Football

The Dotted Line: Five of the state’s top Fabulous 55 prospects remain uncommitted

Posted November 12th, 2019

Mike Craven Hookem.com staff

mcraven@hookem.com

The introduction of the early signing period sped up the recruiting process. Fewer recruits enter their senior seasons uncommitted. Only 11 members of the 2020 Fabulous 55 remain so entering the first week of the high school playoffs. Let’s take a closer look at where the five highest-ranked prospects on the list stand in their recruitment with five weeks until the early signing period:

 

Zachary Evans, running back, Galena Park North Shore

Fab 55 ranking: 1st

Teams in contention: LSU, Georgia, Texas A&M, Alabama 

The latest: The nation’s top-ranked running back prospect appears destined for the SEC. Evans took an official visit to LSU on Oct. 26. He’s also visited Alabama and Georgia during the season. I’d imagine he  waits until the early signing period and makes his commitment live on television with the safe bet being LSU.  Some consider him the top overall prospect in the entire 2020 class. He led North Shore to a Class 6A Division I state championship as a junior. 

Alfred Collins, defensive end, Bastrop Cedar Creek

Fab 55 ranking: 15th

Teams in contention: Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma 

The latest: Most recruiting experts believe it’s a matter of if, not when, Collins will pledge to the Longhorns. The local talent plays 20 miles from campus and his mom, Benita Pollard, played basketball at Texas. Collins is a big-bodied lineman built to play in the three-man front preferred by UT defensive coordinator Todd Orlando. Collins has hinted at announcing in January at the All-American Game in San Antonio. 

Princely Umanmielen, defensive end, Manor

Fab 55 ranking: 22nd

Teams in contention: Auburn, Florida, USC

The latest: The big-bodied lineman de-committed from the Longhorns in October and appears likely to leave the state. Florida, Auburn and USC offered him as his recruitment opened up. He’s planning an official visit to Florida on Nov. 29. He’s likely to take visits to Auburn and USC as well. The Trojans offered him on Oct. 30. Umanmielen wants to remain an end in a four-man front rather than grow into an interior defensive lineman. 

EJ Smith, running back, Dallas Jesuit

Fab 55 ranking: 23rd

Teams in contention: Stanford, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Florida, Georgia

The latest: Smith played only six games before suffering a season-ending hand injury. He’s one of the most dynamic and well-rounded running backs in the state, and is gaining recruiting traction and attention from major programs across the country. Stanford was the favorite in the summer, but renewed interest from Ohio State, Texas A&M and Florida means he’s in for a tough decision in December. He’s the son of NFL legend Emmitt Smith. 

Malik Hornsby, quarterback, Fort Bend Marshall

Fab 55 ranking: 25th

The latest: Hornsby led Fort Bend Marshall to a state championship appearance as a junior. He’s a winner with an insane amount of athleticism. He was once committed to North Carolina, but he backed off over the summer. He has taken official visits to Purdue and Maryland this season. The dual-threat quarterback keeps a low profile and does a great job of not tipping his hand on the recruiting circuit. He was talented enough to pick up offers from Texas and Texas A&M, though both of those teams found other in-state options at quarterback for the 2020 cycle.