Top Recruits Head for TCU
By Chris Blake
After making their first BCS game in school history, TCU picks up some top-notch student-athletes.
Head football coach Gary Patterson spoke highly of his 2010 recruiting class Wednesday afternoon. It is a class that featured a pair of four-star recruits: Curtis Carter, a wide receiver from Stonewall, LA, and Ethan Grant, a running back from Coconut Creek, FL.
“I’m very excited about Curtis and Ethan both being out of state players,” Patterson said. “We don’t (recruit out of state) a lot, but to go out and get those kind of guys, that kind of quality, that kind of speed was exceptional for us.”
The class was not strongly affected by the Frogs’ Fiesta Bowl appearance Patterson said, but it did help the program close the deal on Allen quarterback Matt Brown.
Brown changed his commitment from Arizona to TCU in late January, giving the Frogs the 11th ranked dual-threat quarterback in the country, according to Rivals.com.
Patterson spoke highly of Cedar Hill defensive back Elisha Olabode as he compared him to a current Horned Frog star.
“(Olabode) is a guy that does a lot of intangibles like a (Jeremy) Kerley,” Patterson said. “When he gets the ball in his hands he can do a lot of things with it.”
Two recruits, San Antonio defensive back Travaras Battle-Smith and Argyle defensive tackle David Johnson, enrolled at TCU for the spring semester.
Patterson said players who enroll a semester early have a chance to get ahead not only academically, but on the field as well.
He brought up linebacker Daryl Washington as an example. Washington enrolled early and is a likely pick in June’s NFL draft.
Linebacker Marcus Mallet of Cleveland, TX already had his mind made up before the Fiesta Bowl. His high school coach Rick Tullos said the Horned Frogs have found success in a different way than other schools with major football programs.
“A lot of schools get a lot more five star kids that are so called rated higher that don’t do near(ly) as well,” Tullos said.
“Coach Patterson does a great job with making kids do (the right thing) and being very disciplined at what they do.”
Patterson has been at TCU for twelve seasons. He said the rise of the football program and the university as a whole went hand in hand.
“More people understand where TCU is, what it’s about and what we’re trying to get accomplished,” he said.
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THE 2010 RECRUITS:
Jonathan Anderson, DB, Corpus Christi
The No. 6 safety in the state, Anderson also played on the offensive side of the ball. He picked TCU over Utah, Kansas and Vanderbilt.
Matt Anderson, ATH, Vanderbilt
Anderson played in just four games and rushed for eight scores his senior season at Industrial High School in Vanderbilt before he was sidelined by an injury. As a junior he rushed for 1.601 and 24 touchdowns.
Travaras Battle-Smith, ATH, San Antonio
Battle-Smith is a player that projects as a cornerback at the college level, although he did rush for over 1,100 yards and 12 touchdowns over his junior and senior seasons. He has been committed to TCU since June 2009.
Matt Brown, QB, Allen
When he changed his commitment from Arizona to TCU last week, Brown became one of the marquee players in the class. He led Allen to a state title in 2008 and was named the 5A Offensive Player of the Year in 2009 when he totaled 3,578 all-purpose yards and 41 touchdowns.
Stephen Bryant, ATH, New Deal
Bryant played all over the place at New Deal High School, where he was used as a quarterback, safety, kick returner and punt returner. He picked TCU over Baylor and Iowa State.
Curtis Carter, ATH, Stonewall, LA
Carter is the fastest player in the recruiting class, as he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.37 seconds. An all-around athlete, he lettered in football, track and field and baseball, in which he was named second team all-state as a junior.
Sam Carter, QB, Alief
Carter is a dual-threat quarterback with plenty of experience, after averaging 239.5 pass attempts per season in four years of varsity playing time at Hastings High School. He was most efficient as a senior, but put up gaudier numbers as a sophomore when he threw 23 touchdown passes.
Ethan Grant, RB, Coconut Creek, FL
Grant switched to the Frogs late in the recruiting process after committing to Oregon months in advance. He earned a spot in the Team USA versus The World high school football game and helped lead North Broward High School to two state championships.
Antonio Graves, ATH, Texarkana
Graves played quarterback at 3A Texarkana Pleasant Grove in 2009 and led the team to the state semifinals. The district 16-3A Most Valuable Player threw for 27 touchdowns and ran for 18 more, but it is unlikely he will be a signal caller for the Frogs.
Chris Hawkins, WR, Channelview
One of the top receivers to come out of Texas in 2010, Hawkins is a downfield threat. He lettered more times in basketball (three) than football (two), but still managed to score 16 touchdowns in two seasons.
David Johnson, DT, Argyle
Just a short ride to the north on I-35W, the Argyle product led a team that went three rounds deep in the playoffs. He came away with 81 tackles, 25 for a loss, and six sacks last fall.
Marcus Mallett, LB, Cleveland
Mallet was rated as the No. 8 outside linebacker in the state and was the 22-3A Most Valuable Player as a junior. He selected TCU over Arkansas, Baylor, Colorado, Oklahoma State and Wisconsin.
Clifton Murphy, DE, Little Elm
Murphy was a late addition to the recruiting class and is a defensive end who will not need to be converted to another position like so many of the defensive players that Gary Patterson recruits. He recorded eight sacks as a senior.
Elisha Olabode, DB, Cedar Hill
Olabode was one of the stars of a Cedar Hill defense that featured Texas signee Aaron Benson. The first team all-state selection is dangerous with the ball in his hands whether it’s on an interception or a kick return, having scored five touchdowns in 2009.
Blake Roberts, LB, Tyler
After committing in February 2009, Rivals.com called Roberts one of the cornerstones of the class. He was a three-time all-district selection and was named o the All-East Texas his junior and senior seasons.
Michael Thompson, OL, Farmersville
A first team all-state selection on both the offensive and defensive lines, Thompson is rated the No. 4 center in Texas. His bench press and squat maxes are listed at 400 and 600 pounds, respectively.
Nykiren Wellington, OL, San Antonio
Like Thompson, Wellington also played on both sides of the ball and lettered three times. He chose TCU from a reported top three that featured the Frogs, Utah and Colorado.
Kevin White, DB, Round Rock
An all-state selection, White had seven picks and nine passes defended as a senior. He led Stony Point High School in Round Rock to within a game of the state championship in 2009.