhorns in 2009. It started a little early last week with quarterback Garrett Gilbert’s commitment and the last one came in yesterday as lineman Thomas Ashcraft called the staff to tell them he’d be a Longhorn.

The future of the offense looks bright as Horns picked up commitments from the top quarterback (Gilbert), top running back (Chris Whaley), and top wide receiver (Greg Timmons) in the state of Texas. Those guys will have Ashcraft and two other top offensive linemen blocking for them up front. Cornerback Marcus Davis is the defense’s lone commit so far, but the highly recruited player out of the Houston area is a heck of a start.

Here’s the list of 2009 commitments so far:

Name	Position	Rating*	LSR**	Hometown
Thomas Ashcraft	OL		13	Cedar Hill
Marcus Davis	DB		15	League City
Garrett Gilbert	QB		2	Austin
Paden Kelley	OL		31	Austin
Garrett Porter	OL		30	Odessa
Greg Timmons	WR		10	Aldine
Chris Whaley	RB		8	Madisonville

*Note: Several of the star ratings are just estimates based on the video I’ve seen of the recruits and Orangebloods.com’s state rankings.

**Note: LSR is Geoff Ketchum’s Lone Star Recruiting Top 100. The numbers represent the player’s ranking as of 2/13/2008.

Garrett Gilbert made it official this afternoon, he’s going to play quarterback for the Texas Longhorns. From Lake Travis’ state of the art indoor practice facility (that place makes most college programs jealous) announced he would be staying close to home and committed to Mack Brown and the Longhorns.

Excerpts from the press conference (courtesy of Orangebloods):

“I am here to announce my commitment to play football at The University of Texas. I’m very excited about this opportunity. I feel very blessed and I’m looking forward to a great opportunity to get a great education at Texas and also the chance to play football at one of the best universities in the nation.”

“It’s been my dream to be a Longhorn ever since I was a little kid, ever since I moved here to Austin. It’s just a real blessing and as soon as I got the offer, I knew that that’s where I wanted to go.”

Welcome to the family Garrett, can’t wait to see you in burnt orange.

Related Links

• Video of the press conference.
• Rivals.com profile
• Scout.com profile

The Austin-American Statesman has a scoop that might make Texas fans feel a little better after a day of rough news. Reportedly Lake Travis quarterback Garrett Gilbert, one of Rivals.com’s top 2009 QB’s and a 5-star recruit, will announce his college destination on Thursday afternoon. Of course this is only good news if Gilbert commits to the Horns, but fortunately word on the street is that is exactly what will happen.

Gilbert certainly knows how to fling the ball around the football field. The son of former NFL quarterback Gale Gilbert, Garrett passed for 4,826 yards and 52 touchdowns for Lake Travis last season. He set Texas season records for passing yards, completions, and attempts during his junior season while leading his team to a 4A state title. Gilbert is one of the best pure passers to come out of the state in years.

The ink isn’t dry yet on the letters of intent from the 2008 class, but If the Horns can secure Gilbert’s commitment today they’ll be off and running for 2009. Keep your fingers crossed, this would be huge.