Schools 
By Angel Verdejo and Alex Byington
Killeen Daily Herald
Belton football coach Rodney Southern remembers a time when talented high school seniors turned their attention to their recruitment after the football season.
These top recruits were finalizing official visits, hoping to narrow their college choices to two or three just a few months before National Signing Day in February.
Now, players like highly-touted Belton quarterback David Ash might have their minds made up even before the completion of their junior years.
“Recruiting has changed a lot,” Southern said. “... Because now you’re a kid who hasn’t finished his junior year of high school and you possibly have to make a decision that’s going to affect the next six years of your life.”
That’s the situation many talented juniors are finding themselves in with today’s college recruiting.
Ash is not alone, joining Ellison’s Devon Hocutt and David Cobb, Killeen’s Michael Cummings and Copperas Cove’s Brandon Durant, as juniors who have already made their mark on class rankings and have internet message boards buzzing.
Regardless whether they commit early, they can’t sign on the dotted line for another 12 months.
Ash, who was featured as one of five juniors to watch in Dave Campbell’s Texas Football winter edition, is scheduled to attend the University of Texas Junior Day on Feb. 13.
“The thing with David is he’s going to have plenty of opportunities,” Southern said. “Years ago it used be, ‘Well go to two, three or four visits and see which one you like.’ Well now, you almost have to do that on your own because the top-flight players don’t have that luxury unless they want to drag the process out.
“David is a kid who I don’t think will drag the process out.”
Hocutt and Cobb both attended the U.S. Army National Combine in early January, held the day before the Army All-American bowl game in San Antonio. The invitation-only combine featured around 500 of the nation’s top junior prospects. Hocutt was also invited to the Under Armour Combine.
Although their potential status has made them hot commodities, Ellison coach Buddy McBryde acknowledged whether these juniors earn a coveted scholarship offer depends largely on their performances in high school.
“It puts pressure on them, but they have to realize they aren’t in college yet,” McBryde said.
Ash was the highest-ranked local player on an Orangebloods.com Top-100 list of juniors. Updated last week, Ash is 30th, with Durant and Hocutt — both linebackers — ranked 49th and 79th overall, respectively.
While Cummings, who is 17-8 as Killeen’s two-year starting quarterback, hasn’t garnered the attention of Ash and Hocutt, he did make a name for himself last summer.
Competing at the Rivals.com National Ultimate 100 Top Prospect camp in July, Cummings was ranked second among sophomore quarterbacks.
