Texas Hogs and Dawgs To Watch Vol 1

Logan Tuley-Tillman

August 28, 2022 @ 02:36 PM

The game has undoubtedly always been won or lost up front by the offensive and defensive linemen in the trenches.   I define superlative defensive linemen as a "Dawg", and stellar offensive linemen as a "Hog" respectfully.   The quarterbacks, receivers, and running backs will normally always be first the ones to get most of the recognition in the press but the truth is that the “Hogs and Dawgs” are one of the most important factors to any team's playoff hopes. The prospects listed below bring elite size, skill, and guys to keep an eye on.     DAWGS TO WATCH   <ol><li>[player_tooltip player_id='60868' first='David' last='Hicks'] - Paetow High school - Class of 2023 </li></ol>   David is a 6'4 270 pound dawg off the edge and one of the country's most skilled defensive players. He has a superb get-off, above-average hand usage, and a plethora of speed and power pass rush moves to keep blockers on their heels. In his first game of the 2022 season, he put up 3 sacks and even caught a touchdown on offense to help push his squad to victory.   2. [player_tooltip player_id='270019' first='Colin' last='Simmons'] - Duncanville High school- Class of 2024    Colin is a highly decorated and explosive five-star athlete out of Duncanville High School that has the ability to take over games. He has a lethal first step, and a nasty speed to power bull rush coupled with good play recognition. He looked like a man among boys and frankly unblockable at times over the summer and he will be a huge key to Duncanville's team's success this fall. They will rely heavily on him to lead and bring his A game in week 1 as they face off on national TV against the defending 5A state champions South Oak Cliff High school.   3. [player_tooltip player_id='146597' first='Zina' last='Umeozulu'] - Allen High school - Class of 2024    Zina is a flat-out dawg with great football IQ, awesome size, good tools, and the intangibles to be a great player at the next level. He is an explosive defender with a great get-off and has shown the ability to bend the edge at high speeds and put pressure on the quarterback. Many of his QB hurries go unnoticed but he consistently applies pressure and makes it hard for opposing QBs to get comfortable. His squad took an early week one loss to St John Bosco in the Tom Landry classic but he still had a valiant showing and applied pressure all night.   HOGS TO WATCH   <ol><li> [player_tooltip player_id='276094' first='Samiuela' last='Liu'] - Parish Episcopal - Class of 2024 </li></ol>   Sam is a 6'3, 300-pound standout offensive linemen that had a huge summer and solidified himself as a top recruit in the state in his class. He has started this fall off fast and strong by helping his squad gain a week one upset victory over Aledo High school by a score of 24 to 17. He had a stellar performance, racked up some pancakes, and displayed great body control while being violent with his hands. He has a multitude of division one offers already on the table and I expect them to keep rolling in as he keeps playing at a high level.     2. Benjamin Taylor-Whitfield - Duncanville High school- Class of 2023   Benjamin is a 6'5 280 pound elite offensive tackle out of Duncanville High school. He has the prototypical offensive tackles build with long arms, quick feet, a lean frame, good hands and is well coached.   He had a massive summer on the camp circuit and has seen his recruiting blow-up.   He picked up scholarship offers from the likes of TCU, the University of Houston, Mizzou, and Arkansas State before pledging his commitment to stay home in the DFW and play for TCU. He will be a major factor in the outcome of their nationally televised game on ESPN2 vs South Oak Cliff High school.