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Texas Recruiting Notes 2020


Reese Bennett

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Bobby Burton: How Tom Herman overplayed his hand

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I can sum up how I feel about Texas' on-field and recruiting performance of 2019 with one sentence. I think Texas overplayed its hand. In 2019, Tom Herman thought he was going to have a 10-win team that would compete for the Big 12 Championship. He didn't. He fell woefully short. He also thought that such a season would lead to a recruiting windfall in the class of 2020. It, too, didn't occur. Perhaps one begat the other. But no matter the reasons, it's what went down.

Did the issue stem from Herman's own hubris, a blind spot of how he could fix the offense, his stubbornness to stick with a staff that had been overmatched at times in the two seasons prior, and simultaneously overestimate the talents on his own team? I'll admit, he certainly didn't foresee the rash of injuries in the secondary that likely cost Texas a game or two, no one could have. But it still doesn't change the fact that Texas overplayed its hand.

If the Horns win, the thinking is that recruiting takes care of itself. Quite the opposite happened. Herman didn't see it coming and it cost Texas more than it should have. When it comes to recruiting, there were other factors to consider. Former assistants Craig Naivar and Jason Washington both felt like they were dead-men walking in the final months of the season. They had reason to - right or wrong, they felt froze out. And they recruited like it.

Sure, they stayed on the road, acted professionally and represented Texas well, but any drive they had to make Texas better in the years to come had long since waned. It's hard to lay any blame at their feet. They knew they were gone. Beyond the players already committed to Texas, they weren't hitting the trail hard to make the team any better. Likewise, I'm pretty sure Tim Beck wasn't beating the bushes recruiting the final two weeks of December knowing full well that he was headed elsewhere come January.

So, in the last two months of the recruiting season, Texas will have nabbed just three prospects Kelvontay Dixon, Alfred Collins and Jaylan Ford, and that's if Collins chooses Texas as expected later this afternoon. Collins and Dixon, it should be noted, also have strong family ties to the university. Yes, I'm well aware that the timeline of recruiting has changed. With two signing periods, the first in the second week of December, there will be less movement later in the process. But in the same time period, the Horns lost their top receiver prospect, Quentin Johnston, to TCU, while Ty Jordan and Princely Umamnielen both de-committed. Several other potential recruits chose to play elsewhere, too.

So what does Herman need to do? He needs to focus on winning in 2020. And, even before that, he needs to find a new way to connect with recruits because whatever Texas was selling to close out the 2020 class, not many recruits were buying.

**

Don't get me wrong. It's not all doom and gloom here for the Horns. Any other Big 12 team, with the exception of Oklahoma, would change classes with Texas in a heartbeat. But the idea that Texas would separate itself from its Big 12 counterparts didn't transpire as much as it could have with this class.

**

While Collins will no doubt be the big news on the day for the Horns, no one should discount what Kelvontay Dixon brings to the table. Dixon was one of the state's best players in 2019, regardless of classification. He played receiver and running back, leading Carthage to a state championship, just like his brother, Keaontay Ingram had two years prior. Had it not been for a serious injury as a sophomore, Dixon would have been more highly recruited.

After all, like his brother, Dixon is a tough football player. He's also a bit faster than Keaontay. Dixon has clocked a 10.71 in the 100 meters and placed second in the triple jump in the state meet. He's a two-time district offensive player of the year. He can make the tough catch, he snatches the ball cleanly and he's an advanced route runner for his age.

So while Texas fans should be duly excited about Collins, I'd suggest that Dixon deserves some attention, too. I'd put him among the top five sure bets in this Texas class to go along with Collins, Dorbah, Alford and Robinson. I’d perhaps add a sixth and seventh and that’s Hudson Card and Kitan Crawford.

 

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TCU mod says QJ was going their way regardless of whether Meh was retained (which, good lord I'd hope Meh wasn't his deciding factor for the kid's sake)

Spoiler

- Quentin Johnston is another very interesting recruitment. All along it was TCU or Texas for the big receiver. Johnston ultimately chose Texas, but I was told by more than a few folks that his heart was on TCU but like Jenkins, he felt the pressure to choose Texas. Malcolm Kelly stayed on him despite the Texas commitment and the two kept building an even stronger relationship. When Drew Mehringer was fired, it wasn’t like Johnston picked up the phone to reach out to TCU, they had already been talking. But, even if Mehringer wasn’t fired, TCU was going to win the battle in my opinion. There were even coaches at Temple telling TCU coaches that Johnston wanted to go to TCU all along. I was also told the Dad liked TCU more than any program and he was a big part in helping the Frogs; there was a point where TCU had an in-home visit that not even the Temple coaches knew about…that’s how quiet it was behind the scenes. Johnston actually committed to the Frogs nearly a week prior to him announcing his intents to sign on the Monday before signing day.


- How much did Texas not want to lose Johnston? So much so that they reached out to Malcolm Kelly to gauge his interest in the open receiver job. Although an offer wasn’t formally extended, there was enough interest and those that have been around the business knew what the “gauging interest” was all about. Well, Kelly had zero interest and it got back to Johnston that Texas wanted him. That only improved TCU’s situation even more

 

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4 minutes ago, texifornia said:

TCU mod says QJ was going their way regardless of whether Meh was retained (which, good lord I'd hope Meh wasn't his deciding factor for the kid's sake)

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- Quentin Johnston is another very interesting recruitment. All along it was TCU or Texas for the big receiver. Johnston ultimately chose Texas, but I was told by more than a few folks that his heart was on TCU but like Jenkins, he felt the pressure to choose Texas. Malcolm Kelly stayed on him despite the Texas commitment and the two kept building an even stronger relationship. When Drew Mehringer was fired, it wasn’t like Johnston picked up the phone to reach out to TCU, they had already been talking. But, even if Mehringer wasn’t fired, TCU was going to win the battle in my opinion. There were even coaches at Temple telling TCU coaches that Johnston wanted to go to TCU all along. I was also told the Dad liked TCU more than any program and he was a big part in helping the Frogs; there was a point where TCU had an in-home visit that not even the Temple coaches knew about…that’s how quiet it was behind the scenes. Johnston actually committed to the Frogs nearly a week prior to him announcing his intents to sign on the Monday before signing day.


- How much did Texas not want to lose Johnston? So much so that they reached out to Malcolm Kelly to gauge his interest in the open receiver job. Although an offer wasn’t formally extended, there was enough interest and those that have been around the business knew what the “gauging interest” was all about. Well, Kelly had zero interest and it got back to Johnston that Texas wanted him. That only improved TCU’s situation even more

 

ah, the luxuries of being able to enjoy a career where you can write unverified bullshit and never get called out. journalists get fired and shamed for making shit up, 9.95ers get paid.

Edited by pacman
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3 minutes ago, texifornia said:

TCU mod says QJ was going their way regardless of whether Meh was retained (which, good lord I'd hope Meh wasn't his deciding factor for the kid's sake)

  Hide contents

- Quentin Johnston is another very interesting recruitment. All along it was TCU or Texas for the big receiver. Johnston ultimately chose Texas, but I was told by more than a few folks that his heart was on TCU but like Jenkins, he felt the pressure to choose Texas. Malcolm Kelly stayed on him despite the Texas commitment and the two kept building an even stronger relationship. When Drew Mehringer was fired, it wasn’t like Johnston picked up the phone to reach out to TCU, they had already been talking. But, even if Mehringer wasn’t fired, TCU was going to win the battle in my opinion. There were even coaches at Temple telling TCU coaches that Johnston wanted to go to TCU all along. I was also told the Dad liked TCU more than any program and he was a big part in helping the Frogs; there was a point where TCU had an in-home visit that not even the Temple coaches knew about…that’s how quiet it was behind the scenes. Johnston actually committed to the Frogs nearly a week prior to him announcing his intents to sign on the Monday before signing day.


- How much did Texas not want to lose Johnston? So much so that they reached out to Malcolm Kelly to gauge his interest in the open receiver job. Although an offer wasn’t formally extended, there was enough interest and those that have been around the business knew what the “gauging interest” was all about. Well, Kelly had zero interest and it got back to Johnston that Texas wanted him. That only improved TCU’s situation even more

 

TCU and baylor internet be petty. 

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Bobby Burton: How Tom Herman overplayed his hand
I can sum up how I feel about Texas' on-field and recruiting performance of 2019 with one sentence. I think Texas overplayed its hand. In 2019, Tom Herman thought he was going to have a 10-win team that would compete for the Big 12 Championship. He didn't. He fell woefully short. He also thought that such a season would lead to a recruiting windfall in the class of 2020. It, too, didn't occur. Perhaps one begat the other. But no matter the reasons, it's what went down.
Did the issue stem from Herman's own hubris, a blind spot of how he could fix the offense, his stubbornness to stick with a staff that had been overmatched at times in the two seasons prior, and simultaneously overestimate the talents on his own team? I'll admit, he certainly didn't foresee the rash of injuries in the secondary that likely cost Texas a game or two, no one could have. But it still doesn't change the fact that Texas overplayed its hand.
If the Horns win, the thinking is that recruiting takes care of itself. Quite the opposite happened. Herman didn't see it coming and it cost Texas more than it should have. When it comes to recruiting, there were other factors to consider. Former assistants Craig Naivar and Jason Washington both felt like they were dead-men walking in the final months of the season. They had reason to - right or wrong, they felt froze out. And they recruited like it.
Sure, they stayed on the road, acted professionally and represented Texas well, but any drive they had to make Texas better in the years to come had long since waned. It's hard to lay any blame at their feet. They knew they were gone. Beyond the players already committed to Texas, they weren't hitting the trail hard to make the team any better. Likewise, I'm pretty sure Tim Beck wasn't beating the bushes recruiting the final two weeks of December knowing full well that he was headed elsewhere come January.
So, in the last two months of the recruiting season, Texas will have nabbed just three prospects Kelvontay Dixon, Alfred Collins and Jaylan Ford, and that's if Collins chooses Texas as expected later this afternoon. Collins and Dixon, it should be noted, also have strong family ties to the university. Yes, I'm well aware that the timeline of recruiting has changed. With two signing periods, the first in the second week of December, there will be less movement later in the process. But in the same time period, the Horns lost their top receiver prospect, Quentin Johnston, to TCU, while Ty Jordan and Princely Umamnielen both de-committed. Several other potential recruits chose to play elsewhere, too.
So what does Herman need to do? He needs to focus on winning in 2020. And, even before that, he needs to find a new way to connect with recruits because whatever Texas was selling to close out the 2020 class, not many recruits were buying.
**
Don't get me wrong. It's not all doom and gloom here for the Horns. Any other Big 12 team, with the exception of Oklahoma, would change classes with Texas in a heartbeat. But the idea that Texas would separate itself from its Big 12 counterparts didn't transpire as much as it could have with this class.
**
While Collins will no doubt be the big news on the day for the Horns, no one should discount what Kelvontay Dixon brings to the table. Dixon was one of the state's best players in 2019, regardless of classification. He played receiver and running back, leading Carthage to a state championship, just like his brother, Keaontay Ingram had two years prior. Had it not been for a serious injury as a sophomore, Dixon would have been more highly recruited.
After all, like his brother, Dixon is a tough football player. He's also a bit faster than Keaontay. Dixon has clocked a 10.71 in the 100 meters and placed second in the triple jump in the state meet. He's a two-time district offensive player of the year. He can make the tough catch, he snatches the ball cleanly and he's an advanced route runner for his age.
So while Texas fans should be duly excited about Collins, I'd suggest that Dixon deserves some attention, too. I'd put him among the top five sure bets in this Texas class to go along with Collins, Dorbah, Alford and Robinson. I’d perhaps add a sixth and seventh and that’s Hudson Card and Kitan Crawford.
 


Not real happy with Herman but this article is horseshit. Herman’s team performed worse than it should have, and I don’t understand the claim of overplaying his hand. How?

With a weak on-field performance and unmotivated lame duck coaches, they held the class together as well as possible. Now, if the argument is that he should have cut coaches in the off-season, that’s a valid charge, but that’s not what Burton says in the article. In fact, I don’t even understand what he is saying. In summary, wtf is he saying?
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I have a hard time feeling bad about any SMALL class that pulls the nation's top RB (from out of state no less), 14 4*, and a ton of ol/dl talent that will not have to play right away, unless they show out.

No doubt Herman blew the season but not the recruiting class imo

Burton sux.

Edited by pacman
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I have inside information that there is a new school that Collins is considering. Its Stanford. He really likes the academic side of it but there are some in his circle that are arguing that the education opportunities at the University of Texas are just as good. I think I agree. I mean I know Stanford is a good school and all but come on, we are talking about THE University of BY GOD TEXAS! Austin vs Palo Duro? No contest. UT connections vs. Stanford. Easy. I dont think Stanford will be able to pull him but I guess you have to at least consider the possibility...

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8 minutes ago, Longhorn94 said:

I have inside information that there is a new school that Collins is considering. Its Stanford. He really likes the academic side of it but there are some in his circle that are arguing that the education opportunities at the University of Texas are just as good. I think I agree. I mean I know Stanford is a good school and all but come on, we are talking about THE University of BY GOD TEXAS! Austin vs Palo Duro? No contest. UT connections vs. Stanford. Easy. I dont think Stanford will be able to pull him but I guess you have to at least consider the possibility...

Have any Stanford CBs come in for Collins? Also, what does CB even mean thx

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Now, if the argument is that he should have cut coaches in the off-season, that’s a valid charge, but that’s not what Burton says in the article. In fact, I don’t even understand what he is saying. In summary, wtf is he saying?


He's saying that his vagina hurts because Herman is leaking everything of value to Anwar. That's what he's saying.
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2 hours ago, texifornia said:

Honestly, the buttload of transfers/JUCOs we should be after should help drag this out keep the #MarchTo1000 viable

Most JUCOs have already committed by NSD2. Any JUCO we get after that probably has extra red flags even for a JUCO. 
 

We’d probably be at 1,000 or close if not for the whole splitting of threads, like the 2020 transfer thread, Oscar Giles Recruiting thread, etc. So now, we just get 3 days of shitposting to make up for all the content that got siphoned off in those threads.

1 hour ago, MonkeyDoughnut said:

Yeah, I'm not sure telling him how our veteran, bigger DBs don't stay on their field because they get hurt all the time would be a big selling point for coming here.

Now that I read this, I’m 99.9% sure Herman actually brought this up when Rakestraw said he didn’t want to redshirt and showed him a binder full of “analytics” to back up his point.

1 hour ago, JBJ said:

Don't forget Princely at 2:20.

Can we get an admin to move this to the 2020 non-Texas recruiting thread? Thanks. 

1 hour ago, Harvdog said:

Arkansas fan getting ready for Malik Hornsby.....spacer.png

This is an extremely inaccurate gif. The Kid in the wifebeater appears to have all his teeth. 

56 minutes ago, satyanash said:

Bobby Burton: How Tom Herman overplayed his hand

 

JFC. Leave it to Burton to make me want to side with Herman hours after Herman completed utterly buttfucking our CB recruiting this cycle. 

36 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

He probably had a commutable offer at one point from aggy. 

That would be a lot of ugly scenery making the drive from Dallas to College Station every day. Not to mention he’d probably start snacking in the car every day and finalize becoming Kendall Jones 2.0. Definitely seems like SFA was the smart choice. 

Edited by Burt Macklin
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1 hour ago, Sabalo said:

Is that CTJ's cat?

My daughter wanted a kitten for her birthday. We reluctantly were manipulated into agreeing. Wife takes her to adopt one. They come home with a 9 month old orange juvenile named “Cheeto”. It’s damn near feral. For a year it has been terrorizing my wife and daughter through the house. Last night I was awoken to my wife begging me to help remove the fucking thing from looming over her face like it was about to eat her. This cat would destroy that wrinkled thing. Only good thing I got out of it was that they agreed to change his name to Teh Major, which is fun to watch a bunch of little kids screaming at a psycho fucking cat. 

1 hour ago, lazygringo said:

Gotta say I do like to see that kind of loyalty, though. Mizzou was the first P5 school to offer him. They arguably "found" him. So I can understand the loyalty. Usually that evaporates when big names like Texas and Alabama enter the game, though.

I don’t get the “loyalty” angle. I remember the first offer/show of interest I received academically was from Kenyon College in bumfuck Ohio when I was a junior. That loyalty immediately evaporated as soon as better offers came in. Why should the first school showing up ever receive anything other than politeness in a recruitment? I get it’s all personal emotions, but it is bizarre. 

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Just now, Katfid54 said:

Great post.  Would consider again.

HA! Meant Palo Alto. Sorry. But my point remains. The weather is better in Austin. Its prettier. Its more fun. Palo Alto sucks. If you drive an hour north or south, you can find some fun stuff. but good luck with the traffic. And since the schools are comparable, why bother?

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1 hour ago, satyanash said:

Bobby Burton: How Tom Herman overplayed his hand

 

He can make the tough catch, he snatches the ball cleanly and he's an advanced route runner for his age.

 

This is what I like best about Dixon and the only thing bitchtits said that was worth reading.

 

 

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1 minute ago, Goodman said:

He can make the tough catch, he snatches the ball cleanly and he's an advanced route runner for his age.

 

This is what I like best about Dixon and the only thing bitchtits said that was worth reading.

 

 

Sign me up for a clean snatch every day of the week.

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This class is a fucking letdown, and anyone who says otherwise either doesn't follow this shit very closely or is being willfully ignorant. And I don't give a fuck about Princely. Herman fucked this in a number of different ways, from on field performance, to staff retention and doubling down, to assuming recruiting success just because he's Tom Herman instead of demanding it and working for it with the aforementioned stumblefucks he employed. CB and Linebacker are a complete shitshow, and because this guy waited 6 weeks to make half of his hires instead of having a plan in place, we lost even more opportunity to turn things around on the recruiting front. And he sat on his dick to hire the likes of Mark Hagen and promote a guy who was already on staff and could have been promoted mid season. 

We closed this class like a wet fart into a bucket of pig shit. Fuck Tom Herman. 

 

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Just now, SydneyCarton said:

This class is a fucking letdown, and anyone who says otherwise either doesn't follow this shit very closely or is being willfully ignorant. And I don't give a fuck about Princely. Herman fucked this in a number of different ways, from on field performance, to staff retention and doubling down, to assuming recruiting success just because he's Tom Herman instead of demanding it and working for it with the aforementioned stumblefucks he employed. CB and Linebacker are a complete shitshow, and because this guy waited 6 weeks to make half of his hires instead of having a plan in place, we lost even more opportunity to turn things around on the recruiting front. And he sat on his dick to hire the likes of Mark Hagen and promote a guy who was already on staff and could have been promoted mid season. 

We closed this class like a wet fart into a bucket of pig shit. Fuck Tom Herman. 

 

Honestly, I'm like 67% convinced that CTJ is Greg Davis and you're his young buck, tagalong friend, Bobby Burton.

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17 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

My daughter wanted a kitten for her birthday. We reluctantly were manipulated into agreeing. Wife takes her to adopt one. They come home with a 9 month old orange juvenile named “Cheeto”. It’s damn near feral. For a year it has been terrorizing my wife and daughter through the house. Last night I was awoken to my wife begging me to help remove the fucking thing from looming over her face like it was about to eat her. This cat would destroy that wrinkled thing. Only good thing I got out of it was that they agreed to change his name to Teh Major, which is fun to watch a bunch of little kids screaming at a psycho fucking cat.

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