closetojumping

The Elk has confessed to his audience, after the first aggie scrimmage, that things are ... not so great right now. https://247sports.com/college/texas-am/longformarticle/texas-a-m-football-notebook-aggie-coach-mike-elko-says-team-remains-a-work-in-progress-230249778/#2404181 "I am a coach, so I do not know how to sugarcoat all of this stuff," Elko said. "It is not great right now, because they are not comfortable in it yet. That is part of spring. It is just learning how the system works, taking more and more reps of it. "The challenge that we will have coming out of spring ball is understanding where we are and having a phenomenal summer so that when we get back to fall camp, practice one, we are 100 days better and not taking any steps back." Spoilered the full article in case the link is subscriber only: For the tl/dr crowd, Weigman isn't working out as much as Elko thinks he needs to, so Elko is hinting that he might not be QB1 after the spring; Reuben Owens is a pussy who still can't pass protect and goes down immediately on contact; Bryce Anderson is a safety and they don't know who the other safety will be, nor do they have a clue who the corner will be; outside of Nick Scourton and a guard from Kansas, they are in deep shit regarding transfer talent.

Got it. I don't think those guys are likely in this cycle, but maybe FreeHorn knows something different. He's mentioned in a lot of the practice notes. I will be surprised if he's not part of the rotation.

Something else that might be interesting. There could be 4-5 pushes for commitments ahead of the June OV period. Barnes, Johnson, 1-2 of the OLs, not sure who else. Allegedly they feel really good about a number of guys including those I just mentioned.

I'm surprised you guys are concerned about Gaston leaving. I didn't watch more than half the games, so some of y'all saw a lot more of the team than I did and maybe that's my problem. I felt like she disappeared for entire quarters or halves sometimes. My view was that they could be better at that spot. That considered, I know I'm not some sort of WBB analyst or something.

Myron Charles has locked in an OV. Just the fact that Texas has this guy giving Texas this kind of look should tell you hot they are in recruiting right now. He's always been expected to stay put in Florida. https://www.on3.com/db/myron-charles-174432/ If Texas only takes 21-23 players, maybe they rank just outside of the top 5 due to quantity. If they take 25-26 guys, they're in the top 3.

Hadn't seen The Natural since I was a kid. I watched it a few night ago with my 10 YO who loves baseball. He pushed to watch Alien again but I thought he'd like The Natural and, sure enough, he did and it was a fun watch for me too. I have a buddy who read the book awhile back and said that Roy Hobbs actually strikes out in that last at bat. That's fucking nuts, if true.

Two backs drafted in early rounds last year and another one this cycle (maybe two is Robinson is snagged at the end of the 7th or something). It's clearly up in the air in terms what Blue does this next season, but I think it is credible to argue that his measurables will play pretty at the combine/pro day. It would be kind of kickass to see a back moving on to the NFL after each season for a while. Seems like Bama pumped out a back from their factory every season for a decade, but I'm sure there was a cycle or two where they missed. Still, we're walking in some high cotton with the roster right now.

United has flights to/from Houston and Bentonville. It's extremely easy to get to an Arkansas game from Houston.

I'd like to keep all of them. Swanson is a player if he can get to and sustain 290+. He'll probably go to ASU and put up solid starter numbers. Tapp is being recruited right now by major P4 programs for a reason. Walton is the least interesting of the three to outside parties, so if Texas loses the other two, he damned sure needs to be productive eventually.

You asked a question and I answered it, dummy. I wasn't thinking specifically of you in regard to my response. I already said a "fucking thing" about Nebraska that "effected" your day. You felt compelled to show up a week later to my response and remark on it. "Surly, suggest to me a witless poster who adds negative value to the board and cheers for Nebraska." "Good morning, CTJ. There is only one possible poster who fits that profile. mulletpelini." See, even Surly understands you. It's science.

Comparing Bobby to Nahlin is like comparing Pappa's Steakhouse to Burger King. I've dealt with both men in real life on multiple occasions. One is honest, intelligent and reliable and absolutely loves the University of Texas. The other is an unethical gasbag who doesn't give a shit about anything or anyone unless he can exploit it. Also, there is no one to compare Gerry to in the UT realm. There are few anywhere that put in that kind of work and couple it with a mind for the material.

Anything can happen and the guy is far from home, but there are for sure higher priorities to ask to leave than that dude.

Not sure what we call Kelvin Banks, but that one changed our team trajectory. I would call that serendipity.

Oh Christ.

Not sure where the Akana tidbit came from and that one would surprise me.

Guys, geez. Let's all take a deep breath here and realize that we're all cheering for the same team with similar interests. No need for the vitriol on this level.

My original post was in jest more than anything else, but I forgot this place is filled will humorless aspies who fixate only on stats and facts...and can't abide any speculation. Btw, I already acknowledged the fact I don't think helicopter parents made the difference in his leaving, but could have made the decision easier if said parents and player are above and beyond the usual delusion. I know coaches have to say all sorts of things to land a commit, and sometimes backing up the living room talk just isn't possible...but some parents (and/or player) will never get that through their skull and would rather trash the coach (or coaches) and school. I will say this: if Bo gets his kid drafted then he is more of a DL witch than I ever realized. You're always welcome to take anything I type personally, but that post was attempting to help clarify and had no direct shots in it intended for you, sweetheart.

@GreenspointTexas He gets together with the Meat Pimp's dad on the regular and they compare paychecks or some shit.

Park Gothic is correct on the matter. Davis was offered an opportunity to return to a place he enjoyed for a lot of money in order to coach his son while hanging out with two of his best friends on the coaching staff. The guy has a ranch in Mississippi that he wants to be permanently living on within the next five years. LSU is his final job barring something insane and he took the chance to jump on it when they cleared the way for his kid. He didn't leave Texas due to any bad blood or problems with the program. Helicopter parents have been a part of the job in coaching since at least the days of Norman Dale, and probably further back than that. That said, it's not every player and it doesn't help those players with parents behaving as such. The bigger issue is when the player is bitching about shit that is just part of the grind and the parent is then whining about their baby's treatment. That gets really old.

No, Mitchell. But he's a close second. Kirkland doesn't have a helicopter parent calling his position coach all of the time.

Sometimes you show up on this site and it's almost like you're determined to hammer a shitty take into the center of a thread no matter how fucking dumb it is. OJ Simpson was a national celebrity and beloved to boot. He hadn't disappeared into the limelight. He was a major endorser of products, a sideline reporter, an actor, and never far from the tv screen in everyone's homes. It is a fucking ridiculous premise, and almost certainly purposefully disingenuous on your part, to attempt to imply that he was a largely irrelevant figure. Beyond that, the nature of the celebrity for someone like that in the context of today, isn't hard to find. If Charles Barkley or Michael Strahan damned near lopped off the heads of their ex-wife and her presumed lover and then acted shocked and innocent while trying to flee the country as the authorities closed in, the whole country would be mesmerized. That would include the build-up to the trial and so forth. Get a fucking grip with pushing the absurd notion of something otherwise.

Just looking at numbers, over the last 5 drafts, here are some stats for WRs: -Alabama and Ohio State lead the way with 6 selections each. Not sure how Bama's numbers change in the near term, but I wouldn't expect OSU to be knocked off any time soon. -Florida, LSU, and Tennessee are right behind them with 5 each. LSU's numbers won't be hurt by this draft, I know UF has Pearsall, and I am not sure about anyone at Tenn. In watching Tennessee in 2023, they dropped more balls than Nicole Aniston. -How many did ATM have? Zero. A Jimbo staple of development with WRs is to not develop them at all. With Anias Smith, I guess that might change? Not sure if he's on draft boards or not. -Texas had 2, both in 2020 (Duvernay, Johnson) but will add 2 or 3 more to the running count this cycle and should replenish the following year as well and be a contender at the top. -Washington with zero picks over the last 5 years. Obviously that is also about to change. -Here's the one that kind of surprised me: Miami has put one guy in the NFL via draft at WR since 2019, KJ Osborn in 2020. Not sure if this draft changes that number for them.

Going on Sunday with a few of my kids. It's pathetic that I'm worried about seeing a loss to frigging UH. Also, on a personal level, I really despise one of Todd Whitting's asshole kids so losing to these fuckers will really suck.

They're going after both guys. Gerry has an overall update today on the premium end: https://ontexasfootball.com/forums/topic/1251-texas-hoops-portal-update-thursday-739-am-cst/#comment-14745

Let's look at WR for this class, as it pertains to reasonable targets for Texas. Elite Lockett - Elite components: 6'7" wing span, extra large hands, great high pointer. Situation: Texas leads. Moore - Elite components: Track star speed. Most explosive WR out of his stance in this cycle nationally. Situation: A future state glimpse of recruitments between Texas and LSU. Both have a lot to sell. Both are putting WRs in the NFL this cycle in high rounds. The guy will have ex-teammates on both teams. NIL is a factor. LSU's NIL, irrespective of hagiographic shit being pumped out in a documentary, is limited. They simply cannot throw major NIL dollars at every spot. Do they say "fuck it" and sacrifice other targets at other positions in order to win here? Maybe. There are a lot of people who think this one flips. I could see either outcome right now. Ffrench - Elite components: Route running. Optionality, can play all WR positions well. Excellent yet undercoached in typical state of Florida recruiting ways, leaving significant developmental upside. Situation: There are plenty of good reasons for this guy to go to any of the schools he's considering. OSU's record with WRs and the NFL is strong. FSU is about to put guys in the league this cycle too. Tennessee, sure. Miami is regionally relevant. NIL is likely a big deal here. No one between OSU, Tenn, or Texas can claim a legit advantage here in that regard. High Quality Talent W/out an Elite Skill or Trait Johnson - You could argue that this guy possesses elite speed with sub 11.00 100 times while also playing multiple sports. He's not ranked as an elite player because 1) he plays for a 3a school and most of his footage is just him catching the ball wide open and running away from everyone and 2) he has a very thin frame, akin to that of Worthy. Texas leads. Harris - Average measurables for a WR. Plays for an elite football program that is a CFB prospect factory. Ceiling may be limited. Apparently has excellent hands and plays the position really well. Does not possess elite speed. Seems kind of obvious that Texas leads. McCutcheon - Insane production numbers. Probably limited only to slot in college and allegedly is leaning towards OOS. Texas is hosting him for an OV, at least as of this time, but they have not pushed as a priority. Marsh - Good size, lacks elite speed, apparently has excellent hands. He has a helicopter parent who is a legitimate distraction. The player has alleged attitude issues, but given his personal life without a dad and a mom likely heading to prison, maybe that's a nurture/environment thing. Apparently, ATM isn't really an interest for him. He's pushed for interest from Texas. OU likes him. Choice - This dude has great height and uses it well. I don't know about his track times but he doesn't look like a blazer. Apparently, he's a heavy OU lean but has a UT visit scheduled. ---- I might be missing something, but that's the 8 targets I feel like we hear about the most. Texas will take between 3-4, it seems. How does that mix shake out? Irrespective of how the services are ranking him, Johnson looks like a staff priority. I think he is the most likely player to get the "we want you, but we need to know what you're going to do now before we are forced to make other choices if you're not on board" treatment here in the next few weeks/months. So I think they land him. Lockett is a must get. He has visited Texas far more than any other school and they are doing everything they can to land him. I think they land him during his visit or shortly thereafter. Competition is more or less "the field" which is also good. That leaves 1-2 other spots. I doubt they land both Moore and Ffrench. I think it is likelier that they don't land either of them. Nonetheless, let's assume Texas pushes a ton of chips in on Moore and the LSU offense this seasons is a shadow of its former self. So who is your number 4? If it is Harris, great, that keeps SoCal's attention on the program and Sarkisian saves his biases. I'd rather punt on #4 unless Ffrench pulls the trigger. I like McCutcheon but clearly that isn't the staff's opinion or they're just not getting much back from him. The portal will have a ton of options and there is no reason to believe that Texas, while putting more WRs into the pros and Arch Manning waiting in the wing, with Sarkisian's offense, won't be a premier landing spot for the best WRs in the portal, yet again. What's everyone else's mix?