2020 Texas Offseason Thread: Herman's Hail Mary

[Gigglebush 107]

Having Sam make short throws to the wide receiver built like a running back seemed like a good strategy to me. Most of his deep shots to Duv were wildly inaccurate.

[markstanco 12573]

The main issue was Sam's inconsistent deep ball, especially in the middle of the field. 

Is there some stat you can state showing this? Not a disagreement to your statement but just curious if it is an eye test or something that shows up in stats.

[Fozzz 152]

Some of the first CFB CPOE data I've seen.  Thought Sam would perform better here.

 

 

[texifornia 56897]

22 minutes ago, Fozzz said:

Some of the first CFB CPOE data I've seen.  Thought Sam would perform better here.

 

 

Passing stats only. He's a fine passer on most throws but not a special one. Thompson above him is surprising though.

Edited April 23, 2020 by texifornia

[satyanash 14481]

Eyes of Texas: UT football insider nuggets galore

Quote

INSIDER’S BREAKDOWN ON OVERSHOWN, THE UT SECONDARY AND COBURN

Be sure to listen to the Flagship Podcast posted every Wednesday on the Flagship message board at Horns247. Why say this right now? Because you’ll hear great interviews and nuggets like our interview this week with former Titans Pro Bowler and Longhorn legend Michael Griffin, who breaks down DeMarvion Overshown, the UT secondary and Keondre Coburn:

On Overshown, Griffin said the soon-to-be weakside linebacker has the mental makeup and frame (6-4, 215) to be an impact player this season. “I know he wanted to play safety last season,” Griffin said. “But sometimes, you just need to do whatever it takes to get on the field. He has everything you’re looking for from a tangible standpoint. He can definitely put on some more weight. But he can run with receivers, and he’s a sure tackler. If I’m DeMarvion, I’m looking at a guy like Isaiah Simmons at Clemson and seeing how valued he is (in the NFL Draft) after moving from safety to linebacker.”

As far as the Texas secondary, here’s what Griffin had to say about:

CB D'Shawn Jamison:

“He reminds me of Aaron Ross when it comes to just being a natural athlete who can go get the ball. He needs to work on technique and has a long way to go. Like against TCU last year, he just kind of fades away from the receiver (Jalen Reagor), and the guy scores a touchdown. So, he’s got to keep working, but he’s a natural.”

CB Jalen Green:

“He’s the most technically sound corner. He’s physical. He got his feet wet in his first year starting. Now, he just needs to settle down and play with more confidence. He has the physical tools, the speed and everything you need. I think he has great upside.”

S Caden Sterns:

“Caden had that big first year and then he got banged up before last season, and everyone’s looking for him to get back to the numbers he was putting up early. If he stays healthy, he’ll be fine.”

S B.J. Foster:

“We know he’s a hitter. But now we gotta see how he is in space.”

S Chris Brown:

“I like Chris Brown. The only thing I don’t like is sometimes he likes to go for the big hit. He likes to go low all the time. I think that’s how he broke his forearm - always going low and shooting your arms at guys’ legs.”

Griffin also had this to say about the growth he’s seeing in sophomore-to-be nose tackle Keondre Coburn: “Keondre is coming on. He had a play against TCU, where here was this 350-pound guy, running down the field and finishing a tackle. That’s what you want to see from the big fellas like that. His first year, I would see Keondre on the ground all the time - not attempting to make a tackle. Just getting blocked to the ground all the time, because he had no clue. But he’s getting more technically sound and should be an impact guy this year.”

***
PANDEMIC COULD MEAN TWO FOOTBALL SEASONS IN 2021

The possibility of playing two, 12-game, college football seasons in one calendar year is the last resort. It’s the unfathomable. But if we get to that point, consider it the “heart paddles option” for salvaging the economic engine of college athletics - football season. As of right now, Texas and the rest of the Big 12 is operating as if there will be business as usual in the fall. But a decision will be made by the end of June about if students will be brought back for a fall semester, multiple sources told Horns247.

Football season ticket renewals at Texas are due May 1 with different financing options. Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte said this week if the 2020 season is shortened or canceled, "Texas will refund every penny." As previously reported here in the Eyes, athletic directors would do just about whatever is necessary to play two full, 12-game seasons in front of fans in 2021. Why? Because the season tickets - in addition to the contribution made to preserve those season tickets - as well as the concession sales at football games totaled $157 million in 2018-19.

In other words, live attendance at games accounts for more than $100 million of that total - with the rest coming from league and Longhorn Network media rights distributions. Here’s the most interesting thing I heard on Wednesday: One of our best sources said if the 2020 football season had to kick off in January or February, “the Big 12 and SEC would play.”

What was left unsaid is how the Big Ten, ACC and Pac-12 might proceed if the 2020 season had to kick off in the new year. “The football stadium in Happy Valley (Penn State) isn’t constructed for winter,” one Power Five official said. “Much of the Big Ten isn’t. How do you kick off football in Madison, Wisconsin, in the dead of winter?”

There are a number of hurdles that would have to be cleared to play the 2020 season in 2021. First, I spoke to three Power Five athletic directors in two separate conferences, who said the biggest concern would be player safety and a minimum of three months between seasons. "As it is right now, some schools start spring football in February, just more than a month after the football season ends," the first Power Five AD said. "If we give them three months between seasons, that's sufficient time for their bodies to recover."

A second Power Five athletic director said If you polled college football players, most would prefer playing a 12-game season in the spring that ended somewhere between mid-April and mid-May, instead of spring football and weeks of conditioning. "This would be a player-centric solution," the second Power Five athletic director said. "Players would rather play than condition. Period.”

Coaches would have to be smart about the amount of physical practices in both seasons. But most coaches already only hit on Tuesdays during game weeks and then scale back as gameday approaches. As for the NFL calendar, commissioner Roger Goodell and league owners would need to delay the combine and draft until after the revamped college football season, several Power Five athletics officials told Horns247.

“The NFL would have to make a one-time exception to accommodate their future labor force,” one source said. Every other major, professional sports league — MLB, the NBA and NHL — has minor league teams. Not the NFL, which has college football. So the NFL would have to move its combine to May and its draft to June for one year. Any blowback from the NFL about having to rearrange its order of business for one year after a global pandemic would be embarrassing and counterproductive. Again, college football IS the NFL's farm system.

"These are unprecedented times. Everyone is going to have to be creative," said a third Power Five athletic director.

One concern likely to surface would be draft-eligible players opting not to play football in the spring. For example, if Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence is advised he could be the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft, it’s possible he might not want to risk injury playing in the spring. "There would be some high draft prospects who opt out of playing in the spring, and their coaches and teammates would have to deal with that,” the third Power Five athletic director said.

***
GREG BROWN III OPTIONS NOW INCLUDES G-LEAGUE

Austin Vandergrift five-star, power forward Greg Brown III has added the NBA G League to his list of options - along with his college finalists - Texas, Memphis, Kentucky, Auburn and Michigan. Brown III is the son of former Longhorns' football player Greg Brown. A source told Horns247 Brown III has received an offer of more than $125,000 for a one-year contract to train and play on a G-League team that would play a schedule of exhibitions.

Another source close to the situation said it will be hard for Brown III to turn down the G-League offer, because Brown III already sees himself as being a one-and-done who will be entering the NBA Draft in eight months. We'll see. Brown III is set to make his announcement on Friday.

 

[Fozzz 152]

27 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Passing stats only. He's a fine passer on most throws but not a special one. Thompson above him is surprising though.

I think Sam is overall an elite QB although these numbers indicate that, barring substantial improvement next season, he's unlikely to have much success at the next level. 

I also think it's interesting how well Hurts excels at CPOE/CAYOE when has such a low rep among CFB fans.  There are a lot of OU fans on twitter that except improvement from the QB position with Rattler coming in, which seems ridiculous when you look how well Hurts actually performed.  

Edited April 23, 2020 by Fozzz

[totallynotabuttpirate 5395]

12 hours ago, markstanco said:

15 hours ago, totallynotabuttpirate said:

The main issue was Sam's inconsistent deep ball, especially in the middle of the field. 

Is there some stat you can state showing this? Not a disagreement to your statement but just curious if it is an eye test or something that shows up in stats.

Too lazy to look up stats. I would be shocked if they didn't agree.  

[LTtxfan 49152]

Is Ja'Quinden or Hudson the next great  hand-picked QB by Herman??

Really hope so...

 

Jeff Howe    @JeffHowe247

10h

 

Before Joe Burrow became the No. 1 overall pick in the #NFLDraft2020

    

@CoachTomHerman.  was standing on the table for him at Ohio State. Burrow: “I kind of owe a lot to Coach Herman. He’s a great man and a great coach.”

@Sheadixon ’s story: https://247sports.com/college/texas/LongFormArticle/LSU-Tigers-football-quarterback-Joe-Burrow-relationship-with-Tom-Herman-Ohio-State-Texas-Longhorns-135208863/#135208863_1…

 

Edited April 24, 2020 by LTtxfan

[LTtxfan 49152]

 

[NoName 16351]

22 hours ago, Fozzz said:

I think Sam is overall an elite QB although these numbers indicate that, barring substantial improvement next season, he's unlikely to have much success at the next level. 

I also think it's interesting how well Hurts excels at CPOE/CAYOE when has such a low rep among CFB fans.  There are a lot of OU fans on twitter that except improvement from the QB position with Rattler coming in, which seems ridiculous when you look how well Hurts actually performed.  

that is because they have been spoiled in 2 of the last 3 years by 2 of the most efficient, best years by a QB in the last 20. 

[futureman 22448]

3 hours ago, LTtxfan said:

CoachTomHerman.  was standing on the table for him at Ohio State. Burrow: “I kind of owe a lot to Coach Herman. He’s a great man and a great coach”

in theory, this should help recruiting 

[Sgt Hulk 13713]

On 4/22/2020 at 5:44 PM, totallynotabuttpirate said:

The main issue was Sam's inconsistent deep ball, especially in the middle of the field. 

this right here, the only way to get the ball in duv hands was to literally throw it 5 yards because sams ball beyond 10 was well not great. Beyond 20 was worse.  you have to adapt and overcome If he had a nice deep touch Duv go deep would have been a legit play call haha

[Jive Turkey 12594]

 

[Goodman 3273]

13 minutes ago, Jive Turkey said:

 

No. Just move to bcs Suzzie.

[Dbeasy 15044]

 

33 years too late.

[Goodman 3273]

 

[HtownHorn 14674]

On 4/22/2020 at 3:52 PM, JFKFC said:

......wouldn't it be better to throw to him while he is moving...downfield.....taking advantage of his speed?!? Remember in 2018, when Texas & Rutgers were the only 2 schools without an offensive play of 50+ yards (or something like that)? This idiotic approach to offense is why things like that happen. Tom is the guy with his hand on the chicken-switch. He is responsible.

Do you know that a lot of good WRs get a lot of catches in the -5/5 yard range.

[HtownHorn 14674]

3 hours ago, Jive Turkey said:

 

Does she really think anyone gives a shit about a shitty reporter getting laid off.

[Dbeasy 15044]

If Texas actually plays this season, I think they have a pretty big year. Herman has rightfully taken a huge amount of heat for having a frustrating year last year and supposedly pissing off everyone, including boosters and administration people.

However, there are a bunch of bright spots. LSU just had 12 players drafted and an above average talent Texas hung with them. Herman has proven he can win as an underdog in bowl games, demonstrating he can coach. The talent this year is significantly better across almost every position. No opponents are primed for the playoffs, with OU breaking in a new QB and LSU filling a lot of graduating spots.

The coaching staff should be slightly better. I do worry that Orlando was an important part of beating better teams and that his brain farts last year were just learning hiccups in what will be a strong future. Hopefully Ash will be as good or better. OC should be better. WR slightly better. DB not clear. LB definitely better. TE better.

Koolaid.

[JohnnyRage 1617]

I'm ready to buy TX/ou tickets

[gmr548 16576]

31 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:

If Texas actually plays this season, I think they have a pretty big year. Herman has rightfully taken a huge amount of heat for having a frustrating year last year and supposedly pissing off everyone, including boosters and administration people.

However, there are a bunch of bright spots. LSU just had 12 players drafted and an above average talent Texas hung with them. Herman has proven he can win as an underdog in bowl games, demonstrating he can coach. The talent this year is significantly better across almost every position. No opponents are primed for the playoffs, with OU breaking in a new QB and LSU filling a lot of graduating spots.

The coaching staff should be slightly better. I do worry that Orlando was an important part of beating better teams and that his brain farts last year were just learning hiccups in what will be a strong future. Hopefully Ash will be as good or better. OC should be better. WR slightly better. DB not clear. LB definitely better. TE better.

Koolaid.

In whatever form it takes, this football season is going to feature a bigger than usual advantage for teams with more athletically gifted rosters, upperclassman leaders, and established coaching staffs/systems. Texas checks two of those three boxes. I don't expect the offensive system to change a ton, but the defense is still relatively young and in a completely new system. Still, if ever there were a year for Texas to just out-talent the schedule, this is it.

[HtownHorn 14674]

1 hour ago, Dbeasy said:

If Texas actually plays this season, I think they have a pretty big year. Herman has rightfully taken a huge amount of heat for having a frustrating year last year and supposedly pissing off everyone, including boosters and administration people.

However, there are a bunch of bright spots. LSU just had 12 players drafted and an above average talent Texas hung with them. Herman has proven he can win as an underdog in bowl games, demonstrating he can coach. The talent this year is significantly better across almost every position. No opponents are primed for the playoffs, with OU breaking in a new QB and LSU filling a lot of graduating spots.

The coaching staff should be slightly better. I do worry that Orlando was an important part of beating better teams and that his brain farts last year were just learning hiccups in what will be a strong future. Hopefully Ash will be as good or better. OC should be better. WR slightly better. DB not clear. LB definitely better. TE better.

Koolaid.

I think the DBs will be the best positional grouping on the field. Ash is a much better coach than Washington/Naivar. Plus Ash is also the DC, so he knows what he wants from the position. They also are the most talented group on the team. With 2 5 stars, 3 high 4 stars in their 3rd year on campus.

[BevoSwag 272]

On 1/3/2020 at 4:00 PM, ClubWhatever said:

This is a ridiculous categorical statement.  So if he pulls a 2019 Baylor and goes 11-1 but then loses in the CCG he gets fired?  Right.  

 

[texifornia 56897]

Derrian Brown

 

[USNALonghorn 5078]

14 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

I do worry that Orlando was an important part of beating better teams and that his brain farts last year were just learning hiccups in what will be a strong future.

I’m not following, please explain...

[Gigglebush 107]

2 hours ago, USNALonghorn said:

I’m not following, please explain...

I'm guessing he said that since a lot of the big games Herman has won in his career as a headcoach have been due to dominant defense. The bowl game performance vs Utah should ease that worry.

[A’Dam Psycho 1470]

On 4/22/2020 at 4:39 PM, JFKFC said:

From that article: "primarily to slot man Devin Duvernay, who exploded for 106 receptions, 1,386 yards and nine touchdowns as a senior.

Incredibly, 40 of those catches were at or behind the line of scrimmage"

 

I almost threw my monitor across the room when I read this. We had one of the fastest WRs in the country, and about half of his receptions were at or behind the line of scrimmage. When Tom gets fired in a year or two, and he will, I am going to send him a letter written in my own feces explainging at length why this was a mistake. 

 

This is a silly take tbh. It’s smart to get the ball in a play makers hands quickly in open space and let him make people miss. Especially since Ehlinger deep ball accuracy isn’t elite

[AustinMT 952]

On 4/24/2020 at 6:10 PM, Jive Turkey said:

 

Maybe Boles will be next

[JFKFC 4878]

3 hours ago, A’Dam Psycho said:

This is a silly take tbh. It’s smart to get the ball in a play makers hands quickly in open space and let him make people miss. Especially since Ehlinger deep ball accuracy isn’t elite

Maybe I didn't make the point clearly enough. I wouldn't want every pass to be a 50 yard bomb down the field. However, close to 50% of the passes to someone with DD's speed shouldn't be at or behind the line (most likely when he is stationary). Quick slants, short crossing routes....ANYTHING where DD is moving (even if it is 1 yard downfield) and not stationary at or behind the line. 

[Kyrie Eleison 9312]

22 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

If Texas actually plays this season, I think they have a pretty big year. Herman has rightfully taken a huge amount of heat for having a frustrating year last year and supposedly pissing off everyone, including boosters and administration people.

However, there are a bunch of bright spots. LSU just had 12 players drafted and an above average talent Texas hung with them. Herman has proven he can win as an underdog in bowl games, demonstrating he can coach. The talent this year is significantly better across almost every position. No opponents are primed for the playoffs, with OU breaking in a new QB and LSU filling a lot of graduating spots.

The coaching staff should be slightly better. I do worry that Orlando was an important part of beating better teams and that his brain farts last year were just learning hiccups in what will be a strong future. Hopefully Ash will be as good or better. OC should be better. WR slightly better. DB not clear. LB definitely better. TE better.

Koolaid.

we did lose a lot, no question...20 kids were eligible this year, 14 were drafted, the remaining 6 all signed UDFA contracts.

but our cupboard isn't bare by any means...early '21 draft projection have us with 4 first rounders.

in addition to Shelvin, i fully expect our entire starting DL to be drafted, 2 OL (Deculus and Ingram) will be drafted, and our best players aren't yet draft eligible (Stingley, Clark, Emery and Ty Davis).  

we'll be okay...we won't have a team like we did this year...but we'll be a goddamn tough out for anyone.

[Thiefery 4995]

24 minutes ago, Kyrie Eleison said:

we did lose a lot, no question...20 kids were eligible this year, 14 were drafted, the remaining 6 all signed UDFA contracts.

but our cupboard isn't bare by any means...early '21 draft projection have us with 4 first rounders.

in addition to Shelvin, i fully expect our entire starting DL to be drafted, 2 OL (Deculus and Ingram) will be drafted, and our best players aren't yet draft eligible (Stingley, Clark, Emery and Ty Davis).  

we'll be okay...we won't have a team like we did this year...but we'll be a goddamn tough out for anyone.

y'all will suck

[Tex Long 4384]

10 minutes ago, Kyrie Eleison said:

...we'll be a goddamn tough out for anyone.

Yes, but... with what was arguably one of the all-time great seasons for any quarterback, ever, you squeaked by an 8-5 team, by seven points, thanks to some incredibly stupid play-calling on both offense and defense by that 8-5 team... and even then, it took a dropped TD pass by a wide-open receiver to avoid OT. 

We'll see... if we get to play this fall. It'll be another good game, any way it turns out. 

 

EDIT: I hope MensaTom has learned his lesson, and will have no problem stopping the clock when necessary, by having a player (who's about to be subbed out anyway) fall down, clutch his leg and roll around screaming and crying, while the coaches figure out what to do next and the rest of the players take a break.

[Dbeasy 15044]

1 hour ago, Kyrie Eleison said:

we did lose a lot, no question...20 kids were eligible this year, 14 were drafted, the remaining 6 all signed UDFA contracts.

but our cupboard isn't bare by any means...early '21 draft projection have us with 4 first rounders.

in addition to Shelvin, i fully expect our entire starting DL to be drafted, 2 OL (Deculus and Ingram) will be drafted, and our best players aren't yet draft eligible (Stingley, Clark, Emery and Ty Davis).  

we'll be okay...we won't have a team like we did this year...but we'll be a goddamn tough out for anyone.

I don’t give a shit. Go away

[BornOrange 1441]

1 hour ago, Kyrie Eleison said:

we did lose a lot, no question...20 kids were eligible this year, 14 were drafted, the remaining 6 all signed UDFA contracts.

but our cupboard isn't bare by any means...early '21 draft projection have us with 4 first rounders.

in addition to Shelvin, i fully expect our entire starting DL to be drafted, 2 OL (Deculus and Ingram) will be drafted, and our best players aren't yet draft eligible (Stingley, Clark, Emery and Ty Davis).  

we'll be okay...we won't have a team like we did this year...but we'll be a goddamn tough out for anyone.

Yeah, and with all that talent you had to play like a bunch of pussies to beat an 8-5 team.

"Oh, stop the clock......my vagina is hurting."

[futureman 22448]

2 hours ago, Kyrie Eleison said:

we did lose a lot, no question...20 kids were eligible this year, 14 were drafted, the remaining 6 all signed UDFA contracts.

really?  there wasn’t a single senior who isn’t on a team right now?

[Sgt Hulk 13713]

I learned last year with all the LSU is breaking in a new offense noise that this years LSU lost everyone so they’ll suck is just that noise. They play a shitty weak sec schedule so they’ll have 1-2 losses max and be in the running. They reload every year they just have shit coaches in the past they caught lightning in a bottle the way we did with Vince all the pieces aligned but I don’t think they will drop off by any means. No koolaid here Fool me once fool me twice fool me a decade.  I do agree that the the state of broke ass Louisiana. And their fans such shit though 

[Lerka Lerka 1086]

2 hours ago, Kyrie Eleison said:

we did lose a lot, no question...20 kids were eligible this year, 14 were drafted, the remaining 6 all signed UDFA contracts.

but our cupboard isn't bare by any means...early '21 draft projection have us with 4 first rounders.

in addition to Shelvin, i fully expect our entire starting DL to be drafted, 2 OL (Deculus and Ingram) will be drafted, and our best players aren't yet draft eligible (Stingley, Clark, Emery and Ty Davis).  

we'll be okay...we won't have a team like we did this year...but we'll be a goddamn tough out for anyone.

/CSB

[Kyrie Eleison 9312]

19 minutes ago, futureman said:

really?  there wasn’t a single senior who isn’t on a team right now?

1. Joe Burrow QB Round 1 Pick 1 Bengals
2. K’Lavon Chaisson DE Round 1 Pick 20 Jaguars
3. Justin Jefferson WR Round 1 Pick 22 Vikings
4. Patrick Queen LB Round 1 Pick 28 Ravens
5.Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB Round 1 Pick 32 Chiefs

6. Grant Delpit S Round 2 Pick 44 Browns
7. Kristian Fulton CB Round 2 Pick 61 Titans

8. Damien Lewis OG Round 3 Pick 69 Seahawks
9. Lloyd Cushenberry C Round 3 Pick 83 Broncos
10. Jacob Phillips LB Round 3 Pick 97 Browns

11. Saahdiq Charles Round 4 Pick 108 Redskins
12. Rashard Lawrence Round 4 Pick 131 Cardinals

13. Blake Ferguson LS Round 6 Pick 185 Dolphins

14.Stephen Sullivan TE Round 7 Pick 251 Seahawks

Thaddeus Moss TE UDFA Washington Redskins
Michael Divinity LB UDFA Tampa Bay Bucs
Breiden Fehoko DT UDFA Los Angeles Chargers
Derrick Dillon WR UDFA New York Giants
Badara Traore OT UDFA Chicago Bears
Adrian MaGee OG UDFA New Orleans Saints

that's every draft eligible player on last year's squad...

[futureman 22448]

[futureman 22448]

3 minutes ago, Kyrie Eleison said:

Badara Traore OT UDFA Chicago Bears

didn’t we recruit this guy

[Irieguy 1059]

2 hours ago, Kyrie Eleison said:

1. Joe Burrow QB Round 1 Pick 1 Bengals
2. K’Lavon Chaisson DE Round 1 Pick 20 Jaguars
3. Justin Jefferson WR Round 1 Pick 22 Vikings
4. Patrick Queen LB Round 1 Pick 28 Ravens
5.Clyde Edwards-Helaire RB Round 1 Pick 32 Chiefs

6. Grant Delpit S Round 2 Pick 44 Browns
7. Kristian Fulton CB Round 2 Pick 61 Titans

8. Damien Lewis OG Round 3 Pick 69 Seahawks
9. Lloyd Cushenberry C Round 3 Pick 83 Broncos
10. Jacob Phillips LB Round 3 Pick 97 Browns

11. Saahdiq Charles Round 4 Pick 108 Redskins
12. Rashard Lawrence Round 4 Pick 131 Cardinals

13. Blake Ferguson LS Round 6 Pick 185 Dolphins

14.Stephen Sullivan TE Round 7 Pick 251 Seahawks

Thaddeus Moss TE UDFA Washington Redskins
Michael Divinity LB UDFA Tampa Bay Bucs
Breiden Fehoko DT UDFA Los Angeles Chargers
Derrick Dillon WR UDFA New York Giants
Badara Traore OT UDFA Chicago Bears
Adrian MaGee OG UDFA New Orleans Saints

that's every draft eligible player on last year's squad...

I know Moss was injured, but pretty crazy that LSU had a TE drafted ahead of him. I think the Redskins got a steal if Moss can get healthy. 

[Tex Long 4384]

8-5, dude. Squeaked by an 8-5 team.

[markstanco 12573]

I think the DBs will be the best positional grouping on the field. Ash is a much better coach than Washington/Naivar. Plus Ash is also the DC, so he knows what he wants from the position. They also are the most talented group on the team. With 2 5 stars, 3 high 4 stars in their 3rd year on campus.

Agree.

I am wondering who will alpha up at WR this year. Eagles or Jake or Jordan? Shit the cupboard is empty. Next man up isn't the philosophy in Austin, its who is better than the worst.

[texifornia 56897]

9 minutes ago, markstanco said:

Agree.

I am wondering who will alpha up at WR this year. Eagles or Jake or Jordan? Shit the cupboard is empty. Next man up isn't the philosophy in Austin, its who is better than the worst.

Did you just point at three insanely athletic bluechips, including a GPOY, two of whom already have some incredible highlight reel plays at UT, and all of whom have bluechip backups (including an AA game MVP) and then say the cupboard is empty?

You know this is why people make fun of you, right?

[texifornia 56897]

3 minutes ago, longhornmatt said:

The cupboard was empty when we started John Harris, Jaxon Shipley, and freshman Armanti Foreman, or the next year when John Burt was our WR 1 as a true freshman.   Eagles and Whittington are NFL players if they stay healthy. Smith and Moore are solid college prospects at a minimum, and may also have more potential than that.  Even Washington and Lewis looked like they offered something to promising to work with as freshmen.  

The problem at WR is in 2-3 years if we follow up the 2020 recruiting class with another weak WR crop.

I think if his head is on straight, Smith definitely has NFL potential as well. He came from a small Arizona private school and didn't enroll early, so even though he's athletic as hell he hasn't had a lot of experience playing in games where the plays go beyond "here's the ball go outrun everyone".

[markstanco 12573]

10 hours ago, texifornia said:

Did you just point at three insanely athletic bluechips, including a GPOY, two of whom already have some incredible highlight reel plays at UT, and all of whom have bluechip backups (including an AA game MVP) and then say the cupboard is empty?

You know this is why people make fun of you, right?

Those three receivers combined for 813 receiving. And Garrett Gilbert was a gatorade player of the year as well in HIGH SCHOOL. 

[NoName 16351]

The Athletic: A Zoom Q&A with Tom Herman: On recruiting, the return of football and Freebirds

Quote

 

In Herman’s first few three years at Texas, he prided himself on being thorough and careful in recruiting evaluations and offers. The Longhorns extended just 130 offers to the 2020 class, per 247Sports, which ranked sixth-fewest among Power 5 programs. He’s finding that they have no choice but to make more offers for 2021.

“In order to recruit these kids — I mean, really recruit kids — you’ve gotta offer them, right?” he said. “Or else, if you don’t offer them, because you want to do your due diligence and research, and somebody else has said the word ‘offer’ — whether it’s committable or not — three months ago, they’re gonna remind that kid you were three months behind. So we’re trying to do the best we can on video evaluations and making phone calls to coaches and teachers and principals and all that.”

 

Twitter

Quote

 

Herman abandoned Twitter for nearly two years because he found the negativity on that platform to be far too toxic.

How has returning to Twitter been for him so far?

Not that fun.

“It’s as bad as I remember. Absolutely. Very, very negative,” Herman said. “A guy with 86 followers is gonna harass me as the head coach at Texas. The whole reason I logged on was to bring awareness to the causes that (my wife) Michelle and I were supporting. And you’re gonna tell me how we shouldn’t be having to kick a field goal at the end of the game to beat Kansas. Like, ‘OK dude, I got it.’ So I don’t read my mentions.”

 

 

Spoiler

 

A Zoom Q&A with Tom Herman: On recruiting, the return of football and Freebirds

By Kaelen Jones and Max Olson 3h ago 3 

AUSTIN, Texas — Tom Herman was supposed to have a spring game last weekend. Instead, his time is now occupied by so many other things.

Sure, he’s working to keep his Texas program moving forward during the COVID-19 pandemic. Herman spent last Friday on Zoom or FaceTime video chats from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

But he spent his Saturday not at Darrell K Royal-Memorial Stadium as once planned but golfing with his two young sons. There’s been a lot of Monopoly, UNO, family movie nights and backyard games. Herman said he’s found joy in the little things.

The fourth-year coach has also been using his spare time in recent weeks to conduct a media tour, aiming to interact with the Longhorns fan base through visits with several outlets. On Monday, Herman joined The Athletic’s Kaelen Jones and Max Olson for a Zoom Q&A session and answered questions submitted by subscribers.

Here are a few key takeaways from the wide-ranging conversation, hitting on the NFL Draft, recruiting while in-person visits are shut down, returning to play, fast food and much more. The full interview can be viewed here:

Why the Longhorns’ draft presence will ‘continue to rise’

Last week, Herman “kind of got teary-eyed a little bit.”

Since the Alamo Bowl, Herman had been in a group chat with his five now-former captains: receivers Devin Duvernay and Collin Johnson, safety Brandon Jones, defensive end Malcolm Roach and center Zach Shackelford. Herman sent updates alerting players of conversations he’d had with NFL coaches, scouts and general managers before the NFL Draft. He also used it to stay updated on their workout schedules.

But as the second day of the draft began Friday night, the emotions flowed. Herman texted a note thanking the players for their contributions while at UT. Jones (third round, Dolphins), Duvernay (third round, Ravens), and Johnson (fifth round, Jaguars) were chosen on Days 2 and 3. Shackelford (Buccaneers) and Roach (Saints) signed deals as undrafted free agents.

Three picks ensured the Longhorns produced draft-worthy talent for a sixth consecutive year, although they missed out on having a first-rounder for the fifth consecutive draft. Herman noted that halting the latter streak comes down to recruiting. He highlighted in-state efforts — despite seven 2020 first-rounders having played high school football in Texas, none chose UT.

The Longhorns’ 2016 class, which ranked No. 7 nationally in the 247Sports Composite, marked the last group signed under former coach Charlie Strong. Eighteen members of that group left early as transfers or retirees. The ’17 class, which ranked No. 25 and was the first signed under Herman, served as his staff’s “transition class.” The Longhorns didn’t produce a first-round pick from the ’16 class nor an early entrant from the ’17 class.

But Herman contends that UT’s first-rounders are coming: “I think you’ll see those numbers continue to rise.” Perhaps offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi — whom The Athletic’s Dane Brugler projected as a first-round pick in his first 2021 mock draft — will help start that trend next year.

Herman doesn’t deem the lack of first-round production thus far as a complete indictment of the Longhorns’ development. NFL coaches such as the Patriots’ Bill Belichick, the Rams’ Sean McVay and the Titans’ Mike Vrabel have complimented “how tough, physical and hardworking our guys are,” Herman said.

But one detail in this year’s draft that did get his attention: Among the 33 drafted players who hailed from the state of Texas, 16 were deemed three-star recruits in high school. And only one of them was offered a scholarship by Texas.

“We’ve got to continue to not be so enamored with stars,” he said. “Now the five-stars, the high four-stars, they’re ranked that way for a reason. They’re usually really good. But we’ve got to do a good job of trusting our evaluation on some of these guys that may not be as well-known and trusting that what we see in them, we’re gonna be able to turn them into starters/draft picks.”

Herman joked that “between God, genetics, and mom and dad — they make first-round picks.” But identifying and securing premier talent is how more UT representatives will hear their names called early during future NFL Drafts.

“We’re not teaching guys how to be 6-foot-5 and 270 (pounds),” Herman said. “That’s not development. That’s recruiting. So we’ve got to recruit the best of the best, especially within our own state.”

What’s in store for freshmen enrollees

Eight members of the 2020 class were January early enrollees. That group benefited from UT’s winter conditioning sessions, getting familiar with the playbook and working in-person with Herman’s new staff before the outbreak halted the offseason.

For the other 11 members of the class due to arrive in the summer, Herman said getting them up to speed during the lockdown has been difficult. He noted that Big 12 and NCAA rules prevent signees from attending virtual team meetings, which is forcing assistants to hold separate Zoom sessions with them.

Why is it, Herman wondered, that Sam Ehlinger, Casey Thompson, Hudson Card and the rest of Texas’ quarterbacks can participate in a position meeting but incoming freshman Ja’Quinden Jackson cannot? Excluding him and his peers from the group sessions until they arrive on campus doesn’t make sense to him.

Herman still hasn’t been told why the rule is in place, and he said he’s fighting it. He suspects it’s an issue that leaders simply had “slip through the cracks” when hastily constructing plans in the midst of the outbreak.

“It’s a simple fix,” he said. “If the kid is signed, he’s a part of our program, let him be a part of our meetings. If not, now the coaches are doing double work where you’re literally having an official meeting with the players who are on campus, then the exact same meeting with the signee, which makes no sense at all.”

When asked if public expectations should be lowered for the Longhorns’ second wave of freshmen — such as five-star tailback Bijan Robinson — Herman said he doesn’t expect that to be the case.

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby is holding a meeting with conference coaches and athletic directors Tuesday to continue discussions about planning for the upcoming season, Herman said. Herman added that the conference’s coaches are aligned on believing six weeks of preparation are necessary to get players ready, even if it means delaying the season’s start.

A strange recruiting cycle

Texas landed its first commitment of the spring on Sunday night from three-star tight end Landen King out of Humble Atascocita (Texas) High, pushing its 2021 class to seven pledges and to No. 14 nationally in the 247Sports rankings.

Recruiting is one of the things coaches can work on relentlessly during the shutdown. But the current cycle is already unlike any other in modern recruiting history.

For Texas, there’s no spring game. No Texas Relays. No spring official visits. No campus visitors, period. No spring practices at high schools. No 7-on-7 football. No summer camps. And no word on when the NCAA recruiting dead period, currently imposed through May 31, will get lifted. And yet, with as little as is known about what the future holds, coaches still must operate under the assumption that the December signing period goes on as planned. So recruiting still never stops.

“Yeah, it has been strange,” Herman said. “You know, a lot of these guys were scheduled to take spring official visits. And obviously, Austin in the spring and this time of year is about as good as there is in the country. We take them out on the lake and they have a good time for 48 hours. Most of these kids have been here on unofficial visits numerous, numerous times. I think it has certainly affected out-of-state recruiting. Some of these guys that haven’t been to our campus or maybe have only been one time, you know, we’re putting together some presentations for them on Zoom, knowing this thing is going to last longer than we had anticipated.”

When programs lose so many opportunities to further evaluate a recruit in a high school practice or camp setting, what can be done to make up the loss? Herman and the Texas staff have had to move a little outside of their comfort zone.  They’re making more offers, some to prospects they know less about.

“That’s the scariest part to me,” he said.

In Herman’s first few three years at Texas, he prided himself on being thorough and careful in recruiting evaluations and offers. The Longhorns extended just 130 offers to the 2020 class, per 247Sports, which ranked sixth-fewest among Power 5 programs. He’s finding that they have no choice but to make more offers for 2021.

“In order to recruit these kids — I mean, really recruit kids — you’ve gotta offer them, right?” he said. “Or else, if you don’t offer them, because you want to do your due diligence and research, and somebody else has said the word ‘offer’ — whether it’s committable or not — three months ago, they’re gonna remind that kid you were three months behind. So we’re trying to do the best we can on video evaluations and making phone calls to coaches and teachers and principals and all that.”

Herman mentioned that he chatted with a five-star target on Sunday night whose plan was to decide this summer after taking all of his official visits in the spring. Now, he’s going to wait and is in no hurry. Sure, he’d been to all five of his top schools several times, but he’d hoped the official visits would be, as Herman said, “the cherry on the sundae.”

Still, some top recruits in the state are making commitments anyway. It’s becoming a predicament.

“We’ll see where it heads,” Herman said. “It’s a really good class in the state of Texas, and we feel like we’ve got some momentum, especially with what happened (Sunday). We feel like we’re sitting in a really, really good spot with a lot of the top players in the state.”

What fans don’t understand

Here’s one insightful question posed by a subscriber:

What are a couple of things that even informed fans don’t understand or misunderstand about your job and building a national title contender? — Michael M

Herman smiled when he heard it.

“How much time you got?” he asked.

Herman brought up the tough time demands during the football season for a father of three, the fact that he sees his kids after a game Saturday night and might not see them again until after the next game. In his line of work, he tends to leave for work before they wake up and get home after they’re asleep. He mentioned all the unseen “periphery things” that come with being a head coach at this level, such as all the work and thought that’s gone into planning the $200 million south end zone facility project.

“After my call with you,” he said, “I’m getting on a Zoom call to talk about all the different furniture in the building.”

He joked that, in his six years as a head coach, he’s probably looked at more blueprints than game plans. And, sure, that’s a good thing in a lot of ways. That focus has already resulted in Houston’s excellent indoor facility and renovated locker room, plus a $10 million weight room and a locker room upgrade at Texas, with the best still to come.

“But I do envy (offensive coordinator) Mike Yurcich at times, just having to worry about football and recruiting, you know?” Herman said.

But the key issue Herman wanted to bring up, the biggest misunderstanding of all, can be summed up like this:

“We’re not always the people you see behind the podium.”

He argued that the coach people see on the sideline and in news conferences is “certainly not” the same as the guy behind closed doors with his Texas players or at home with his family. He said he doesn’t understand how anybody can form such strong opinions about him if they’ve never actually spent time around him.

“Why would you ever waste time forming an opinion on somebody that you’ve never met?” he asked. “You don’t know that real person at all.”

Herman understands all of this — the attention, the perceptions, the scrutiny — does come with the territory, especially at Texas, where he’s making more than $6 million this season. Yet he wants Texas fans to appreciate what’s been accomplished and have optimism for where the program is headed.

If they don’t, it can be frustrating at times. The coach recently rejoined Twitter — he’d logged off ever since September 2018 — because he wanted to provide some positivity and re-engage with people during the pandemic. Herman abandoned Twitter for nearly two years because he found the negativity on that platform to be far too toxic.

How has returning to Twitter been for him so far?

Not that fun.

“It’s as bad as I remember. Absolutely. Very, very negative,” Herman said. “A guy with 86 followers is gonna harass me as the head coach at Texas. The whole reason I logged on was to bring awareness to the causes that (my wife) Michelle and I were supporting. And you’re gonna tell me how we shouldn’t be having to kick a field goal at the end of the game to beat Kansas. Like, ‘OK dude, I got it.’ So I don’t read my mentions.”

What’s for dinner?

The chat wrapped with a few fun questions, including asking Herman to open up about his epic history of getting injured, his ever-changing appearance and his take on the top 100 sports movies of all time. (The first movie that came to mind for him? “Caddyshack.”)

But the segment began by discussing what has emerged as his family’s go-to for drive-through and takeout meals during this month of being stuck at home.

Herman said the convenient staples are Chick-fil-A and P. Terry’s because they’re close to the house. His typical Chick-fil-A order? Grilled nuggets on the days when he’s trying to be healthier or a chicken sandwich (no pickles) with Chick-fil-A sauce when he’s not so concerned with that. He gets the waffle fries no matter what, though.

As for takeout? “Freebirds is a big one for me to get delivered,” he said. “I’m a huge Freebirds guy.” The Hermans went with Maudie’s for their Easter brunch and like to get Lupe Tortilla delivered for special occasions.

“But usually it’s me, like last night, grilling some sausage links and a couple steaks and the kids having mac and cheese on the side,” Herman said.

Texas offensive line coach Herb Hand, the undisputed top chef of the staff, recently persuaded Herman to order an air fryer. The head coach is looking forward to its arrival. “As soon as I get that thing delivered,” he said, “I’m gonna throw some wings in there and check it out.”

 

 

 

[Goodman 3273]

28 minutes ago, NoName said:

The Athletic: A Zoom Q&A with Tom Herman: On recruiting, the return of football and Freebirds

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A Zoom Q&A with Tom Herman: On recruiting, the return of football and Freebirds

By Kaelen Jones and Max Olson 3h ago 3 

AUSTIN, Texas — Tom Herman was supposed to have a spring game last weekend. Instead, his time is now occupied by so many other things.

Sure, he’s working to keep his Texas program moving forward during the COVID-19 pandemic. Herman spent last Friday on Zoom or FaceTime video chats from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

But he spent his Saturday not at Darrell K Royal-Memorial Stadium as once planned but golfing with his two young sons. There’s been a lot of Monopoly, UNO, family movie nights and backyard games. Herman said he’s found joy in the little things.

The fourth-year coach has also been using his spare time in recent weeks to conduct a media tour, aiming to interact with the Longhorns fan base through visits with several outlets. On Monday, Herman joined The Athletic’s Kaelen Jones and Max Olson for a Zoom Q&A session and answered questions submitted by subscribers.

Here are a few key takeaways from the wide-ranging conversation, hitting on the NFL Draft, recruiting while in-person visits are shut down, returning to play, fast food and much more. The full interview can be viewed here:

Why the Longhorns’ draft presence will ‘continue to rise’

Last week, Herman “kind of got teary-eyed a little bit.”

Since the Alamo Bowl, Herman had been in a group chat with his five now-former captains: receivers Devin Duvernay and Collin Johnson, safety Brandon Jones, defensive end Malcolm Roach and center Zach Shackelford. Herman sent updates alerting players of conversations he’d had with NFL coaches, scouts and general managers before the NFL Draft. He also used it to stay updated on their workout schedules.

But as the second day of the draft began Friday night, the emotions flowed. Herman texted a note thanking the players for their contributions while at UT. Jones (third round, Dolphins), Duvernay (third round, Ravens), and Johnson (fifth round, Jaguars) were chosen on Days 2 and 3. Shackelford (Buccaneers) and Roach (Saints) signed deals as undrafted free agents.

Three picks ensured the Longhorns produced draft-worthy talent for a sixth consecutive year, although they missed out on having a first-rounder for the fifth consecutive draft. Herman noted that halting the latter streak comes down to recruiting. He highlighted in-state efforts — despite seven 2020 first-rounders having played high school football in Texas, none chose UT.

The Longhorns’ 2016 class, which ranked No. 7 nationally in the 247Sports Composite, marked the last group signed under former coach Charlie Strong. Eighteen members of that group left early as transfers or retirees. The ’17 class, which ranked No. 25 and was the first signed under Herman, served as his staff’s “transition class.” The Longhorns didn’t produce a first-round pick from the ’16 class nor an early entrant from the ’17 class.

But Herman contends that UT’s first-rounders are coming: “I think you’ll see those numbers continue to rise.” Perhaps offensive tackle Samuel Cosmi — whom The Athletic’s Dane Brugler projected as a first-round pick in his first 2021 mock draft — will help start that trend next year.

Herman doesn’t deem the lack of first-round production thus far as a complete indictment of the Longhorns’ development. NFL coaches such as the Patriots’ Bill Belichick, the Rams’ Sean McVay and the Titans’ Mike Vrabel have complimented “how tough, physical and hardworking our guys are,” Herman said.

But one detail in this year’s draft that did get his attention: Among the 33 drafted players who hailed from the state of Texas, 16 were deemed three-star recruits in high school. And only one of them was offered a scholarship by Texas.

“We’ve got to continue to not be so enamored with stars,” he said. “Now the five-stars, the high four-stars, they’re ranked that way for a reason. They’re usually really good. But we’ve got to do a good job of trusting our evaluation on some of these guys that may not be as well-known and trusting that what we see in them, we’re gonna be able to turn them into starters/draft picks.”

Herman joked that “between God, genetics, and mom and dad — they make first-round picks.” But identifying and securing premier talent is how more UT representatives will hear their names called early during future NFL Drafts.

“We’re not teaching guys how to be 6-foot-5 and 270 (pounds),” Herman said. “That’s not development. That’s recruiting. So we’ve got to recruit the best of the best, especially within our own state.”

What’s in store for freshmen enrollees

Eight members of the 2020 class were January early enrollees. That group benefited from UT’s winter conditioning sessions, getting familiar with the playbook and working in-person with Herman’s new staff before the outbreak halted the offseason.

For the other 11 members of the class due to arrive in the summer, Herman said getting them up to speed during the lockdown has been difficult. He noted that Big 12 and NCAA rules prevent signees from attending virtual team meetings, which is forcing assistants to hold separate Zoom sessions with them.

Why is it, Herman wondered, that Sam Ehlinger, Casey Thompson, Hudson Card and the rest of Texas’ quarterbacks can participate in a position meeting but incoming freshman Ja’Quinden Jackson cannot? Excluding him and his peers from the group sessions until they arrive on campus doesn’t make sense to him.

Herman still hasn’t been told why the rule is in place, and he said he’s fighting it. He suspects it’s an issue that leaders simply had “slip through the cracks” when hastily constructing plans in the midst of the outbreak.

“It’s a simple fix,” he said. “If the kid is signed, he’s a part of our program, let him be a part of our meetings. If not, now the coaches are doing double work where you’re literally having an official meeting with the players who are on campus, then the exact same meeting with the signee, which makes no sense at all.”

When asked if public expectations should be lowered for the Longhorns’ second wave of freshmen — such as five-star tailback Bijan Robinson — Herman said he doesn’t expect that to be the case.

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby is holding a meeting with conference coaches and athletic directors Tuesday to continue discussions about planning for the upcoming season, Herman said. Herman added that the conference’s coaches are aligned on believing six weeks of preparation are necessary to get players ready, even if it means delaying the season’s start.

A strange recruiting cycle

Texas landed its first commitment of the spring on Sunday night from three-star tight end Landen King out of Humble Atascocita (Texas) High, pushing its 2021 class to seven pledges and to No. 14 nationally in the 247Sports rankings.

Recruiting is one of the things coaches can work on relentlessly during the shutdown. But the current cycle is already unlike any other in modern recruiting history.

For Texas, there’s no spring game. No Texas Relays. No spring official visits. No campus visitors, period. No spring practices at high schools. No 7-on-7 football. No summer camps. And no word on when the NCAA recruiting dead period, currently imposed through May 31, will get lifted. And yet, with as little as is known about what the future holds, coaches still must operate under the assumption that the December signing period goes on as planned. So recruiting still never stops.

“Yeah, it has been strange,” Herman said. “You know, a lot of these guys were scheduled to take spring official visits. And obviously, Austin in the spring and this time of year is about as good as there is in the country. We take them out on the lake and they have a good time for 48 hours. Most of these kids have been here on unofficial visits numerous, numerous times. I think it has certainly affected out-of-state recruiting. Some of these guys that haven’t been to our campus or maybe have only been one time, you know, we’re putting together some presentations for them on Zoom, knowing this thing is going to last longer than we had anticipated.”

When programs lose so many opportunities to further evaluate a recruit in a high school practice or camp setting, what can be done to make up the loss? Herman and the Texas staff have had to move a little outside of their comfort zone.  They’re making more offers, some to prospects they know less about.

“That’s the scariest part to me,” he said.

In Herman’s first few three years at Texas, he prided himself on being thorough and careful in recruiting evaluations and offers. The Longhorns extended just 130 offers to the 2020 class, per 247Sports, which ranked sixth-fewest among Power 5 programs. He’s finding that they have no choice but to make more offers for 2021.

“In order to recruit these kids — I mean, really recruit kids — you’ve gotta offer them, right?” he said. “Or else, if you don’t offer them, because you want to do your due diligence and research, and somebody else has said the word ‘offer’ — whether it’s committable or not — three months ago, they’re gonna remind that kid you were three months behind. So we’re trying to do the best we can on video evaluations and making phone calls to coaches and teachers and principals and all that.”

Herman mentioned that he chatted with a five-star target on Sunday night whose plan was to decide this summer after taking all of his official visits in the spring. Now, he’s going to wait and is in no hurry. Sure, he’d been to all five of his top schools several times, but he’d hoped the official visits would be, as Herman said, “the cherry on the sundae.”

Still, some top recruits in the state are making commitments anyway. It’s becoming a predicament.

“We’ll see where it heads,” Herman said. “It’s a really good class in the state of Texas, and we feel like we’ve got some momentum, especially with what happened (Sunday). We feel like we’re sitting in a really, really good spot with a lot of the top players in the state.”

What fans don’t understand

Here’s one insightful question posed by a subscriber:

What are a couple of things that even informed fans don’t understand or misunderstand about your job and building a national title contender? — Michael M

Herman smiled when he heard it.

“How much time you got?” he asked.

Herman brought up the tough time demands during the football season for a father of three, the fact that he sees his kids after a game Saturday night and might not see them again until after the next game. In his line of work, he tends to leave for work before they wake up and get home after they’re asleep. He mentioned all the unseen “periphery things” that come with being a head coach at this level, such as all the work and thought that’s gone into planning the $200 million south end zone facility project.

“After my call with you,” he said, “I’m getting on a Zoom call to talk about all the different furniture in the building.”

He joked that, in his six years as a head coach, he’s probably looked at more blueprints than game plans. And, sure, that’s a good thing in a lot of ways. That focus has already resulted in Houston’s excellent indoor facility and renovated locker room, plus a $10 million weight room and a locker room upgrade at Texas, with the best still to come.

“But I do envy (offensive coordinator) Mike Yurcich at times, just having to worry about football and recruiting, you know?” Herman said.

But the key issue Herman wanted to bring up, the biggest misunderstanding of all, can be summed up like this:

“We’re not always the people you see behind the podium.”

He argued that the coach people see on the sideline and in news conferences is “certainly not” the same as the guy behind closed doors with his Texas players or at home with his family. He said he doesn’t understand how anybody can form such strong opinions about him if they’ve never actually spent time around him.

“Why would you ever waste time forming an opinion on somebody that you’ve never met?” he asked. “You don’t know that real person at all.”

Herman understands all of this — the attention, the perceptions, the scrutiny — does come with the territory, especially at Texas, where he’s making more than $6 million this season. Yet he wants Texas fans to appreciate what’s been accomplished and have optimism for where the program is headed.

If they don’t, it can be frustrating at times. The coach recently rejoined Twitter — he’d logged off ever since September 2018 — because he wanted to provide some positivity and re-engage with people during the pandemic. Herman abandoned Twitter for nearly two years because he found the negativity on that platform to be far too toxic.

How has returning to Twitter been for him so far?

Not that fun.

“It’s as bad as I remember. Absolutely. Very, very negative,” Herman said. “A guy with 86 followers is gonna harass me as the head coach at Texas. The whole reason I logged on was to bring awareness to the causes that (my wife) Michelle and I were supporting. And you’re gonna tell me how we shouldn’t be having to kick a field goal at the end of the game to beat Kansas. Like, ‘OK dude, I got it.’ So I don’t read my mentions.”

What’s for dinner?

The chat wrapped with a few fun questions, including asking Herman to open up about his epic history of getting injured, his ever-changing appearance and his take on the top 100 sports movies of all time. (The first movie that came to mind for him? “Caddyshack.”)

But the segment began by discussing what has emerged as his family’s go-to for drive-through and takeout meals during this month of being stuck at home.

Herman said the convenient staples are Chick-fil-A and P. Terry’s because they’re close to the house. His typical Chick-fil-A order? Grilled nuggets on the days when he’s trying to be healthier or a chicken sandwich (no pickles) with Chick-fil-A sauce when he’s not so concerned with that. He gets the waffle fries no matter what, though.

As for takeout? “Freebirds is a big one for me to get delivered,” he said. “I’m a huge Freebirds guy.” The Hermans went with Maudie’s for their Easter brunch and like to get Lupe Tortilla delivered for special occasions.

“But usually it’s me, like last night, grilling some sausage links and a couple steaks and the kids having mac and cheese on the side,” Herman said.

Texas offensive line coach Herb Hand, the undisputed top chef of the staff, recently persuaded Herman to order an air fryer. The head coach is looking forward to its arrival. “As soon as I get that thing delivered,” he said, “I’m gonna throw some wings in there and check it out.”

 

 

 

Of course he would order the aggie started Freebirds over Cabo Bobs, what a waste.

[victory88 5663]

He’s such a thin skinned bitch.  He got off twitter because he can’t handle the negativity.  

[TheBryMan81 2509]

3 hours ago, markstanco said:

Those three receivers combined for 813 receiving. And Garrett Gilbert was a gatorade player of the year as well in HIGH SCHOOL. 

The receiving totals of 3 players tend to be lower when you include a player that only played 2 quarters the entire season.

So to support your contention that the WR room is empty, you picked:

Jake Smith: true freshman slot behind senior Devin Duveranay. Scored 6 TDs, only 3 power 5 freshman WR scored more.

Jordan Whittington: played 2 quarters all year. Former 5 star and one of the most athletic players on the team

Brennan Eagles: showed flashes as a sophomore (100 yards + TD against LSU).

If stanco were an LSU fan going into 2019:

"Other than Jefferson, I wonder who will step up this year.  Chase, Sullivan, Marshall? Shit our WR room is empty, those 3 only combined for 860 yards last year"