Huntington (WV) High five-star offensive tackle Darnell Wright visited Tennessee a few weeks ago, where he measured in at 6-foot-6, 314-pounds, according to his head coach, Billy Seals. Two weeks before his trip to Knoxville, Wright played high school a basketball game in which he swatted three shots on one possession, the third one he corralled and passed to a guard to start a fast break that ended with him flushing it.
“I try not to use this word — but he is freakish,” Seals said.
No question.
Wright is the top-ranked offensive tackle in the Top247 for a reason. The prototypical left tackle, Wright has the length and athletic ability to bend and move, and he’s a two-way player looking to inflict pain on whoever has lined up across from him.
Wright has developed from a middle school tight end/linebacker. “He was 6-foot-3, 230-pounds and just terrorizing the young league,” Seals said with a laugh. Now, he’s blossoming into one of the most coveted prospects in the nation. The film shows a combination of him firing out of his stance and attacking defensive linemen, getting to the second level and getting a hat on linebackers — mixed in with some slams and suplexes.
“Just his knowledge of the game has increased greatly,” Seals said. “You take a kid that never played on the offensive line as a freshman and just got better. Sophomore year, by week two he had four or five Power Five offers just because of his athleticism.”
Seals says don’t expect Wright to commit early; he’ll take official visits until late in the process and wait to sign until February. The big players for Wright appear to be Alabama and Tennessee. Virginia Tech is also firmly in the mix, and Clemson and Georgia are two others that bring a lot of intrigue and have a chance to move up the list, as he has never been to the Tigers’ or Bulldogs’ campus. The 247Sports Crystal Ball was all Ohio State, but this has more of an SEC or even ACC feel to it (throw Miami into the mix with the Hokies), so I flipped my forecast to the Vols. But I’ll be watching closely what happens this weekend in Tuscaloosa at Alabama’a A-Day, where Wright is one of the headliners coming in to visit.
The past week has been an exciting one on the trail as Florida State climbed to No. 1 in the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings, Oklahoma surged to No. 2, Alabama is up to No. 4, Michigan moved to No. 5 and Clemson shot to No. 9 after each program secured commitments from multiple targets.
Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy Top247 linebacker Jaleel McRae and his teammate in Top247 offensive guard Dontae Lucas were the prized pick-ups for the ‘Noles. The Sooners snagged four: four-star wide receivers Theo Wease and Arjei Henderson and safeties Jamal Morris and Jarrian Jones.
Alabama added Top247 linebacker Shane Lee, who ended his recruitment suddenly and unexpectedly following a weekend visit to Tuscaloosa, along with Top247 cornerback Christian Williams.
For the Wolverines, athlete Te’Cory Couch was on flip watch (was a verbal to Tennessee), but it was in-state Miami who seemed to have been holding the spatula. Instead, an official to Ann Arbor saw him announced for the Maize and Blue. Offensive tackle Jack Stewart also committed to Jim Harbaugh’s program, with more expected this week.
At Clemson, five-star receiver Frank Ladson, Top247 quarterback Taisun Phommachanh, four-star running back Chez Mellusi, linebacker Bryton Constantin and safety Landen Zanders, as they say down there, went all in.
***
Programs to keep an eye on with long visitor lists for their springs games this weekend include Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Oregon, Penn State and Texas. The headliners in Tuscaloosa include Wright, five-star defensive tackle Ishmael Sopsher and the nation’s No. 1 center Clay Webb. The crop at Georgia includes defensive linemen Travon Walker and Derick Hunter and No. 1 overall class of 2020 prospect Bryan Bresee.
It’s going to be a big weekend in Eugene with the No. 1 overall 247Sports Composite prospect Kayvon Thibodeaux, quarterback Jayden Daniels, receiver Kyle Ford and linebacker Mase Funa expected in town, among others. Top247 blue-chippers Garrett Wilson and Noah Cain headline the list expected in Austin.
The No. 1 recruit in the Top247 in defensive end Zach Harrison headlines the group in Happy Valley.
***
The Cal Bears are up to the No. 2 class in the Pac-12 following a big weekend that saw them land intriguing defensive lineman Braxten Croteau, who at 6-foot-5, 240-pound has all the traits to develop into one of the conference’s best at the point of attack.
Let’s block ads! (Why?)
