Jump to content

Texas Recruiting Notes 2021


Reese Bennett

Recommended Posts

8 hours ago, texifornia said:

Funky timing. We taking more CBs? Pressure play on Johnson?

Was looking through the Jamier Johnson evals in the absence of verified times and the Biggins one said he may end up a safety. I rewatched some of his huddle, and damn if that's not a decent bet. We could be taking Johnson as a flex db, "luxury take" type and still be looking for 1 and 1. Johnson is certainly more suited for B12 safety than Lemear is. Also, with impending decommit szn, I think you take as many guys as you can and then figure it out in the wash. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote

In addition to the schools mentioned -- Indiana, Arizona State, SMU, Tulane and Louisiana -- Texas and Texas A&M are two other schools steadily monitoring the three-star edge-rusher. Texas defensive line coach Oscar Giles speaks weekly with Stansbury and he's a legacy in College Station. His older brother, Gavin Stansbury, played for the Aggies from 2010-2013.

https://n.rivals.com/news/louisiana-edge-rusher-gharin-stansbury-moving-closer-toward-a-decision

https://247sports.com/Player/Gharin-Stansbury-46097905/

His tape is what I want Alexander's tape to look like. Long dude, quick first step, good block shed, decent bend. I haven't watched any opponent film, but my guess is he gets run by on occasion. Pulls up and deflects 3 or 4 balls as well. I like him a lot more than Alexander. 

Edited by Ricky's one-hitter
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jeff Howe: How Texas has been able to benefit from transition classes

Quote

When conducting a study to see what Texas has gotten out of recruiting classes since the start of Mack Brown’s tenure leading up to the roster continuing to be built by Tom Herman, the first class under the microscope is a transition class in 1998. It's a haul built in part by John Mackovic’s regime through 1997 and was finished off by Brown and Co. when he was hired from North Carolina following Mackovic’s swansong that ended a five-year run. Overall, the class was successful.

While it only produced one NFL draft pick (offensive lineman Mike Williams was the fourth overall pick in 2002), the lone draftee wasn’t the only success story of the class. Marcus Wilkins carved out a long career for himself in the NFL after being a special teams demon for the Longhorns. Ahmad Brooks was a team captain who lost his starting spot, earned it back and became an active-roster NFL player as an undrafted free agent. One-third of the class became eventual starters during their time on the Forty Acres.

The 1998 class was a good transition class because it helped Brown stabilize the roster while he stocked the cupboard with talent in the classes that followed. Every coach has a transition class and the lessons learned from 1998 are worth remembering when looking at how the 2014 and 2017 classes are going to go down in history. The former was comprised of some of Brown’s final verbal commitments and was finished off in a matter of weeks by Charlie Strong. Strong put the wheels in motion, but Herman had to carry the latter group across the finish line following the Thanksgiving weekend coaching transition less than 24 hours after the 2016 season ended. So, what makes a good transition class?

Following the formula based off of studying the 1998 class, there are three distinct areas where a transition class can help the program rather than be a burden. While the 2014 and 2017 hauls might be most remembered for who the Longhorns missed out on due to things falling apart for the previous coach (future first-round picks Jamal Adams and Solomon Thomas were among the 2014 prospects Texas pursued vigorously, as were the likes of J.K. Dobbins, Walker Little in 2017), Strong and Herman both did enough things right that both classes are on track to go down as better than what otherwise might’ve been expected.

Minimize the bust rate

That’s easier said than done since, historically speaking, transition classes have a high bust rate. When tracking the historical data of the Texas classes in question, Horns247 has decided to define a bust as a prospect who transferred out of the program in two years or less, failed to letter and — for all intents and purposes — took up a scholarship that would’ve been better used elsewhere. Out of the 18 members of the 1998 class who went toward the study, only two were considered busts and one of those signees (running back Chris Robertson) had a season where he rushed for 10 touchdowns (1999).

The 2014 class finished their time in the program with a bust rate of 22.7 percent. That's above the ideal mark of a 20 percent or lower rate but falls below the dreaded 30-percent or higher range (which is when a class teeters on being a failure unless the top of the class is extremely talented). Derick Roberson, Duke Catalon, Jermaine Roberts and Cameron Hampton contributed to the transfer attrition within Strong’s first two years on the job while a series of injuries kept Blake Whiteley from seeing the field.

Of the 17 signees Herman got to campus in the 2017 class (four-star Tyler John Tyler wide receiver Damion Miller failed to qualify), 11 remain in the program and three completed theri eligibility for the Longhorns, giving the class a current bust rate of only 17.6 percent. Along with developing a franchise quarterback in Sam Ehlinger, Herman has seen 12 of the 17 qualifying signees earn some level of starting experience through three years.

Guys like Poona Ford, Andrew Beck, Chris Nelson and Elijah Rodriguez became key players for Herman out of the 2014 class while Ehlinger, Ta'Quon Graham, Gary Johnson, Derek Kerstetter, Cade Brewer and Samuel Cosmi are among 2017’s front-line players.

Lean on the relationships from your previous job

Not everyone can do what Brown did, which was come into the state and pull a talented foursome out of Texas City (Jermaine Anderson, Ervis Hill, Tyrone Jones and Everick Rawls), fend off the likes of Miami for Lee Jackson and plant the flag with little regard for the competition. Against that backdrop, the recruiting landscape within the state was vastly different for Strong and had changed even more by the time Herman got the job. Nevertheless, both staffs were able to lean on the relationships they built with prospects at Louisville and Houston, respectively, to bring quality players to Texas.

Strong inherited Beck, Jason Hall, John Bonney, Jake McMillon, Armanti Foreman and D'Onta Foreman, players who helped both his staff and Herman fill out the depth chart. What helped save the class was Vance Bedford and Chris Rumph teaming up to snag Ford and Nelson right before National Signing Day and Joe Wickline identifying Elijah Rodriguez as a player with some upside to him (Texas flipped Rodriguez from Colorado late in the cycle).

Herman did the same with Cosmi, Marqez Bimage and Daniel Young all committed to Houston when the head coach made his way to Austin. Derek Warehime’s Oklahoma connections led the Longhorns to Reese Leitao and both Brewer and Kerstetter turned out to be good evaluations by the staff.

Don’t be in a hurry to recruit over the previous staff’s takes

Where some coaches get themselves in trouble in a transition is when they feel the need to throw out the previous staff’s recruits like food that's gone beyond the expiration date. For Texas, Strong’s roster purge before the 2014 season forced him to use whatever pieces he had available and Herman needed most of the class to play early due to the attrition rate in his first spring and summer with several key members of the 2016 signing class departing the program.

Strong was able to retain the Foreman twins, which led to him being able to boast a consensus All-American running back who gained 2,000 yards in a season and won the Doak Walker Award during his tenure. He also got plenty of snaps out of Bonney, Hall, Beck, McMillon, Jerrod Heard, Lorenzo Joe and Dorian Leonard, all prospects recruited by Brown’s staff.

In addition to Ehlinger and Graham, Herman has seen Strong holdovers Josh Thompson, Kobe Boyce and Montrell Estell start games in their respective careers. Herman’s situation was different from Strong’s because the recruiting philosophy of the previous regime left Herman with a lot of spots to fill (of the 17 enrollees, 12 were recruited by Herman and Co.).

Transition classes don’t have to be throwaway hauls and for the Longhorns, none over the last three coaching changes have been forgettable. Herman’s time in the saddle has seen the program benefit from guys who were originally recruited by Brown or were brought into the fold early in Strong’s tenure (of the 22 qualifying signees in the 2014 class, 15 helped the Longhorns end a run of three losing seasons in a row in 2017 and four were members of the squad that won the Sugar Bowl in 2018).

One of the pieces Herman inherited from Strong’s final cycle on the job, Ehlinger is the most important when it comes to Texas potentially winning a championship in 2020. Rather than being a burden on the program, the last two transition classes for the Longhorns have played a big role in getting things headed in the right direction with a chance existing for a breakthrough in Herman's fourth season.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

McCaskill was thought of as a big frame kind of single cut power back but he turned in a 10.91 in the 100 and went from maybe getting in to Oklahoma State's class to a guy that might be able to pick from just about anywhere. No we have not reached out. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, golfclap said:

McCaskill was thought of as a big frame kind of single cut power back but he turned in a 10.91 in the 100 and went from maybe getting in to Oklahoma State's class to a guy that might be able to pick from just about anywhere. No we have not reached out. 

AccurateYawningHatchetfish-max-1mb.gif

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, golfclap said:

McCaskill was thought of as a big frame kind of single cut power back but he turned in a 10.91 in the 100 and went from maybe getting in to Oklahoma State's class to a guy that might be able to pick from just about anywhere. No we have not reached out. 

Is he better than JBrooks? Yes. Is he an RB1? I still think that's up for debate. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Defensive recruiting is so far ahead of offensive recruiting right now.
 

Look at how many coals are in the fire at DL and DB. Those are the positions where we are actually landing many of our top targets and yet we still have many contingencies in place.

Offensively, outside of QB, we’ve either missed or are currently behind on almost every top target, and yet the next offers/contingency plans are somehow coming out slower than on the defensive side of the ball.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, Longhorn94 said:

^ its weird. With current info, i would take our offensive staff over our defensive staff all day long. so why aren't players seeing it the same way?

Yeah? Yurcich might be the best hire overall but they look comparable to me.

Edited by Bevo14
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Longhorn94 said:

^ its weird. With current info, i would take our offensive staff over our defensive staff all day long. so why aren't players seeing it the same way?

I think the Brockermeyer sentiment of "wait and see" has been co-opted as a negative recruiting tool with offensive prospects, and it's landing. If the offense shows up and plays equal to or better than last year statistically (volume stats, not situational), there will be plenty of new traction with old names. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Ricky's one-hitter said:

I think the Brockermeyer sentiment of "wait and see" has been co-opted as a negative recruiting tool with offensive prospects, and it's landing. If the offense shows up and plays equal to or better than last year statistically (volume stats, not situational), there will be plenty of new traction with old names. 

agreed. i think thats fair.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, texifornia said:

He's done a good job as a coach. Next year shows whether he can take the next step to "great".

My hope is a more consistent offensive scheme and game plans that attack the opponent's weakness will allow the OL to flourish. Still, needs to pick up the recruiting.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

Hand is proving to pretty meh right now.

I disagree. I think Hand has done a good job. I think our offensive system sucked last year. But if you look at the talent, the technique, the cohesiveness, all of it is much better under Hand than any previous OL coaches for the last forever. Cosmi going in 1st round and DK getting drafted will silence the critics. and if Yurcich is as good as I think he is, Hand's coaching will really show well.

For the Brocks, I still dont get it. Blake KNOWS Hand is a good coach and that his boys would develop properly under him, regardless of the offensive system, and that Tommy will be a first round pick under Hand and James will be coached up as much as possible. Hand teaches all the right things and is good at it. Again, Blake knows this. I still dont understand why they wouldnt jump into this class as soon as possible and lead it to the #1 class in the nation. It seems like you could control your own destiny at that point. But to do what they are doing is just puzzling (assuming they go to Texas).

 

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What I don't get with the Brocks is two years ago Blake let his son turn down a full ride from Rice and at least one P5 school (Oregon State I think?) to walk-on at Texas. He must have been cool with Herman to a certain degree to allow that to happen. 

If Blake is really driving this hesitancy what is really the deal? Did the last few years of inconsistency change things? Was he less invested in Luke's football future anyway because he probably doesn't have next level talent? Did more exposure to Herman these last few years just grind down his patience with the guy?

Is Hand the problem? That one seems unlikely to me, I agree he's done well and he's well respected among coaching circles. Maybe it's more simple and the twins never bought into the family fandom at the same level as Luke. This is all probably well covered territory on this thread but fuck it, endless off-season and whatnot.

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hand has done a good job.  Our offensive game plan sucked. That’s on Tim.  Amazing how good they looked against Utah.  The line was solid and effective.  Where we lost games was the ability to correct the game plan on the fly.  Mike will fix that. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, UncleSonny said:

What I don't get with the Brocks is two years ago Blake let his son turn down a full ride from Rice and at least one P5 school (Oregon State I think?) to walk-on at Texas. He must have been cool with Herman to a certain degree to allow that to happen. 

If Blake is really driving this hesitancy what is really the deal? Did the last few years of inconsistency change things? Was he less invested in Luke's football future anyway because he probably doesn't have next level talent? Did more exposure to Herman these last few years just grind down his patience with the guy?

Is Hand the problem? That one seems unlikely to me, I agree he's done well and he's well respected among coaching circles. Maybe it's more simple and the twins never bought into the family fandom at the same level as Luke. This is all probably well covered territory on this thread but fuck it, endless off-season and whatnot.

 

I think it's mostly due to the fact that we took a step back last year, replaced a lot of the staff, and Herman is back on the hot seat. Just doesn't scream stability. The Brocks know that at their other top choice (Bama), they are pretty much guaranteed to be developed properly and go to the playoffs a few times.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, Longhorn94 said:

I disagree. I think Hand has done a good job. I think our offensive system sucked last year. But if you look at the talent, the technique, the cohesiveness, all of it is much better under Hand than any previous OL coaches for the last forever. Cosmi going in 1st round and DK getting drafted will silence the critics. and if Yurcich is as good as I think he is, Hand's coaching will really show well.

For the Brocks, I still dont get it. Blake KNOWS Hand is a good coach and that his boys would develop properly under him, regardless of the offensive system, and that Tommy will be a first round pick under Hand and James will be coached up as much as possible. Hand teaches all the right things and is good at it. Again, Blake knows this. I still dont understand why they wouldnt jump into this class as soon as possible and lead it to the #1 class in the nation. It seems like you could control your own destiny at that point. But to do what they are doing is just puzzling (assuming they go to Texas).

 

 

Because if Texas shits the bed this year, everything will change and no one is safe.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, tokamak said:

I think it's mostly due to the fact that we took a step back last year, replaced a lot of the staff, and Herman is back on the hot seat. Just doesn't scream stability. The Brocks know that at their other top choice (Bama), they are pretty much guaranteed to be developed properly and go to the playoffs a few times.

I agree. Although, Saban is OAF so who knows how long he will stay in the game. I assume if he starts losing a bit more in conference, he will get sick of it all.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, Bevo said:

I agree. Although, Saban is OAF so who knows how long he will stay in the game. I assume if he starts losing a bit more in conference, he will get sick of it all.

Saban is 68. That's pretty old. But it's not like he's  2010 Joe Paterno. 

People keep wishcasting the demise or retirement of Nick Saban but I don't see any signs of them sucking or him leaving anytime soon. I obviously hope I'm wrong.

12 minutes ago, Hank_Hill said:

Enter Dabo. 

I don't think Dabo goes to Bama. I don't think he can leave Clemson. It's not worth starting over what he's built there just so he can prove he can do it where he went to school. Maybe I'm wrong on this too, though. I'm wrong on a lot of shit. 

 

Edited by irishtexan
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, hornfromdallas said:

kyron jones has dominated at the elite 11 & he has told people he is waiting on a texas offer & would flip almost immediately from baylor 

if milroe keeps flirting with alabama that offer could come soon 

Love Kyron.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 minutes ago, hornfromdallas said:

kyron jones has dominated at the elite 11 & he has told people he is waiting on a texas offer & would flip almost immediately from baylor 

if milroe keeps flirting with alabama that offer could come soon 

Kyron ... Jones?  Drones?

https://247sports.com/Player/Kyron-Drones-46081020/

image.thumb.png.91c539e72f90a913e0634e36a6bc37c6.png

image.thumb.png.3ee4e543116d6883418ed53437af8c7b.png

Here are Milroe's numbers, for ref:

image.thumb.png.23b3fbf5500c6594d7ff182b6d8d2625.png

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

I don't think Dabo goes to Bama. I don't think he can leave Clemson. It's not worth starting over what he's built there just so he can prove he can do it where he went to school. Maybe I'm wrong on this too, though. I'm wrong on a lot of shit. 

 

the *ONLY* place I think he can go is Bama. thats one of a very short list of places that can/will pay him what he is making at Clemson, that backs it up with facilities, that he will be inheriting a ton of talent and his ties there ("Momma called. And when Momma calls, you just have to come running") are legit.

plus location (Southeast) means he isn't going to jump to somewhere like tOSU, Penn St, Michigan honestly or even Texas.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, Bevo14 said:

all name team sci fi edition?

Kyron has excellent bloodlines.  His grandfather Jerry helped put Emory Ballard on the map.  Jerry and his brother AZ were stars on Emory’s 1966 state championship San Angelo team.  He played college ball at UH.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Honestly as long as he shuts the fuck up about thots and stops getting into dumb fights with Derka, I don't mind having a probably-not-but-maybe team-affiliated chaos agent around.

The sheer volume of shit accounts he's created make this a hard no for me.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Longhorn94 said:

For the Brocks, I still dont get it. Blake KNOWS Hand is a good coach and that his boys would develop properly under him, regardless of the offensive system, and that Tommy will be a first round pick under Hand and James will be coached up as much as possible. Hand teaches all the right things and is good at it. Again, Blake knows this.

Blake knows all of this will happen at Alabama. He certainly doesn't know it will happen at Texas, because he doesn't even know if Herman/Hand will be around for much longer. If Brockermeyer was a RB it wouldn't be much of an issue, but O-linemen need long-term stability.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Harvdog said:

Hand has done a good job.  Our offensive game plan sucked. That’s on Tim.  Amazing how good they looked against Utah.  The line was solid and effective.  Where we lost games was the ability to correct the game plan on the fly.

Tell that to our OL targets. Because all blOU and co. have to do is shove these three numbers in front of their faces.

36 sacks allowed (2019)

28 sacks allowed (2018)

34 sacks allowed (2017)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, satyanash said:

Tell that to our OL targets. Because all blOU and co. have to do is shove these three numbers in front of their faces.

36 sacks allowed (2019)

28 sacks allowed (2018)

34 sacks allowed (2017)

Yeah, it's a big year in terms of us turning our eye test "the line seems much more competent but why are we running rock stupid plays" into "look we're good at offense again"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, satyanash said:

Tell that to our OL targets. Because all blOU and co. have to do is shove these three numbers in front of their faces.

36 sacks allowed (2019)

28 sacks allowed (2018)

34 sacks allowed (2017)

It's easy to not allow sacks when you spend 90% of the time holding defensive players and it doesn't get called.

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Elite 11 reached new levels of disaster this year. Jesus. 

Very glad to not have Milroe at the Elite 11 just to avoid the numerous rage posts. It was live-streamed over IG --  you can watch them here if you dare and are EXCEEDINGLY bored  -- https://www.instagram.com/elite11/  It was a fucking riot to read the comments from 247 threads covering the event while actually seeing them throw so that you could see the horseshit they were spewing. Caleb Williams was named MVP despite being 10th in their pro day testing and 12th (or maybe worse) in the accuracy testing. In short, he was anointed the winner of the event before showing up because he was literally one of the worst performers over the 2 days (out of 20 QBs - while MANY of the better QBs passed on the event) ... but let's go to the 247 folks for the lulz

This example is hilarious to me as you read Power talk about both Williams and Maye, in this example. 

Charles Power ::

Quote

Caleb Williams looks on another level. Really not dissimilar from the college counselors (Justin Fields, Trey Lance, Jamie Newman, KJ Costello) in terms of velocity and ability to drive the ball. He looked all the part of the top QB in 2021.

FWIW, several QBs had better measured velocity and ALL of those QBs had greater accuracy. 

Quote

Drake Maye - Spin was off compared to others and is unrefined when working from under center. I've seen Maye in a few differet settings and he looks different in camps vs. 7on's. I do think he's probably more raw than given credit for in terms of mechanics

.How did these 2 guys do in the pro day that Power was writing about?  

Eb0WP5KXQAANFSh?format=jpg&name=medium\

 

Final Elite 11 Target Challenge standings:


1. Brock Vandagriff 
2. Carlos Del Rio
3. Grayson James
4. Kyron Drones 
5. Behren Morton 
6. JJ McCarthy
7. Kyle McCord
8. Drake Maye
9. Maddox Kopp
10. Miller Moss

 

Quote

The Elite 11 staff rankings are based 50 percent on junior film and performance in pads, while the other 50 percent covers camp evaluation and traits as determined by the event's coaches.

So after people were just killing them on twitter and IG because they are actually watching both days ... we get this on the MVP award

Quote

Elite 11 evaluator Trent Dilfer said 75 percent of how they chose the MVP is done with junior year tape and their overall traits. Only 25 percent comes from how they performed over the last three days.

So basically - it's 50% until Williams is so measurably behind the other QBs that 75% junior tape makes it sound better. Of course, Williams was just a 55% passer on that junior tape, so ... 

 

Also of note - Kyron Drones is a fucking man. That's for sure. 

 

 

 

 

Edited by golfclap
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...