Jump to content

Texas Recruiting Notes 2021


Reese Bennett

Recommended Posts

Nick Harris: Hayden Conner helping with Texas offensive line recruiting

Quote

KATY, Texas — Texas four-star offensive lineman commit Hayden Conner found his way to an invitation-only camp in his hometown of Katy last week alongside players such as Jordon Thomas, Derrick Harris, Tunmise Adeleye, Landyn Watson, Kam Dewberry, Kelvin Banks and others as he was able to get some work in before returning to Katy Taylor on Monday to start off-season training.

The coronavirus pandemic kept him from his team for nearly three months, but Conner was able to still get some work in despite the problems caused by his junior year being cut short. "I'm fortunate enough to have a bench and squat rack in my garage so I've been staying active and getting a lot stronger actually," Conner said. "I've had a lot of people over getting a workout, but now that June 8 is coming up, I'm excited to get back with my team and get to work."

Conner's Taylor team made a Cinderella run to the 6A Division II state semifinals in 2019 as they will look to repeat their run in Conner's senior season. "I'm excited about the guys that are returning," he said. "We have a lot of solid guys on the offensive line, a pretty good running back and a lot of good guys in the secondary. I think we're gonna have a pretty good run this year."

As the Texas class begins to shape up this summer, Conner is starting to like how it looks as they look to add some more guys in specific positions of need. "I love the class right now," Conner said. "Obviously we need more offensive linemen, I'm the only one so far. I'm doing my best to recruit the Brockermeyers, Bryce [Foster], Savion [Byrd] too. I've been having Zoom meetings with them and Coach Hand, just doing as much as I can."

Those Zoom meetings have been a good opportunity for Conner to meet some fellow offensive linemen in the class of 2021 as he has been a big part of the recruiting pitch to offensive linemen recruits for Texas. "[The Zoom calls are] always different," he said. "We talk about scheme and the depth chart. Last time, all of the new coaches came on, introduced themselves and gave their spiel about UT, it was awesome."

His communication with Tommy and James Brockermeyer during those Zoom calls have given Conner a solid impression of the highly-touted twins as he hopes to play alongside them for the next 3-4 years. "They seem like really good guys," he said. "I haven't met them in person but I'd love to because I'd like to build a good connection with them so they can hopefully go to UT."

As Conner returned to Taylor on Monday to begin strength and conditioning camp, he is hoping to just have fun before enrolling to Texas in January. "Just have a good time, have fun with my guys. Have a good senior year and just experience it," he said. At 6-foot-5.5, 317 pounds, Conner is the No. 280 recruit in the country for the class of 2021, according to 247Sports Composite. He is the No. 26 offensive tackle in the country and the No. 43 recruit in the state of Texas.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, Newy25 said:

We straight up stopped pursuing 2020 OL targets because of the loaded 2021 class. This is a total fucking disaster. 

No we didn’t. Like two people brought it up on the recruiting thread last year, and you’ve never let it go. We took 4 last year. That’s a perfectly normal class size, and it’s not like there was some great prospect the staff just ignored. 

  • Like 5
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, mr. sunshine said:

Waiting for futureman to swoop in and clear up all the bad news. What could he be occupied with instead? Well there you go

stop projecting, guy.  
 

the brocks are coming to austin.  they just like fucking with idiots who follow recruiting a little too closely for their own good. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can’t for the life of me figure out how we can be getting hit with development at OL, at least with a family that should have a more sophisticated take on things like the Brocks. A 3-star from Herman’s very first class is going to go in the 1st next year, and Kerstetter will get drafted as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, tokamak said:

I can’t for the life of me figure out how we can be getting hit with development at OL, at least with a family that should have a more sophisticated take on things like the Brocks. A 3-star from Herman’s very first class is going to go in the 1st next year, and Kerstetter will get drafted as well.

Bama is an NFL machine (at all positions), and has been for a decade. Texas can pitch these development stories on the OL but at the end of the day if you want to win and go to the NFL, Alabama is where you go.

  • Fuck You 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

50 minutes ago, tokamak said:

I can’t for the life of me figure out how we can be getting hit with development at OL, at least with a family that should have a more sophisticated take on things like the Brocks. A 3-star from Herman’s very first class is going to go in the 1st next year, and Kerstetter will get drafted as well.

You need to look at the bigger picture. Texas has stunk the last decade, Bama's worst season in that span was a 10-3 season with 4 national championships. In 2019 they sent an offensive tackle into the draft at #11, in 2020 they sent another at #10 and produced 4 first round tackles the last decade. They're churning out tons of NFL talent and they're winning. That's not easy to compete against even if we're on the subject of in-state legacy recruits. I know this much I'd love to see the Brockermeyers blocking for Bijan in the future, hard telling what the future holds.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, Chad said:

You need to look at the bigger picture. Texas has stunk the last decade, Bama's worst season in that span was a 10-3 season with 4 national championships. In 2019 they sent an offensive tackle into the draft at #11, in 2020 they sent another at #10 and produced 4 first round tackles the last decade. They're churning out tons of NFL talent and they're winning. That's not easy to compete against even if we're on the subject of in-state legacy recruits. I know this much I'd love to see the Brockermeyers blocking for Bijan in the future, hard telling what the future holds.

One man knows what the future holds. And he done told us just above. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites



The 2015 football season was marred by alleged misconduct by Flood and the arrests on violent felony criminal charges of several players.[3]There were doubts that Flood would be coaching the season opener and some speculation amongst news media and fans about the possibility of Flood's firing or resignation.

  • On May 24, 2015, redshirt freshman defensive back Darian Dailey was arrested in Florida on felony robbery charges.[11][12]
  • In late August 2015, Flood suspended five players for the first half of the season opener for breaking curfew.[13][14][15][16]
  • On September 3, 2015, six players were arrested and charged with felony assault, armed robbery, criminal restraint, conspiracy, riot, and weapons possession; these charges stemmed from an April 26, 2015 incident in New Brunswick, New Jersey characterized as a home invasion robbery.[13][17][18] Five players were dismissed from the team moments before the season-opening football game against the Norfolk State Spartans. [13][17] A sixth player was arrested a few days later.[18][19] Several arrested players had previous arrests for other criminal charges.[17]
  • One of the suspects in the home invasion robbery and assault was the center of an ongoing investigation into Flood for possible violations of school policy and NCAA regulations for claims that Flood contacting faculty regarding the academic status of a player.[13][17] Flood defied academic support staff by contacting a professor to attempt to establish the player's eligibility.[20] On September 16, 2015, the university-led investigation determined that Flood's conduct was improper and Barchi fined Flood $50,000 and suspended him for three games. Rutgers associate head coach Norries Wilson coached the three games against Penn State, Kansas, and Michigan State.[21][22] On January 18, 2019 Alabama hired Flood as Offensive Line Coach.

So, is he a great offensive line coach, or is it because he coaches at Bama and Saban’s rep, along with the sec?

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Cairn Horn88
Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, Cairn Horn88 said:

So, is he a great offensive line coach, or is it because he coaches at Bama and Saban’s rep, along with the sec?


The 2015 football season was marred by alleged misconduct by Flood and the arrests on violent felony criminal charges of several players.[3]There were doubts that Flood would be coaching the season opener and some speculation amongst news media and fans about the possibility of Flood's firing or resignation.

  • On May 24, 2015, redshirt freshman defensive back Darian Dailey was arrested in Florida on felony robbery charges.[11][12]
  • In late August 2015, Flood suspended five players for the first half of the season opener for breaking curfew.[13][14][15][16]
  • On September 3, 2015, six players were arrested and charged with felony assault, armed robbery, criminal restraint, conspiracy, riot, and weapons possession; these charges stemmed from an April 26, 2015 incident in New Brunswick, New Jersey characterized as a home invasion robbery.[13][17][18] Five players were dismissed from the team moments before the season-opening football game against the Norfolk State Spartans. [13][17] A sixth player was arrested a few days later.[18][19] Several arrested players had previous arrests for other criminal charges.[17]
  • One of the suspects in the home invasion robbery and assault was the center of an ongoing investigation into Flood for possible violations of school policy and NCAA regulations for claims that Flood contacting faculty regarding the academic status of a player.[13][17] Flood defied academic support staff by contacting a professor to attempt to establish the player's eligibility.[20] On September 16, 2015, the university-led investigation determined that Flood's conduct was improper and Barchi fined Flood $50,000 and suspended him for three games. Rutgers associate head coach Norries Wilson coached the three games against Penn State, Kansas, and Michigan State.[21][22] On January 18, 2019 Alabama hired Flood as Offensive Line Coach.

 

 

Yah left off the part in Wiki where he coached OL for the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 & 2018, and previously coached OL for several years at Rutgers... so it's a little more than just coaching at Bama.

 

Edited by LTtxfan
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mike Roach: JJ Henry taking his time with the recruiting process

Quote

JJ Henry has a lot of options. The three-star wide receiver from McKinney North has been hearing from a lot of schools over the last few months. Henry has been passing the time during quarantine working out and talking with coaches, and there are a few school he keeps in the heaviest contact with. “I’m talking to a lot of coaches,” he said. “The ones that really talk to me most are Louisville, Arkansas, Florida State, Texas, Baylor and SMU.”

Henry has been in contact with Andre Coleman primarily. The two are building a better relationship, and Henry likes how direct he is. “Coach Coleman is just real transparent,” he said. “He’s cool. He’s real cool.” With visits likely to return in the fall, Henry plans to take his time with the process and make the most out of everything. “I just want to see all my options to see where I can best fit as a family more than a player,” he said. “I would like to visit the campuses to feel them out, just to see if I have good vibes there.”

Texas has yet to host Henry on a virtual visit. He said he’s talked with Coleman and head coach Tom Herman about doing one soon. “Not as of yet, but we are planning on doing so,” he said. “I talked to coach Herman and coach Coleman about that so it should be soon.” Herman has been involved in the recruitment pretty heavily from the beginning. Henry said he hears from him just about every week.

“Coach Herman has been contacting me,” he said. “We’ve been on phone calls. He’s been texting me and sending graphics. We’re just trying to get to know each other.” At 5-foot-10, 155 pounds, Henry is ranked as the No. 152 wide receiver in the nation and No. 160 overall prospect in Texas, according to 247Sports Composite.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Someone like @Burt Macklin or @golfclap is going to have to break down the weaknesses in Milroe’s throwing motion and footwork. And yes I know it’s a highlight reel, but damned if every time I see one of his cutups if it doesn’t look dude has really great touch and accuracy on his deep balls. 

Same man.  I think he looks like a fantastic prospect.  He looks way more technically sound than Heard or Rojo.  He also has a strong arm.  Kid also has insane work ethic.  Between him, Card, and JQJ.... Herman has elevated the talent in the QB room.  It was just 4 years ago we had a TE and a WR battling for the QB spot and Charlie and is we’re praying the 180 pound freshman Buchele would be able to start right away.  How far we’ve come along on offense.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Much consternation from Nahlin

IT: “A Byrd in Hand” “Chips off the old Brock” “Foster home” etc. - Nahlin

Spoiler

As the cycle wears on, it’s looking more and more likely these five-star headlines are going to be replaced with three-stars like “That one kid committed to that one school flips to Texas” and “Texas holds off SMU, lands Bryxton Braxton IV.“ The IV is made up because Mom professes to hate trendy names. When asked why Dad’s name is Dan she spills wine on you to change the subject.

It shouldn’t be like this in any cycle, much less the loaded Class of 2021. Imagine Texas flopping on the 2018 defensive back class. That’s where this could be headed.

Herb Hand arrived in Austin with promise and the reputation for being a very good recruiter. My guy in the Southeast who is a straight-shooter had me feeling confident about the hire. From what I know of Hand, he’s likable, relatable, and genuine. That almost always translates in recruiting.

I have pretty good insights into Hand from people who know him much better. I know he crushed the Calvin Anderson recruitment. I know he crushed the Parker Braun recruitment, coaxing him away from the nearby Florida Gators. He’s 2/2 on high profile grad transfer pursuits. Texas shunned other grad transfers it could have had, as well.

Hand’s track record in high school isn’t nearly as good.

The 2019 class consisted of: Tyler Johnson, Javonne Shepherd, Isaiah Hookfin, and Willie Tyler.

Johnson was a Texas lock from the get-go. I wrote that in these very pages before Hand arrived. Shepherd was a major risk. The staff knew that in real time but didn’t recruit the cycle like they truly understood it. Shepherd wasn’t treated like found money, he was treated like an important piece — like a need. Hookfin was a really good late find who almost got off the hook. Props for reeling him in. That could end up being a very big development. Tyler was a post-NSD find who was necessary because they didn’t recruit the regular cycle very well.

The 2020 class consisted of: Logan Parr, Jake Majors, Jaylen Garth, and Andrej Karic.

From a difficulty of recruiting standpoint, this is like landing three Tyler Johnsons and an Isaiah Hookfin. Parr, Majors, and Garth were layups. Karic, like Hookfin, was a good recovery for a lower profile player.

It’s a solid class, good floor, okay ceiling, and pretty good on paper, but I’m skeptical the best class they could compile just so happens to be the easiest.

At least having that class sewed up early allowed for Hand to get a very good jump on the Class of 2021!

OT Donovan Jackson, Bellaire Episcopal: The disappointing season sunk Texas. I feel confident had UT followed up the 2018 campaign with a slightly better 2019 he’d be a Longhorn. Instead he moved up his timeline and committed to the Buckeyes. He had seen enough.

OT Reuben Fatheree, Richmond Foster: Texas ran hot and cold on this recruitment. I could almost feel them thinking, “are we really going to need this guy? The class is loaded.” Fatheree pulled a surprise and committed to A&M over OU. His dad favored UT initially. Someone could maybe counter he’s interchangeable in the class but I’ll believe it when I see it. Fatheree has real upside and is much less a risk than, say, Javonne Shepherd.

OT Savion Byrd, Duncanville: Texas was the perceived leader early on but I never got the feeling that had merit beyond Byrd’s ties to Ra’Shaad Samples. Ra’Shaad Samples isn’t walking back through that door. He left a year ago. Who’s the back-up for Byrd? Texas might be in fourth place here.

OL Bryce Foster, Katy Taylor: We’ve beaten this horse for a while. Foster is a realistic target but the football program needs help from track and field and the virus hurt those efforts. He’s leaning away from his mother and brother’s Texas A&M but towards Oklahoma. When OU is the compromise school...

OL Matthew Wykoff, Magnolia: He was a contingency for both A&M and UT who was going to commit to A&M if Jimbo Fisher decided to push. He did and Wykoff is an Aggie. When Texas doesn’t push for a guy they’ve offered it’s safe to assume there are better realistic options out there who for some reason don’t hold offers or they’re in better standing with recruits who currently hold offers. But is that really safe to assume?

OL Jonah Miller, Salpointe Catholic (Tucson) and OT Bram Walden, Saguaro (Scottsdale): How long ago was it stated these guys were going to commit to Oregon? Yes, the virus hurt UT’s chances, but Walden was going to be a very difficult pull regardless. Texas may still be able to get in with Miller but I base that solely on Bijan Robinson’s potential influence over him. Oregon’s offensive line is awesome and the head coach is one of the better o-line coaches in the country. Also diamond plated shoulder pads.

OT Tommy Brockermeyer, All Saints and OC James Brockermeyer, All Saints: The twin legacies haven’t been guaranteed to follow in their father’s footsteps (or their brother’s footsteps (or their grandfather’s footsteps)) for over a year. To Herb Hand’s credit he has roamed the hallways of All Saints like a genius janitor whenever allowed. Instead of math equations he’s solving formations. The problem here is the same as with Jackson; the questions go beyond just Hand. When is Texas really going to be back? But for real this time. Is Texas developing its talent? That’s not clearly evident. With Texas comes risks for two players, who absent risks, are likely to end up in the NFL. Certainly Tommy’s likely, but I think James has a good chance as well.

To a degree I sympathize with Hand. I often write, as recruiters, position coaches are beholden to program perception. But what the hell did we witness versus OU last year? There is a real cost associated with that performance. Some of that blame again lays at Herman‘s feet for the predictability of his offense but recruits don’t care, and if they did, predictable offense doesn’t help the case.

Hand currently has Katy Taylor’s Hayden Conner committed. Conner is a good tackle/guard option, but he’s a player who should be setting the floor of a stellar o-line class, not the ceiling, and certainly not the entire load bearing wall.

It’s still early-ish but Herman’s and Hand’s backs are up against the wall. They not only need to win to help land some elite talent, they need to evaluate extremely well in the event they don’t.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, Ricky's one-hitter said:

Much consternation from Nahlin

IT: “A Byrd in Hand” “Chips off the old Brock” “Foster home” etc. - Nahlin

  Hide contents

As the cycle wears on, it’s looking more and more likely these five-star headlines are going to be replaced with three-stars like “That one kid committed to that one school flips to Texas” and “Texas holds off SMU, lands Bryxton Braxton IV.“ The IV is made up because Mom professes to hate trendy names. When asked why Dad’s name is Dan she spills wine on you to change the subject.

It shouldn’t be like this in any cycle, much less the loaded Class of 2021. Imagine Texas flopping on the 2018 defensive back class. That’s where this could be headed.

Herb Hand arrived in Austin with promise and the reputation for being a very good recruiter. My guy in the Southeast who is a straight-shooter had me feeling confident about the hire. From what I know of Hand, he’s likable, relatable, and genuine. That almost always translates in recruiting.

I have pretty good insights into Hand from people who know him much better. I know he crushed the Calvin Anderson recruitment. I know he crushed the Parker Braun recruitment, coaxing him away from the nearby Florida Gators. He’s 2/2 on high profile grad transfer pursuits. Texas shunned other grad transfers it could have had, as well.

Hand’s track record in high school isn’t nearly as good.

The 2019 class consisted of: Tyler Johnson, Javonne Shepherd, Isaiah Hookfin, and Willie Tyler.

Johnson was a Texas lock from the get-go. I wrote that in these very pages before Hand arrived. Shepherd was a major risk. The staff knew that in real time but didn’t recruit the cycle like they truly understood it. Shepherd wasn’t treated like found money, he was treated like an important piece — like a need. Hookfin was a really good late find who almost got off the hook. Props for reeling him in. That could end up being a very big development. Tyler was a post-NSD find who was necessary because they didn’t recruit the regular cycle very well.

The 2020 class consisted of: Logan Parr, Jake Majors, Jaylen Garth, and Andrej Karic.

From a difficulty of recruiting standpoint, this is like landing three Tyler Johnsons and an Isaiah Hookfin. Parr, Majors, and Garth were layups. Karic, like Hookfin, was a good recovery for a lower profile player.

It’s a solid class, good floor, okay ceiling, and pretty good on paper, but I’m skeptical the best class they could compile just so happens to be the easiest.

At least having that class sewed up early allowed for Hand to get a very good jump on the Class of 2021!

OT Donovan Jackson, Bellaire Episcopal: The disappointing season sunk Texas. I feel confident had UT followed up the 2018 campaign with a slightly better 2019 he’d be a Longhorn. Instead he moved up his timeline and committed to the Buckeyes. He had seen enough.

OT Reuben Fatheree, Richmond Foster: Texas ran hot and cold on this recruitment. I could almost feel them thinking, “are we really going to need this guy? The class is loaded.” Fatheree pulled a surprise and committed to A&M over OU. His dad favored UT initially. Someone could maybe counter he’s interchangeable in the class but I’ll believe it when I see it. Fatheree has real upside and is much less a risk than, say, Javonne Shepherd.

OT Savion Byrd, Duncanville: Texas was the perceived leader early on but I never got the feeling that had merit beyond Byrd’s ties to Ra’Shaad Samples. Ra’Shaad Samples isn’t walking back through that door. He left a year ago. Who’s the back-up for Byrd? Texas might be in fourth place here.

OL Bryce Foster, Katy Taylor: We’ve beaten this horse for a while. Foster is a realistic target but the football program needs help from track and field and the virus hurt those efforts. He’s leaning away from his mother and brother’s Texas A&M but towards Oklahoma. When OU is the compromise school...

OL Matthew Wykoff, Magnolia: He was a contingency for both A&M and UT who was going to commit to A&M if Jimbo Fisher decided to push. He did and Wykoff is an Aggie. When Texas doesn’t push for a guy they’ve offered it’s safe to assume there are better realistic options out there who for some reason don’t hold offers or they’re in better standing with recruits who currently hold offers. But is that really safe to assume?

OL Jonah Miller, Salpointe Catholic (Tucson) and OT Bram Walden, Saguaro (Scottsdale): How long ago was it stated these guys were going to commit to Oregon? Yes, the virus hurt UT’s chances, but Walden was going to be a very difficult pull regardless. Texas may still be able to get in with Miller but I base that solely on Bijan Robinson’s potential influence over him. Oregon’s offensive line is awesome and the head coach is one of the better o-line coaches in the country. Also diamond plated shoulder pads.

OT Tommy Brockermeyer, All Saints and OC James Brockermeyer, All Saints: The twin legacies haven’t been guaranteed to follow in their father’s footsteps (or their brother’s footsteps (or their grandfather’s footsteps)) for over a year. To Herb Hand’s credit he has roamed the hallways of All Saints like a genius janitor whenever allowed. Instead of math equations he’s solving formations. The problem here is the same as with Jackson; the questions go beyond just Hand. When is Texas really going to be back? But for real this time. Is Texas developing its talent? That’s not clearly evident. With Texas comes risks for two players, who absent risks, are likely to end up in the NFL. Certainly Tommy’s likely, but I think James has a good chance as well.

To a degree I sympathize with Hand. I often write, as recruiters, position coaches are beholden to program perception. But what the hell did we witness versus OU last year? There is a real cost associated with that performance. Some of that blame again lays at Herman‘s feet for the predictability of his offense but recruits don’t care, and if they did, predictable offense doesn’t help the case.

Hand currently has Katy Taylor’s Hayden Conner committed. Conner is a good tackle/guard option, but he’s a player who should be setting the floor of a stellar o-line class, not the ceiling, and certainly not the entire load bearing wall.

It’s still early-ish but Herman’s and Hand’s backs are up against the wall. They not only need to win to help land some elite talent, they need to evaluate extremely well in the event they don’t.

 

Hard to argue with any of that piece. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, SydneyCarton said:

Hard to argue with any of that piece. 

OL recruiting has been the one really weird one. I understand the issues with each guy individually, and that Bama, Oregon, and tOSU all have more firepower at the position, but we should have enough between Hand's history of development and historic recruiting chops, and the general "being Texas" (before anyone gets into miserabilia, there's a reason UT's classes hover around the top ten unless something absolutely catastrophic happens) for one of these recruitments to go our way. 

And even then, we haven't exactly been all over second tier guys like the other positions have, which makes it feel even sloggier.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, SydneyCarton said:

Someone like @Burt Macklin or @golfclap is going to have to break down the weaknesses in Milroe’s throwing motion and footwork. And yes I know it’s a highlight reel, but damned if every time I see one of his cutups if it doesn’t look dude has really great touch and accuracy on his deep balls. 

I’ve talked about it before, but his arm motion is basically perfect. Quick release with power and no wasted motion every time. On top of that, he has an incredible arm. The only thing he really needs to work on is avoiding over-striding before the throw and keeping his plant foot closed and towards the target. He opens it up way too much, which makes it so he can’t fully drive off his back foot, because doing so would drive his body away from the throw. When you watch his back foot drive in his throws, you can see a lot of inconsistency. Sometimes he’s not even pushing off his back foot until the ball’s almost out. RoJo also struggled with syncing up his weight transfer to power his throws in HS. 
 

This forces him to generate all his power from upper body torque and arm Movement. He has a good enough arm to get away with that, but the thing that suffers when you do that is accuracy and consistency in motion, which is evidenced by him completing only 56% and 61.8% of his passes the last two years, which is low for a top 100 QB prospect. 
 

Im not very concerned about it, because he’s shown improvement over the last year, and it’s something that can be fixed at the next level, especially since he should be getting a redshirt year. He actually shows some of the best form I’ve seen from him in this video, which is good to see, but if you look at the very last throw at :53, you can see the problem. Once he starts moving and muscle memory kicks in, he takes too big of a stride with his plant foot and his foot is way to the left of where he’s throwing. He needs to dial in his stride and direction of his plant foot so he can get full drive off his back foot every throw and then his accuracy will improve.  
 

Hudson Card’s actually a great example of the right mechanics. If you watch his videos, his feet are always shoulder width apart in his stance and he plants and drives in one fluid motion with almost identical strides very time. He’s also got the timing of his movements down perfectly so his back foot push powers his throwing motion every time and he releases the ball extremely quick. 

1 hour ago, victory88 said:

Same man.  I think he looks like a fantastic prospect.  He looks way more technically sound than Heard or Rojo.  He also has a strong arm.  Kid also has insane work ethic.  Between him, Card, and JQJ.... Herman has elevated the talent in the QB room.  It was just 4 years ago we had a TE and a WR battling for the QB spot and Charlie and is we’re praying the 180 pound freshman Buchele would be able to start right away.  How far we’ve come along on offense.

That is a low fucking bar. lol.

I do think Milroe’s a great prospect and he’s absolutely got the athleticism to fix his footwork and become more accurate. You’d way rather have a guy who needs or improve his footwork than Re-do his entire throwing motion. 

Edited by Burt Macklin
  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Texas is turning into 3 Star University with this class. Herman needs a tremendous year or otherwise the gap will continue to widen. The fact that UT has needed grad transfer linemen to just field a starting 5 speaks to overall lack of development and poor recruiting that has happened here.

Fingers crossed it gets better, unfortunately I just do not believe any longer in this HC and his ability to reach prospects (high level prospects)

  • Like 1
  • Fuck You 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, Hank_Hill said:

Ha. That’s true of his sophomore year, but he’s actually cleaned up his throwing motion a good bit and completed 65% of his passes this last year. I’d say he’s by far the best QB Jimbo’s recruited since he got to A&M.  I guess when you get a 10 year guaranteed contract, you can have til year 5 or 6 to actually recruit and (maybe) develop a good QB. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

39 minutes ago, Ricky's one-hitter said:

Much consternation from Nahlin

IT: “A Byrd in Hand” “Chips off the old Brock” “Foster home” etc. - Nahlin

  Reveal hidden contents

As the cycle wears on, it’s looking more and more likely these five-star headlines are going to be replaced with three-stars like “That one kid committed to that one school flips to Texas” and “Texas holds off SMU, lands Bryxton Braxton IV.“ The IV is made up because Mom professes to hate trendy names. When asked why Dad’s name is Dan she spills wine on you to change the subject.

It shouldn’t be like this in any cycle, much less the loaded Class of 2021. Imagine Texas flopping on the 2018 defensive back class. That’s where this could be headed.

Herb Hand arrived in Austin with promise and the reputation for being a very good recruiter. My guy in the Southeast who is a straight-shooter had me feeling confident about the hire. From what I know of Hand, he’s likable, relatable, and genuine. That almost always translates in recruiting.

I have pretty good insights into Hand from people who know him much better. I know he crushed the Calvin Anderson recruitment. I know he crushed the Parker Braun recruitment, coaxing him away from the nearby Florida Gators. He’s 2/2 on high profile grad transfer pursuits. Texas shunned other grad transfers it could have had, as well.

Hand’s track record in high school isn’t nearly as good.

The 2019 class consisted of: Tyler Johnson, Javonne Shepherd, Isaiah Hookfin, and Willie Tyler.

Johnson was a Texas lock from the get-go. I wrote that in these very pages before Hand arrived. Shepherd was a major risk. The staff knew that in real time but didn’t recruit the cycle like they truly understood it. Shepherd wasn’t treated like found money, he was treated like an important piece — like a need. Hookfin was a really good late find who almost got off the hook. Props for reeling him in. That could end up being a very big development. Tyler was a post-NSD find who was necessary because they didn’t recruit the regular cycle very well.

The 2020 class consisted of: Logan Parr, Jake Majors, Jaylen Garth, and Andrej Karic.

From a difficulty of recruiting standpoint, this is like landing three Tyler Johnsons and an Isaiah Hookfin. Parr, Majors, and Garth were layups. Karic, like Hookfin, was a good recovery for a lower profile player.

It’s a solid class, good floor, okay ceiling, and pretty good on paper, but I’m skeptical the best class they could compile just so happens to be the easiest.

At least having that class sewed up early allowed for Hand to get a very good jump on the Class of 2021!

OT Donovan Jackson, Bellaire Episcopal: The disappointing season sunk Texas. I feel confident had UT followed up the 2018 campaign with a slightly better 2019 he’d be a Longhorn. Instead he moved up his timeline and committed to the Buckeyes. He had seen enough.

OT Reuben Fatheree, Richmond Foster: Texas ran hot and cold on this recruitment. I could almost feel them thinking, “are we really going to need this guy? The class is loaded.” Fatheree pulled a surprise and committed to A&M over OU. His dad favored UT initially. Someone could maybe counter he’s interchangeable in the class but I’ll believe it when I see it. Fatheree has real upside and is much less a risk than, say, Javonne Shepherd.

OT Savion Byrd, Duncanville: Texas was the perceived leader early on but I never got the feeling that had merit beyond Byrd’s ties to Ra’Shaad Samples. Ra’Shaad Samples isn’t walking back through that door. He left a year ago. Who’s the back-up for Byrd? Texas might be in fourth place here.

OL Bryce Foster, Katy Taylor: We’ve beaten this horse for a while. Foster is a realistic target but the football program needs help from track and field and the virus hurt those efforts. He’s leaning away from his mother and brother’s Texas A&M but towards Oklahoma. When OU is the compromise school...

OL Matthew Wykoff, Magnolia: He was a contingency for both A&M and UT who was going to commit to A&M if Jimbo Fisher decided to push. He did and Wykoff is an Aggie. When Texas doesn’t push for a guy they’ve offered it’s safe to assume there are better realistic options out there who for some reason don’t hold offers or they’re in better standing with recruits who currently hold offers. But is that really safe to assume?

OL Jonah Miller, Salpointe Catholic (Tucson) and OT Bram Walden, Saguaro (Scottsdale): How long ago was it stated these guys were going to commit to Oregon? Yes, the virus hurt UT’s chances, but Walden was going to be a very difficult pull regardless. Texas may still be able to get in with Miller but I base that solely on Bijan Robinson’s potential influence over him. Oregon’s offensive line is awesome and the head coach is one of the better o-line coaches in the country. Also diamond plated shoulder pads.

OT Tommy Brockermeyer, All Saints and OC James Brockermeyer, All Saints: The twin legacies haven’t been guaranteed to follow in their father’s footsteps (or their brother’s footsteps (or their grandfather’s footsteps)) for over a year. To Herb Hand’s credit he has roamed the hallways of All Saints like a genius janitor whenever allowed. Instead of math equations he’s solving formations. The problem here is the same as with Jackson; the questions go beyond just Hand. When is Texas really going to be back? But for real this time. Is Texas developing its talent? That’s not clearly evident. With Texas comes risks for two players, who absent risks, are likely to end up in the NFL. Certainly Tommy’s likely, but I think James has a good chance as well.

To a degree I sympathize with Hand. I often write, as recruiters, position coaches are beholden to program perception. But what the hell did we witness versus OU last year? There is a real cost associated with that performance. Some of that blame again lays at Herman‘s feet for the predictability of his offense but recruits don’t care, and if they did, predictable offense doesn’t help the case.

Hand currently has Katy Taylor’s Hayden Conner committed. Conner is a good tackle/guard option, but he’s a player who should be setting the floor of a stellar o-line class, not the ceiling, and certainly not the entire load bearing wall.

It’s still early-ish but Herman’s and Hand’s backs are up against the wall. They not only need to win to help land some elite talent, they need to evaluate extremely well in the event they don’t.

 

 

Props to Nahlin... he nailed this article

Link to comment
Share on other sites

26 minutes ago, BrazilHorn said:

Texas is turning into 3 Star University with this class. Herman needs a tremendous year or otherwise the gap will continue to widen. The fact that UT has needed grad transfer linemen to just field a starting 5 speaks to overall lack of development and poor recruiting that has happened here.

Fingers crossed it gets better, unfortunately I just do not believe any longer in this HC and his ability to reach prospects (high level prospects)

The AVERAGE ranking in this class is a mid-low 4-star and Burt covered the fact that the GT OLs were a Herman solution to a Charlie problem. You're letting personal dislike cloud your eyes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

31 minutes ago, texifornia said:

OL recruiting has been the one really weird one. I understand the issues with each guy individually, and that Bama, Oregon, and tOSU all have more firepower at the position, but we should have enough between Hand's history of development and historic recruiting chops, and the general "being Texas" (before anyone gets into miserabilia, there's a reason UT's classes hover around the top ten unless something absolutely catastrophic happens) for one of these recruitments to go our way. 

And even then, we haven't exactly been all over second tier guys like the other positions have, which makes it feel even sloggier.

If I'm recruiting against Hand, just show the 2019 blOU film over and over.

If the Horns Win the B12 this season and Bama struggles a little, the Brocks might still end up at Texas...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are going to end up with an OL haul of Conner, the interior guy from Wheaton's school and a couple of projects like Leyrer and someone we haven't heard from yet.  This may actually be the worst overall offensive haul we've had.

Starting 5-0 and/or winning the Big 12 may change some of this shit.  Cosmi getting picked early and Kerstetter getting drafted at a reasonable spot should turn the tide with 22' OL recruits hopefully.

Raise your hand if you had Oscar Giles leading the way at this point in recruiting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, texifornia said:

The AVERAGE ranking in this class is a mid-low 4-star and Burt covered the fact that the GT OLs were a Herman solution to a Charlie problem. You're letting personal dislike cloud your eyes.

I guess so, just tired of seeing no coherent OL strategy or play year after year. Rolling out guys on rollerskates, leaving "blood on the field" guys in, playing Freshmen as we have no depth etc etc

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Starting 5-0 and/or winning the Big 12 may change some of this shit.  Cosmi getting picked early and Kerstetter getting drafted at a reasonable spot should turn the tide with 22' OL recruits hopefully.

Raise your hand if you had Oscar Giles leading the way at this point in recruiting.

 

The guy in the red circle is raising his hand...

D93-Vo-YWW4-AE1-TRD.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, BrazilHorn said:

I guess so, just tired of seeing no coherent OL strategy or play year after year. Rolling out guys on rollerskates, leaving "blood on the field" guys in, playing Freshmen as we have no depth etc etc

We didn't actually do that last year (at least until all the DBs got hurt). Some stuff is getting fixed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

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

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

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

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

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



×
×
  • Create New...