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Texas Recruiting Notes 2023: Strippers, Monkeys, and 5-Stars

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Burt Macklin

Burt Macklin 18,997

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46 minutes ago, ClubWhatever said:

Sweat has more NFL upside than Coburn, imo.   Teams are going to ding Coburn for his height and lack of body definition.  Not that Sweat is Adonis, but he moves just as well as, or better than, Coburn and is significantly bigger.   Who's got the better film?  Not sure, but I don't think Coburn has any film like the safety fiasco against Alabama.

I don’t think so. NFL teams want disruption more than a big guy who can plug the run.  Sweat looks better physically, but he lacks explosiveness and pash rush upside. Coburn has shown way more ability to rush the passer and just generally been better than Sweat this year.

23 minutes ago, longhornmatt said:

Man, with the top 4 DL pass rushers in the conference and 5 of the top 7, our defense must be dominating everyone!

Ojomo is the one I’m curious about for the NFL.   He doesn’t have the massive size like Coburn and Sweat that will appeal to scouts, but he gets a ton of penetration when he’s at 3 technique.  He and Coburn both have actually been pretty consistently disruptive their whole time here going back to that Georgia Sugar Bowl, except for last year’s disastrous “catch blocks so Luke Brockermeyer can roam free” strategy shift.

This is the biggest problem. Our DTs have been dominant and yet our defense still has a ton of issues. The defense will fall off a cliff next year if we keep PK but lose Coburn, Sweat, Ojomo. 

5 minutes ago, Lonestar88 said:

Did a switch flip, or did the coaches just actually start putting him in a position to succeed?

The ineffectiveness of the DTs a year ago was far more of a PK issue than a Coburn/Ojomo/Sweat one.

I think it’s some fo both. Coburn recognized this was his last chance to get drafted high. But with all three of Sweat, Ojomo, and Coburn playing significantly better, you have to put a lot of blame on the coaches for last year. 

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Vertigo

Vertigo 20,266

Posted
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1 minute ago, Burt Macklin said:

I think it’s some fo both. Coburn recognized this was his last chance to get drafted high. But with all three of Sweat, Ojomo, and Coburn playing significantly better, you have to put a lot of blame on the coaches for last year. 

The scheme was clearly wrong last year, but at least they fixed that. We may take a step back on the DL next season unless we find a war daddy in the portal to pair with a motivated Collins, but I expect us to be better at the LB and DB spot. I saw or heard a comment from PK somewhere last week that he is frustrated with the lack of pattern recognition by the secondary when they go zone, which has been a big cause of the 3rd and long breakdowns. With another offseason and talent infusion my hope is that we can get better there. 

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Bevo

Bevo 13,526

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4 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

This is the biggest problem. Our DTs have been dominant and yet our defense still has a ton of issues. The defense will fall off a cliff next year if we keep PK but lose Coburn, Sweat, Ojomo. 

Maybe not because of DTs. It's possible that a few of the young guys can play plus we are bringing in a transfer and possibly a JUCO. But, we are losing a lot of other guys on defense without clear replacements. Edge is still a problem as is linebacker as is corner and safety. So, for those keeping score, that's our entire defense. And we haven't been very good this year.

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TheMailBox357

TheMailBox357 213

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17 minutes ago, Lonestar88 said:

Did a switch flip, or did the coaches just actually start putting him in a position to succeed?

The ineffectiveness of the DTs a year ago was far more of a PK issue than a Coburn/Ojomo/Sweat one.

It could be both. Coburn & Sweat were reportedly not in the best of shapes last season. The offseason strength & conditioning program definitely seems to be much better this year than it was last year.

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NoName

NoName 16,293

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Posted (edited)
14 minutes ago, HillCountryBevo said:

Jamel Johnson just decommit on Instagram

strange situation, first commit in the class IIRC, been committed for a few days over a full year. only twitter smoke is Auburn of all places (see below, not sure how long ago those follows were)

247 only shows OVs to FSU on 6/7 and Arky on 7/23.

https://247sports.com/player/jamel-johnson-46098248/

https://en.whotwi.com/lil_smoove55/friends

image.thumb.png.2e4004925b85d194b265dcf2fc9436ee.png

image.thumb.png.4d5f09b404fd86e2f120bbfa90806ee9.png

he literally liked Ron Holland's basketball commitment tweet 2 days ago.

edit: fong'd to Ole Miss

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Big Woodrows

Big Woodrows 4,195

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7 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

Didn't our first commitment in the 2022 class also not stick to signing day? Wasn't it Winfield?

Worse - Grambling State legend Phaizon Wilson...a classic Tom Herman receiver evaluation

https://gsutigers.com/sports/football/roster/phaizon-wilson/5697

https://247sports.com/player/phaizon-wilson-46080066/

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Hookem2147

Hookem2147 20,931

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Posted (edited)
2 minutes ago, Big Woodrows said:

Worse - Grambling State legend Phaizon Wilson...a classic Tom Herman receiver evaluation

https://gsutigers.com/sports/football/roster/phaizon-wilson/5697

https://247sports.com/player/phaizon-wilson-46080066/

That's right. Now that I think about it I think Guilbeau was a super early commitment too before he flipped 2 or 3 times.

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TheMailBox357

TheMailBox357 213

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31 minutes ago, HillCountryBevo said:

Jamel Johnson just decommit on Instagram

In response to this news, Nahlin says to reread the 2nd-to-last paragraph from this article he put out last week: https://www.on3.com/teams/texas-longhorns/news/reminder-shift-to-late-cycle-alters-recruiting-approach/

 

@Hookem2147 or someone else, can you post it?

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CashMcCoy

CashMcCoy 3,199

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1 minute ago, TheMailBox357 said:

In response to this news, Nahlin says to reread the 2nd-to-last paragraph from this article he put out last week: https://www.on3.com/teams/texas-longhorns/news/reminder-shift-to-late-cycle-alters-recruiting-approach/

 

@Hookem2147 or someone else, can you post it?

Spoiler

There are always trade-offs (like the hypothetical above) that play a significant role in late cycle recruiting. Just because a player ends up elsewhere, it doesn’t mean Texas didn’t want him, it means they couldn’t make it work due to numbers or prioritizing someone else. To a degree, we saw this play out with Jonah Wilson.

 

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Bevo

Bevo 13,526

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6 minutes ago, Poe It Up said:

Roach just said that Jamel has been playing DE for his team this season, so… yeah Texas moved on. 

 

I wonder if we are interested in any safeties that might enter the portal.

 

 

                   

 

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Lonestar88

Lonestar88 4,585

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Jamel Johnson was very much the forgotten guy of the class. I’m not too beat up about it, but we do only have 2 DBs committed now and they’re both going to be battles to keep until NSD.

Is McDonald still expected to bulk up and become a LB? Or is he going to stick at safety? If he stays at safety he’s probably an upgrade.

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Hookem2147

Hookem2147 20,931

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Just now, Lonestar88 said:

Jamel Johnson was very much the forgotten guy of the class. I’m not too beat up about it, but we do only have 2 DBs committed now and they’re both going to be battles to keep until NSD.

Is McDonald still expected to bulk up and become a LB? Or is he going to stick at safety? If he stays at safety he’s probably an upgrade.

I believe the thought is McDonald will be a LB.

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Codaxx

Codaxx 5,601

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1 minute ago, BurntOrange&White said:

Anyone seen anything on this? I know we recently offered his little brother. 

071EF31A-1E70-47E9-95B8-46841E35D10C.jpeg

I am not a huge fan of taking Safeties in this class, given how many are on the roster already. You make exceptions for elite guys like Bowen and Williams. Especially Bowens, since he has elite speed. Texas is in dire need of getting faster in the back end. 

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Teryor

Teryor 4,421

Posted
Posted (edited)

Roach with visitor list from this morning

Spoiler

The Longhorns got underway in November with a win over a ranked Kansas State team to reach bowl eligibility and set up a huge matchup with undefeated TCU on Saturday. With three big games still on the schedule, the Longhorns still control their own destiny when it comes to the Big 12 championship.

This weekend’s game will once again provide the Longhorns with a huge visit opportunity as College Gameday will be back in town for the second time this season, and Texas can make a statement against the conference-leading Horned Frogs at home. The Longhorns are turning up the heat as crunch time in the 2023 class nears, and this weekend could be a big one for the recruiting effort.


Texas coaches have been hitting the road and seeing targets while making some new offers. What will this weekend offer from a recruiting perspective? In this week’s edition of The Stampede, Horns247’s weekly gathering of recruiting intel, we discuss some of the big-named visitors to know and where Texas stands going into the trip.

Duce Robinson, TE, Phoenix (AZ) Pinnacle

The Longhorns were set to host Robinson in September when they hosted Alabama, but a scheduling conflict with his game caused him to cancel. Now the Longhorns have the chance to put their best foot forward with the elite tight end who is also a star on the baseball diamond. The Longhorns have been able to do a great job using the tight end this season, so they should be able to showcase that part of their offense to Robinson who has the talent to win a starting job immediately.


Duce Robinson (Photo: Cory Fravel, 247Sports)
 

I’d also expect to see David Pierce and his staff get involved as the Longhorns boast an elite baseball program that Robinson could play for. There was a time when Texas seemed to be surging a bit in this recruitment, but a key source in Arizona told us that the buzz with the Longhorns quieted in the last few months. Can the Longhorns stoke that fire once again and push Georgia and USC who are seen as the front runners for Robinson? That will be the big question of the weekend.

Deandre Moore Jr., WR, Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco (Louisville commit)

The Longhorns will have a chance to make a move with a talented wide receiver they’ve been circling over the last year. When Deandre Moore committed to Louisville during the summer, Texas was right there at the top of the pack for his services. Moore always planned to officially visit Austin, and his trip will come on the heels of a visit to Athens where he saw Georgia knock off No. 1 Tennessee.


(Photo: Michael McCammon, 247Sports)
 

Moore remains committed to Louisville, but he’s been openly looking around and taking visits to make sure he’s making the right decision. Steve Sarkisian made the trip out west to see Moore during the bye week, and the two have a great relationship. Moore is also getting the full push from Texas commits including Arch Manning and Johntay Cook. The Texas offense is custom-fit for explosive receivers like Moore. If Texas can make a big enough impression, they could pry Moore away from the Cardinals and keep him away from Georgia who is pushing hard as well. There aren’t many more receiver targets on the board at the moment, so they will need a big effort with Moore during the trip.

Markis Deal, DL, Garland Naaman Forest

The Longhorns have been up and down with the four-star defensive lineman throughout his recruitment, but Bo Davis has been able to forge a strong relationship that has Texas pushing hard over the last few months. Deal could potentially play offensive line at the next level, but he’s made it known that he wants to give it a go on the defensive side of the ball first. The Longhorns have embraced that desire and that’s kept them in the fight for Deal. Deal is an important prospect because of the need to find big athletic bodies on the interior. Deal fits that mold and has valuable two-way snaps which typically translate well to the next level. Deal has played things close to the vest, but there’s a feeling Texas is in the right position to reel him in and add him to this 2023 class.


Jelani McDonald (Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)
 

Jelani McDonald, ATH, Waco Connally

The former Oklahoma State commit is returning to campus for the second time in a month after visiting for the Iowa State game in October. McDonald is looking at new options (including TCU who just offered) after opening his recruitment. The Longhorns are pitching McDonald on playing a hybrid role between defensive back and linebacker where he can use his big frame and athleticism to be an impact defender. McDonald fits the type of uber-athletic hybrid types that have become so big on the defensive side of the ball. McDonald doesn’t seem to be in a big hurry, but the Longhorns are positioned well due to Austin’s proximity to Waco and the opportunity to play a special role.

I’d expect Jeff Choate to pour it on this weekend illustrating every way a player like McDonald can be used with an eye toward an NFL future. McDonald is one of the top remaining prospects on the board from a pure athleticism standpoint, and he’s the type of athlete the Longhorns need on defense moving forward. McDonald might use his official visit for this trip but he could possibly make it on his own and save his official visit for after the season.


(Photo: Rusty Mansell , 247Sports)
 

Justin Benton, DL, Covington (GA) Newton (West Virginia commit)

Benton isn’t confirmed, but there are some plans being made on his end to make the trip. A West Virigina commit, Benton is looking at some other options as questions continue to rise about Neal Brown’s job security in Morgantown. Benton is somewhat undersized, but he plays a disruptive game that’s similar to Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy. Bo Davis seems to be ramping up his pursuit of interior defensive line bodies trying to find options and Benton would be a quality addition to the unit. We will have to see if he makes it to campus to take the next steps, but the Longhorns could be positioned well for him if that happens.

Jaden Greathouse, WR, Austin Westlake (Notre Dame commit)

The Austin Westlake wide receiver committed to Notre Dame during the season, but he’s always had an eye on the local program. I’ll be interested to hear what the feedback is on Greathouse coming out of this trip, because there’s always been a wide variance of opinions on him. Greathouse will end his high school career in a few weeks as one of the most decorated prospects of all time winning three state championships with a possibility of four this year. That said, there’s still some question about where exactly he fits within the offense. Notre Dame made Greathouse a priority from the jump, so it will take a lot to move him off of his commitment. I think it’s likely that the Longhorns could opt to target the portal for receiver talent, but Greathouse could fit the “X” position big body that Brennan Marion wanted in Jonah Wilson before he decommitted.


Freddie Dubose (Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)
 

Freddie Dubose, WR, Smithson Valley (2024)

Dubose lost his season to injury after the first game, so he’s been lowkey so far. The four-star 2024 wide receiver is one of the top targets for Texas who were one of the first programs to offer him. The Longhorns ran hot early in this recruitment with A&M making a push at one point as well. Getting Dubose back on campus will be big as the Longhorns look to set the tone for the dynamic playmaker heading into the 2024 cycle.

Liona Lefau, LB, Kahuku (HI)

The Longhorns have been in a fight with Tennessee and Oregon for linebacker commit Liona Lefau, but Horns247 confirmed last night that the instinctive defender is set to make an unofficial visit to Austin this weekend as he waits out the break between the regular season and the playoffs. The Longhorns value Lefau as a high-end answer at the linebacker position and getting him back on campus while he’s being pulled at by other schools is a huge development for Jeff Choate and the Texas defensive staff.


(Photo: Hinds Community College, hindscc.edu)
 

Derick Hunter, DL, Raymond (MS) Hinds Community College

Hunter has been one of the hotter JUCO prospects in the country and the Longhorns are set to host him this weekend for an official visit. Originally out of Fort Myers (FL.), Hunter signed with Texas A&M in the 2019 class. After transferring out, Hunter made a name for himself at Hinds and has been courted by several big schools. He recently visited Tennessee which looks like a huge contender for him, but the Longhorns will get a chance this week.

NOTES ON DEFENSIVE BACK RECRUITING
Steve Sarkisian raised a few eyebrows on Thursday when he showed up for a game between Denton Guyer and Prosper Rock Hill. Guyer is full of talent, but the Longhorns don’t seem to be in the mix for any of their prospects. I checked with elite Guyer safety Peyton Bowen who said that the staff reached out to him for the first time in a while in the week leading up to the game visit and the staff later offered his younger brother Eli Bowen as a 2024 cornerback. Bowen has been committed to Notre Dame but he’s been on trips to Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oregon during the fall. He’s coming off of a weekend visit to South Bend where the Fighting Irish knocked off Clemson. I’d still say it’s a long shot that the Longhorns can get in the boat with Bowen who never really clicked with Texas from the beginning. If Texas can get him on campus, it would be a huge development. Bowen is a special athlete in the middle of a special senior season.


Javien Toviano (Photo: Mike Roach, 247Sports)
7
COMMENTS
 

We’ve detailed the up-and-down recruitment between Texas and Javien Toviano. The four-star prospect once looked like a possible addition to this class, but he’s been a regular visit to Baton Rouge to see LSU several times in the last few months. Toviano was back in Baton Rouge over the weekend to see the Tigers take down Alabama, and the buzz coming out of that trip has been really strong for the Bayou Bengals. At this point, I think this recruitment is headed in one direction and LSU should be considered the heavy favorite.



Roach confirming Texas is trying to get in on Bowens and other notes

Spoiler

It’s been a busy morning in Texas recruiting. I’ve gathered some notes as we ramp up to a busy recruiting weekend that could be massive for Texas.

Arlington Seguin safety Jamel Johnson decommitted from Texas this morning. While I’m told the decision was his alone, there may have been questions about his fit as we got closer to signing day. The evaluation process is ongoing for everyone, including commits. When Johnson first arrived on the scene he was looked at as an athletic and versatile safety, but his high school has played him at defensive end and linebacker quite a bit this season, and I think the Longhorns had some questions about his long term fit. I mentioned in The Stampede that Texas was re-engaging with elite Denton Guyer safety Peyton Bowen and there are some other options as well. One name to keep in mind is New Caney safety CJ Blocker who is having a tremendous season. He’s currently committed to Utah but the Longhorns could enter the fray there.

Over the past few weeks there has been some movement behind the scenes with Austin Westlake EDGE Colton Vasek that has piqued our interest. I can go into further detail on what that movement was later, but this has been trending toward a Texas flip more and more over the last few weeks. We have an idea of what the timing may be but Vasek has always marched to the beat of his own drum, so nothing is certain. If Texas can pull it off, it would be a huge addition at a massive position of need.

I’ve confirmed a report from Orangebloods.com that five-star Denton Ryan linebacker Anthony Hill will visit Texas this weekend. The staff has been working diligently to get Hill on campus with an eye toward the big matchup against TCU and it sounds like they’ve succeeded. Texas hasn’t given up with Hill as Jeff Banks, Jeff Choate and Chris Gilbert have all been involved with trying to flip the Texas A&M commit. We will have to see how the weekend goes to know if Texas has a shot to pry him away from the Aggies.

10
COMMENTS
A source I spoke with today confirmed that Mesa (AZ) wide receiver Ja'Kobi Lane will officially visit Texas this weekend. A USC commit, Lane has been looking around and has several Oregon Crystal Ball picks in. Texas has been working Lane behind the scenes and saw him in person recently. If Lane does make it in, there’s optimism that Texas can become a player for the lanky pass catcher and make a move in his recruitment.

 

Edited by Teryor
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Hookem2147

Hookem2147 20,931

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2 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

I am not a huge fan of taking Safeties in this class, given how many are on the roster already.

We are playing Michael Taaffe right now. We might have numbers on the roster but majority are unproven (Allen, Coffey, LTG) or aren't playing well (Crawford). We will obviously look in the portal but we need to get at least one more safety in the class in addition to Williams and potentially look at moving someone like Austin Jordan or Brooks

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Codaxx

Codaxx 5,601

Posted
Posted (edited)
10 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

We are playing Michael Taaffe right now. We might have numbers on the roster but majority are unproven (Allen, Coffey, LTG) or aren't playing well (Crawford). We will obviously look in the portal but we need to get at least one more safety in the class in addition to Williams and potentially look at moving someone like Austin Jordan or Brooks

The issue is not bodies at Safety, Texas has plenty of bodies. The issue is the right bodies. Texas's biggest issue in the secondary is athleticism.  I dont think a guy playing DE and LB for his HS this year is going to fix that

Edited by Codaxx
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Hookem2147

Hookem2147 20,931

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, Codaxx said:

The issue is not bodies at Safety, Texas has plenty of bodies. The issue is the right bodies. I am fine with losing a safety that is playing DE and LB right now moving on. 

Oh yeah, I’m not losing sleep over Johnson bouncing. But we need to take 2 HS safeties in this class.

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Codaxx

Codaxx 5,601

Posted
Posted (edited)
7 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

Oh yeah, I’m not losing sleep over Johnson bouncing. But we need to take 2 HS safeties in this class.

I posted this in Johnson thread

Quote

 

Texas has a ton of safeties right now. 

Turner- Gooden (freshman)

Austin Jordan/Terrance Brooks (there has been talk one of them is moving in spring) (Freshman)

Allen (freshman)

Brice (freshman)

Crawford (Junior)

Coffey (soph)

Thompson  (Junior)

Blackwell (Soph)

and Derek Williams if he comes to Texas (though that is a coin flip at best)

Texas needs CBs, not safeties. I would rather Texas took 4 Cbs and no safeties in this class. 

 

Texas has 4 freshmen safeties on the roster. What Texas does not have is CBs. 

Quick look at CB. You have Watts (Junior), Barron (Junior), and Johnson (Soph). You can add Brooks or Jordan to that list, but the fact that there is already talking about one of them moving to safety is not giving me warm and fuzzy feelings about either one's ability to play CB at a high level. Not to mention a slow CB can become an NFL Safety, so adding CBs over Safeties is never a bad idea. 

Edited by Codaxx
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Hiphopopotamos

Hiphopopotamos 20,865

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7 minutes ago, TexEx15 said:

https://247sports.com/player/pearce-spurlin-46103170/
 

Arch reposted a video on Instagram from this guy. I’m sure it’s nothing but I have only seen Arch post about his Newman teammates, fellow Texas commits or targets.

'Pearce Spurlin' - I would have assumed he was an Ole Miss commit.

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