Texas Recruiting Notes 2020

[Bevo 13528]

12 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

 

Well, Squeegeedegg nailed it. I like JQJ as a QB. I don't mind giving him a couple years. The problem is Herman's QB recruiting, so you nailed my skepticism Macklin. It's extremely unlikely after a couple years of development that JQJ is beating out Card who has probably already taken snaps at QB in games. Maybe even started a year. But we're to expect he's beating him out, and then keeping Ewers on the bench as well? For Years? Or he sees that QB room and justifiably transfers somewhere to play QB. 

I'm a huge fan of JQJ as a QB. I'm just a much larger fan of him as a player wearing a Texas uniform and contributing on the field. Herman's QB recruiting makes this the most unlikely possibility. 

How is Yurcich with regard to using his QB as a running threat? Based on the Milroe experience, the recruitment of Wright, and the flirtation with other QB prospects, it seems like he may favor pure passers. 

[Burt Macklin 18999]

6 minutes ago, Bevo said:

How is Yurcich with regard to using his QB as a running threat? Based on the Milroe experience, the recruitment of Wright, and the flirtation with other QB prospects, it seems like he may favor pure passers. 

He used Walsh pretty creatively as a runner when he got to OSU (because they didn’t have much else) and Fields ran a decent amount last year, though tOSU didn’t need their QB to run to win last year. Overall, he knows how to utilize a running QB, but his offense requires some NFL-level throws and he definitely prioritizes a guy who can make all the throws in his offense while a running threat is more of a bonus. Herman obviously values a running threat, so we’ll have to see how their offenses merge this year, but I’m guessing we’ll call quite a few less runs for Sam this year. 
 

It’s also good to note that Beck has a history of over-running his QBs. He ran Barrett 205 times his first year at tOSU and pretty much anytime his offense isn’t working (which is pretty often), he would default to a lot of QB running. 

Edited September 8, 2020 by Burt Macklin

[Ricky's one-hitter 9084]

I'm no QB guru, but after watching some Cardale Jones high school film, I think JQJ's development as a passer would follow a similar curve under TH. I don't know what Yurch adds to the equation as a teacher and whether he could accelerate that development. 

Jones was a playmaker with a deep ball. They're not identical prospects, but they share those traits.

 

[squeegeedegg 723]

I would be more than ok with a wildcat package for him as early as this year, I just don't see a clear path as starter at QB and he won't be sticking around long to find out if that becomes apparent to him.  Wildcat work in 2020, and make the call to switch to LB in 2021 once the QB battle shakes out

[Katfid54 8593]

41 minutes ago, Bevo said:

How is Yurcich with regard to using his QB as a running threat? Based on the Milroe experience, the recruitment of Wright, and the flirtation with other QB prospects, it seems like he may favor pure passers. 

You don't remember goofy-ass Taylor "Corndog" Cornelius absolutely decimating us with QB Zone Read when we played @ oSu two years ago???  Yurcich uses his QB as a running threat in very smart and fucking useful ways, and in 2018, it fucking sucked.

[Burt Macklin 18999]

54 minutes ago, Katfid54 said:

You don't remember goofy-ass Taylor "Corndog" Cornelius absolutely decimating us with QB Zone Read when we played @ oSu two years ago???  Yurcich uses his QB as a running threat in very smart and fucking useful ways, and in 2018, it fucking sucked.

Thanks for that memory. I really felt a lack of rage when I got up this morning, but you’ve fixed that now. Motherfucker! That game was infuriating! Though, that was basically every week under Charlie. 

That game’s a good example of Yurcich’ side of the run game. He’s not going to make QB runs a staple of the offense, but he will use them at opportune times or against opponents who are schematically weak to it.
 

Unlike Beck, who went, “Uh oh, these hittas are stopping everything I call. Guess I’ll run JT, I mean Sam, into the teeth of the defense 25 times.”

Edited September 8, 2020 by Burt Macklin

[texifornia 56551]

For those who were nervous about his absence, sounds like Marcus Washington picked up a minor injury.

[Burt Macklin 18999]

7 minutes ago, texifornia said:

For those who were nervous about his absence, sounds like Marcus Washington picked up a minor injury.

I probably prefer that reason over him just not making an impact so far. Hopefully it’s minor and he can get back out there soon.  

[cafe society 2842]

4 hours ago, squeegeedegg said:

Might I interest you in a few reps at linebacker in these trying times?

He's the burnt orange Myles Jack.

[Burt Macklin 18999]

1 minute ago, cafe society said:

He's the burnt orange Myles Jack.

Having him play LB and giving him an 18 wheeler kind of package (but if it actually worked most of the time) would be a lot of fun. 

Edited September 8, 2020 by Burt Macklin

[Katfid54 8593]

2 hours ago, Burt Macklin said:

Unlike Beck, who went, “Uh oh, these hittas are stopping everything I call. Guess I’ll run JT, I mean Sam, into the teeth of the defense 25 times.”

This is true, although I think his JW Walsh packages would also suggest that, if worst comes to worst, Yurcich is absolutely more than willing to run QB Draw/ZR/Power Read/QB power/etc. until the cows come home, if that's what's working.

[Burt Macklin 18999]

2 minutes ago, Katfid54 said:

This is true, although I think his JW Walsh packages would also suggest that, if worst comes to worst, Yurcich is absolutely more than willing to run QB Draw/ZR/Power Read/QB power/etc. until the cows come home, if that's what's working.

For sure, he can, but he’s not going to recruit or plan on that. Though, God forbid,  if Thompson transfers and Card gets hurt next year ...we might see a redux of that with JJ, which would be fun and terrifying all at the same time. 

[cochamps 1879]

On 9/8/2020 at 10:17 AM, squeegeedegg said:

Goodman seems to be on team JQJ to SMU

Maybe he is on team “let the best man win”.  Card is ahead now, but it is WAY to early to make a call.  I remember every jack wagon under the sun proclaiming Jevan Snead the heir to VY.  Let’s give it time as it will work itself out.  

[SydneyCarton 47914]

30 minutes ago, cochamps said:

Maybe he is on team “let the best man win”.  Card is ahead now, but it is WAY to early to make a call.  I remember every jack wagon under the sun proclaiming Jevan Snead the heir to VY.  Let’s give it time as it will work itself out.  

Listen, lets not pretend Snead ended up being a shitty QB. He ended up being a good college QB. Just because unheralded Colt McCoy, who would have sat behind Perilloux forever most likely, grabbed the job when opportunity struck and never let go of it doesn't mean Snead ended up sucking. And that situation was different. Colt McCoy had a year head start on the true freshman Snead. Card and JQJ are in the same class, and Card is technically much more advanced for the position at this time. Sure, you can play the "anything can happen" card, and it certainly can. But at the same time, there's a reason that JQJ is at a disadvantage and some unexpected outliers will have to pop up for him to overcome that to be the starting QB at Texas. It'll work itself out, yes, because everything does. But there's also a reason Vegas and everyone else picks favorites. 

[cochamps 1879]

I don’t think Card is shitty.  I just think he’s come in ahead of JJ because of his HS offense.  I think we all knew that.  Just saying that needs time to play out.  Even though I think JJ will be special, I don’t pretend to know that he will be the better QB.  I just want to see him get a fair shot before we talk about switching positions, especially to fucking LB where he’s never played.

 

[texifornia 56551]

6 minutes ago, cochamps said:

I don’t think Card is shitty.  I just think he’s come in ahead of JJ because of his HS offense.  I think we all knew that.  Just saying that needs time to play out.  Even though I think JJ will be special, I don’t pretend to know that he will be the better QB.  I just want to see him get a fair shot before we talk about switching positions, especially to fucking LB where he’s never played.

 

Much more than just that. He's had every bit of extracurricular coaching and training an 18-year-old QB can possibly have.

[Thiefery 4969]

Jackson is going to beat out Card and Thompson in the Spring...  All I needed to see was his 20 sec of shine on All Access last night to convince me.  #HookEm

[cochamps 1879]

3 minutes ago, Thiefery said:

Jackson is going to beat out Card and Thompson in the Spring...  All I needed to see was his 20 sec of shine on All Access last night to convince me.  #HookEm

I’ve watched him in person 8-10 times.  It is a mistake to underrate him.  A very talented alpha male, imo.  

Just need to be coached up (polished up, whatever).

 

Edited September 10, 2020 by cochamps

[cochamps 1879]

1 hour ago, SydneyCarton said:

Listen, lets not pretend Snead ended up being a shitty QB. He ended up being a good college QB. Just because unheralded Colt McCoy, who would have sat behind Perilloux forever most likely, grabbed the job when opportunity struck and never let go of it doesn't mean Snead ended up sucking. And that situation was different. Colt McCoy had a year head start on the true freshman Snead. Card and JQJ are in the same class, and Card is technically much more advanced for the position at this time. Sure, you can play the "anything can happen" card, and it certainly can. But at the same time, there's a reason that JQJ is at a disadvantage and some unexpected outliers will have to pop up for him to overcome that to be the starting QB at Texas. It'll work itself out, yes, because everything does. But there's also a reason Vegas and everyone else picks favorites. 

Also, I’m not pretending Snead was shitty.  That is kind of my point, that Colt was overlooked because he was from a small school.  Point taken on him having an extra year.

Neither Colt nor Snead would have sat behind Perriloux imo, because he had a screw loose.  He was quite portly in no time as I recall.

 

[Ricky's one-hitter 9084]

What we're saying is that a string of highly unlikely events needs to occur to put JQJ in a position to start. If that happens he might surprise us all as the next VY.

For everyone pumping JQJ, why can't he just win the job? You know, beat out the guys in front of him? Why does this unlikely confluence of events need to occur to discover his real skills? If your response is "he's a gamer" or "he's not a practice player", you're fooling yourself into believing something because you're a contrarian. "He's an alpha". Stop. 

There are three things I trust TH to do well. First, he's built a great player personnel staff and the evals are (almost) all good to great. Second, he seemingly can't lose as an underdog with time to prepare, from smacking around Jimbo in the Peach bowl to Kirby in the Sugar. Finally, QB development. Regardless of skill-set (Barrett/Jones/Burrow/King/Buechele/Ehlinger), they have all achieved a significant college ceiling that they may not have otherwise. 

So, if Tom trots out Card as the starter, I'm going to trust that he's the best QB in the room. If Tom goes with JQJ, I'm going to trust he's the best QB in the room. It's really that simple. 

[SydneyCarton 47914]

17 minutes ago, cochamps said:

Also, I’m not pretending Snead was shitty.  That is kind of my point, that Colt was overlooked because he was from a small school.  Point taken on him having an extra year.

Neither Colt nor Snead would have sat behind Perriloux imo, because he had a screw loose.  He was quite portly in no time as I recall.

 

But you're forgetting that Mack Brown at some point showed a tendency to anoint QBs. I think Perilloux has a different story if he comes to Texas. But I can't prove that. I know Colt likely never starts here, though, from that red shirt season. 

[cochamps 1879]

56 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

But you're forgetting that Mack Brown at some point showed a tendency to anoint QBs. I think Perilloux has a different story if he comes to Texas. But I can't prove that. I know Colt likely never starts here, though, from that red shirt season. 

Concur on Mack anointing QBs.  I was very surprised in the spring of 06 when Colt was the one anointed.  He must’ve looked better than Snead, but in hindsight I suspect some of that might have been sucking up to TX HS corches.

[cochamps 1879]

1 hour ago, Ricky's one-hitter said:

What we're saying is that a string of highly unlikely events needs to occur to put JQJ in a position to start. If that happens he might surprise us all as the next VY.

For everyone pumping JQJ, why can't he just win the job? You know, beat out the guys in front of him? Why does this unlikely confluence of events need to occur to discover his real skills? If your response is "he's a gamer" or "he's not a practice player", you're fooling yourself into believing something because you're a contrarian. "He's an alpha". Stop. 

There are three things I trust TH to do well. First, he's built a great player personnel staff and the evals are (almost) all good to great. Second, he seemingly can't lose as an underdog with time to prepare, from smacking around Jimbo in the Peach bowl to Kirby in the Sugar. Finally, QB development. Regardless of skill-set (Barrett/Jones/Burrow/King/Buechele/Ehlinger), they have all achieved a significant college ceiling that they may not have otherwise. 

So, if Tom trots out Card as the starter, I'm going to trust that he's the best QB in the room. If Tom goes with JQJ, I'm going to trust he's the best QB in the room. It's really that simple. 

JJ is raw.  He played in a fairly primitive offense where he didn’t pass much.  Card played in a sophisticated spread and has been to all kinds of camps & had all kinds of training as was mentioned.  I thought everyone understood this, but not all players arrive at college with the same experience.

I suspect that JJ will have to show some skills pretty early if Card is as good as early practice reports indicate.  I suspect he will.

Like you, if Herman & Yurcich give the nod to Card I’m okay with that (or vice versa).  

I just a fan, but I’ve been watching HS FB for a long time.  Missed both Earl & VY, but I’d put Ja’Quinden in the same category as Benson, Quan, and Sergio.  He has outstanding skills and I believe that he doesn’t prevail, Hudson Card or the SLC special are indeed special.

 

 

[Getafix 28416]

Horns 247 / Chip Brown / The Insider: Football updates galore

 

FCB.

F the Brocks.

F OU.

F South Austin's mom (but in a good way).

 

Spoiler

The Insider: Football updates galore
CHIP BROWN

FOOTBALL UPDATES GALORE - IT’S GAME WEEK!!

A day some never thought would get here is now just 48 hours away. Let that sink in for a minute. And let us rejoice!

As I reported Wednesday, starting slot receiver Jake Smith’s hamstring injury appears to be mild, and he should be back for UT’s Big 12 opener at Texas Tech on Sept. 26. It doesn’t hurt that his replacement happens to be a five-star talent in Jordan Whittington, who has looked good in practice, according to team sources.

 

“Really excited for Jordan to get on the field,” one team source said. “The kid wants to be great and is willing to put in the work to get there. You want players like that to flourish. So, it’ll be nice to see him on the field, doing what he loves.”

As I’ve reported in The Insider during fall camp, Whittington is involved with multiple packages, including lining up at H-back and motioning from his slot receiver position into the backfield and running the ball (after working at running back last year).

Not sure how many of those J-Whitt packages we’ll Saturday against UTEP, but Whittington is a versatile weapon who is expected to be a big part of the offensive game plan this season.

THE LATEST ON BRENNAN EAGLES

(Photo: Scott Wachter, USA TODAY Sports)
Some were surprised by the release of the Texas Longhorns’ depth chart this week when Brennan Eagles was listed as the backup to Michigan grad transfer receiver Tarik Black at X receiver, where Collin Johnson lined up last year.

(Horns247 family members shouldn’t have been surprised since I’ve been reporting in The Insider since the beginning of camp that Eagles was struggling to get on track and that freshman receiver Troy Omeire was having the best camp of any X receiver before a season-ending ACL tear.)

Still, how could Eagles, who is the team’s top returning receiver (32 catches for 522 yards, 16.3 ypc, 6 TDs in 2019), be third on the depth chart before Omeire’s injury?

I talked to a couple team sources as well as a source close to Eagles this week who had interesting viewpoints on the immensely talented, 6-foot-4, 229-pound junior wideout and where he is mentally heading into the season opener. (There’s good news.)

First and foremost, the team sources I spoke with gave credit to new receivers coach Andre Coleman for the way he’s handled Eagles, who can be a very strong-willed individual, even when it comes to challenging his coaches.

Eagles had a blow-up last year the week of the TCU game that resulted in him skipping a practice and getting suspended for Texas’ loss to the Horned Frogs - a game in which Texas could’ve used Eagles as UT’s offense bogged down in the second half.

With last year’s leading receivers Devin Duvernay and Collin Johnson now in the NFL, there was probably a sense in Eagles that he was now the man, sources said. But everything under Herman’s watch - and also under Coleman’s watch - is earned.

“There’s not a doubt in my mind that Brennan - consciously or subconsciously - has tested Andre as his new position coach to see where the boundaries are,” said a source close to the situation.

“And Andre hasn’t blinked. Andre has just continued to coach Brennan by stressing the technical details and demanding excellence. If the route calls for outside leverage, and that’s not what the receiver does, that receiver is gonna hear about it. There are no shortcuts just because a guy is big, strong and fast. Little by little, I think Brennan is realizing that all Andre is focusing on is making Brennan better. And the sooner he just trusts Andre, the better Brennan is going to be. I think Brennan is coming around.”

Coleman, a former receiver and kick return specialist in the NFL, doesn’t play favorites. And Coleman, who grew up in blue-collar, Hermitage, Pennsylvania, just outside of Youngstown, Ohio, made it to the NFL as a third-round draft pick from Kansas State as an all-purpose grinder who achieved All-American status in 1993.

“In a lot of ways, Andre Coleman is the perfect guy to coach some of these big, strong, fast, pretty, strong-willed receivers, because Andre made it to the league as an undersized receiver who was anything but a diva,” said a coach who has known Coleman for years.

“Andre is about the grind. He stresses to the big, fast, pretty ones that if they become one of the hardest workers and pay attention to the details, all the doors will open. He also stresses that’s the ONLY way the doors will open. A lot of receivers coaches are put on staff because they’re really good recruiters, but they can’t coach a kid how to get from A to B. Andre is a great, technical coach who teaches kids how to work, how to grind and gets the best out of his talent.”

Tom Herman doesn’t indulge anything but an all-in, team attitude. And Herman can be harsh when he senses any hint of selfishness in a player’s attitude as we saw in Herman’s first year with a player like Armanti Foreman. Foreman was one of the best receivers on the team and had made a bunch of clutch catches in his time at Texas. But Foreman was also a bit of a contrarian who liked to drift to the back of practice lines, didn’t always push himself and didn’t always set the best example - the exact opposite of his brother D'Onta Foreman, UT’s only 1,000-yard rusher in the past 12 years (2,028 yards in 2016). The result was less and less playing time.

Things were complicated when Drew Mehringer was the receivers coach at Texas, because Herman wasn’t above calling out Mehringer in front of the team at practice if he saw something he didn’t like from a receiver or the receiver group, sources said. Coleman has earned Herman’s trust by the drama-free way he’s just made it about the work and attention to detail.

“Andre is incredibly supportive of Brennan and has just continued to stress the grind and nothing else,” a team source said. “I think Brennan is coming around, and you’ll see the arrow start pointing up.”

One source said Eagles “might have just assumed he was going to be the man, because Collin (Johnson) and Duvernay had moved on, and he was suddenly the veteran in the receiver room.

“But it’s always going to be about the grind and consistency and earning it every day. That’s the only way it works,” the source said.

Texas offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, who is super intense about the details, this week was asked about Eagles.

“His confidence level is growing,” Yurcich said. “We’ve got to get Brennan playing as fast as he possibly can. However fast he is - if he’s a four-four guy in the 40 - we’ve got to make sure he’s running a four-four when we snap the ball. When he’s processing everything, we need to make sure he’s reacting and not hesitant. When he lines up, he needs to know how to adjust based on coverage. That comes with repetition after repetition after repetition. That’s the name of the game.”

Even though Eagles may not start on Saturday, I’m told he’s had a good stretch of practices dating to last week.

AN UPDATE AT MIDDLE LINEBACKER

I’m hearing it’s almost a coin flip as to whether former walk-on Cort Jaquess, who started UT’s 38-10 win over Utah in the Alamo Bowl and posted five, first-half tackles, or Juwan Mitchell will start at middle linebacker for Texas on Saturday.

Ayodele Adeoye, who is listed first on the depth chart at middle linebacker, returned to practice this week from a shoulder injury he suffered two weeks ago in a blitz pickup drill against Roschon Johnson. I’m told Adeoye has looked good and should play on Saturday, but he definitely won’t start because of the time he missed at the end of camp.

NEW COORDINATORS OBSESSED WITH DETAILS, FUNDAMENTALS

(Photo: © Texas Football | Texassports.com)
New coordinators Mike Yurcich and Chris Ash have been relentless about fundamentals on both sides of the ball. For Yurcich, that means attention to detail about everything from footwork to where and how players are lining up to best leverage the defense. For Ash, it’s been about making sure players are wrapping up, using a “rugby-style” of tackling, and not just throwing shoulders into ball carriers.

“The fundamentals are so much better,” one team source said. “These guys are getting coached. How receivers are lining up and running routes. The tackling has been good. Defensive backs are making plays on the ball. The linemen on both sides are getting off with good footwork and hand placement. That stuff has to be an every-day thing or it will lapse when guys get tired. And these coaches are all about it.”

Two things to watch on Saturday: The fast-developing route concepts used by Yurcich when he goes up-tempo, and the ability of Ash to disguise man and zone while using bracket coverage to provide support for UT’s cornerbacks, so they’re not in one-on-one coverage all the time.

The defense’s ability to get pressure on the quarterback with three or four will be a determining factor in how much Ash leaves his corners on an island. It will be some of the time. Ash doesn’t want it to be all of the time.

SOME FALLOUT FROM THE PANDEMIC

(Photo: © Taylor Estes, 247Sports)
In addition to Texas’ four players who have opted out of the season (DE Marqez Bimage, RB Daniel Young, OL Willie Tyler and WR Dajon Harrison), there’s no doubt the COVID-19 pandemic affected the way some players returned to campus after they were away from mid-March until June.

I’ve reported linebacker Marcus Tillman Jr.’s return to form following a season-ending knee injury last year suffered, because he had to conduct a lot of his rehab virtually during the pandemic. As a result, Tillman’s still behind from a conditioning standpoint and isn’t even on the two-deep.

This week, a source told me another player severely affected by the pandemic was offensive tackle Tyler Johnson, because he came back to campus so out of shape.

The source said Johnson had to work so hard to get back into shape during fall camp (and ended up missing time with an upper respiratory infection - not COVID-19) that freshman Andrej Karic has replaced Johnson as the backup to Samuel Cosmi at left tackle. Johnson is only working at right tackle, where he is currently listed as the backup to Christian Jones.

When I asked if Cosmi had to come out of a game, who would go in, I was told Karic. When I asked who is the likely heir apparent to Cosmi at left tackle next season - Karic or Johnson? - the response was, “Every position has ongoing competition.”

ON RETURNS: THE D’SHAWN JAMISON SHOW

(Photo: Ben Queen, USA TODAY Sports)
D'Shawn Jamison, who led the team in interceptions last year and has locked down a starting cornerback job, will be the Longhorns’ punt returner as well as the featured kick returner on Saturday.

And for good reason.

Jamison has touchdowns on both punt and kick returns in his career, and his 71-yard punt return in last year’s Alamo Bowl win over Utah helped swing the momentum in UT’s favor after an early, low-scoring affair.

Sources said Jamison’s electricity on returns has led to a greater buy-in in terms of attention to details from players on those units, and the hope is Texas has several - not just a few - big-play returns this season. Jake Smith, who is out for Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury, will be Jamison’s backup on punt returns. Joshua Moore will be Jamison’s backup on punt returns Saturday. Look for either freshman running back Bijan Robinson or redshirt freshman Jordan Whittington to join Jamison on kick returns. But the goal will be to get the ball in Jamison’s hands, sources said.

 

 

[texifornia 56551]

19 minutes ago, Getafix said:

Horns 247 / Chip Brown / The Insider: Football updates galore

 

FCB.

F the Brocks.

F OU.

F South Austin's mom (but in a good way).

 

  Reveal hidden contents

The Insider: Football updates galore
CHIP BROWN

FOOTBALL UPDATES GALORE - IT’S GAME WEEK!!

A day some never thought would get here is now just 48 hours away. Let that sink in for a minute. And let us rejoice!

As I reported Wednesday, starting slot receiver Jake Smith’s hamstring injury appears to be mild, and he should be back for UT’s Big 12 opener at Texas Tech on Sept. 26. It doesn’t hurt that his replacement happens to be a five-star talent in Jordan Whittington, who has looked good in practice, according to team sources.

 

“Really excited for Jordan to get on the field,” one team source said. “The kid wants to be great and is willing to put in the work to get there. You want players like that to flourish. So, it’ll be nice to see him on the field, doing what he loves.”

As I’ve reported in The Insider during fall camp, Whittington is involved with multiple packages, including lining up at H-back and motioning from his slot receiver position into the backfield and running the ball (after working at running back last year).

Not sure how many of those J-Whitt packages we’ll Saturday against UTEP, but Whittington is a versatile weapon who is expected to be a big part of the offensive game plan this season.

THE LATEST ON BRENNAN EAGLES

(Photo: Scott Wachter, USA TODAY Sports)
Some were surprised by the release of the Texas Longhorns’ depth chart this week when Brennan Eagles was listed as the backup to Michigan grad transfer receiver Tarik Black at X receiver, where Collin Johnson lined up last year.

(Horns247 family members shouldn’t have been surprised since I’ve been reporting in The Insider since the beginning of camp that Eagles was struggling to get on track and that freshman receiver Troy Omeire was having the best camp of any X receiver before a season-ending ACL tear.)

Still, how could Eagles, who is the team’s top returning receiver (32 catches for 522 yards, 16.3 ypc, 6 TDs in 2019), be third on the depth chart before Omeire’s injury?

I talked to a couple team sources as well as a source close to Eagles this week who had interesting viewpoints on the immensely talented, 6-foot-4, 229-pound junior wideout and where he is mentally heading into the season opener. (There’s good news.)

First and foremost, the team sources I spoke with gave credit to new receivers coach Andre Coleman for the way he’s handled Eagles, who can be a very strong-willed individual, even when it comes to challenging his coaches.

Eagles had a blow-up last year the week of the TCU game that resulted in him skipping a practice and getting suspended for Texas’ loss to the Horned Frogs - a game in which Texas could’ve used Eagles as UT’s offense bogged down in the second half.

With last year’s leading receivers Devin Duvernay and Collin Johnson now in the NFL, there was probably a sense in Eagles that he was now the man, sources said. But everything under Herman’s watch - and also under Coleman’s watch - is earned.

“There’s not a doubt in my mind that Brennan - consciously or subconsciously - has tested Andre as his new position coach to see where the boundaries are,” said a source close to the situation.

“And Andre hasn’t blinked. Andre has just continued to coach Brennan by stressing the technical details and demanding excellence. If the route calls for outside leverage, and that’s not what the receiver does, that receiver is gonna hear about it. There are no shortcuts just because a guy is big, strong and fast. Little by little, I think Brennan is realizing that all Andre is focusing on is making Brennan better. And the sooner he just trusts Andre, the better Brennan is going to be. I think Brennan is coming around.”

Coleman, a former receiver and kick return specialist in the NFL, doesn’t play favorites. And Coleman, who grew up in blue-collar, Hermitage, Pennsylvania, just outside of Youngstown, Ohio, made it to the NFL as a third-round draft pick from Kansas State as an all-purpose grinder who achieved All-American status in 1993.

“In a lot of ways, Andre Coleman is the perfect guy to coach some of these big, strong, fast, pretty, strong-willed receivers, because Andre made it to the league as an undersized receiver who was anything but a diva,” said a coach who has known Coleman for years.

“Andre is about the grind. He stresses to the big, fast, pretty ones that if they become one of the hardest workers and pay attention to the details, all the doors will open. He also stresses that’s the ONLY way the doors will open. A lot of receivers coaches are put on staff because they’re really good recruiters, but they can’t coach a kid how to get from A to B. Andre is a great, technical coach who teaches kids how to work, how to grind and gets the best out of his talent.”

Tom Herman doesn’t indulge anything but an all-in, team attitude. And Herman can be harsh when he senses any hint of selfishness in a player’s attitude as we saw in Herman’s first year with a player like Armanti Foreman. Foreman was one of the best receivers on the team and had made a bunch of clutch catches in his time at Texas. But Foreman was also a bit of a contrarian who liked to drift to the back of practice lines, didn’t always push himself and didn’t always set the best example - the exact opposite of his brother D'Onta Foreman, UT’s only 1,000-yard rusher in the past 12 years (2,028 yards in 2016). The result was less and less playing time.

Things were complicated when Drew Mehringer was the receivers coach at Texas, because Herman wasn’t above calling out Mehringer in front of the team at practice if he saw something he didn’t like from a receiver or the receiver group, sources said. Coleman has earned Herman’s trust by the drama-free way he’s just made it about the work and attention to detail.

“Andre is incredibly supportive of Brennan and has just continued to stress the grind and nothing else,” a team source said. “I think Brennan is coming around, and you’ll see the arrow start pointing up.”

One source said Eagles “might have just assumed he was going to be the man, because Collin (Johnson) and Duvernay had moved on, and he was suddenly the veteran in the receiver room.

“But it’s always going to be about the grind and consistency and earning it every day. That’s the only way it works,” the source said.

Texas offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, who is super intense about the details, this week was asked about Eagles.

“His confidence level is growing,” Yurcich said. “We’ve got to get Brennan playing as fast as he possibly can. However fast he is - if he’s a four-four guy in the 40 - we’ve got to make sure he’s running a four-four when we snap the ball. When he’s processing everything, we need to make sure he’s reacting and not hesitant. When he lines up, he needs to know how to adjust based on coverage. That comes with repetition after repetition after repetition. That’s the name of the game.”

Even though Eagles may not start on Saturday, I’m told he’s had a good stretch of practices dating to last week.

AN UPDATE AT MIDDLE LINEBACKER

I’m hearing it’s almost a coin flip as to whether former walk-on Cort Jaquess, who started UT’s 38-10 win over Utah in the Alamo Bowl and posted five, first-half tackles, or Juwan Mitchell will start at middle linebacker for Texas on Saturday.

Ayodele Adeoye, who is listed first on the depth chart at middle linebacker, returned to practice this week from a shoulder injury he suffered two weeks ago in a blitz pickup drill against Roschon Johnson. I’m told Adeoye has looked good and should play on Saturday, but he definitely won’t start because of the time he missed at the end of camp.

NEW COORDINATORS OBSESSED WITH DETAILS, FUNDAMENTALS

(Photo: © Texas Football | Texassports.com)
New coordinators Mike Yurcich and Chris Ash have been relentless about fundamentals on both sides of the ball. For Yurcich, that means attention to detail about everything from footwork to where and how players are lining up to best leverage the defense. For Ash, it’s been about making sure players are wrapping up, using a “rugby-style” of tackling, and not just throwing shoulders into ball carriers.

“The fundamentals are so much better,” one team source said. “These guys are getting coached. How receivers are lining up and running routes. The tackling has been good. Defensive backs are making plays on the ball. The linemen on both sides are getting off with good footwork and hand placement. That stuff has to be an every-day thing or it will lapse when guys get tired. And these coaches are all about it.”

Two things to watch on Saturday: The fast-developing route concepts used by Yurcich when he goes up-tempo, and the ability of Ash to disguise man and zone while using bracket coverage to provide support for UT’s cornerbacks, so they’re not in one-on-one coverage all the time.

The defense’s ability to get pressure on the quarterback with three or four will be a determining factor in how much Ash leaves his corners on an island. It will be some of the time. Ash doesn’t want it to be all of the time.

SOME FALLOUT FROM THE PANDEMIC

(Photo: © Taylor Estes, 247Sports)
In addition to Texas’ four players who have opted out of the season (DE Marqez Bimage, RB Daniel Young, OL Willie Tyler and WR Dajon Harrison), there’s no doubt the COVID-19 pandemic affected the way some players returned to campus after they were away from mid-March until June.

I’ve reported linebacker Marcus Tillman Jr.’s return to form following a season-ending knee injury last year suffered, because he had to conduct a lot of his rehab virtually during the pandemic. As a result, Tillman’s still behind from a conditioning standpoint and isn’t even on the two-deep.

This week, a source told me another player severely affected by the pandemic was offensive tackle Tyler Johnson, because he came back to campus so out of shape.

The source said Johnson had to work so hard to get back into shape during fall camp (and ended up missing time with an upper respiratory infection - not COVID-19) that freshman Andrej Karic has replaced Johnson as the backup to Samuel Cosmi at left tackle. Johnson is only working at right tackle, where he is currently listed as the backup to Christian Jones.

When I asked if Cosmi had to come out of a game, who would go in, I was told Karic. When I asked who is the likely heir apparent to Cosmi at left tackle next season - Karic or Johnson? - the response was, “Every position has ongoing competition.”

ON RETURNS: THE D’SHAWN JAMISON SHOW

(Photo: Ben Queen, USA TODAY Sports)
D'Shawn Jamison, who led the team in interceptions last year and has locked down a starting cornerback job, will be the Longhorns’ punt returner as well as the featured kick returner on Saturday.

And for good reason.

Jamison has touchdowns on both punt and kick returns in his career, and his 71-yard punt return in last year’s Alamo Bowl win over Utah helped swing the momentum in UT’s favor after an early, low-scoring affair.

Sources said Jamison’s electricity on returns has led to a greater buy-in in terms of attention to details from players on those units, and the hope is Texas has several - not just a few - big-play returns this season. Jake Smith, who is out for Saturday’s game with a hamstring injury, will be Jamison’s backup on punt returns. Joshua Moore will be Jamison’s backup on punt returns Saturday. Look for either freshman running back Bijan Robinson or redshirt freshman Jordan Whittington to join Jamison on kick returns. But the goal will be to get the ball in Jamison’s hands, sources said.

 

 

Fuck Chip Brown, but the Eagles bit was actually good and interesting

[Elmer_Fudd 22109]

Hopefully Tyler Johnson gets back into shape and gets into some games this year and is competing for a starting spot in the Spring.

[Red Five 40678]

49 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Fuck Chip Brown, but the Eagles bit was actually good and interesting

He seems to have a totally different view of linebacker than everyone else. Including the depth chart.

AN UPDATE AT MIDDLE LINEBACKER

I’m hearing it’s almost a coin flip as to whether former walk-on Cort Jaquess, who started UT’s 38-10 win over Utah in the Alamo Bowl and posted five, first-half tackles, or Juwan Mitchell will start at middle linebacker for Texas on Saturday.

Ayodele Adeoye, who is listed first on the depth chart at middle linebacker, returned to practice this week from a shoulder injury he suffered two weeks ago in a blitz pickup drill against Roschon Johnson. I’m told Adeoye has looked good and should play on Saturday, but he definitely won’t start because of the time he missed at the end of camp.

Edited September 10, 2020 by Red Five

[Katfid54 8593]

6 minutes ago, Red Five said:

He seems to have a totally different view of linebacker than everyone else. Including the depth chart.

That's because Chip Brown writes fiction.

[Beau Vine 54008]

2 hours ago, cochamps said:

Concur on Mack anointing QBs.  I was very surprised in the spring of 06 when Colt was the one anointed.  He must’ve looked better than Snead, but in hindsight I suspect some of that might have been sucking up to TX HS corches.

How so?

[cochamps 1879]

35 minutes ago, Beau Vine said:

How so?

His dad was a HS corch.  Maybe helped Colt get the job.

[UncleSonny 6563]

4 minutes ago, cochamps said:

His dad was a HS corch.  Maybe helped Colt get the job.

Maybe that. Or maybe that he was an all time great college qb with enough talent to play in the NFL for a decade helped him get the job. 

 

[AugieBall 233]

11 minutes ago, UncleSonny said:

Maybe that. Or maybe that he was an all time great college qb with enough talent to play in the NFL for a decade helped him get the job. 

 

Nah.  Definitely not that.  

[LTtxfan 48988]

On 9/8/2020 at 2:49 PM, Katfid54 said:

This is true, although I think his JW Walsh packages would also suggest that, if worst comes to worst, Yurcich is absolutely more than willing to run QB Draw/ZR/Power Read/QB power/etc. until the cows come home, if that's what's working.

JW now on Texas coaching staff as an analyst...

https://247sports.com/college/texas/Article/Texas-Longhorns-football-JW-Walsh-hired-as-offensive-analyst-144824554/

[Laga4 1270]

16 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

JW now on Texas coaching staff as an analyst...

https://247sports.com/college/texas/Article/Texas-Longhorns-football-JW-Walsh-hired-as-offensive-analyst-144824554/

I drinking the kool-aid on our staff/support staff.  

[LTtxfan 48988]

32 minutes ago, Laga4 said:

I drinking the kool-aid on our staff/support staff.  

Yeah forgot about some of these guys...

• Everitt Withers -- offensive analyst (TxState & James Madison HC)
• J.W. Walsh -- offensive analyst (Ok Lite QB)
• Dave Huxtable -- defensive analyst (NC State Def Coord)

https://247sports.com/college/texas/Article/Texas-Longhorns-football-JW-Walsh-hired-as-offensive-analyst-144824554/

Edited September 10, 2020 by LTtxfan

[futureman 22416]

3 hours ago, Getafix said:

This week, a source told me another player severely affected by the pandemic was offensive tackle Tyler Johnson, because he came back to campus so out of shape.

The source said Johnson had to work so hard to get back into shape during fall camp (and ended up missing time with an upper respiratory infection - not COVID-19) that freshman Andrej Karic has replaced Johnson as the backup to Samuel Cosmi at left tackle. Johnson is only working at right tackle, where he is currently listed as the backup to Christian Jones.

When I asked if Cosmi had to come out of a game, who would go in, I was told Karic.

Tray. Allen. v2.0

[Red Five 40678]

I wonder if the whole "redshirt OL if at all possible" thing changes this year. Play Karic none at all, or one play, or the entire season and he's still a freshman next year. 

[NorLa Horns 1458]

6 hours ago, cochamps said:

Concur on Mack anointing QBs.  I was very surprised in the spring of 06 when Colt was the one anointed.  He must’ve looked better than Snead, but in hindsight I suspect some of that might have been sucking up to TX HS corches.

It was my understanding Colt won the locker room over the summer , by organizing summer workouts and being a leader. His skills completed the equation. But he won the position by convincing the team he was QB1. 

[NorLa Horns 1458]

6 hours ago, cochamps said:

JJ is raw.  He played in a fairly primitive offense where he didn’t pass much.  Card played in a sophisticated spread and has been to all kinds of camps & had all kinds of training as was mentioned.  I thought everyone understood this, but not all players arrive at college with the same experience.

I suspect that JJ will have to show some skills pretty early if Card is as good as early practice reports indicate.  I suspect he will.

Like you, if Herman & Yurcich give the nod to Card I’m okay with that (or vice versa).  

I just a fan, but I’ve been watching HS FB for a long time.  Missed both Earl & VY, but I’d put Ja’Quinden in the same category as Benson, Quan, and Sergio.  He has outstanding skills and I believe that he doesn’t prevail, Hudson Card or the SLC special are indeed special.

 

 

JJ's upside is his athleticism. In the Yurcich offense QB accuracy and the mental side of the game is what is gonna earn the starting spot. 

I'm no QB coach ,but other than leadership skills, idk how JJs pluses are gonna come into play in a practice setting to put him apart from Card. Who has the skill, experience ,  extensive training ,and apparently the leadership skills required of the position. 

 

[Atticus 3923]

47 minutes ago, NorLa Horns said:

JJ's upside is his athleticism. In the Yurcich offense QB accuracy and the mental side of the game is what is gonna earn the starting spot. 

I'm no QB coach ,but other than leadership skills, idk how JJs pluses are gonna come into play in a practice setting to put him apart from Card. Who has the skill, experience ,  extensive training ,and apparently the leadership skills required of the position. 

 

Deep ball accuracy is the big one. If they can get JJ to hit the deep ball consistently, his viability as a QB skyrockets

[SquishMitten 10402]

I don’t really understand why this is such a big talking point right now. JJ came in knowing the situation and that Card was more polished. Nothing has changed in that regard since he committed. He came to prove those presumptions wrong. If he loses out, then he loses out. Every player knows that, especially QBs

[SquishMitten 10402]

Double tapa

[SquishMitten 10402]

Triple tapa

[golfclap 6903]

Stripe off for Collins -- LFG ::

 

 

[Hiphopopotamos 20865]

Would have been pretty embarrassing if he had to play 30+ snaps against UTEP with a red stripe on his helmet.

[Burt Macklin 18999]

1 hour ago, golfclap said:

Stripe off for Collins -- LFG ::

 

 

So glad we got him. He’s the kind of difference maker we whiffed on so many times last decade. I can’t wait to see him play. He moves like a 240 pounder at 300 pounds with the work ethic to maximize his gifts. This guy is top 10 pick material. 

[SydneyCarton 47914]

Lol, Collins isn't playing 30 snaps.

Humidor is up. They say Marcus Washington will play, which I believe is different.

Leyrer to Stanford today (duh). LJ might have gotten cold feet but they feel good. Cooks is moving his decision back to October. 

 

https://insidetexas.com/forums/threads/fridays-in-the-humidor-9-11-01.97153/

Edited September 11, 2020 by SydneyCarton

[Ricky Butler 2662]

2 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

So glad we got him. He’s the kind of difference maker we whiffed on so many times last decade. I can’t wait to see him play. He moves like a 240 pounder at 300 pounds with the work ethic to maximize his gifts. This guy is top 10 pick material. 

Since you're pedaling porn. What does this mean against the better offenses in the Big 12? Is he going to strip sack Rattler and have him seeing ghosts?

[Ricky Butler 2662]

2 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

LJ might have gotten cold feet but they feel good. 

Has anyone ever compiled a single recruits "updates" over the course of his 2-year recruitment? We should bind it and title it the Dumbest Fucking Book of All Time.

[Burt Macklin 18999]

2 minutes ago, Ricky Butler said:

Since you're pedaling porn. What does this mean against the better offenses in the Big 12? Is he going to strip sack Rattler and have him seeing ghosts?

In time, we have to remember that he’s still a true freshman coming from a fairly low-level HS program and he didn’t spend a ton of time with trainers, so he still has a ton of room left to grow, but I do think he’ll flash quite a bit this year. I don’t expect him to put it all together this year though.