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  1. 4 minutes ago, satyanash said:

    Duh. Sark inherited a much more talented roster than Leipold did. How did that pan out?

    Just out of curiosity, what was your expectations for wins this year and what would have made you believe things could possibly be on the right path? I probably expected 6 given last year's shitshow and would have been/would be happy (and somewhat optimistic about the future) with 8. 

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  2. Blair Angulo: Tausil Akana Setting Official Visits

    Spoiler

    The odds that Tausili Akana ends up playing his college ball in the SEC continue to rise.

    The elite edge rusher from Lehi (Utah) Skyridge kicked off his senior season this past Friday and told 247Sports the path to an eventual commitment has become clearer, with four of the five official visit slots confirmed.

    There is plenty of SEC flavor to the itinerary, with all four dates featuring either a current or future conference program.

    "We'll start the officials with Texas on the Sept. 10 weekend for the game against Alabama and we're really excited about that one," Akana said. "I know coach Jake Langi just left but we've been building a really strong relationship with coach Pete Kwiatkowski for a while. The trip there this off-season was great and I'm looking forward to experiencing a game down there.

    "The other three visits we have locked in so far are LSU on Oct. 8 for the matchup against Tennessee, then Oct. 15 at Oklahoma for the game against Kansas, and then it's Texas A&M on Nov. 5 for the game versus Florida. The fifth visit is between Oregon and Tennessee, honestly. Those are the schools I'm focusing on. The Oregon home game would be against UCLA if we make that trip happen and, if it's Tennessee we're still sorting through the possibilities. A lot of it depends on my own schedule."

    Akana is the top-rated player in the state of Utah, No. 4 among edge rushers nationally and No. 34 overall in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports rankings.

    Originally from the state of Hawaii, the Polynesian Bowl all-star and All-American Bowl selection has played his previous two seasons in the Beehive State and was credited with 78 total tackles, including 28 for a loss and 13 sacks, to help guide Skyridge to a state semifinal appearance last fall.

    "Right now we're just taking our time and making sure we're checking off all the boxes," said the 6-foot-4, 225-pound Akana. "It's a really important process and I don't have a time frame for making a decision yet, just going off what feels right. If there is one school that just blows me away and I know where I want to go, I won't hesitate to make a choice, so I'm definitely just looking for that feeling to know where I want to be."

    https://247sports.com/Player/Tausili-Akana-46086671/

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  3. 4 minutes ago, Hiphopopotamos said:

    Wonder if the remaining Big12 schools that matter decide to collaborate with leftover Pac schools to create new conference.

    Honestly, they should just try to create a conference of good PAC, Big 12, and  ACC schools (including ND for these purposes because I expect they'll have to do something at some point) that are good in football or basketball or bring good schooling/name recognition or something and just be done with the Big 12/ACC:

    Clemson, Duke, FSU, Kansas, Miami, Oregon, UNC, ND, Stanford, Utah, VT, UVA. (can add Louisville, Washington, Arizona schools or other Big 12 Schools if more schools are valuable).

  4. Hudson Notes from 7v7

    Spoiler

    — Mike mentioned yesterday that the eyes of the college football world, especially the recruiting world, were on Texas yesterday with Arch Manning’s announcement. If that wasn’t evident with his 217k liked commitment announcement, it sure is after talking in the early buzz from the D1 state 7on7.

    Even without notable Texas commits S’Maje Burrell and Ryan Niblett not with their teams due to visits in Austin, the early talk from recruits, parents, and most of the media has been Manning’s decision to verbally pledge to the Longhorns.

    With Manning in his home state of Louisiana at the Manning Passing Academy most of the focus has shifted to DeSoto five-star wideout Johntay Cook. Mike had a great conversation with Cook and will likely have notes later tonight or sometime tomorrow before he heads off for vacation, much to the excitement of everybody reading this.

    — One of the toughest elements of coverage over the past 24 hours has been trying to decipher reactionary hype because of Manning’s announcement vs. actual momentum. We did find out that one 2024 was eager to announce a commitment last night but the staff decided to slow play said recruit and told him that they weren’t quite ready to take a commitment yet.

    — While the staff told one silent no last night, one thing that we’ve picked up on is that the Manning commitment gave UT some much needed leverage in a couple recruitments and the staff has been aggressively on the phones for the last day. One recruit in particular told me the sudden increase in contact yesterday as the Manning news unfolded was extremely exciting and made him feel like he was part of the action.

    — Last early note on the day, I heard last night from a source that Austin Westlake 2023 Jaden Greathouse was briefly on campus earlier this week. The source continued to tell me that Notre Dame is in the clear poll position for a fall announcement, which Greathouse decided to push back while he was on his OV to South Bend. We’ll talk with him later today at 7v7, but still struggle to see how Texas claws their way back in it.

     

  5. 2 minutes ago, Tylerocks said:

    Addison isn't coming here, JFC

    The dude isn't coming off a 100 catch, Biletnikoff award winning season to split catches with Worthy, Neyor, Whittington and Hall.

    Especially with a Heisman contender in the backfield.

    .

     

    Not that I don't appreciate tempering expectations, but if the alternative is getting double-teamed every down, which option would be better? If we score run that skill out there, I don't think 50 points a game is unreasonable (better QB and more than one healthy WR) and there should be plenty of opportunity for touches. And don't act like (1) it's a given that Whittington is healthy all year and (2) Hall is going to remotely get in the way of Addison getting his looks.

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  6. Roach: Stampede

    Spoiler

    TEXAS LANDS TWO BIG OFFENSIVE TARGETS
    The spring game was a success on the recruiting front as Texas added two big offensive targets from the board. It’s a bit poetic that both came within minutes for one another as wins for new assistants Tashard Choice and Brennan Marion.

    Choice is now on the board with his first running back in the class. Desoto’s Tre Wisner is a player we’ve talked about a little. In the last few months, we’ve detected an uptick of interest from Wisner who was predicted by some insiders to be an Oklahoma lean. He recently visited Texas A&M and was reportedly looking at a fall decision, but the Longhorns were able to slam the door for him. That’s one down in what we expect to be a two-running back class for Texas. Wisner recently transferred to Desoto from Waco Connally where he will team up with Johntay Cook and the rest of a talented Eagles squad. Does Wisner help with Cook? Maybe a little, but I don’t see it being a significant impact. This is still a race that will likely come down to Texas or Texas A&M with a need to keep a close eye on Alabama. Now comes the race for the other running back in the class. The top target is Rueben Owens and the race for the El Campo back will probably also come down to an in-state battle between the Aggies and Longhorns. Cedric Baxter is another factor as the Orlando (Fla.) runner named the Longhorns among his five finalists over the weekend. Wisner will still get a pretty hard press from the top schools recruiting him, but credit to the staff for landing him early.

    Brennan Marion reeling in Ryan Niblett was a big win for the Longhorns as well. Niblett is the type of dynamic athlete the Texas program sorely needs at the wide receiver position. An elite high school sprinter who recently registered a 10.47 100-meter time at the area track meet. He also swept the rest of the event taking gold in the 200, 4x100 and long jump. Though he’s still raw from a technique standpoint, Niblett has the type of juice to score from anywhere on the field once he reaches the college level. He’s impressed so far on the spring circuit in several 7-on-7 tournament and grabbed the eye of our national ranking team rising to be a Top 100 player in the country. Texas is gearing up to take a big wide receiver class with a lot of speed and skill available to them. Niblett is an important first step in the process, but Marion has his eye on big game like Johntay Cook, Jaquaize Pettaway, Jonah Wilson, Jaden Greathouse, Deandre Moore and Jalen Brown. Niblett visited with his entire family who I was told loved the trip overall and were excited by his decision to commit. What a great job Texas did coming from seemingly outside of the pack to land him in the spring.

    WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE LONGHORNS?
    If you believe in recruiting momentum within a class, this would be a time for the Longhorns to go on a run. Can they do that? We expected another commitment this week, but it sounds like that has changed (more in a moment). Still, Texas is in a good position with a number of different prospects. One of those is Ashton Porter. The Cy-Ranch defensive lineman returned to Austin over the weekend and enjoyed the trip. Porter has talked about moving his decision to late in the cycle, but I get the sense the Longhorns will push harder and try to close that deal sooner rather than later. We’ve talked quite a bit about four-star cornerback Jordan Matthews as well who is looking to make a decision in the summer.

    I’d also expect Kyle Flood to make a move and try to get one of his top offensive line targets in the boat sometime in the next month. Regardless, this staff doesn’t seem to care about stacking chips in runs. Jaden Greathouse is another prospect we’ve been watching for, but a weekend trip to Notre Dame put the Irish into a better position in the race. After last year’s cycle, they know they can run the marathon and let things play out over the course of a cycle. If you are looking for a period where Texas can get hot, I think the summer will be big. I’d probably targets the month of July and August with plenty of visits upcoming and timelines ending before the season. With spring ball over, the staff will hit the road so we should see some new offers and gain more clarity on where targets stand.

    RECAPPING HOUSTON TRIP
    The biggest takeaway from our week in Houston was the progress made with Ryan Niblett. Obviously, that story concluded before we could write this story, though we did illustrate it in notes packages throughout the week. I also think the Longhorns are in a strong position with fellow Houston wide receiver and elite sprinter Jaquaize Pettaway. I’ll be interested to see what the buzz is with him coming out of his trip to Oklahoma over the weekend. Texas should be in a good position with North Shore safety Jayven Anderson who profiles to a hybrid position between safety and linebacker. Marion has been able to do a good job with Jonah Wilson, but he wants to take some time and a few visits.

    We also really like the position Texas is in with Friendswood EDGE Braylan Shelby who looks like an absolute monster. With an NFL body and a game that rounded into shape late last season, Shelby could really rise as a prospect overall. Two schools that haven’t offered but could make it interesting are Notre Dame and Georgia. Despite that, Texas is treating Shelby like a priority and putting the full court press on him with Steve Sarkisian involved heavily. Texas also remains strong in the race for number one running back Rueben Owens. Sources close to him feel it will ultimately be a battle between Texas and Texas A&M for the five-star back. I am interested to see what comes out of Wisner’s recruitment. The plan has always been to take two running backs, but there’s usually some sort of reaction from the blue chippers when players at their position commit. Texas hits the road this week and will hit the Space City hard as they look to ramp up the 2023 class.

    LONGHORNS IN A FIGHT FOR BILLY WALTON
    Following Billy Walton’s visit a few weeks ago, the buzz around Texas was too strong to ignore. I checked with sources before the weekend who expected Walton to make a commitment soon and Texas was unanimously thought to be the pick. The one caveat was his official visit to Oklahoma State over the weekend. The Cowboys offered him early on, have a position fit in mind that matches what he does at South Oak Cliff and have several members of his family either on the roster or previously involved in the program.

    One source very close to the situation told me before the weekend that he was all Texas unless Oklahoma State won him over during the trip. After checking with sources following the trip, it sounds like the Cowboys might have done just that. I’ve heard a decision could come as soon as this week, and I expect Stillwater to be the pick. Texas will continue to pursue, but this is a race the staff didn’t see flipping this suddenly. Perhaps something changes before he makes his announcement, but I’m changing my Crystal Ball to Oklahoma State.

    RACE FOR OCHAUN MATHIS COMING DOWN TO THE WIRE
    Perhaps the most important visitor on campus this weekend was TCU edge rusher Ochaun Mathis. The former Manor product will wrap up his recruitment on Saturday with a decision coming between Texas and Nebraska. The Longhorns had a successful official visit with him over the weekend. Mathis has been to campus four times since entering his name into the NCAA Transfer Portal and Texas has a massive need for him to step in and rush the passer immediately.

    I’ve said in the past that Nebraska made this race very uncomfortable for Texas and turned what once looked like a slam dunk into a contested jumper. The best source I have near Mathis has been confident in Texas throughout the run of this recruitment. That said, even that source admitted to me yesterday that they weren’t 100% sure of the pick right now. I’ll continue to check with sources throughout the week as we lead up to Saturday and Mathis’ announcement.

     

  7. Stampede:

    Spoiler

    After a few weeks of heavy activity on campus, recruiting slowed a bit at Texas this weekend. As prospects took visits elsewhere and the Texas staff focused on their annual coaching convention, the updates from being recruiting weekends we’ve become accustomed to over the past few weekends just weren’t there.

    That doesn’t mean we weren’t able to dig up anything to report in this space. The Horns247 staff had a substantial scrimmage report, and we were also able to tap some sources to get some information on the coaching clinic and the weekend in Austin. We also spoke with a few sources to get updates on a few key targets in the recruiting class.

    In this week’s edition of The Stampede, Horns247’s weekly gathering of recruiting intel, we’ll discuss the feedback we heard from high school coaches in attendance and provide updates on several highly-regarded targets.

    HIGH SCHOOL COACHES DESCEND ON AUSTIN
    Steve Sarkisian was able to host his first in-person coaching convention since being at Texas. COVID-19 forced Sarkisian and his staff to go online last spring, but this year was a return to a big event for high school coaches to interact with the staff.

    The clinic started Thursday night with a "burgers and brats" social and featured presentations from Blake Gideon and AJ Milwee before the entire staff opened up for a chalk talk session. Many of the attendees arrived on Friday where they were able to hear from a wide variety of coaches.

    Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun, Florida A&M Willie Simmons, Tulane head coach Willie Fritz and Buffalo head coach Maurice Linguist all made presentations along with a most of the Texas staff. Broadcast personality Joel Klatt also spoke to end the day before the Fish Fry social with the staff.

    Saturday was anchored by Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and LA Rams Special Teams Coordinator Joe DeCamillis. After those presentations, the coaches were able to go take in practice and watch the team scrimmage. Feedback we heard singled out Linguist, Quinn and DeCamillis among the presenters that were a big hit. Among the coaching staff, we heard the most positives on Jeff Banks and Brennan Marion. One thing I’ve learned attending these clinics throughout the spring is that coaches love picking up special teams nuggets so guys like Banks are usually a big hit.

    Chris Gilbert also earned a ton of praise. One coach we spoke with said the reception was awesome.

    “I kinda felt like I was treated like a recruit,” the coach said. “They walked us in from the parking lot and handed you off to another person who asked where you coached and all sorts of questions. They offered to give us a tour. We got to go in the suites and they had pizza and drinks. We got to go pretty much wherever we wanted. Chris Gilbert was super accommodating and ran the whole show.”

    Another high school head coach we spoke with echoed the same sentiments.

    “The clinic was beneficial for me,” he said. “I learned some things from Maurice Linguist the head coach at Buffalo and coach Marion and coach Choice are the real deal. I felt very welcomed. “Coach Chris Gilbert did an awesome job. I was only there Friday. Coach Terry joseph spent time with the coaches in between session and coach Chjoice invited me to practice later in the week.”

    The prevailing sentiment from the coaches we spoke with was how accessible the staff was even in the middle of a busy scrimmage weekend.

    “I liked the clinic,” a Dallas head coach told us. “It wasn’t a crazy amount of people and the coaching staff was available most of the whole clinic to talk ball. They were just around to talk in general. The clinic speakers were good and coach Gilbert did a good job hosting.

    LONGHORNS HOST SPEEDY RECEIVER
    Aldine Eisenhower wideout Ryan Niblett surprised many when he cut Texas from his top schools early in the spring. Niblett added the Longhorns back commenting that it was a simple oversight. Still, we hadn’t heard much regarding Niblett but getting him to campus this weekend for some one-on-one time with Brennan Marion definitely helped.

    Niblett doesn’t talk much but we were able to catch up with a source near him who said he really enjoyed his time on campus. There are definitely a few options at the wide receiver position, but if Texas can generate more off of this and add Niblett as a legit option to the board, it will only help diversify the group they could bring in. The next step is getting him back on campus for an official visit.

    MARION MAKING PROGRESS WITH OTHER TARGETS

    Over the weekend I was able to speak in-depth with four-star Dekaney wide receiver Jonah Wilson and four-star Langham Creek wide receiver Jaquaize Pettaway.

    Wilson said he loved the atmosphere and got to see some new stuff about the University. Watching Brennan Marion during practice gave Wilson the opportunity to see how Marion works and said he is who he says he is as far as having fun with his position and also coaching them hard. Wilson plans to return sometime during the summer and is looking at setting up an official visit. He’s also likely to visit Ohio State at some point, but Texas seems to be out in front after the recent trip. Wilson doesn’t have a firm timeline for an announcement but it’s likely one would come before the season.

    Pettaway also made the visit last week and told Horns247 that the trip moved Texas up in his eyes. He said the overall energy with the coaches and team and the way they practiced appealed to him. Brennan Marion has been big in this one so far. Pettaway feels Marion is incredibly relatable and he can talk to him about anything. He’s set to see Oklahoma for the spring game on the 23rd and is working on setting up visits in the summer.

    He wants to take some time with the process, but he’s targeting a commitment before his senior season after his official visits. Pettaway wants to be used in a few different ways and Texas told him they could move him to several different spots on the field and utilize him. This one feels like it’s shaping up to be a Texas/OU battle as of right now.

    Wilson and Pettaway both mentioned the fact that Texas has a definite need at the receiver position moving forward and they both feel they could potentially see the field early on.

    MONITORING DEFENSIVE LINE MOVEMENT
    We’ve been keeping an eye on the shifting numbers along the defensive line. One name we’ve been asked quite a bit about is Ashton Porter. The four-star defensive lineman from Cy-Ranch visited Baylor over the weekend, but he's been pretty quiet recently. I’m trying to set up something with Porter, who will be back in Austin for the spring game in a few weeks, to talk about his recruitment.

    A source I spoke with indicated Porter could ultimately be pushing his timeline out throughout the season. He’s been a big target for Texas and at times he’s been a guy we’ve felt could be close to pulling the trigger. The extended timeline could complicate things as the Longhorns pursue other targets. As numbers are added to the class it takes spots away in what will already be a tight class numbers-wise.

     

  8. Standish Notes:

    Spoiler

    –Earlier today the news became public that the state's number one player for the 2023 cycle David "DJ" Hicks transferred from Allen to Katy Paetow. The first thought most Texas fans will wonder is if this impacts his recruiting decision making process, which multiple sources made clear would not be the case.

    –As Mike and I have previously reported, the 6-foot-4, 250-pounder has Oklahoma and Texas A&M running one and two in his recruitment with each school jockeying for top spot while Texas is attempting to get the five-star back on campus to try and get back in the thick of the race. The Longhorns benefit from Hicks remaining consistent to his NSD1 timeline, and it should be noted that with a strong season Texas could get right back in the mix considering at the beginning of his recruitment people close to him felt like Texas would be the eventual pick. Step one of getting back to a contending position for Hicks is a strong unofficial visit over the spring and securing a official visit for the fall.

    –Mike put in a quintet of crystal ball picks this morning and one that we both were in complete lockstep on was South Oak Cliff corner Jayvon Thomas to Texas A&M. I mentioned in my pre Texas Relays/Arch Madness visit weekend article that Texas would need to make a strong move to get back in the top spot for the dynamic two way athlete, but the Horns were seriously hurt by the NCAA rule that kids couldn't visit the same day they competed. Thomas couldn't make the short trip from Mike A. Myers Stadium to campus, and the next weekend made a return trip to Texas A&M. Texas does look to be in a great spot for Jordan Matthews, along with other priority corners on the board, but it would shock me if this swung back in Texas' direction.

    –I talked with a couple of sources about one of the Longhorns' biggest priorities on the board that doesn't get as much publicity in Monroe (LA) Neville OL/DL Zalance Heard after the No. 145 overall prospect in the 247 Sports composite made the trip from Monroe to Austin last weekend. The 6-foot-5, 300-pounder is being recruiting as an offensive tackle by some schools while Bo Davis at Texas is his primary recruiter and wants him on the defensive line. I was told by one source that Texas could see Heard on either side of the ball and will recruit him with that flexibility in mind. The same source mentioned that Texas and LSU are setting the pace for the reserved big man from north Louisiana, while another source said that the vibe around the Neville HS staff was that Texas was by far the leader in Heard's recruitment during the season.

     

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  9. Roach: Stampede

    Spoiler

    7-on-7 season gives us a chance to get outside of the state lines and see some talent Texas is recruiting in other parts of the country. Las Vegas is always a great destination because of the large groups of west coast prospects who visit Sin City for February’s annual tournaments.

    Horns247 was on location in Las Vegas over the weekend for Battle’s 7v7 tournament at All-American Park. The event hosted many of the top teams out west and a few from places like Texas, Florida and Pennsylvania.

    During that time, Horns247 caught up with every major target in attendance to see where things stand with the Longhorns before we head into the spring. In this week’s edition of The Stampede, Horns247’s weekly gathering of recruiting intel, we unload the notebook on prospects we saw over the weekend plus a few who weren’t in attendance that we spoke with.

    —I mentioned over the weekend that I feel Texas is a legitimate contender for four-star Los Alamitos (Calif.) wide receiver Deandre Moore. Moore’s electric route running and ball-winning ability were on full display as he played both ways over the weekend. In talking to Moore, you can tell that the work Brennan Marion did at Pitt with Jordan Addison really caught his attention. Moore also visited Austin last summer and said he fell in love with the city as it reminded him a lot of LA. Moore originally committed to Oklahoma with teammates Malachi Nelson and Makai Lemon. Both of those players are now committed to Lincoln Riley at USC, and while the Trojans will be big contenders, it shouldn’t be considered automatic. For one, Moore transferred to Los Alamitos last year and while he is friends with Nelson and Lemon, he wants to do his own thing and make sure the decision is for him. Moore has a twin sister who plans to enroll wherever he chooses to be with him. If you want to win Moore over, you’ll have to impress his sister. Moore feels the offense Texas uses is perfect for a player with his skillset and he said that the relationships with Texas have been big. Jeff Banks has been recruiting Moore since he was a freshman and he’s enjoying learning about Marion and seeing his energy. He also mentioned how relatable Marion is citing the fact that he listens to one of his favorite artists NBA Youngboy. Moore mentioned some drills Marion put up on Instagram last week and said he likes what he’s seen of his coaching. Moore is close with Maalik Murphy and Larry Turner-Gooden and he’s talked to Turner-Gooden over the past few weeks. Moore wants to return for an official visit and says he’s sure Texas will get one unless something drastically changes. Aside from USC and Texas, Louisville, Alabama and Oregon are the schools he feels will get an official visit. Since Moore made an early commitment already, he wants to make sure he takes his time with his next decision.

    —Five-star Miami (Fla.) Gulliver Prep wide receiver Jalen Brown is still wide open, and he’s planning a visit to Texas this spring. Brown is one of the most explosive players in the nation with length and elite speed. Texas offered last year, but the recruitment went hot and cold through Andre Coleman. Brennan Marion engaged immediately after arriving at Texas and the two had a relationship going back to Marion’s time at Pitt when he worked Brown out during a satellite camp on Florida International’s campus. Brown who is built and runs like former Heisman Trophy winner Devonta Smith said he likes Texas because he feels he can fit that type of role in Steve Sarkisian’s offense. Miami, Florida State, Texas A&M, LSU and Oklahoma.

    Brown’s visit schedule is going to be up and down because of track and 7v7. He says he will commit whenever the time is right but take his visits regardless. Brown wants to take fall visits to get a feel for the gameday atmosphere on campuses along with the campus life. Brown is a great student and finding a place with a good education is a plus for him. Texas could have a great advantage in that department if the visit goes well. I also spoke with Brown’s dad who told me they are excited about Texas and are ready to make a visit happen this spring or summer before possibly returning in the fall for an official. Texas had some work to do because they were behind, but I feel they could become legitimate contenders if the visit goes well.

    —Texas has been mentioned most for four-star Desoto wide receiver Johntay Cook. Though Cook has talked up other schools lately, the Longhorns are still right in the thick of things. There are quite a few links to Cook on the Texas staff including Chris Gilbert who grew up with his father. The Longhorns have also done a fantastic job of winning Cook’s mother over which is a big key. When the family went on one of their many visits to Austin, Steve Sarkisian sat down with Cook’s mom and impressed her with how genuine he was. That conversation left an impression and has her feeling comfortable about Texas. I’d still say that Texas sits in the top position, but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a fight for him. Cook is set to visit LSU next month while Texas A&M has been coming on strong thanks to the involvement of Jimbo Fisher and Dameyune Craig who Cook has a great relationship with. He’s also planning visits to Ohio State, Michigan and Ohio State. Cook said he’s a maybe for the Texas spring game, but I’d expect him to make the trip. Multiple sources I spoke to feel good about where things are with Texas, but this will play out over a long period of time.

    —I’m getting closer to putting a Texas Crystal Ball in for Lovejoy wide receiver Kyle Parker. The Longhorns seem to be hitting all the right notes for the speedy receiver, but Louisville and Arkansas are also in the picture. Parker said he plans to visit Penn State in the spring as well but is set to return to Austin during spring for practice or the spring game. There’s not much more to expand on, but Parker said he has no timetable for a decision or plans for official visits as of yet. Parker did say that Texas would get one of his official visits and I really like where Texas sits right now.

    Anthony Hill recently dropped a Top 6 and there won’t be another cut before his decision. Hill said he has a great relationship with the Texas staff and he’s now focusing on getting more detail about his fit in the program and the overall scheme. Steve Sarkisian is running this recruitment himself, and Chris Gilbert is also heavily involved. Jeff Choate also speaks to Hill weekly about the potential fit. Hill has a few friends on the roster in Ja’Tavion Sanders and Austin Jordan who have been reaching out to Hill regularly. Hill visited Austin in December and will for sure be at the Texas spring game. He’s planning to take his official visits in the spring and summer and is graduating early. With six schools in his top group, Hill said he will take visits to each though one would have to be an unofficial visit that he treats as an official type visit. That sixth visit would probably be one of the local schools since he can get there easily. I think Texas did a great job building this relationship when the staff took over, but I think they have more work to do. Hill is pretty wide open, but I think Texas A&M is the school to watch at this point. Oklahoma should also be considered a pretty big contender with Brent Venables leading the way and the entire staff engaged in the recruitment. Hill speaks regularly with the other top recruits in his class about the possibility of playing together at the next level.

    —Coppell defensive back Braxton Myers recently cut his list to 12 and said he speaks to Blake Gideon often. Myers is planning trips for the spring currently, and while he doesn’t have anything locked in yet, Myers said he’s going to make a trip to Austin for sure. Florida State, USC, Ole Miss and Michigan are other schools set to receive an official visit. Texas is pitching him as a versatile player who can line up at safety or corner, and Myers has never been to Austin for a visit. He’s excited to see the campus and new facilities at Texas, and he’s planning to cut his list again in April. Myers said he’s big on relationships, but he also wants to go somewhere with a scheme that fits and the opportunity to play early. As of now, I think Myers is looking to leave the state, but that could change with a good visit.

    —Four-star Miami (Fla.) Killian athlete Robby Washington was offered by Texas recently and put on a show at wide receiver this weekend. I spoke to Washington who said he’s enjoyed speaking with Tashard Choice and getting to know him, but I’d be surprised if Texas becomes a player in this recruitment. Right now, it sounds like Georgia, Alabama and Florida State are the schools standing out most.

    —Notre Dame commit Peyton Bowen said that he’s still firmly committed to the Irish, but he is looking at taking a few unofficial visits. Oklahoma, Alabama and Texas A&M are schools he mentioned as programs that he might see this spring. I asked Bowen about Texas and he said that Blake Gideon is in contact often. Bowen is still on the fence about whether he’d visit Texas or not. He does like that the school is close to home, but the season results and a few other factors have Texas trailing big time for one of the best defensive players in the state. I think Texas could change that narrative if they get him to campus, but we will see If they can do that.

    —I spoke with Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra cornerback Rodrick Pleasant who said Texas has been turning up the heat lately. Pleasant told me a few weeks ago that he hadn’t heard much from Texas, but that’s changed. Pleasant wants to get out to Texas and see everything for himself along with good friend Maalik Murphy

     

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  10. 41 minutes ago, tokamak said:

    I'm shocked, shocked I tell you, that floating rumors about Cutcliffe didn't inspire the Mannings to rush to the phone to commit right away. The stench of desperation usually works so well.

    If Saban had done it (kind of surprised he didn't and just tell BOB to fuck off), would it have had the same stink to it or are you just such a grumpy boy? Lots of things to shit on. Hiring Cutcliffe isn't one of them. 

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  11. 3 hours ago, closetojumping said:

    If you are behind on in-state players, there's almost no way you'd otherwise be ahead on OOS players. None of it relates to the staff not putting in work, to be clear. Texas just isn't an "it" program right now because they're not winning and they're not throwing ungodly amounts of money at guys in lieu of the winning.

    This is all fine and does nothing to invalidate concerns anyone has towards this upcoming class. I hope that Texas clutches up on a wave of high quality players that currently aren't looking like viable targets as well. 

    If Texas gets Cutcliffe on board, Manning commits shortly after that and the class trajectory looks fucking awesome immediately. 

    Ill Be Back Jim Carrey GIF

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  12. Mike at Night regarding Campbell:

    Spoiler

    — Devon Campbell laced up his sneakers tonight and played a physical brand of basketball in the paint for Arlington Bowie in a 70-39 victory over Arlington Sam Houston. The five-star prospect did it in front of Oklahoma assistants Bill Bedenbaugh, Jay Valai and Todd Bates. The Sooners are pushing for the elite offensive lineman and have been out to his last two games to show it. Oklahoma has been able to do a good job despite their massive staff turnover and a large part of that was retaining Bedenbaugh. If Oklahoma is going to win this recruitment, it will be on the shoulders of their offensive line coach who Campbell regards for his development ability.

    — Kyle Flood will be in town tomorrow to see Campbell and a bunch of 2023 offensive line targets in Dallas. Texas is still very much in the race for Campbell as well and have led for most of the recruitment. I talked to a source tonight who told me that in the late fall, he felt Oklahoma was surging in the recruitment, but Texas has always been the constant since offering him early on in his sophomore year. Texas has established the best relationship and has a fit with immediate playing time.

    — I've said all along that I believe this to be much like the Alfred Collins recruitment. Texas led for so long and outlasted a Oklahoma surge to get the five-star in February. I've had a Crystal Ball in for Texas since April of 2020 with an 8 confidence level. For those of you that follow my Crystal Ball habits, 8 is about as strong as I will go on a kid. After talking with sources and considering everything I know, I'm sticking with the pick and that confidence level. I believe that in the end, those long-term ties will win out for the Longhorns.

     

    • Hook 'Em 1
  13. Ear St regarding WR things:

    Spoiler

    — As [FCB] reported this morning, the buzz continues to be on Brennan Marion as the next receiver coach at Texas. I wrote last week that if Marion was the guy, it probably wouldn't get sorted out until Pitt plays in their bowl. The Panthers will face Michigan State in the Peach Bowl tonight and we continue to hear an announcement can come after. There's a reason we had Marion's name circled for one of the offensive positions that came open this offseason. While I'm sure Steve Sarkisian has done his due diligence on a hire, Marion's name is the one we've heard the most. If the deal is done, I'll have much more on what he brings to the table as both a recruiter and coach. I'm a big fan of the move as Texas should improve recruiting ability at the wide receiver position.

    — I've been playing phone tag with UTEP wide receiver transfer Jacob Cowing. We are supposed to connect at some point, but I don't get a great feeling Texas is heavily involved at the moment. The wide receiver position has been in a holding pattern while staff moves get sorted out. Perhaps something shakes out once Texas makes a move, but Cowing is getting a ton of attention from other schools.

    — I checked in with a source near Wyoming transfer wide receiver Isaiah Neyor who Texas just offered. The Longhorns are in a little late on this one, but the relationship between Chris Gilbert and his former head coach at Arlington Lamar Laban DeLay helps some of that. This is another race where the lack of a receiver coach has them a bit behind as there are already relationships growing between TCU, USC and Tennessee with their coaches. Neyor plans to take some visits in January. USC will host him next week and Tennessee will host in mid January. Texas, TCU and Baylor are expected to get trips in early January and Neyor wants to make a decision so he can enroll in the spring.

     

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