There's little doubt that the success of former Cowboy wide receiver Justin Blackmon (left) influenced the decision of 2013 Wylie (TX) East WR Marcell Ateman. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images)
Productive Texas wide receiver will seek to fill the big shoes at Oklahoma State left by Justin Blackmon.
It's a new era for covering football recruiting and one of the game-changers is Twitter. In that vein, Oklahoma State received a commitment Wednesday evening via the social-networking tool, when 2013 Wylie (TX) East wide receiver Marcell Ateman chose to break his own pledge:
I wanna announce that I COMMITTED TO OKLAHOMA STATE!!
— Marcell... (@ItsMarcell) May 3, 2012
The teammate of Baylor commit Quan Jones, Ateman held 16 offers before ending his recruitment, including Arizona, Arkansas, Baylor, Michigan, Ole Miss and Tennessee, among others. A consensus four-star prospect by the services, the 6'4, 190-pounder had a productive junior season that saw him amass over 1,000 yards through the air and 10 touchdowns. He becomes the third commitment in the Cowboy recruiting class, joining fellow Texan Fred Ross (Tyler/John Tyler).
Ateman opted to end his recruitment despite canceling a trip for the Cowboy spring game in order to attend prom. He had previously made it to Stillwater for a Junior Day back in mid-February.
One of many receivers from the state of Texas in 2013 who have excellent size and a basketball background, Ateman translates those skills to the gridiron. His ball skills rank among the best in his class, no small praise considering the competition. He can elevate to high-point the football in traffic like a forward going up for a rebound in the paint and his size and hands will continue to serve him well in college.
As with many tall receivers, he probably won't shatter stopwatches with his time in the 40, but he's a fluid athlete. If there's a concern, it's that he doesn't show any particular route-running or make-you-miss ability after the catch. One possible explanation is the lack of available film. Another is that Ateman doesn't have the ability.
The truth remains to be seen.
What Ateman has shown he can do is get open deep to take advantage of his size and leaping ability. If all he can do in college is exactly that, he should still be effective.
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