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Texas Recruiting Notes 2020


Reese Bennett

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2 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

The staff seems pretty all in on Evans at this point.

It's clear that they want Evans, but I don't think they are all in on him and only him if they've got Tim Beck recruiting Bijan. They're not wasting Beck's recruiting cycles on a fallback/backup RB option, he's proven to be a great recruiter and closer and I think Beck working on Bijan is directly related to last years clusterfuck. Texas hosting Milton and having Herman (and BC) become personally involved in his weekly recruitment/contact is also telling. I don't think they are just kicking the tires on either of those guys and I don't think they'd say no to either of them, regardless of Evans. I could be wrong but I don't think the vibe is quite the same as the goddamn Sanders/Cain clown show. 

 

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2 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

I think you can make a case for Collins being the most important recruit for this class ( and it sounds crazy saying that being a legacy ).  I think we get Broughton and Dorbah up front and we will pull in a legit DB haul once again.  Orlando has shown every year to get an OOS stud at LB and also in-state. 

On the other side Hand has OL on lockdown and we should pull in a good WR or 2.  You have to think we get at least one of the top RB guys.  I have no idea what the plan is at TE in this class.

So yeah, Collins would cement a great DL haul along with Broughton and Dorbah ( and defense overall ).  Missing on Collins likely means chasing late risers/projects to finish out DL. 

TE is weird. It doesn't seem like we're really looking at anyone. Even that Washington kid from Vegas didn't make it sound like we talk to him much.

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11 minutes ago, golfclap said:

It's clear that they want Evans, but I don't think they are all in on him and only him if they've got Tim Beck recruiting Bijan. They're not wasting Beck's recruiting cycles on a fallback/backup RB option, he's proven to be a great recruiter and closer and I think Beck working on Bijan is directly related to last years clusterfuck. Texas hosting Milton and having Herman (and BC) become personally involved in his weekly recruitment/contact is also telling. I don't think they are just kicking the tires on either of those guys and I don't think they'd say no to either of them, regardless of Evans. I could be wrong but I don't think the vibe is quite the same as the goddamn Sanders/Cain clown show. 

 

McClellan wouldn't have visited twice this spring if they were all in on Evans 

Evans being adamant about not deciding until after the season is over forces the staff's hand at going after these other guys hard in the meantime, while trying to keep RB2s warm 

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11 minutes ago, texifornia said:

TE is weird. It doesn't seem like we're really looking at anyone. Even that Washington kid from Vegas didn't make it sound like we talk to him much.

Mods seem to think the Bishop Dunn FB/HB will be the "TE" take in this class 

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I think you’re missing my point.  I could care less if we give up an extra scholarship to get Evans.  But this “I want to play with X” seems, at this point at least, so over the top that it might carry over after they get on campus.  I gave examples above.  And I’m not up in arms. I was just pointing out that his interview might not align with Herman’s team first requirement.  Didn’t realize this board couldn’t handle a semi-negative post about our top RB prospect.

Correct. You did not realize this.
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1 minute ago, Fud said:

Gameplanning multiple offense like the Patriots, except with more roster room for auxiliary toys, and a QB who can run  

Yep, and with 2 more traditional TEs in the previous class adding Hullaby and his ability as a pass catching/flexed out slot/FB lead or trap/running threat/inside screen option gives you a ton of variations esp. in the RPO game. It also keeps him from landing with Patterson or Gundy. This is the product of the team finally having depth and getting the ability to pick and choose athletes at various spots and not just continue to try and fill significant holes in the 2-deep. 

 

 

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2 minutes ago, texifornia said:

 

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17 minutes ago, golfclap said:

Yep, and with 2 more traditional TEs in the previous class adding Hullaby and his ability as a pass catching/flexed out slot/FB lead or trap/running threat/inside screen option gives you a ton of variations esp. in the RPO game. It also keeps him from landing with Patterson or Gundy. This is the product of the team finally having depth and getting the ability to pick and choose athletes at various spots and not just continue to try and fill significant holes in the 2-deep. 

 

 

Would've really liked Henderson in the class, but Hullaby seems like a good prospect. One upside to Hullaby is he has a brother in the 2022 class who already has at least 8 offers. Haven't seen him but maybe he ends up being a stud come NSD 2022. 

https://247sports.com/Recruitment/Landon-Hullaby-120447/RecruitInterests/

 

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5 hours ago, Fud said:

McClellan wouldn't have visited twice this spring if they were all in on Evans 

Evans being adamant about not deciding until after the season is over forces the staff's hand at going after these other guys hard in the meantime, while trying to keep RB2s warm 

Evans is going to the school that he thinks will give him the best chance to be drafted the highest in the NFL draft.  

It doesn't really  have anything to do with his HS friend,  his brother,  his coach,  or anything else.  

He knows he has talent to earn money in the NFL and is going to do whatever he thinks will give him the best chance. 

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Evans is going to the school that he thinks will give him the best chance to be drafted the highest in the NFL draft.  
It doesn't really  have anything to do with his HS friend,  his brother,  his coach,  or anything else.  
He knows he has talent to earn money in the NFL and is going to do whatever he thinks will give him the best chance. 



You could have just said he is not going to college to play school.
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Summary of EJ's periscope:

- EJ's coming to us live from a Starbucks parking lot (naturally).

- Not a ton of Texas targets in Atlanta, but there'll be plenty in New Orleans. True Buzz, All In, etc. will be playing.

- Kelee Ringo is trending very well to Texas. EJ feels confident in his crystal ball. Texas is still the only school Ringo's visited multiple times. Lots of program ties. RIngo will visit Washington, where he's originally from, and blOU as well. But Texas is in the best spot. Ringo's mother works for an airline so he can fly as well. He visited on his own dime.

- CB board: Ringo's numero uno, Jahari Rodgers is next on the list but blOU has the edge there. Kitan Crawford's made a few visits and is definitely a take. Joshua Eaton is there as well, he's blown up with offers. Both Texas and A&M stand well here. Then is Watts, who is rawer but has the potential. Great testing times at the Opening. Kimber isn't mentioned as much, most people are pegging him to A&M but he's taking his time. Great pure corner. EJ wishes Texas would go after Lorando Johnson but they're not.

- Pass-rushing board: #1 target is Prince Dorbah is the top priority, Texas stands well here.

- No Interviews taking the week off, it's been hectic for EJ and Mike. New episode coming tonight.

- Both the Duncanville guys are trending well to Texas. JaQuinden is getting won down by all the Texas questions, he likes LSU but Texas has done a great job with him. CTJ was thought to be an A&M lean earlier, but they haven't done a great job recruiting him and Texas now has the edge here. CTJ is a smart kid who will tkae his time with the process and could visit more OOS schools down the line.

- Shadrach Banks prediction: Banks is hard to read but this looks like a Texas-A&M-blOU battle. Will be a long recruitment.

- EJ would take Zach Evans over Milton or Bijan Robinson. He's the best RB EJ has seen in his career. EJ's never managed to see Kendall Milton. Robinson has been very impressive in the offseason events EJ's seen.

- Chad Lindberg, Hayden Connor, will be at the Spring Game. Still very early.

- Damien George will have big implications for Evans. Texas still has work to do here. Still no reason not to think Bama leads here, and Evans really wants to play with George. If Texas lands Lidberg and George, that would be it for OL recruiting.

- EJ likes Whataburger better than In-n-Out.

- EJ doesn't think Troy Omeire knows yet where he'll go. Wouldn't be surprised if he comes here or if he goes to A&M.

- Not a lot going on with Elias Ricks.

- Dwight McGlothern could have a Javonne Shepherd-type recruitment.

- Kitan Crawford could be our next commit, or perhaps Alfred Collins. EJ has no clue what's happened with Collins' recruitment.

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10 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Is Ringo's teammate that we've offered someone who could potentially be a 4i?  Damian Sellers.  Listed at 6'4 235 lbs.

He looked similar to Prince Dorbah size wise but is not nearly as athletic.

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3 hours ago, Laga4 said:

Evans is going to the school that he thinks will give him the best chance to be drafted the highest in the NFL draft.  

It doesn't really  have anything to do with his HS friend,  his brother,  his coach,  or anything else.  

He knows he has talent to earn money in the NFL and is going to do whatever he thinks will give him the best chance. 

So basically you're saying, we're fucked, he's going to Bama?

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10 hours ago, satyanash said:

Summary of EJ's periscope:

- EJ's coming to us live from a Starbucks parking lot (naturally).

- Not a ton of Texas targets in Atlanta, but there'll be plenty in New Orleans. True Buzz, All In, etc. will be playing.

- Kelee Ringo is trending very well to Texas. EJ feels confident in his crystal ball. Texas is still the only school Ringo's visited multiple times. Lots of program ties. RIngo will visit Washington, where he's originally from, and blOU as well. But Texas is in the best spot. Ringo's mother works for an airline so he can fly as well. He visited on his own dime. 

- CB board: Ringo's numero uno, Jahari Rodgers is next on the list but blOU has the edge there. Kitan Crawford's made a few visits and is definitely a take. Joshua Eaton is there as well, he's blown up with offers. Both Texas and A&M stand well here. Then is Watts, who is rawer but has the potential. Great testing times at the Opening. Kimber isn't mentioned as much, most people are pegging him to A&M but he's taking his time. Great pure corner. EJ wishes Texas would go after Lorando Johnson but they're not. 

- Pass-rushing board: #1 target is Prince Dorbah is the top priority, Texas stands well here.



- No Interviews taking the week off, it's been hectic for EJ and Mike. New episode coming tonight.

- Both the Duncanville guys are trending well to Texas. JaQuinden is getting won down by all the Texas questions, he likes LSU but Texas has done a great job with him. CTJ was thought to be an A&M lean earlier, but they haven't done a great job recruiting him and Texas now has the edge here. CTJ is a smart kid who will tkae his time with the process and could visit more OOS schools down the line.

- Shadrach Banks prediction: Banks is hard to read but this looks like a Texas-A&M-blOU battle. Will be a long recruitment.

- EJ would take Zach Evans over Milton or Bijan Robinson. He's the best RB EJ has seen in his career. EJ's never managed to see Kendall Milton. Robinson has been very impressive in the offseason events EJ's seen. 

- Chad Lindberg, Hayden Connor, will be at the Spring Game. Still very early.

- Damien George will have big implications for Evans. Texas still has work to do here. Still no reason not to think Bama leads here, and Evans really wants to play with George. If Texas lands Lidberg and George, that would be it for OL recruiting. 

- EJ likes Whataburger better than In-n-Out.

- EJ doesn't think Troy Omeire knows yet where he'll go. Wouldn't be surprised if he comes here or if he goes to A&M.

- Not a lot going on with Elias Ricks.

- Dwight McGlothern could have a Javonne Shepherd-type recruitment.

- Kitan Crawford could be our next commit, or perhaps Alfred Collins. EJ has no clue what's happened with Collins' recruitment. 

I'm skeptical that EJ knows Texas' CB board, other than Ringo obviously being #1. As for the rest; Watts is less raw than Crawford, Eaton, and Rogers, Lorando is overated and tested really poorly, and EJ should listen to people pegging Kimber to A&M, Bama is the big threat there.

He doesn't mention LSU as a threat for a North Shore stud, and LSU is recruiting his cousin Dematrius Davis at QB

Don't hold your breath for Omeire and Texas. Need to land Wilson, who's easily better. This would be akin to A&M thinking they beat us in safety recruiting, only for us to land Tyler Owens. 

He thinks our next commit could be Alfred Collins, but has no clean what's happening there?

 

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23 minutes ago, Fud said:

I'm skeptical that EJ knows Texas' CB board, other than Ringo obviously being #1. As for the rest; Watts is less raw than Crawford, Eaton, and Rogers, Lorando is overated and tested really poorly, and EJ should listen to people pegging Kimber to A&M, Bama is the big threat there.

He doesn't mention LSU as a threat for a North Shore stud, and LSU is recruiting his cousin Dematrius Davis at QB

Don't hold your breath for Omeire and Texas. Need to land Wilson, who's easily better. This would be akin to A&M thinking they beat us in safety recruiting, only for us to land Tyler Owens. 

He thinks our next commit could be Alfred Collins, but has no clean what's happening there?

 

EJ doesn’t know the difference between his ass hole and a hole in the ground. 

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6 minutes ago, bEastTexas said:

EJ doesn’t know the difference between his ass hole and a hole in the ground. 

That simply CAN'T be true. Just ask Scholz. Why recently, EJ himself just said that Oscar Giles was working over time on the recruiting trail, and it was paying off handsomely. 

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1 hour ago, SydneyCarton said:

That simply CAN'T be true. Just ask Scholz. Why recently, EJ himself just said that Oscar Giles was working over time on the recruiting trail, and it was paying off handsomely. 

This reminds me. How did you escape the ban hammer? lol.

Now I’m not saying I shouldn’t have been banned because I’m sure if someone tortured me and held my eyes open at the screen to read the last 7 pages—because that’s what it would take to make me do that—I’d want to ban me too. I’m just not sure how you managed to escape it. 

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Mike Roach: Vernon Broughton talks Texas, recruiting process

Vernon Broughton is having fun this spring. The four-star defensive tackle from Cy Ridge has been on several visits, and he’s planning to take some time with the process to see more campuses. With nearly every spring game in the region scheduled for the same day, Broughton is trying to figure out which one he will attend, “I’m trying to figure out what spring game I’m going to,” he said. “I know they are all on the same day, so I have to pick and choose.”

If Broughton doesn’t head to Austin for their spring game, it won’t be long before he makes it back. The Longhorns will likely have a big visit weekend in May, and Broughton wants to be there. “It’s going to be soon,” he said. “I’m planning on going May 4.”

Broughton said his recruitment is growing more open with the more schools he sees, but he acknowledged that Texas has always had a spot at the top of his list. One reason for that is Texas defensive line coach Oscar Giles. “Coach Giles, me and him have a good relationship,” he said. “We’re cool. Coach Giles is always talking to us, so it’s good.”

Broughton wants to make some spring official visits before making his decision. He told Horns247 that he’d like to make his commitment before his senior season starts to avoid any distraction. When it comes time to make the call, it will likely come down to who worked the hardest during his recruitment.

“I’m looking into the end of the summer,” he said. “It’s going to be about whoever’s showing me the most love.” At 6-foot-5, 280 pounds, Broughton is ranked as the No. 4 defensive tackle in the nation and No. 10 overall prospect in Texas, according to 247Sports Composite.

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TFB Open Post: https://texas.thefootballbrainiacs.com/2019/03/open-post-weekend-march-22nd-24th/

Troy Omeire | Sourced Update
– Super K

2020 WR, Troy Omeire, recently took an unofficial visit to Texas. Sources indicated that the visit went very well.

Texas needed a big visit because going into Texas A&M was trending pretty hard.

A few days ago, Omeire tweeted out the following…

I reached out to Omeire for comment or for a decision date and haven’t heard back just yet.

I did speak to a source about where things seem to be trending.

Omeire recently talked about taking some out of state visits including a visit to Oklahoma. That didn’t pan out and my source tells me that Omeire’s family would prefer he stay close to home.

So, this one will likely come down to Texas an Texas A&M.

Source  close to Omeire tells me that right now it’s “75% Texas A&M 25% Texas”.

That take corroborates what I’ve heard from sources around the Texas program. I don’t get the sense that they feel great about where they stand but don’t necessarily feel out of it.

Kelee Ringo | Insider Note | Trending
– Super K

As you all know, Kelee made his third unofficial visit to Texas last week.

He ended up staying in Austin for his entire spring break. So, I’m not sure we can just call that a third visit. It feels like that length of time should be considered a third, fourth, and fifth unofficial visit.

Either way, the point is, he is very comfortable in Austin and at UT.

I’ve spoken to multiple sources about this but to be honest it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out but I’ll spell it out for you anyway.

This one is trending hard towards Texas.

He still has visits to take and last time I spoke with him, he didn’t have plans on making an early decision, but it’s moving in the right direction.

Insider Note

If he had to pull the trigger today, it would be Texas. Was told it’s more of a ‘when’ not ‘if’. Source indicated that Texas is his outright leader.

He’s just not ready to shut it down at this point.

Trending | Duncanville Duo
– Andrew King

Two of the top recruits in the state of Texas in the 2020 class hail from Duncanville High School in athlete Ja’Quinden Jackson and safety Chris Thompson Jr.

Both are players that don’t talk to the media much and aren’t taking visits every weekend like a lot of recruits. But Texas was able to get Jackson and Thompson on campus last weekend, and it seems like they really enjoyed things.

Thompson has taken a visit to LSU this Spring and Texas A&M was once considered close to gaining a commitment from him early in the 2018 season. Jackson really hasn’t been anywhere but has interest from all over the country.

I wasn’t able to talk to either recruit directly but was told that Texas is in a good spot with both guys right now.

Remember that Rashaad Samples is the son of Duncanville head coach Reginald Samples.

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IT

TEAM

While most of the players and coaches scattered during Spring Break, the group as a whole had a great first week of practice and a little more information straggled in late. The team will return to Austin this weekend sunburned, smiling, and hopefully ready to smack each other for three consecutive weeks. The first day back is always a rude awakening.

Looking back to last Friday, the first day in pads, we heard the following:

- First day in pads was pretty ordinary, but a good base to build off of. The group was feisty and physical, and they ran a lot of team.

- Per someone in attendance, everyone looked like a better version of their 2018 self. This person gave a nod to the work Yancy McKnight does.

- One person who stood out in a crowded field of talented players was Joseph Ossai. He's a staff favorite who this person characterized as a "monster." Overall the defense was flying around.

- I asked about the defensive line. My thinking is it will be workmanlike and heard back it's strong at the point of attack with a lot of bodies. Everybody was getting reps on Friday but the front line is pretty much set with Graham-Wilbon-Roach. Coburn is coming on, though, and he'll play "starter's" snaps next year.

- The OL "did fine" which means the DL got the best of them, but that's to be expected. The 1st OL of Cosmi-Imade-Shackelford-Kerstetter-Okafor isn't likely your August line-up. I voiced a little surprise that they still had Okafor at tackle, "I know they know what they're doing personnel-wise so just have to trust them on that part." I do agree with that, but I'll be watching where Okafor is in a week. The OL was working fundamentals and base power, counter, and stretch plays. "Tyler Johnson looks the part." Ghirmai has a ton to learn at center. I think moving there caught him off guard.

- The best news from the day is McCulloch is looking good. We know he's slimmed up some, but the extra time he's put in on the mental side appears to be paying off. He wasn't out there thinking, he was playing fast. Let's hope to hear this continue. 

- Nothing new here, but even more people are commenting about Jared Wiley. He's turning heads.

- Ingram looked as quick as he did when at his best last year. Time healing has done him well. It was a small sample size for Whittington but he looks comfortable at running back. It's very likely that he'll get the second most carries next year rather than Young. That written, don't dismiss Young contributing meaningful snaps next year.

- A couple of schematic wrinkles we'll be monitoring for: there are whispers of more four-wide at WR this year, as well as four-man on the DL. At WR it makes sense at times, almost like changing tempo. They have a lot of talent at the position, particularly slot with Moore, McCoy, and Smith. On the potential of four-man fronts, it allows them to combat negative recruiting pitches. We heard they'd use this more last year and didn't so we'll see if this is more empty discussion or not. Ossai as a WDE with Roach moving to 3-tech would certainly work. Then the question is if you run nickel or dime behind it. Foster and Overshown (who isn't 100%) could certainly function as linebackers.

Expect next week to be very spirited with rested bodies.

STATE OF RECRUITING 

It seems like a good time to review UT’s Big Board for the Class of 2020. This spring will go a long way towards deciding the final group, particularly with the out-of-state cast of characters. 

The staff has put itself in as good of a position as it possibly can with guys like Justin Flowe, Johnny Wilson, Bijan Robinson, Lathan Ransom, et al., without those players having visited. Now it's time to get them on campus and cement the school as legitimate, long-term threats.

QB

IN GOOD STANDING: Hudson Card (TEXAS), Ja'Quinden Jackson: Herman wanted a blue-chip quarterback that fit his system, so he drove 15 miles. He also outfitted him with his former QC analyst as his OC. Card is gaining confidence behind the scenes and his Elite 11 invite only helped his credibility with other ‘20 prospects. Jackson has so much physical upside at the position he'll be given a chance to earn the job. If it doesn't work out, he fits a few other positions.

WORK TO DO: None. Texas has its king. 

RB 

IN GOOD STANDING: Zach Evans, Jase McClellan (OU) - Evans has visited too many times to count and will continue making periodical appearances in Austin. I expect him to return before spring is up. McClellan was supposed to visit last Friday but I think lines were crossed on his side. His mom seemed to think they were going to visit on Saturday. I'll check in with them again, but the important thing here is intent. Herman has been working personally on the OU commit.

WORK TO DO: Kendal Milton, Bijan Robinson, Kobe Pryor, Jo'Quavious Marks: I fully expect Texas to make Milton's final group and make this one worth watching. Also watch the regular cast of characters with him, including OU. Robinson will be on campus in April and that's one to watch. He's currently favoring UCLA, which is good because the Tucson native is an U of A legacy. I think UT will be in "good standing" after this visit. Watch Ohio State as well. He'll officially visit Oklahoma in April for their spring game but his Texas visit will be unofficial. That's a positive. Marks was supposed to visit during the season but his flight got canceled. Too bad, he's a baller. We expect him on campus this spring.

NUMBERS CRUNCH: Ty Jordan - Texas wants two in the class and really likes Jordan but we don't get the sense they're recruiting with enough urgency to get him to commit at this point.

WR

IN GOOD STANDING: Johnny Wilson, Quentin Johnston, Mookie Cooper: Wilson named UT in his top-five without having even visited, so that's a good sign. Collin Johnson not only serves as a template for how he'll be used, he serves as a great ambassador for the school. Temple's Johnston is raw but explosive and would fit neatly at Z. To me he's the back-up plan for Demond Demas, but they should enact the back-up plan already. There's still a good chance the one-time commit Cooper will end up back in the class. That doesn't happen too often but Herman is a norm-smashing SOB.

WORK TO DO: Demond Demas (A&M), Troy Omeire, JJ Hester: Demas will most likely sign with A&M but he's too good to not recruit the whole way. Good news on Omeire is he's going to take official visits before deciding. If he made a decision now, we'd bet A&M. The staff needs to win his mom over. My personal feel is Omeire really likes Texas. I think UT could land Hester if they went all in so the question there is, how hard will they recruit him?

NUMBERS CRUNCH: Kelvontay Dixon, Caleb Medford: It's hard to envision a 23-man class that doesn't contain Dixon in it but that could be the case. Medford's a talent that should be in contention for ZWR. I wouldn't scratch him yet. 

TE/FB 

IN GOOD STANDING: Jaden Hullaby: Texas wants one Andrew Beck type h-back. The Dallas Bishop Dunne athlete can fit that role. Texas may prolong this recruitment to continue surveying the land. They know they hit on Wiley and think they hit on Liebrock so they'll likely pass on a traditional TE in the class.

OL

IN GOOD STANDING: Logan Parr (TEXAS), Jake Majors (TEXAS), Jaylen Garth (TEXAS), Chad Lindberg: It becomes increasingly more difficult to not see Lindberg in the class with the other three. He'll take spring official visits in order to make a decision before the season. UT is the favorite but watch OOS schools as well.

WORK TO DO: Damieon George, Tosh Baker, Seth Maclaughlin: George is impressionable which is why he should be watched closely when taking visits alone. He loved UT enough in January to the point those close to him thought UT was the big favorite. Then he visited Alabama and they moved to the top. Zach Evans taking a slower approach should add diligence to George's process. The staff is in a bit of a pickle because it knows it needs to save room for George but they really like Baker, whose mother graduated from Texas. If they knock the Bijan Robinson visit out of the park, I wonder if they start pushing harder for Baker.

NUMBERS CRUNCH: Ty’Kieast Crawford, Andrej Karic, Nate Anderson 

DL- 

IN GOOD STANDING: Vernon Broughton, Alfred Collins: Two of the absolute biggest needs in the class and I wouldn't be against UT landing both. Broughton has named UT his leader. We believe he'll stay within a comfortable drive of home. UT leads for Collins as well but OU and A&M are making this one more interesting than fans would like. The staff doesn't seem to share the same concern, though of course they aren't taking him for granted. My guess is they felt comfortable enough with him to tell him to take his time. That approach has backfired in the past, but more often than not it endears a player to a staff. 

WORK TO DO: Princely Umanmielen, Jason Harris: A&M has made things interesting with Princely. They've told him he should play in a four-man front when, truth be told, with him it doesn't matter. Compounding the issue is he thinks Omenihu would have been much more productive in a four-man front. What he needs to understand is Omenihu's versatility will get him paid just the same. We'll see how well UT can overcome this. Three-man vs four-man isn't a deal breaker. Now with Harris, he should definitely be in a four-man front unless he plays B-backer. 

NUMBERS CRUNCH: James Sylvester, Branard Wright

LB

IN GOOD STANDING: Prince Dorbah, Josh White: Dorbah's your B-backer and UT leads. He couldn't ask for a better fit and the longer he waits the more Ossai will make that clear to him. He'll be a quick responder to S&C but needs to add weight. White's in the mold of linebackers Scipio spelled out a while back: undersized but with the necessary movement skills for the Big 12.

WORK TO DO: Justin Flowe, Sav'ell Smalls, Brennon Scott: Flowe is as high on a school as he can be without having visited it. We expect he and his brother to visit in the next month or so. Watch Clemson and Alabama there but maybe he wants a shorter flight. Smalls has also offered positives on UT without having visited. We'll need to check back in with him but it'll be tough to pull him from the hometown Washington Huskies. Watch all the bluebloods with him. We could put Scott in 'good standing' but we think the staff will want to retain optionality, at least until Flowe visits and they get a feel for him. I'd bring as many of these guys in for JMBLYA as I can to experience Austin, then get them back for fall official visits to experience game day.

NUMBERS CRUNCH: Robert Wooten: Good, explosive edge player with heavy hands, he just has Dorbah in front of him.

CB

IN GOOD STANDING: Kelee Ringo, Jalen Kimber, Kitan Crawford: That could be the class right there. It's probably not a coincidence that this appears to be the big board at this time. Ringo is as bought-in as a player can be without being committed. He'll help UT's efforts with others in and around his state. Kimber's summer announcement works great for Texas, though he'll take a lot of visits between now and then. Watch Notre Dame. Washington did a great job on Kimber's recent visit. 

WORK TO DO: Ryan Watts, Jahari Rogers, Clark Phillips: I'm just not sure how much of a fight UT will put up for Watts and Rogers, two guys who are absolutely talented enough to be in the class. OU could be their spot. Getting Phillips on campus would help. 

NUMBERS CRUNCH: Avery Helm, Josh Eaton: These guys both fit the body/athleticism type the staff is looking for but Helm's ACL injury hurt him. Eaton needs to become much more consistent.

S

IN GOOD STANDING: Chris Thompson, Bryson Washington, Xavian Alford: That could be the class right there. Thompson just visited and there are good vibes all around, though he may not decide during the summer as previously thought. Washington has been a little quiet on the recruiting front of late. He's probably focusing on track. Alford is leaning Texas. 

WORK TO DO: Lathan Ransom: Like with Bijan Robinson, I feel there's some slack in the recruitment for the Arizona product. I think that slack can be picked up in a hurry which would make things interesting. If you can build a consensus with all those Arizona players you have to do it. Ransom will visit in April. Of note, they'll likely stay with a good friend of his father's.

NUMBERS CRUNCH: Jerrin Thompson: He's very similar to Alford, they just have Alford rated a tick higher.

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19 minutes ago, Machinator said:

IT

 

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TEAM

While most of the players and coaches scattered during Spring Break, the group as a whole had a great first week of practice and a little more information straggled in late. The team will return to Austin this weekend sunburned, smiling, and hopefully ready to smack each other for three consecutive weeks. The first day back is always a rude awakening.

Looking back to last Friday, the first day in pads, we heard the following:

- First day in pads was pretty ordinary, but a good base to build off of. The group was feisty and physical, and they ran a lot of team.

- Per someone in attendance, everyone looked like a better version of their 2018 self. This person gave a nod to the work Yancy McKnight does.

- One person who stood out in a crowded field of talented players was Joseph Ossai. He's a staff favorite who this person characterized as a "monster." Overall the defense was flying around.

- I asked about the defensive line. My thinking is it will be workmanlike and heard back it's strong at the point of attack with a lot of bodies. Everybody was getting reps on Friday but the front line is pretty much set with Graham-Wilbon-Roach. Coburn is coming on, though, and he'll play "starter's" snaps next year.

- The OL "did fine" which means the DL got the best of them, but that's to be expected. The 1st OL of Cosmi-Imade-Shackelford-Kerstetter-Okafor isn't likely your August line-up. I voiced a little surprise that they still had Okafor at tackle, "I know they know what they're doing personnel-wise so just have to trust them on that part." I do agree with that, but I'll be watching where Okafor is in a week. The OL was working fundamentals and base power, counter, and stretch plays. "Tyler Johnson looks the part." Ghirmai has a ton to learn at center. I think moving there caught him off guard.

- The best news from the day is McCulloch is looking good. We know he's slimmed up some, but the extra time he's put in on the mental side appears to be paying off. He wasn't out there thinking, he was playing fast. Let's hope to hear this continue. 

- Nothing new here, but even more people are commenting about Jared Wiley. He's turning heads.

- Ingram looked as quick as he did when at his best last year. Time healing has done him well. It was a small sample size for Whittington but he looks comfortable at running back. It's very likely that he'll get the second most carries next year rather than Young. That written, don't dismiss Young contributing meaningful snaps next year.

- A couple of schematic wrinkles we'll be monitoring for: there are whispers of more four-wide at WR this year, as well as four-man on the DL. At WR it makes sense at times, almost like changing tempo. They have a lot of talent at the position, particularly slot with Moore, McCoy, and Smith. On the potential of four-man fronts, it allows them to combat negative recruiting pitches. We heard they'd use this more last year and didn't so we'll see if this is more empty discussion or not. Ossai as a WDE with Roach moving to 3-tech would certainly work. Then the question is if you run nickel or dime behind it. Foster and Overshown (who isn't 100%) could certainly function as linebackers.

Expect next week to be very spirited with rested bodies.

STATE OF RECRUITING 

It seems like a good time to review UT’s Big Board for the Class of 2020. This spring will go a long way towards deciding the final group, particularly with the out-of-state cast of characters. 

The staff has put itself in as good of a position as it possibly can with guys like Justin Flowe, Johnny Wilson, Bijan Robinson, Lathan Ransom, et al., without those players having visited. Now it's time to get them on campus and cement the school as legitimate, long-term threats.

QB

IN GOOD STANDING: Hudson Card (TEXAS), Ja'Quinden Jackson: Herman wanted a blue-chip quarterback that fit his system, so he drove 15 miles. He also outfitted him with his former QC analyst as his OC. Card is gaining confidence behind the scenes and his Elite 11 invite only helped his credibility with other ‘20 prospects. Jackson has so much physical upside at the position he'll be given a chance to earn the job. If it doesn't work out, he fits a few other positions.

WORK TO DO: None. Texas has its king. 

RB 

IN GOOD STANDING: Zach Evans, Jase McClellan (OU) - Evans has visited too many times to count and will continue making periodical appearances in Austin. I expect him to return before spring is up. McClellan was supposed to visit last Friday but I think lines were crossed on his side. His mom seemed to think they were going to visit on Saturday. I'll check in with them again, but the important thing here is intent. Herman has been working personally on the OU commit.

WORK TO DO: Kendal Milton, Bijan Robinson, Kobe Pryor, Jo'Quavious Marks: I fully expect Texas to make Milton's final group and make this one worth watching. Also watch the regular cast of characters with him, including OU. Robinson will be on campus in April and that's one to watch. He's currently favoring UCLA, which is good because the Tucson native is an U of A legacy. I think UT will be in "good standing" after this visit. Watch Ohio State as well. He'll officially visit Oklahoma in April for their spring game but his Texas visit will be unofficial. That's a positive. Marks was supposed to visit during the season but his flight got canceled. Too bad, he's a baller. We expect him on campus this spring.

NUMBERS CRUNCH: Ty Jordan - Texas wants two in the class and really likes Jordan but we don't get the sense they're recruiting with enough urgency to get him to commit at this point.

WR

IN GOOD STANDING: Johnny Wilson, Quentin Johnston, Mookie Cooper: Wilson named UT in his top-five without having even visited, so that's a good sign. Collin Johnson not only serves as a template for how he'll be used, he serves as a great ambassador for the school. Temple's Johnston is raw but explosive and would fit neatly at Z. To me he's the back-up plan for Demond Demas, but they should enact the back-up plan already. There's still a good chance the one-time commit Cooper will end up back in the class. That doesn't happen too often but Herman is a norm-smashing SOB.

WORK TO DO: Demond Demas (A&M), Troy Omeire, JJ Hester: Demas will most likely sign with A&M but he's too good to not recruit the whole way. Good news on Omeire is he's going to take official visits before deciding. If he made a decision now, we'd bet A&M. The staff needs to win his mom over. My personal feel is Omeire really likes Texas. I think UT could land Hester if they went all in so the question there is, how hard will they recruit him?

NUMBERS CRUNCH: Kelvontay Dixon, Caleb Medford: It's hard to envision a 23-man class that doesn't contain Dixon in it but that could be the case. Medford's a talent that should be in contention for ZWR. I wouldn't scratch him yet. 

TE/FB 

IN GOOD STANDING: Jaden Hullaby: Texas wants one Andrew Beck type h-back. The Dallas Bishop Dunne athlete can fit that role. Texas may prolong this recruitment to continue surveying the land. They know they hit on Wiley and think they hit on Liebrock so they'll likely pass on a traditional TE in the class.

OL

IN GOOD STANDING: Logan Parr (TEXAS), Jake Majors (TEXAS), Jaylen Garth (TEXAS), Chad Lindberg: It becomes increasingly more difficult to not see Lindberg in the class with the other three. He'll take spring official visits in order to make a decision before the season. UT is the favorite but watch OOS schools as well.

WORK TO DO: Damieon George, Tosh Baker, Seth Maclaughlin: George is impressionable which is why he should be watched closely when taking visits alone. He loved UT enough in January to the point those close to him thought UT was the big favorite. Then he visited Alabama and they moved to the top. Zach Evans taking a slower approach should add diligence to George's process. The staff is in a bit of a pickle because it knows it needs to save room for George but they really like Baker, whose mother graduated from Texas. If they knock the Bijan Robinson visit out of the park, I wonder if they start pushing harder for Baker.

NUMBERS CRUNCH: Ty’Kieast Crawford, Andrej Karic, Nate Anderson 

DL- 

IN GOOD STANDING: Vernon Broughton, Alfred Collins: Two of the absolute biggest needs in the class and I wouldn't be against UT landing both. Broughton has named UT his leader. We believe he'll stay within a comfortable drive of home. UT leads for Collins as well but OU and A&M are making this one more interesting than fans would like. The staff doesn't seem to share the same concern, though of course they aren't taking him for granted. My guess is they felt comfortable enough with him to tell him to take his time. That approach has backfired in the past, but more often than not it endears a player to a staff. 

WORK TO DO: Princely Umanmielen, Jason Harris: A&M has made things interesting with Princely. They've told him he should play in a four-man front when, truth be told, with him it doesn't matter. Compounding the issue is he thinks Omenihu would have been much more productive in a four-man front. What he needs to understand is Omenihu's versatility will get him paid just the same. We'll see how well UT can overcome this. Three-man vs four-man isn't a deal breaker. Now with Harris, he should definitely be in a four-man front unless he plays B-backer. 

NUMBERS CRUNCH: James Sylvester, Branard Wright

LB

IN GOOD STANDING: Prince Dorbah, Josh White: Dorbah's your B-backer and UT leads. He couldn't ask for a better fit and the longer he waits the more Ossai will make that clear to him. He'll be a quick responder to S&C but needs to add weight. White's in the mold of linebackers Scipio spelled out a while back: undersized but with the necessary movement skills for the Big 12.

WORK TO DO: Justin Flowe, Sav'ell Smalls, Brennon Scott: Flowe is as high on a school as he can be without having visited it. We expect he and his brother to visit in the next month or so. Watch Clemson and Alabama there but maybe he wants a shorter flight. Smalls has also offered positives on UT without having visited. We'll need to check back in with him but it'll be tough to pull him from the hometown Washington Huskies. Watch all the bluebloods with him. We could put Scott in 'good standing' but we think the staff will want to retain optionality, at least until Flowe visits and they get a feel for him. I'd bring as many of these guys in for JMBLYA as I can to experience Austin, then get them back for fall official visits to experience game day.

NUMBERS CRUNCH: Robert Wooten: Good, explosive edge player with heavy hands, he just has Dorbah in front of him.

CB

IN GOOD STANDING: Kelee Ringo, Jalen Kimber, Kitan Crawford: That could be the class right there. It's probably not a coincidence that this appears to be the big board at this time. Ringo is as bought-in as a player can be without being committed. He'll help UT's efforts with others in and around his state. Kimber's summer announcement works great for Texas, though he'll take a lot of visits between now and then. Watch Notre Dame. Washington did a great job on Kimber's recent visit. 

WORK TO DO: Ryan Watts, Jahari Rogers, Clark Phillips: I'm just not sure how much of a fight UT will put up for Watts and Rogers, two guys who are absolutely talented enough to be in the class. OU could be their spot. Getting Phillips on campus would help. 

NUMBERS CRUNCH: Avery Helm, Josh Eaton: These guys both fit the body/athleticism type the staff is looking for but Helm's ACL injury hurt him. Eaton needs to become much more consistent.

S

IN GOOD STANDING: Chris Thompson, Bryson Washington, Xavian Alford: That could be the class right there. Thompson just visited and there are good vibes all around, though he may not decide during the summer as previously thought. Washington has been a little quiet on the recruiting front of late. He's probably focusing on track. Alford is leaning Texas. 

WORK TO DO: Lathan Ransom: Like with Bijan Robinson, I feel there's some slack in the recruitment for the Arizona product. I think that slack can be picked up in a hurry which would make things interesting. If you can build a consensus with all those Arizona players you have to do it. Ransom will visit in April. Of note, they'll likely stay with a good friend of his father's.

NUMBERS CRUNCH: Jerrin Thompson: He's very similar to Alford, they just have Alford rated a tick higher.

 

If things fall right for us, we could have like 5 5-stars in this class. Ringo, Evans/one of the other RBs, and I could see Broughton making it there by the end of the cycle. You have a couple OOS guys we have a shot with like Flowe and Wilson. Tosh Baker has a shot at being a 5 star, as well.  I could also see a couple other guys we're more likely to sign climb some more too. Ja'Quendin Jackson has a shot though I think his positional ambiguity will keep him from it.  Also, I didn't realize this til I checked, but Hudson Card is up to #74 in the country and he's going to test well, perform well at camps, and put up big numbers his senior year, so there's a chance he could squeak in as a 5 star by NSD too.  

Overall, it definitely looks like we're in it for more elite talent than we have been the last two years, even though some of these guys are more of a long shot than the elites we were after in 2018.

Edited by Burt Macklin
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1 hour ago, Burt Macklin said:

This reminds me. How did you escape the ban hammer? lol.

Now I’m not saying I shouldn’t have been banned because I’m sure if someone tortured me and held my eyes open at the screen to read the last 7 pages—because that’s what it would take to make me do that—I’d want to ban me too. I’m just not sure how you managed to escape it. 

No clue. I just assumed Blacklab was so disgusted with the lot of us that he "forgot" to ban folks because it would have required reading the posts to figure out the culprits. But to enhance my already considerable mystique, I'll officially respond with:

imgur

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1 hour ago, Machinator said:

IT

UT leads for Collins as well but OU and A&M are making this one more interesting than fans would like. The staff doesn't seem to share the same concern, though of course they aren't taking him for granted. My guess is they felt comfortable enough with him to tell him to take his time. That approach has backfired in the past, but more often than not it endears a player to a staff. 

Telling a Texas legacy who lives a stone's throw from Austin that we really really want to 'take his time' seems counter-productive, but w/e. 

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16 minutes ago, satyanash said:

Telling a Texas legacy who lives a stone's throw from Austin that we really really want to 'take his time' seems counter-productive, but w/e.  

We've done that with plenty of recruits. "Take your time, see the world, and we'll be here" - it can be a useful counter to more high-pressure approaches.

I think there's grounds to be antsy with how we've handled this one, but that's generally been how the staff pitches kids, especially guys where there's no "there's a numbers logjam at your position and we need to know now" kind of play.

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14 hours ago, satyanash said:

Kelee Ringo is trending very well to Texas. EJ feels confident in his crystal ball. Texas is still the only school Ringo's visited multiple times. Lots of program ties. RIngo will visit Washington, where he's originally from, and blOU as well. But Texas is in the best spot. Ringo's mother works for an airline so he can fly as well. He visited on his own dime.

I'm sure Burt will pick on me for my stupidity, but I'll tough it out because I'd like to see some opinions on the subject of announcement timing. Just a bit of chiding there, Burt.

I believe Herman has frequently been able to respond to big recruiting news for A&M by almost immediately getting an announcement from a big recruit for us. (It does always seem to be A&M we're shadowing. I think that's smart until this whole Jimbo Craze blows over.) Is that just lucky timing or plan?

If it is plan, I'm interested in how you think that is orchestrated and if there are risks.

Kelee Ringo would be powerful card to hold in this game. If Collins or some other recruit we want goes to the Aggies, we cue Ringo to go public to steal some of that thunder.

Do y'all think it binds a recruit closer to the staff to be included in a little subterfuge? Does it risk the commitment because the recruit doesn't have a public announcement to adhere to?

Any other thoughts or experiences with my mother?

Edited by RomaVicta
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Can you guys just keep on topic. I'm really tired of getting 5-10 reports a day of petty shit. 

No more talking about EJ or whatever, start a thread about him to talk shit about him. Talk about 2020 recruits here and notes on those recruits. Stop the bullshit commentary about assholes on the recruiting trail. Stop the back and forth on specific players - start threads for that this isn't the right place to derail thread on ALL of recruiting.

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