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Texas Recruiting Notes 2020


Reese Bennett

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Are there any limits to college coaches visiting high schools if they deliberately don't initiate contact with the player?

Meet/build relationships with coaches, visit principals or teachers who are fans of the team, watch training or practice.  Is there any limit to this kind of thing?

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1 minute ago, Ben Ficus said:

Are there any limits to college coaches visiting high schools if they deliberately don't initiate contact with the player?

Meet/build relationships with coaches, visit principals or teachers who are fans of the team, watch training or practice.  Is there any limit to this kind of thing?

 

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48 minutes ago, CBHorn said:

How can this be? Surly says Giles doesn't do this thing called recruiting.

Everyone is cool with Giles, he is very well liked. His issue has always been managing a recruitment(which it looks like he does not have to do now that Coach has a support staff to do that for him) and closing. He has always been the "nice" guy.

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Horns247 Recruiting mailbag: Can Texas land top WR targets?

CAN YOU HELP ORGANIZE THE RECENT WR OFFERS AND HOW THEY COMPARE TO ONE ANOTHER? SEEMS LIKE MANY ARE JUST NOW EMERGING AS CANDIDATES. WHICH ONES SEEM MOST EXCITED ABOUT A TEXAS OFFER? WHICH OF THEM HAVE THE HIGHEST UPSIDE? ARE WE STILL FIGHTING FOR TROY OMEIRE? — PROFESSORBIGGS

EJ: When it comes to in-state prospects, Demond Demas and Troy Omeire are clearly at the top of the board. Demas is an athletic freak and could be special at the next level. He is committed to A&M, but of course, anything can happen. Omeire actually reminds us of another T.O. in Terrell Owens. Texas really wants him, and he will visit on March 9. Texas recently offered Temple’s Quentin Johnston. He can run the go route, but he’s still really raw. Outside of the state, Texas is squarely in the mix with Johnny Wilson from California. He looks like Collin Johnson 2.0. The Longhorns also offered JJ Hester from Oklahoma. I really like his film. Tall, athletic receiver with a lot of upside.

Mike: EJ broke it down pretty well. With Mookie Cooper already in as the slot take, Texas will focus on big targets for the “X” position like Omeire, Wilson and Hester. The Z will be a player like Quentin Johnston, and they will continue to chase Demas. All in all, I think they will be pretty picky considering the depth on campus.

WHAT DO Y’ALL THINK OF JOHNNY WILSON? DO Y’ALL KNOW IF HE IS PLANNING TO TAKE A VISIT? WHAT DO Y’ALL THINK OUR CHANCES OF LANDING HIM ARE? — DROEM12

EJ: Like I said above, I think Wilson can be a lot like Texas wide receiver Collin Johnson. He’s a monster on the outside at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds. Wilson recently named Texas in his Top 5. I would expect him to make an official visit at some point in the near future. I wouldn’t really put a percent out there right now. Texas has had success in California, and Drew Mehringer is doing a terrific job with him. We’ll see how the visit goes.

Mike: He looks like another freaky type of prospect. If it was a year ago, I’d say no chance. After the Bru McCoy saga, I’d say anything is possible.

EVERYTHING I SEE FROM CHAD LINDBERG GIVES ME THE IDEA THAT HE CHOOSES TEXAS, BUT WAS QUOTED SAYING HE “THINKS” TEXAS WILL GET AN OV. DO YOU THINK HE’S TRYING TO TALK HIMSELF OUT OF TEXAS, OR IS HE REALLY HESITANT WITH US? I SUPPORT MAKING AN EDUCATED DECISION, BUT PERSONALLY I’M READY FOR HIM TO COMMIT TODAY. — JCARNEGLIA

EJ: Lindberg has been to Texas so much, and his older brother is a full-time student at UT, so I wouldn’t be concerned about that comment. Lindberg admitted that Texas is at the top of his list at this time, and I still feel very good about where the Longhorns stand. The only school that should scare you right now is Stanford. His upcoming visit out West looms large.

Mike: Texas is likely going to be in his top two regardless, so I wouldn’t pay that much attention to a comment like that. Trust what EJ says here, because he has an awesome relationship with Chad and his family.

WHY THE SUDDEN CRYSTAL BALLS FOR VERNON BROUGHTON? — STHTEXHORN87

EJ: I’ve actually had in my Crystal Ball pick for Texas since last September. The Longhorns made Broughton a priority extremely early and have done a terrific job recruiting him and those around him. I think Texas really separated itself as the team to beat on his recent visit for the elite prospect day. Oklahoma and Texas A&M are starting to make big pushes, but Texas will be tough to beat in this recruitment.

Mike: This one has been trending for quite some time, and I think others are catching up to that. We started hearing very positive things last fall.

WOULD VERNON BROUGHTON, ALFRED COLLINS, AND PRINCE DORBAH BE WILLING TO PLAY TOGETHER OR IS THAT A PIPE DREAM? — BYRON02

EJ: I don’t see why not. They are all different types of players. Broughton is already a monster and can come in and play early. Collins is a developmental guy that is going to need to add some weight. While Broughton can play nose, Collins is going to be in the same mold as Charles Omenihu. Dorbah is a pure pass rusher and would spend the majority of his time in the Joseph Ossairole.

Mike: All three would probably play different positions, and they have diverse skill sets. I don’t think any would have a problem playing with the others.

WHEN WILL THE DUNCANVILLE DUO OF CHRIS THOMPSON & JA’QUINDEN JACKSON MAKE IT TO CAMPUS AGAIN? — WHOSON2ND

EJ: Soon. Jackson told me he wanted to make a more personal visit to Texas hence why he didn’t come out for junior day and chose to go to LSU. Right now, the Tigers are probably the biggest threat since that was a childhood dream school. Thompson also recently told me he wants to get back to campus — potentially in March.

Mike: Both of these guys have been to campus a few times, and the staff is very familiar with them. I wouldn’t stress too much, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see them visit a couple of times during the spring.

WHICH DB OFFERS ARE NICKEL PROSPECTS? — ARMYTUBA1

EJ: Xavion Alford is the first one that comes to mind. Nothing pops off the screen, but he does everything well. Jalen Kimber can fit that mold as well. Though, I’m not as high on him as Mike is. I feel like Kitan Crawford and Jahari Rogers can both play the nickel. Out-of-state prospects like Myles Slusher and T Lee are both nickel candidates as well. I would like to see Texas take a closer look at Lufkin’s Jerrin Thompson. I think he could be a better option than both Alford and Kimber.

Mike: Kimber and Alford can be inside guys. Kimber has the versatility to play a few different positions, and Alford is almost a perfect fit for what they want. I actually like Jahari Rogers on the outside, and I think Crawford is an outside guy as well.

WHO RECRUITS BETTER — LSU OR TEXAS ? RIGHT NOW, NOT HISTORICALLY. TOM HERMAN VS. ED ORGERON? FACTOR IN NATIONAL APPEAL AND TRADITIONAL STATE STRENGTHS. I ONCE HAD A FRIEND WHO SAID YOU CAN JUST DRAIN THE SWAMPS AND FIVE-STARS WILL BE STUCK IN THE TREES. — UTWILDCATTER34

EJ: Both programs are recruiting at extremely high levels right now. Like Texas, LSU has a national brand and has built some momentum out West. LSU always dominates Louisiana, and Texas is in a prime position to land the best in the Lone Star State this cycle. There is a reason both LSU and Texas had highly ranked classes last cycle.

Mike: Both are on the same plane, but Texas has been better under Tom Herman during this tenure, according to class rankings. LSU faces less competition for their in-state guys, and they still have potential to recruit nationally. Other schools have been chipping away at their in-state crop though.

WHO WOULD SAY IS DOING THE BEST JOB AS A RECRUITER FROM THE LIST OF COMMITS WE CURRENTLY HAVE?  — BRYANTHOANG

EJ: The obvious answer is Herb Hand. The Longhorns have three four-star prospects along the offensive line, and it’s not even March yet. Hand has done a terrific job of building early relationships and closing. If Texas can get Lindberg and Dameion George on board, this offensive line class will be truly special.

Mike: You have to go with Hand. Usually offensive line is a huge question mark, but Hand managed to lock down three of his biggest targets before March. This is setting up to be an awesome group of talent.

WHEN A COACH DOES AN IN-HOME VISIT, IS HE ALLOWED TO PAY FOR LUNCH/DINNER FOR THE RECRUIT AND HIS FAMILY? HAVE ALWAYS WONDERED ABOUT HOW THIS IS HANDLED. — UTEX83INSOFLA

EJ: It’s actually the other way around. Recruits and families usually provide food for in-home visits. I believe it’s against the rules for coaches to bring food. We’ve seen some good home cooking on in-home visit Twitter posts over the years.

Mike: The family has to provide it. As Natalia Vaughns once told me, “On the first visit you clean the entire house and make the best meal. By the last, you’re just ordering pizza or something.”

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6 minutes ago, Tex Pete said:

They always put aggy CBs in for all the in-state superstars. Every single year.

And then write articles months later to drum up excitement about how aggy leads in crystal ball percentage for said prospect, conveniently leaving out that they are THEIR OWN predictions made without any merit months ago.

Edited by Chuckie Finster
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IT


LET THE GAMES BEGIN
Tour of Duty is a three-week competition designed to get guys pushing themselves to their limits ahead of spring practice beginning March 11th. 
By now they've worked out the bumps and bruises from the season as well as the soreness and fatigue from the strains of weight lifting and running. Oh, you guys are used to the workouts, let's up the ante.
How it works is, the coaches drafted teams in order to keep things evenly matched, or as evenly as the coaches' general manager skills allowed. Some of these guys aren't front office types.
Twice a week the competition centers around agility drills, sleds, and tug-o-war. Players race and compete against each other and accumulate points along the way.
Once a week the players do mat drills, which are pure evil. This will often involve a little more physical contact but agility is still important as well.
While Tour of Duty is three days a week, lifting is still four times a week with a lower body/upper body split done twice. Weights are heavy and if they get lighter more reps are added which allows for no break whatsoever.
It sounds like the team is in good condition as evidenced by some guys looking quicker than ever, at least per sources. Some guys who needed to lose weight have (Jeffrey McCulloch), while others have gained weight (Anthony Cook, Keaontay Ingram).
One guy who was surprisingly mentioned specifically was Jamari Chisholm. The staff intentionally red-shirted him and it sounds like he's competing hard for snaps. He's always "looked" the part, which is why the red-shirt didn't really surprise me, but now he's moving better than ever. He's slated to compete at defensive end.
I also heard D'Andre Christmas has looked good. Quickness has always been his game and with agility part of the equation this isn't too surprising, however this is highly intense work. If he's holding up in this regard he's going to see a good amount of snaps. Nose tackle will be highly competitive this spring but it'll probably shake out with Gerald Wilbon, Keondre Coburn, and Christmas all playing quite a bit. Ta'Quon Graham too, depending on down and distance.
We always hear good things about Graham when it comes to these scenarios; he's a hard-working and competitive guy so that's no surprise. Ditto for Joseph Ossai who is in phenomenal shape. 
"Jalen Green is competing his ass off," is a direct quote. They need to muscle him up some but he's getting after it. He hasn't quite filled out like Cook, which is a bit of a surprise, but he has tons of time and adding weight on your body's timeline is preferred to forcing it. While you feel around your midsection in disgust, I'll continue.
I'm still hearing good things about the freshmen enrollees. Mentioned by name were Roschon Johnson, Bru McCoy, and Jordan Whittington. Judging by some pictures that have been made public, Jared Wiley is adapting well to the weight room. That should come as no surprise.
On Roschon we've heard he's already becoming more vocal. He showed up quiet, which is the right thing to do, but he's already getting more comfortable with his role as a leader by default, both vocally and by example. My guy was really excited about him. "Would he be ready this year? Heck no, but will he be ready when Sam leaves? Definitely." His speed in this setting has been noticed and as a dual-threat that's good to hear.
On McCoy I heard he's doing a better job of learning to finish each rep but what sticks out is he's fast. Speed wasn't the main thrust of his evaluation so that's a good thing to hear.
On Whittington I hear he's hyper-competitive and maybe even quicker than Keaontay Ingram. Those guys have had some spirited battles. In fairness to Ingram he's apparently north of 215 pounds already. That probably isn't yet permanent weight, but he's working to add even more so he'll play the season at 215 or more. What's important for him is striking the balance between weight that helps durability while not losing his trademark cutting ability.
The team has done some positional work but it's been limited.
If a player wasn't mentioned it doesn't mean he's been cut from the team, sucks, or is in the doghouse and/or Portal. It just means he wasn't mentioned to me this week.
STATE OF RECRUITING
The success of the 2018 is supplying momentum for 2019 recruiting. Since January 1st, the Horns have been one of the hottest programs in college football. Even before the Sugar Bowl win, the stove was heating up in Austin. 
Since the start of the year, Texas has hosted an Elite Day, gained three four-star commits, and hosted a packed Junior Day Weekend. Texas finds itself in a position of strength with both the 2020 and 2021 classes.
The present cycle always takes precedent as who that class lands will affect who the staff pursues in the next class. Sometimes it works in reverse, like 2019 running back recruiting, but more often than not immediacy takes priority. 
We'll take a look at what we believe to be the big board at two of the most important positions within the class. The board seems to be ever-changing, especially as new names are added. This complicates the understanding of who the staff is prioritizing, and how the numbers might shake out, but we got you covered. 
It's important to remember that for the first time in a long time Texas will be telling prospects it covets that they're out of room. This creates leverage and in some cases we might see guys jump their timeline.
Offensive Line
They for sure want the foursome of Logan Parr, Jake Majors, Jaylen Garth, and Chad Lindberg. Those four have been the priority since the summer. They want Damieon George too, especially with him potentially affecting the Zach Evans sweepstakes. 
If George goes elsewhere, like say, Alabama, the worst part about it is it makes procuring Evans a little more difficult, at least at this time. After being put on high alert yesterday morning about George potentially committing to Alabama, we learned late last night he's likely going to wait. He's somewhat impressionable and susceptible to the hard sell. This is a kid who absolutely loved Elite Day in Austin. Loved it. 
If George were to select Bama or another school du jour, they’ll take Lindberg if they can get him and then see which out-of-state studs they can get on campus. They really like the upside of Tosh Baker from Arizona. Tennesee's Chris Morris might also return.
In-state guys they like that might be on a longer timeline are:
Andreji Karic, Southlake Carroll: Lean for the position, but athletic and mean. Finishes blocks. Significant upside. He'll end up somewhere like Nebraska where they'll get him to a comfortable 300 pounds and he'll wreck-shop.
Ty’Kieast Crawford, Carthage: Again, significant upside player who made great strides this past year. It's too bad he's not at North Shore. Still committed to Baylor but Arkansas is lurking. 
Wesley Ndago, Waco Midway: Timing is everything and Ndago's is bad. With UT needing a center in the 2019 class he would have been a great candidate. UT already has two G/C prospects in Parr and Majors. If they move on a guy like Ndago or Braedon Nutter, then it's clear the staff views one of Parr or Majors as a potential tackle (likely Majors). 
These three require further evaluation and you may see an effort to get them to camp. Surely new targets will emerge. They'll be judicious with that fifth spot.
So it’s the Four plus George (call it Five if you want) or an elite OOS kid. As of today, getting Baker on campus is a priority. You may recall that Baker's mother attended Texas. 
While o-line recruiting is interesting, it has nothing on the secondary.
Cornerback
From our vantage three appears to be the goal which means the overall number in the defensive backfield is more than we originally thought -- call it six for now.
Texas views Josh Eaton (Aldine MacArthur), Ryan Watts (Little Elm), and Jahari Rogers (Arlington) similarly. Each of the three could pick up the phone and commit immediately.
Don't be surprised if Eaton makes it back to campus very soon, perhaps even this weekend. 
Rogers is an OU legacy, so account for that. 
Watts loved his Texas visit and is looking to be on a summer timeline.
Jaylon Jones and Kelee Ringo have committable offers until NSD2 regardless of who is already committed.
They'll continue to work on getting five-star Elias Ricks (Mater Dei) to campus but if he doesn't they'll be all right.
Kitan Crawford (John Tyler) was recently offered but appears to be in the on-deck circle for Eaton, Watts, and Rogers.
They like Jalen Kimber and Avery Helm but they don't seem to be quite as high on the board as others.
The staff straight up passed on pursuing Lorando Johnson and RJ Mickens.
Safety/Nickel
Texas made a big move for Xavion Alford (Shadow Creek) recently with his offer and visit. He could return to campus soon. Right now it looks to be a UT/LSU battle. He's important because he could be safety or nickel. 
The staff is still likely to get a visit from Clark Phillips (La Habra, CA) who is another nickel candidate but right now the staff has to make up ground as fast as he does on the field.
Bryson Washington (C.E. King) could be back on campus this weekend. He probably has his favorite little AirBnB spot by now. They're all over Washington and right now he appears to be a strong lean, but it's curious he moved his stated decision date from January to NSD1. 
Chris Thompson (Duncanville) is the other priority safety on the board. He hasn't visited in a while and his recruitment has been quiet but we have no reason to believe UT isn't still in good standing. Obviously they need to get him back this spring. He's supposed to make a summer decision. 
Lathan Ransom (Tucson, AZ) could emerge as a priority. He's supposed to visit this spring and if that goes well the staff will have more leverage with others. He's a really good player they'd love to have.
Dwight McGlother (Trinity Christian) visited Austin this past weekend and will probably upload more pictures to his travel blog this week as proof, but we don't get the sense the staff is pressing hard. 
Graduate Transfers and Kendall Milton:
Georgia Tech offensive guard Parker Braun is The One. He’ll be on campus next weekend for his official visit. 
Rutgers’ Jonah Jackson will visit Austin in March and they would likely take him if they can get him but Jackson is high on OU and Ohio State. 
Virginia's RJ Proctor is awaiting an offer. 
Texas needs has to land one of Braun or Jackson. Landing both would be two of the seven deadly sins with neither being sloth.
JUCO Willie Tyler is more of a project rather than immediate help. View him for the 2019 take he'd be. We'd call an offer unlikely.
When the coaches and support staff aren't hosting recruiting events, they're bringing in a trickle of targets for more personal interaction. Texas has national appeal right now, so getting in Buchanan (Clovis, CA) five-star RB Kendall Milton this weekend didn't prove too difficult.
As we've mentioned since this offer went out long ago, Texas has the chance to accelerate out of the turn with Milton and his father, Chris. Draytona 500, foot always on the gas, has built a strong relationship with the Miltons and the school fits Kendall's profile in many ways. 
Milton is visiting OU currently. He and Evans often talk about playing together. While that likely won't happen (see Noah Cain and Trey Sanders last cycle) the staff would be perfectly happy to split aces.


About time we get to see some sunshine

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2 minutes ago, rickyspub said:

Well actually he did. He chose aggy knowing that if he insisted they would dodge ever playing Texas and therefore he avoids having to face Herman. Problem solved!

That's brilliant.  I'd never considered using constructive cowardice as a criterion for success.

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E.J. Holland: Texas set to host key targets this weekend

2020 targets

RB Kendall Milton, Buchanan (Calif.) —Texas is gearing up to host one of the most talented prospects in the country in Milton. The five-star prospect will get the red carpet treatment as he gets his first in-depth look and the campus and facilities. It is imperative for the Longhorns to make a huge impression on Milton and lock in a return official visit. Milton has very high interest in the program, and the Longhorns have had plenty of success out in California.

DB Joshua Eaton, Houston MacArthur — Eaton visited for Texas junior day last weekend and came away with an offer from the Longhorns. Texas is surging as the favorite in this recruitment, so getting him back to campus speaks volumes about where exactly the Longhorns stand. With that said, Eaton is picking up offers left and right and is one of the hottest recruits in the nation.

DB Xavion Alford, Shadow Creek —Alford was also on campus for Texas junior day last weekend. Getting him back for another visit is huge for his recruitment as the staff will get to spend more individual time with him. Alford is a versatile defensive back with the ability to play corner or safety at the next level. His most likely fit is at nickel. Texas, LSU and Texas A&M are all major players early on.

DB Bryson Washington, Houston CE King — A four-star prospect, Washington is making yet another visit to Texas this weekend. Washington was also at Texas junior day and on several occasions before that. Texas appears to be separating itself from the pack in this recruitment but will have to fend off Oklahoma and others. Washington was originally supposed to commit in July but is now looking at December.

2021 targets

WR Cody Jackson, Richmond Foster —Jackson notched an offer from Texas during his junior day weekend visit. While Oklahoma is considered the heavy favorite for Jackson early on, the Longhorns are making quite the impression. The fact that he’s coming in for the second consecutive weekend gives us reason to be optimistic moving forward.

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1 minute ago, Dondrysdale1 said:

With Eaton, Alford and Washington all back in town. I would guess Washington and Eaton?

Eaton and Alford just started blowing up with offers so I bet they make the rounds for visits.  This will be at least the 3rd visit for Washington since the start of January.

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8 minutes ago, Katfid54 said:

who are we recruiting that plays for Fast 7v7 right now?

All three of Eaton, Alford, and Washington are on there. I’m not sure who else is that we’re actually recruiting (sorry Dwight and Barnard!) I’d guess Eaton and Washington are most likely. Eaton seemed especially high on Texas and we’ve been on Washington hard for a while and he’s skipping OU to come visit here.

5 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Eaton and Alford just started blowing up with offers so I bet they make the rounds for visits.  This will be at least the 3rd visit for Washington since the start of January.

I mean it said 2 more so...

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1 minute ago, Burt Macklin said:

All three of Eaton, Alford, and Washington are on there. I’m not sure who else is that we’re actually recruiting (sorry Dwight and Barnard!) I’d guess Eaton and Washington are most likely. Eaton seemed especially high on Texas and we’ve been on Washington hard for a while and he’s skipping OU to come visit here.

I mean it said 2 more so...

Can we get a whole roster? As another poster said, Eaton just started blowing up and I can see him and Alford wanting to make the rounds. That being said, I see Eaton as the most likely to drop a surprise commit.

I'd love for it to be Washington, but he recently said he was moving his date back from July to the fall, so he seems unlikely as well. Are those 5 the only guys we're recruiting from Fast?

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11 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Can we get a whole roster? As another poster said, Eaton just started blowing up and I can see him and Alford wanting to make the rounds. That being said, I see Eaton as the most likely to drop a surprise commit.

I'd love for it to be Washington, but he recently said he was moving his date back from July to the fall, so he seems unlikely as well. Are those 5 the only guys we're recruiting from Fast?

That sounds like something you should massage EJ for, Bob Kraft-style. Or see if our resident bot @Machinatorcan drum up. 

I just think it’s likely out of those three cuz they’re all visiting this weekend but who knows. 

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3 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

That sounds like something you should massage EJ for, Bob Kraft-style. Or see if our resident bot @Machinatorcan drum up. 

I just think it’s likely out of those three cuz they’re all visiting this weekend but who knows. 

I mean, I assume Bob Kraft was the guy getting the massage, what with the whole rich white billionaire plus being arrested. So if you're suggesting that I have EJ give me a handy in exchange for also giving me a list of Fast 7 players we are in on, well, that makes sense but the answer is still a hard pass. 

Otherwise your shit is all borked. 

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2 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

You sure that was it? I got:

17 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

[D]rink . . . pussies . . . like hobo . . . play that game . . . .  

Sydney's grammatical issues persist.  That's a run-on sentence.

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