Five different Dallas area prospects to watch

The Dallas-Fort Worth area is loaded with high school football talent. The NFL Draft proves that statement each and every year. DFW products such as Levi Onwuzurike (Allen), Nick Bolton (Frisco Lone Star), and Baron Browning (Kennedale) were all selected relatively high last weekend. South Grand Prairie’s Jeff Okudah was a first-round selection last year. With that in mind, we look forward to the current crops of 2022 prospects in the Metroplex. Stars are everywhere to be found, and talent is easy to come by. We have highlighted a trio of prospects to keep an eye on for the upcoming season. <h3><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60825" first="CJ" last="Nelson"], RICHLAND</strong></h3> You want electric? [player_tooltip player_id="60825" first="CJ" last="Nelson"] is electric. The Richland High School star is currently committed to play his collegiate ball at TCU, and it is easy to see why Gary Patterson’s staff made Nelson a priority. Nelson is a two-sport star that shines on the football field and makes plays on the basketball court. Used in the slot, Nelson is a quarterback’s best friend. He possesses quick feet and smooth route running that allows him to easily create separation from defensive backs. https://twitter.com/kingmathias81/status/1309678848326406145?s=21 Once the ball touches his hands, it’s over. Nelson hauled in 54 catches for 807 yards, and eight touchdowns as a <em>sophomore </em>in 2019. He added onto the stat total by grabbing 48 passes for 1,079 yards and 14 scores as a junior last season. The easiest way to put it is that Nelson is a big play waiting to happen. Nelson is a power 5 commit, but he is a little underrated relative to the rest of his class. Expect Nelson to finish his career at Richland with a bang in 2021 before putting together a productive career with the Horned Frogs. &nbsp; <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11461080/5fd38638066bbd0a48a4b2db" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <h3><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60715" first="Jordan" last="Crook"], DUNCANVILLE</strong></h3> &nbsp; Similar to Nelson, [player_tooltip player_id="60715" first="Jordan" last="Crook"] is committed to play at a Power 5 program in 2022. Also similar to Nelson, Crook is underrated compared to what the general perception of him is. Crook began his career at Bishop Dunne before transferring over to DFW power Duncanville. Crook fit in perfectly in Duncanville’s program. The 6-foot, 225-pound linebacker is consistently found flying all over the football field. Committed to Oklahoma State. Crook is a plus in run support and is a factor rushing the passer. https://twitter.com/marshallgreen_/status/1348044271518175234?s=21 No matter where the ball is, you can bet that [player_tooltip player_id="60715" first="Jordan" last="Crook"] is near it. Crook will be a big part of a Duncanville team looking to make it back to State after falling to Southlake Carroll in the 6A-D1 semifinals in January. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11690979/5dd1876f19a5310c6859eb44" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> &nbsp; <h3><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60797" first="Tyler" last="Bailey"], PROSPER</strong></h3> [player_tooltip player_id="60797" first="Tyler" last="Bailey"] does not have the same amount of hype or recognition that the other two players mentioned in this article do. Bailey is not currently committed to a P5 program, and he is not considered a top-100 player in the state at this moment in time. That said, the Prosper High School athlete has the potential to turn some heads this fall. Bailey is a 6-foot, 170-pound wide receiver that has spent time at both sides of the ball during his high school career. Bailey began his career at Prosper before briefly transferring to John Paul II and eventually transferring back to his original school. He was a big factor in why Prosper nearly knocked off powerhouse Allen last season and shows flashes as a star on both sides of the ball. Bailey really showed signs of growth as a wideout last year, and he was often the go-to guy for the Eagles. https://twitter.com/devinhasson/status/1198072506994876416?s=21 Expect Bailey to make another jump this upcoming season. The two-way star currently holds offers from programs such as Central Michigan, Illinois State, and Kansas right now. Don’t be surprised if some instate schools come calling for the Prosper High star sooner rather than later. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/6787843/5f9f23903452a20fc002b144" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> <h2 class="name"><strong>QUALON FARRAR, SKYLINE</strong></h2> If you are looking for an electric, two-sport athlete in the state of Texas, look no further than Skyline running back Qualon Farrar. The recent North Texas commit is a highlight play waiting to happen with 11.25 100-meter speed. Farrar is an elusive back that displays some impressive shiftiness. He is able to make defenders miss, consistently leaving would-be tacklers in the dust. The Skyline playmaker was named the district’s sophomore of the year in 2019 and produced a productive season in 2020 as well. https://twitter.com/dctf/status/1383420608214491141?s=21 The knock on Farrar is that he is undersized for the running back position -- standing at just 5-foot-7 and weighing a reported 180 pounds. That said, there is no denying his talent. He is a threat to find the end zone each time he touches the football. Farrar recently committed to play college football at near by North Texas for the Mean Green. <h3><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="60778" first="Jack" last="Curtis"], HIGHLAND PARK</strong></h3> Back to the defensive side of the ball, Highland Park defensive end [player_tooltip player_id="60778" first="Jack" last="Curtis"] is a rising senior to watch in the Dallas area for the upcoming season. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound defender jumped onto college radars last year while turning in a solid season for the Scots. The two-sport athlete really came onto his own down the stretch of his junior season. Offensive lines struggled to contain Curtis, and he caused a lot of havoc in backfields. He possesses a quick first step and has the ability to get by offensive tackles in a hurry. https://twitter.com/benjamingolan/status/1378500646001840130?s=21 Programs such as Arizona, Army, and local UNT took notice of the rising Highland Park defensive end. Curtis offers upside as a pass rusher and is more than capable stopping the run from his weakside end position. Expect [player_tooltip player_id="60778" first="Jack" last="Curtis"] to be on even more radars soon. <iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11516830/5deeec47066c1d0d7c744cc7" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>