Texas gets excellent recruiting news as Longhorns hope to beat out SEC rivals for special four star edge rusher recruit
One of the top defensive end prospects in the country is down to his Top 3 schools
IMG Academy (Florida) EDGE prospect Jake Kreul announced Tuesday he has narrowed the scope of his recruitment. The four-star from Orlando will decide between Texas, Oklahoma and Ole Miss after wrapping up a summer tour of official visits.
The 6-foot-3, 230 pound recruit visited Ole Miss June 9, Texas June 13 and Oklahoma June 20. Those three finalists will now duke it out for the No.4 EDGE prospect in the 247Sports Composite Rankings.
Kreul participated in both the Under Armour All-America Game and the Polynesian Bowl, then earned MVP honors at the Under Armour Next Camp in Miami earlier this year. As a junior on a loaded IMG Academy roster, Kreul finished the year with 39 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hurries and six sacks in just nine games.
247Sports' director of Scouting, Andrew Ivins, has seen Jake Kreul plenty. And he likes what he's seen.
Polished pass rusher that can win early or late with his technique and hustle. Might not blow you away off the hoof with his build, but game tape paints a different picture as he dips, rips and swipes his way through and around obstacles. Has proven to be an extremely efficient mover that can plant and redirect with little waisted motion. Owns a near complete menu of moves and is quick to cycle them as he likes to keep opponents guessing. Not one that has been asked to really anchor or hold up traffic, but tends to make plenty of effort-based stops in pursuit as he charges down the cleat line and gets ball carriers on the ground. Overall, should be viewed as an extremely advanced edge defender for his age. Easy to wonder how much more can be squeezed out of the player after he spent the past few years honing his craft at the NFL factory that is IMG Academy, but testing profile (1.65 split in the 10-yard dash, 4.18 in the short shuttle) and competitive drive signal that he’s got what it takes to make an impact at the Power Four level and then eventually become a pro. Likely to stick on the corner, but could always move closer to the ball depending on scheme and maturation. – Andrew Ivins, 247Sports
Texas assistant LaAllan Clark is in his first year on staff in Austin. Horns247's Hank South spoke with Kreul about his interest in the Longhorns and relationship with Clark.
"I was actually pretty close with him when he was at Ohio State, so it's been nice to get in touch since he got to Texas," Kreul said. "Coach Clark was a big fan of me there, and him going to Texas felt like them doubling down on how much they want me,"
Earlier this summer, I spoke with a Power 4 assistant who has seen plenty of Kreul's film from IMG Academy and at elite camps. This particular assistant calls him "the best pure pass rusher in America…highly skilled player" and "the most polished pass rusher I've seen since Nick Bosa".
