Tag: Caden Durham

‘Star power guys’: Texas A&M baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle reflects on series win vs. Auburn

“Those guys at the top, the star power guys are going to do their thing most days. The key is can we get on base enough towards the bottom?”

Following a 12-8 win against Auburn to clinch a second SEC series victory in a row, Texas A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle spoke to the media on Friday night.

The No. 4 Aggies (24-3, 5-3 SEC) were led to the win at Blue Bell Park against the Tigers by junior right-handed pitcher Tanner Jones (2-1).

“That was as good as he’s pitched. The last game was pretty good, he had a cutter going a little bit, all three pitches for the most part and that’s the deepest he’s pitched,” Schlossnagle said. “Remember that he missed most of the preseason so he is still kind of behind everyone else in terms of appearances and innings pitched. He did well against a good lineup and on a tough night to pitch.”

The outfielder dynamic duo of junior Braden Montgomery and freshman Caden Sorrell led the way with 3 runs batted in, respectively.

“Those guys at the top, the star power guys, those guys are going to do their thing most days. The key is, can we get on base enough towards the bottom? Ali (Camarillo) had a great night. (Hayden) Schott has shown signs of coming back,” Schlossnagle recalled. “Sorrell has been staying on baseballs the other way. That’s a big sign for a good young player like that. I thought Targac’s first at-bat was tough when he smoked a ball to center field but the game rewarded him finally down the left field line, so I’m happy for Ryan.”

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LSU’s Frank Wilson ranked as a top five recruiter in 2024 cycle

LSU’s Frank Wilson was one of the top recruiters in the country this cycle.

When [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] was hired at LSU, one of the first things he did was bring back running backs coach [autotag]Frank Wilson[/autotag].

Wilson was at LSU from 2010-15. During that time, he was one of the top running backs coaches and recruiters in the country.

Wilson is doing more of the same in his second tenure, ranking as the fourth-best recruiter in the country, according to 247Sports.

Some of LSU’s top recruits can be attributed to Wilson, including five-star defensive tackle [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] and four-star running back [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag].

Wilson is credited as the primary recruiter on nine of LSU’s commits, with five of them ranking as blue-chips.

Quarterbacks coach [autotag]Joe Sloan[/autotag] is also looking to finish off a strong cycle, currently ranking as the 10th best recruiter in the country.

Looking ahead to the 2025 class, Wilson is off to another hot start and currently ranks as the top recruiter in the country next cycle.

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Five-star LSU target Terry Bussey shines at Polynesian Bowl

The Tigers have been actively trying to flip five-star athlete Terry Bussey from Texas A&M, and they’ll host him for a visit on Jan. 31.

LSU is largely turning its attention to the 2025 class — which currently ranks No. 1 and has the potential to be one of the best in program history — with a recent spate of offers.

But the Tigers aren’t entirely closing the book on the 2024 recruiting class. Particularly, there’s one unsigned target they are hotly pursuing: five-star Texas A&M athlete commit [autotag]Terry Bussey[/autotag].

The Tigers have already flipped a couple of players from the Aggies in the wake of their coaching change, headlined by five-star defensive lineman [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] on New Year’s Eve.

The Tigers are also putting the pressure on Bussey, who participated in the Polynesian Bowl in Honolulu on Friday. Bussey was named one of the standouts from the game by On3’s Charles Power.

Terry Bussey worked on both sides of the ball on Friday night and made big plays as a wide receiver and corner. The Timpson (Texas) High standout simply moved at a different speed than any other player on the field. Bussey saw a handful of targets as a slot receiver and flashed an electric burst with the ball in his hands, easily generating yards after the catch and making defenders miss in space. He flipped over to cornerback midway through the first half and had one of the game’s biggest plays, picking off Ty McCutcheon and ripping off a long, weaving return down to the five-yard line.

Bussey, who was a historically prolific star player as a quarterback and safety at the high school level, has genuine positional ambiguity, with notable upside on both sides of the ball. With that said, his athleticism and ball skills look to stack up very well as a defensive back, in our opinion. Bussey is one of the top unsigned prospects nationally. He’s been committed to Texas A&M since September but his recruitment remains active leading up to the February signing period. The Lone Star State standout is set to visit Georgia, LSU and Texas A&M over the coming weekends.

LSU isn’t the only team trying to sway Bussey, but it has been present in his recruitment for a while now and will hope that visit, which is scheduled for Jan. 31, is enough to pull him away from Texas A&M.

Bussey wasn’t the only player on LSU’s radar who played in the game. Four-star running back signee [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] also caught Power’s attention.

LSU running back signee Caden Durham had a strong drive in the second half, showing his elite speed in getting to the edge. Durham’s combination of straight line speed and his low center of gravity make him a mismatch when given a runway to operate.

Bussey will sign in February. While Durham has already signed his national letter of intent with the Tigers, he will not be early enrolling and will instead join the team in May.

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LSU RB Noah Cain declares for 2024 NFL draft

Another one of LSU’s running backs is moving on as Noah Cain is off to the NFL.

Another one of LSU’s running backs has decided to seek greener pastures. [autotag]Noah Cain[/autotag] has decided to enter his name into the NFL draft.

The senior running back from Baton Rouge appeared in 27 games during his LSU career and had 113 carries for 590 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Cain spent the first three years of his career at Happy Valley, where he was the star running back for the Penn State Nittany Lions. With the loss of Cain, LSU has now lost four players — Cain, [autotag]Logan Diggs[/autotag], [autotag]Armoni Goodwin[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre Bradford[/autotag] — from last year’s running back room. The Tigers will look to a lot of young running backs to build the future.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] will lean on [autotag]Kaleb Jackson[/autotag], [autotag]Trey Holly[/autotag] and [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag], as well as potentiall Josh Williams, who is yet to make an NFL decision, to tote the load for the Tigers in a tough SEC schedule.

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LSU running back Logan Diggs enters the transfer portal

Logan Diggs led all LSU running backs with 653 yards and seven touchdowns in 2023.

LSU’s running back depth will take a hit in 2024 as [autotag]Logan Diggs[/autotag] has entered the transfer portal, according to multiple reports.

News broke of Diggs’ decision on Friday, but with the deadline to enter passing on Tuesday, that choice would have been officially made earlier this week at the latest.

A transfer addition this offseason from Notre Dame, Diggs provided a major boost to a running game that struggled outside of [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] in 2022. While Daniels led the team in rushing once again with more than 1,100 yards, Diggs led all running backs in 2023 with 653 yards and seven touchdowns on 119 carries while appearing in 10 games.

Diggs will have one more year of eligibility at his final stop.

It’s a significant loss for the running back room, which is likely set to return at least one veteran still in [autotag]Josh Williams[/autotag]. True freshmen [autotag]Trey Holly[/autotag], who redshirted, and [autotag]Kaleb Jackson[/autotag] should see an expanded role, and 2024 signee [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] will likely also have an impact.

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LSU commit earns MVP in his state championship game

Caden Durham could come in and make an immediate impact on the bayou next fall.

One of LSU’s top commits for the 2024 class ended his high school football career on a high note.

[autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] is a 5-foot-9, 195-pound, four-star running back from Duncanville, Texas, where he plays for Duncanville High School. The Duncanville Panthers played against North Shore in the 6A state championship game tonight in Dallas. Durham is the starting running back for the Panthers and he had a first half for the ages.

Durham rushed for over 200 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone to help give the Panthers a 35-17 lead at halftime. Duncanville would then go on to win the state championship game 49-33.

[autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] has tried to make a pipeline of sorts to Duncanville High School as Durham is committed to the Tigers for 2024 and the Tiger’s top prospect in 2025 is [autotag]Dakorien Moore[/autotag], a five-star wide receiver from Duncanville.

Durham could come in and make an immediate impact on the bayou next fall.

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LSU commits Caden Durham, Dakorien Moore shine despite Duncanville (Tex.) loss

The pair of blue-chips put on a show despite their team suffering its first loss of the season.

LSU has two commits that play for the Duncanville (Tex.) High School football team: four-star 2024 running back [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] and five-star 2025 receiver [autotag]Dakorien Moore[/autotag].

Both committed to LSU prior to the 2023 season, and they’re putting together impressive campaigns. Both shined on Friday night despite Duncanville suffering its first loss of the year to DeSoto.

Durham finished the game with 15 carries for 135 yards and two touchdowns despite the team having to move away from the run while trailing. That opened the door for Moore to make some plays, and he caught seven passes for 104 yards and two touchdowns, per [autotag]On3’s Billy Embody[/autotag].

The pair are two of the top prospects in the state of Texas right now, and it’s only a matter of time before they’re making plays like these in the purple and gold.

 

 

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‘Why not choose Oklahoma?’: Versatile three-star athlete Andy Bass commits to the Sooners

“Why not choose Oklahoma? The fanbase, family, facilities, coaches, team, talent… the list never ends.”

Heritage Hall three-star athlete Andy Bass commits to the Oklahoma Sooners.

The Oklahoma Sooners went fishing this offseason and hooked an excellent find. After announcing his top three, three-star athlete Andy Bass committed to Oklahoma on Thursday morning during a ceremony, which saw Oklahoma beating Kansas State and Syracuse.

Bass is a local kid who attends Heritage Hall, a school less than an hour from Norman, Oklahoma. “Why not choose Oklahoma? The fanbase, family, facilities, coaches, team, talent… the list never ends,” Bass told Sooners Wire on his commitment.

Bass is the starting quarterback for his high school team. However, Sooners’ offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby and running backs coach DeMarco Murray plan to use him in multiple ways at Oklahoma.

“I would be in the running back room with Coach Murray,” Bass said. “But I would also be split out wide quite a bit to get me in space or in one-on-one situations. Coach Lebby even mentioned that I would be playing some QB inside the goaline. The diversity of my role on the team is something I am super excited about.”

It seems that plan for Bass worked.

Bass helps diversify the Sooners’ cabinet for offensive weapons for the future. Imagining the possibilities of being on the same field at the same time as Jackson Arnold could unlock some fascinating offensive packages as the Sooners forge on into the SEC next year.

Bass joins a versatile group of playmakers for the 2024 recruiting cycle for Jeff Lebby to utilize.

“I love how much the ball is shared between every position in so many unique ways,” Bass said of his future offensive coordinator’s offense. “It’s such an explosive offense. So, I believe my unique skill set will allow me to thrive in every aspect“

As for the head coach, Andy Bass shared his excitement playing for Brent Venables.

“The very first day I was at OU for a visit, I was in Coach V’s office for over an hour discussing his vision and plan for the future. If that doesn’t already say enough, I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so passionate about what they do. I couldn’t be more excited to play for him. We keep in touch on the regular which you definitely don’t see from every coach.”

Oklahoma has probably tapped out at the running back position, with Bass, Taylor Tatum, and Xavier Robinson in the fold for 2024.

With running back settled for the cycle, DeMarco Murray can now turn his attention to the class of 2025, where names like Deondrae Riden, Michael Turner, Tory Blaylock, and Riley Wormley are names to watch.

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LSU’s 2025 class moves into top 5 with Dakorien Moore’s commitment

The Tigers’ are off to a very nice start in the 2025 cycle.

It’s still very early in the 2025 recruiting cycle, which won’t officially begin for a few more months. But LSU got a huge early boost for the class by landing five-star 2025 receiver [autotag]Dakorien Moore[/autotag] on Saturday.

The Duncanville, Texas, prospect joined his high school teammate in [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag], a 2024 running back who committed to the Tigers on Thursday.

With Moore on board, LSU has its highest-rated commitment in the 2025 class so far. Moore ranks as the No. 5 player in the country according to 247Sports’ rankings, and he sits at No. 11 in the site’s industry composite rankings.

After that addition, LSU’s class ranks fifth nationally per 247Sports and fourth according to On3.

Moore joins a class that also features a pair of legacies in four-star offensive lineman [autotag]Brett Bordelon[/autotag] and four-star tight end [autotag]JD LaFleur[/autotag], as well as three-star cornerback [autotag]Jaylen Bell[/autotag].

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LSU’s Colin Simmons loss offset by Dakorien Moore’s commitment

LSU lost out on Colin Simmons, but got the commitment of five-star receiver Dakorien Moore.

It was a busy week for LSU on the recruiting trail.

Last Friday came with a high and low. The Tigers gained a commitment from blue-chip running back [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag], but lost out on his Duncanville teammate [autotag]Colin Simmons[/autotag].

Before committing to Texas, Simmons was one of the top ranked recruits left on the board and would have solidified the top of LSU’s class. Now, LSU will hope for the commitment of [autotag]Dominick McKinley[/autotag] or it could be without a five-star for the first time since 2012.

The Simmons loss stung, especially because LSU led at points before Texas turned up the heat. But just a couple of days later, LSU got more good news. And again, it was out of Duncanville.

Five-star wide receiver [autotag]Dakorien Moore[/autotag] offered his pledge to LSU. A top 10 player nationally, he instantly became the top recruit in LSU’s 2025 class.

The timing was perfect for LSU. You’d like to have an elite recruit in every class, but at least LSU got a five-star to build around next cycle.

Despite the success in Season 1, [autotag]Brian Kelly[/autotag] is still laying the foundation at LSU. The top players in the 2024 class began their recruitments before Kelly arrived in Baton Rouge. LSU was always playing catch-up this year.

The LSU staff also lost one of its top recruiters when [autotag]Jamar Cain[/autotag] took an NFL job with the Denver Broncos. Those losses can be tough to offset in one offseason.

The 2024 class could lack the star power that previous classes had at the top. Even Kelly’s first two LSU hauls included [autotag]Harold Perkins[/autotag], [autotag]Will Campbell[/autotag], [autotag]Dashawn Womack[/autotag] and [autotag]Lance Heard[/autotag]. All were five stars on at least one major recruiting site.

LSU remains in contention for quarterback [autotag]Bryce Underwood[/autotag] too, a game-changing QB who On3 ranks as the top overall player in the 2025 class.

Kelly has LSU in a good spot and the momentum LSU’s building in 2025 should squash concerns about 2024.

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