2020 SI All-American Watch List Features 12 Best Southwest Seniors
There’s so much unknown about the fall in Texas, including what Friday Night Lights will look like when the football season resumes. Yet one thing is certain, Texas, specifically the Best Southwest has a lot of talent in their line-up. Sports Illustrated has featured 12 standout seniors highlighting their strengths and the colleges they’ve committed to.
- Charles Esters – 6-3 / 225 / DE from Cedar Hill, Texas
- Kaidon Salter – 6-1 / 185 / QB from Cedar Hill, Texas
- Shedeur Sanders – 6-2 / 198 / QB from Cedar Hill, Texas
- Byron Murphy II – 6-1 / 290 / DT from DeSoto, Texas
- Jaedon Wilson – 6-3 / 172 / WR from DeSoto, Texas
- Jerand Bradley – 6-5 / 200 / WR from DeSoto, Texas
- Shemar Turner – 6-3.5 / 260 / DE from DeSoto, Texas
- Jadarius Thursby – 5-10 / 186 / S from Duncanville, Texas
- Kendrick Blackshire – 6-2 / 245 / ILB from Duncanville, Texas
- Roderick Daniels Jr. – 5-9 / 160 / WR from Duncanville, Texas
- Savion Byrd – 6-5 / 265 / OT from Duncanville, Texas
- Joseph Amos – 6-5 / 325 / OT from Lancaster, Texas
No Shortage of Talent In Texas
A total of 130 high school football players from the state of Texas are on the watch list for the Sports Illustrated All-American team for 2020.
The 130 athletes from Texas represent the second-most from a single state, behind Florida (142). The top 10 rounds out with Georgia (84), California (79), North Carolina (55), Alabama (44), Ohio (37), Virginia (31), Michigan (30) and Maryland (28).
“The quarterback talent coming out of Texas in this recruiting cycle is head turning,” said SI director of recruiting John Garcia Jr. “California is often thought of as the quarterback state but Texas is Quarterback Central for the 2021 recruiting cycle.
“We have 17 QBs from the state on our SI All-American watch list. Their verbal commitments so far speak to the excellence, with Garrett Nussmeir going to LSU, Dematrius Davis to Auburn, Jalen Milroe to Texas, Eli Stowers to Texas A&M, and it just keeps going.”
Click here for the complete list from Texas: https://www.si.com/
Other Area Highlights Include:
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- Deamikkio Nathan – 6-0 / 185 / WR from Grand Prairie, Texas
- Kelan Robinson – 6-2 / 183 / WR from Grand Prairie, Texas
- David Abiara – 6-4 / 248 / DE from Mansfield, Texas
- Darius Jackson – 6-1 / 175 / CB from Red Oak, Texas
- Jackson Bailey – 6-1 / 220 / OLB from Red Oak, Texas
- Raymond Gay – 5-10 / 175 / WR from Red Oak, Texas
Moving Forward In 2020
Salter plans to graduate after the fall semester at DeSoto and be in Tennessee by January. Coach Pruitt and staff have a solid recruiting class with Tennessee ranking No. 4-ranked for 2021. Based on SI’s evaluation with a little work off the field and adding some weight, Salter could be competitive as early as his freshman year.
DeSoto sees Byron Murphy II as a key player to this seasons defensive lineup. Coach Mathis told Rick Mauch earlier this year, “He helps control the line of scrimmage and demands a double team,” Mathis said. “He will be even better next year, and having him back is huge. It keeps our defense solid and we can add different schemes next year because of his interior play.”
