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Posted
1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

My son is now 11 and these past 12 months in his select world (12U) and Little League (11U+12U), we've been around 6-7 kids with "little league arm" which is basically the pre-pubescent version of serious elbow problems. I don't get it. This isn't an overuse thing given all of the pitch count and rest rules for kids these days. 

I've heard it's a burgeoning epidemic in high school, even. In the 80's and 90's, it seemed like maybe a couple of guys a year would tear their UCLs and require TJ surgery. Now the Astros alone have like 5-6 guys going through the process. 

It’s throwing hard as possible for the pitches you can pitch. Too much games being played and not enough arm conditioning and just practice. 

Posted
1 hour ago, Fug said:

Derek Thompson did a good podcast on Achilles injuries and prevention in the NBA. A large part was due to premature specialization in sports and overuse.

My friend says hims.com can help.  Wait, I read that wrong.

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Posted
21 minutes ago, Huckleberry said:

As the doctor said, just playing nonstop all year causes issues. Plus while there are pitch count rules they are routinely not enforced and the kids playing in multiple organizations and multiple sanctioning bodies (e.g., playing LL and PG) certainly don't always keep one organization updated on what they threw for the other one. 

The counts in Little League are strictly enforced these days. The same is true for select tournaments. I get the skipping back and forth, so if parents are idiots, I guess that's a factor. I know I don't let my kid pitch more than once a week unless the first appearance was minimal, but he's almost always a starter so that isn't often. 

Posted

I know when I played high school my arm would deteriorate towards end of year. Main reasons. Usually pitched 1 once maybe 2 times a week. Starter so decent number innings. 
 

Besides the pitching lots of infield practice from shortstop and 3rd lots of throws to 1st. Most kids don’t know when to dial it back so lots of arm use during the year if only doing 1 sport. 

Posted
40 minutes ago, Vito Andolini said:

Johnathan Gray was never the same after carrying the ball 8 million times at Aledo.

Is 350/season a lot? 

 

/s

Posted
26 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

The counts in Little League are strictly enforced these days. The same is true for select tournaments. I get the skipping back and forth, so if parents are idiots, I guess that's a factor. I know I don't let my kid pitch more than once a week unless the first appearance was minimal, but he's almost always a starter so that isn't often. 

Part of issue is also letting kids throw curve balls much to young. It is one thing at 10 to throw 75 fast balls and maybe a basic off speed. Make 50 of them curves and other "harder on the elbow" pitches and you can have issues emerge earlier

Posted
5 minutes ago, BrazilHorn said:

Part of issue is also letting kids throw curve balls much to young. It is one thing at 10 to throw 75 fast balls and maybe a basic off speed. Make 50 of them curves and other "harder on the elbow" pitches and you can have issues emerge earlier

I remember being the first kid to learn to throw a curveball in my age group. Buckling knees, kids ducking out of the box… good times. By the time I got to high school my elbow would crunch and pop all the time at the beginning of the season. My dad was a fucking idiot looking back on it now. 

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Posted
40 minutes ago, Texasborn91 said:

I remember being the first kid to learn to throw a curveball in my age group. Buckling knees, kids ducking out of the box… good times. By the time I got to high school my elbow would crunch and pop all the time at the beginning of the season. My dad was a fucking idiot looking back on it now. 

Happened a lot when I played sports too but it was usually the ladies in the stands watching 

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Posted
3 hours ago, kevwun said:

There's an explosion of TJ injuries in baseball too.  I think athletes are pushing past what the body can withstand.

 

3 hours ago, closetojumping said:

My son is now 11 and these past 12 months in his select world (12U) and Little League (11U+12U), we've been around 6-7 kids with "little league arm" which is basically the pre-pubescent version of serious elbow problems. I don't get it. This isn't an overuse thing given all of the pitch count and rest rules for kids these days. 

I've heard it's a burgeoning epidemic in high school, even. In the 80's and 90's, it seemed like maybe a couple of guys a year would tear their UCLs and require TJ surgery. Now the Astros alone have like 5-6 guys going through the process. 

 

1 hour ago, BurntOrange&White said:

It’s throwing hard as possible for the pitches you can pitch. Too much games being played and not enough arm conditioning and just practice. 

 

1 hour ago, Shaddie said:

I know when I played high school my arm would deteriorate towards end of year. Main reasons. Usually pitched 1 once maybe 2 times a week. Starter so decent number innings. 
 

Besides the pitching lots of infield practice from shortstop and 3rd lots of throws to 1st. Most kids don’t know when to dial it back so lots of arm use during the year if only doing 1 sport. 

 

1 hour ago, BrazilHorn said:

Part of issue is also letting kids throw curve balls much to young. It is one thing at 10 to throw 75 fast balls and maybe a basic off speed. Make 50 of them curves and other "harder on the elbow" pitches and you can have issues emerge earlier

I think y'all hit most of the big reasons. I would also add the ability to measure and focus on spin rare is increasing elbow problems as well. Not to mention private lessons and such that aren't accounted for in pitch count limits.

 

*person who pitched too much and had bone spurs shaved down freshman year of HS and TJ sophomore year in college. 

Posted
3 hours ago, closetojumping said:

My son is now 11 and these past 12 months in his select world (12U) and Little League (11U+12U), we've been around 6-7 kids with "little league arm" which is basically the pre-pubescent version of serious elbow problems. I don't get it. This isn't an overuse thing given all of the pitch count and rest rules for kids these days. 

I've heard it's a burgeoning epidemic in high school, even. In the 80's and 90's, it seemed like maybe a couple of guys a year would tear their UCLs and require TJ surgery. Now the Astros alone have like 5-6 guys going through the process. 

Ortho surgeons in DFW will agree they operate on more kids for baseball issues than ever before

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Posted (edited)
55 minutes ago, HuttNuts said:

 

 

 

 

I think y'all hit most of the big reasons. I would also add the ability to measure and focus on spin rare is increasing elbow problems as well. Not to mention private lessons and such that aren't accounted for in pitch count limits.

 

*person who pitched too much and had bone spurs shaved down freshman year of HS and TJ sophomore year in college. 

Also why the fuck are parents making their kids focus on exit velo when hitting? Especially wander the age of 13. 

Edited by BurntOrange&White
Posted
2 hours ago, Hank_Hill said:

Happened a lot when I played sports too but it was usually the ladies in the stands watching 

Big girls, huh?

I have a saying: if her ankles looks like they’ll hold 250, they WILL hold 250!

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Posted

I have a feeling that white t-shirt might be pretty good looking, it's just a weird pic. Blondie looks like literally every suburban mom in the state. I'd bet a dollar that she drives a Tahoe and has a bedazzled phone case.

Posted
10 hours ago, BERT said:

If you zoom in, it’s x,x,x 

1 appears to have a mustache, 2 is just unfuckable, 3 is a heavy drinker.

This is all after 100% using filters.

3 would be drawn to me like white on rice so she's my 1. 

Posted

Goddamn. Someone posts a picture of women of questionable looks and this whole website is all

squirrel GIF

It would better if they were clearly attractive or ugly. Y’all might just let it slide. But because there is a by gawd debate to he had we are going to gnaw on this bone for the next three pages. 

Posted

It sounds like Shaw has separated as a starter on the DL. I’ve expected Bravard to start all offseason long and also penciled in Watson once we added him. But we’re now two weeks into camp including a couple days with full pads, so the smoke on Shaw is becoming more legit in my eyes.

Posted

That was some tasty kool aid for the morning. Love me some practice reports. Kanu was going to be our starter last week and now he’s 15-20 snaps. Also, learned that people thought Gunnar helm was explosive. Great player but not sure if he was “explosive”. Most importantly, I am fired up about our punting ability this year. It won’t be an automatic turn and head to the kitchen and say a prayer while waiting to see if it was a shank or duff that goes 25 yards. 

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Posted
Just now, RockyMountainHighHorn said:

That was some tasty kool aid for the morning. Love me some practice reports. Kanu was going to be our starter last week and now he’s 15-20 snaps. Also, learned that people thought Gunnar helm was explosive. Great player but not sure if he was “explosive”. Most importantly, I am fired up about our punting ability this year. It won’t be an automatic turn and head to the kitchen and say a prayer while waiting to see if it was a shank or duff that goes 25 yards. 

Helm just seemed to catch everything thrown near him and made some sick plays, like the hurdle.  He was just solid. 

Posted
10 minutes ago, Bodacious Bevo said:

Bobby this morning 

  Hide contents

Now that the team has finished six days of practice, there are a few questions we can answer with a little more definitiveness (based on both what we’ve seen and what we’ve heard).

Here’s one of the biggest ones I had going into camp:

What role will each of the portal transfers play for the team in 2025?

**

QB Matthew Caldwell - Caldwell is a little better than perhaps what the Texas personnel and coaching staff expected. Not from a talent standpoint, but from a leadership and professionalism one. He takes every snap seriously, and pays attention to the details. He is the odds-on favorite to be the team’s back-up heading into Columbus.

WR Emmett Mosley V - He was expected to be a starter when he was brought to Texas and that remains the expectation after six practices. With Ryan Wingo and Parker Livingstone, Mosley adds another good-sized receiver that is both faster and quicker than you might expect. The o/u for number of receptions is 45 this season IMO with 5 TDs. Note: he could be a key third-down receiver for Arch Manning.

TE Jack Endries - Unsurprisingly, six days into practice, Endries is running with the first unit. Endries has been perhaps more athletic, often able to leave his feet for catches, than first thought, while he may not be as explosive as or have the catch radius of a Gunnar Helm. Similar to Mosley, Endries will undoubtedly be a key piece of the offense. O/u on receptions is 57.

DT Maraad Watson - When I say that folks inside the building are extremely high on Watson, there are no two ways about it. Watson is seen as a real steal. He is expected to be a rotational starter and has opened eyes all camp long. He is a very good athlete for his size. I’m not sure Texas would trade the tandem of Watson and Alex January with any sophomore duo in the country.

DT Travis Shaw - The combo of Shaw and Watson is almost unheard of in the portal. Texas got an elite younger player in Watson and a more seasoned bigger player in Shaw. A former five star, this is Shaw’s contract year and he’s treating it as such. Texas thinks getting his knee scoped and holding him out of spring ball is just what the doctor ordered. He will be a rotational starter and has a chance to be a higher draft pick than one might think.

DT Cole Brevard - Run-stopper up the middle. Brevard has been a pleasant surprise, in large part because of his work ethic. He has not stopped working since he got to campus. Expect 25-35 snaps per game later in the year, perhaps less early in the September heat.

DT Hero Kanu - Kanu is a well-rounded player who lacks an elite aspect to his game. He’s not super big, and he’s not super quick. Yet he is solid and will likely see 15-25 snaps per game. The plan is to rotate the DTs heavily, especially early in the year when the heat can be so debilitating.

DT Lavon Johnson - Johnson has been a sneakily good player at times during camp. Held out early because of a sprained ankle, Johnson shows good ability against the run and surprising quickness at times. Somewhat similar to Kanu, we expect 15-20 snaps per game.

Edge/LB Brad Spence - Ask any player on the Texas roster who the most physically impressive player is and, despite his smaller overall size, you’re sure to get many of them who will say Spence. As one player said, “he’s rocked up.” Texas will be using him primarily as a pass rusher in 2025. And he could be a surprisingly huge asset in that regard. O/u on sacks is 8.

K Mason Shipley - Shipley, the Liberty Hill product and Texas State transfer, is very likely your starting kicker. I say likely only because final decisions usually aren’t made until there’s a final competition for the job during scrimmage situations. But there has been nothing from camp to lead anyone to believe he won’t win the job.

P Jack Bouwmeester - If I had to bet on one portal transfer earning an all-conference nod, it would be Bouwmeester. O/u 45 yards per punt.

**

The portal class was definitely underrated by national folks.

But if there is one piece that is lacking, it might be that true, older first-round level pick.

Someone like Matthew Golden last year or Adonai Mitchell the year before.

Travis Shaw has an outside chance to be that. Endries, though very good, is unlikely to be drafted that highly.

However, Texas certainly seems to have hit paydirt with Watson, Mosley and Spence among the younger players with multiple years of eligibility remaining.

And Bouwmeester could be a real difference maker as well

 

christmas love GIF by Kool Aid

Posted
7 minutes ago, RockyMountainHighHorn said:

Kanu was going to be our starter last week and now he’s 15-20 snaps.

IT seems to be the ones high on Kanu. Speaking of which:

Players lifted after the situational session, then moved into the bubble to work on the situational football they had just reviewed.

Red Zone Work

Thursday’s focus was on sudden-change situations and extensive red zone work—something that is typically part of the Wednesday game-week routine during the season.

The offense performed better in the red zone than in previous sessions. Jack Endries was the primary target in red zone. His connection with Arch Manning improves by the practice.

Meanwhile freshman Kaliq Lockett got some run with the first team in those situations. His length and ball skills in the air profile to that part of the field. DeAndre Moore saw limited snaps outside in addition to his typical reps from the slot. Among the receivers, Parker Livingstone and Ryan Wingo are the only ones not rotating positions. Jaime Ffrench worked behind Livingstone and Aaron Butler, while Ryan Niblett continued to split time between receiver, all-purpose back duties, and special teams. More on Niblett in a bit.

Running Backs: Health and Depth

CJ Baxter’s knee continues to strengthen, while Tre Wisner delivered another strong day. The staff still views Wisner and CJ as the lead backs, but Jerrick Gibson and Christian Clark are next in line and gaining valuable reps.

In his availability Wiser mentioned how he likes to talk trash to the defense. That’s a feature, not a bug, and emblematic of the energy he brings day in, day out.

Defensive Line: Heavy Rotation and Veteran Presence

Texas continues to rotate heavily at defensive tackle. Hero Kanu and Travis Shaw provide physicality and veteran presence with the first group, while Cole Brevard and Alex January worked with the twos. Maraad Watson and Josiah Sharma are seemingly with the threes.

There are specific packages that mix and match the personnel but we’ll probably learn more about that together when the games start.

This went missed but Lavon Johnson is just now getting on the field. He had an undisclosed (to us) injury.

Freshman Justus Terry moves between defensive tackle and Edge and continues to impress with his natural ability. Among the freshman DTs, Josiah Sharma has stood out the most to one source, though Myron Charles is also progressing well. Texas feels like it hit on all three.

Seniority and leadership carries weight in the rotation. Kanu and Shaw are the two main leaders, especially Kanu. Brevard works hard but is more quiet.

IT asked if Brevard will be drafted after this year. “Definitely, definitely. Shaw obviously, too.”

Edge and Linebacker Notes

Colton Vasek continues to split reps between at Jack and Buck, while Zina Umeozulu is exclusively at Buck. Lance Jackson is working at Jack, with Brad Spence at Buck.

The group is flat out loaded.

Special Teams: Bouwmeester Impresses

Punter Jack Bouwmeester continues to draw high praise—one source called him “an All-American”—and he trains with former Longhorn legend Michael Dickson. His hang time has been “consistently very good.” I was routinely clocking him over 5-seconds in the two practices I attended and that continues to be the norm. Secret weapon, imo.

DeAndre Moore is currently handling punt return duties, but if his offensive role grows too valuable, the staff could turn to Niblett, Daylan McCutcheon, or even Warren Roberson. Kick return duties belong to Niblett and Wisner, though that’s likely to change given Wisner’s value. Christian Clark is viewed as a logical candidate to replace the junior running back.

In General, How Will They Play Everyone on Defense?

“A lot of guys are going to play a lot. It’s a good problem to have.”

While that’s true, I think it’s going to be tough to manage at times.

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Posted
12 minutes ago, Red Five said:

“A lot of guys are going to play a lot. It’s a good problem to have.”

While that’s true, I think it’s going to be tough to manage at times.

Sounds like rich people's problems

We are hoping to play 16 games - rotation, rotation, rotation. 

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Posted
Quote

Defensive Line: Heavy Rotation and Veteran Presence

Texas continues to rotate heavily at defensive tackle. Hero Kanu and Travis Shaw provide physicality and veteran presence with the first group, while Cole Brevard and Alex January worked with the twos. Maraad Watson and Josiah Sharma are seemingly with the threes.

There are specific packages that mix and match the personnel but we’ll probably learn more about that together when the games start.

This went missed but Lavon Johnson is just now getting on the field. He had an undisclosed (to us) injury.

Freshman Justus Terry moves between defensive tackle and Edge and continues to impress with his natural ability. Among the freshman DTs, Josiah Sharma has stood out the most to one source, though Myron Charles is also progressing well. Texas feels like it hit on all three.

Seniority and leadership carries weight in the rotation. Kanu and Shaw are the two main leaders, especially Kanu. Brevard works hard but is more quiet.

IT asked if Brevard will be drafted after this year. “Definitely, definitely. Shaw obviously, too.”

I know it's Kool-Aid season, but I fucking love the reports on the defensive line.  For the last couple years we've entered a new season with uncertainly about replacing departing talent on the defensive line, only to see replacements step up and continue the high-performance of that unit.  It says a lot about this staff's talent acquisition and development.  

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Posted
12 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Sounds like rich people's problems

We are hoping to play 16 games - rotation, rotation, rotation. 

Wouldn’t surprise me if the portal finally catches up to us next year and we lose a few we didn’t want to lose. I think once you’re stacked at every position it’s inevitable. 

Posted
1 hour ago, Bodacious Bevo said:

Bobby this morning 

  Reveal hidden contents

Now that the team has finished six days of practice, there are a few questions we can answer with a little more definitiveness (based on both what we’ve seen and what we’ve heard).

Here’s one of the biggest ones I had going into camp:

What role will each of the portal transfers play for the team in 2025?

**

QB Matthew Caldwell - Caldwell is a little better than perhaps what the Texas personnel and coaching staff expected. Not from a talent standpoint, but from a leadership and professionalism one. He takes every snap seriously, and pays attention to the details. He is the odds-on favorite to be the team’s back-up heading into Columbus.

WR Emmett Mosley V - He was expected to be a starter when he was brought to Texas and that remains the expectation after six practices. With Ryan Wingo and Parker Livingstone, Mosley adds another good-sized receiver that is both faster and quicker than you might expect. The o/u for number of receptions is 45 this season IMO with 5 TDs. Note: he could be a key third-down receiver for Arch Manning.

TE Jack Endries - Unsurprisingly, six days into practice, Endries is running with the first unit. Endries has been perhaps more athletic, often able to leave his feet for catches, than first thought, while he may not be as explosive as or have the catch radius of a Gunnar Helm. Similar to Mosley, Endries will undoubtedly be a key piece of the offense. O/u on receptions is 57.

DT Maraad Watson - When I say that folks inside the building are extremely high on Watson, there are no two ways about it. Watson is seen as a real steal. He is expected to be a rotational starter and has opened eyes all camp long. He is a very good athlete for his size. I’m not sure Texas would trade the tandem of Watson and Alex January with any sophomore duo in the country.

DT Travis Shaw - The combo of Shaw and Watson is almost unheard of in the portal. Texas got an elite younger player in Watson and a more seasoned bigger player in Shaw. A former five star, this is Shaw’s contract year and he’s treating it as such. Texas thinks getting his knee scoped and holding him out of spring ball is just what the doctor ordered. He will be a rotational starter and has a chance to be a higher draft pick than one might think.

DT Cole Brevard - Run-stopper up the middle. Brevard has been a pleasant surprise, in large part because of his work ethic. He has not stopped working since he got to campus. Expect 25-35 snaps per game later in the year, perhaps less early in the September heat.

DT Hero Kanu - Kanu is a well-rounded player who lacks an elite aspect to his game. He’s not super big, and he’s not super quick. Yet he is solid and will likely see 15-25 snaps per game. The plan is to rotate the DTs heavily, especially early in the year when the heat can be so debilitating.

DT Lavon Johnson - Johnson has been a sneakily good player at times during camp. Held out early because of a sprained ankle, Johnson shows good ability against the run and surprising quickness at times. Somewhat similar to Kanu, we expect 15-20 snaps per game.

Edge/LB Brad Spence - Ask any player on the Texas roster who the most physically impressive player is and, despite his smaller overall size, you’re sure to get many of them who will say Spence. As one player said, “he’s rocked up.” Texas will be using him primarily as a pass rusher in 2025. And he could be a surprisingly huge asset in that regard. O/u on sacks is 8.

K Mason Shipley - Shipley, the Liberty Hill product and Texas State transfer, is very likely your starting kicker. I say likely only because final decisions usually aren’t made until there’s a final competition for the job during scrimmage situations. But there has been nothing from camp to lead anyone to believe he won’t win the job.

P Jack Bouwmeester - If I had to bet on one portal transfer earning an all-conference nod, it would be Bouwmeester. O/u 45 yards per punt.

**

The portal class was definitely underrated by national folks.

But if there is one piece that is lacking, it might be that true, older first-round level pick.

Someone like Matthew Golden last year or Adonai Mitchell the year before.

Travis Shaw has an outside chance to be that. Endries, though very good, is unlikely to be drafted that highly.

However, Texas certainly seems to have hit paydirt with Watson, Mosley and Spence among the younger players with multiple years of eligibility remaining.

And Bouwmeester could be a real difference maker as well

 

This is good stuff. Also good to remember that absolutely zero people were talking about Matthew Golden as a first rounder this time last year. 

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Posted

I think people are really failing to understand a very real and serious problem we will have this season. When the defense holds every opponent to 3 and outs all game long they will only get like 36 or 40 plays a game. Consequently the guys mentioned for 15-20 snaps will get like 5. Nobody will have lung tackle or sack numbers to justify post season glory. Ags will talk incessant shit. I’m worried about this,  @satyanashcan you talk me down off the ledge?  

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Posted
40 minutes ago, South Austin said:

I know it's Kool-Aid season, but I fucking love the reports on the defensive line.  For the last couple years we've entered a new season with uncertainly about replacing departing talent on the defensive line, only to see replacements step up and continue the high-performance of that unit.  It says a lot about this staff's talent acquisition and development.  

It's rather amazing what they've done to the depth chart at DT since the end of last season. Basically, we had Alex January coming off a promising true freshman year and nothing else. Now they have a legit three deep of guys with different skillsets they can mix and match. That would have been impossible in the pre-portal days.

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