OSU Buckeyes: Texas Longhorns
FRISCO, Texas -- Soso Jamabo (Plano, Texas/Plano West) would have liked to be a part of this weekend’s Nike EYBL series playing with the Texas Titans. With a sling on his right shoulder, however, the 2015 two-sport star was reduced to watching the Titans on the bench, offering instruction to teammates and being the team’s biggest supporter.
For the rest of the spring and most of the summer, Jamabo’s focus will be on rehabbing after undergoing shoulder surgery on April 30. Jamabo broke some bones and damaged some ligaments in his shoulder during a Texas Class 5A Division-I state quarterfinal playoff. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound athlete is expected to miss 6-10 weeks but is projected to return a couple of weeks before Plano West’s first scrimmage in August.
“It’s early in the process, but it’s going well,” Jamabo said of the rehab process. “I’m just trying to get the shoulder back to usual, if not better. Right now, I’m just doing basic stuff and keep everything as minimal as possible.”
Exactly what kind of football player will Plano West look to see back on the field? Jamabo’s first rush as a varsity player was against Flower Mound (Texas) Marcus on Aug. 31. It went for 12 yards. His second rush: A 75-yard touchdown run.
Since then, Soso has been ... well ... anything but.
Only the shoulder injury managed to slow the electrifying 2015 running back down. He rushed for a team-leading 1,697 yards and 24 touchdowns and also caught 20 passes for 453 yards -- an average of almost 23 yards per catch -- and four touchdowns. On the basketball court, Jamabo averaged 13.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 11 games.
For the rest of the spring and most of the summer, Jamabo’s focus will be on rehabbing after undergoing shoulder surgery on April 30. Jamabo broke some bones and damaged some ligaments in his shoulder during a Texas Class 5A Division-I state quarterfinal playoff. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound athlete is expected to miss 6-10 weeks but is projected to return a couple of weeks before Plano West’s first scrimmage in August.
“It’s early in the process, but it’s going well,” Jamabo said of the rehab process. “I’m just trying to get the shoulder back to usual, if not better. Right now, I’m just doing basic stuff and keep everything as minimal as possible.”
Exactly what kind of football player will Plano West look to see back on the field? Jamabo’s first rush as a varsity player was against Flower Mound (Texas) Marcus on Aug. 31. It went for 12 yards. His second rush: A 75-yard touchdown run.
Since then, Soso has been ... well ... anything but.
Only the shoulder injury managed to slow the electrifying 2015 running back down. He rushed for a team-leading 1,697 yards and 24 touchdowns and also caught 20 passes for 453 yards -- an average of almost 23 yards per catch -- and four touchdowns. On the basketball court, Jamabo averaged 13.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 11 games.
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Holding more than 40 offers, running back Joe Mixon (Oakley, Calif./Freedom) is arguably the most sought-after recruit in the West region. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound, four-star back is the top running back in the West and the No. 135 player in the country. His offer sheet has seemingly grown by the minute this spring, but he isn't in any hurry to narrow it down.
Despite tweeting out a list of 16 programs several weeks ago, Mixon said Sunday that he only did that to highlight the schools recruiting him the hardest, not anything to be taken as a group of finalists.
"I'm still talking to a lot of people," Mixon said. "The recruiting thing has been crazy the past couple of weeks. I've pretty much been taking it well. I talk to them before school, during lunch and after school. I'm not to the stressful part yet, but the hard part has been staying in contact with everybody."
Despite tweeting out a list of 16 programs several weeks ago, Mixon said Sunday that he only did that to highlight the schools recruiting him the hardest, not anything to be taken as a group of finalists.
"I'm still talking to a lot of people," Mixon said. "The recruiting thing has been crazy the past couple of weeks. I've pretty much been taking it well. I talk to them before school, during lunch and after school. I'm not to the stressful part yet, but the hard part has been staying in contact with everybody."
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Word didn’t get out until Monday, but Demetrius Knox isn’t afraid to admit he hasn’t been committed to Texas since Thursday.
That’s when the Fort Worth (Texas) All Saints offensive lineman said he told Longhorns coaches he wanted to reopen his recruitment. What happened that led to one of the biggest members of Texas’ No. 1-ranked class to back out?
That’s when the Fort Worth (Texas) All Saints offensive lineman said he told Longhorns coaches he wanted to reopen his recruitment. What happened that led to one of the biggest members of Texas’ No. 1-ranked class to back out?
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Texas’s No. 1 ranked recruiting class suffered a blow on Monday when Demetrius Knox decided to decommit from the Longhorns.
The Fort Worth (Texas) All Saints offensive guard had been committed to Texas since November but took unofficial visits to Oklahoma and Ohio State this spring. All Saints teammate and Texas commit Daniel Gresham confirmed Knox’s decision.
The news of Knox’s decommitment is hardly a surprise considering how his recruitment has played out since that Nov. 26 pledge. Though Knox considered himself one of the leaders of the Longhorns’ 2014 class, the Columbus, Ohio, native had expressed interest in taking visits to out-of-state schools on multiple occasions this spring.
The biggest reason for Knox’s decision to pick Texas was the fact Gresham was also committed to the Longhorns. The two plan to play together in college, and at the time of his commitment last August, Texas was the only school to offer Gresham.
Knox, a 6-foot-4, 296-pound lineman, said in an interview a month ago that he was still solid with UT and had developed a great relationship with the coaching staff. Still, he knew the fan base was beginning to expect that he could back out of his pledge.
“Everybody feels threatened that they're going to have another big-name decommit,” Knox said at the time. “That's understandable. But if I was going to do it, I would've done it by now."
Before committing, Knox also considered Ohio State, TCU and Alabama. He's also shown some interest in visiting UCLA and other schools on the West and East Coast.
Despite Knox’s decision and the fact they’re a package deal, Gresham said he has not decommitted from Texas.
“With all due respect, I’m my own person,” he said. “Demetrius felt like it was the best choice for him.”
The Fort Worth (Texas) All Saints offensive guard had been committed to Texas since November but took unofficial visits to Oklahoma and Ohio State this spring. All Saints teammate and Texas commit Daniel Gresham confirmed Knox’s decision.
More from HornsNation
What happened that led to one of the biggest members of Texas' No. 1-ranked class to back out? Demetrius Knox explains his decision to HornsNation's Max Olson. Blog 
The biggest reason for Knox’s decision to pick Texas was the fact Gresham was also committed to the Longhorns. The two plan to play together in college, and at the time of his commitment last August, Texas was the only school to offer Gresham.
Knox, a 6-foot-4, 296-pound lineman, said in an interview a month ago that he was still solid with UT and had developed a great relationship with the coaching staff. Still, he knew the fan base was beginning to expect that he could back out of his pledge.
“Everybody feels threatened that they're going to have another big-name decommit,” Knox said at the time. “That's understandable. But if I was going to do it, I would've done it by now."
Before committing, Knox also considered Ohio State, TCU and Alabama. He's also shown some interest in visiting UCLA and other schools on the West and East Coast.
Despite Knox’s decision and the fact they’re a package deal, Gresham said he has not decommitted from Texas.
“With all due respect, I’m my own person,” he said. “Demetrius felt like it was the best choice for him.”
ESPN 150 DE Thomas pondering decision 
April, 22, 2013
Apr 22
10:30
AM ET
By
William Wilkerson | ESPN.com
ESPN 150 defensive end Solomon Thomas (Coppell, Texas/Coppell) is about as unassuming a high-profile recruit as one will come across.
He doesn’t get tangled up in the vastness of recruiting. He's not one to openly speak of his achievements. He’s also not one to rush a decision as important as his commitment to the college program of his choice.
Go ahead and ask him where he’s going or who he’s favoring and you’ll get an answer you’d swear was stuck on loop.
He doesn’t get tangled up in the vastness of recruiting. He's not one to openly speak of his achievements. He’s also not one to rush a decision as important as his commitment to the college program of his choice.
Go ahead and ask him where he’s going or who he’s favoring and you’ll get an answer you’d swear was stuck on loop.
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#BlueChipBattles: ESPN 150 release edition
April, 19, 2013
Apr 19
12:49
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By RecruitingNation | ESPN.com
Student Sports, ESPN, ESPNSpeedy Noil, Adoree Jackson and Da'Shawn Hand are three of the most coveted recruits in the Class of 2014.
: RecruitingNation summoned its writers from around the country to outline the recruiting battles for the ESPN 150's top 10 prospects.
Plus, rank the battles in SportsNation.
#TopFBMixtapes: Athlete mixtapes are all the rage in this highlight-crazed era of sports. We reached out to our Twitter followers to find out which 2014 football stars had the best highlight reels on YouTube, then had our staff rank and comment on the top submissions.
Tom Luginbill writes
: After talking to many coaches across the country and hearing their frustrations, here are their five biggest complaints about homemade highlight videos.
Want to know where Solomon Thomas (Coppell, Texas/Coppell) will end up? Good luck with that.
Truth is, the ESPN Watch List defensive end is wide open with his recruiting process -- and by “wide open,” that doesn’t mean, in this case, that he has a favorite but is keeping it under wraps.
Truth is, the ESPN Watch List defensive end is wide open with his recruiting process -- and by “wide open,” that doesn’t mean, in this case, that he has a favorite but is keeping it under wraps.
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ESPN 60 junior JaQuan Lyle (Evansville, Ind./Bosse) narrowed his college choices to six schools over the weekend. Lyle confirmed the news via his Twitter account on Saturday.
The 6-foot-4 point guard will decide among Illinois, Florida, Indiana, Louisville, Tennessee and Ohio State. Eliminated were Texas, NC State, Georgetown and Cincinnati.
Lyle's junior season came to an end on Saturday in an 82-65 loss to Greensburg in a regional semifinal. He scored 25 points and added 10 rebounds in the defeat.
The 6-foot-4 point guard will decide among Illinois, Florida, Indiana, Louisville, Tennessee and Ohio State. Eliminated were Texas, NC State, Georgetown and Cincinnati.
Lyle's junior season came to an end on Saturday in an 82-65 loss to Greensburg in a regional semifinal. He scored 25 points and added 10 rebounds in the defeat.
Ohio State offers Jamabo in two sports
March, 10, 2013
Mar 10
2:21
PM ET
By
Brad Bournival | ESPN.com
Thad Matta and Urban Meyer think alike. Now, the two Ohio State coaches are both going after one of the premier sophomores in the nation.
The proof comes in the form of 2015 shooting guard/running back Soso Jamabo (Plano, Texas/Plano West), who is anything but so-so on both the basketball court and football field.
The proof comes in the form of 2015 shooting guard/running back Soso Jamabo (Plano, Texas/Plano West), who is anything but so-so on both the basketball court and football field.
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It won’t be much of a break for Braden Smith (Olathe, Kan./Olathe) in a few weeks.
Then again, one of the most sought-after offensive guards in the nation wants to make sure he’s making the right choice when it comes to colleges.
Then again, one of the most sought-after offensive guards in the nation wants to make sure he’s making the right choice when it comes to colleges.
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ATHENS, Ga. -- ESPN Watch List wide receiver Demarre Kitt (Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek) recently cut his mammoth offer list down to a top-15 group of schools that he will consider.
“It got crazy at one point with almost everybody that offered me trying to talk to me,” Kitt said. “So I had to cut my list down to 15 schools. After spring practice I will cut it down to eight or 10. At the end of summer I will do five and then go from there.”
“It got crazy at one point with almost everybody that offered me trying to talk to me,” Kitt said. “So I had to cut my list down to 15 schools. After spring practice I will cut it down to eight or 10. At the end of summer I will do five and then go from there.”
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Texas has yet to pick up a verbal pledge from a member of the highly-touted class of in-state 2014 defensive backs. Following his junior day visit, though, it seemed John Bonney was a safe bet to be the first one to give the Longhorns a commitment.
More than a week has passed since Bonney received his UT offer during the program’s first junior day, and the Houston Lamar safety prospect still has a few things he wants to see before he’ll be ready to make a commitment.
Here’s the latest on where Bonney’s recruitment stands and which out-of-state powerhouse he’d like to check out in the near future.
More than a week has passed since Bonney received his UT offer during the program’s first junior day, and the Houston Lamar safety prospect still has a few things he wants to see before he’ll be ready to make a commitment.
Here’s the latest on where Bonney’s recruitment stands and which out-of-state powerhouse he’d like to check out in the near future.
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It doesn’t matter if you’re a sophomore or senior. When you put up 2,050 all-purpose yards in a season, someone is going to notice you.
That’s the case with 2015 running back Traveon Samuel (Phenix City, Ala./Central), who has exploded onto the scene as of late.
That’s the case with 2015 running back Traveon Samuel (Phenix City, Ala./Central), who has exploded onto the scene as of late.
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Taking a look at no-visit policies
February, 12, 2013
Feb 12
11:33
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By RecruitingNation | ESPN.com
Texas is joining the likes of Michigan, Oregon and Georgia Tech in instituting a no-visit policy for its commits. Is this hard-line stance a good idea for elite programs? RecruitingNation writer Mitch Sherman takes a look the trend.
Read the story here.
Read the story here.
2014 safety Bonney on Texas junior day
February, 10, 2013
Feb 10
8:15
PM ET
By
Sam Khan Jr. | ESPN.com
Houston Lamar safety John Bonney's trip to Texas for its first junior day of the year started out well.
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ABOUT BUCKEYE NATION
Austin Ward
Austin Ward joined ESPN.com in 2012 after five years as a college football writer at the Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune and the Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel. The award-winning journalist lives with his wife in Columbus, Ohio. Email him at ajward.espn@gmail.com.
Brad Bournival
Brad Bournival, a lifetime Northeast Ohio resident, joined ESPN in 2012 and is the recruiting writer for BuckeyeNation. He has covered sports at the professional, college and high school level for 16 years. Recently, Bournival was a freelance writer for The Plain Dealer, The Medina Gazette and SportsInk.com. Email him at bradbournival.espn@gmail.com.