Sherrington: It's too early to grade A&M
It is far too early to rate Texas A&M's recruiting class.

Area players cross border
Early Wednesday, the Carrollton Newman Smith senior David Williams was busy thinking about eluding tacklers in the Big Ten Conference after signing a national letter of intent with Purdue.

Big 12 North: Huskers haul in impressive class

Big 12 North team-by-team signees

Notebook

Other Southwest signings

Other Texas signings

2/7/2001
Temple defender picks Red Raiders
Texas Tech added another of the state's top players to its list of commitments, Temple defensive back DeWayne Brandon.

UT, OU fighting for Texas recruits
The Longhorns and Sooners have battled for several of the state's top players on the recruiting front.

2/6/2001
Mart QB chooses Texas
Texas may be known for getting out of the recruiting blocks early, but the Longhorns are showing they also can finish strong.

Signature day near for Dallas football players
The first day to sign a national college letter of intent for football is Wednesday. There will be lots of signatures collected in Dallas.

Prospects bright for ex-Lynch star
Brains and brawn. Robert Williams possessed a ton of both, landing him in the upper echelon of college football recruiting lists coast to coast during his final year at Bishop Lynch in 1996-97.

2/5/2001
Carter lineman decides on Kansas
The list of Carter players moving on to the college level continues to grow.

Insanity of recruiting season shouldn't surprise any of us
The Morning Line: Football recruiting has been twisted into one of the most absurd exercises in sports, a process of wooing 17- and 18-year-olds and full-court pressing them into making important decisions.

2/4/2001
Five years later: Revisiting the Class of 1996
Of the top 10 quarterback recruits in Texas in 1996, only one played major college quarterback for four seasons (Baytown Lee's Clint Stoerner). Four others played four years at major colleges but finished their careers in positions other than QB. Two others transferred to NCAA Division I-AA schools. Two quit college football altogether. And one finished his I-AA career as a third-teamer.

2/3/2001
Three area players commit
South Garland defensive end Brandon Johnson and Wylie running back J.T. Holsan are the latest area players to make college commitments.

2/2/2001
SOC wide receiver commits to Howard
Kenneth Williams chose Howard because of the educational and athletic opportunities it provided. He also considered Howard over UTEP and SFA.

2/1/2001
Weatherford's Pierce picks Arkansas
It has been a back-and-forth kind of week for Weatherford running back Mark Pierce.

1/31/2001
Waxahachie QB picks Air Force
Waxahachie quarterback Ben Baskin pledged to Air Force, and Pilot Point offensive lineman Clay Fuller committed to Central Arkansas.

Some prospects enjoy recruiting process
Samuell linebacker Brandon Barnes is grateful. Carter defensive lineman Tim Allen is gaining weight. Plano East defensive back Charlie Peprah is just plain tired. But all three are having fun and plan to enjoy every minute until the signing period begins next Wednesday.

1/30/2001
Trinity LB Foliaki commits to Colorado
Lee Foliaki, a member of The News' Top 100 state recruiting list, made an oral commitment to Colorado.

1/29/2001
Plano East DB picks Alabama
The chance to play for Dennis Franchione almost took Plano East's Charlie Peprah to TCU earlier in the season. Peprah will still get that chance to play for Franchione.

1/28/2001
Coaches go extra mile to give players shot at college
College coaches may be looking in the state of Texas for talented recruits, but many players still need help getting found.

Haul monitors
Coaches need recruiting strategy, backup plan to avoid overloading on commitments

Brian Davis' Northeast Tarrant sports column
Few area players get major college offers

1/27/2001
A&M snags recruit
Jacksonville offensive lineman Jami Hightower made an oral commitment to Texas A&M on Friday.

Players mull scholarship offers as pressure mounts
National Signing Day is just more than a week away and the local passel of recruits looks quite impressive. But there are a number of players yet to decide their future.

1/26/2001
Receiver's pick is academic
Grand Prairie wide receiver Jerrin Holt, a member of The News' Top 100 state recruiting list, made an oral commitment to Vanderbilt on Thursday.

1/25/2001
Kansas St. snaps up Country Day back
Victor Mann, a member of The News' Top 100 area recruiting list, made an oral commitment to Kansas State just days after taking an official visit to the school.

1/24/2001
Elite Texas players commit to OU
Oklahoma's already strong recruiting class became even better Tuesday. The Sooners received oral commitments from three of Texas' top prospects.

1/23/2001
Allen LB chooses West Virginia
Allen linebacker Shane Graham, a member of The News' Top 100 state recruiting list, made an oral commitment to West Virginia on Tuesday.

1/22/2001
SMU snags pair of linemen
SMU pulled off an upset over a pair of Big 12 programs this weekend, receiving a pledge from one of the state's top defensive players.

1/21/2001
Easing of requirements provides lift for SMU
The SMU football coaching staff hasn't changed the type of student-athlete it wants. But a decision by the school's administration has enabled the coaches to go about getting those players in a different way.

1/19/2001
A&M gets Aldine defensive lineman
Aldine defensive lineman Lawrence Hooper (6-4, 250), a member of The News' Top 100 state recruiting list, committed to Texas A&M on Thursday.

1/18/2001
Kimball DB stays with Aggies
Kimball defensive back Jarvis Mays, a member of The News' Top 100 national recruiting list, made an oral commitment Wednesday to Texas A&M.

1/17/2001
Jesuit DL picks Northwestern
Dallas Jesuit defensive lineman Thomas Derricks has spent plenty of time investigating his college choices. On Tuesday, he made the decision that has been two years in the making.

1/16/2001
Grand Prairie WR picks Missouri
Grand Prairie receiver Thomson Omboga, a member of The News' Top 100 state recruiting list, chose Missouri over Texas Tech and Colorado.

1/15/2001
Hillcrest QB opts for LSU
Hillcrest quarterback Ryan Gilbert, a member of The News' Top 100 state recruiting list, said Sunday that he has committed to LSU.

1/14/2001
Tight end runs holding pattern
Bishop Dunne tight end Lee Gray is bucking the trend. While more players have made the decision to commit early in the recruiting process, Gray has decided to hold out a while.

1/13/2001
Colleyville Heritage receiver drawing attention
Speed and size are the names of the game in college football. And Colleyville Heritage receiver Maurice "Mo" Revels has both.

1/8/2001
RB commits to Houston
East Chambers running back Cody Thibodeaux (6-1, 200) became the fourth member of The News' Top 100 state recruiting list to join the Cougars.

1/7/2001
Ennis quarterback Wallis hopes wait for football pays off
Tate Wallis had a scholarship all wrapped up. The Ennis quarterback could have already signed a national letter of intent. It just wasn't quite what Wallis wanted.

1/4/2001
LSU claims Top 100 lineman
Ben Wilkerson's first official visit was to LSU. That trip made quite an impact for the offensive lineman from Hemphill.

12/28/2000
Tilmon commits to Colorado
On Christmas Eve, Michael Tilmon, a senior at MacArthur, called Gary Barnett and gave the Colorado football coach an early present: an oral commitment to the Buffaloes.

12/26/2000
Irving MacArthur's Tilmon picks Colorado
This year, Texas is providing some of the country's biggest talent – literally. The state's offensive linemen are filling the lists of college recruiters across the nation.

12/24/2000
Texas becomes cradle of linemen
This year, Texas is providing some of the country's biggest talent – literally. The state's offensive linemen are filling the lists of college recruiters across the nation.

Irving tight end accepts offer to play football for Tulsa
Irving High's Victor Mercado spent most of his senior year as a tight end, but he had only one pass thrown to him. The experience of being a blocker first is likely to pay off for him when he hits the Tulsa campus next year.

Lake Highland grad Hanson kicks prospects into high gear
Seth Hanson returned to the field this fall, and the 1997 Lake Highlands graduate had his finest year yet as a placekicker and part-time punter for the University of Kentucky.

12/23/2000
Carter DB commits to Iowa
Adolphus Shelton, a member of The News' Top 100 area recruiting list, is the 12th commitment for the Hawkeyes.

12/22/2000
Houston nabs Hillcrest receiver
Hillcrest wide receiver T.J. Jenkins has made an oral commitment to Houston. Jenkins, a member of The News' Top 100 area recruiting list, is the fourth Dallas player to pledge to the Cougars.

12/21/2000
McKinney's Hickson hears call, answers Oklahoma
Sometimes the phone call would be from a relative who wanted to say hi. But most times, the phone calls to Donta Hickson's home were from reporters and coaches. Especially college coaches

Rockwall producing its share of linemen
Rockwall's recent football success has helped place at least eight players in the college ranks.

12/20/2000
OU receives another Texas commitment
Add another Texan to the list of Oklahoma commitments. North Garland defensive back Eric Bassey, a member of The News' Top 100 state recruiting list, has made an oral commitment to the Sooners.

12/19/2000
McKinney's Hickson chooses Oklahoma
Hickson is one of three finalists in the Southwest region for the first Heisman trophy for high school players.

12/18/2000
Lewisville defender chooses Oklahoma
Lewisville defensive tackle Brett Rayl just couldn't turn down what Oklahoma had to offer.

12/17/2000
Older brothers teach Smith, Epting recruiting ropes
Fort Worth Christian offensive lineman Cole Smith and Bishop Lynch running back Corey Epting knew just what to expect when recruiting season hit.

12/16/2000
Berkner DL picks Tulane
Richardson Berkner defensive lineman Wallace Matteen has made an oral commitment to Tulane.

12/14/2000
Allen linebacker commits to Purdue
Allen's Brandon Villareal, a member of The News' Top 100 state recruiting list, chose the Boilermakers over TCU, Colorado and Tulane.

12/13/2000
Houston's in, TCU's out for Carter defensive back
Tristen Robertson didn't have the chance to play wide receiver at Carter. That opportunity, however, may come in college.

Committed recruits find they are as popular as ever
Calvin Watkins' Plano sports column: Recruiting is never a simple thing.

12/12/2000
Two area players commit
Two members of The News' Top 100 area recruiting list, have made oral commitments.

12/11/2000
DeSoto standouts commit to Iowa State
Ellis Hobbs and B.J. Johnson were teammates even before they played football at DeSoto. This weekend, Hobbs and Johnson made sure they would be teammates even after they leave.

12/10/2000
Hickson's indecision keeps brother on hold
Darnell Hickson is getting used to the interruptions. He politely switches from one line to another several times as the call waiting beeps yet again.

Finding the right coach
Comfort and confidence have been replaced by chaos. Go outside the family and find a head coach in a search that could drag on, leaving uncommitted recruits more confused and possibly turned off? Or hire an assistant from within and hope there will be immediate stability and a continuation of success?

12/5/2000
Purdue keeps momentum with recruiting in area
The list of Texans committing to Purdue continues to grow as Brian Wang, a tight end from Fort Worth Southwest Christian, has made an oral commitment to the Boilermakers.

12/4/2000
Two area QBs stay in state
Two of the area's top quarterbacks will stay in state to continue their football careers.

12/3/2000
Players look deeper for choice location
Lewisville defensive lineman Bret Rayl knows life as a college football player won't imitate his campus visits. No pack of fans yelling his name at his dorm room. No red carpet to freshman English.