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Texas Recruiting Notes 2022 - Idiotic Slapfights Unrelated To 2022 Recruiting


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CJ Vogel on Neto Umeozulu

Spoiler

The gates at Allen opened up for the first time in quite some time and I was able to head over to see the stocked cupboard of talent which includes 2022 OL Neto Umeozulu.

Umeozulu is a rather quiet kid but his recruitment is anything but under the radar. With 31 offers, Umeozulu is in contact with a great number of coaches day-in and day-out. Among the schools he listed as ones pursuing him the hardest, he listed Texas, Oklahoma, USC, Ohio State, Baylor and Texas A&M.

Texas is quite invested in the recruitment of 6-foot-4-inch lineman. Umeozulu told me he is in contact with Steve Sarkisian, Kyle Flood and Jeff Banks, three of the strongest recruiters the Longhorns have to offer on their coaching staff.

“All Gas, No Brakes, that’s their thing,” Umeozulu said in regards to the pitch the Longhorns are giving him. “They’ve got something going on right now.”

Umeozulu told me he has been hit up by a number of current commits in an effort to swing him to Texas.

But for the time being, things are pretty open for Umeozulu, who said he has yet to really narrow down his top schools list or establish a couple schools ahead of the rest of the pack.

“I’ve still got an open mind. I still want to take my visits so it’s fair game with all the schools interested.”

Umeozulu said he hopes to take his official visits to some of the schools out of the region. He said he will unofficially visit schools he can drive to just so he can have a wider range of knowledge with all of the schools that are recruiting him.

Again, I didn’t get a good sense of where things were heading with Umeozulu, as I got the sense he is completely open to any options at the moment. The Longhorns have been in good contact, but I do have questions about where he is on their big board despite the 3-headed coaching approach to his recruitment.

 

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Super K on Gracen Helton

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Texas recently offered 2022 Oregon DL commit, Gracen Halton (San Diego, CA).

I spoke with Halton after practice. I asked him why the early commitment to Oregon. He said that with the uncertainty of Covid and the fact that Oregon had been so consistent in the recruitment of him, he felt it was the right move. He also said he has some family ties to the Oregon staff.

On Texas, he said he was offered by the old staff and then when Sark came in they re-offered him. He said he’s in touch with coach Bo Davis on a weekly basis.

He said he’s solid to Oregon but said that if things open up and Texas continues to recruit him, he’d definitely like to take a visit to Texas.

 

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Charlie S (TFB) on Jacob Mathews

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As you all know, elite 2022 defensive back Jacoby Mathews (6’1″ 205) out of Ponchatoula, LA, recently included Texas in his top 6.

We recently spoke to a source regarding Mathews top group of schools and one of our partners was down in New Orleans last week and he spoke with Mathews about the Longhorns.

One thing that stood out to us about Mathews and Texas was the built-in ties he has with the program. Both of the guys who coach DBs now for Texas have prior relationships with him.

Coach Gideon had been recruiting Mathews while at Ole Miss and Coach Joseph was recruiting him at Notre Dame. The connection with Joseph runs even deeper though. Mathews high school coach actually coached Terry Joseph and Mathews had a relationship with Joseph even prior to being recruited by any school.

With those relationships comes trust, which is a huge aspect of Mathews recruitment. Mathews said, “I know I can trust their coaches (Texas’) because they are coaches that were good when they played, and they have had success as coaches at their prior schools. I have no reason to not trust them”.

Another thing Texas has going for them is the state itself. Mathews said “I think it’s a great state to live in. It’s big and it’s a wealthy state and there are a lot of people there. I feel like Texas is a place I would like to live even if I wasn’t playing football.”

LSU and Florida are likely the current leaders but it’s not clear by how much. K Was told that OU and Texas “are like like 3a and 3b”. The sense we got is Mathews might like to leave the state.

 

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Super K on TreVonte' Citizen

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Texas is looking to take two running backs in this class. With Jaydon Blue already in the fold, there is one more spot.

It seems their top priority is 2022 RB, TreVonte’ Citizen (Lake Charles, College Prep).

I stopped by to see Citizen earlier this week and wanted to give you all my initial impressions.

There are players you see who are listed at a particular height and weight and they just don’t stack up. Then there are guys like Citizen. I mean, this is a powerfully built young man. No question he can produce a ton of force. You’re talking a legitimate 220 lbs with room to add. He’s going to end up being a muscular 240+ lb back who can run. Not someone you want to tackle.

Schools that seem to be in this one right now are LSU, Texas, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, Arkansas, and USC.

I’ve been doing this long enough to be able to get a pretty good read through facial expressions and body language. When I asked him about Texas, his face lit up.

He said Stan Drayton is like a father figure to him. And, it’s clear Brandon Harris is putting in some serious work here. It’s clear that he and Harris have a built a genuine bond that should play a role in this recruitment.

Citizen said he wants to have a solid idea of where he’s headed by the summer. So, look for him to take his official visits this summer (assuming the NCAA lifts the visit ban at the end of May). Texas will get an official but I wouldn’t be surprised if he heads over to Austin for a self-guided tour sometime soon. He is going to College Station for a self-guided tour, this month. And, he’s headed to Atlanta this weekend and plans to do a self-guided tour of Georgia Tech.

He has a number of schools recruiting him pretty hard and if folks had seen him in person, there’d be even more. But, my sense is Texas and Georgia Tech have built unique bonds with him.

Once I come off the road, I can go back over my notes and provide additional notes on this recruitment.

 

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24 minutes ago, Machinator said:

Early will be a strong take in any cycle, but we get the sense Texas might already have its guard takes lined up.

Who do we think?

Campbell makes sense (based on that earlier rumor that we already had a silent from a 5* OL), plus Robertson (OG/C) that only makes 2 guards. Are we only taking two guards or does this sound like they think Banks is a guard at the next level? 

I guess this could just mean they feel good about getting one of Neto/Hutson/Bah?/Greene.

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54 minutes ago, Machinator said:

OL Jaylen Early, Duncanville (2022):
If there’s one thing about Early, it’s his versatility. He can play guard or tackle and excel at both.

Ohio State, OU, Texas A&M, and Baylor are pushing the hardest right now, but he mentioned two schools he’d like to hear from; UT and Alabama.

Early will be a strong take in any cycle, but we get the sense Texas might already have its guard takes lined up.

I hope that Flood has his evals in order and that Texas lands a deep and talented OL class - it's sounding promising. For all the ratings/9.95er love that Savion Byrd got Jaylen Early is the better football player and if he wants to come to Texas it feels like the smart move is to take him. Not only because he is already really good at football and can play multiple spots on the OL, not only because he has a ton of upside, but also because if you don't take him you are almost assuredly handing him to Bedenbaugh and OU (unless Bama decides to make a late run). I feel like Early is good enough that if you already have your OL numbers - you rob one from another position and get him in.  

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Mike at Night: Top schools and transfer targets

 

Spoiler

Mike at Night: Top schools and transfer targets

Mike Roach
 

— Kelvin Banks dropped his Top 8 tonight and Texas remains squarely in the mix. The four-star offensive lineman from Humble (Texas) Summer Creek has been high on the Texas board and the Longhorns have been gaining some buzz in that recruitment thanks to Kyle Flood. I ultimately think this race comes down to Texas and Texas A&M with LSU on the periphery, but I still haven't heard anything from sources close to him that would indicate anyone is in a commanding position at this time. He's often been described as "unpredictable" while even those closest to him don't know what he's thinking. Texas can win this battle and should be considered one of the leaders, but it still seems like there's a ways to go.

— In talking to sources, there is a legitimate interest in Clemson transfer Derion Kendrick. The Longhorns are in the race along with several other schools, but it seems like the main three are the Longhorns, Georgia and Florida. A native of Rock Hill (SC), Kendrick was dismissed from the Clemson program in February after violating team rules several times. In checking with sources, there is some apprehension about taking him with that baggage, but I get the sense Texas is doing its due diligence on the case.

— As I reported earlier today, despite a report from another outlet, Texas transfer commit Ovie Oghoufo said he still plans on transferring to Austin in the summer. Oghoufo committed to Texas and Steve Sarkisian shortly after he arrived and will graduate in May from Notre Dame. There is nothing binding Oghoufo to Texas at this time so he can make any other decision before enrolling in June. In talking to Oghoufo, he said reports of him having second thoughts about the Longhorns are not true and he can't wait to make it to Texas.

 

 

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21 minutes ago, Getafix said:

 

Mike at Night: Top schools and transfer targets

As I reported earlier today, despite a report from another outlet, Texas transfer commit Ovie Oghoufo said he still plans on transferring to Austin in the summer. Oghoufo committed to Texas and Steve Sarkisian shortly after he arrived and will graduate in May from Notre Dame. There is nothing binding Oghoufo to Texas at this time so he can make any other decision before enrolling in June. In talking to Oghoufo, he said reports of him having second thoughts about the Longhorns are not true and he can't wait to make it to Texas.

 

As expected, Ketchum was bringing the next level reporting that made him (in)famous.

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13 hours ago, Machinator said:

IT

  Reveal hidden contents

OT Kelvin Banks, Summer Creek (2022):

The 6-foot-5, 295-pound four-star is dropping his Top 8 tonight on his birthday. Texas will be included.

“Just had a Zoom meeting with Texas 20 minutes ago,” said Banks. “It’s all love.”

We continue to feel good about where the Horns stand in this pursuit. Texas A&M and LSU are the biggest competition at this point. Texas running back commit Jaydon Blue is putting in a lot of work on this one.

DE Omari Abor, Duncanville (2022):
There’s good news and bad news for Texas fans and the highly-sought four-star.

Good; He’s still talking to Texas. Jeff Banks continues to build on the relationship that began when he was at Alabama. He told IT he continues to talk to the UT staff - Sark, PK, Banks - and is not expected to make a decision until the first week in January.

Bad; Texas is behind Ohio State, OU, Alabama, and LSU. Way behind. While Ohio State and Oklahoma have been considered the favorites, Alabama is right there.

Abor loves the idea of being the Buckeyes’ Chase Young. He’s also due to have his boot (injured toe) removed tomorrow and will travel with the basketball team for the state championship on Saturday.

John Paul II cornerback Terrance Brooks made a student visit to TCU today. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder will also make a student visit to Texas A&M for the Aggies spring game, where his father Chet Brooks starred before playing in the NFL.

Oklahoma and Texas are also likely to receive a student visit this spring. Outside of the region, Alabama, Notre Dame and Stanford continue to factor heavily in Brooks' recruitment.

OL Jaylen Early, Duncanville (2022):
If there’s one thing about Early, it’s his versatility. He can play guard or tackle and excel at both.

Ohio State, OU, Texas A&M, and Baylor are pushing the hardest right now, but he mentioned two schools he’d like to hear from; UT and Alabama.

Early will be a strong take in any cycle, but we get the sense Texas might already have its guard takes lined up.

Either way, I don’t see the Longhorns in this today.

 

" we get the sense Texas might already have its guard takes lined up"

Interesting...

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15 hours ago, Machinator said:

CJ Vogel on Neto Umeozulu

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The gates at Allen opened up for the first time in quite some time and I was able to head over to see the stocked cupboard of talent which includes 2022 OL Neto Umeozulu.

Umeozulu is a rather quiet kid but his recruitment is anything but under the radar. With 31 offers, Umeozulu is in contact with a great number of coaches day-in and day-out. Among the schools he listed as ones pursuing him the hardest, he listed Texas, Oklahoma, USC, Ohio State, Baylor and Texas A&M.

Texas is quite invested in the recruitment of 6-foot-4-inch lineman. Umeozulu told me he is in contact with Steve Sarkisian, Kyle Flood and Jeff Banks, three of the strongest recruiters the Longhorns have to offer on their coaching staff.

“All Gas, No Brakes, that’s their thing,” Umeozulu said in regards to the pitch the Longhorns are giving him. “They’ve got something going on right now.”

Umeozulu told me he has been hit up by a number of current commits in an effort to swing him to Texas.

But for the time being, things are pretty open for Umeozulu, who said he has yet to really narrow down his top schools list or establish a couple schools ahead of the rest of the pack.

“I’ve still got an open mind. I still want to take my visits so it’s fair game with all the schools interested.”

Umeozulu said he hopes to take his official visits to some of the schools out of the region. He said he will unofficially visit schools he can drive to just so he can have a wider range of knowledge with all of the schools that are recruiting him.

Again, I didn’t get a good sense of where things were heading with Umeozulu, as I got the sense he is completely open to any options at the moment. The Longhorns have been in good contact, but I do have questions about where he is on their big board despite the 3-headed coaching approach to his recruitment.

 

 

1 hour ago, Tex-19 said:

" we get the sense Texas might already have its guard takes lined up"

Interesting...

This line seem like bullshit to me. Neto has incredible potential and every big school in the country is after him. I don’t see us slow playing him or looking at him as a fall back. 

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2 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

 

This line seem like bullshit to me. Neto has incredible potential and every big school in the country is after him. I don’t see us slow playing him or looking at him as a fall back. 

I think you mixed up the 995 reports.  Isn't that statement about Early, not Neto?

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1 hour ago, closetohumping said:

Feels like with our depth, it wouldn't hurt to take one more?

I dunno I feel like everyone is projecting most of the guys we're in on to be Gs in college. These guys aren't cubes though so it could be an exaggeration. They probably want an extra OL to be a pure OT prospect. 

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23 minutes ago, Texas Wahoo said:

I think you mixed up the 995 reports.  Isn't that statement about Early, not Neto?

Yep. You’re right. I remembered IT saying something like that about Neto, which I still think is BS. 
 

 “The Longhorns have been in good contact, but I do have questions about where he is on their big board despite the 3-headed coaching approach to hisrecruitment.”  

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Eh, his reasoning makes sense, but it also doesn't. Wasn't not having visited anywhere a reason why he was waiting originally? If so, why commit in the first place? Sounds like he's bag/clout chasing tbh. Think he still ends up here in the end.

Also, lol at the "I'm not a regular recruit." Okay, guy.

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Just now, Houston20 said:

Eh, his reasoning makes sense, but it also doesn't. Wasn't not having visited anywhere a reason why he was waiting originally? If so, why commit in the first place? Sounds like he's bag/clout chasing tbh. Think he still ends up here in the end.

Also, lol at the "I'm not a regular recruit." Okay, guy.

I imagine we're being negative recruited by the usual suspects: Fat Gary, Lincoln Cryley, Jimbo, et al. They hate us more than they love themselves.

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