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Texas Recruiting Notes 2021


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1 hour ago, Hiphopopotamos said:

 

Jaden Alexis is a 3 star who is 6'1" and runs a 4.4 and 10.6 and has a dad who had a short NFL career. Interesting that his offer list isn't better and his ranking isn't higher. He must play for a running team or have hands like a DB.

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2 hours ago, longhornmatt said:

Although I guess some of the reported offers might not be committable or accurately reported, if you just go by the reported offers for Alexis then he’s in the top tier of WR targets with Earle and Davis.  Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Florida State, Miami, Tennessee and aggy have all offered.  

That plus the track times means he’s going to get a big bump in the rankings at some point before signing day.  The services will probably wait a couple of update cycles before they make the move, because they will ostensibly need some new game tape or other “new information” to justify it rather than admitting they just blew an obvious evaluation the first time.  See:  Billy Bowman’s rankings timeline even though his sophomore film and track times could have made him a 5 star in the senior class that year.  But they had to pretend he made a jump in his junior year play instead of acknowledging they just hadn’t done their diligence on him before ranking him initially.  

247 is doing another rankings update next month for offensive players so I bet Alexis gets a bump then.  Rivals recently made him a 4*.

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Mike Roach Stampede part 1

The 2021 recruiting cycle has been one of incredible ups and downs for the Texas staff.  For each piece of good news, it seems that Texas faces a bit of bad news.  In that spirit, I bring you another round of up and down news. 

Texas is surging for multiple targets on their board while they appear to be more of a wildcard for some others.  As the recruiting class faces a pandemic that could shape it in unprecedented ways, the Texas staff plows ahead in hopes that a strong performance in the fall could change the trajectory of this class.

We have so much information this week we've decided to double up on the amount of scoop we drop on Monday morning.  

In the first part of this week's edition of The Stampede, Horns247's weekly gathering of recruiting intel, we discuss the latest in tight end recruiting, new crystal ball picks in favor of the Longhorns, long term recruiting strategy for Texas and much more. 

WHERE DO THINGS STAND AT THE TIGHT END POSIITON?

2021 TE Landen King (Photo: Brian Perroni, 247Sports)

 

Texas lost a commitment from Landen King on Friday. I spent the weekend digging deeper on the issue and, it sounds like there was really nothing Texas could do. I’ve been critical at times of the Texas staff in this cycle, but I’m not sure anyone could have done anything different to change the situation. King simply felt he made the decision too quickly and sources near him said he felt an attraction to the SEC.  Nick Harris will have more on possible tight end options in part two of The Stampede.

I mentioned that Georgia and Alabama were two schools recruiting him hard before picking Texas, and Auburn is in that mix as well. The Tigers are thought to be in strong position after landing a commitment from King’s close friend Dematrius Davis. Auburn is also targeting former Texas commit Lake McRee at the position. King is also still considering Texas, and I’m told that Texas still likes him despite the fact that a decommitment leaves some tension on both sides. I’d expect Texas to continue to pursue the Atascocita tight end while looking for other targets at the position.

TEXAS SURGING FOR MULTIPLE TARGETS?

Four-star cornerback Ishmael Ibraheem(Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)

 

Late last night I entered a Texas crystal ball pick for four-star Kimball cornerback Ishmael Ibraheem. I’ve spoken in the past about the job Jay Valai and Chris Ash are doing with Ibraheem, and I feel they’ve moved into the lead. Texas is one of the schools Ibraheem was able to visit before the quarantine, and the coaches have been all over him since they arrived in Austin. 

One of the sources I spoke with in Austin said the Longhorns had Ibraheem very high on the board and viewed him as the player with the most upside at the position in the country. Add in Ibraheem’s relationship with Texas target JD Coffey who is also trending for the Longhorns and there are a lot of things working in favor of the Texas staff. I’ve heard Ibraheem could be closing in on a decision this summer and as soon as the next month or two.

Pompano Beach (Fla.) Monarch WR Jaden Alexis (Photo: Andrew Ivins, 247Sports)

 

I also entered a crystal ball for Pompano Beach (Fla.) Monarch wide receiver Jaden Alexis. This is a bit more of a projection with a slightly lower confidence score. I’ve heard really strong things about Texas and the speedy wide receiver, and a source I spoke with indicated the Texas staff felt strong about where they stood. My only trepidation is a lack of strong sourcing in Florida.  So far, everyone I spoke with out there acknowledged Texas was a school on Alexis’ mind, but they were having a hard time reading him right now.  This is one I’m going to enter and monitor closely over the next few months and the story will be how high or how low the confidence score goes.

WHERE DOES TEXAS STAND WITH KETRON JACKSON?

(Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)

 

Speaking of wide receivers, I’ve been doing some digging on Royse City wide receiver Ketron Jackson. The four-star pass catcher remains quiet, but Texas has been trying to come on since offering in March. The Longhorns are at a bit of a disadvantage with the inability to host visits and Jackson made the rounds to the other schools on his list before the quarantine. In talking with Jackson and those around him, I get the feeling Texas will hang around in this race though it’s tough to get a true read on it. In talking to sources, Arkansas and TCU are the schools mentioned for him the most while Baylor holds strong position (despite having almost a full class at receiver already). The idea I get is that Texas is a bit of a wildcard in this race, and their long-term outlook is almost directly tied to how long Jackson waits on his recruitment and how Texas plays this fall.

WHO HOLDS THE EDGE FOR ANDREW MUKUBA?

Over the last week I’ve tried to dive in on Andrew Mukuba to determine where things stand with the Austin LBJ safety. He recently released a Top 12, but right now, it sounds like only three schools are a factor in the equation for him. Texas, Clemson and LSU are the ones I hear the most for Mukuba and the leader depends on when and who you talk to. One source I spoke with said Mukuba is tough to nail down because he frequently changes his focus when talking behind the scenes. Chris Ash is working diligently in this recruitment and I’m told that Mukuba has an affinity for him. That said, other schools have been in his ear about instability on the Texas staff. It will be interesting to see Mukuba’s actions once quarantine lifts and he’s able to take visits.

TEXAS STILL IN CONTACT WITH COMMITTED PROSPECTS

LSU commit JoJo Earle (Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)

 

 

 

 

Fall results are starting to play a big role in the way this recruiting cycle will ultimately unfold.  A source I spoke with said the staff understands what’s at stake and feels they have the experience necessary to win this year with the current state of Big 12 turnover.  If they do, they feel they might be able to flip some guys down the line or capitalize once the expected wave of decommitments hits this fall.  The staff is trying to keep in contact with everyone, and that includes targets that have already made commitments.

I’m told that contact with Clayton Smith is running cold since he committed to Oklahoma, but the Longhorns have been able to keep the lines of communication open with LSU commits JoJo Earle and Landon Jackson. Don’t take this to mean that either of those guys are close to decommitting because I believe they are solid in their commitments, but the continued communication could be the difference maker if the Longhorns have a big year.

BACKGROUND ON NEWEST TEXAS OFFER

The Texas staff made a few offers over the weekend, and one I really liked was Garland Lakeview Centennial DL Ikechukwu Iwunnah. The big defensive lineman is raw, but at 6-foot-4, 275 pounds, he shows some interesting things on film. Iwunnah also competes in track and field where he throws the discus and even triple jumped at an event this year. I’m a big fan of finding athletic big frames on the defensive line and developing them, and that’s what it looks like Texas is targeting here. The Longhorns have been in contact with Iwunnah for about a month before offering and it sounds like the Centennial staff has been pleased by their approach. Mark Hagen is the lead on this recruitment and I’m told Texas is expected to be a front runner. Iwunnah is the teammate of five-star running back Camar Wheaton, but it sounds doesn’t sound like Iwunnah will influence him much. I was told it won’t hurt, but it probably wouldn’t help that much either way. Centennial is loaded with talent this year. Outside of Wheaton and Iwunnah, Lakeview Centennial’s center Ezra Oyetade is another guy with a ton of upside on the offensive line. I’m told the Longhorns have looked into Oyetade as well but they haven’t offered as of yet.

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7 hours ago, Bevo said:

Jaden Alexis is a 3 star who is 6'1" and runs a 4.4 and 10.6 and has a dad who had a short NFL career. Interesting that his offer list isn't better and his ranking isn't higher. He must play for a running team or have hands like a DB.

His offer list is pretty good.

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(Nick Harris) The Stampede (Pt. 2): Recruiting intel on Houston prospects

The 2021 recruiting cycle has been one of incredible ups and downs for the Texas staff.  For each piece of good news, it seems that Texas faces a bit of bad news.  In that spirit, I bring you another round of up and down news. Texas is surging for multiple targets on their board while they appear to be more of a wildcard for some others.  As the recruiting class faces a pandemic that could shape it in unprecedented ways, the Texas staff plows ahead in hopes that a strong performance in the fall could change the trajectory of this class.

We have so much information this week we've decided to double up on the amount of scoop we drop on Monday morning. In the second part of this week's edition of The Stampede, Horns247's weekly gathering of recruiting intel, Nick Harris recaps a load of recruiting intel from his trip to Houston over the weekend.

Four-star RB LJ Johnson (Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)

I made the trek to Houston this weekend to catch up with a number of 2021 and 2022 recruits across Space City. I was able to gather some intel on a few high level 2021 recruits and meet with some 2022 recruits that are beginning to explode on the recruiting trail. Let’s dive into it. Cy-Fair four-star running back LJ Johnson has been in heavy communication with Texas A&M and Texas during the pandemic as he has participated in multiple Zoom calls with both schools over the last few weeks.

Texas 2020 signee Bijan Robinson has been helping the staff in recruiting Johnson as Robinson envisions both of them forming an elite duo at the next level. The appeal for Texas A&M right now may be too large to overcome for Texas though as Johnson has been trending hard towards the Aggies in recent weeks. In talking to a couple of sources in Houston throughout the weekend, I feel confident putting in a crystal ball in favor of Texas A&M at this point. However, Johnson will not be making a decision until he is able to get out on his visits so there is still a lot of time left in this recruitment.

Shadow Creek LB Terrence Cooks (Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)

Shadow Creek linebacker Terrence Cookshas a big announcement coming on Wednesday and it sounds like he will be narrowing down his top schools. Those hoping for a quick commitment may remember back in March when he said he hoped to have a decision right before he started district play in the fall. I asked if his timeline is still intact and he said that it’s been pushed back a little later in the fall to October. I sense that Cooks is a kid that wants to make sure he is making the right decision and that he also wants to get on his visits before making a decision. I expect Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Georgia and Auburn to be among the schools included in his list. He has been in communication with Texas linebackers coach Coleman Hutzler almost every day and most of the commits stay in contact with him as well. Kenneth Murrayhas helped on the recruiting end of things for Oklahoma and I expect the Sooners to make a considerable push. I am keeping my crystal ball pick for Texas and am not too concerned about any other threats at this point.

Four-star Texas commit Derrick Harris Jr. (Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)

I talked to 2021 commit and New Caney four-star Derrick Harris on Friday and he feels super confident with a few targets right now. Names that he mentioned were Shadow Creek linebacker Terrence Cooks, Kennedale safety JD Coffey and Dallas Kimball cornerback Ishmael Ibraheem. He said that they are hoping to land some offensive linemen pretty soon and that they’ve been working with some targets in that department as well.

As highlighted in Friday’s article, 2022 Humble Atascocita four-star offensive lineman Kam Dewberry has been working with Texas offensive lineman Samuel Cosmiduring the pandemic as well as Texas A&M offensive lineman Kenyon Green. He’s been able to get the full picture of both schools from a lineman’s perspective and coincidentally, I consider these two schools to be the ones most out in front at this point. He will look to visit both schools when he is able to.

Even if it came a little later than his other offers, Klein Cain four-star running back Jaydon Blue still landed his “dream offer” from LSU last week. Blue said his top schools right now include Texas, LSU, Alabama, USC, Oklahoma and Georgia. By far, Texas has been in communication with him the most as he has been on the phone with either running backs coach Stan Drayton or head coach Tom Herman almost every day since they offered. I think Texas holds an early lead in this recruitment, but after what is expected to be a huge junior season for Blue, things could always change. Coach Drayton is doing solid work with him right now though as he remains the top running back target in his class.

Dickinson 2022 four-star tight end Donovan Green has been in heavy communication with a lot of schools right now. Texas tight ends coach Jay Boulware has called Green at least once a week since he came on staff. Green is also liking Texas A&M but insists that he is looking at every school the same right now and just embracing the process. Cy Park linebacker Harold Perkins was out working with defensive backs at an Antonio Cromartie session in Klein on Friday and was by far the best one out there. He said that he considers himself an athlete and he even has two offers for both sides of the ball to show for it. I personally see Perkins as a safety at the next level and a Billy Bowman-type recruit while at Cy Park. Regarding his recruitment, it is completely wide open right now as he has had a huge spring and is just embracing the process. He wants to get to as many schools as he can when things open back up including the in-state schools that have offered such as Texas, TCU, Baylor, Texas A&M, Houston and SMU.

A name to keep an eye on in the coming months is Spring Dekaney 2021 tight end Var’Keyes Gumms. Following the decommitment of Humble Atascocita tight end Landen King on Friday, Texas may start to look at other options. Gumms was harbored by injury during his junior season but I expect the 6-foot-3, 230 pound tight end to make some noise in 2020 and grow his offer list. At this point, he only holds five FBS offers from LSU, Houston, Louisiana Tech, Tulsa and Utah State, and he was offered by the previous Texas staff. A source close to Gumms has a close relationship with the Texas staff and I could see the Longhorns getting involved if he starts to make some noise in his senior year.

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4 minutes ago, RGBIII said:

Anyone have it?

Quote

While the class of 2021 has been unpredictably unpredictable, we're still talking about a top 10 ranked class in late May with plenty of quality prospects within reach that will only solidify the class.

With the program losing its ability to host prospects in Austin coupled with trying to build new relationships amid staff turnover, the staff has been scratching and clawing to gain solid footing in recruiting. While it seems it's been a one-step forward, two-steps back cycle, that could change as summer approaches. UT is starting to make headway with a few top targets, and that was confirmed over the weekend.

Ishmael Ibraheem, CB - Dallas Kimball: The state's top cover corner is one of the few true must-gets for Jay Valai and the Texas staff in 2021. He’s not a fungible in-state prospect. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound four-star with 34 offers might be getting closer to a decision. This is a pursuit that could potentially put Valai on the map. Oklahoma, Georgia, and LSU are his best offers. This could be a nice head-to-head win over the Sooners. Getting Ibraheem on campus before the shutdown was huge for UT’s efforts to make up ground. Also noteworthy, Ibraheem and JD Coffey are close. Some caution, however. If UT lands Ibraheem the staff will have to recruit him through the whistle. He just hasn’t made many visits and if he gets the itch to later in the cycle the staff will have to monitor him closely. We’ve been writing for a while we expect him to stay close to home, however.

JD Coffey, S - Kennedale: This recruitment has trended back toward Austin over the last month or so. The four-star safety with double-digit offers is leaning UT after strong pushes from Oregon and Washington. He's built a fantastic relationship with Texas DC Chris Ash and is a natural fit in his scheme. Coffey was nearly part of the early group of commitments. That means the relationships he has with the Denton Ryan duo of Ja'Tavion Sanders and Billy Bowman Jr., as well as Derrick Harris Jr. and Jalen Milroe will only strengthen. Expect Coffey to become a great recruiter for the class.

Terrence Cooks, LB - Alvin Shadow Creek: Cooks is the state’s top linebacker prospect and a top-15 player, maybe higher. With Morice Blackwell already in the fold, the Horns could be close to landing their most athletic pair of off-the-ball linebacker prospects in quite some time. This is a pursuit that could put Texas linebacker coach Coleman Hutzler on the map. He’s done a great job, and like Valai, we think he has a bright future. The short story: The four-star with 30+ offers from all over the nation is trending orange house. We’ve had him as a lean since he visited in January. He has an announcement set for Wednesday, where we fully expect him to drop his top schools list. UT will be represented, and if you're looking for a timeline, I don't see this stretching far into the summer. 90%.

Jaden Alexis, WR - Monarch HS (Pompano Beach, FL): When we spoke to Alexis soon after his offer, you'd have thought we were getting commitment quotes. The three-star from Florida absolutely loves the Longhorns, and while Georgia, Notre Dame, and Miami have made credible pushes, Alexis might be leaning Texas. In fact, this recruitment resembles Cooks' pursuit, in that I don't see this going much into the summer. Alexis told us when he knows, he'll know. Then we'll know. Remember how we said Justin Watkins could commit without visiting? That’s the only thing these two have in common.

Jonathan Jones, DE - McKinney: At 6-foot-4, 235 pounds, Jones is an intriguing prospect. The three-star holds 27 offers including Colorado, Arizona State, Nebraska, and Virginia Tech. He doesn't have the explosiveness you’re looking for off the edge, but he's got the frame to swing inside where his athleticism could translate quite well. Think Sawyer Goram-Welch, but we want to see his senior year to get a better idea of his upside.

Ike Iwunnah, DT - Lakeview Centennial: He’s a Shemar Turner backup plan. Another looker from DFW, the 6-foot-4, 275-pounder does a little bit of everything, from collapsing the pocket to getting a push to the QB. The three-star interior defender could flourish in a four-man front. We like him as a run-stuffer with enough ball get-off to make things interesting. The District 10-6A sophomore of the year in 2018 also participates in triple jump and throws the discus. Not bad for a 275-pound dude.

We have four guys in this post who we think are likely to end up in the class. Only two are rated four-stars but if you’ve been paying attention, all four are four-stars. If UT can land this group in the coming weeks, negative momentum will have been reversed to a large degree.

RUMOR ON SEASON TICKETS

Nothing is concrete, but we’ve heard season tickets could be refunded and replaced by a lottery that fills DKR to 30-40 percent.

This makes a lot of sense to me, as a lot of people who own season tickets will not want to attend games and a lottery is a great way to opt-in despite the circumstances. Anyone who wants in on the lottery should understand whatever risks there are to attend games. This should let Texas off the hook for liability — at least you would think in a sane world.

If you guys have any questions, we can turn this into an impromptu Q&A if you want. I’ll answer what I can throughout the day.

 

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8 hours ago, RGBIII said:

I also entered a crystal ball for Pompano Beach (Fla.) Monarch wide receiver Jaden Alexis. This is a bit more of a projection with a slightly lower confidence score.  I’ve heard really strong things about Texas and the speedy wide receiver, and a source I spoke with indicated the Texas staff felt strong about where they stood. My only trepidation is a lack of strong sourcing in Florida.  So far, everyone I spoke with out there acknowledged Texas was a school on Alexis’ mind, but they were having a hard time reading him right now.  This is one I’m going to enter and monitor closely over the next few months and the story will be how high or how low the confidence score goes.

roach.jpg

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1 minute ago, BornOrange said:

By lower, I think he was comparing his confidence level for Jaden Alexis with his confidence level for Ishmael Ibraheem, the recruit he had previously mentioned.

Maybe I should have highlighted this, too:

Quote

 My only trepidation is a lack of strong sourcing in Florida.  So far, everyone I spoke with out there acknowledged Texas was a school on Alexis’ mind, but they were having a hard time reading him right now.

"No one close to him knows, but I'm rating 7, which by definition is a high confidence score."

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Henry HUDL looks really good,  can someone fill me in on why it Coleman so long to offer?  I get it that we wanted Earl, Jackson and Davis...however, JJ on tape looks like he should have gotten an offer early in the year.  Hopefully the staff can play catchup, looks like a solid take for 21.

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13 minutes ago, Thiefery said:

Henry HUDL looks really good,  can someone fill me in on why it Coleman so long to offer?  I get it that we wanted Earl, Jackson and Davis...however, JJ on tape looks like he should have gotten an offer early in the year.  Hopefully the staff can play catchup, looks like a solid take for 21.

Herman decides on the offers, not Coleman 

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My buddy tells me he isn't a fan of JJ because of his size and thinks he's a one trick pony.. He's normally spot on with his evaluations but I think he's completely wrong.  Am I missing something based off his HUDL?

What’s the one trick? He really quick off the line, at full speed in 5 yds and has seemingly very good hands.

 

If being fast as hell is the one trick, sign me up.

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Just now, Ricky's one-hitter said:

What’s the one trick? He really quick off the line, at full speed in 5 yds and has seemingly very good hands.

 

If being fast as hell is the one trick, sign me up.

guess he doesn't think he's much of a route runner or something

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15 minutes ago, Thiefery said:

They will play... 

Hope you're right.  Not a fan of Bama, but finally getting a chance to enjoy watching a Todd Orlando defense and Graham Harrell offense get the SHIT kicked out of them would be GLORIOUS!!!

 

This Guy won't enjoy a USC butt whooping...

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4 minutes ago, victory88 said:

Devin Duvernay could run one route when he came to Texas and was fast.  I’m sure glad we took that one trick pony.

Just so we’re clear, you’re comparing Devin Duvernay, almost composite 5 star and track stud to JJ Henry, low 3 star and not even top 1000 player in the country. And nevermind it took Duvernay his 4th year to really show out. 

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15 minutes ago, Thiefery said:

My buddy tells me he isn't a fan of JJ because of his size and thinks he's a one trick pony.. He's normally spot on with his evaluations but I think he's completely wrong.  Am I missing something based off his HUDL?

Except he's not a one-trick pony. I'm in full agreeance with you here. He runs more than go-routes. Even when he does just run down the field, it's not always a straight line, and he sets up defenders very well. JJ is a great route runner, quick as hell, and obviously, very fast. The only thing not to like at this point is his weight - and he's probably not actually 5-foot-10. Either way, he'll be a damn good land for whatever school he ends up at. I'm really hoping Texas is the beneficiary here.

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Just now, SydneyCarton said:

Just so we’re clear, you’re comparing Devin Duvernay, almost composite 5 star and track stud to JJ Henry, low 3 star and not even top 1000 player in the country. And nevermind it took Duvernay his 4th year to really show out. 

Yeah, I definitely get their difference in star ranking.  Although I don’t remember Durvernay being a composite 5 star.  One ranking (scout?) has him as a 5 star his junior year but other didn’t bump him up until his senior year.  I could be wrong through.  Regardless, he was a 5 star bc of his track times but evaluators all were concerned about his route running and him being a hit too stiff. 

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8 minutes ago, victory88 said:

Yeah, I definitely get their difference in star ranking.  Although I don’t remember Durvernay being a composite 5 star.  One ranking (scout?) has him as a 5 star his junior year but other didn’t bump him up until his senior year.  I could be wrong through.  Regardless, he was a 5 star bc of his track times but evaluators all were concerned about his route running and him being a hit too stiff. 

He was the composite 37 player in the country. 247 had him in the 70s or something though. And yes, I remember his history. Just pointing out that a guy outside the top 1000 is being compared to a guy who was a top 50 player and just got drafted. It feels like a PumpTheBrakes.gif moment, sir. 

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