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Texas recruiting notes 2019


bigup2dahorns

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39 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Might have been the 40 he ran with the hamstring injury that resulted in Barton dropping him to a mid 3*.

This is correct. Simmons reacted like a fucking rube to an injury, and shockingly, major powers like Texas, OU, and Ohio State ignored that noise and stayed on him because he’s a fucking hero. 

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Damn glad we got a player like Washington however, I do feel like this thread forgot we signed Brennan Eagles last year. 

Eagles may well be CJ's replacement going into next year, which would mean we're not seeing Washington for 2 years barring huge strides in camp.   Assuming Smith and Whittington shirt, along with Washington, it may actually be longer than that.   

This very definitely a great problem to have.

 

Edited by GlenFromTheMailRoom
X-post from the Washington thread and Machinator beat me to it.
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Just now, GlenFromTheMailRoom said:

Damn glad we got a player like Washington however, I do feel like this thread forgot we signed Brennan Eagles last year. 

Eagles may well be CJ's replacement going into next year, which would mean we're not seeing Washington for 2 years barring huge strides in camp.   Assuming Smith and Whittington shirt, along with Washington, it may actually be longer than that.   

This very definitely a great problem to have.

 

Smith and Whittington will be hard to shirt. 

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Mike Roach: An in-depth analysis of WR recruiting

The explosion in production for Collin Johnson and Lil’Jordan Humphrey this season is making for an interesting recruiting storyline. With the two primary playmakers on the Texas offense inching closer to the NFL, the Texas staff is looking to take a big receiver class in 2019. Texas already holds commitments from three receivers, but there are five potential targets on the board that could find their way into the class.

In the 2018 class, the Texas staff took a fairly rigid group of players. Brennan Eagles is the prototypical X wide receiver who can move the chains on possession downs, while Al’Vonte Woodard’s deep threat skill fits nicely at the Z position. Joshua Moore has a bit of versatility to his game, but he’s shown early on that his best fit is at the H position. In 2019, the Longhorns are developing a more well-rounded board. The result is a potential class full of playmakers who they can mix and match to get their best players on the field to maximize offensive production.

Let’s start with the X position. Collin Johnson is the prototype, and there is room for a ton of usage out of the position. The role requires large-framed athletes who can threaten vertically, but more often than not, they will be asked to move the chains in possession downs and win contested balls. Of the players Texas is recruiting, Kennedy Lewis, Marcus Washington, Bru McCoy and Elijah Higgins seem to fit this mold. Texas commit Jordan Whittington could even be a factor here because of his strong frame and great athleticism. It would seem that the staff is prioritizing X targets and saturating the position, but the key is recruiting large, fast athletes with high ceilings and plugging them into varying personnel groupings.

The Z position allows them room to expand these players role. Devin Duvernay is the current starter in there, and his role is to push defenses vertically. While Duvernay can certainly do that, it would help to add some diversity to that role. Texas commit Demariyon Houston is a fine Duvernay replica, but Lewis, Washington and McCoy could also fit there. That trio would add length and speed to a position that is currently dependent on getting behind defenders to make a play. Lewis and Washington have the athletic traits to add a new dimension to the offense with their use both deep and in the screen game. Both players can also use their size to win contested passes and contribute inside the red zone.

The H position is the most pivotal to the Texas offense, and its metamorphosis this season changes the way in which Texas recruits. Lil’Jordan Humphrey is the current starter, and he’s a far cry from former prototypes at the position like Percy Harvin, Curtis Samuel and Demarcus Ayers. Humphrey’s success is paving the way to recruit bigger athletes with sudden ability to create mismatches on the inside.

Jordan Whittington was originally pitched on the position, and his experience as a small-school athlete tasked with playing multiple roles is ideal for a spot that asks so much from those who play it. The same can be said for Elijah Higgins. The Austin Bowie wide receiver had to fight off those who wanted to move him to tight end early in his recruitment, but Humphrey has shown that jumbo athlete who can move like smaller player can have a home in this offense.

Bru McCoy is the most intriguing option on the board. The five-star athlete could be a big-time linebacker, but he’s legitimately good enough to be a weapon at any of the receiver positions. His big frame long speed benefit him on the outside, but his quickness and size are a problem from the slot. Despite Humphrey’s success, he should be viewed through a different lens. The former high school running back in a receiver’s frame is a unicorn in the recruiting world. You shouldn’t expect to find a player of his skillset every year, so you can’t strictly bank on having a player of his type at the position.

That is where Jake Smith comes in. Smith is really the only player in this class pigeon-holed to one position. Like Harvin, Ayers and Samuel, Smith was built for this position. Tom Herman’s staff has been searching for a player of his ability since they arrived in Austin.Smith has the electric speed, elite quickness and strong fluidity needed to play the position. He also adds the dimension of having played running back at the high school level. Not only can Smith be a threat as a receiver, but he will need to be accounted for on jet sweeps.

Texas probably won’t sign everyone listed here, but they are looking to take a big group. Despite the worries of some that Texas is log-jamming their receiver corps, there is room in the offense for a diverse group of size and speed. With the Texas offense taking incremental steps forward, this group of players will be pivotal to taking the next step.

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47 minutes ago, TexasFan21 said:

Anyone have the humidor?

Recruiting is heating up, the season is going well with a trip to Stillwater looming, but we'll begin by catching up with the Monopoly Man.

CIGAR RINGS

I caught up with one of our old friends to get the latest on some questions you guys might have been wondering about. Here's what he had to say. These aren't quotes, just me relaying what I was told. Basketball stadium: Honestly I don't even know what's public at this point, but what I've heard is the new basketball arena will be in the two parking lots behind the track and field complex. It will hold 10,000 people for games but have retractable seating to expand to 16,000 for events and concerts. It sounds like this is the best available result. It's still on campus, it's intimate for games, and it will hold enough for concerts and other events.

Eventual realignment: The word here is that with Greg Fenves at the helm the Pac 12 is the only option. A big issue in chancellor interviews was aligning the University with like-minded academic institutions. Realignment was a big topic when USC big-wigs made it to Austin in September. There were lots of alumni mixers and even a Ryder Cup styled golf event between big shots from each school. The Pac is a cultural fit, and academic fit, and the money will undoubtedly make sense. Does it get any better than Air B-n-B’ing at @Scipio Tex 's "flat" (that's what he calls it) for Stanford and Cal games? Now, what will CDC do about the time change???

Overall feeling on Herman: The private jet crowd was pretty damn pissed after Maryland. They're like us, they just spend a lot more money -- albeit a smaller percentage of their worth -- than we do to attend away games. Whether it was after that disappointing loss or even now when things are going swimmingly, I'm hearing the same thing: they're glad CDC is at the helm. They like Herman and believe he'll win, but they think he'll be slow to fix any staff issues that might arise. They see what's going on in recruiting. To some of them, they think Herman will be slow to make necessary changes and Del Conte gives them comfort those changes will be made if needed. Of course, if Herman keeps winning and recruiting well, he'll be able to do what he wants.

TEAM

The big question is who will start at quarterback in Stillwater. But do you really want to know? Is it fair to the staff for us to state who the starter is? Is it wise to mention it, even if the uncertainty is a very minimal competitive advantage? I think Herman's comments this week gave a pretty good idea that Ehlinger will be the man barring any set-backs. Well, we haven't heard of any set-backs. Let's see how timid he is to run and how he feels after he eventually gets hit. There is an injury that will effect snap allocation, but the team hasn't mentioned it so we won't either. It shouldn't effect the outcome of the game.

This game has some other injury/discipline issues affecting playing time. As has been mentioned, Davante Davis and Kris Boyd won't get the start. In their stead will be Kobe Boyce and Anthony Cook. Lil'Jordan Humphrey will also miss a bit of action. In his place will be senior Jerrod Heard. How long the starters sit remains to be seen but it could be as little as a series. Herman has said they showed contrition and their transgressions weren't all that bad to begin with. Expect to see Heard continue to get reps in the slot throughout the game as he's also Josh Moore's replacement. Moore suffered a painful shoulder sprain.

One development worth monitoring Saturday who plays the most at right guard. Elijah Rodriguez and Derek Kerstetter shared reps this week. I asked why we haven't seen more of Cade Brewer and heard back, "I don't know. He's a much better receiver than Beck and I don't think there's a difference in blocking." This is clearly one of those "trust" situations. I wish they would have red-shirted Brewer.

It was mentioned that Joseph Ossai received reps at rover this week. With Texas losing both Gary Johnson and Anthony Wheeler after this season the staff will try any player who has a possibility of translating at the positions. I don't think it will be Ossai, however. "He's out of position. He can do it in a pinch, but it's not natural for him. It's natural for Overshown, he just needs to get bigger."

On Keaontay Ingram. "Still not the player he was in August, but he's close. The player in August is the best running back in the Big 12. He's the best offensive player on the team, better than Humphrey or Johnson." Expect lots of dime but maybe a little more nickel than we were anticipating.

RECRUITING

St. Louis wide receiver Marcus Washington will make his college destination public today around 6pm (CT). If you read between the lines here you'll know we're pretty optimistic he'll be selecting your favorite team. Well, not yours @thookem. He would put the X in Texas as his skill-set translates seamlessly to Collin Johnson's position. If Elijah Higgins selects Stanford, as we predict, then the staff would very likely push harder for Melissa receiver Kennedy Lewis. Lewis is enticing as someone who is likely an X but could very well play Z. Lewis has mentioned he's announcing in November, after taking official visits to Notre Dame and Florida. We'll have clarity before he picks.

While Texas is trending up at receiver, it may be trending down at defensive end with Myron Warren. If Warren receives an LSU offer, which seems more likely than not at this point, we believe he's going to shut things down quickly -- assuming his offer is committable. If that happens, expect Texas to push for South Oak Cliff's Steven Parker. The staff has been doing a lot of homework on him of late, with even Tom Herman going by to see him. He's committed to Texas Tech.

On offensive line recruiting, Isaiah Hookfin has the advantage over LaDarius Henderson to receive an offer. Juco tackle Myron Cunningham will visit in December. Andrew Coker is still on the radar. The staff wants a sure-fire interior player and that's where they view Coker. He doesn't have the feet for tackle. Four takes seems to be the current number. There have been hints that Texas might receive another commitment this weekend along with Washington, assuming he picks UT. Of course we know the details, time, etc., but we're not going to say anything else. We’ll be logging on Sunday night to discuss Saints/Vikings in the NFL thread.

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6 minutes ago, GlenFromTheMailRoom said:

I guess that's the head scratching part to me about this.  Eagles is the same "effort" type of receiver that played against better comp and has better measurables.  Maybe he cant' remember the playbook?

Eagles got hurt and is playing behind Johnson. Not sure what you want? It's better that you don't constantly sub the WRs, that was a big issue in the past few season with the position. At UH, Herman the 1st line WRs got all the catches. Ayers, Allen, Dunbar, and Bonner caught 74% of passes in Herman's 1st year.

Edited by HtownHorn
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3 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:

Eagles got hurt and is playing behind Johnson. Not sure what you want? It's better that you don't constantly sub the WRs, that was a big issue in the past few season with the position.

Not asking for anything.  Didn't know Eagles was hurt if I'm being honest.  Just pointing out that we already signed CJ's natural successor a year ago.  From the talk about Washington and his skill-set, it sounded like people forgot about him outside of Machinator.

Edited by GlenFromTheMailRoom
Gramur
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6 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

A move to the Pac12 will be a disaster for recruiting in my opinion, especially if OU goes SEC.

I think it's a wash actually.  Us winning means Texas plus the grounds we're already recruiting in Arizona, California, etc.  Texas high school football and the athletes it produces will always be top notch.  There's also circumstances where guys like Mike Mitchell happen.  

We've learned our lesson from only pulling kids from Texas.  There's no need to revisit the subject.   Recruit for the system you run and win.  

Edited by GlenFromTheMailRoom
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Not asking for anything.  Didn't know Eagles was hurt if I'm being honest.  Just pointing out that we already signed CJ's natural successor a year ago.  From the talk about Washington and his skill-set, it sounded like people forgot about him outside of Machinator.

Just FYI, it is normal to sign players whose positions are already occupied by current players.
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Just FYI, it is normal to sign players whose positions are already occupied by current players.

Not if you really want a guy next year and you promise not to take anyone in his position this year to remove the possibility of competition because it’s a sure thing that guy works out and we don’t need any QBs anyway. Right?
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