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Tom "the turtle" Herman [Lame Duck or greatest 5d chess player ever?]


Neonmoon

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This whole idea that Urban is coming here with his staff set to go just can't be. Let's say he's got 3 or 4 coordinators lined up. Between them and their girlfriends and wives, somebody would have already spilled the beans. Let's face it, if you're going to tell your wife to hold up on building that swimming pool, or the extra closet with the bidet, then you're at least going to mention to the girlfriend that logistics for the hookups will soon become more complicated. Sooner or later, someone will put two and two together.

The only conclusion you can draw is Urban will wait until his hiring as UT Head Coach is made public before he picks his coordinators.

Edited by Irish Wrist Watch
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6 minutes ago, Irish Wrist Watch said:

Let's say he's got 3 or 4 coordinators lined up. Between them and their girlfriends and wives, somebody would have already spilled the beans.

You're right. There's no way 10 people could ever keep such a scandalous secret as a potential career move secret for more than 6 weeks. Just impossible.

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On 11/14/2020 at 11:00 PM, gmr548 said:


lol do you also think Kyle Shanahan is a realistic target?

The Texas side reached out and weren't given an outright "no." I find it hard to believe that he'd leave the NFL though, and I don't know anyone that will argue otherwise, either. 

Starting to hear and see what I believe is a ton of fan fiction about Meyer "having his staff ready" when it all goes down. There's things that can be kept relatively low key, such as a verbal agreement between two parties and an acceptance of a waiting period or something. I can buy that on very shaky grounds. I can't buy the idea that the entire coaching world would be keeping quiet when their buddies are all leaving to meet up with Meyer in Austin. Absurd. Coaches are by and large not the most intelligent or disciplined people. 

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IT Scoop

Spoiler

TEAM

Receiver Jordan Whittington returned to practice on Sunday. Whether or not he plays versus Kansas will depend on how well he does over the next handful of practices. They don’t need him versus the Jayhawks, but they do need him the following week and they’d prefer to knock the rust off before facing Iowa State. However, playing him comes with its own risks.

We think defensive tackle Keondre Coburn and running back Keaontay Ingram will be held out versus Kansas because it’s Kansas. Despite the high ankle sprain, Coburn probably could go if needed but with d-line depth being what it is, he’ll likely get an extra week of rest.

We’ll hit team info harder on Thursday. The bye week blues makes for slow bye week news.

SCENARIO 1 vs 2

You’ll notice all is quiet on the Scenario 3 (full-throttled search) front. I have no idea who the school would target if a comprehensive search were to take place.

All eyes point towards Scenario 1 (the pursuit of Urban Meyer) and Scenario 2 (retaining Tom Herman).

Since the OU game we’ve maintained Herman returning to Texas was unlikely, and that’s still our position despite the four game winning streak.

Credit to Herman for keeping the team together and reeling off wins, but we think there’s a divide between Herman and the administration that goes beyond wins and losses. We’ve touched on that in previous weeks, and there will likely be a time to lay it all out clearly and concisely one final time, but not yet.

Some of our best sources believe there will be a change regardless of what happens the rest of the year, and that includes the possibility of Herman winning the Big 12. They believe a clean split is in order, no different than a divorce despite positive outward appearances. Winning the conference would seem to serve as great marriage counseling, but we’re not so sure.

The big question remains: can Texas do what it takes to land Urban Meyer if a change is to be made? There is optimism that as long as Urban’s financial demands aren’t unreasonable and his family is on board, Texas should be able to make this happen. The family angle is a big outlier, as nobody seems to have a true grasp of it. It’s a genuine concern, however.

For now, things remaining ”quiet” is a good sign. Some have pointed to the win streak as being a positive in this regard.

To bottom line it: We believe Meyer’s willingness will decide what happens, not the on-field product.

HERMAN ON A ZOOM

Not to be confused with Herman on a mobile, though there’s tons of content for that old AM radio staple.

These are not verbatim quotes from his recent discussion with the Longhorn Advisory Council, but they’re close. He was a bit more candid than in the traditional press conference setting. Herman’s points are indented and italicized.

Even though not in person, it doesn’t change how appreciative we are of your support. These are changing times, politically, socially, new NCAA legislation coming in a few months. The new facility will be one of the best in the country. When we changed coordinators no one predicted we’de be in a global pandemic. We did what we could but we knew it would be a challenge to install a new offense and new defense in a very truncated training camp. No banked reps - every time they see something for the first time, it’s literally new.

As Joe has mentioned, Herman made it clear there weren’t many changes on offense until the offense clearly struggled, then it became the new offense. In his defense, and as Ian and Paul have discussed, there were certainly differences in “his” offense and the one we’ve seen at times this year.

Our coaches hit the ground running, earning the trust of the players – both as players and as individuals.

This, along with the improved defense, is quietly the key to the season. When people were suggesting the team had quit after starting 2-2 we knew that wasn’t the case. The position coaches did a great job of building relationships with the players, and some suggest that is who the players are playing for.

Players get a lot of credit for doing the things they need to do to stay safe so the season can go off – “I wanted to say without a hitch, but there’s been plenty of hitches.”

Herman has earned a lot of praise for how his program has handled Covid. They were also aided by an early summer breakout that was out of the school’s control.

QB - Excited about future at quarterback Thompson, Card, Jackson, and the kid committed [Herman can’t mention Charles Wright by name due to NCAA rules]

Hopefully whoever is the coach next year can keep this group intact. It’s not unreasonable to think the roster could be down to Card and Wright by next August. JQJ needs a package and Thompson will hopefully be battling to start in fall camp.

WR - Josh Moore’s emergence has really helped. Losing Troy Omeire in training camp really hurt, he’s going to be a heck of a player.

The Omeire injury was even worse than originally thought for a group lacking difference makers. We saw the practice footage, and he was killing it against good players.

TE - Is a very key position for us, excited about the future of Liebrock, Wiley, and Epps, as well as senior Cade Brewer

Weird to mention Wiley second but they have to keep Liebrock in the fold. His talent is undeniable. Brewer isn’t really hurting Wiley’s reps at this point, he’s hurting Liebrock’s. Hopefully Epps comes back but there’s plenty of speculation regarding him.

OL - Pretty well documented, left side is veteran, right side not so much. Early on Okafor “did not play well,” but he’s doing better. Christian Jones at RT “has a ton of potential” and is playing well for a guy in his first year starting.

Texas really needs Jones to cement a tackle position, any tackle position, long term. Everything about the position grouping, from who will coach them to recruiting, will be a major storyline for the offseason.

DL - Ossai and Graham are the undisputed leaders on the defensive side. Name-checks pretty much the whole DL including backups.

They always had a good plan recruiting the position — a nice mix of elite players and assembly line players who don’t hit the field until they’re physically mature. Wait until Alfred Collins hits his stride, probably by December.

LB - Has been our least deep position, Mitchell continues to get better and find his way. Overshown is a work in progress at will, having played it for 6 games with no spring practice and no summer training.

Note that this Zoom call occurred right before the WVU game. Surely he would have been more effusive of Overshown (and Bijan Robinson above). Credit to both linebackers, as well as Coleman Hutzler. Huge assist to the defensive line, too.

Safety – guy playing the best right now is BJ Foster. Excited about Thompson and Alford.

BJ has played well in a clean up role. I think Alford and Thompson profile to Washington and Notre Dame types. Not amazing athletes but intelligent players who are always where they’re supposed to be and possess some playmaking ability. Excited to hear more about them this spring.

I didn’t hear anything about corners from this meeting, however they’ve played solidly (which isn’t to say great) and I expect both Josh Thompson and D’Shawn Jamison to return next year. “Where would they go....?” That’s not the point. In years past, most players with any interest whatsoever from the NFL was entertaining leaving early. This year that’s not the case and I think it reverts back to the quality relationships and trust between the players and new position coaches.

RECRUITING MATTERS

Texas continues to feel optimistic about the chances of landing 2021 Cy-Fari running back LJ Johnson, but so does Texas A&M. This is a recruitment the Longhorns staff has done everything possible and built a solid recruiting plan. Stan Drayton has done a very good job building the relationship. Bryan Carrington the same. Johnson remains in contact with both. The emergence of Bijan Robinson, and Texas sharing carries among the backs has all lined up the way Texas recruited Johnson to this point. Robinson continuing to build on his recent success will only help things further.

Let’s talk defensive line recruiting, as it’s imperative the staff continues its pursuit of edge rush ability.

The Longhorns continue to trail for DeSoto stud Shemar Turner. The Aggies are considered the front runner with Texas and Alabama in the hunt.

The Longhorns offer to Arizona State verbal Gharin Stansbury has been received with very positive thoughts from his brother Gavin Stansbury, who has connections to the Texas staff after transferring to Houston from Texas A&M in 2014. There is the thought of what attending the University of Texas could mean for Gharin by family members, but that doesn’t mean a flip is imminent. It does firmly put the Longhorns in the hunt, along with having a need at edge rusher in the program. To reiterate, the offer to Stansbury has no bearing on what the Texas staff thinks about the commitment of Ja’Tavion Sanders.

With the recruitment of Notre Dame verbal and long time target David Abiara (Mansfield Legacy) up in the air, Texas continues to look at senior prospects in Texas.

Tyler Legacy DE Garfield Lawrence has always been on the board for the Longhorns, and that hasn’t changed. Lawrence was offered by Tennessee last week, and has a number of other Power 5 programs keeping tabs — including Texas.

If SMU defensive end verbal Je’lin Samuels (Sam Rayburn High) were to open up the lines of communication, Texas would very likely offer.

Remington Strickland

As Texas combs the state for offensive linemen for 2021, a new name emerges.

At 6-foot-4, 292 pounds, Remington Strickland, the Fort Bend Christian Academy product, is starting to see his recruiting profile rise.

Texas, OU, and Texas A&M recently offered the body-building tackle out of Sugar Land, and join Michigan, Virginia Tech, and Baylor among his 30 offers.

Inside Texas recently caught up with the Houston area prospect.

IT: How’s life in HS football been dealing with a pandemic?

RS: “Football season has been very different with Covid going on. Some teams we play will have players that are quarantined and some games are interesting to prepare for when you don’t know your opponent. Recruiting wise it’s been going very well for me even though I haven’t been able to visit campuses in person.”

IT: Which teams are you preparing for in the playoffs?

RS: “We have a first round bye in the playoffs and then will start second round in a couple of weeks. I’m looking forward to playing Austin Regents because it would be a rematch of last season in the playoffs.”

IT: Who has your interest and who do you hear from the most in recruiting?

RS: “I hear from OU a lot and I have a good relationship with the o-line coach. SMU always does a good job as well. I’ve talked with Coach Hand at UT since the summer and I’ve talked with Coach Henson at A&M since last year so I’m very familiar with all those schools.”

IT: Since UT jumped into the fray, what are your thoughts on the Longhorns?

RS: “I have interest in Texas because I think coach Hand is a great OL coach, who has put many guys into the league. Austin is also close to home so I would like to see campus at some point.”

Right now, I get the sense OU might have the slight edge, but the UT and A&M offers really got his attention. I don’t think he’s in a hurry to decide, but it’s mid-November and a decision has to be on the horizon, sooner or later.

Texas jumped in late, but so did a number of large schools.

 

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13 minutes ago, RGBIII said:

IT Scoop

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TEAM

Receiver Jordan Whittington returned to practice on Sunday. Whether or not he plays versus Kansas will depend on how well he does over the next handful of practices. They don’t need him versus the Jayhawks, but they do need him the following week and they’d prefer to knock the rust off before facing Iowa State. However, playing him comes with its own risks.

We think defensive tackle Keondre Coburn and running back Keaontay Ingram will be held out versus Kansas because it’s Kansas. Despite the high ankle sprain, Coburn probably could go if needed but with d-line depth being what it is, he’ll likely get an extra week of rest.

We’ll hit team info harder on Thursday. The bye week blues makes for slow bye week news.

SCENARIO 1 vs 2

You’ll notice all is quiet on the Scenario 3 (full-throttled search) front. I have no idea who the school would target if a comprehensive search were to take place.

All eyes point towards Scenario 1 (the pursuit of Urban Meyer) and Scenario 2 (retaining Tom Herman).

Since the OU game we’ve maintained Herman returning to Texas was unlikely, and that’s still our position despite the four game winning streak.

Credit to Herman for keeping the team together and reeling off wins, but we think there’s a divide between Herman and the administration that goes beyond wins and losses. We’ve touched on that in previous weeks, and there will likely be a time to lay it all out clearly and concisely one final time, but not yet.

Some of our best sources believe there will be a change regardless of what happens the rest of the year, and that includes the possibility of Herman winning the Big 12. They believe a clean split is in order, no different than a divorce despite positive outward appearances. Winning the conference would seem to serve as great marriage counseling, but we’re not so sure.

The big question remains: can Texas do what it takes to land Urban Meyer if a change is to be made? There is optimism that as long as Urban’s financial demands aren’t unreasonable and his family is on board, Texas should be able to make this happen. The family angle is a big outlier, as nobody seems to have a true grasp of it. It’s a genuine concern, however.

For now, things remaining ”quiet” is a good sign. Some have pointed to the win streak as being a positive in this regard.

To bottom line it: We believe Meyer’s willingness will decide what happens, not the on-field product.

HERMAN ON A ZOOM

Not to be confused with Herman on a mobile, though there’s tons of content for that old AM radio staple.

These are not verbatim quotes from his recent discussion with the Longhorn Advisory Council, but they’re close. He was a bit more candid than in the traditional press conference setting. Herman’s points are indented and italicized.

Even though not in person, it doesn’t change how appreciative we are of your support. These are changing times, politically, socially, new NCAA legislation coming in a few months. The new facility will be one of the best in the country. When we changed coordinators no one predicted we’de be in a global pandemic. We did what we could but we knew it would be a challenge to install a new offense and new defense in a very truncated training camp. No banked reps - every time they see something for the first time, it’s literally new.

As Joe has mentioned, Herman made it clear there weren’t many changes on offense until the offense clearly struggled, then it became the new offense. In his defense, and as Ian and Paul have discussed, there were certainly differences in “his” offense and the one we’ve seen at times this year.

Our coaches hit the ground running, earning the trust of the players – both as players and as individuals.

This, along with the improved defense, is quietly the key to the season. When people were suggesting the team had quit after starting 2-2 we knew that wasn’t the case. The position coaches did a great job of building relationships with the players, and some suggest that is who the players are playing for.

Players get a lot of credit for doing the things they need to do to stay safe so the season can go off – “I wanted to say without a hitch, but there’s been plenty of hitches.”

Herman has earned a lot of praise for how his program has handled Covid. They were also aided by an early summer breakout that was out of the school’s control.

QB - Excited about future at quarterback Thompson, Card, Jackson, and the kid committed [Herman can’t mention Charles Wright by name due to NCAA rules]

Hopefully whoever is the coach next year can keep this group intact. It’s not unreasonable to think the roster could be down to Card and Wright by next August. JQJ needs a package and Thompson will hopefully be battling to start in fall camp.

WR - Josh Moore’s emergence has really helped. Losing Troy Omeire in training camp really hurt, he’s going to be a heck of a player.

The Omeire injury was even worse than originally thought for a group lacking difference makers. We saw the practice footage, and he was killing it against good players.

TE - Is a very key position for us, excited about the future of Liebrock, Wiley, and Epps, as well as senior Cade Brewer

Weird to mention Wiley second but they have to keep Liebrock in the fold. His talent is undeniable. Brewer isn’t really hurting Wiley’s reps at this point, he’s hurting Liebrock’s. Hopefully Epps comes back but there’s plenty of speculation regarding him.

OL - Pretty well documented, left side is veteran, right side not so much. Early on Okafor “did not play well,” but he’s doing better. Christian Jones at RT “has a ton of potential” and is playing well for a guy in his first year starting.

Texas really needs Jones to cement a tackle position, any tackle position, long term. Everything about the position grouping, from who will coach them to recruiting, will be a major storyline for the offseason.

DL - Ossai and Graham are the undisputed leaders on the defensive side. Name-checks pretty much the whole DL including backups.

They always had a good plan recruiting the position — a nice mix of elite players and assembly line players who don’t hit the field until they’re physically mature. Wait until Alfred Collins hits his stride, probably by December.

LB - Has been our least deep position, Mitchell continues to get better and find his way. Overshown is a work in progress at will, having played it for 6 games with no spring practice and no summer training.

Note that this Zoom call occurred right before the WVU game. Surely he would have been more effusive of Overshown (and Bijan Robinson above). Credit to both linebackers, as well as Coleman Hutzler. Huge assist to the defensive line, too.

Safety – guy playing the best right now is BJ Foster. Excited about Thompson and Alford.

BJ has played well in a clean up role. I think Alford and Thompson profile to Washington and Notre Dame types. Not amazing athletes but intelligent players who are always where they’re supposed to be and possess some playmaking ability. Excited to hear more about them this spring.

I didn’t hear anything about corners from this meeting, however they’ve played solidly (which isn’t to say great) and I expect both Josh Thompson and D’Shawn Jamison to return next year. “Where would they go....?” That’s not the point. In years past, most players with any interest whatsoever from the NFL was entertaining leaving early. This year that’s not the case and I think it reverts back to the quality relationships and trust between the players and new position coaches.

RECRUITING MATTERS

Texas continues to feel optimistic about the chances of landing 2021 Cy-Fari running back LJ Johnson, but so does Texas A&M. This is a recruitment the Longhorns staff has done everything possible and built a solid recruiting plan. Stan Drayton has done a very good job building the relationship. Bryan Carrington the same. Johnson remains in contact with both. The emergence of Bijan Robinson, and Texas sharing carries among the backs has all lined up the way Texas recruited Johnson to this point. Robinson continuing to build on his recent success will only help things further.

Let’s talk defensive line recruiting, as it’s imperative the staff continues its pursuit of edge rush ability.

The Longhorns continue to trail for DeSoto stud Shemar Turner. The Aggies are considered the front runner with Texas and Alabama in the hunt.

The Longhorns offer to Arizona State verbal Gharin Stansbury has been received with very positive thoughts from his brother Gavin Stansbury, who has connections to the Texas staff after transferring to Houston from Texas A&M in 2014. There is the thought of what attending the University of Texas could mean for Gharin by family members, but that doesn’t mean a flip is imminent. It does firmly put the Longhorns in the hunt, along with having a need at edge rusher in the program. To reiterate, the offer to Stansbury has no bearing on what the Texas staff thinks about the commitment of Ja’Tavion Sanders.

With the recruitment of Notre Dame verbal and long time target David Abiara (Mansfield Legacy) up in the air, Texas continues to look at senior prospects in Texas.

Tyler Legacy DE Garfield Lawrence has always been on the board for the Longhorns, and that hasn’t changed. Lawrence was offered by Tennessee last week, and has a number of other Power 5 programs keeping tabs — including Texas.

If SMU defensive end verbal Je’lin Samuels (Sam Rayburn High) were to open up the lines of communication, Texas would very likely offer.

Remington Strickland

As Texas combs the state for offensive linemen for 2021, a new name emerges.

At 6-foot-4, 292 pounds, Remington Strickland, the Fort Bend Christian Academy product, is starting to see his recruiting profile rise.

Texas, OU, and Texas A&M recently offered the body-building tackle out of Sugar Land, and join Michigan, Virginia Tech, and Baylor among his 30 offers.

Inside Texas recently caught up with the Houston area prospect.

IT: How’s life in HS football been dealing with a pandemic?

RS: “Football season has been very different with Covid going on. Some teams we play will have players that are quarantined and some games are interesting to prepare for when you don’t know your opponent. Recruiting wise it’s been going very well for me even though I haven’t been able to visit campuses in person.”

IT: Which teams are you preparing for in the playoffs?

RS: “We have a first round bye in the playoffs and then will start second round in a couple of weeks. I’m looking forward to playing Austin Regents because it would be a rematch of last season in the playoffs.”

IT: Who has your interest and who do you hear from the most in recruiting?

RS: “I hear from OU a lot and I have a good relationship with the o-line coach. SMU always does a good job as well. I’ve talked with Coach Hand at UT since the summer and I’ve talked with Coach Henson at A&M since last year so I’m very familiar with all those schools.”

IT: Since UT jumped into the fray, what are your thoughts on the Longhorns?

RS: “I have interest in Texas because I think coach Hand is a great OL coach, who has put many guys into the league. Austin is also close to home so I would like to see campus at some point.”

Right now, I get the sense OU might have the slight edge, but the UT and A&M offers really got his attention. I don’t think he’s in a hurry to decide, but it’s mid-November and a decision has to be on the horizon, sooner or later.

Texas jumped in late, but so did a number of large schools.

 

IT keeps saying Herman is on a "four-game winning streak" but we've only won three in a row at the moment. Are they already counting the KU win?

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31 minutes ago, RGBIII said:

IT Scoop

  Hide contents

TEAM

Receiver Jordan Whittington returned to practice on Sunday. Whether or not he plays versus Kansas will depend on how well he does over the next handful of practices. They don’t need him versus the Jayhawks, but they do need him the following week and they’d prefer to knock the rust off before facing Iowa State. However, playing him comes with its own risks.

We think defensive tackle Keondre Coburn and running back Keaontay Ingram will be held out versus Kansas because it’s Kansas. Despite the high ankle sprain, Coburn probably could go if needed but with d-line depth being what it is, he’ll likely get an extra week of rest.

We’ll hit team info harder on Thursday. The bye week blues makes for slow bye week news.

SCENARIO 1 vs 2

You’ll notice all is quiet on the Scenario 3 (full-throttled search) front. I have no idea who the school would target if a comprehensive search were to take place.

All eyes point towards Scenario 1 (the pursuit of Urban Meyer) and Scenario 2 (retaining Tom Herman).

Since the OU game we’ve maintained Herman returning to Texas was unlikely, and that’s still our position despite the four game winning streak.

Credit to Herman for keeping the team together and reeling off wins, but we think there’s a divide between Herman and the administration that goes beyond wins and losses. We’ve touched on that in previous weeks, and there will likely be a time to lay it all out clearly and concisely one final time, but not yet.

Some of our best sources believe there will be a change regardless of what happens the rest of the year, and that includes the possibility of Herman winning the Big 12. They believe a clean split is in order, no different than a divorce despite positive outward appearances. Winning the conference would seem to serve as great marriage counseling, but we’re not so sure.

The big question remains: can Texas do what it takes to land Urban Meyer if a change is to be made? There is optimism that as long as Urban’s financial demands aren’t unreasonable and his family is on board, Texas should be able to make this happen. The family angle is a big outlier, as nobody seems to have a true grasp of it. It’s a genuine concern, however.

For now, things remaining ”quiet” is a good sign. Some have pointed to the win streak as being a positive in this regard.

To bottom line it: We believe Meyer’s willingness will decide what happens, not the on-field product.

HERMAN ON A ZOOM

Not to be confused with Herman on a mobile, though there’s tons of content for that old AM radio staple.

These are not verbatim quotes from his recent discussion with the Longhorn Advisory Council, but they’re close. He was a bit more candid than in the traditional press conference setting. Herman’s points are indented and italicized.

Even though not in person, it doesn’t change how appreciative we are of your support. These are changing times, politically, socially, new NCAA legislation coming in a few months. The new facility will be one of the best in the country. When we changed coordinators no one predicted we’de be in a global pandemic. We did what we could but we knew it would be a challenge to install a new offense and new defense in a very truncated training camp. No banked reps - every time they see something for the first time, it’s literally new.

As Joe has mentioned, Herman made it clear there weren’t many changes on offense until the offense clearly struggled, then it became the new offense. In his defense, and as Ian and Paul have discussed, there were certainly differences in “his” offense and the one we’ve seen at times this year.

Our coaches hit the ground running, earning the trust of the players – both as players and as individuals.

This, along with the improved defense, is quietly the key to the season. When people were suggesting the team had quit after starting 2-2 we knew that wasn’t the case. The position coaches did a great job of building relationships with the players, and some suggest that is who the players are playing for.

Players get a lot of credit for doing the things they need to do to stay safe so the season can go off – “I wanted to say without a hitch, but there’s been plenty of hitches.”

Herman has earned a lot of praise for how his program has handled Covid. They were also aided by an early summer breakout that was out of the school’s control.

QB - Excited about future at quarterback Thompson, Card, Jackson, and the kid committed [Herman can’t mention Charles Wright by name due to NCAA rules]

Hopefully whoever is the coach next year can keep this group intact. It’s not unreasonable to think the roster could be down to Card and Wright by next August. JQJ needs a package and Thompson will hopefully be battling to start in fall camp.

WR - Josh Moore’s emergence has really helped. Losing Troy Omeire in training camp really hurt, he’s going to be a heck of a player.

The Omeire injury was even worse than originally thought for a group lacking difference makers. We saw the practice footage, and he was killing it against good players.

TE - Is a very key position for us, excited about the future of Liebrock, Wiley, and Epps, as well as senior Cade Brewer

Weird to mention Wiley second but they have to keep Liebrock in the fold. His talent is undeniable. Brewer isn’t really hurting Wiley’s reps at this point, he’s hurting Liebrock’s. Hopefully Epps comes back but there’s plenty of speculation regarding him.

OL - Pretty well documented, left side is veteran, right side not so much. Early on Okafor “did not play well,” but he’s doing better. Christian Jones at RT “has a ton of potential” and is playing well for a guy in his first year starting.

Texas really needs Jones to cement a tackle position, any tackle position, long term. Everything about the position grouping, from who will coach them to recruiting, will be a major storyline for the offseason.

DL - Ossai and Graham are the undisputed leaders on the defensive side. Name-checks pretty much the whole DL including backups.

They always had a good plan recruiting the position — a nice mix of elite players and assembly line players who don’t hit the field until they’re physically mature. Wait until Alfred Collins hits his stride, probably by December.

LB - Has been our least deep position, Mitchell continues to get better and find his way. Overshown is a work in progress at will, having played it for 6 games with no spring practice and no summer training.

Note that this Zoom call occurred right before the WVU game. Surely he would have been more effusive of Overshown (and Bijan Robinson above). Credit to both linebackers, as well as Coleman Hutzler. Huge assist to the defensive line, too.

Safety – guy playing the best right now is BJ Foster. Excited about Thompson and Alford.

BJ has played well in a clean up role. I think Alford and Thompson profile to Washington and Notre Dame types. Not amazing athletes but intelligent players who are always where they’re supposed to be and possess some playmaking ability. Excited to hear more about them this spring.

I didn’t hear anything about corners from this meeting, however they’ve played solidly (which isn’t to say great) and I expect both Josh Thompson and D’Shawn Jamison to return next year. “Where would they go....?” That’s not the point. In years past, most players with any interest whatsoever from the NFL was entertaining leaving early. This year that’s not the case and I think it reverts back to the quality relationships and trust between the players and new position coaches.

RECRUITING MATTERS

Texas continues to feel optimistic about the chances of landing 2021 Cy-Fari running back LJ Johnson, but so does Texas A&M. This is a recruitment the Longhorns staff has done everything possible and built a solid recruiting plan. Stan Drayton has done a very good job building the relationship. Bryan Carrington the same. Johnson remains in contact with both. The emergence of Bijan Robinson, and Texas sharing carries among the backs has all lined up the way Texas recruited Johnson to this point. Robinson continuing to build on his recent success will only help things further.

Let’s talk defensive line recruiting, as it’s imperative the staff continues its pursuit of edge rush ability.

The Longhorns continue to trail for DeSoto stud Shemar Turner. The Aggies are considered the front runner with Texas and Alabama in the hunt.

The Longhorns offer to Arizona State verbal Gharin Stansbury has been received with very positive thoughts from his brother Gavin Stansbury, who has connections to the Texas staff after transferring to Houston from Texas A&M in 2014. There is the thought of what attending the University of Texas could mean for Gharin by family members, but that doesn’t mean a flip is imminent. It does firmly put the Longhorns in the hunt, along with having a need at edge rusher in the program. To reiterate, the offer to Stansbury has no bearing on what the Texas staff thinks about the commitment of Ja’Tavion Sanders.

With the recruitment of Notre Dame verbal and long time target David Abiara (Mansfield Legacy) up in the air, Texas continues to look at senior prospects in Texas.

Tyler Legacy DE Garfield Lawrence has always been on the board for the Longhorns, and that hasn’t changed. Lawrence was offered by Tennessee last week, and has a number of other Power 5 programs keeping tabs — including Texas.

If SMU defensive end verbal Je’lin Samuels (Sam Rayburn High) were to open up the lines of communication, Texas would very likely offer.

Remington Strickland

As Texas combs the state for offensive linemen for 2021, a new name emerges.

At 6-foot-4, 292 pounds, Remington Strickland, the Fort Bend Christian Academy product, is starting to see his recruiting profile rise.

Texas, OU, and Texas A&M recently offered the body-building tackle out of Sugar Land, and join Michigan, Virginia Tech, and Baylor among his 30 offers.

Inside Texas recently caught up with the Houston area prospect.

IT: How’s life in HS football been dealing with a pandemic?

RS: “Football season has been very different with Covid going on. Some teams we play will have players that are quarantined and some games are interesting to prepare for when you don’t know your opponent. Recruiting wise it’s been going very well for me even though I haven’t been able to visit campuses in person.”

IT: Which teams are you preparing for in the playoffs?

RS: “We have a first round bye in the playoffs and then will start second round in a couple of weeks. I’m looking forward to playing Austin Regents because it would be a rematch of last season in the playoffs.”

IT: Who has your interest and who do you hear from the most in recruiting?

RS: “I hear from OU a lot and I have a good relationship with the o-line coach. SMU always does a good job as well. I’ve talked with Coach Hand at UT since the summer and I’ve talked with Coach Henson at A&M since last year so I’m very familiar with all those schools.”

IT: Since UT jumped into the fray, what are your thoughts on the Longhorns?

RS: “I have interest in Texas because I think coach Hand is a great OL coach, who has put many guys into the league. Austin is also close to home so I would like to see campus at some point.”

Right now, I get the sense OU might have the slight edge, but the UT and A&M offers really got his attention. I don’t think he’s in a hurry to decide, but it’s mid-November and a decision has to be on the horizon, sooner or later.

Texas jumped in late, but so did a number of large schools.

 

I'm not learning much from this update. I feel like I have better insight than they have. If Herman was going to be fired regardless of the conference championship and Urban was locked up, we would have already made the move. Either Urban is not locked up or we are waiting on a Herman loss.

Our offense sucks and a big part of the reason is our offensive line. The smaller part is that our wide receivers are getting no separation and our quarterback is not throwing or seeing the field particularly well. Quarterback may improve if Sam gets healthy, but that is unlikely with a poor right side of the offensive line and without the ability for receivers to get open early. THis is magnified by Yurcich running a pass first offense.

Our recruiting sucks.

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3 minutes ago, Bevo said:

I'm not learning much from this update. I feel like I have better insight than they have. If Herman was going to be fired regardless of the conference championship and Urban was locked up, we would have already made the move. Either Urban is not locked up or we are waiting on a Herman loss.

Our offense sucks and a big part of the reason is our offensive line. The smaller part is that our wide receivers are getting no separation and our quarterback is not throwing or seeing the field particularly well. Quarterback may improve if Sam gets healthy, but that is unlikely with a poor right side of the offensive line and without the ability for receivers to get open early. THis is magnified by Yurcich running a pass first offense.

Our recruiting sucks.

Where do I send my $9.95?

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41 minutes ago, RGBIII said:

It’s not unreasonable to think the roster could be down to Card and Wright by next August. JQJ needs a package and Thompson will hopefully be battling to start in fall camp.

I'm not sure I'm following this. Can someone translate? JQJ needing a package and Thompson battling to start in fall camp means they're both transferring?

42 minutes ago, RGBIII said:

I think Alford and Thompson profile to Washington and Notre Dame types. Not amazing athletes but intelligent players who are always where they’re supposed to be and possess some playmaking ability.

Really odd comment... ND has elite athletes all over the field. They aren't some scrappy team that schemes past talent advantages.

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2 hours ago, 927 E. 41st said:

If the universe unfolds in the following fashion, we play OU for the CC and lose. Herman is fired and replaced by U.M. 

Am I required or obligated in any way to thank the two OU fans that I actually talk to? That would be some damn cruel kismet. But I could live with it.

Yeah I have to admit I have exactly one friend who's a big OU sucks fan. It wouldn't kill me to lose to them again this year to dramatically increase our chances of whooping that ass for years to come.

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40 minutes ago, Bevo said:

I'm not learning much from this update. I feel like I have better insight than they have. If Herman was going to be fired regardless of the conference championship and Urban was locked up, we would have already made the move. Either Urban is not locked up or we are waiting on a Herman loss.

 

I kinda sorta maybe disagree. We didn't learn too much, but I think part of that is good.

What was new, that was hinted at in their last update with some of the big money still being there for UM even if Herman wins the CCG, is that now they're flat saying his job is still on the line even if he wins the CCG. I know you say you disagree, and I get your point, but I don't think it was as easy as firing him after OU and moving forward, bye week or not. I think CDC wants the money in the bag and Urban Meyer in agreement before moving forward, literally, "Urban Meyer or Bust." Bust = keeping Tom if he wins out. 

I don't believe Tom is the right guy, but I'm not sure there's a sure fire candidate out there right now whose available other than Urb. Maybe next year one emerges. 

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17 minutes ago, wood said:

Yeah I have to admit I have exactly one friend who's a big OU sucks fan. It wouldn't kill me to lose to them again this year to dramatically increase our chances of whooping that ass for years to come.

I, too, have a few friends who are ou grads/fans. They’re mostly good people who are respectful (they all have their teeth or at least very good dentists), so I’m finely planted in the same boat as @wood and others have mentioned. I like to think of it as “paying it forward “.

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3 minutes ago, NTVTXN said:

I, too, have a few friends who are ou grads/fans. They’re mostly good people who are respectful (they all have their teeth or at least very good dentists), so I’m finely planted in the same boat as @wood and others have mentioned. I like to think of it as “paying it forward “.

Yes sir. I mean, they still suck and all, but compared to aggy ... well, there really just is no comparison at all.

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Just now, Hank_Hill said:

“Yea uhhh Tom if recruits have any questions tell them to speak with me. Huh? Oh no you don’t have to be there it’s definitely all good things concerning you. Nothing bad AT ALL.”

CDC: "Hello? Oh hi Quinn. Yah dude I'd fucking de-commit the fuck NOW! That'd help us out a lot because we wanna shit-can this fuck and bring in Daddy, so anything bad we can pin on Tom we'll take it."

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32 minutes ago, NTVTXN said:

I, too, have a few friends who are ou grads/fans. They’re mostly good people who are respectful (they all have their teeth or at least very good dentists), so I’m finely planted in the same boat as @wood and others have mentioned. I like to think of it as “paying it forward “.

27 minutes ago, wood said:

Yes sir. I mean, they still suck and all, but compared to aggy ... well, there really just is no comparison at all.

Who would you wanna be stuck in the trenches with ... Mobilehoma ou sucks guy, or that insufferable pos Neidermeyer from College Station? 

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8 minutes ago, ztejas said:

Apologies - maybe I'm missing the point you were attempting to make. Which was... what, exactly?

My point was in reference to the comments that replacing Herman would automatically mean that Texas would beat Oklahoma, which is what was said about replacing Charlie with Herman. 

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  • immamac changed the title to Tom Herman, Still The Head Coach at Texas

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