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Free99

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  1. 2 hours ago, phdhorn said:

    Snagged this at  HEB today during the weekly shopping trip.  Can't say I'm stoked on the gray letter fill, but it's still decent to me.
    Plus it was ten bucks. $10.  A Jackson.
    Whatever it's worth in Monte Carlo, Beverly Hills, London, Paris, Rome, and Gstaad, it's worth ten bucks in HEB.

    I might wear it to the UM game... or my other one.  But shit, ten bucks.  And the orange is burnt.
    txshirt.png

     

     

     

     

    ImaginativeAdmirableCaiman-size_restrict

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  2. IT $9.95ers

    Spoiler

    By: Chris Del Conte

    It's only fitting we pay homage to the man whose approval rating is hovering around 100%. He didn't really write this, but it'd be a lot cooler if he did.

    The second week of practice brought pads with it, as well as a heavy dose of install as the staff began to move beyond the basics. We'll shed some light on that as we break down the team by position.

    Quarterback

    Shane Buechele is playing quite well in the early going of camp and is getting a lot of first team reps. He's made some wow throws. He and Collin Johnson have seemed to even strengthen the connection they shared at times last year. One source in particular was high on Buechele. I asked him cynically if the run game was good enough to relieve pressure from him. He replied that the run game has improved and implied Buechele would be fine as starter. It's apparent that Buechele is bigger and stronger but also it helps that he's healthy, which is rarely the case.

    Even if the run game has improved, one play we heard about this week underlines a big difference between Buechele and Sam Ehlinger. Malcolm Roach was bearing down on him in 11 on 11 and would have drilled him. It's a play that Sam likely would have either felt earlier or sidestepped at the last second.

    For his part, Ehlinger seems much more comfortable than he was last season and has the basics covered. His true ability won't show in a non-contact jersey. Just as Sam has better pocket presence than Buechele, he's not the downfield passer as the junior. There are always trade-offs.

    We still feel strongly that Ehlinger will be your opening day starter but Buechele is playing well and it seems like the staff knows they need both to succeed.

    Running Back

    Daniel Young is running with the 1st team, but as a pure runner, true freshman Keaontay Ingram is impressing the most. Let's be clear that his head is still swimming and he's making freshman mistakes. We've belabored the point the staff won't give game snaps to players it doesn't trust, however, Ingram is good enough to where the staff will ensure it has him as ready as soon as possible.

    With an innate feel for the running game he's already looking like his evaluation. He sees the play develop, cuts sharp ("hugs the corner"), and gets downfield fast. He's impressed numerous sources. Part of the evaluation was liking him as an outside runner and it helps the offense did a lot of that this week.

    Toneil Carter has been okay. Kyle Porter has been Kyle Porter. Tre Watson should be ready for full contact early next week. On the player we shall not name, they're bringing him along slowly.

    Wide Receiver

    We mentioned Collin Johnson and his connection with Buechele. They're beating a good defense not infrequently (still a lot of give and take between Johnson and Boyd). Good thing there aren't a lot of Collin Johnsons walking around the league. He has holes in his game, but nobody is better when the ball is in the air. Johnson's demeanor has changed and he's become a little more verbose with the yappy defensive backs. This is a new development and one that is welcomed.

    Lil'Jordan Humphrey is still giving the defense consistent trouble. It sounds like the offensive staff is doing a great job of changing up how they use him. The defense will make an adjustment and a couple of plays later the offense has him doing something else and he's back to making plays in space.

    Devin Duvernay is playing well too. He's a smart player who knows what games the defensive backs are trying to play. Combine that with his speed and we could witness a breakout. He seems like a good fit to burn overplay on LJH or the run.

    Didn't hear much on the younger guys other than Al'Vonte Woodard's touchdown catch on Thursday.

    Tight End

    Cade Brewer participated in full contact for the first time since the ACL injury last fall but when it comes to reps, the staff is still taking it slow with him. This was a good week for him to be back as the run game worked on insert plays which basically motion the tight end into the formation to act as a lead blocker for the running back. Brewer and Beck should be good in this role and Brewer and Leitao (maybe Beck too) should give it more credence as receivers. To make this work you need to target the tight end some.

    Offensive Line

    The line is playing noticeably better than last year, though they still obviously have their hands full.

    Overall the defense is still better than the offense but the chasm isn't nearly as wide as it was in the spring.

    We have a legitimate position battle being waged at right guard by Elijah Rodriguez and Tope Imade. It's clear that Imade has benefited greatly from Herb Hand and Yancy McKnight. Imade is getting even more reps with the ones. He still lacks in some regards but he's good at being big and in the way. Defenders can't run through him and they have a long way to go to run around him. Everyone is saying this position is E-Rod's to lose but you know what we say, "if he's even he's leavin'." Imade is making up ground. This could be a battle that plays into the season.

    Calvin Anderson is still your very likely starter at left tackle versus Maryland. He and Charles Omenihu have had some spirited battles with Anderson more than holding his own. The best way to beat him is with pure speed and that's not Omenihu's strength. Denzel Okafor isn't making this battle quite as easy as we thought. He's showing improvement but still gets off balance too often.

    One source pointed out that while Derek Kerstetter will benefit from his experience last year, Sam Cosmi is benefiting from the extra time in the gym afforded redshirt players. We could see Cosmi getting snaps this season to start to get his own experience. He's working at both tackles.

    The word to describe Zach Shackelford has been 'solid'. He had a busy week with new run plays being installed. That's more calls for him.

    As mentioned, the staff added quite a bit to the run game repertoire this week.

    Defensive Line

    We'll start with a surprise: DeAndre Christmas is having a good camp and it's looking like he'll hit the field this year. S&C has done him right and his primary strength in high school -- quickness off the ball -- is showing. He reps anywhere from 3-tech to NT depending on the front.

    As you can tell they upped the level of install this week. Breckyn Hager was a primary beneficiary of that as he moved across the spectrum of first and second level roles. Orlando seems to have a lot of packages designed to highlight him.

    Ta'Quon Graham continues to work from the 3-tech on out. He's looking about as good as he did in that picture with Mack Brown.

    Chris Nelson is looking good as Poona's replacement. He may not have to be accounted for in pass protection like Ford was but he's going a great job of allowing the linebackers to operate.

    Freshmen Moro Ojomo and Keondre Coburn look like they belong early. It's nice to hear that after the pads come on. Ojomo makes a couple plays daily and Coburn is already tough to move around. We'll see how he holds up as camp wears on but I think my eval of his football character will show over time. He's not just a fat guy who wants to eat free food for four years.

    Linebacker

    Gary Johnson offered a scare on Thursday but we believe the issue is just a stinger. We're not sure if he'll miss more time.

    On a happier note, freshman Demarvion Overshown is earning the type of superlatives Ingram is on offense. If offensive players didn't know already, they do now, keep your head on a swivel when Overshown is around. He officially works with the linebackers now and was already working with the first team on Thursday at Joker in the Lightning Package. He's the spawn of Serena Williams and Kam Chancellor. Along with Joker, he's also repped at Rover which is his future position.

    Joseph Ossai is another guy we've heard good things about even going back to his June arrival. He's already been called the B-backer that Naashon Hughes never was. He's smart, versatile, and doesn't miss tackles. Dating back to his evaluation we mentioned he was the perfect fit for B-backer, more so than defensive end, because it highlights his versatility. That appears to be playing out.

    It's early for Overshown and Ossai but a wise man once said if a dog will bite it'll bite as a pup.

    Defensive Back

    Kris Boyd is at the boundary, with Davante Davis to the field but they can flip flop if the need arises. They are clearly the top two cornerbacks in the program. Anthony Cook is further along than Jalen Green - spring ball will do that for you. Kobe Boyce is holding off the young guns...so far. If the Maryland game was tomorrow it would be interesting to see who the third corner in the game would be. The fact Cook and Green are on campus has only pushed Boyce more. McKnight raved about Boyce during our media session recently.

    PJ Locke and Josh Thompson continue to battle it out at nickel but wait, BJ Foster worked there some this week too. We believe this was as the 'big nickel' F-backer that some of the linebackers were working at.

    Overshown in the boundary, Sterns over the top, and Foster to the field? Of course it's a mental sport, but athletically that's just....damn.

    Brandon Jones and Caden Sterns remain the safety starters and that likely won't change. Jones is solid, but not spectacular. Sterns continues to receive high praise from everyone near the program. While Jones does what he's supposed to, Sterns' range and instincts allow for the big play. BJ Foster continues to adjust, making and missing plays while at safety. He's always going 100 mph. Chris Brown is trying to stay in the mix but Sterns & Foster are five-star recruits who look like five-star players. 

    Special Teams

    There's definitely some excitement around D'Shawn Jamison in the return game. It's a position that a true freshman can make an immediate impact if he proves reliable fielding the punt. His speed is evident. Said one, "he's even faster than he looks."

    The team is back on the field practicing now. They'll hold a scrimmage on Saturday.

     

     

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