Oak Ridge standoutMcCaskill signs with Cougars
A personal touch helped seal the deal for Oak Ridge’s Alton McCaskill.
McCaskill, one of the nation’s top running backs in the class of 2021, announcedThursday he will play for the University of Houston.
Signing McCaskill, the No. 21 running back in the nation according to the 247Sports composite rankings, is a coup for the Cougars, who beat out Oklahoma State and Southern California. McCaskill had 32 offers, including Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Michigan, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt.
McCaskill, who is listed at 6foot-1 and 200 pounds, said his decision came down to the relationships he built with the UH coaching staff. He attended the Cougars’ Junior Day inMarch, just a fewweeks before the NCAA shut down all in-person contact because of the coronavirus pandemic.
In the 10 months since, McCaskill said he grew close with tight ends/inside receivers coach Corby Meekins, running backs coach Marquel Blackwell and head coach Dana Holgorsen.
“The coaching staff helped a lot,” McCaskill said. “They were super genuine people. CoachHolgorsen, Coach Meekins and Coach Blackwell talked to me every day. They talked tomy family. It seemed like they care about me more as a person than as a player. That’s what I loved the most.”
During the early signing period, Holgorsen — who cannot talk about a recruit until a signed national letter of intent has been submitted — hinted that the Cougars were “hot after a running back” and “we’ve got our fingers crossed.”
It turned out to be McCaskill. “He’s a great coach. I could tell he really wanted me,” McCaskill said ofHolgorsen.“Hewas the only head coach that would talk to me on daily basis. He would text me in the morning, textme in the evening, asking how my day was going, even if it was something simple like, ‘Go Coogs!’ It meant a lot coming from a head coach. They usually are not involved in recruiting like that.”
McCaskill is the highest-rated running back — and the eighth overall regardless of position — to sign with UH in the modern recruiting era, according to 247Sports’ rankings. He is considered UH’s biggest recruiting win since landing Westfield defensive tackle Ed Oliver in 2016.
As a senior in 2020, McCaskill helped Oak Ridge to its first playoff win in 18 years. He was named the District 13-6A Offensive Player of the Year, rushing for 1,519 yards and 14 touchdowns and adding 13 receptions for 227 yards and four more scores. He also runs track, posting a time of 10.91 seconds in the 100 meters.
McCaskill becomes the 10th member of UH’s 2021 signing class, joining safety Mark Wilson (Clear Lake), quarterback Maddox Kopp (St. Thomas), wide receiver C. J. Guidry (ShadowCreek) and cornerback Jalen Emery (Shadow Creek) as local products to stay home.
When he reports this summer, McCaskill will join a backfield that includes Ta’Zhawn Henry, a transfer from Texas Tech; Kelan Walker, Terrell Brown, Stacy Sneed and James Fullbright. Mulbah Car and Chandler Smith, a pair of seniors, also could return with last season not counting against eligibility.
McCaskill said he signed his paperwork during the earning signing period in mid-December but kept it quiet until the end of his high school season and to allow family to attend his announcement on Thursday.