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Texas Recruiting Notes 2020


Reese Bennett

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The Stampede: Texas looking for positive momentum

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The last few months have felt like a downpour of bad news reporting, so It is with joy that I come to you this week with mostly good news. In this weeks’s edition of The Stampede, Horns247’s weekly round up of recruiting intel, we discuss the contact period, new target Sawyer Goram-Welch, and if Texas can go back to the well to land an old target currently committed elsewhere. It sounds like the first week of the contact period went well for the Texas staff on the road. The always-positive Bryan Carrington helped to settle down some kids that may be looking around, and the staff seems to be selling a convincing plan moving forward to the commits and their families.

The staff was also active in getting out to high school football games this week and making appearances. As the Longhorns make their final push towards early signing day, the goal is to get as many recruits signed as possible so they can move on and finish out the class in January and February without having to worry about other schools poaching their class. Texas faces some significant obstacles, but last week went a long way towards their final goal.

If there was any doubt where Ja’Quinden Jackson’s loyalties were, they would likely be erased if you were at McKinney ISD Stadium on Saturday. Ja’Quinden Jackson went 8-8 for 183 yards and 2 touchdowns with 129 carries and 3 touchdowns rushing to lead Duncanville to their second straight regional championship over Southlake Carroll. Tom Herman, Bryan Carrington, and Herb Hand were all in attendance to see Jackson along with fellow commit Andrej Karic and underclassmen targets Savion Byrd and Quinn Ewers. Herman made the rounds and shook just about every important hand in the building. He worked both sidelines and made his way up to the stands to sit with Jackson’s mother. After the game, Jackson went running across the field to find his future coach and gave him a huge hug. I think it’s safe to say that there are no worries about signing the dynamic athlete.

The Duncanville/Southlake regional final may have revealed more about a few future targets in the 2021 class. Southlake Carroll sophomore quarterback Quinn Ewers finished 33/52 for 393 yards and 3 touchdowns in the first massive test of his career. Though he came out on the short end, Ewers definitely impressed the Texas staffers on-hand. He already holds a Texas offer, but this was the first time Tom Herman had the chance to see him in a live performance. Suffice to say, Ewers will be the top target for Texas at the position in 2022, and his family is pro-Longhorn. Another player to watch out for is 2022 Duncanville defensive end Omari Abor. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound defensive end made a name for himself in basketball, but he emerged this season as a force for Duncanville. Abor was already on the Texas radar, but seeing him up-close this week was a boost for his stock. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Texas increase their attention there.

Herman and Carrington were also in Frisco on Friday night to see Aledo wide receiver JoJo Earle. The four-star 2021 wide receiver is a big target for Texas, and this is one situation where having Carrington on the recruiting trail was big. The struggles Texas experienced this season combined with the success of LSU allowed the Tigers to gain massive amounts of ground in the race. Earle’s main relationship at Texas is with Carrington, so Texas was able to be top of mind for the electric playmaker.

Texas defensive line coach Oscar Giles, tight ends coach Derek Warehime and interim linebacker coach Jeremiah George were in Longview on Friday night to see Texarkana Pleasant Grove play Gilmer. Pleasant Grove is home to 2021 defensive linemen Landon Jackson and Marcus Burris along with 2021 RB/LB Nick Martin. Jackson, in particular, mentioned a strong relationship with Giles, but the word around Texarkana is that Texas A&M is standing out for both Burris and Jackson. Texas will need to gain back some ground because Todd Orlando was a huge component of Jackson’s recruitment.

Texas offered Longview defensive lineman Sawyer Goram-Welch last week, and he followed that up by decommitting from Oklahoma State and scheduling an official visit to Texas this weekend. Obviously the decommitment is a strong indicator that Goram-Welch is ready to look around, and he’s always been high on Texas going back to last year when he told Horns247 that the opportunity to play for a power-five in-state program would be tough to turn down. The Longhorns have been evaluating Goram-Welch for more than a year, and they’ve been in contact for the last few months. If everything goes smoothly this weekend, I expect Goram-Welch to make a quick decision and shut his recruitment down.

We reported last week that things appeared to be shaky for a few different prospects. Cornerback commit Kitan Crawford was in contact with several schools and his future was contingent on where things stood with Jason Washington moving forward. Wide receiver commit Quentin Johnston also reportedly reached out to TCU, while Ty Jordan appeared to be in danger of flipping to Utah. It sounds like the staff was able to calm these recruits while out on the road. I was told that Crawford might still be a bit iffy, but sources were confident he would end up at Texas. I was told that Johnston was merely opening the lines of communication in case of an emergency, but he still appears to be tight with Texas. The biggest news I picked up was that it sounds like things have calmed significantly for Ty Jordan. Texas isn’t quite out of the woods yet, but it sounds like Texas is on track to keep Jordan in the class.

The staff will continue their road campaign to keep the momentum rolling in this recruiting class. Texas went in-home with IMG Academy linebacker Jaqwondis Burns this weekend, and the Longhorns are pushing to beat out Utah. In speaking with sources near him, it sounds like he’s still receiving a fair amount of pressure to stay close to his native Dallas.  The Longhorns will have to overcome a strong recruiting staff at Utah, and they will need to do it without Todd Orlando who was Burns' primary point of contact.

One of the biggest pushes for Texas, while they are on the road, will revolve around getting as many commits in the class to sign on December 18th. I was told by a source that the staff expects most if not all of the recruiting class to sign in December. When I asked if there was any cause for concern with high-profile commits such as Bijan Robinson, I was told there were no worries. If the staff can get the majority of the current commits signed early, they’ll be able to move on and recruit the remainder of the class in January and February.

Fans aren’t the only ones watching closely for who Tom Herman will hire on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. I spoke to the father of an underclassmen offensive player who mentioned that his family and son had a great relationship with rumored names Graham Harrell and Rhett Lashlee. Several big-time defensive line prospects reached out to see if Texas was moving back to a four-man front. Despite the struggles on the field, it sounds like the Longhorns can be right back in the game with many of these prospects depending on if they nail the hires.

News broke today that former Georgia offensive line coach Sam Pittman was hired as the Arkansas head coach. That piqued some interest from fans who remember that former Texas target Chad Lindberg chose Georgia over Texas in large part due to the relationship he had with Pittman. I spoke to sources near Lindberg this evening who told me that Pittman’s loss hurt, but Lindberg was still committed to the Dawgs. I was also told there was a possibility Lindberg could hold off signing until Georgia makes their next offensive line hire. If that happens, I expect Lindberg to closely look at LSU, Texas, and USC. I confirmed with the source I spoke with that the Texas staff has had some contact with Lindberg, but as of now there’s not much to see. We’ll definitely keep a close eye on this one to see how it develops.

 

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AAS on Ringo:


Whether Texas is that top choice is still unknown, but Ringo can’t help but crack a smile when speaking about his potential future as a Longhorn.

“I could definitely see myself at Texas,” Ringo said.

Texas’ favor with Ringo is like that of many recruits who end up in burnt orange. He likes Austin as a city. He’s complimentary of UT’s history and tradition as a top program in college football. He likes the program’s direction despite a 7-5 regular season in 2019.

Ringo also hasn’t been scared off by recent changes on the coaching staff, including the firing of defensive coordinator Todd Orlando. He’s just looking for a good fit and a chance to make an impact.

“Texas is Texas, man,” Ringo said. “It’s a great school and they’ve got great coaches.”

Texas, naturally, remains just as interested in landing Ringo as it was when the cornerback included the Longhorns in his top five in June. He got a home visit from Texas recruiting director and cornerbacks coach Jason Washington earlier in the week. Ringo said the visit went well and that he’s developed a strong relationship with Washington.

“It was really great to see Coach J-Wash,” Ringo said. “He’s a great guy and we’ve built a great bond since I first went out there.”

Washington’s had success developing talent, putting 10 players in the NFL during his coaching career, according to UT athletics. That includes Minnesota Vikings cornerback Kris Boyd, who Ringo has stayed in touch with since he was Ringo’s guide on an unofficial visit last November. With Boyd gone, Ringo said he’s become close with rising sophomore cornerback Anthony Cook, who started four games this season.

“Ultimately, I’m just trying to grow my bonds,” Ringo said. “It’ll be real certain when a place feels like home for me.”

Ringo said he’s not close yet to making a decision and is still in the evaluation process. Texas will have to fight off the other schools Ringo is still considering — Ohio State, Oregon, Alabama and Georgia — if the Longhorns want to land the top prospect.

Texas does have an advantage Ringo’s other finalists don’t have — familiarity. Former Longhorns cornerback great Bryant Westbrook, who went on to spend seven seasons in the NFL at the turn of the century, is an assistant for Saguaro.

Plus, Westbrook helped quickly develop Ringo while winning at the highest level. Ringo won three state titles in his first three years before losing on Saturday. He recovered a fumble and rushed for a touchdown in Saguaro’s 41-34 loss to Chandler.

“I’m just continuing to evaluate those schools and continuing to talk to those schools and building relationships,” Ringo said. “That’s ultimately what’s going to make me go to a school.”

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1 minute ago, bigup2dahorns said:

AAS on Ringo:


Whether Texas is that top choice is still unknown, but Ringo can’t help but crack a smile when speaking about his potential future as a Longhorn.

“I could definitely see myself at Texas,” Ringo said.

Texas’ favor with Ringo is like that of many recruits who end up in burnt orange. He likes Austin as a city. He’s complimentary of UT’s history and tradition as a top program in college football. He likes the program’s direction despite a 7-5 regular season in 2019.

Ringo also hasn’t been scared off by recent changes on the coaching staff, including the firing of defensive coordinator Todd Orlando. He’s just looking for a good fit and a chance to make an impact.

“Texas is Texas, man,” Ringo said. “It’s a great school and they’ve got great coaches.”

Texas, naturally, remains just as interested in landing Ringo as it was when the cornerback included the Longhorns in his top five in June. He got a home visit from Texas recruiting director and cornerbacks coach Jason Washington earlier in the week. Ringo said the visit went well and that he’s developed a strong relationship with Washington.

“It was really great to see Coach J-Wash,” Ringo said. “He’s a great guy and we’ve built a great bond since I first went out there.”

Washington’s had success developing talent, putting 10 players in the NFL during his coaching career, according to UT athletics. That includes Minnesota Vikings cornerback Kris Boyd, who Ringo has stayed in touch with since he was Ringo’s guide on an unofficial visit last November. With Boyd gone, Ringo said he’s become close with rising sophomore cornerback Anthony Cook, who started four games this season.

“Ultimately, I’m just trying to grow my bonds,” Ringo said. “It’ll be real certain when a place feels like home for me.”

Ringo said he’s not close yet to making a decision and is still in the evaluation process. Texas will have to fight off the other schools Ringo is still considering — Ohio State, Oregon, Alabama and Georgia — if the Longhorns want to land the top prospect.

Texas does have an advantage Ringo’s other finalists don’t have — familiarity. Former Longhorns cornerback great Bryant Westbrook, who went on to spend seven seasons in the NFL at the turn of the century, is an assistant for Saguaro.

Plus, Westbrook helped quickly develop Ringo while winning at the highest level. Ringo won three state titles in his first three years before losing on Saturday. He recovered a fumble and rushed for a touchdown in Saguaro’s 41-34 loss to Chandler.

“I’m just continuing to evaluate those schools and continuing to talk to those schools and building relationships,” Ringo said. “That’s ultimately what’s going to make me go to a school.”

Can we not just offer Bryant Westbrook a job and lock this thing up?

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On 12/5/2019 at 2:34 PM, LTtxfan said:

Players at SMU wanted Traylor for Head Coach when Morris went to Arky...

Traylor would be a good candidate for UTSA if they would consider him.  Lamar is a trash job.

 

Holy Shit I might be right for once... (Even a Blind Squirrel finds a nut sometimes)

 

Edited by LTtxfan
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6 minutes ago, bigup2dahorns said:

AAS on Ringo:


Whether Texas is that top choice is still unknown, but Ringo can’t help but crack a smile when speaking about his potential future as a Longhorn.

“I could definitely see myself at Texas,” Ringo said.

Texas’ favor with Ringo is like that of many recruits who end up in burnt orange. He likes Austin as a city. He’s complimentary of UT’s history and tradition as a top program in college football. He likes the program’s direction despite a 7-5 regular season in 2019.

Ringo also hasn’t been scared off by recent changes on the coaching staff, including the firing of defensive coordinator Todd Orlando. He’s just looking for a good fit and a chance to make an impact.

“Texas is Texas, man,” Ringo said. “It’s a great school and they’ve got great coaches.”

Texas, naturally, remains just as interested in landing Ringo as it was when the cornerback included the Longhorns in his top five in June. He got a home visit from Texas recruiting director and cornerbacks coach Jason Washington earlier in the week. Ringo said the visit went well and that he’s developed a strong relationship with Washington.

“It was really great to see Coach J-Wash,” Ringo said. “He’s a great guy and we’ve built a great bond since I first went out there.”

Washington’s had success developing talent, putting 10 players in the NFL during his coaching career, according to UT athletics. That includes Minnesota Vikings cornerback Kris Boyd, who Ringo has stayed in touch with since he was Ringo’s guide on an unofficial visit last November. With Boyd gone, Ringo said he’s become close with rising sophomore cornerback Anthony Cook, who started four games this season.

“Ultimately, I’m just trying to grow my bonds,” Ringo said. “It’ll be real certain when a place feels like home for me.”

Ringo said he’s not close yet to making a decision and is still in the evaluation process. Texas will have to fight off the other schools Ringo is still considering — Ohio State, Oregon, Alabama and Georgia — if the Longhorns want to land the top prospect.

Texas does have an advantage Ringo’s other finalists don’t have — familiarity. Former Longhorns cornerback great Bryant Westbrook, who went on to spend seven seasons in the NFL at the turn of the century, is an assistant for Saguaro.

Plus, Westbrook helped quickly develop Ringo while winning at the highest level. Ringo won three state titles in his first three years before losing on Saturday. He recovered a fumble and rushed for a touchdown in Saguaro’s 41-34 loss to Chandler.

“I’m just continuing to evaluate those schools and continuing to talk to those schools and building relationships,” Ringo said. “That’s ultimately what’s going to make me go to a school.”

Can this please be the crazy recruit we get late? I want to believe.

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6 minutes ago, joeycovers said:

Another Max Cummins or Fitzgerald?

Speaking of which, just wanted to throw out a fun reminder that our coaching staff passed up James Lynch and took Cummins instead.
 

Max Cummins may never play a down for us, but at least he’s got a better porn star name. It’s not like we really needed a 12.5 sack guy (3.5 sacks if you adjust for him playing in Orlando’s system) on our DL this year anyways.

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Just now, Burt Macklin said:

Speaking of which, just wanted to throw out a fun reminder that our coaching staff passed up James Lynch and took Cummins instead.
 

Max Cummins may never play a down for us, but at least he’s got a better porn star name. It’s not like we really needed a 12.5 sack guy on our DL this year anyways.

Wasn't Lynch a converted OL? Seems like a great eval/coaching job that I'm not sure our staff could have pulled off.

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Just now, texifornia said:

Wasn't Lynch a converted OL? Seems like a great eval/coaching job that I'm not sure our staff could have pulled off.

He was the DL MVP for his district senior year at Round Rock. He had some possibility as an OL but most projected him to DL. He was firmly on our staff’s radar and we passed. 

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1 minute ago, satyanash said:

Some tremendous takes from when he committed to Baylor:

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Yeah, he wasn’t thought to be anywhere near as good as he is now, and I never would’ve believed Lockhart would make it as a DE in a 3 man front, either.

Have I mentioned we should do everything in our power to pull Okam from Baylor?

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Yeah, he wasn’t thought to be anywhere near as good as he is now, and I never would’ve believed Lockhart would make it as a DE in a 3 man front, either.
Have I mentioned we should do everything in our power to pull Okam from Baylor?


Watching the Big 12 championship and seeing Lockhart was a huge annoyance.
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1 hour ago, satyanash said:

Some tremendous takes from when he committed to Baylor:

spacer.png

I really hate this fucking shit. Talent evaluation is hard and you’ve never attempted it. The posters you quoted did nothing but give valued opinions at the time in an extremely difficult field. You are a fucking coelenterate if there ever was one. The next time you offer your own take on a recruit’s ability will be the first. 

Edited by closetojumping
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9 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

It’s amazing what lots of players do under coaches who aren’t complete frauds. But everyone keeps defending Giles because...checks notes...Omenihue 

Yeah good times. I’m sure Graham or Koburn would be just as average under a different coach. 

Your arguments would sound a lot smarter if your hit rate on correctly spelling their names was over 34%

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I really hate this fucking shit. Talent evaluation is hard and you’ve never attempted it. The posters you quoted did nothing but give valued opinions at the time in an extremely difficult field. You are a fucking coelenterate if there ever was one. The next time you offer your own take on a recruit’s ability will be the first. 


Admit it, you sit around all day and thumb thru a dictionary to figure out what obscure term you can throw into a post. That’s your hobby.
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34 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

 


Admit it, you sit around all day and thumb thru a dictionary to figure out what obscure term you can throw into a post. That’s your hobby.

 

I don’t even understand what I said in that post that inspired this response. I’ll never appeal to the basest level of reader, but you already knew that.

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