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Texas Recruiting Notes 2021


Reese Bennett

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8 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Another Texas crystal ball pick for Clayton Smith.  This time from an OU mod.

We may end up landing an insane class of edge rushers if some of these projections hold. Combine that with the big guys we took last year and things will be looking pretty bright on the DL for the next 3-4 years. 
 

I don’t care too much about 3 vs 4 man fronts in general, but a place like UT that can really pull in a lot of DL talent is probably best in a 4 man front. 

Edited by Burt Macklin
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2 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

If we end up getting all these pass rushers does anybody think Sanders could play offense instead of D'?

No..because Sanders will be the best DE on the 40 acres as soon as Ossai is gone. Sanders has a chance to be a franchise playmaker at DE that we have never seen since Tony Brackens imo, of course.

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6 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

We may end up landing an insane class of edge rushers if some of these projections hold. Combine that with the big guys we took last year and things will be looking pretty bright on the DL for the next 3-4 years. 
 

I don’t care too much about 3 vs 4 man fronts in general, but a place like UT that can really pull in a lot of DL talent is probably best in a 4 man front. 

Hopefully we can add Cooks and Blackwell to place behind that DL talent.

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19 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Hopefully we can add Cooks and Blackwell to place behind that DL talent.

Yeah, we’re looking really good for Cooks and hopefully we can nab Blackwell or someone similar. I like the new staff’s evals at LB. we’re targeting great athletes who can grow into the linebacker position instead of recruiting guys who are already LB size in HS. These are the kind of guys that TCU, Baylor, and Iowa State have been turning into all-conference LBs for years and that even the top tier recruiting schools are moving towards. 

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1 hour ago, Thiefery said:

No..because Sanders will be the best DE on the 40 acres as soon as Ossai is gone. Sanders has a chance to be a franchise playmaker at DE that we have never seen since Tony Brackens imo, of course.

Sanders is a freak.  I watched him play vs Grapevine this last year and he took snaps at RB, Slot WR, Outside WR, DE, Outside LB, and S. 

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IT - Recruiting notebook, Wells/Boyd

Spoiler

By: Justin Wells and Ian Boyd

We hit south Houston for a pair of superb talents, swing up to Dallas for an up-and-coming safety, and finish in Texarkana for a head-hunter with the Horns on his mind. The Recruiting Notebook delivers during social distancing.

Terrence Cooks, Shadow Creek (Alvin, TX) - LB (2021)
Hudl/highlights

How he fits at Texas: Cooks could project to any linebacker position but he plays with recognition and power downhill that would make inside linebacker his most valuable place for Texas. Shadow Creek plays a three-down defense similar to the Todd Orlando scheme and Cooks was an outside linebacker in that system, playing in space at times and up on the edge at others. He's very comfortable moving laterally and playing in coverage and brings some thunder when he closes downhill. There's a good chance he could grow into a 6-foot-2, 240-pound linebacker that still moves well enough to stay on the field against the spread. - Ian Boyd

Coach says: Strengths - Well proportioned and tall with long arms. Plenty of room for bulk. A long-strider with impressive straight line speed. Feet are constantly active and he fires them quickly to establish directional change and to anchor for leverage. Looks very comfortable in space as a zone defender and coming downhill. Good gap discipline and does a nice job of fitting, squaring up and making a play. Solid hitter in the run game. Looks very instinctive at the line of scrimmage. Great hustle plays on tape and never gives up on a play. Frequently swats at the ball (think Derrick Johnson) which could result in quite a few turnovers. A big special teams contributor on both punt block and kickoff coverage teams with some solid highlights for both. Very hard to find opponent film that makes him look bad.

Areas for Improvement / Concern: Hardly any man-to-man coverage highlights. Change of direction appears to show a sharp loss of speed and slow acceleration/recovery on camp highlights in 1-on-1 coverage. Pass rush repertoire appears a bit raw.

How this affects Texas: When UT offered last November, they were one of the first schools to really pursue the 5A DI state champion linebacker. At 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, the three-star with 35 offers is a natural inside backer with instincts and skills that translate well at the next level. Texas, OU, and Texas A&M are probably the top schools today, but watch Stanford. He visited Austin back in January, bringing his mother and little brother, Tyler, who will also be a top recruit in a few years. That was huge. His mother is a big fan of Texas, the staff, and the academic side of the university. He's in no hurry to make a decision, but I think the Horns have the inside track. This kid can play inside or outside for his position, and that is truly difficult to find these days. Staying the course could pay big dividends for UT over the long haul. - Justin Wells

Isaiah Nwokobia, Dallas Skyline - S (2021)
Hudl/highlights

How he fits at Texas: Nwokobia is an ultra-smart athlete playing safety and quarterback for Skyline. He sees the field well at both positions and makes quick, accurate decisions that result in him playing fast. He's pretty good in coverage at safety but he's an obvious fit for a quarters scheme that covers him up some and allows him to read plays from depth and close. Nwokobia might grow into a safety that can man up a slot but he'll probably be at his best playing over the top and in a position that allows him to support the run. - IB

Coach says: Strengths - Good height with a proportioned frame. Already well built but could add lower extremity bulk. Straight line speed likely above average based on game tape. An aggressive quarters safety who comes downfield to play physically in run support. Shows very good upper body strength. Reliable as a tackler. Shows very good ball awareness and judges the ball well in flight. Catches the ball with soft hands away from his body. More than a few high “football IQ” plays on his highlights. Uses leverage and the sideline to advantage. Some experience as a QB.

Areas for Improvement / Concern: No press/man coverage to suggest him as a corner or man-coverage nickel. Acceleration is average at best. Change of direction would suggest he will be vulnerable to the double move. Backpedal isn’t the smoothest and will declare hips early possibly as a compensation. Lower body explosiveness appears limited on film. Deficiencies fairly evident on opponent film. QB play is very limited with positive plays being designed runs. Offense appears to be a single read, presnap determination passing offense. Arm strength is deficient and has to put a lot of air under most throws. Mechanics are out of sync frequently.

How this affects Texas: UT has made a solid push recently for the DFW safety. A highly intelligent kid, Nwokobia's instincts show up in his film. Texas, USC, Nebraska, and Oklahoma State are on him regularly, and he had planned to pledge before his senior year. Now, with COVID-19, those summer official visits might be put on hold. Nwokobia has a top schools list in mind, but doesn't want to put anything out just yet. He'd like to take his five officials when possible, and assuredly will see Austin for one of those trips. UT looks great today and I just don't see that changing anytime soon. - JW

Clayton Smith, Texas High (Texarkana, TX) - OLB/DE (2021)
Hudl/highlights

How he fits at Texas: Smith is a coiled up spring of fast twitch in a 6-foot-4 frame. For a defensive end coach, Smith is "the stuff dreams are made of." He's currently pretty light but it's easy to see him filling out like Joe Ossai and potentially even bigger as there's lots of room to pack muscle onto his frame. Smith also demonstrates a lot of ball skills in his receiver film and overall has a high level of coordination with his hands and feet in addition to being a twitchy, big framed athlete. This is the sort of defensive end prospect that makes a four-down defense look like the right answer. - IB

Coach says: Strengths - A tall and muscular player whose length will allow for more bulk. Long arms. Appears flexible and balanced in and out of his stance. Shows very good strength in both upper and lower body fighting through double teams. Above average lower body explosiveness. At least average acceleration and deceivingly good top straight line speed. Good lateral movement. Shows good instinct and discipline in run fits/gap assignment. Has active hands in pass rush and seems very disruptive with batting passes. “Good motor” would be an understatement here. Never gives up on a play and is quick to find work when his team intercepts. I have a sneaking suspicion this kid has a very high ceiling. Has some nice X-receiver highlights mostly as end-zone fades. I covet this kid.

Areas for Improvement / Concern: Tends to come on high on tackles which may be unavoidable at this height. As a result will lose some power on his strike (which would make him lethal). I worry a little bit about him being a tweener. Not a lot of film on him in space. Pass rush repertoire is lacking (but he’s producing mainly on raw strength and effort).

How this affects Texas: Another player the UT staff was on really early, the ETX -orn hybrid linebacker/D-end is being called a "Derrick Johnson clone" by scouts and for good reason. He's rangy, twitchy, hits through ball-carriers, and has the frame (6-foot-4, 215-220) for much more. This kid is a priority for Texas and that aligns with his priorities. OU, LSU, Oregon, and Texas A&M have made pushes during their pursuit, but the Horns have the upper hand today. His relationship with Oscar Giles is big as well. He's not ready to make a decision. That will probably come at the All American Bowl in San antonio, but I know Austin will be on his short list. For the record, he's visited Texas more than any other school. I don't see that changing either. I'm starting to really like this kid. - JW

 

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Fuck Stanford twice and the entire Little family once, but with a chainsaw. 

 

Also, classic Justin Wells. Really going out on a limb and say he's starting to really like a kid that looks like a Derrick Johnson clone. "It took awhile, but man, I'm really starting to warm up to this Vince Young as a prospect." That fucking guy. 

Edited by SydneyCarton
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(Mike Roach) Recruiting Retrospective: Tray Allen and the 2007 class

Quote

Tray Allen was destined to be a superstar.  In a class full of talented prospects, Allen was the best of them. The 2007 class as a whole was supposed to be Mack Brown’s masterpiece. After all, it would be his first full class after winning a national championship against USC in one of the greatest games ever played.

Brown already owned the state of Texas, but 2007 was going to be the first year he was able to recruit with a resume. There is always uncertainty in recruiting, but Tray Allen was destined to be a superstar. Bobby Burton of Horns247 wasn’t as involved in rating Allen as he was others, but he did see him in person in his last high school game. “I didn’t make the call on Tray Allen because by that time we started getting more regional analysts involved,” Burton said. “I was really just busy getting analysts out to see everyone. So, I never saw Tray in person until the Army game.”

Allen had incredible film coming out of South Grand Prairie, and he looked like the type of athletic left tackle you could build an offense around. South Grand Prairie is home to many high-end athletes, but Allen was among the best. Burton recalls that Allen had a very unique style. “I remember he had some film where he literally donkey punched opposing defenders on a tunnel screen. I didn’t know how that was going to play on the next level, but it was certainly memorable,” Burton said.

Allen committed during the spring before his senior season and instantly became the crown jewel of his class. His class would finish ranked No. 3 overall, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. But the class that was supposed to take Texas into the next part of the golden era received more contributions from the bottom half than the top. Headliners like Curtis Brown and Keenan Robinson had strong college careers and went on to play professionally, while others like John Chiles, Malcolm Williams, Ben Wells, and Andre Jones never came through on their promise. Conversely, the bottom of the class ended up quite successful.

Three-star prospects Fozzy Whitaker and James Kirkendoll had solid college careers, while lowly three-star defensive back Earl Thomas went on to have a stellar college and professional run. Sam Acho rose late in the class, but he didn’t begin the year as a super blue-chipper.

Allen never quite caught on during his college career following a rash of injuries and a number of scheme changes, but he graduated from Texas with a degree in physical culture and sports and youth and community studies. After a short stint in the arena league, Allen bounced around the state as a high school football coach. He’s currently the offensive line coach at South Oak Cliff High School in Dallas.

Allen is one of two South Grand Prairie prospects to be ranked in the Top 10 all-time recruits for Texas along with BJ Johnson. Ohio State defensive back Jeff Okudah is the latest elite prospect to come out of South Grand Prairie. Burton observed that the perception of busts coming from one program is just perception. “That’s interesting two of the more overrated players were from South Grand Prairie with Tray and BJ Johnson,” he said. “But, here we have Jeff Okudah getting ready to go somewhere in the top five of the draft. It just shows it’s up to the individual.”

 

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1 hour ago, satyanash said:

(Mike Roach) Recruiting Retrospective: Tray Allen and the 2007 class

 

What the fuck is the point of this article? I realize Roach is starved for content, but why would anyone write a fucking retrospective on a fucking bust? "Hey, lets pile jump on this failure and remind everyone at Texas bad memories!" Plus, I don't want to hear Roach's perspective on Allen, they're probably the same fucking age.  Which is why the entire fucking article is basically a copy paste of dry facts. Fuck off, Roach. 

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3 minutes ago, Fud said:

Over to Jaydon Williams. First really big offer. Good looking defensive prospect from SOC.

https://www.hudl.com/profile/11584284/Jaydon-Williams

 

I remember seeing the coaches following him on Twitter for a bit along with all the OOS bluechips they've been offering and wondering if we'd bite. Nice to see us go first.

Recently got Miss State and AZ State as well. 

Edited by texifornia
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10 minutes ago, Fud said:

Over to Jaydon Williams. First really big offer. Good looking defensive prospect from SOC.

https://www.hudl.com/profile/11584284/Jaydon-Williams

 

I'm really liking the athletic profile of the LBs the new staff is targeting. It makes me hopeful they might actually be starting to get it.  Texas has recruited over-sized, slow LBs (or none at all, in Orlando's case) for way too long. 

CB is looking a little iffy right now, but I like where we're at on DL, LB, and S right now. This could be an extremely strong defensive class and one of the most well-rounded defensive classes in the last decade, besides only 2018.  

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1 minute ago, tokamak said:

Yeah I was just going to comment that we seem much more active in LB recruiting than we have in years past. Is that due to Ash or a strong class in state or some combination thereof?

Well we actually have a linebackers coach now, and as a bonus he's considered a strong recruiter, so, yeah, that'll do it.

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I'm not being critical of Clayton Smith. Hell, I've never seen him play. I'm sure he's a recruit we would love to have on our team.

But if you are going to say this about a kid:

Quote

Above average lower body explosiveness. At least average acceleration and deceivingly good top straight line speed. 

....then don't say he's a Derrick Johnson clone.

The adjectives for explosiveness, acceleration, and straight line speed should be words like "incredible", "exceptional", "unbelievable", "once in a generation", "otherworldly", "mind-blowing" if you are going to compare a linebacker to Derrick Fucking Johnson

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3 minutes ago, BornOrange said:

I'm not being critical of Clayton Smith. Hell, I've never seen him play. I'm sure he's a recruit we would love to have on our team.

But if you are going to say this about a kid:

....then don't say he's a Derrick Johnson clone.

The adjectives for explosiveness, acceleration, and straight line speed should be words like "incredible", "exceptional", "unbelievable", "once in a generation", "otherworldly", "mind-blowing" if you are going to compare a linebacker to Derrick Fucking Johnson

The thing is Smith is an edge rusher/DE.  IDK why the comparison was made to Derrick Johnson.

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11 minutes ago, tokamak said:

Yeah I was just going to comment that we seem much more active in LB recruiting than we have in years past. Is that due to Ash or a strong class in state or some combination thereof?

I don't think this year is much more stacked at LB than previous years.  There's always been good prospects to find, but Orlando loathed recruiting and was also pretty bad at knowing what to look for/identifying guys that will develop, as seen with his slow playing of guys like Josh White and DeShaun White.  He almost definitely wouldn't have offered even Cooks at this point.

Ash and Hutzler have a pretty clear prospect profile they're going after, and Hutzler is actually doing the recruiting legwork.  

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14 minutes ago, tokamak said:

Yeah I was just going to comment that we seem much more active in LB recruiting than we have in years past. Is that due to Ash or a strong class in state or some combination thereof?

I think it's a combination of Ash wanting speed at the position ( and the entire defense) and the staff identifying the players.  All these LB offers are guys in the 195-210 lb range with the idea of adding 10-15 lb's.  We aren't going to see offers going to the 230 lb linebackers unless they are absolute freaks, like a De'Gabriel Floyd type.  

If Hutzler can get both of Cooks and Blackwell, and maybe the latest offer depending on #'s, then that'd be a fantastic LB haul.

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47 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

I don't think this year is much more stacked at LB than previous years.  There's always been good prospects to find, but Orlando loathed recruiting and was also pretty bad at knowing what to look for/identifying guys that will develop, as seen with his slow playing of guys like Josh White and DeShaun White.  He almost definitely wouldn't have offered even Cooks at this point.

Ash and Hutzler have a pretty clear prospect profile they're going after, and Hutzler is actually doing the recruiting legwork.  

maybe he just doesn't like White guys?

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58 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

I don't think this year is much more stacked at LB than previous years.  There's always been good prospects to find, but Orlando loathed recruiting and was also pretty bad at knowing what to look for/identifying guys that will develop, as seen with his slow playing of guys like Josh White and DeShaun White.  He almost definitely wouldn't have offered even Cooks at this point.

Ash and Hutzler have a pretty clear prospect profile they're going after, and Hutzler is actually doing the recruiting legwork.  

Pretty sure Cooks' offer went out when TO was still on staff.

But yeah, on board with the last sentence of your post

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