Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted (edited)

Notes from Sark's Zoom with lettermen, via IT:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Edited by Machinator
  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Like 2
Posted

Now that we've added Ray Thornton, I'm guessing our DE/pass rushers this year are going to be Jones, Bimage, Thornton, Dorbah, and maybe Ojomo still on the edge?  Wouldn't be against adding another pass rusher.

Posted
  On 1/18/2021 at 12:19 AM, Elmer_Fudd said:

Now that we've added Ray Thornton, I'm guessing our DE/pass rushers this year are going to be Jones, Bimage, Thornton, Dorbah, and maybe Ojomo still on the edge?  Wouldn't be against adding another pass rusher.

Expand  

Yeah SARK said to TEXAS Letterman we need to add DE's:

First holes to fill – defensive end, don’t have the numbers at that position that you need from a roster management perspective. I think there was 15 receivers on scholarship and we just signed 3 more. At Alabama we had 8 or 9 – that was too low, but this number is probably too high.

  • Hook 'Em 2
Posted
  On 1/18/2021 at 12:29 AM, LTtxfan said:

Yeah SARK said to TEXAS Letterman we need to add DE's:

First holes to fill – defensive end, don’t have the numbers at that position that you need from a roster management perspective. I think there was 15 receivers on scholarship and we just signed 3 more. At Alabama we had 8 or 9 – that was too low, but this number is probably too high.

Expand  

Thank goodness for Sark

Posted
If you really think about all of the moving pieces of coaching for a national championship while interviewing, pursuing and accepting the head coaching role at Texas, you have to be impressed with how Steve Sarkisian has held up thus far.

So far so good.

He coached the national championship in spectacular fashion. He’s hired all but two major staff members, including poaching some excellent coaches from Alabama that Nick Saban wanted to stay. He’s kick-started the process of recruiting players and even landed two of them. He smartly held over a couple of key coaches to help him along the way. He’s acquitted himself well in front of media, letterman and donors alike.

Just about every move Sarkisian has made thus far has been positive.

The first couple of weeks on any job will never tell the whole story. But at this point, Sark’s passing with flying colors.

**

Yet as Sark starts his actual first full week in Austin (a week ago today he helped Bama to the national title), he’s still got some work ahead of him.

He has two more staff hires to make on the defensive side of the ball, including a defensive coordinator.

Running back recruit LJ Johnson of Cy Fair is on the cusp of deciding between Texas and Texas A&M; a decision is expected this week so that is a priority for the new coach.

Sark also needs to welcome his team back to campus as well as new staff members, including Drew Hughes, who accepted the position of player personnel director yesterday afternoon. While some of the Texas assistants have already started the recruitment of 2021 and 2022 prospects, Hughes will be the one who ties it all together for Sark.

As with the pledge announced yesterday of LSU grad transfer Ray Thornton, Sark will need to start making other recruiting decisions with the second signing day of the 2021 class about two weeks away.

Will Texas pursue Dallas Kimball cornerback Ishmael Ibraheem who had a brush with the law? What will the Horns do about intriguing prospects, like Tyler’s Garfield Lawrence and Mansfield’s David Abiara?
  • Hook 'Em 1
Posted (edited)
  On 1/18/2021 at 12:19 AM, Elmer_Fudd said:

Now that we've added Ray Thornton, I'm guessing our DE/pass rushers this year are going to be Jones, Bimage, Thornton, Dorbah, and maybe Ojomo still on the edge?  Wouldn't be against adding another pass rusher.

Expand  

If we run a 3-3-5 it’s possible Collins and Ojomo would play SDE. Just depends on what scheme our future DC uses. As for weak side rusher, it’ll likely be a combo of Bimage, Thornton, and Dorbah depending on who earns snaps. We’re really not a great fit for basic 4 down rush like Ash’s this year.

We just don’t have enough good hand in the dirt edge rushers this year.

Edited by Burt Macklin
Posted

By: Justin, Gerry, and Eric

TEAM

Players began returning to campus on Sunday and will continue to trickle in today. Classes begin Tuesday. Strength and conditioning begins next Monday.

With the arrival of a new staff there’s a sense of excitement amongst the players, especially after last week’s national championship game where members of the new staff proved their value. Players are eager to meet the new coaches. Team leaders have already been preaching the importance of buy-in from Day 1 so the new coaches should be met with a welcoming attitude.

Casey Thompson and Hudson Card will enter a quarterback room that doesn’t include Sam Ehlinger for the first time. That’s a reminder the position is truly open and for the taking. True freshman Charles Wright is already on campus. Numbers are a little low so don’t be surprised if they add a PWO quarterback or maybe even a transfer in the coming months. We’ll see what Sark wants to do there.

Stan Drayton‘s return calmed the running back room, which rubber-stamped Bijan Robinson’s happiness and Roschon Johnson’s growing leadership. Jonathon Brooks told IT he’s thrilled with Drayton remaining. There’s still a good chance Texas adds another running back to the 2021 class, whether it’s LJ Johnson or even potentially Camar Wheaton.

Coleman’s retention pleases a group of talented receivers who want to continue learning and improving. His work with Joshua Moore was solid and Jake Smith and Marcus Washington have a new lease on life. Many in the program are excited to see the growth of Kelvontay Dixon with actual spring ball. There are a lot of receiving parts in place for this offense. Whittington receiving the ball with a full head of steam? Yeah, he’s excited. Coleman has a really good relationship with his group. These guys are going to have to block.

Tight ends are noticeably fired up after Jeff Banks hit campus. Jared Wiley was injured late in 2020, so he’ll need to nurse his shoulder back to health. Gunnar Helm just arrived, as did Juan Davis. We’re going to be monitoring what position Davis begins his career. There are a lot of tight ends on the roster with one more set to arrive in June.

A good number of the linemen liked Herb Hand, but Kyle Flood’s resume and what they just saw him produce at Alabama has them excited for their improvement. We’re expecting at least one grad transfer at the position. Flood started following TJ Storment, a hobo offensive lineman who is riding the rails to his fifth school in five years. He’s a pretty good OT who will be making a decision in the next couple of days. He might reunite with Sonny Cumbie at Texas Tech.

Like you, the defensive side of the ball is wondering who the defensive coordinator is going to be.

The defensive line will be manned by Bo Davis. We think there’s a chance Oscar Giles stays in some capacity, very likely as an analyst.

Who the new linebacker coach will be is dependent on the new defensive coordinator. Coleman Hutzler has cleaned out his office just like he cleansed his Twitter profile of any UT ties.

We don’t believe the DB’s have been introduced to the new defensive back coaches yet. Josh Thompson is becoming a leader. D’Shawn Jamison has enough confidence to fill the new South Endzone and is ready to go regardless of who the coach is. Corner was already going to be good in 2021 but with the addition of Darion Dunn competition is going to bring the best out of everyone. Kitan Crawford is technically raw, but physically imposing. Some of the receivers say privately he’s the toughest to go against. Jahdae Barron has upside. He just needs to keep competing while understanding he’s probably a year away from starting.

We’ve heard whispers Tyler Owens would enter the portal but to this point he has not. Maybe he wants to see who the coaches will be. Smart. Which brings us to Jalen Green...He had been contemplating the portal recently but the feeling was he’d wait to meet the new coaches. He really likes it at UT but sees this as a business decision.

RECRUITING MATTERS

OL Austin Uke, Parish Episcopal (2021): The 6-foot-3, 270-pound three-star from the Metroplex received a nice phone call this weekend as Steve Sarkisian reached out and re-offered the late riser. Add OU, Penn State, Georgia Tech, and Stanford to the list of programs pushing for his services.

“Seeing what they did for Bama this year really has me excited for what they’ll do for Texas. Especially with coach Flood having two OL win awards for being the best in college football.”

Even though it took UT too long to offer him a scholarship, he still sees the Longhorns as a school to strongly consider.

“Texas is a phenomenal school with a really good football program,” said Uke. “I know a couple playing on that team.”

DE Garfield Lawrence, Tyler Legacy (2021): Garfield Lawrence saved his best for last. He steadily improved week after week during an impressive senior season, including leading the district in sacks, double-digit tackles vs Mesquite, and a birth in the 6A bi-district playoffs.

After a handful of offers over the last nine months, he committed to Kansas last fall. Boston College recently offered, but it’s Houston that seems to be recruiting him the hardest.

Sources say UT reached out to the Legacy staff wanting more information on the under-the-radar Red Raider. We expect more communication this week.

“I’ve just been working hard, staying ready for when I make my decision,” said Lawrence. “Houston really likes me, but if Texas gets involved, that’s a whole different conversation.”

Lawrence, who I met at a satellite camp in Kilgore two years ago, was a young man with a death gripe handshake, that looked you in the eyes. The gangly tight end/OLB always had the frame, he just needed time. Former HC Kurt Traylor once said, “he could be a star with the right development and growth.” Traylor is looking pretty smart today.

This recruitment won’t last very long if Texas really wants him.

Quick note on athlete signee Ja’Tavion Sanders: The newly minted state champ from Denton Ryan has had recent discussions with the new Texas staff and it’s been decided he’ll start his career at tight end. This makes Lawrence, or another defensive end, even more important.

The state’s top running back nears a very difficult decision: The recruitment of Cy Fair running back L.J. Johnson goes on, and he is still yet to make a decision after making a "student visit" to Texas A&M over the weekend. According to a source in the Houston area, Johnson remains torn between Texas and Texas A&M. The thought around the Cy Fair program continues to be Texas A&M will eventually win out, but communication with Texas was consistent throughout the weekend according to the Houston source. The source says Johnson talks to Texas more than Texas A&M. With classes beginning January 19th at both schools, and strength and conditioning next week, a decision should come this week if Johnson intends to get going with his new team next week, and not fall behind immediately.

Should Johnson opt for Texas A&M, Texas will go full bore after Alabama verbal Camar Wheaton. The combination of Steve Sarkisian and Jeff Banks being on the staff at Texas, and Charles Huff being hired as the head coach at Marshall provides the Longhorns a real opportunity. Wheaton already had a solid relationship with Stan Drayton prior to the past Texas staff focusing on L.J. Johnson. A source very close to Wheaton upon hearing the Charles Huff to Marshall news, "Wow. That's big."

Texas is focused on defensive line as the new staff finishes up the 2021 class. LSU transfer Rahssan (Ray) Thornton moved to Austin yesterday afternoon, and is expected to bring some EDGE rush ability to the program for a year, but it's the focus on high school prospects in the 2021 class that will be most impactful long term. The new staff likes both David Abiara (Mansfield Legacy) and Garfield Lawrence (Tyler Legacy), and has had communication with both via high school coaching staff and/or the prospect in the case of Lawrence. The 6-foot-4 broad-shouldered Abiara has Washington pushing very hard for a commitment, and Oklahoma State lurking. A Texas re-offer would be impactful in his recruitment. When Abiara was a Notre Dame commit, Texas was the No. 2 school as he told IT early in the 2020 season. Abiara is seen as a pass rushing end with the frame to carry 265-270 well proportioned pounds. Lawrence is seen in the mold of Hassan Ridgeway long term. A big bodied end coming out of high school that is light on his feet with the ability to run, but the frame to add substantial weight/strength to his frame over time. A Texas offer would be huge in Lawrence's recruitment, obviously.

DC SEARCH

Nobody seems to know anything new on the DC search. Zach Arnett and Pete Golding are still in it, but that’s old news.

We still wouldn’t be surprised by an out-of-left field candidate. Sarkisian is genuinely looking for the best option he can before he “settles” and it’s not like there’s a good reason to rush the process (your anxiety isn’t a reason).

Jeremy Pruitt’s name has been downplayed by our sources. Pruitt seems absurd on the surface for a couple of reasons: he’s still employed as the head coach of Tennessee, and, if that changes in the coming days, it would likely be for reasons that would preclude his legitimate candidacy. However, if you haven’t noticed, things are a wee bit different in Austin these days. Optics aren’t as important as they once were so a Pruitt hire wouldn’t be a total blindside.

The other remaining position will be directly tied to who the coordinator is. Sarkisian needs some flexibility here in case a coordinator needs to bring “one of his guys.”

I wish we had more, but I’m not going to write in loops to give the appearance we do.

Besides...
 

  • Hook 'Em 3
Posted
  On 1/18/2021 at 4:04 PM, BurntOrange&White said:

By: Justin, Gerry, and Eric

TEAM

Players began returning to campus on Sunday and will continue to trickle in today. Classes begin Tuesday. Strength and conditioning begins next Monday.

With the arrival of a new staff there’s a sense of excitement amongst the players, especially after last week’s national championship game where members of the new staff proved their value. Players are eager to meet the new coaches. Team leaders have already been preaching the importance of buy-in from Day 1 so the new coaches should be met with a welcoming attitude.

Casey Thompson and Hudson Card will enter a quarterback room that doesn’t include Sam Ehlinger for the first time. That’s a reminder the position is truly open and for the taking. True freshman Charles Wright is already on campus. Numbers are a little low so don’t be surprised if they add a PWO quarterback or maybe even a transfer in the coming months. We’ll see what Sark wants to do there.

Stan Drayton‘s return calmed the running back room, which rubber-stamped Bijan Robinson’s happiness and Roschon Johnson’s growing leadership. Jonathon Brooks told IT he’s thrilled with Drayton remaining. There’s still a good chance Texas adds another running back to the 2021 class, whether it’s LJ Johnson or even potentially Camar Wheaton.

Coleman’s retention pleases a group of talented receivers who want to continue learning and improving. His work with Joshua Moore was solid and Jake Smith and Marcus Washington have a new lease on life. Many in the program are excited to see the growth of Kelvontay Dixon with actual spring ball. There are a lot of receiving parts in place for this offense. Whittington receiving the ball with a full head of steam? Yeah, he’s excited. Coleman has a really good relationship with his group. These guys are going to have to block.

Tight ends are noticeably fired up after Jeff Banks hit campus. Jared Wiley was injured late in 2020, so he’ll need to nurse his shoulder back to health. Gunnar Helm just arrived, as did Juan Davis. We’re going to be monitoring what position Davis begins his career. There are a lot of tight ends on the roster with one more set to arrive in June.

A good number of the linemen liked Herb Hand, but Kyle Flood’s resume and what they just saw him produce at Alabama has them excited for their improvement. We’re expecting at least one grad transfer at the position. Flood started following TJ Storment, a hobo offensive lineman who is riding the rails to his fifth school in five years. He’s a pretty good OT who will be making a decision in the next couple of days. He might reunite with Sonny Cumbie at Texas Tech.

Like you, the defensive side of the ball is wondering who the defensive coordinator is going to be.

The defensive line will be manned by Bo Davis. We think there’s a chance Oscar Giles stays in some capacity, very likely as an analyst.

Who the new linebacker coach will be is dependent on the new defensive coordinator. Coleman Hutzler has cleaned out his office just like he cleansed his Twitter profile of any UT ties.

We don’t believe the DB’s have been introduced to the new defensive back coaches yet. Josh Thompson is becoming a leader. D’Shawn Jamison has enough confidence to fill the new South Endzone and is ready to go regardless of who the coach is. Corner was already going to be good in 2021 but with the addition of Darion Dunn competition is going to bring the best out of everyone. Kitan Crawford is technically raw, but physically imposing. Some of the receivers say privately he’s the toughest to go against. Jahdae Barron has upside. He just needs to keep competing while understanding he’s probably a year away from starting.

We’ve heard whispers Tyler Owens would enter the portal but to this point he has not. Maybe he wants to see who the coaches will be. Smart. Which brings us to Jalen Green...He had been contemplating the portal recently but the feeling was he’d wait to meet the new coaches. He really likes it at UT but sees this as a business decision.

RECRUITING MATTERS

OL Austin Uke, Parish Episcopal (2021): The 6-foot-3, 270-pound three-star from the Metroplex received a nice phone call this weekend as Steve Sarkisian reached out and re-offered the late riser. Add OU, Penn State, Georgia Tech, and Stanford to the list of programs pushing for his services.

“Seeing what they did for Bama this year really has me excited for what they’ll do for Texas. Especially with coach Flood having two OL win awards for being the best in college football.”

Even though it took UT too long to offer him a scholarship, he still sees the Longhorns as a school to strongly consider.

“Texas is a phenomenal school with a really good football program,” said Uke. “I know a couple playing on that team.”

DE Garfield Lawrence, Tyler Legacy (2021): Garfield Lawrence saved his best for last. He steadily improved week after week during an impressive senior season, including leading the district in sacks, double-digit tackles vs Mesquite, and a birth in the 6A bi-district playoffs.

After a handful of offers over the last nine months, he committed to Kansas last fall. Boston College recently offered, but it’s Houston that seems to be recruiting him the hardest.

Sources say UT reached out to the Legacy staff wanting more information on the under-the-radar Red Raider. We expect more communication this week.

“I’ve just been working hard, staying ready for when I make my decision,” said Lawrence. “Houston really likes me, but if Texas gets involved, that’s a whole different conversation.”

Lawrence, who I met at a satellite camp in Kilgore two years ago, was a young man with a death gripe handshake, that looked you in the eyes. The gangly tight end/OLB always had the frame, he just needed time. Former HC Kurt Traylor once said, “he could be a star with the right development and growth.” Traylor is looking pretty smart today.

This recruitment won’t last very long if Texas really wants him.

Quick note on athlete signee Ja’Tavion Sanders: The newly minted state champ from Denton Ryan has had recent discussions with the new Texas staff and it’s been decided he’ll start his career at tight end. This makes Lawrence, or another defensive end, even more important.

The state’s top running back nears a very difficult decision: The recruitment of Cy Fair running back L.J. Johnson goes on, and he is still yet to make a decision after making a "student visit" to Texas A&M over the weekend. According to a source in the Houston area, Johnson remains torn between Texas and Texas A&M. The thought around the Cy Fair program continues to be Texas A&M will eventually win out, but communication with Texas was consistent throughout the weekend according to the Houston source. The source says Johnson talks to Texas more than Texas A&M. With classes beginning January 19th at both schools, and strength and conditioning next week, a decision should come this week if Johnson intends to get going with his new team next week, and not fall behind immediately.

Should Johnson opt for Texas A&M, Texas will go full bore after Alabama verbal Camar Wheaton. The combination of Steve Sarkisian and Jeff Banks being on the staff at Texas, and Charles Huff being hired as the head coach at Marshall provides the Longhorns a real opportunity. Wheaton already had a solid relationship with Stan Drayton prior to the past Texas staff focusing on L.J. Johnson. A source very close to Wheaton upon hearing the Charles Huff to Marshall news, "Wow. That's big."

Texas is focused on defensive line as the new staff finishes up the 2021 class. LSU transfer Rahssan (Ray) Thornton moved to Austin yesterday afternoon, and is expected to bring some EDGE rush ability to the program for a year, but it's the focus on high school prospects in the 2021 class that will be most impactful long term. The new staff likes both David Abiara (Mansfield Legacy) and Garfield Lawrence (Tyler Legacy), and has had communication with both via high school coaching staff and/or the prospect in the case of Lawrence. The 6-foot-4 broad-shouldered Abiara has Washington pushing very hard for a commitment, and Oklahoma State lurking. A Texas re-offer would be impactful in his recruitment. When Abiara was a Notre Dame commit, Texas was the No. 2 school as he told IT early in the 2020 season. Abiara is seen as a pass rushing end with the frame to carry 265-270 well proportioned pounds. Lawrence is seen in the mold of Hassan Ridgeway long term. A big bodied end coming out of high school that is light on his feet with the ability to run, but the frame to add substantial weight/strength to his frame over time. A Texas offer would be huge in Lawrence's recruitment, obviously.

DC SEARCH

Nobody seems to know anything new on the DC search. Zach Arnett and Pete Golding are still in it, but that’s old news.

We still wouldn’t be surprised by an out-of-left field candidate. Sarkisian is genuinely looking for the best option he can before he “settles” and it’s not like there’s a good reason to rush the process (your anxiety isn’t a reason).

Jeremy Pruitt’s name has been downplayed by our sources. Pruitt seems absurd on the surface for a couple of reasons: he’s still employed as the head coach of Tennessee, and, if that changes in the coming days, it would likely be for reasons that would preclude his legitimate candidacy. However, if you haven’t noticed, things are a wee bit different in Austin these days. Optics aren’t as important as they once were so a Pruitt hire wouldn’t be a total blindside.

The other remaining position will be directly tied to who the coordinator is. Sarkisian needs some flexibility here in case a coordinator needs to bring “one of his guys.”

I wish we had more, but I’m not going to write in loops to give the appearance we do.

Besides...
 

Expand  
  Quote

and a birth in the 6A bi-district playoffs.

Expand  

DE with midwife skills? Sign him up.

  • Haha 1
Posted
  On 1/18/2021 at 12:19 AM, Elmer_Fudd said:

Now that we've added Ray Thornton, I'm guessing our DE/pass rushers this year are going to be Jones, Bimage, Thornton, Dorbah, and maybe Ojomo still on the edge?  Wouldn't be against adding another pass rusher.

Expand  

I think they are going to try to bring in both the HS guys Abiara (who Gerry loves) and Lawrence.

Posted
  On 1/18/2021 at 12:19 AM, Elmer_Fudd said:

Now that we've added Ray Thornton, I'm guessing our DE/pass rushers this year are going to be Jones, Bimage, Thornton, Dorbah, and maybe Ojomo still on the edge?  Wouldn't be against adding another pass rusher.

Expand  

I think Myron Warren has some real potential as a pass rush end, but I havent seen him play yet at this level. He was pretty explosive in HS.

 

Posted

 

Sark related with the BYU/LaVell Edwards connection. I'm really excited to have a truly aggressive coach. 

Also, according to Wikipedia, LaVell was offered the Texas head coaching job after the 1984 season. Before my time, but it's an interesting what-if. Who knows how things play out if he brings an aggressive passing attack into the state at the flagship University that early. 

Posted

Agree with the thread cop above. Overshown is already looking decidedly beefier and one of the best attributes he has is his speed. You don't throw 25lbs of anything on a kid his size. Maybe 10 but I'd want to know his current weight first. 

  • Haha 1
Posted (edited)

 

  Quote

Who's the most under utilized weapon in the drop back passing game?

The Running Back.

they don't get covered.

Expand  

 

image.png.67c6daa8f03c0a32b5909a62ae28d5c2.png

Did we already post the offensive philosophy breakdown video Sark did at that coaching clinic 2 years ago? I posted a clip previously but the full thing was 40 minutes and pretty sweet. embedded in spoiler

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Edited by cam4mav
can't format for shit
Posted
  On 1/19/2021 at 10:44 PM, cam4mav said:

Did we already post the offensive philosophy breakdown video Sark did at that coaching clinic 2 years ago? I posted a clip but the full thing was 40 minutes and pretty sweet.

image.png.67c6daa8f03c0a32b5909a62ae28d5c2.png

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Expand  

From 26:00 to 26:30 is awesome. Great analogy.

CHIEF

  • Hook 'Em 1

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...