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2020 Texas Offseason Thread: Herman's Hail Mary

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texifornia

texifornia 59015

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For future seasons we just finished our OOC slates: https://247sports.com/college/texas/Article/Texas-Longhorns-football-future-non-conference-schedule-Texas-State-Louisiana-Monroe-Wyoming-Alabama-Crimson-Tide-Ohio-State-Buckeyes-142631721/

ULM in 2022 (full OOC slate: ULM, Bama, UTSA)

Wyoming in 2023 (Rice, @Bama, Wyo)

and Texas State in 2026 (TXSt, tOSU, UTSA)

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texifornia
texifornia

Jesus, y'all win a title and still have tissue-thin skin to even gentle joking around. Woof.

honolulu horn
honolulu horn

Apex, take it somewhere else. This is a football thread, not a "don't be a pussy, my racist jokes are actually harmless and hilarious" thread.

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satyanash

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(Kaelen Jones) Twenty stats for 2020: What the numbers reveal about Texas as it tries to take the next step

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AUSTIN, Texas — Numbers don’t tell the full story of a football season, but they can reveal much about Texas’ 2019 campaign and provide a baseline for 2020.

The Longhorns, statistically, were as up and down as their results last season. They started off 4-1, then went 4-4. Offensively, they ranked in the top half of most categories. They boasted a top-20 passing game headlined by rising senior Sam Ehlinger. The rushing attack ranked in the top half of most statistical categories. Meanwhile, the defense, specifically against the pass, ranked among the worst units in the nation.

So, there’s obvious work for coach Tom Herman and his overhauled staff, headlined now by offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich and defensive coordinator Chris Ash. There’s also plenty to build on entering the new season, and there’s encouragement based on what some statistics reveal.

Here are 20 notable stats from 2019 and what they could mean for 2020.

1. Ehlinger is 12-0 when completing at least 70.4 percent of his passes in a game (min. five attempts).

The Longhorns are at a crucial juncture. In his senior season, Ehlinger is unquestionably integral to anything UT hopes to achieve, just as he’s been to its attempt to return to elite status. Despite a tough stretch through the middle of 2019, Ehlinger still posted career-high numbers across the board, including a 65.2 completion percentage, 8.1 yards per attempt, 8.5 adjusted yards per attempt, 32 touchdown passes and a 151.8 QB rating. With a revamped receiving corps and a new coordinator in Yurcich, he’ll have to be at the top of his game in 2020. When he’s not, UT has struggled; the Longhorns are 5-8 when Ehlinger has completed 60 percent or less of his passes in his career.

2. Opponents recorded 36 sacks against Texas.

UT’s offensive line will add two new starters following the departures of center Zach Shackelford and left guard Parker Braun. Keeping Ehlinger protected, of course, is of the utmost priority.

UT boasts one of the best pass protectors in the nation in left tackle Samuel Cosmi, a redshirt junior who allowed just one combined sack or hit all season, according to Pro Football Focus. However, Texas allowed 36 sacks, which ranked 113th nationally. The 2.77 sacks per game ranked last in the Big 12.

3. Texas converted 78 percent of red zone opportunities for touchdowns.

UT was clinical in the red zone in 2019, ranking 12th with a 92 percent overall conversion rate and seventh in touchdown conversion rate.

It was a sizable jump from what the Longhorns had converted in Herman’s first two seasons. In 2017, they scored touchdowns on 61.7 percent (tied for 63rd nationally) of their 47 red zone visits. In 2018, they improved to 66 percent (41st) of their 50 attempts.

Although there were certainly missed opportunities that stung — two possessions that stalled inside LSU’s 5-yard line on turnovers on downs stand out — it was an area of strength for the Longhorns offense.

4. The Longhorns finished tied for 118th in fourth-down success, converting 7 of 19 attempts.

Herman’s approach on fourth down paid dividends for the Longhorns in 2018. They converted on an absurd 80 percent (12 of 15) of fourth-down attempts. UT fell from second nationally in that category to tied for 118th in 2019 after converting just 36.8 percent of fourth-down attempts.

The expectation is that the Longhorns will improve in this category in 2020. Likewise, there should be an expectation that Herman continues to utilize analytics to determine when it’s prudent for UT to go for it, as he’s previously discussed.

5. Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay accounted for 47.4 percent of Texas’ total catch production in 2019.

With Johnson’s and Duvernay’s departures, the Longhorns must find a way to replace nearly half of their catch production from a season ago. Ehlinger will be without his two most reliable targets in his senior year, and it raises the question of who will be able to replace them.

Junior Brennan Eagles is UT’s leading returning wide receiver after logging 32 catches for 522 yards and six touchdowns last season. Sophomore Jake Smith, who almost exclusively served as an understudy for Duvernay within the slot, finished his freshman campaign with 25 catches, 274 yards and six touchdowns. The pair is the most experienced out of a collection of young, talented wide receivers. Sophomore Marcus Washington, who had three catches for 33 yards, is in line for an expanded role in 2020. UT will likely find a way to utilize redshirt sophomore Malcolm Epps because of his 6-foot-6 stature, as well. He finished with 20 catches for 232 yards and two touchdowns and displayed a budding rapport with Ehlinger during the final stretch of the season.

Texas needs wide receivers such as Brennan Eagles to help replace Collin Johnson and Devin Duvernay. (Scott Wachter / USA Today)

6. Opponents recorded 216 plays that gained 10 yards or more.

Throughout former defensive coordinator Todd Orlando’s tenure, the Longhorns struggled to limit big plays. Last season, opponents tallied a whopping 216 plays of 10 yards or more against UT’s defense, which ranked 128th in the FBS. It was a regression from 2018, during which the unit allowed 196 plays of 10 yards or more, which ranked tied for 101st.

Opponents averaged 5.9 yards per play against the Longhorns to rank 91st. Ash is tasked with finding a solution for UT’s big-play problem. The defense possesses the talent to improve, and a simplified scheme could perhaps prevent the Longhorns from being on the wrong end of too many long plays in 2020.

7. Keaontay Ingram averaged 7.0 yards per carry across UT’s final seven games.

Ingram enters his junior season with momentum after an outstanding performance against Utah in the Alamo Bowl. The Utes’ rush defense ranked No. 1 nationally, yet, behind a standout showing from the Longhorns’ offensive line, Ingram rushed for 108 yards on 13 carries (8.3 yards per attempt) and two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 26 yards and a touchdown.

Ingram rushed for 853 yards last season, when he dealt with knee and ankle injuries. He averaged 75.6 rushing yards per game during the Horns’ final seven games after averaging just 46.7 yards per game and 4.7 per carry across their first six contests. UT’s backfield will likely be crowded next year with sophomore Jordan Whittington — who didn’t play again after aggravating a groin injury in Week 1 — and five-star freshman Bijan Robinson entering the fold. But Ingram should still be expected to maintain lead duties and will need to play at a higher level in 2020.

8. Ehlinger had 33 carries of at least 10 yards in 2019.

The Longhorns were concerned about keeping Ehlinger upright in 2019, and they managed to do so, despite highlighting his rushing ability on a more frequent basis. Ehlinger finished the season with a team-leading 163 rushing attempts. He averaged 4.1 yards per carry and tied with Ingram and Roschon Johnson for a team-high seven rushing touchdowns.

Ehlinger’s rushing ability is typically associated with his knack for picking up short yardage. But in 2019, he was able to pick up long gains with regularity. His 33 carries of 10 yards or more ranked 33rd nationally among FBS players and ranked higher than standout running backs such as Arizona State’s Eno Benjamin, Oregon’s C.J. Verdell and Kansas’ Pooka Williams.

9. Texas converted 48.9 percent of third downs.

Third-down success is a key component of offensive efficiency. In each of the past two seasons, the Longhorns have ranked among the top units in the country.

UT converted 90 of 184 (48.9 percent) third-down attempts, seventh nationally in 2019. Much of that success has to do with Ehlinger and his ability to utilize both his arm and legs. Whether his supporting cast will be trusted in pressured situations such as third-and-longs remains a question mark.

10. Roschon Johnson totaled 807 yards from scrimmage as a true freshman.

One of the key decisions the Longhorns must make this offseason is determining where to play Roschon Johnson, who registered 649 rushing yards and 158 receiving yards in his debut season. He scored eight total touchdowns (seven rushing, one receiving), a welcome surprise.

Entering the season, Johnson was expected to redshirt and be buried at the end of the depth chart at quarterback. But injuries forced UT to utilize him as a backup running back, where he was productive. Johnson averaged 5.3 yards per carry and rushed for 95 yards or more three times (at West Virginia, versus Oklahoma and versus Texas Tech). Considering the Longhorns backfield will be crowded with talented options next season, there’s a chance they choose to play Johnson at quarterback again.

11. UT went 1-4 when held to 27 points or less in 2019.

As LSU and Joe Burrow reminded, a high-scoring offense is part of the championship formula. The Longhorns offense generated points at a high rate last year, averaging 35.2 points per game (17th nationally). When they scored 36 points or more, they went 7-1. On days the unit wasn’t humming, though, UT rarely had enough to get a winning result.

UT had been able to grind out wins in low-scoring affairs in 2018, when it went 4-1 in such contests. Throughout the course of Herman’s tenure, the Longhorns are 6-10 when scoring 27 points or less. Perhaps their defense will be improved enough next year to compete in low-scoring contests, but the best version of UT includes an offensive unit that is producing at a consistently high rate.

12. The Longhorns finished ranked No. 25 in AP Top 25.

UT finished ranked for a second consecutive season, marking the first time the program has ended the year in the Associated Press poll in back-to-back seasons since 2008 and 2009.

It’s a start. The Longhorns opened the season No. 10, rose to No. 9, but tumbled out of the rankings by Oct. 27. Even considering an overhauled staff and a handful of losses on offense, there’s expectations for better results in 2020.

13. Texas gained zero or negative yardage on 13.4 percent of its drives.

According to Football Outsiders, 13.4 percent of UT’s drives went nowhere, gaining zero or negative yardage. That ranked 93rd nationally, and it’s a testament to the Longhorns’ boom-or-bust nature offensively in 2019.

UT manufactured 238 plays of 10 yards or more, which ranked 10th nationally. That’s an encouraging statistic, and an improvement from the 203 gains of 10 yards or more (tied for 30th) that the Longhorns registered in 2018. Yurcich must find a way to somehow maintain the offense’s explosiveness while lowering the amount of busted drives.

14. Opponents’ drives ended in punts, turnovers or turnovers on downs 62 percent of the time.

The Longhorns finished the season 86th nationally in Stop Rate, which calculates the amount of opponents’ drives that result in punts, turnovers or turnovers on downs.

UT struggled to get off the field in 2019, noted by opponents converting on 39.1 percent of third-down attempts (tied for 65th). In crucial situations, the Longhorns seemed to be unable to stop opposing offenses from moving the ball — losses at TCU and Iowa State in which the defense was unable to make key stops stands out. Ash must find a way for the Longhorns to get off the field more consistently in 2020.

15. The Longhorns had four defensive linemen on the field for 2.3 percent of defensive snaps.

One of the reasons Herman hired Ash as his defensive coordinator is because he will implement a four-man front, highlighting the amount of talent the Longhorns boast. In 2019, UT used four defensive linemen on 20 total plays (four passes and 16 runs), which accounted for 2.3 percent of all defensive snaps, according to Sports Info Solutions. That number will significantly jump in 2020.

The Longhorns still have defensive line coach Oscar Giles on staff and Herman said that he intends to add another line coach, designating between defensive tackles and defensive ends. That should help UT generate more consistent pressure without the need to blitz.

16. Texas totaled 1,714 yards after catch.

Much of the offense was predicated on getting playmakers the ball in space and allowing them to utilize their athleticism to generate big plays. UT racked up 1,714 yards after the catch in 2019, which ranked 32nd nationally and sixth in the Big 12, according to Sports Info Solutions.

Duvernay finished third nationally with 719 yards after the catch. The Longhorns have a collection of athletes, such as Smith and Whittington, who can do special things with the ball in their hands. Whether UT gets them the ball in similar manners as it did with Duvernay remains to be seen. But the Longhorns’ offense must highlight its stars’ playmaking ability.

17. Whittington registered two touches as a true freshman.

Whittington was expected to hold a key role last season but had any potential for his contribution snuffed out after aggravating a groin injury in Week 1. He made two catches for 17 yards before exiting against Louisiana Tech. He’s since undergone two surgeries. How he’s implemented within UT’s offense under Yurcich will be a development worth monitoring, as he could prove to be one of the Longhorns’ best skill players if fully healthy.

18. UT went .500 in one-possession contests in 2019.

Last year, the Longhorns weren’t as successful in close games as they had been in 2018. UT went 7-3 in one-possession games during that season as it reached the Big 12 championship and the Sugar Bowl. In 2019, the Longhorns went 3-3 in one-possession games.

19. Ehlinger finished with 2,049 total air yards in 2019.

That amount ranked ninth in the FBS and first in the Big 12. While Duvernay excelled and finished among the top nationally in yards after catch, Ehlinger did well targeting players downfield. Aside from Duvernay, Eagles perhaps benefitted the most from the Longhorns’ willingness to push the ball downfield, as he averaged a team-high 16.3 yards per catch (among players with at least five catches). Ten of his 32 catches gained 20 yards or more.

20. Texas won 40 percent of its games against ranked opponents in 2019

Longhorns players asserted throughout the season that when they play at their best, they’re capable of beating the best teams in the nation. UT finished 2-3 against ranked opponents in 2019: beating Kansas State and Utah and losing to LSU, Oklahoma and Baylor.

Across Herman’s first three seasons, the Longhorns have gone 8-9 against teams ranked in the AP Top 25. If they plan on taking another step as a program, they’ll have to perform at a higher level against the country’s best. An early trip to LSU and an October matchup against Oklahoma could serve as indicators.

 

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1leggedduck

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It would be really cool if we could come to love how much everyone else hates TH's smirky arrogance. I like the changes. And, as a lifelong fan, I've had to suffer a lot of shitty Longhorn football to get to those few seasons of excellence. So Tom, I think you made the right changes on your staff, and if you begin crushing the souls of our opponents, I will forgive and climb onto your wagon. I'm sure you're  relieved to hear that. But you have to understand that Urban was hands on, and he had good coaches he could trust working for him. You needed to study his decision making, not just his interview style.  If you're going to emulate that prick, you have to win before you become a smirking asshole. So win, and we will enjoy everyone else's fans hating you. 

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Burt Macklin

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12 minutes ago, Fozzz said:

Sacks are a QB stat, Kaelen.  Also, where is he pulling cfb air yards data from?  PFF premium stats?

He mentioned Sports Info Solutions elsewhere in the article and he had specific numbers on 4 down lineman usage, which I’ve never seen anywhere, so I’d bet the Athletic has a contract with those guys. Looks like a lot of great stuff I’d love to have access to. Not being able to see stuff like player snap counts, pressure rates, formation usage, motion usage, block rate success, etc sucks.

http://www.sportsinfosolutions.com/team-products/

 

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closetojumping

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21 minutes ago, 1leggedduck said:

It would be really cool if we could come to love how much everyone else hates TH's smirky arrogance. I like the changes. And, as a lifelong fan, I've had to suffer a lot of shitty Longhorn football to get to those few seasons of excellence. So Tom, I think you made the right changes on your staff, and if you begin crushing the souls of our opponents, I will forgive and climb onto your wagon. I'm sure you're  relieved to hear that. But you have to understand that Urban was hands on, and he had good coaches he could trust working for him. You needed to study his decision making, not just his interview style.  If you're going to emulate that prick, you have to win before you become a smirking asshole. So win, and we will enjoy everyone else's fans hating you. 

I get the sentiment, but I simply cannot abide smirky arrogance. 

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texifornia

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4 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

aggy being in that 30/1 group is hilarious. We have a way better chance at winning the title than either A&M or Auburn next year, not that I’d bet on us obviously. 
 

Even aggy's reptile brains can look at that schedule and realize that if there was ever a year to take a huge swing on an aggy title, this is it. Hope that they get some lucky breaks in the Bama/LSU games and that Auburn and the Miss schools are really down and maybe they'll get a shot at the Playoff and then some more luck and they'll win it and holy shit this is getting tenuous-er and tenuous-er.

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texifornia

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From Nahlin via @satyanash. The Mitchell is stuff is obviously a huge dirty fart.

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    How do you see the front 7 shaking out next year with the move to more 4-man fronts?

How it will shake out is impossible to even gauge because a safety or two will move to LB. Until we get clarity on that, I don’t know. SDE: Bimage then Jones (Jones is on thin ice) | NT: Coburn/Sweat | 3-tech: Graham/Ojomo | WDE: Ossai then Vaughns | LB: Juwan Mitchell and Dele then Tillman and Gbenda. If/when they move a quality safety it won’t be to sit him. Who that player is that moves could depend on how the back end shakes out first. Mitchell will almost assuredly start but who plays alongside him is a crap shoot.

    Not a huge X’s and O’s guy but what made Baylor’s 3 man front so good compared to ours? Did they just have better players up front?

They played their ends outside of the OT’s which allowed them to rush the passer in one on one settings. Orlando played 4is, a very difficult position to rush the passer from. No, they don’t have better players up front, though James Lynch is really good.

    With the Fedora and Coleman moves, are there any new analyst hires that may have slipped under the radar? Thanks.

Haven’t heard of any but it’s possible. I know they want to further build out that part of the program. Fans tend to overhype that aspect of the program. If it had much value it didn’t show last year. Texas did a very poor job of self scouting and game planning.

    Who do you think is the impact WR that will make a difference in 2020? Do you think Robinson surpasses Ingram for starting reps..

Jake Smith. No, I don’t. They’ll both play a lot. The starter designation is meaningless at RB if you platoon them, which they’ll do.

 

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satyanash

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Eyes of Texas: Jordan Whittington to make a position move?

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WHITTINGTON LIKELY TO START AT RECEIVER

In talking with team sources this week, it appears Jordan Whittington, an early enrollee last year who spent his time at running back, is leaning toward starting off spring football at receiver. As I reported in the Eyes a couple weeks ago, coaches want Whittington to make the decision about playing running back or receiver, to ensure Whittington is truly the playing the position he’d be most excited about.

Whittington was a running back in last year’s season opener against Louisiana Tech, catching two passes for 17 yards, before missing the rest of the season due to surgeries needed to clean up lingering effects from a sports hernia injury he suffered in high school. Both of his surgeries in 2019 - one in September and another follow-up procedure on Dec. 12 - were performed by sports hernia specialist Dr. Richard Meyers in Philadelphia.

Whittington is limited in winter conditioning right now but is expected to be given full medical clearance soon and certainly by the time spring football starts in March. The UT medical staff is confident Whittington will make a full recovery and get back to the form that allowed him to run for 329 yards in the Class 4A state title game for Cuero two years ago in which he was both the offensive and defensive MVP. If Whittington opts to play receiver, he’d likely be trained at both the slot and Z receiver positions. Jake Smith and Malcolm Epps are expected to work in the slot, while Joshua Moore is expected to compete at the Z along with Marcus Washington and Kennedy Lewis.

One team source said they could see Whittington in a running back-receiver “hybrid” role. “He’s really smart and really advanced from a football IQ standpoint,” the source said of Whittington. “He can do anything he sets his mind to. As a hybrid, he could line up in the backfield and flex out to receiver and cause some matchup problems.” Brennan Eagles is expected to start off at the X receiver position, replacing Collin Johnson, in the spring.

***

WHAT HAPPENED WITH JUWAN MITCHELL?

Take this for what it’s worth: I’m told there’s a chance junior-to-be linebacker Juwan Mitchell takes himself out of the transfer portal. But as of right now, Mitchell is in the portal. Mitchell transferred to Texas from Butler Community College before last season and finished 2019 with 39 tackles, including three sacks among 3.5 tackles for loss. But Mitchell had at least two confrontations with strength and conditioning coach Yancy McKnight after failing to make a training session, and drew the wrath of head coach Tom Herman before the Oklahoma game.

I’m told there was another blow up between Mitchell and coaches before the Alamo Bowl. “The list is long,” one team source said. “Up and down is a good way to describe him.” But I’m also told there’s a chance Mitchell will take himself out of the transfer portal. Right now, the loss of Mitchell continues to deplete an already thin linebacker position. Texas is already without starting middle linebacker Ayodele Adeoye, who injured his foot doing some training on his own at home and will have surgery this week, as well as Marcus Tillman Jr., who continues to recover from torn knee ligaments suffered last season.

Both Adeoye and Tillman will miss the spring but are expected back during summer workouts. As we reported in last week’s Eyes of Texas, Herman will be looking in the transfer portal for graduate transfers at linebacker, offensive line and receiver. Mitchell was a teammate at Butler with defensive lineman Jacoby Jones. I’m told Jones is still a part of Texas’ plans going forward.

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EARLY ENROLLEES MAKING EARLY IMPRESSION

Talked to a few team sources to see if any of Texas’ eight early enrollees were making an early impression. Here’s what I was told after some observations from winter conditioning:

Quarterback Hudson Card can really move.

Defensive back Xavion Alford has really good change of direction and a great attitude.

Defensive lineman Vernon Broughton has a great attitude and will really benefit from enrolling early, because he needs lower body strength and mobility work.

Receiver Troy Omeire needs a lot of work on his strength but “could be a freak if he puts in the work.”

Hope to have more defensive back Jerrin Thompson, offensive linemen Logan Parr and Jake Majors as well as defensive lineman Sawyer Goram-Welch soon.

***

WHERE ARE ROSCHON JOHNSON AND KOBE BOYCE LINING UP?

As of right now, I’m hearing Roschon Johnson is staying at running back. And I’ve been getting a lot of questions about Kobe Boyce possibly moving to receiver. As of right now, coaches still have Boyce penciled in at defensive back. I was told coaches are “a long way” from making a decision about having Boyce change positions.

***

THINGS STILL ON HOLD IN DL COACH SEARCH

I was told again this week that nothing is happening with Texas’ defensive line coach search until after signing day on Feb. 5. Tom Herman has expressed to new defensive coordinator Chris Ash they are in no rush - even telling some it’s “low priority” - compared to recruiting right now heading into NSD II. And with that coaching position still vacant, director of recruiting Bryan Carrington has been out on the road, making in-home visits like he has, at times, the past two years.

TULOWITZKI MAKING IMPACT ON LONGHORNS

The additions of five-time MLB All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and former Longhorns' pitching star Huston Street to the coaching staff at Texas is making as much of an impact on Texas coach David Piece as it is on Longhorns' players. Pierce said Tulowitzki has been "a great sounding board" for some of Pierce's longstanding coaching viewpoints. "Hearing Tulo validate a lot of the things we talk about as coaches in his own way has been great," Pierce said. "Having a big-leaguer who our players are familiar with come in and give them his take on things has been incredibly helpful."

Tulowitzki is also a two-time Gold Glove Award winner who appears to be making an impact on freshmen infielders Trey Faltine and Brenden Dixon, who could end up starting at shortstop and second base, respectively. Tulowitzki is also a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner (led all shortstops in hitting) and is trying to help correct any bad habits he sees at the plate. "Tulo has made a big impact," Pierce said.

Tulowitzki, who wrapped up his 13-year MLB career with the Yankees in 2019, played with Street with the Colorado Rockies, forming a friendship that led to him joining the Texas baseball coaching staff this season as an assistant coach. Street, the MVP of the 2002 College World Series for the Longhorns, is on Pierce's staff as a "student assistant" this season as he finally finishes his degree at UT.

 

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Burt Macklin

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3 minutes ago, satyanash said:

Eyes of Texas: Jordan Whittington to make a position move?

 

Glad to hear that Whit will work at receiver. I think that’s the best thing for him, especially with durability concerns, and for the team. We have a lot of you g, unproven talent at WR. Some of those guys will work out and some won’t, so let’s give the team as many opportunities as possible to find the bets guys at WR. Plus, Ingram, RoJo, and Bijan is a really good 3 deep. Whittington can always be moved back temporarily if injuries hit. 
 

I also like Eagles at the X. C is more important than Z in our offense, so out our best outside WR there. Eagles really flashed making some tough catches late in the season. He needs to become more consistent, but getting real coaching for the first time in three years will hopefully do that. 
 

I think our best LB pairing next year would be Mitchell and Foster, but losing Mitchell won’t be the end of the world if he transfers. I don’t think the gap between him and the guys behind him is very big, and even if he comes back, he seems like he’ll have another suspension or other issue in his future.

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satyanash

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3 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

I don’t think the gap between him and the guys behind him is very big, and even if he comes back, he seems like he’ll have another suspension or other issue in his future.

"The guys behind him," as in Gbenda and the walk-ons? With Tillman and Adeoye still hurt and set to miss spring reps, there's a pretty big gap there until they get healthy and return to practice. Nahlin made a good point last night that while Foster can shift down as an undersized LB, Overshown and Owens aren't as well-suited to do the same. And we'll have to wait until the summer for Jaylan Ford (who probably isn't yet ready for extensive game action) and Jaden Hullaby.

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texifornia

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15 minutes ago, EZ$ said:

JakeSmith and Malcolm Epps are expected to work in the slot, while Joshua Moore is expected tocompete at the Z along with MarcusWashington and Kennedy Lewis.
 

WTF???  

See if he can handle the LJH monsterslot role (spoiler: he probably can't)

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BigHorn'13

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15 hours ago, texifornia said:

With the Fedora and Coleman moves, are there any new analyst hires that may have slipped under the radar? Thanks.

Haven’t heard of any but it’s possible. I know they want to further build out that part of the program. Fans tend to overhype that aspect of the program. If it had much value it didn’t show last year. Texas did a very poor job of self scouting and game planning.

Texas wants to continue to do something. Fans put too much weight into this something. You can tell this something is overrated because of the (lack of) success it brought last season. In fact, Texas was very poor at this something. 

Sounds logical. 

32 minutes ago, texifornia said:

And now for something completely different 

 

Gonna need some help here. What the fuck is going on?

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GoldAppleCorps

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45 minutes ago, texifornia said:

See if he can handle the LJH monsterslot role (spoiler: he probably can't)

Well, I don't right now trust Epps' ability to line up and simply run a route in a "hey, he's a receiver! Do receiver stuff!" role. That is, going straight up against the defense when it's obvious what's coming isn't really comfortable.

However, getting Epps inside in a slot with Eagles outside, Cade Brewer tight to the other side, Jake Smith wide, and say, Jordan Whittington in the backfield presents a defensive quandary. With that out there, I can go anywhere from 2TE power to 5WR. All of my route trees are open, I can threaten every defensive level, and I can use Sam to run power or JWhitt to run speed.

I think we're all disappointed that Epps hasn't used that big body to confound defenses more. However, I'm optimistic  that the WR coach will now do more than say, "Hey, uh, yeah. Go get open when the ball is snapped!". The problem has obviously been more than player ability.

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Burt Macklin

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2 hours ago, satyanash said:

"The guys behind him," as in Gbenda and the walk-ons? With Tillman and Adeoye still hurt and set to miss spring reps, there's a pretty big gap there until they get healthy and return to practice. Nahlin made a good point last night that while Foster can shift down as an undersized LB, Overshown and Owens aren't as well-suited to do the same. And we'll have to wait until the summer for Jaylan Ford (who probably isn't yet ready for extensive game action) and Jaden Hullaby.

Your satya is showing again. Tillman had a bad MCL sprain in week 4 of the season. I doubt he’s going to miss spring ball because of that. It would’ve been nice to have Adeoye in spring ball, but that won’t have much affect on us when we actually play in the fall. 

Foster is probably the cleanest projection to LB, but Overshown can still work there. Basically we need one of those two, plus one of Gbenda, Tillman, Adeoye, or Jacquess to pan out and then we have our starting LBs plus some limited depth.
 

The position isn’t in a great spot by any means, but as long as we do spin down Foster and Overshown, it’s not as bad as people are making it out to be, either. If we have a string of injuries at LB, it’ll be trouble but otherwise, we’ll be ok there. DL and Secondary will be the strength of our defense anyways. 

 

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Burt Macklin

Burt Macklin 19230

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24 minutes ago, !!!HOTDOGS!!! said:

I've seen it mentioned here that Herman is expected to keep Josh Moore if the outcome of Moore's court case allows it, but the Eyes piece above expects him back. Is that where we are now? Confident he'll play next year? Sorry if I missed something.

There hasn’t been anything public about it, but behind the scenes all reports seem to indicate he’s staying on the team. It seems like the only thing that would derail that would be a felony charge/conviction, but I doubt it will be too difficult to avoid that. 

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EZ$

EZ$ 2125

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4 hours ago, satyanash said:

"The guys behind him," as in Gbenda and the walk-ons? With Tillman and Adeoye still hurt and set to miss spring reps, there's a pretty big gap there until they get healthy and return to practice. Nahlin made a good point last night that while Foster can shift down as an undersized LB, Overshown and Owens aren't as well-suited to do the same. And we'll have to wait until the summer for Jaylan Ford (who probably isn't yet ready for extensive game action) and Jaden Hullaby.

I’m pretty comfortable trotting out Brockermeyer, Hine and Jacquess in the Spring.  Probably don’t want them chasing around Chuba Hubbard in the Fall, but they are plenty good/experienced enough to get us through the Spring practices. 

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texifornia

texifornia 59015

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9 minutes ago, 'stache said:

So our game on Thanksgiving weekend in Stilwater has been moved to Friday. I guess we're now officially "rivals" as part of "rivalry week" lol. I promise we won't jizz in any jars before hand.

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HUGE RIVALRY. TWO PROGRAMS WHO HISTORICALLY [get along really well] SQUARE OFF IN A FEROCIOUS BATTLE OF [both really disliking a third school].

That said, this year's should be a play-in to make the CCG if we both take care of business, so it'll naturally be interesting.

Edited by texifornia
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