UTSA will carry at least two quarterbacks in this recruiting cycle. High school commit Zach Conque had previously stated that he will be redshirted for 2012, leading to a lack in quality signal-calling depth. John Simmons is serviceable, but not quite the guy you would be willing to trust a game to if Soza befalls some type of serious injury. While Carter might not come in and usurp a starting spot, he will certainly push all of the quarterbacks on the roster to work hard and increase the in-house competition in practice. Carter is no stranger to working for playing time. Stuck behind TCU quarterback Matt Brown at Allen High School, Carter came off the bench to lead the Eagles to four playoff wins and a state championship after Brown was lost to an injury. Tucker drew considerable collegiate interest after Allen's miracle run in the 2008 playoffs, but few schools dared to offer a scholarship to a quarterback that wasn't even a starter. Carter elected to enroll at Trinity Valley where he had to ward off 2009 5A Offensive Player of the Year, Deric Davis for playing time. Ultimately, Carter more than proved his worth by passing for 25 touchdowns this season with only eight interceptions to speak of, good for a 61.8 completion rate. Carter can also get it done with his feet, as he rushed for just under 300 yards and eight touchdowns in 2011. Trinity Valley finished 8-3 this season, with Carter gaining Offensive Player of the Year honors in his conference and an honorable mention on the JUCO All-American team. Interestingly enough, Carter is also a coach's son. It's a cult, y'all. Be sure to check out the linked video, as Carter passes for four touchdowns and runs for three as TVCC upsets Navarro in the playoffs.
With the departure of starting free safety Mark Waters and a shaky performance from the returners, UTSA is desperately recruiting defensive backs to solidify the Hard Hat Defense. Berry is going to play a big part in that. Originally from New Orleans, Berry's family moved to Cedar Hill during Hurricane Katrina. It was only a few more years before Berry made another huge move, this time to California where he would join the L.A. Pierce team. Pierce has become a bit of a pipeline for UTSA, as Berry will be the third Brahma to become a Roadrunner in just two years (Franky Anaya, Brandon Reeves). It's a good pipeline to have, as top JUCO recruit Gerald Bowman lined up next to Berry all year long. Pierce attracts a ton of talent from across the entire country and does a terrific job of getting athlete's academics squared away and ready for success. Berry should make an immediate impact for UTSA with his impressive size, close-out speed (sub 4.4 40 yd dash), and physicality.
Guerrero is an absolute bruiser in the middle of the defense. His giant frame can really punish ball carriers, and Guerrero knows how to use it to blow past linemen. Brandon has put on a ton of muscle since his high school days where he labored away on a 3-7 team. Although the linebacker position on this team is pretty set (Kurfehs, Reeves, Rodgers, Terry) I really like what Guerrero can bring to this team in terms of sheer size and pass blitzing. You could do some nasty things in blitz packages with a 245 pound guy that can move. Guerrero is a monster in goal line defense. Tough to block and you are not going to break out of his tackle. Honestly confused why this guy didn't get more offers, but I'm not going to complain.
Tough to figure out what to think on King. He's got good size, excellent speed, solid instincts, and plays good coverage but... he hasn't played a meaningful game since his high school senior season in 2009. In an odd flurry of circumstance that I still don't quite understand, King was not able to find the field at Hutchinson despite pretty glowing reviews from his coaches. King clearly has the potential to be a D1 athlete. He's got his shot, now let's see what he can do with it. Brian also had a scholarship offer from South Alabama, which he spurned to join the Roadrunners. It's also of note that King will have three years of eligibility as he redshirted his freshman year in Kansas.
