Recruiting on the High Plains :: DL James Castleman

Good job on you guys and gals for finding information on these two recent commits, DL James Castleman and LB Blake Dees.  We'll get to Castleman this morning and Dees later in the week.

The Measurables: 

James Castleman
Position: DL
DTN Profile
Video: Clip 1 : Clip 2
Rivals Profile N/A
Scout Profile
ESPN Profile 77
Ht: 6'4"
Wt: 255 lbs
Forty: 4.80
High School: Amarillo (Amarillo, TX)

Links to video you've already found and one video that you haven't.  Article links and a bit more on Castleman after the jump.

The Player Speaks:  Castleman spoke with the Amarillo Globe-News' Lee Passmore says that choosing Texas Tech was about working together and it's close to home:

"It's a great school, and they all work together to be good," Castleman said of Tech. "It's a lot closer to home, and I'm a big mama's boy, so it felt right for me."

Passmore also writes that Castleman is a multi-sport player-man:

In basketball, Castleman was a first-team all-district selection and a first-team Globe-News Super Team choice. He also won the 2-5A shot put championship at the district track meet in Midland last week.

And Catleman apparently has talked to coaches about playing the Buck linebacker position:

Castleman said he might play what's called a "buck" position in the new defense at Tech - a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker position in which he'd either be standing or in a three-point stance, depending on the situation.

This year, Castleman most likely will line up for new AHS coach Mel Maxfield on the inside, where he terrorized offenses last season.

Interesting.

LAJ's Don Williams also talks with Castleman's head coach Mel Maxfield:

"I haven’t ever been around that many athletic big kids,’’ Maxfield said. "He has real quick feet and this last week he won the shot put at the district meet. He has a lot of natural abilities that I think are God given, for sure. He’s taking his talent and making the most out of it.’’

Video:  Watch Clip 1 and then Clip 2.  Obviously, Clip 1 is your standard highlight video with lots of spectacular plays, but Clip 2 is about what Castleman is capable of doing.  Size, strength and quickness.  All things that are important in that outside linebacker/defensive end position. And if Clip 2 doesn't excite you, then I don't know what will.  Amazing job of breaking down just one play by Castleman, but even better job of Castleman's actual play.

The Scouting Report:  I'm only an amateur, but Castleman appears to get off blocks fairly quickly and he must know how to do that considering he plays nose-tackle in high school.  He doesn't appear to give up on the play and although Castleman apparently has speed (he's clocked at 4.8) I think he could be faster.  Castleman also already has an understanding that if he gets his hands up, he can cause problems for quarterbacks.  I'm no recruiting expert, but he looks to be on par with a 4-star or high 3-star player.

The 2011 Class: