Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M claimed the first prospect in the class of 2023 out of Texas to commit to a Texas school last Thursday as Wylie East (Wylie, TX) defensive end Anthony James pledged his collegiate future to the Aggies.
By Steve Wright
While most of the news filtering through at this point is about class of 2022 prospects this is just another reminder that great programs are built when gaining commitments from recruits early and not finding themselves scrambling at the recruiting deadline to fill out their upcoming class.
The 6-foot-5, 245-pounder is a 4-star prospect that was offered his scholarship by the Aggies almost a full year ago. Texas A&M – along with SEC rivals Georgia – was the first school to offer James and the relationship that has been built up with coaches Terry Price and Elijah Robinson was the determining factor in James knowing so early on where he wants to go to college after his high school graduation.
The scouts love James because he has an ideal frame for a college defensive end with a ton of length and the ability to add weight and muscle. James has also run a verified 4.69 40-yard dash and his physical traits and raw power/speed are what flash most in this video.
It is easy to see how quick he is in the very first clip as he simply blows past an offensive lineman and destroys the quarterback. James hits hard and he tackles with consistency, whether the play is a run or a pass. He has outstanding lateral movement for his age and frame and that gives him the ability to use his footwork to beat an offensive lineman while his long arms and strong hands allow him to swim through blocking schemes with ease. James loves to take an outside angle to attack the quarterback and that is also an ideal way for him to stop jet sweeps and other outside running plays in this video as his first step is often so fast he is waiting for the running back and in his tackling motion before the back even gets the ball. If James continues to develop as expected then he will be a steal for the Aggies.
Be the first to comment