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Texas Recruiting Notes 2021


Reese Bennett

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Bud Elliot article on Commitments/De-Commitments:

Sometimes you know things are happening, but you don’t realize the full extent until you dig into the data. It happened this week. College football recruits were committing left and right. It seemed like a lot of them were giving their verbal pledges to schools.

 

247Sports design and social media specialist Ted Hyman also noticed the same, tweeting at the end of April that he was swamped with requests for commitment edits and graphics.

 

But was it really more than normal for this time of year?

 

In a word? Yes. Much more than I could have imagined.

 

“Wowww, so I’m not going crazy,” Hyman said when I sent him the data.

 

As of May 6, there are 627 committed recruits in the current class of rising seniors (class of 2021). As of May 6 of last year, there were 302 committed recruits (class of 2020). As of May 6 two years ago, there were 243. As of May 6 three years ago, there were 299.

 

The commitments are happening so fast and so early that as of May 6, 2020, we have more committed recruits than we had in any two previous years combined.

 

 

9755770.jpg?fit=bounds&crop=620:320,offset-y0.50&width=620&height=320(Photo: 247Sports)

 

 

 

The nationwide shutdown does seem to be the cause. The class of 2021 did not have that many more committed prospects pre-shutdown than normal years.

 

But since recruiting was effectively shut down on March 14, 424 prospects in the class of 2021 have committed. Compare that to 198 over the same period last year, 170 the year before, and 202 the year before that.

 

Keep in mind that in these eight classes. there have been no recruiting visits, either by recruits to a college campus or by coaches to high schools to see prospects in person. Schools and prospects are flying blind compared to the normal process.

 

Prospects are scrambling to secure spots in classes, even if they have never visited those campuses. Our analysts know of several prospects who have tried to commit to multiple schools only to be turned away before finally finding a home.

Some coaching staffs, particularly new staffs, are reluctant to take prospects site unseen because of the potential need to squeeze them out of a class could damage relationships in their states with power players and high school coaches. Many of those relationships have not yet been formed in-person due to the shutdown.

 

But many schools are willing to take them, even if it means having to drop them from their class later in the year. Schools are going ahead and taking prospects to whom they had issued, pre-shutdown, a “camp offer” (an offer that isn’t actually committable until the prospect shows up at a school’s summer camp and shows that he is as big or as athletic as advertised and works well with the school’s staff). They will, of course, attempt to keep the recruits committed who they later confirm are good enough to play for them.

 

And as schools take more commitments, it creates panic in the mind of uncommitted recruits, who then call up schools trying to commit and secure a spot.

 

We might be heading for an epic season of decommitments in the fall.

 

And this isn’t purely about the numbers. In a typical year, many prospects commit in June and July after visiting schools and participating in camps. It’s entirely possible that by mid-July, the class of 2021’s committed numbers look similar to what a normal year looks like in Mid-July. After all, there are only so many scholarship spots available in a class.

 

The greater reason for the course correction will be the information schools normally acquire in spring and summer being instead attained in the fall. And new information means new actions being taken based on that information.

 

Normally, schools have in-person evaluations of prospects and verified height, weight, speed, and agility numbers at their disposal when deciding to take a commitment. This year, they do not.

 

Without summer camps and the spring evaluation period, there are a lot of players committed to schools who won’t stay committed to them in the fall.

 

But once coaches are allowed to get back on the road and eyeball prospects in person, schools will begin dropping some of the players they took. And some schools who thought they had a hidden gem committed are going to lose out as the elite programs come offering, securing flips.

 

Add to that the fact that many prospects have not visited campus and will find out they actually like School A over School B once they actually get to take trips, and the recipes are all there for some fireworks in the Fall.

 

87COMMENTS

This, of course, assumes that visits open up again in time for prospects to be able to take multiple visits and form relationships. If the time for available visits is short, and National Signing Day remains the same date, it’s quite possible that prospects elect to stick with their commitments.

 

But if prospects resume taking visits in the late summer of Fall as normal, we might have more flips than the Olympics.

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(Mike Roach) The Stampede: Where does Texas go moving forward?

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Last week on the recruiting cycle had its share of ups and downs for the Longhorns on the recruiting trail. Despite adding two new members of the class in Jonathon Brooks and Casey Cain, Texas lost out on priority targets on the board.  Clayton Smith's decision to pick Oklahoma developed a bit out of nowhere and the Longhorns saw Hal Presley go off the board to Baylor.

While Texas was able to add two new commits, neither was as highly-rated as the prospects they lost.  While Texas is perceived as reaching for some prospects, we were told the staff believed and trusted in their evaluations.  Texas also seems to be trending in the right way for a few prospects and engaged in some tough battles for others. In this edition of The Stampede, Horns247's weekly gathering of recruiting intel, we discuss a ton of nuggets regarding Texas commits and priority targets.

—Last week brought a ton of movement to the Texas recruiting board. The commitments that happened last week were likely a direct result of the NCAA’s announcement that the dead period would be extended until June 30. That announcement all but put an end to the possibility of summer visits. July usually has its own dead period which leads into the season and from talking to multiple college sources, it doesn’t sound like the NCAA plans to drop that dead period at this time.

—In the case of Clayton Smith, things changed quickly. I was never explicitly told that Texas was the outright leader, but the Longhorns were certainly in a strong position with him over the last few months. After speaking to someone very close to Smith last week, I was told he looked at all of his schools closely and made the decision to pick Oklahoma. In fact, out of the top three, I was told Oklahoma was third just a few weeks ago, but after doing some research, I was told that the Sooners “checked all the boxes” for the four-star linebacker and his biggest worry with Texas was the stability of the coaching staff moving forward. A separate source near Smith said they were surprised everything went as quickly as it did. Just two weeks ago, Smith was talking about all the time he had to make his decision. I was informed last Sunday that Oklahoma was the school at the top of his mind, but even then, I was told he still planned to wait a while to make his decision. Once everything leaked that he made a silent commitment, he decided to go forward with the public announcement.

—Over the weekend I dug in more on New Orleans (LA) Warren Easton wide receiver Casey Cain and his decision to commit to Texas. I know there was some dispute over his offer list and relative ranking, but I think it’s important to stress that this kid is a player the Texas coaches see something in. Talking with Cain, he made it clear that Mike Yurcich and Andre Coleman recruited him like he was a priority from the moment they offered. One source I spoke with said Texas saw tremendous upside in Cain and thought he was just scratching the surface on how good he could be as a player. He hasn’t been polished by a trainer like most kids in Texas are, but they felt he was a guy who could be developed into a weapon. In checking around with New Orleans sources, they couldn’t say enough what a great kid Cain is and how motivated he is to continue to get better. Regardless of what you think of the take, the Texas staff feels that Cain has exactly what they want.

—Over the weekend, Mansfield Summit wide receiver Hal Presley decided to make his commitment to Baylor. When he trimmed his list of top schools a few weeks ago, I was told that it would likely be a head-to-head battle between the Longhorns and Bears. This was a recruitment I felt could go somewhere if it played out over time, but the Bears had been in contact with Presley for a while and offered a little over a month before Texas. I’m not sure the timing of the offer made that big of a difference in the long run, but Presley never got to visit to Texas as an offered prospect. In the last week, Baylor landed three receivers leading up to Presley’s commitment and likely used that momentum to land the DFW deep threat.

—As I reported last week, Texas is making a big push for Pompano Beach (Fla.) Monarch wide receiver Jaden Alexis. Alexis spoke with Horns247 for an in-depth interview last week and said the Longhorns are very much on his mind. In speaking with sources in Austin, I was told Texas feels strong about where things stand with the speedy wideout. In fact, I was told by a couple of sources that the feel is the Longhorns are at the worst in a co-lead for Alexis. Several of the current commits have been in contact with him as well, and Alexis mentioned forming a bond with Jalen Milroe and Landen King. I’ve heard enough smoke around Alexis that I’m close to putting in a crystal ball pick for the Longhorns. My only reservation is that I don’t have a ton of strong sources in south Florida, so I’d like to take a little more time to see what I can find out.

—Royse City wide receiver Ketron Jackson recently released a Top 14 and Texas made the list. Jackson plans on making his decision later in the fall from what I know, but so far players saying that are nearly one hundred percent in making a quick decision right after. I spoke with Ketron two weeks ago and he stressed that he wanted to wait. Baylor was a school he was very interested in, but as I mentioned earlier, they picked up four receivers in the past week. Arkansas and TCU are two other schools I know that Jackson likes, but Texas is trying to gain ground. I mentioned a few weeks ago that Jackson grew up wanting to go to Texas but their delay in offering gave him pause. Those around him have explained that Texas had changeover in staff which resulted in a delayed offer. The longer this goes, the better it is for Texas, and they need to cash in on Jackson.

—As I reported last night, four-star Denton Guyer cornerback Deuce Harmon and his family visited Austin yesterday. Deuce has been to Austin before on several basketball visits when his brother De’Vion Harmon was being recruited by Shaka Smart, but he’s never been on a football visit of his own. The visit wasn’t a big deal. While in town to check on some businesses they have some investments in, they decided to go look at campus and get a lay of the land. They were able to check out some of the progress on the south end zone and look at the location of the dorms. With the campus closed and nobody around, it was hard for them to get a complete look. The family is waiting to see when visits will resume so they can continue gathering data about their top schools. They’d like to make official visits and Texas would be on that list. However, they may choose to make an earlier decision depending on when visits resumed. No matter where they choose, I expect they will still take their share of visits even if Deuce is committed.

—There’s not much new to report on four-star Kennedale safety JD Coffey.  Sources near him indicate Texas is still in a strong position and he’s been connecting with several commits in the class.  If I had to guess, I’d say Coffey makes a decision in the next month and my pick is still on Texas.

—Five-star running back Camar Wheaton has been a topic of conversation recently. There are two people very close to Wheaton and important in the decision process, and I was able to speak to both over the weekend. They’ve been trying to get Wheaton to narrow down his choices, and they’ve succeeded in knocking off a few schools. Still, both sources said that Wheaton is totally unpredictable at this point and those closest to him are having a hard time getting a read on him. I was told once again that Oklahoma and Texas are two of the schools in the heaviest contention with LSU in the picture and SMU to a lesser extent. I was told that Wheaton has a lot of admiration for Stan Drayton, but Oklahoma’s offense is an appealing system for him. I asked both sources to make a call on who it would be and neither of them felt comfortable even guessing at this point.

—Dallas Kimball cornerback Ishmael Ibraheem has been a huge priority for Texas since Jay Valai arrived in Austin. The Texas staff has been in heavy contact with the four-star cornerback, and he’s been very receptive. That’s important because Ibraheem is nearly impossible to get on the phone, but I’m told he looks forward to his meetings with Ash and Valai. One source near Ibraheem told me the quarantine is helping Texas because Austin is one of the few places he visited and that bodes well for Texas. LSU is the other school in the race for Ibraheem, but I think Texas holds an edge right now.

 

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1 hour ago, satyanash said:

(Mike Roach) The Stampede: Where does Texas go moving forward?

C. Smith: I was told that the Sooners “checked all the boxes” for the four-star linebacker and his biggest worry with Texas was the stability of the coaching staff moving forward

yet his DC at OU is a guy who going back to his time as a GA in 2002 job hopped every single time a better opportunity popped up

  • 02-04 - GA at Mizzou
  • 05-08 - CB/DB/RC at New Hampshire
  • 09-11 - DB coach at Wyoming
  • 12-14 - Safety coach at Mizzou
  • 15-17 - DC at Washington State
  • 18 - tOSU co-DC
  • 19- current - DC at OU

but sure, "stability of coaching staff" is something you are worried about.

Arrested Development Eye Roll GIF

Edited by NoName
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16 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

So, thoughts on a possible WR haul of Cain, Alexis, and Ketron Jackson??

I'm fine with each one individually.. as a 4th or 5th WR take in a class. There's no headliner there who is a good bet to be a difference maker within three years on campus. 

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8 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

So, thoughts on a possible WR haul of Cain, Alexis, and Ketron Jackson??

All reports say that the staff loves Cain and are trusting their evaluation that he's an under the radar take. I've been personally bitching about their inability to shut guys down and Herman's evals have panned out in the past. That said, we have not seen an under the radar type like Cain developed into a contributor (Epps, Pouncey, even Woodard as a .95 guy), so I'm not mad at it, but hopefully success in-season causes Yurch to make some tough decisions about what the final class looks like.  

Alexis and Jackson are good takes. Alexis' speed and culture fit make him an obvious fit and Jackson is the best in-state receiver (we've offered) left on the board.

If you told me Sturdivant is a definite no and JoJo doesn't flip, the ideal is Alexis, Jackson, and JJ Henry, Cain as a flyer if you have space but should be looking to flip Presley for that spot. 

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4 minutes ago, NoName said:

but sure, "stability of coaching staff" is something you are worried about.

Arrested Development Eye Roll GIF

It's not about the DC it's about Tom Herman and it's not just OU that's pushing this narrative. Honestly, any team in the region that isn't pushing it is probably doing a bad job. I'd be doing the same. 

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3 minutes ago, golfclap said:

It's not about the DC it's about Tom Herman and it's not just OU that's pushing this narrative. Honestly, any team in the region that isn't pushing it is probably doing a bad job. I'd be doing the same. 

Fair enough.

I just think it's funny that anyone anywhere actually believe that there is stability in coaching - with a handful of exceptions - at either the head or coordinator level. 

I would argue it is pretty likely that in the next 2 seasons neither Herman or Riley are at their current schools but that is just me. 

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I suppose it depends on what jobs open up in the next few seasons but If Riley didn't jump to the NFL this offseason I'm not sure he's looking to anytime soon

Grinch is probably going to start getting HC offers in the next couple seasons (provided OU's defense ends up playing with a pulse) so his departure is more likely imo

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3 minutes ago, NoName said:

Fair enough.

I just think it's funny that anyone anywhere actually believe that there is stability in coaching - with a handful of exceptions - at either the head or coordinator level. 

I would argue it is pretty likely that in the next 2 seasons neither Herman or Riley are at their current schools but that is just me. 

Herman is on the proverbial "hot seat". Riley has made the playoffs the past two years. There is a pretty big chasm there. 

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4 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

Herman is on the proverbial "hot seat". Riley has made the playoffs the past two years. There is a pretty big chasm there. 

to be fair i am saying he will go to the NFL, not get fired, because nobody likes to throw $Texas around like NFL owners

 

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5 minutes ago, Bolero88 said:

I'd rather have Bryce Stephens than any of those guys, and we haven't even offered him yet. I don't understnd our WR recruiting strategy this year. 

Hm, not a particularly different offer list than those dudes: https://247sports.com/Player/Bryce-Stephens-46081654/

(obviously, they all have a better one than Cain)

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Just now, golfclap said:

It's not about the DC it's about Tom Herman and it's not just OU that's pushing this narrative. Honestly, any team in the region that isn't pushing it is probably doing a bad job. I'd be doing the same. 

Correct. 

  1. Texas upgraded both coordinators. Yurch might be a push with Beck on the recruiting front, but scheme alone is an upgrade at both spots.  
  2. Texas upgraded each position coach that was replaced. Maybe Washington has more value than Hagen, but only as a recruiter and they aren't exactly parallels
  3. Despite 1 & 2, Texas' defensive coach castoffs land at USC and build recruiting momentum despite having a coach actually on the hot seat

We're just being out-recruited which is a liability that is new to the Herman era. 

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31 minutes ago, Ricky's one-hitter said:

All reports say that the staff loves Cain and are trusting their evaluation that he's an under the radar take. I've been personally bitching about their inability to shut guys down and Herman's evals have panned out in the past. That said, we have not seen an under the radar type like Cain developed into a contributor (Epps, Pouncey, even Woodard as a .95 guy), so I'm not mad at it, but hopefully success in-season causes Yurch to make some tough decisions about what the final class looks like.  

Alexis and Jackson are good takes. Alexis' speed and culture fit make him an obvious fit and Jackson is the best in-state receiver (we've offered) left on the board.

If you told me Sturdivant is a definite no and JoJo doesn't flip, the ideal is Alexis, Jackson, and JJ Henry, Cain as a flyer if you have space but should be looking to flip Presley for that spot. 

Well considering those guys were being coached by Mehringer and Meekins, neither of who were even shitty WR coaches, should we really be surprised the WRs haven't improved much on campus?

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I've seen a lot of talk about not loving the WR targets/takes but my question is - who outside of Jojo Earle and Quay Davis who is a screaming take? Bryson Green? JJ Henry? Hal Pressley? Elijah Bean? Dylan Goffney? 

A lot of the same people that are questioning the Cain take are talking about Sturdivant needing an offer. Let's be clear Sturdivant has had A LOT more training and coaching with a lesser frame (shorter arms) and almost identical testing numbers. If you are championing Studivant and not liking the Cain take, that seems like it's about rankings because I think Cain has more upside/potential. Alexis' ranking places him behind in state Texas guys like Bryson Green but he's a WAY more athletic and dynamic player. He just happens to have 3 stars right now as well. I'm ok with taking 10.75 100 guys that have a dad that played in the NFL and know what's expected of them in terms of work/dedication. 

I don't know that I am in love with any of them but if the class is Cain, Alexis, Jackson, and a late riser (Cam Bonner or Knox) while staying on Earle and Quay to the bitter end I'm not hating it either. I still think Quay ends up at Texas in the end, honestly. 

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3 minutes ago, golfclap said:

I still think Quay ends up at Texas in the end, honestly. 

Without having any idea what the bridge too far is built from, I'm curious what the rest of the class thinks about Quay coming on. There has been a lot of public and private recruiting by the commits and none of the public stuff has been directed at Davis, even when he was a reengaged silent. 

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7 minutes ago, golfclap said:

I don't know that I am in love with any of them but if the class is Cain, Alexis, Jackson, and a late riser (Cam Bonner or Knox) while staying on Earle and Quay to the bitter end I'm not hating it either. I still think Quay ends up at Texas in the end, honestly. 

I think it's about the timing more than anything. Cain is the late-riser and we took him in May.

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Just now, golfclap said:

I've seen a lot of talk about not loving the WR targets/takes but my question is - who outside of Jojo Earle and Quay Davis who is a screaming take? Bryson Green? JJ Henry? Hal Pressley? Elijah Bean? Dylan Goffney? 

A lot of the same people that are questioning the Cain take are talking about Sturdivant needing an offer. Let's be clear Sturdivant has had A LOT more training and coaching with a lesser frame (shorter arms) and almost identical testing numbers. If you are championing Studivant and not liking the Cain take, that seems like it's about rankings because I think Cain has more upside/potential. Alexis' ranking places him behind in state Texas guys like Bryson Green but he's a WAY more athletic and dynamic player. He just happens to have 3 stars right now as well. I'm ok with taking 10.75 100 guys that have a dad that played in the NFL and know what's expected of them in terms of work/dedication. 

I don't know that I am in love with any of them but if the class is Cain, Alexis, Jackson, and a late riser (Cam Bonner or Knox) while staying on Earle and Quay to the bitter end I'm not hating it either. I still think Quay ends up at Texas in the end, honestly. 

I like Alexis and Jackson a good bit, but the Cain take is pretty underwhelming IMO. His film isn’t overly impressive, and testing times are horrible. His best 200 m time on athletic is 24.01, which is pretty yikes. I just don’t see a lot of upside to the take. If you’re gonna take an under the radar guy, I’d like it to be someone with better measurables that suggest a higher ceiling, but Coleman, Yurcich, and Herman all have pretty good track records do identifying low rated guys that turn out so they deserve some leeway on this one. 
 

Im with Fud in that I don’t think any of them are horrible takes individually, but none of them should be the best guy in your class. If we land a WR1, then all 3 of these would look a lot better, but I struggle to see who that would be. If it’s Quay, I’d still find that iffy because he’s got a really high attrition risk. 

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1 minute ago, Burt Macklin said:

I like Alexis and Jackson a good bit, but the Cain take is pretty underwhelming IMO. His film isn’t overly impressive, and testing times are horrible. His best 200 m time on athletic is 24.01, which is pretty yikes. I just don’t see a lot of upside to the take. If you’re gonna take an under the radar guy, I’d like it to be someone with better measurables that suggest a higher ceiling, but Coleman, Yurcich, and Herman all have pretty good track records do identifying low rated guys that turn out so they deserve some leeway on this one. 
 

Im with Fud in that I don’t think any of them are horrible takes individually, but none of them should be the best guy in your class. If we land a WR1, then all 3 of these would look a lot better, but I struggle to see who that would be. If it’s Quay, I’d still find that iffy because he’s got a really high attrition risk. 

Honestly wild that Texas only has one true WR1 guy (I'm including mental eval) this year when the stereotype is endless armies of well-coached four-stars with track speed and 5 TDs a game in spread offenses.

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5 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Honestly wild that Texas only has one true WR1 guy (I'm including mental eval) this year when the stereotype is endless armies of well-coached four-stars with track speed and 5 TDs a game in spread offenses.

It's crazy isn't it? We've seen CB classes that have fallen the same way. it's crazier still when you factor that what 19 Texas QBs have committed? 

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Also of note, it's really interesting to me that Cain is a direct Yurcich eval and target. That's one thing that's given me a long pause on the signing. If this was coming directly from Coleman I'd have more trepidation, but the fact that his entire recruitment has come from Yurcich ...   it grabs my attention. 

 

It's also not lost on me that Warren Easton puts out a ton of d1 players and is one of the few schools in LA that is anti-LSU. 

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11 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Honestly wild that Texas only has one true WR1 guy (I'm including mental eval) this year when the stereotype is endless armies of well-coached four-stars with track speed and 5 TDs a game in spread offenses.

 

Last year there were 5 stars like Demas and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.  We don't have those this year.  But if we look at high/mid 4 stars, 

2020 WRs in Texas: 3 in Top 150 (overall), 5 in Top 247 (overall)

2021 WRs in Texas: 6 in Top 150 (overall), 8 in Top 247 (overall)

Maybe you're discounting most of the 2021 guys on the basis of mental eval ... but the numbers are there.

 

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11 minutes ago, Getafix said:

 

Last year there were 5 stars like Demas and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.  We don't have those this year.  But if we look at high/mid 4 stars, 

2020 WRs in Texas: 3 in Top 150 (overall), 5 in Top 247 (overall)

2021 WRs in Texas: 6 in Top 150 (overall), 8 in Top 247 (overall)

Maybe you're discounting most of the 2021 guys on the basis of mental eval ... but the numbers are there.

 

How many of the Texas WRs this year make you go "Damn, that guy is going to be a problem"? Even on a Loic Fuounji level it's slim pickings.

It's just Earle and Davis. That's what I mean. There's still some reasonable talent, but almost none of it is very exciting.

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(Justin Wells) Inside Scoop: Crucial weeks ahead, notes/quotes on WR recruiting, latest offers

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By: Eric Nahlin and Justin Wells

It's Monday. Let's Scoop.

CRUCIAL WEEKS AHEAD

Maybe it’s the inherent optimism that follows the stock market being up after a bad stretch, or learning the Texas coaches will return to their offices today, but I’m feeling pretty good about the season on this Monday morning. I guess it could be lack of humidity and being able to write while sitting outside as well. With one bad outbreak, the situation could change swiftly, but for now it feels like we’re making strides toward restoring normalcy.

For a few weeks now I’ve mentioned the hope has been players would be able to return to using school facilities for workouts on June 1st. That remains right on schedule. Ten players will be allowed in the gym at a time. These workouts are voluntary, and the whole team might not be back by then, but we expect a notable amount of participation. The hope remains the team will return in its entirety by early July so they can begin to ramp up workouts ahead of *fingers crossed* August practices.

Workouts are continuing apace. The players are all doing the same workouts, just on their own schedule and in whatever facility they can find. Gyms opening up leave no excuses to not get in barbell work. The coaches will Zoom with players and signees on Wednesday.

2021 RECRUITING

The Markcubantakingnotes.gif is probably the best way to follow the cycle for the foreseeable future. If you’re frustrated, I would try to keep your blood pressure down. We’re not close to the tipping point last June/July appeared to be. On the flip side, I’m not sure I’d be trying to justify the current state of Texas recruiting. There is a ton of work left to do in a class where the trend lines are blurry.

Missing on Clayton Smith isn’t a good development. He isn’t a fungible talent. That’s not the same as trading Hal Presley for Casey Cain, even if Presley appears to be a better prospect than Cain. The story of the class won’t be written until the fall. Despite kids committing earlier amid the uncertainty, the most crucial time in the cycle will be during the season when they’re able to take visits. We don’t think campus visits will be restored until the fall. Said a source, “it’s already going to be tough enough to manage the situation without bringing in people from all over the country. I’m a bit worried about fall visits, too.”

Some guys committing to even quality schools are seeing their decision as impermanent. Many will follow through on their original commitment, but when it comes to NSD1, the in-season product will matter more than last season.

COLLEGE SOURCE

I talked to a good source regarding college football and he made the point, budgets are going to be tighter than ever regarding buyouts. Most of the coaches who will be removed will already be on their last legs with manageable contracts or ones close to expiring. Essentially, those coaches will have been on the way out anyway. If you’re a fan of the morbid curiosity that is the coaching carousel (yes, yes I am), the ride likely won’t be as dizzying as it usually is.

This source also made the point, “we’re going to find out once and for all if Texas really wants to win. If they don’t clean up with the new likeness rules, we’ll finally have the answer many have wondered about. The excuses for Texas Football are drying up.”

QUICK NOTE ON THE BROCKS

While many are looking for a safety school, the Brockermeyer twins have all the leverage they need to take their time and that appears to be what their intentions are. They’ve already visited all the schools that have a decent chance and have developed strong relationships. They seem intent on letting the season help inform their decision. At one point there was a chance they would decide during the summer but I don’t think that will happen.

Last year Texas had to land Bijan Robinson, Vernon Broughton, and Alfred Collins. It did. This year, to have a successful class (not to be confused with excellent) in my opinion, the staff has to land the Brockermeyers, Terrence Cooks, Shemar Turner, and Ishmael Ibraheem. You could add Landon Jackson to that, too.

KETRON JACKSON

Wide receiver recruiting in 2021 has been... something. One guy that Texas still remains in good standing with dropped his list of top schools over the weekend. At 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Jackson is a priority for UT, if athletic traits does it for you. We played some word association with the four-star from Royse City on his top 14.

Texas - Dream school
Auburn - Hardworking
LSU - Culture
Alabama - Success
TCU - Successful coach
Ole Miss - Great people
Arkansas - Loving people/Coaches
Texas A&M - Fan base
Oregon State - Beautiful sight
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He remains indifferent about his timeline. "I really don't have one," said Jackson. "I was thinking either this summer or after the football season." Watch TCU and Arkansas here. Jackson says he's hopeful he can film his commitment video over the next month. Texas continues to look good here, but with this cycle, I'm not taking anything for granted.

CASEY CAIN

The New Orleans native committed to Texas on Friday. At 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, the three-star looks like an outside receiver or big slot in the Herman/Yurcich offense. His offer list might be light in the britches, but he's got talent and upside. Hopefully he's the floor for this class. Cain explained to me why he chose UT. “When it came to recruiting wise, Texas showed that they wanted me the most," said Cain. "Even during the pandemic and not being able to visit, they found a way to make it happen and the effort was never short. I’ve built a good relationship with the coaches that are going to be surrounding me so that made me feel more comfortable the decision."

While he's an Andre Coleman take, it's the UT offensive coordinator selling the message. "Also (Texas OC) Mike Yurcich has a specific plan for me in his offense," Cain said. "I can’t argue with that especially with how much they throw the ball.” Cain sees what Texas has done through the air the last two seasons. He sees what Yurcich did at Oklahoma State and Ohio State. This was a no-brainer.

PRINCE KOLLIE

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound linebacker from David Crockett High School in Jonesborough, Tennessee picked up a Texas verbal invitation recently. The three-star (.88 composite) holds 33 offers, including Auburn, Georgia, OU, and Tennessee. He picked up Notre Dame last night. After Arlington Martin's Morice Blackwell joined the Longhorns' class last week, and with Texas in good standing with Shadow Creek's Terrence Cooks, the staff can be picky with its linebacker takes in 2021. New Caney's Derrick Harris Jr. is likely a Jack.

“Recruiting has been really good," said Kollie. "I’m thankful and blessed to be in the process." The Tennessee product currently has a few schools standing out for his services. "Schools like Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, and Texas stand out for me," said Kollie. "I’m looking for a brotherhood culture, a family with dependable young men around me that I don’t have to question if they are playing hard or not.”

Kollie is a throwback of sorts, with an old-school mentality coupled with inside 'backer traits. He wants to visit Texas when visits become a thing again, but wrestling him away from the SEC might be a tall task. The fact Texas looks great for in-state LB targets in a good sign as well.

KOJO ANTWI

Out-of-state recruiting offers remain on the UT staff's agenda. The 2022 wide receiver from Lambert High School in Suwanee, GA product picked up a Texas offer last week. Antwi tallied 679 yards on 48 catches, and six scores in his sophomore season. The recruiting process has been a welcome surprise for the southeast product. “It’s overwhelming but really fun," Antwi said. "I like meeting new coaches and building relationships with them.”

With 21 offers including Auburn, Oregon, Florida State, Penn State, Georgia, and Ole Miss, the four-star is picking up serious steam. He already knows what he wants in his future program. “I’m looking for a good academic school, a good sports program, and great fans," said Antwi. Antwi isn't close to narrowing his schools down, but he's got a few he'd really like to see soon. “FSU, Oregon, Tennessee, Georgia, and I really want to visit Ohio State," Antwi said. "Hopefully I can get an offer from (tOSU).”

Does Texas have a shot? “I got some family in Houston," said Antwi. "It's only a 2-hour drive. I'd really like to visit."

 

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3 minutes ago, texifornia said:

How many of the Texas WRs this year make you go "Damn, that guy is going to be a problem"? Even on a Loic Fuounji level it's slim pickings.

It's just Earle and Davis. That's what I mean. There's still some reasonable talent, but almost none of it is very exciting.

There are elite traits in that upper-middle group, though. Knox is one of the fastest players in-state. They just aren't complete WR prospects in the same way JoJo and Quay are this cycle. 

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43 minutes ago, Getafix said:

Maybe you're discounting most of the 2021 guys on the basis of mental eval ... but the numbers are there.

 

the numbers are there but the evals are not. For example Sturdivant is ranked 13 in TX by 247.

4.67 40 and a 4.31 shuttle 22.3 200m. He does this not at 6'5" but at 6'2" and 180.

 

Jaxson Smith-Njigba 6'1" 199

4.59 40 - 3.91 shuttle

Demond Demas 6'3" 182

4.43 40 - 4.09 shuttle 

Loic Fouonji   6'5"

21.9 200m

Quinten Johnson 

Freak athleticism and size.

 

Hell, Parker Washington was just another name in the 2020 class. He had really good film and his testing? 

4.57 40 - 4.13 shuttle at 200 pounds. 

 

How about Collin Sullivan from RR (Texas kicked the tires on him post-QJ)  ended up at Purdue. 

4.48 40 - 4.08 shuttle - 6'2.5" 194 

 

 

the level of athlete in this WR class is just down in 2021, the rankings may not reflect it but guys like Sturdivant and Cody Jackson simply don't have the measureables to be ranked where they are. It's Jojo Earle, Quay Davis, and a bunch of guys.

Edited by golfclap
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4 minutes ago, golfclap said:

the numbers are there but the evals are not. For example Sturdivant is ranked 13 in TX by 247.

4.67 40 and a 4.31 shuttle 22.3 200m. He does this not at 6'5" but at 6'2" and 180.

 

Jaxson Smith-Njigba 6'1" 199

4.59 40 - 3.91 shuttle

Demond Demas 6'3" 182

4.43 40 - 4.09 shuttle 

Loic Fouonji   6'5"

21.9 200m

Quinten Johnson 

Freak athleticism and size.

 

Hell, Parker Washington was just another name in the 2020 class. He had really good film and his testing? 

4.57 40 - 4.13 shuttle at 200 pounds. 

 

How about Collin Sullivan from RR (Texas kicked the tires on him post-QJ)  ended up at Purdue. 

4.48 40 - 4.08 shuttle - 6'2.5" 194 

 

 

the level of athlete in this WR class is just down in 2021, the rankings may not reflect it but guys like Sturdivant and Cody Jackson simply don't have the measureables to be ranked where they are. It's Jojo Earle, Quay Davis, and a bunch of guys.

Comparing everyone to Sturdivant is a bit misleading. 

Elijah Bean: 6'5, 185

21.75 200m

Teddy Knox: 5'10, 167

4.42 40m, 10.4 100m

Even Brady Boyd (6'1, 175) tests well with a 4.42 verified and a 4.22 shuttle

 

 

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