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2023 Fall Camp Thread of Dominance


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1 hour ago, Tex Long said:

Somebody came up with a slightly different description: turnarounds.  INTs and fumble recoveries are part of those, but so are 3&outs, kick/punt blocks, 4th-down stops, big sacks, big returns, explosive plays. I like it, because it involves all three teams and gives errbody a boost when we do one.

Sounds like what “stops” already means 

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16 hours ago, MH BEVO said:

I certainly hope Baxter isn’t starting this season. I have higher expectations of Brooks. 
 

I'm of the belief Baxter wants to be great. Don't know him personally, but what I saw on the nets over the past two years leads me to believe he has special level drive. I'm OK with that being RB1. 

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14 hours ago, Knewk210 said:

Remember when we were excited about Kyle Porter? We have come a long way and I’m sharing perspective!

What's this "we" shit? 

I was never excited about Porter. I was happy for him, but I watched him in HS and didn't expect him to ever start here. 

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14 hours ago, Sir Ulrich said:

Murphy is going to get so much media hype next season for whichever SEC school takes him. He'll light up offseason videos and north east western state while Manning starts at Michigan in his 2nd game. I'm sure some here will bitch and moan if he struggles out of the gate while Murphy is lighting it up against nobodies. 

Personally, I hope the great QB coach can get Murphy to play well enough that we don't roll out another RSFR QB. 

This is another concern of mine with Sark. We know he can coach QBs. We know he can call offense. Can he run an entire program and do all of those things well? Probably not, because there isn't enough time to focus on it.  So he has to limit/delegate some of what he does best, meaning he has to build and optimize a new skillset. 

I would love for us to reload veteran QBs instead of reloading 2 and out QBs. Sark's success has been with veteran QBs. I really want us to have the ability to keep Arch on the bench for one more year of growth. If he's better than Murphy, of course Arch should start. We need to load up at QB again this year (every year). Can't win without them, and they leave when they win. 

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Somebody came up with a slightly different description: turnarounds.  INTs and fumble recoveries are part of those, but so are 3&outs, kick/punt blocks, 4th-down stops, big sacks, big returns, explosive plays. I like it, because it involves all three teams and gives errbody a boost when we do one.

Any way you can stop a possession from scoring. On the flip side, giving up a big sack, or an offensive holding call, or a key drop, those all stop your possession from scoring. Those are key too.

A fucking offensive holding call or letting up a sack can be just as bad as throwing an interception, the only diff is field position.
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More IT team notes 

Spoiler

***Senior cornerback Ryan Watts didn't have the greatest scrimmage but that's the price a corner pays for going against these wide receivers. Xavier Worthy's long bomb came at the expense of the boundary corner. Worthy had Watts looking like Latrell McCutchin, all due to a clean release. We know what happens when Worthy has easy access. On top of it, the ball was absolute dime, hitting the speedster in stride.

***From that nugget you can deduce Worthy is moving around and isn't just pigeonholed at field receiver. They absolutely love Mitchell, but Worthy is their go-to when hunting matchups. Despite the defense clearly having the stronger day, the receivers were a problem. Mitchell, Worthy, and Whittington all scored. I'm relatively sure Whittington's was on an RPO.

***DeAndre Moore has been a bit quite of late but he had a good week of practice and also made some plays in the scrimmage.

***Everyone's excited about Anthony Hill and I don't mean on the internet. There are times Hill comes in for Ethan Burke but he also makes plays when lined up off the ball. To echo what Justin and Bobby have said, he's too good to keep off the field. That written...

***David Gbenda has been more and more assignment sound. That's been the goal. If he can be assignment sound our sources believe he can be better than league average, however he isn't the playmaker Hill is. He's going to start, to start the season, but he's in competition unless he plays well early on. But again, solid scrimmage out of him.

***Alfred Collins was the first defensive player mentioned....again. At this point I'm just going to outsource my emotions to our sourcing and buy-in. He applied pressure and also handled his run fits well.

***As you know, Collins does play defensive end some. That's dictated by the offense's formation. If in 12-personnel Texas will go to base. The nickel comes off, the Sam comes in, and Collins goes to D-end.

***The offense had too many turnovers. That was a mixed bag between offensive errors and good defense play. Ball security and decision-making could have been better on offense, but at the same time the defense is much better at forcing turnovers. This was a theme in the Spring that has continued. Themes typically carry into the season.

***We always hear about Terrance Brooks and Malik Muhammad, but one source was high on Gavin Holmes after Saturday. He was very good 1v1 on some fast receivers.

***Consume responsibly, but, "Quinn is day in day out the best quarterback. He's going to be special this year." The same sourcing didn't think Ewers was much better, if at all, than Hudson Card this time last year.

***Cedric Baxter is progressing right along. Like all freshman running backs he's being given daily reminders to run lower and that's translating to him dropping his pads and running with better pop. He's also "seeing it" better and getting a better feel for when it's time to be patient or time to drop the hammer.

***The O-line was kind of all over the place. They suffered a lot of minor bumps and bruises which seemed to throw the rotation off. At one point I believe Hayden Conner was at left tackle. One source feels like DJ Campbell is going get the nod at right guard but he'll still have some growing to do.

 

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17 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

More IT team notes 

  Hide contents

***Senior cornerback Ryan Watts didn't have the greatest scrimmage but that's the price a corner pays for going against these wide receivers. Xavier Worthy's long bomb came at the expense of the boundary corner. Worthy had Watts looking like Latrell McCutchin, all due to a clean release. We know what happens when Worthy has easy access. On top of it, the ball was absolute dime, hitting the speedster in stride.

***From that nugget you can deduce Worthy is moving around and isn't just pigeonholed at field receiver. They absolutely love Mitchell, but Worthy is their go-to when hunting matchups. Despite the defense clearly having the stronger day, the receivers were a problem. Mitchell, Worthy, and Whittington all scored. I'm relatively sure Whittington's was on an RPO.

***DeAndre Moore has been a bit quite of late but he had a good week of practice and also made some plays in the scrimmage.

***Everyone's excited about Anthony Hill and I don't mean on the internet. There are times Hill comes in for Ethan Burke but he also makes plays when lined up off the ball. To echo what Justin and Bobby have said, he's too good to keep off the field. That written...

***David Gbenda has been more and more assignment sound. That's been the goal. If he can be assignment sound our sources believe he can be better than league average, however he isn't the playmaker Hill is. He's going to start, to start the season, but he's in competition unless he plays well early on. But again, solid scrimmage out of him.

***Alfred Collins was the first defensive player mentioned....again. At this point I'm just going to outsource my emotions to our sourcing and buy-in. He applied pressure and also handled his run fits well.

***As you know, Collins does play defensive end some. That's dictated by the offense's formation. If in 12-personnel Texas will go to base. The nickel comes off, the Sam comes in, and Collins goes to D-end.

***The offense had too many turnovers. That was a mixed bag between offensive errors and good defense play. Ball security and decision-making could have been better on offense, but at the same time the defense is much better at forcing turnovers. This was a theme in the Spring that has continued. Themes typically carry into the season.

***We always hear about Terrance Brooks and Malik Muhammad, but one source was high on Gavin Holmes after Saturday. He was very good 1v1 on some fast receivers.

***Consume responsibly, but, "Quinn is day in day out the best quarterback. He's going to be special this year." The same sourcing didn't think Ewers was much better, if at all, than Hudson Card this time last year.

***Cedric Baxter is progressing right along. Like all freshman running backs he's being given daily reminders to run lower and that's translating to him dropping his pads and running with better pop. He's also "seeing it" better and getting a better feel for when it's time to be patient or time to drop the hammer.

***The O-line was kind of all over the place. They suffered a lot of minor bumps and bruises which seemed to throw the rotation off. At one point I believe Hayden Conner was at left tackle. One source feels like DJ Campbell is going get the nod at right guard but he'll still have some growing to do.

 

“No better than Hudson Card”….Doomed

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53 minutes ago, TommyGufano said:

Strong counter to him never suggesting Bush is an all conference player



My apologies if the sarcasm was too subtle. The notion that Bush is anything other than a warm body should be obvious to anyone with a functioning brain by this point. 
 

image.gif.299243155424961dd3af6050e32a008a.gif

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13 minutes ago, Newy25 said:



My apologies if the sarcasm was too subtle. The notion that Bush is anything other than a warm body should be obvious to anyone with a functioning brain by this point. 
 

image.gif.299243155424961dd3af6050e32a008a.gif

But have you considered the facts that he plays hard in practice and he is a good kid from a good family?

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18 minutes ago, Newy25 said:



My apologies if the sarcasm was too subtle. The notion that Bush is anything other than a warm body should be obvious to anyone with a functioning brain by this point. 
 

image.gif.299243155424961dd3af6050e32a008a.gif

No way! I thought you were being soooo sincere. Yes, that our backup (maybe third string?) former walk-on LB won’t make a push for all conference honors is about as plainly obvious as his size not being what holds him back. 

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2 hours ago, Newy25 said:

100% chance Bush is one of Burton’s sources. He constantly tries to sell him as a reliable linebacker despite absolutely no evidence whatsoever to back that up. 

I would hope a current player isn’t leaking stories to reporters after witnessing the Langi treatment. But it’s Jett Bush so who gives a shit?

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4 hours ago, LTtxfan said:

Texas Defense has to generate more turnovers for the Horns to blowout more teams this year...  A healthy Catalon plus AntHill hopefully helps in the turnover department.  Manny Muhammad may really surprise too...

 

While not positive news for the offense, nice to read Defense is creating more turnovers.

***The offense had too many turnovers. That was a mixed bag between offensive errors and good defense play. Ball security and decision-making could have been better on offense, but at the same time the defense is much better at forcing turnovers. This was a theme in the Spring that has continued. Themes typically carry into the season.

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1 hour ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Allegedly got shitcanned for leaking stories to FCB. 
 

Really fucking stupid move if true. He has a family situation where he desperately needs good health insurance and a state pension. 

You are reaching.

The dude had a daughter about to play college volleyball in Utah and an autistic son he didn’t see enough. He’s done several interviews about why he left. He wanted to take more of a normal 9-5 type job still in the football industry for Catapult. He contributes to IT on the side. Maybe 1 article a week it seems like.

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1 hour ago, Slacks said:

Personally, I hope the great QB coach can get Murphy to play well enough that we don't roll out another RSFR QB. 

This is another concern of mine with Sark. We know he can coach QBs. We know he can call offense. Can he run an entire program and do all of those things well? Probably not, because there isn't enough time to focus on it.  So he has to limit/delegate some of what he does best, meaning he has to build and optimize a new skillset. 

I would love for us to reload veteran QBs instead of reloading 2 and out QBs. Sark's success has been with veteran QBs. I really want us to have the ability to keep Arch on the bench for one more year of growth. If he's better than Murphy, of course Arch should start. We need to load up at QB again this year (every year). Can't win without them, and they leave when they win. 

It seems to me that Milwee should be in charge of the basic development of the QB skills, and Sark just makes the final adjustments as needed as the player matures.   So maybe QB development is 80/20 Milwee/Sark, leaving Sark the other 80% of his efforts to the overall coaching of the team?     Otherwise what do we pay Milwee for?  

 

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Inside the 40 Acres
The Sunday Pulpit (via Loewy Law Firm): Instant Longhorn freshmen impact
 

Anwar Richardson
Well-Known Member   
There are several questions that we are eagerly awaiting the 
The majority of Longhorn observers have an idea of what the win total should be for this year’s team. The floor is nine wins for some. 10 wins seem just about right. Anything higher than 10 wins seems like winning with house money. That puts the Big 12 Championship Game on everybody’s radar. For people like El Presidente who dare to dream big, Texas could be in the playoffs. Right now, we are playing the guessing game, but it sure beats the depressing games we have played in the past. Nothing indicates a season has become a failure more than when a coach says, “We need to get these seniors to a bowl game.”

You have read so many stories about the new and improved Quinn Ewers, the only thing that has not been written is how the quarterback worked on his toenail clipping skills in the offseason. Naturally, you want to see how everything he worked on during the offseason translates into success this season. There are questions surrounding which running backs will step up in the absence of Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson. Can the defensive line generate a consistent pass rush this season? Which linebacker will have a breakout season similar to Jaylan Ford in 2022? Overall, can this team live up to the lofty expectations from inside and outside the building?

As we await the answers to those questions, nobody needs to question the success of this year’s freshman class. The majority of players stepped on campus and were ready to contribute. When Texas opens the season against Rice on September 2, there is a good chance the majority of freshmen on this year’s team will play. Remember, there were 25 players signed in the 2023 class, and at least 17 of them could see the field.

Sarkisian's freshmen are having an instant impact.

“I think one thing about this class in general, I think it's very competitive,” Sarkisian said. “I think these guys are a competitive group. They play hard, they go hard. I think that's a credit to the coaches for instilling that in those guys to go. But I also think it's a credit to our older players because they've understood how we like to practice. I think it's made it a little bit easier for the young guys to be like, oh, this is how we work and they've been going for it. I do think there's a lot of quality players in the class.

“Time will tell how much they impact the game when we get to the games, obviously some more than others. But that doesn't mean over time when we look back at this class, three, four years from now, hopefully there's a lot of production, whether it's at the line of scrimmage on offense, or defense, in playmaking ability and things of that nature. I think up to this point, I've been very pleased with what this class has brought.”

The last time we saw a high number of freshmen who were expected to contribute right away was during the 2015 season.

Former Texas coach Charlie Strong decided he would play a large number of highly recruited freshmen and build from there. Strong was never enamored with the talent he inherited. He viewed 2015 as a foundational season with the hope that the gamble would pay off long-term.

Overall, Strong was not wrong. He just did not last long enough to see the athletes he recruited emerge into impact players.

Malik Jefferson, PJ Locke III, Kris Boyd, Holton Hill, Connor Williams, DeShon Elliott, and Charles Omenihu emerged as NFL players. Chris Warren was a preseason standout before an injury started the decline of his NFL career.

Unlike that season, Sarkisian is not throwing caution to the wind because he does not have any options.

These freshmen are competing for playing time because they are outstanding players.

Let us look at the players who have stood out during training camp.

Top 10

1. WR Johntay Cook II – He hit the ground running and has not looked back. Cook is an excellent pass-catcher and route-runner. He received first-team reps in training camp during Xavier Worthy’s absence. Cook works behind Worthy as a punt returner. He will play a lot this season and give Quinn Ewers another threat at receiver.

2. RB CJ Baxter – The Florida running back has recently received first-team reps. He is currently trending toward becoming the No.2 running back this season. Everyone behind the scenes expects Baxter to emerge as a standout player. The only redshirts Baxter will see this season will be worn by Oklahoma and Texas Tech fans.

3. S Derek Williams – “He's one of them freshmen that like you don't see freshmen learn that fast and understand college football because from the jump from high school to college football is tremendous. You don't learn coverages and techniques and stuff like that. Derek has shown he was one of the players that love to learn. Coach [Blake] Gideon likes that about him and he just shows improvement every day.” – Texas senior safety Jerrin Thompson.

4. LB Anthony Hill – He started receiving first-team reps during training camp. His pass-rushing abilities have been praised recently. Hill is destined to see a lot of playing time this season. The only question is when – not if – Hill will become a starter.

5. CB Malik Muhammad – “I think Manny (Malik Muhammad), these last couple of practices have started to play. I thought Gavin (Holmes) looked pretty good today out there. The good thing about Terrance Brooks is he can play field or boundary. Manny (Malik Muhammad) can play field or boundary, so it creates some rotation and it's good for Ryan. Warren Roberson has done some things for us that that has been very encouraging.” – Sarkisian.

6. QB Arch Manning – “Arch made a couple of plays with his legs. He had a third-down scramble early in the scrimmage to an extend and drive on a third long. On another third-and-long had a long touchdown run right down the middle. We're we want to play more man coverage. We want to affect the quarterback. But when you do that, and the defenders all have their backs turned guarding their man and you get out of your rush lanes, an athletic guy like Arch can go split it and he showed up. I think he 20 miles an hour which was pretty impressive. He didn't even know he could go 20 miles an hour, so it's a nice play by him.” – Sarkisian after the first scrimmage.

7. DB Jelani McDonald – “At our nickel spot, we’re four-deep right now. Especially now with what Jelani McDonald's looking like, and then, Jaylon Guilbeau, just pleasantly surprised at how he's responded from his injury. So, all of sudden you're looking at Jahdae (Barron), you're looking at Guilbeau, you're looking at Austin Jordan, Jelani McDonald, all of which they can mix whether at corner and or safety. So, we've got a lot of depth there right now, which is good for us, and they're getting plenty of reps, and hopefully, we can reap the benefits of that as the season goes on.” – Sarkisian

8. DB Warren Roberson – Sarkisian has mentioned Roberson’s name multiple times throughout the offseason. He has played well in the nickel spot. Roberson has been a solid addition to the DB rotation.

9. LT Trevor Goosby – “Goosby has been impressive. Over the last week, he has shown, A, he's really filled out in his time here, and he's very athletic. But he's got a mean streak. He's got a toughness about him that has been impressive for a young player. That's been great.” - Sarkisian.

10. Edge Billy Walton II – “The biggest nugget other than Worthy's return was regarding freshman edge rusher Billy Walton. Anwar reported from the scrimmage on Saturday that "I was told Billy Walton was everywhere on Saturday. He recorded a sack while on third-team and was disruptive." Well, when we asked one source about how Walton is looking at practice, we were told that he was getting work with the twos today at the edge. Obviously, there is not much stability in the depth at the position behind Ethan Burke, but it appears that Walton is making a good bit of a push there lately. We're going to have to keep an eye on that one to see if it is a blip on the radar or something that could stick.” – Alex Dunlap on August 14.

Just Outside The Top 10

WR Ryan Niblett – Caught a lot of attention after arriving on campus and has shined at different moments in training camp.
RB Tre Wisner – He is trending toward starting on special teams
LB Liona Lefau – He has received second-team reps during training camp
OL Andre Cojoe – Quick learner but in a deep room
DL Sydir Mitchell – Expected to develop into an impactful player
TE Spencer Shannon – He enjoyed several nice moments in the first scrimmage but is still learning
TE Will Randle – Received third-team reps and is a redshirt candidate

Remaining Freshmen

OL Jaydon Chatman, LB Derion Gullette, DE Colton Vasek, LB Tausili Akana, WR Deandre Moore, LB S’Maje Burrell, OL Payton Kirkland, OL Connor Stroh

“I do think they’ve come with a really good mentality,” Sarkisian said. “They're not all perfect yet. But I do think they come with the right mentality to work

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3 hours ago, Slacks said:

Personally, I hope the great QB coach can get Murphy to play well enough that we don't roll out another RSFR QB. 

This is another concern of mine with Sark. We know he can coach QBs. We know he can call offense. Can he run an entire program and do all of those things well? Probably not, because there isn't enough time to focus on it.  So he has to limit/delegate some of what he does best, meaning he has to build and optimize a new skillset. 

I would love for us to reload veteran QBs instead of reloading 2 and out QBs. Sark's success has been with veteran QBs. I really want us to have the ability to keep Arch on the bench for one more year of growth. If he's better than Murphy, of course Arch should start. We need to load up at QB again this year (every year). Can't win without them, and they leave when they win. 

Sark has excellent in every single aspect of running a program to this point. Like home runs everywhere except literally gameday playcalling. I think you’ve got it backwards. Now, maybe he doesn’t have the time to do everything well and call plays, but the other aspects of his job at this point are not in question. 

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4 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Sark has excellent in every single aspect of running a program to this point. Like home runs everywhere except literally gameday playcalling. I think you’ve got it backwards. Now, maybe he doesn’t have the time to do everything well and call plays, but the other aspects of his job at this point are not in question. 

He’s called plays plenty well imo. We have left 20 TD’s on the field over the previous 2 years just due to incompetence. That doesn’t happen this year is my bet here. 

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6 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Sark has excellent in every single aspect of running a program to this point. Like home runs everywhere except literally gameday playcalling. I think you’ve got it backwards. Now, maybe he doesn’t have the time to do everything well and call plays, but the other aspects of his job at this point are not in question. 

I still have hope for him as a game-day thinker. He clearly stroked out a few times and didn't make obvious changes, but there were times when he did make obvious changes, they just didn't work. He says he's aware of the problem. Hopefully he's smart enough to have someone badass in his ear specifically tasked with adjustments.

With our growing cast of playmakers, he may be able to change that narrative pretty quickly.

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3 hours ago, Slacks said:

Personally, I hope the great QB coach can get Murphy to play well enough that we don't roll out another RSFR QB. 

This is another concern of mine with Sark. We know he can coach QBs. We know he can call offense. Can he run an entire program and do all of those things well? Probably not, because there isn't enough time to focus on it.  So he has to limit/delegate some of what he does best, meaning he has to build and optimize a new skillset. 

I would love for us to reload veteran QBs instead of reloading 2 and out QBs. Sark's success has been with veteran QBs. I really want us to have the ability to keep Arch on the bench for one more year of growth. If he's better than Murphy, of course Arch should start. We need to load up at QB again this year (every year). Can't win without them, and they leave when they win. 

QB rooms are going to be extremely hard to navigate in the portal world. Right or wrong, top QBs are going to want to play early (in general). Sark seems to be going star QB (Arch) followed by a developmental prospect (Owen). I would not be concerned about Arch starting.  He came in very advanced (he is a Manning). The only concern I have is keeping both of them at Texas for next season. I say that with absolutely 0 insight to how either would react, if the starter became obvious in the spring of 24. 

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1 hour ago, Wulaw Horn said:

He’s called plays plenty well imo. We have left 20 TD’s on the field over the previous 2 years just due to incompetence. That doesn’t happen this year is my bet here. 

I think both of you are correct. He was a good playcaller if we had the players to execute them. He failed to recognize the fact that our QB and WRs weren't on the same page, and didn't adjust his playcalling accordingly. Those long bombs on 3rd and 4th downs were maddening. I don't know if those were the called plays or Ewers being overconfident. It's clear Sark can be a great playcaller if he has all the tools, and this year he should.

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21 hours ago, ATXhorn17 said:


Pretty sure the IT guys said Red is struggling to “play school” and came to camp fat/out of shape…

I believe the story is he missed “voluntary” workouts this summer and that got him in the dog house. In fall camp he hurt his shoulder and was expected to be out for 2 weeks

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4 hours ago, closetohumping said:

9. LT Trevor Goosby – “Goosby has been impressive. Over the last week, he has shown, A, he's really filled out in his time here, and he's very athletic. But he's got a mean streak. He's got a toughness about him that has been impressive for a young player. That's been great.” - Sarkisian.

Goosby making this list is pretty impressive considering his recruiting rating and offer list. It just goes to show there are gems out there waiting to be uncovered if you look hard enough. I hope he continues to pan out. 

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23 minutes ago, Steelers Roll Left said:

Know what I learned a long time ago never to put much stock in?  Fall camp reports.  I’ll let you know what I think the evening of September 9th.  Hook em’….

You’ll be drunk on the evening of September 9th. Whatever you say will be taken with a grain of salt.

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