Throughout the 2013 recruiting season (remember we're recruiting for the February 2013 signing period now in football), prospects will float in and out of the Baylor consciousness. So far I have written almost exclusively about our commitments as they happen and not really touched players that Baylor is targeting except when they commit somewhere else or I mention them in passing. Going forward, however, I will try to keep you apprised as best I can of the names you might want to know that are Baylor targets. If possible, based on what I have read or been told, I'll give you Baylor's chances (as of that writing) with a particular player, but you should probably assume that if I am taking the time to write about someone that I think we've got at least a decent shot. I'm not going to write here about Tyrone Swoopes (UT's 5* QB commit), for example, because he's probably not changing his mind and if he did, Baylor probably wouldn't have much of a shot.
The way I think I'm going to do this going forward is to provide the vital statistics about the player including height, weight, and anything else I can find along with links to the various profiles. I'll list any other pertinent information in a "Notes" section at the bottom and then put highlight videos below the jump. I'm not a scout and I don't play one on TV, but I'll share what I know that isn't privileged or paid for. I'm not here to screw over our hard-working subscription sites by giving away their stuff. If there is an article posted somewhere about a player, I'll make sure to link that, too.*
If there is something else you want to see just let me know.
Tonight's spotlight goes to Robbie Rhodes of Southwest HS in Fort Worth, Texas:
Position: WR
Height: 6-1
Weight: 186
40 time: 4.5
Vertical: 36"
Links/Ranks: Rivals (3*, 5.6), Scout (3*), 247Sports (4*, 92), MaxPreps
Major Offers: Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech, Missouri
Notes: Rhodes got quite a bit of attention this past fall for tying a national record with 8 TD receptions in a single game against Arlington Heights. I didn't include that video in the highlights since it is just one game. He is also currently competing in track and won Class 4A Region 1 in the 200 yesterday with a 21.14 and as part of the 4x100 and 4x200 relay teams. He will run in all three events at the state meet.
As you can tell from his profile there, 247Sports likes Mr. Rhodes a bit more than the other sites; they have him as a top-200 player in the country and 16th at his position. For reference, Scout has him as the #47 receiver just ahead of Baylor commit Quan Jones and behind Baylor targets Eldridge Massington and Marcel Ateman. 247 also reported today (and this is available on his profile) that Baylor currently leads for the talented WR from Fort Worth. With Jones already in the fold, Baylor's dream WR class in 2013 probably includes Ateman (Jones' teammate at Wylie), Rhodes, and perhaps one other. If Massington, whose recruiting is absolutely exploding right now, were to want to commit, too, I doubt we'd turn him away. UT is apparently reviewing Rhodes before deciding whether they will offer, and they may be a team to watch in case they do. A Baylor commitment is not likely in the near future, though he is supposedly going to visit again unofficially sometime soon.
Highlights below the jump...
Robbie Rhodes (junior offensive highlights) (via 247SportsStudio)