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Texas Recruiting Notes 2021


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14 hours ago, canadianhorn21 said:

Regis sure has all the badass mother vibes going on.

I can’t wait to see his senior film. He’s gotten a lot bigger than last year but hasn’t lost his movement skills. You gotta feel for those poor Baytown kids playing in the secondary that have to tackle him when he’s built up a full head of steam in the open field. 

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1 hour ago, Burt Macklin said:

No way he transfers. If he comes here and we win a title, we’ll build a monument to him. 

I'd just like to see our coaches call an aggressive game from start to finish. no relenting, and plant our flag as the dominant team offensively in the conference. 

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(Justin Wells) Recruiting: Max Merril commits to Texas

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It didn’t take long for Mad Max to decide. Texas addressed a need for offensive tackle in the 2021 class with Friday’s addition of Houston Strake Jesuit’s Max Merril. The 6-foot-4, 280-pound chose the Longhorns over Stanford, Arizona State, Louisville, and Indiana. Merril told IT last week,” a Texas offer would be a really awesome opportunity that I’d really consider. It would be a top option.”

Indeed, it was. Once he got it, this recruitment was over. “It was the best combination of football and academics I could ever ask for,” Merril told IT this week. “The culture in Austin is something I really like.”

Ian Boyd, on how he fits at Texas:

Merril comes from Strake Jesuit, where he was once teammates with Jett Bush. The Crusaders have him lined up at left tackle in their offense, but at 6-foot-4 he’ll need to grow, have a wide wingspan, or be exceptionally quick on his feet to stay there in college. Merril’s positive traits do include quick feet, a lot of skill on inside zone run schemes, and a real nastiness. He loves to finish blocks in as painful a fashion as he can arrange for the defender but he plays smart and with good timing on combo blocks. He’ll probably slide inside to guard but he’s quick enough to have a chance outside, again pending how good his reach proves to be once he’s on campus.

Merril is the eighteenth commitment in Texas’ 2021 class joining Jaden Alexis (Monarch – FL), Mike Myslinski (Bishop Kenny – FL), Gunnar Helm (Cherry Creek – CO), Jamier Johnson (John Muir – CA), Ishamel Ibraheem (Dallas Kimball), JD Coffey (Kennedale), Isaac Pearson (ProKick Australia), Casey Cain (Warren Easton – LA), Jonathon Brooks (Hallettsville), Morice Blackwell (Arlington Martin), Jordon Thomas (Port Arthur Memorial), Ja’Tavion Sanders (Denton Ryan), Derrick Harris Jr. (New Caney), Billy Bowman Jr. (Denton Ryan), Juan Davis (Everman), Hayden Conner (Katy Taylor).

 

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(Eric Nahlin) Humidor: Position outlook ahead of Tech, five-star notes WR improvement, Gerry does Dallas

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By: Gerry, Justin, and Eric

The latest from the Texas Football program 24 hours away from kickoff in Lubbock, plus State of Recruiting with Shemar, Ewers, Burton, and more.

STATE OF TEXAS

QBs: All the quarterbacks on the depth chart were sharp in practice. Versus UTEP, Thompson surprised fans more than he did coaches and teammates, but I must admit, he surprised us a bit too. You can win real games this season with that guy if need be.

RBs: Keaontay is the most steady, Roschon is the most respected, and Bijan is the freakiest. With the two slot machines likely out we wonder if Bijan gets more targets in the passing game. Sources have been mentioning his incredible feet and we saw that in space. Electric player.

WRs: Tarik Black is probably the best at X but don’t be surprised if Marcus Washington gets the start. Who starts at wide receiver doesn’t really matter. Jake Smith is the best H and likely the most difficult receiver in the program to cover. We have downgraded him to doubtful, however, which is unfortunate because we likely won’t see the full offense until he’s healthy. He’s been limited in practice this week. They should have enough ammo for Tech, especially after moving Brenden Schooler to slot. Schooler has been a revelation. There was some definite skepticism when he showed up but he quickly proved he belonged athletically. He’s viewed as well-rounded, not a possession guy or speed threat, though he’s a solid mix of both. We’re expecting Kelvontay Dixon to not only suit up and make the trip, but also play at Z behind Josh “Herman” Moore.

Reminder: to see the full offense, Texas needs a healthy Jake Smith and/or Jordan Whittington. There are plays that are specific to their skill sets.

OL: This could end up being a big week in deciding the future of the right side of the o-line for the season. Denzel Okafor and Christian Jones will start at guard and tackle respectively, but Isaiah Hookfin practiced at both spots this week and we expect to see a healthy dose of the promising young lineman. Is it possible we see an emergence like we saw with Cosmi his redshirt freshman year?

TE: We’re expecting a fair amount of 12 personnel but that shouldn’t be too surprising because it will feature prominently this season. Jared Wiley is the most physical of the bunch but others are ahead of him as a receiver. There’s a lot of excitement in the group because they’re all playing and getting targets in the passing game. To the competitors go the spoils.

DL: Still the team's strength and it’s a motivated group because they know Tech is sound up front, especially in the interior. What comes to mind when we ask about the d-line, “Size, speed, they play pissed off, vets, youth, Sweat, Little Alfred. Jacoby Jones is back. It’ll be fun to watch them this week.”

LB: Demarvion Overshown is getting more comfortable with each practice. A little in-game experience goes a long way when playing a new position. He’s already thinking less and reacting more. Juwan Mitchell has been running with the 1s. It surprised nearly everyone when Cort Jaquess got the start versus UTEP. Jaylan Ford — he’s going to be a factor next year if not sooner. The position could use some competition.

Spur: Chris Adimora is a mean son-of-a-gun but sources are curious to see how he holds up in the passing game. He’ll blanket tight ends but if matched on a receiver things could get a little interesting.

CB: D'Shawn Jamison and Josh Thompson have a solid grip on starter status but expect Tech to throw it around a lot necessitating fresh legs. Jalen Green and Kenyatta Watson II should also play a fair amount of snaps. Sources are excited about Thompson but want to see him against the better competition Tech presents. The feeling is he’s becoming a real player and everyone wants it for him. He’s a respected figure in the program.

S: Starters remain the same but BJ Foster should play too. The team loves BJ which made it a certainty he would be welcomed back. This group knows it’s in for much stiffer competition than in the opener. Our source wanted it known he was predicting a pick for Sterns. Ha ha.

This team is coming together. Players are starting to coach each other. Position groups are spending a lot of extra time on film study, when in the past we would hear about select individuals. Buy-in is at an all time high. Now, let’s see if the product on the field backs those sentiments up.

STATE OF RECRUITING

The 2022 class received a jolt when Port Arthur Memorial's Jaylon Guilbeau committed last Saturday evening. He joins QB Quinn Ewers, the nation's top overall prospect, and WR Phaizon Wilson on the #Iconic22 squad. If the team continues to look sharp on the field under the new staff in 2020, the 2022 cycle will be most pleasing to the Longhorn football fan.

One player that really noticed the precision in which UT looked vs UTEP, specifically at wide receiver, is the nation's top rated wideout for 2022, Del Valle's Caleb Burton. He noted how UT's receivers ran smart, crisp routes, appeared more disciplined, and attacked the football. He came away impressed. He's close to dropping a Top 12, and told schools you should see on the list include Texas, Clemson, Ohio State, Alabama, and Stanford.

His thoughts on UT pledge Ewers? He watched his performance versus Duncanville in the playoffs last fall and noted he's, "all real and as advertised." Speaking of advertising, this is a good one for the 2022 class:

Gerry Does Dallas

WR Hal Presley, Mansfield Summit - 2021: Presley is a solid commit to Baylor, but he hasn’t told other programs he’s not going to listen. Chad Morris at Auburn is seemingly all in on Presley, but Oklahoma is the one school that if they came calling could have a quick impact on the recruitment. USC and Texas remain in contact, but this isn’t the same USC and Texas that were living in the AP Poll Top 10 for several years — so the word relayed to IT is that it will take more than just the uniform to have a chance to make an impact. Texas contact is not that of being all in at this point, but it probably should be. The thought around the Summit program is that Presley will be a "Sunday player.”

OL Jacoby Jackson, Mansfield Summit - 2021: The consensus feel close to Jackson at Summit is that Baylor is best positioned to win out in this one with Texas and Texas Tech the other two having a legit chance. Texas Tech has done the best/most consistent job recruiting the quickly developing offensive tackle, but is likely third coming down the home stretch. This recruitment could end before the Lake Ridge game, which is October 2nd. Texas’ Herb Hand and staff have done a good job in a short amount of time positioning Texas to have a shot, and Jackson is intrigued about the idea of playing for the Longhorns.

DE David Abiara, Mansfield Legacy - 2021: Abiara doesn’t do many interviews, or say much when interviewed which makes getting a read on his recruitment difficult. In talking to a number of people close to him, the feeling is that Texas could win out if Abiara does eventually flip. The Notre Dame verbal has been considered a “soft commit” for a while now, but as Oklahoma found out — Abiara has yet to make the de-commitment when it was expected during the summer. Abiara isn’t one that communicates a lot with schools, so the programs recruiting him are left wondering where they stand which has caused some to move on to the next prospects on their boards. Texas is doing a solid job recruiting the family, and academics are paramount in the decision making process.

CB Jalon Williams, South Grand Prairie - 2021: Texas remains interested in Jalon Williams, but the 185-pound cornerback with 10.6 100-meter speed is locked in with Boston College — for now. While Williams has never set foot on the Boston College campus, he has received all the information needed on Boston College head coach, Jeff Hafley, from former South Grand Prairie and Ohio State star CB Jeff Okudah. That information from Okudah about playing for Hafley looms large in this recruitment. With that said, should Texas or someone closer to home turn up the heat, this recruitment could be revisited.

ATH Cristian Driver, Argyle Liberty Christian - 2022: There were two pieces of key information learned about Driver’s recruitment during the week in D/FW. First is that Driver prefers wide receiver at the next level, and that will change the way he looks at schools in his recruitment. The five schools mentioned by a source were Oklahoma, Penn State, Ohio State, LSU and Texas. While Penn State has been considered the team to beat due to a long-standing relationship between Donald Driver and PSU HC James Franklin, the Sooners may well emerge as the favorite with wide receiver now the focus. The ball is now in Lincoln Riley’s court in this recruitment. As far as the Longhorns are concerned, the communication is consistent and the staff is aware of Driver's preference to play WR.

DB Terrance Brooks, John Paul II - 2022: Brooks recruitment is not going to be about hype, facilities and NFL statistics. Brooks is a football junkie, and those that recruit him in that manner will separate in time. Texas defensive coordinator Chris Ash has prioritized the 5-foot-11, 180-pound cornerback, the Longhorns are quietly sitting at the top of the list. Brooks “get’s excited to talk to Coach Ash” more than others right now. Oklahoma and Notre Dame are also very much in the picture, and LSU would fly up the list if communication became more consistent. Two potential game changers in this recruitment would be Alabama or a Stanford offer. The relationship building is paramount here, however, so the work being consistently put in now could hold off late charges. We think Brooks can play corner so expect him to remain a priority in the class.

DL Shemar Turner, DeSoto - 2021: In talking with a source very close to Turner, this continues to shape up as a Texas vs. Texas A&M showdown. The source said there are three programs Turner won’t be signing with — Georgia, Alabama and LSU. That same source said that Turner “loves the idea of playing in the SEC” and is “loving Texas right now.” The Longhorns are trending since the student visit to Austin in August, and it’s all hands on deck for the Texas staff with Tom Herman, Oscar Giles, Mark Hagen and others in the football department with ties all prioritizing the 6-foot-3, 280-pound versatile defensive lineman. Turner could wait to publicly announce his decision until early January at the Under Armour All-America Game, but it’s likely the colleges recruiting him will know if where they stand weeks prior.

One quick out of state note:

WR Dont’e Thornton, Mount St. Joseph (Baltimore, MD): Texas continues to quickly build a relationship with Thornton and his key family members. Tom Herman and Andre Coleman have both had contact with Thornton and family this week, and the communication is only increasing. Thornton’s family members living in Maryland are well aware of Kevin Durant and his decision to come to Austin from Maryland, and how there are only positive experiences and stories from KD and his family.

And we’ll finish with one instate note:

Houston Strake Jesuit OT Max Merril is set announce his commitment at 12:00pm (CT). Ever since UT and Herb Hand first reached out months back, it's been a steady dose of patience and faith that a Texas offer would surely come. In typical Road Warrior style, Mad Max overcame the odds and picked one up last week. He's got big folks in his big family and he might not be done growing just yet. We’ll be tuning into Merril’s decision today.

 

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Mike Roach: Athletics and academics sealed the deal for Merril and Texas

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The recruitment of Max Merril moved quickly. The three-star offensive lineman from Houston (Texas) Strake Jesuit was offered just four days ago, and at the time he told Horns247 that the offer was one he’d have to heavily consider. “It means a lot to me and my family,” he said. “We are really heavily considering that option.” After a short period of time to think it over, Merril announced his commitment to Texas today.

The Longhorns won out over programs such as Boise State, Arizona, Arizona State, Indiana and Louisville. Merril told Horns247 that the total combination Texas brought to the table was just too good to turn down. “For me, it’s the combination of football and academics,” Merril said. “I know it’s an awesome school and one of the biggest football programs in the country. The combination of the two really excites me.”

Merril is still getting to know Texas offensive line coach Herb Hand, but he’s picked up some early impressions about him that he likes. “He seems like a really good dude,” he said. “He’s a good coach, and he’s not afraid to get after you to make you a better player.” Merril wasn’t able to make visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is going to try to get to Austin for a self-guided tour to see campus. “I haven’t been to campus before, but I plan to soon,” he said.

At 6-foot-4, 273 pounds, Merril is ranked as the No. 108 offensive tackle in the country and No. 195 overall prospect in Texas, according to 247Sports Composite.

 

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Myslinski is better than James. Tommy is much bigger, much more polished and much more proven than Merril. Injuries play a big role in how OL play out. And although, we would hope that Merril develops into a replacement for Tommy, I wouldn't consider him a "replacement" unless you consider a bike as a replacement for a car.

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5 minutes ago, satyanash said:

(Eric Nahlin) Humidor: Position outlook ahead of Tech, five-star notes WR improvement, Gerry does Dallas

 

This Gerry Does Dallas headline is outstanding! I find it very difficult to give Nahlin any kudos, especially this cycle, but this is well deserved.

Edited by IDIOTsavant
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14 minutes ago, Bevo said:

Myslinski is better than James. Tommy is much bigger, much more polished and much more proven than Merril. Injuries play a big role in how OL play out. And although, we would hope that Merril develops into a replacement for Tommy, I wouldn't consider him a "replacement" unless you consider a bike as a replacement for a car.

fail tour de france GIF by Cheezburger

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10 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

Are there many 6-4 OTs in college?

Plenty. The 9.95ers are making way too much of a deal about his height.  There’s less in the NFL, but 6’4 isn’t a disqualifier in college, especially if the guy has a long wingspan. Jedrick  Wills was an all-American and the #10 overall pick at 6’4. Cody Ford was an All-American and second round pick from OU, and he measured under 6’4 at the combine.  

Like the IT article said, it also wouldn’t be crazy if he grew another inch or two. Cosmi was widely listed at 6’5 coming out of HS and even his first year at UT, but he’s now listed at 6’7. 
 

Edited by Burt Macklin
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Merril self reported 6’5 280. At a camp in Feb he was 6’4 around 265. It’s possible that he’s grown an inch. It’s also possible that he’s giving himself an extra inch. Or he’s somewhere in between. More importantly, he has a 80 inch wingspan, which is college tackle length. And maybe he’s not dowe growing there too?

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20 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

Plenty. The 9.95ers are making way too much of a deal about his height.  There’s less in the NFL, but 6’4 isn’t a disqualifier in college, especially if the guy has a long wingspan. Jedrick  Wills was an all-American and the #10 overall pick at 6’4. Cody Ford was an All-American and second round pick from OU, and he measured under 6’4 at the combine.  

Like the IT article said, it also wouldn’t be crazy if he grew another inch or two. Cosmi was widely listed at 6’5 coming out of HS and even his first year at UT, but he’s now listed at 6’7. 
 

^^ doesn’t think length matters 

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1 minute ago, Fud said:

Merril self reported 6’5 280. At a camp in Feb he was 6’4 around 265. It’s possible that he’s grown an inch. It’s also possible that he’s giving himself an extra inch. Or he’s somewhere in between. More importantly, he has a 80 inch wingspan, which is college tackle length. And maybe he’s not dowe growing there too?

Who among us hasn't embellished an inch now and then?

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The Texas staff is serious about Raymond Gay.....at WR. He committed to okie lite as a CB. Raymond is posting new Hudl clips, which Nahlin believes indicates an openness to additional suiters.

He fast.

https://www.hudl.com/profile/10000834/Raymond-Gay

https://247sports.com/player/raymond-gay-46100325/

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14 hours ago, Bruh Man said:

So last year I could have swore IT was saying Turner was soft, now he's their #2 player in the state? What changed? Has Turner improved? I haven't followed this recruitment.

 

what happened? bruh thats what happens when you finish your commitment video & they find out

Spoiler

a certain poster here may have sold the info 

 

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1 hour ago, Burt Macklin said:

RE: 6’4" OT in college. 

Cody Ford was an All-American and second round pick from OU, and he measured under 6’4 at the combine. 

Ford also has an exceptional wingspan (I think I read 6'10").

Height is a proxy for wingspan as they are generally approximately equal.

I've always thought that relatively short (6'2" ish) with extended arm length (6'9" ish) would be the ideal because this would mean lower center of gravity and able to get underneath pads of defenders on run blocking but still able to extend during pass blocking.

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2 minutes ago, quigley said:

Ford also has an exceptional wingspan (I think I read 6'10").

Height is a proxy for wingspan as they are generally approximately equal.

I've always thought that relatively short (6'2" ish) with extended arm length (6'9" ish) would be the ideal because this would mean lower center of gravity and able to get underneath pads of defenders on run blocking but still able to extend during pass blocking.

Poona Ford: the perfect football player

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3 hours ago, texifornia said:

Who expected Cosmi and Kerstetter would be great starters?

As far as Cosmi, not Coach. 
 

Coach says: My first watch of this kid left me pretty underwhelmed, but I gave him him a second look to see if I still felt the same. After watching him a second time it wasn’t underwhelming as I remembered, but in my opinion he is going to be another project like the Zabie kid, but I’m not sure his ceiling is higher. He moves well, but he is also pretty light in the britches and is going to need to add some serious weight because he is probably around 250 pounds right now. On top of that he is going to need to get much stronger in the weight room as there isn’t much finishing to speak of on his film, which is worrisome to me. Doesn’t come from the lack of trying or effort, he’s just not strong enough yet. This is another case of where your offensive line coach better be worth his salt because I’m a little skittish of this take all things considered.

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