fellside

After 2008, Texas lost 6 starters on defense. Brian Orakpo (1st round pick), Roy Miller (3rd round pick), Henry Melton (4th round pick), Rashard Bobino, Ryan Palmer (3 INT's) and Jared Norton (injury). Yet the 2009 team held opponents to nearly 100 fewer yards per game. Texas went on to an undefeated regular season and a spot in the championship game for two reasons: They brought back an amazing college QB and the "inexperienced" underclassmen on defense actually better than the guys who left. Texas fans are confident for those same two reasons: For the first time since 2009 they have one of the best QBs in the nation returning and the "inexperienced" underclassmen are at that 2009 level of talent. I have no doubt you expect your 2019 running back position to be better than 2018 even though you lost your best running back. It's college football. Don't be so obtuse. This is how it works.

Touchdown! Just like last year.

None of their running backs who received significant snaps averaged 5 yards a carry. Keontay Ingram had more yards and a better ypc than any returning LSU RB. Their best returning receiver would have been 3rd on Texas' roster last year. He had two 100 yard games. Everyone else on the roster would have been 4th or worse in receptions and yards for Texas. Ehlinger had more completions, yards, touchdowns, rushing yards, higher completion percentage, and better interception percentage than Joe Burrow. Now I see that article explaining how the reason LSU finally changed their scheme was due to their offensive line's inability to protect the QB. I keep hearing that LSU has a talent advantage at every position. Clearly they don't have anything close to Texas' returning offensive production. Then one considers that Texas has the advantage of entering the third season with the same quarterback running the same system, assisted by coaches who have more than a decade of experience running that specific system. LSU on the other hand is entering its first season running a system implemented by a coordinator and a receivers coach with zero years experience running that specific system. That's not even mentioning that the inexperienced defense they will be facing will be more familiar with the spread concept LSU is running than the very LSU players attempting to execute it.

Well yeah. And by that logic we have like 17 months to figure this out. But sometimes (read: pretty much always) message boards are speculative and time wasting and people make guesses about the future.

Fall camp has me thinking about how the 2020 Texas team has potential to be a national championship team if the Ehlinger and Cosmi return. That has me thinking about this class through the lens of which guys could contribute to a championship team as freshman. In 2005, Texas got a lot of help from Charles (878 yards, 11 TDs) and Melton (10 TDs) and that was basically it. Obviously Bijan is the most likely to contribute. Running backs can play early, championship teams typically have a stable of elite backs, and he's our highest rated recruit. So duh. But similar to 2005, I don't think any of the 2020 defensive recruits have a real chance at playing meaningful snaps that first year. Probably a good sign and something that separates the potential of the 2020 roster from the past decade of relying on youth at defense. Other than Bijan, who from this class could contribute (sans special teams) if our 2020 roster is as good as we hope? I feel like the answer is any halfway decent linebacker... and that's what kind of kills me about Orlando and this class. If we had one linebacker anywhere in the realm of our class average, I feel like they'd instantly be the 2nd most likely candidate to play as a freshman.

Also it's very realistic we don't land any of Jackson, Tunmise, Sanders or Burris next year. I don't think anyone would say we lead for any of those four right now. So why not take four this class?

If you're a 5A or 6A head football coach, you aren't teaching classes. Unless you're just in a really broke district. If you're in a district with multiple high schools you'll probably be the "athletic coordinator" at your school which is just a middle man between coaches and ADs. You basically go to other sports games and gather some decisions. I actually know girls basketball coaches that don't have to teach classes. Some competitive football schools don't even have OC/DCs teach classes

Yes. Beat out Jase McClellan.

http://www.hudl.com/v/2BMQUw I know it's really weird to suggest you should watch someone's spring game highlights... but you should watch Ty Jordan's spring game highlights. 2 TD receptions, TD pass, TD run. Jumps over a dude effortlessly. Fun watch. His Junior Hudl says he only had 14 catches last year. That looks like it's going to change. He looks like a natural receiver.

Oklahoma State is early in the year and Tylan Wallace could destroy our young corners. He destroyed our seniors last year. Also Oklahoma State is the only team in the conference Herman has yet to defeat.

41*

I don't understand any of the apprehension about Duvernay or questions about his ability. The dude put up 51 receptions, 546 yards and 4 TD's as a third option. And he has the most reliable hands on the team. What kind of expectations did some of yall have for a third option? Oklahoma's third option, what with their prolific air raid offense, was Grant Calcaterra (who's being hyped as one of the top 100 players in the nation) had 26 catches for less than 400 yards. Duvernay was underwhelming his first two years. He wasn't last year. It's weird that some are considering him a concern at slot.

I've got some extra loud blanks just in case Extra loud blanks? What're you gonna do? Deaf em to death?

Bama started a freshman at corner and a sophomore at safety in the championship game. Clemson had a sophomore at corner. You can win with young dbs if they're talented. I feel good about the corners for two reasons 1. 7 of our 9 conference opponents are breaking in a new coordinator, quarterback or both. 2. Jalen Green looked dominant in the spring game, is reportedly ahead of everyone else in practice, and Anthony Cook wasn't really a drop off from Davis when he played last year. I think Oklahoma State could torch us because Tylan Wallace is a beast and them having a new qb isn't necessarily a bad thing for them. OU will have a good offense but it might be more ground oriented. Iowa State lost their best skill players but brings back a solid qb. Baylor is meh. I can see the defense having 3 or 4 games where they give up 30+ but this offense should be able to match that.

As to 1) the parents I know hype the SEC in general all the time. And for 2) I had a part written up about how schools like North Shore are similar in that regard. I get that there are exceptions. I'm just saying it's the vibe I get coming into contact with people in DFW.

"– VERY INTERESTING NOTE, it looks like the coaches are very comfortable with taking a B-backer off the field and replacing him with Demarvion Overshown. Byron Hobbs was relegated to third team and replaced with Demarvion Overshown. He isn’t a B-Backer. But he’s closer to the line than Joker. – Also, Freshman WR Jake Smith was moved up mid-practice to work with the twos at slot." Two best notes from that report IMO. If Overshown is good enough to see the field consistently, the defense's ceiling is higher. If Smith is good enough to get looks this year, it means he's going to make explosive plays. I had/have worries that neither would be ready for that role this year. We'll see.

I don't think a parent from DFW pushing their kid towards an SEC school right now is that odd. Typically, the type of parent who moves their kid from school to school based on whatever team is hot also are the type of parent who favors the SEC. Just from what I see and the parents I know. That Mansfield Legacy group last year that sent four kids to Arkansas and Alabama. Marcel Brooks. Lewis Cine. Brian Williams. All kids who switched schools one or two times. All ended up SEC. The kids who shifted from Desoto to Cedar Hill to Duncalville. The kids who move from Fort Worth to Aledo or Fort Worth to Mansfield. I'm surprised when Texas lands one of them. Samples helped with Jackson (he transferred in his sophomore year I think). Maybe I'm making a false connection. It's just a vibe I get.

Yeah, Houston to Lincoln, Nebraska is way more appealing to the kids.

"Every running back that goes there ends up sucking or underachieving." Except for that time one of them rushed for over 2,000 yards and 15 TD's 2 seasons ago. Also I don't think anyone in the country would say Ingram disappointed last season.

Film reminds me of Malik a bit.

...that isn't a backstory. That's an explanation of why he didn't know anything and still doesn't.

If it's determined that a player transferred for athletic reasons, they are ineligible for one season. This happened with the Weatherford qb (committed to Vanderbilt) who transferred from Azle.

There are brief moments when I'm reading something like that and I think, "Is there something I'm missing? Have I invested so much in fandom that I've lost sight of what happened? Could it be that A&M made a surge?" And then I remembered they went fucking 8-5 four years in a row and it hits me that those people have willfully chosen to create their own dimension of lunacy in which life isn't quite as miserable for them. But even in that fabricated reality they're still the cuckhold to their Bama/LSU counterparts.

The Boys was way better than any of the Marvel TV shows. I don't really binge watch TV anymore and I finished it in two days. Can't wait for season 2. Took me half an episode to realize Homelander was Banshee dude.

Read The First Law Trilogy recently. It's one of my favorite fantasy series I've ever read. I probably enjoyed it more than Thrones or Kingkiller. Abercrombie is coming out with a new book in the same universe in September. I think it will be another trilogy.