2021 Texas Offseason: Sark Attacks Austin

[Machinator 32,098]

Troy Omeire out and running (with the SEZ in the background): https://www.instagram.com/stories/troyomeire/2526595941717289344/

[markstanco 12,525]

Uh, Mr. Raulerson, do you remember when you started at Right Tackle against Arkansas in that bowl game and we only had 57 yards in total offense?

That wasn't very awesome.

I was there. Pretty sure the stadium screen said 59 yards total offense.

Why you gotta be so negative?

[Machinator 32,098]

FCB on install, Choate, and The Eyes

Spoiler

More and more the winter conditioning workouts being conducted by director of football performance Torre Becton are involving the installation of Steve Sarkisian’s offense and Pete Kwiatkowski’s defense.

According to one team source, “Anything and everything is in this offense. I don’t know if complicated is the right word. It’s just a lot.”

Phase 1 of the installation on offense began just more than two weeks ago, one team source told Horns247. A week later, installation of Phase 2 of the offense began. And now, Phase 3 of the offensive installation is happening, the source said.

“I’ll just say it’s probably more offense than they are used to running,” a source close to the situation told Horns247.

“It’s more plays, more motions and shifts and more options and decisions that need to be made once the play is under way. It’s a lot.”

Spring football starts March 23 with the spring game scheduled for April 24.

“I’ll bet a bunch of these guys aren’t going anywhere for spring break (next week), because they’ll be studying their plays for the start of spring ball,” another team source told Horns247.

Don’t be surprised if some guys get looks in different positions as spring ball gets under way as coaches try to figure out team needs and best fits, the source said.

On defense, sources continue to tell Horns247 things will “mirror” what we saw on defense from the Longhorns in 2020.

“PK (Pete Kwiatkowski) isn’t going to reinvent things,” a team source told Horns247. “There is talent and numbers on the defensive line. The goal is to get your best 11 on the field. That’s why you’ll see the defense mirror last year.”

GETTING TO KNOW ‘THE CHOATER’

We’ve written in the INSIDER recently about how Pete Kwiatkowski is “an understated assassin,” according to some peers.

We’ve also written that Kwiatkowski is the ice while UT co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Jeff Choate is the fire in a fire-and-ice combination that has quickly gotten the attention of Longhorns’ players.

So, let’s spend a little time getting to know “The Choater,” as he is known to close friends and colleagues.

By now, you probably know Choate was the head coach at Montana State, reaching the FCS semifinals in 2019, after serving as a long-time assistant with Kwiatkowski under Chris Petersen at Boise State and Washington.

To put the Choater into context, I spoke with Mansfield Timberview head coach James Brown, who got to know Choate back in 2007.

That’s when Brown was coaching at Fort Bend Kempner in the Houston area and Choate was an assistant coach at Boise State recruiting Kempner safety George Iloka, who would go on to Boise and then an eight-year career in the NFL with the Bengals and Vikings.

“The first thing you notice about The Choater is his energy,” Brown said. “He really connects with people and draws them in, which makes him a phenomenal recruiter.

“Then, as I got to know him during his time recruiting George (Iloka), you see how organized he is and what a great teacher he is.

“Just from a first-impression standpoint, he offered to take time with our staff at Kempner on the white board and would answer any questions our staff had. Trust me, as a high school coach, you appreciate that stuff.”

Iloka was a January/early enrollee at Boise State, and Brown remembers getting a call from Choate saying, “It’s Day One of workouts, and your boy (Iloka) is here, curled up in the fetal position after puking and throwing up.”

Iloka played in every game his freshman year at Boise State at the age of 17 and was the youngest player in the Western Athletic Conference in 2008 (totaling 62 tackles and four interceptions as a freshman. He finished at Boise with 231 tackles, 13.5 sacks and seven interceptions and was all-conference as a senior).

“Jeff took the time to call me and let me know how George was doing,” Brown said. “He’s not a guy who’s going to baby a player or babysit a player, he’s a guy who is going to help young men take the next step in football and in life.”

Now, Choate will be giving Brown updates on Hullaby, who should challenge for playing time this season at linebacker for Texas.

“There are classroom coaches and get-em-on-the grass coaches,” Brown said. “The Choater definitely lives to coach on the grass.

“He really gets guys to buy in, and with his energy, it’s like he’s 28 years old. He loves the game. He’s passionate about the things he does, and the way he coaches, his kids are going to play hard for him all the time.

“I’m glad Choater is in the state of Texas. I think Sark has done a really good job of surrounding himself with the right guys. Jeff Banks is maybe the best special teams coach in the country.”

With Pete (Kwiatkowski) and Choater getting back together from their days at Washington and Boise State, I think that’s really going to help the communication on that side of the football and bring guys together - both staff and kid-wise.

“Sark obviously has a great mind offensively. So, I think they’ve put themselves in a really good position. Heck, there’s probably six future head coaches on that staff. I think the kids are buying in and really enjoy the transparency of the guys who are there right now.”

IT’S ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS

Mansfield Timberview coach James Brown is also close friends with former Lancaster coach Chris Gilbert, Texas’ new head of high school relations.

“Secretly, that may have been Sark’s best hire yet,” Brown said of Steve Sarkisian’s decision to hire Gilbert. “That’s going to do wonders for him.

“Chris’ footprint in the DFW area from his days at South Oak Cliff and Lancaster, he’s just very well respected throughout the state. I think Chris is going to do really good things for Sark in the recruiting process. He’s in the know about the talent in DFW and across the state of Texas, and his ability to stay in communication with the high school coaches is going to be a premium for Texas.”

Gilbert got onto Sarkisian’s radar as director of high school relations thanks to Jeff Banks’ relationship with Gilbert. (Banks was also the one who connected Sarkisian to Pete Kwiatkowski from Banks and Kwiatkowski’s days recruiting against each other in the Big Sky Conference back in the early 2000s).

“Chris has had a lot of talent at Lancaster and at South Oak Cliff, and Banks has been recruiting Texas for awhile,” Brown said. “I think Banks brought up Chris (Gilbert) to Sark, and that was a really good move, because Chris just has so many valuable relationships that will pay dividends for Texas already.”

HOW SARK HANDLED THE EYES OF TEXAS

A couple sources close to Longhorns’ players told me Steve Sarkisian won over the players this week, following the release of a report conducted by a committee of faculty, students and alumni on UT’s school song The Eyes of Texas.

According to those sources, Sarkisian told his players to take time over spring break to read the 58-page report and that whatever they decided about the Eyes “we’ll handle it together, as a team.”

Sarkisian told the players he wants to be clear about the history of the Eyes, too, because he’s married to an African-American woman, sources said.

“Man, what Sark said was just so appreciated by the players,” a source close to the situation told Horns247. “He’s got the locker room on his side.”

 

[JPETERMAN 111]

As much as I hate the perception (and reality) that our donors have too much input into the program, the blowback on hiring Stoops cannot be understated.

[Vertigo 20,272]

1 hour ago, JPETERMAN said:

As much as I hate the perception (and reality) that our donors have too much input into the program, the blowback on hiring Stoops cannot be understated.

Stoops would have sucked the momentum right out of the building, that was one time when the influence was a huge positive. 

[Tex Long 4,355]

12 hours ago, markstanco said:

I was there. Pretty sure the stadium screen said 59 yards total offense.

Why you gotta be so negative?

I'm guessing someone took 5 yards off our one and only scoring drive, namely the all-too-frequent false-start/delay penalties we got on the first play of a new possession. We had run back a kick to the Arkie 44, got penalized 5 yards first snap, so that the real first snap was from the 49, and our one and only scoring drive covered 49 yards. The whole rest of the game we made ten yards. Ten. Fucking. Yards.

[Vertigo 20,272]

3 minutes ago, Tex Long said:

I'm guessing someone took 5 yards off our one and only scoring drive, namely the all-too-frequent false-start/delay penalties we got on the first play of a new possession. We had run back a kick to the Arkie 44, got penalized 5 yards first snap, so that the real first snap was from the 49, and our one and only scoring drive covered 49 yards. The whole rest of the game we made ten yards. Ten. Fucking. Yards.

To be fair, that is a first down. 

[Tex Long 4,355]

Something something "fair", right here.

[UncleSonny 6,564]

1 hour ago, JPETERMAN said:

As much as I hate the perception (and reality) that our donors have too much input into the program, the blowback on hiring Stoops cannot be understated.

It was all worth it for the image of Stoops going to sleep thinking he had a sweet gig at UT all lined up and waking up to the phone call that actually he is such a dickhead the entire fanbase mobilized to kill it in a matter of hours. 

[TreatyOak 16,168]

[Machinator 32,098]

 

[gyroprotagonist 2,591]

44 minutes ago, Machinator said:

 

[Askew 362]

2 hours ago, Machinator said:

 

[Nope 3,112]

2 hours ago, Machinator said:

 

Yikes

Eagles going undrafted is one of the program’s worst development jobs to date...they should have taught him how to defeat press coverage in his first offseason.

Edited March 12, 2021 by Nope

[Machinator 32,098]

 

[futureman 22,420]

23 minutes ago, Nope said:

Yikes

Eagles going undrafted is one of the program’s worst development jobs to date...they should have taught him how to defeat press coverage in his first offseason.

nope. the draft is next month. 

[Nope 3,112]

53 minutes ago, futureman said:

nope. the draft is next month. 

Username does not check out 

[futureman 22,420]

2 minutes ago, Nope said:

Username does not check out 

nope. it checks out. 

[Machinator 32,098]

IT

Spoiler

— McKnight vs Becton

With Joseph Ossai, Sam Cosmi, and Caden Sterns all posting good to great testing numbers, we thought we‘d get a bird’s eye view between previous strength and conditioning coach, Yancy McKnight, and his replacement, Torre Becton.

Per our sources throughout the years and also again in the last 24 hours, McKnight preferred size and power. Becton emphasizes speed and mobility more. McKnight was in the drill sergeant vein, Torre is more positive and treats them like the professionals they ask the players to be. Some players really liked McKnight, while others clashed with his style. Over time his personality wore more and more players thin. Lack of winning didn’t help. The players felt McKnight had mostly good intentions, but at this level, mind games and motivational tricks aren't always required. For a time, he was well liked because players were seeing improvement. Becton is getting favorable reviews so far, but coaches are still in the honeymoon stage.

One source said after Sam Cosmi's 36 bounce reps on bench at Pro Day, "you probably won't see that again with the new strength and conditioning staff."

McKnight, like Herman, moved the program forward and left it in a good place for the new staff to fine tune it.

— The team is practicing now before being released for spring break. We hope to have a bit more on team either today or Monday at the latest.
 

 

[Machinator 32,098]

[Vertigo 20,272]

18 minutes ago, Machinator said:

IT

  Hide contents

— McKnight vs Becton

With Joseph Ossai, Sam Cosmi, and Caden Sterns all posting good to great testing numbers, we thought we‘d get a bird’s eye view between previous strength and conditioning coach, Yancy McKnight, and his replacement, Torre Becton.

Per our sources throughout the years and also again in the last 24 hours, McKnight preferred size and power. Becton emphasizes speed and mobility more. McKnight was in the drill sergeant vein, Torre is more positive and treats them like the professionals they ask the players to be. Some players really liked McKnight, while others clashed with his style. Over time his personality wore more and more players thin. Lack of winning didn’t help. The players felt McKnight had mostly good intentions, but at this level, mind games and motivational tricks aren't always required. For a time, he was well liked because players were seeing improvement. Becton is getting favorable reviews so far, but coaches are still in the honeymoon stage.

One source said after Sam Cosmi's 36 bounce reps on bench at Pro Day, "you probably won't see that again with the new strength and conditioning staff."

McKnight, like Herman, moved the program forward and left it in a good place for the new staff to fine tune it.

— The team is practicing now before being released for spring break. We hope to have a bit more on team either today or Monday at the latest.
 

 

I have a hard time believing that Becton is going to forsake heavy lifting for the linemen. Adding in agility and mobility isn't a bad thing, but it's not like we are going to be fielding a bunch of 225lb linemen who can't bench 300 lbs. Last I checked, Bama's line was decent at moving people around and Becton is going to get his marching orders from Flood on how he wants that group developed. 

[Tex Pete 20,188]

11 minutes ago, Vertigo said:

I have a hard time believing that Becton is going to forsake heavy lifting for the linemen. Adding in agility and mobility isn't a bad thing, but it's not like we are going to be fielding a bunch of 225lb linemen who can't bench 300 lbs. Last I checked, Bama's line was decent at moving people around and Becton is going to get his marching orders from Flood on how he wants that group developed. 

If Becton is doing workouts with ridiculously high reps (sets of 24 and that kind of stupid shit) like Bennie Wylie did, I'll call him a dumbass, too.

[BurntOrange&White 39,707]

3 minutes ago, Tex Pete said:

If Becton is doing workouts with ridiculously high reps (sets of 24 and that kind of stupid shit) like Bennie Wylie did, I'll call him a dumbass, too.

He seems to be doing okay at Oklahoma. 
 

I think vertigo is right. That the position groups will have different expectations and training and not all or nothing type of mentality. 

Edited March 12, 2021 by BurntOrange&White

[Gene Parmesan 3,993]

We obsess too much over S&C.  I mean it's obviously important, but I don't think they have the power to make or break a program.  The reason we probably won't see Sam Cosmi numbers is because he tested well across the board (both strength and agility) he's an elite level athlete.

[Tex Pete 20,188]

2 minutes ago, Gene Parmesan said:

We obsess too much over S&C.  I mean it's obviously important, but I don't think they have the power to make or break a program.  

Incorrect.

We have seen poor S&C. It's usually just another burning piece of trash in a dumpster fire, but teams that get pushed around or that have dead legs in the 4th quarter lose football games.

[Burt Macklin 19,000]

53 minutes ago, Vertigo said:

I have a hard time believing that Becton is going to forsake heavy lifting for the linemen. Adding in agility and mobility isn't a bad thing, but it's not like we are going to be fielding a bunch of 225lb linemen who can't bench 300 lbs. Last I checked, Bama's line was decent at moving people around and Becton is going to get his marching orders from Flood on how he wants that group developed. 

I’m not sure how you got that from the article. All they were saying is heavy lifting won’t be Becton’s sole focus like it was with McKnight, so a guy putting up 36 reps of 225, which is absolutely insane, is less likely to happen. 
It’s obvious McKnight over-bulked some of our players, especially skill guys and DBs to the point they noticeably lost speed/mobility. 
 

 

[Gene Parmesan 3,993]

3 minutes ago, Tex Pete said:

Incorrect.

We have seen poor S&C. It's usually just another burning piece of trash in a dumpster fire, but teams that get pushed around or that have dead legs in the 4th quarter lose football games.

Not to say it's not important or that anyone can do their job, but the above poster used Wylie as a great example.  OU is dominating the conference with him as SC coach, but he was the major detriment for our program?  My point is that S&C is down on the list for a reason a program is successful / unsuccessful.  

[Slacks 6,792]

We obsess too much over S&C.  I mean it's obviously important, but I don't think they have the power to make or break a program.  The reason we probably won't see Sam Cosmi numbers is because he tested well across the board (both strength and agility) he's an elite level athlete.

So....you don't expect us to field elite level athletes?

alonzomorning.gif

[Tex Pete 20,188]

1 hour ago, Gene Parmesan said:

Not to say it's not important or that anyone can do their job, but the above poster used Wylie as a great example.  OU is dominating the conference with him as SC coach, but he was the major detriment for our program?  My point is that S&C is down on the list for a reason a program is successful / unsuccessful.  

I am the above poster. I know what Wylie was doing here. I don't know what he is doing at OU, but his whole philosophy is bad. 

We have sucked for years. Coaching is the primary blame for us, and S&C is just one item on our list.

OU isn't beating other teams because of their great S&C program. The Big 12 has rolled over for them almost since its inception, regardless of S&C coaches. OU also isn't winning any games that actually matter.  They've looked like children in the playoffs. They've been humiliated by teams that DO have good S&C programs and that take care of all the small details.

[sith_horn 2,370]

1 hour ago, Burt Macklin said:

I’m not sure how you got that from the article. All they were saying is heavy lifting won’t be Becton’s sole focus like it was with McKnight, so a guy putting up 36 reps of 225, which is absolutely insane, is less likely to happen. 
It’s obvious McKnight over-bulked some of our players, especially skill guys and DBs to the point they noticeably lost speed/mobility. 
 

 

It was an exceedingly poor example for IT to make though. "Bounce Reps" from a guy trying to crank out as many reps as he can to up his NFL draft stock isn't necessarily indicative of McKnight's methods. I've already grown weary of the McKnight was too much of a hard ass narrative from the 995ers. Not that there isn't a difference in the two, but the narrative has already grown old. Totally agree with your assessment about over-bulking skill players but I also wonder if some of the players might have partially been responsible for that on their own. Some examples that come to mind are Jordan Whittington with his body building brother as a possible bad influence and Kirk Johnson who posted vids of his bicep pumping.

Edited March 12, 2021 by sith_horn

[Gene Parmesan 3,993]

1 hour ago, Snacks said:

 

 

So....you don't expect us to field elite level athletes?

alonzomorning.gif

 

I meant elite of the elite athletically speaking.  Cosmi's numbers weren't just good but pretty much put him on par with some of the most gifted (athletically) OL in some time.  No, I don't expect us to consistently field generational athletic freaks.

[Tex Long 4,355]

3 hours ago, Machinator said:

Links will be sent out... to whom? By whom?

[UncleSonny 6,564]

4 minutes ago, Gene Parmesan said:

I meant elite of the elite athletically speaking.  Cosmi's numbers weren't just good but pretty much put him on par with some of the most gifted (athletically) OL in some time.  No, I don't expect us to consistently field generational athletic freaks.

Cosmi wasn't on anyone's radar as a generational athletic freak coming out of HS:

It's hard to say if that was just a missed evaluation from the beginning or if Yancy's program gets credit for adding the weight/strength he needed to become an NFL draft prospect while still retaining his athleticism. Sam certainly gets a lot of the credit himself for busting his ass. 

It's probably all somewhere in the middle. Some guys like Cosmi were really well served by Yancy while other guys (Ingram, Jake Smith, Sweat) probably develop better athletically in a different strength program. 

[Gene Parmesan 3,993]

1 minute ago, UncleSonny said:

Cosmi wasn't on anyone's radar as a generational athletic freak coming out of HS:

It's hard to say if that was just a missed evaluation from the beginning or if Yancy's program gets credit for adding the weight/strength he needed to become an NFL draft prospect while still retaining his athleticism. Sam certainly gets a lot of the credit himself for busting his ass. 

It's probably all somewhere in the middle. Some guys like Cosmi were really well served by Yancy while other guys (Ingram, Jake Smith, Sweat) probably develop better athletically in a different strength program. 

Agree a lot of factors at play there.  Especially determining what someone going to do after adding 50lbs, and elite athleticism doesn't always mean elite football player.  I have no idea how Sam tested at the camps in HS, or if he even did.  

[texifornia 56,564]

14 minutes ago, Gene Parmesan said:

Agree a lot of factors at play there.  Especially determining what someone going to do after adding 50lbs, and elite athleticism doesn't always mean elite football player.  I have no idea how Sam tested at the camps in HS, or if he even did.  

He was injured most of his senior year, so he was a bit of an unknown unless you talked to the Atascocita coaches.

[Burt Macklin 19,000]

2 hours ago, sith_horn said:

It was an exceedingly poor example for IT to make though. "Bounce Reps" from a guy trying to crank out as many reps as he can to up his NFL draft stock isn't necessarily indicative of McKnight's methods. I've already grown weary of the McKnight was too much of a hard ass narrative from the 995ers. Not that there isn't a difference in the two, but the narrative has already grown old. Totally agree with your assessment about over-bulking skill players but I also wonder if some of the players might have partially been responsible for that on their own. Some examples that come to mind are Jordan Whittington with his body building brother as a possible bad influence and Kirk Johnson who posted vids of his bicep pumping.

Whittington is due to his own issues, but guys like Smith, Ingram, and  Adimora all got way too big for their positions and lost effectiveness. It was a pretty consistent trend under Yancy. 

[Machinator 32,098]

 

[cmontexas 3,255]

11 hours ago, Gene Parmesan said:

Not to say it's not important or that anyone can do their job, but the above poster used Wylie as a great example.  OU is dominating the conference with him as SC coach, but he was the major detriment for our program?  My point is that S&C is down on the list for a reason a program is successful / unsuccessful.  

Steroids are cheaper in Norman

[closetojumping 62,260]

So you guys have all actually taken the bait again and let this thread devolve into another discussion about the old S&C guy versus the new S&C guy? At first, I thought I was reading a bit. Nope, just normally okay posters being absolute dipshits. 

[Machinator 32,098]

 

Edited March 13, 2021 by Machinator

[KYHorn 16,869]

18 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

So you guys have all actually taken the bait again and let this thread devolve into another discussion about the old S&C guy versus the new S&C guy? At first, I thought I was reading a bit. Nope, just normally okay posters being absolute dipshits. 

It's different this time, CTJ.

[Machinator 32,098]

Omeire: https://www.instagram.com/stories/troyomeire/2528181390852283086/

[Hmmm 155]

54 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

So you guys have all actually taken the bait again and let this thread devolve into another discussion about the old S&C guy versus the new S&C guy? At first, I thought I was reading a bit. Nope, just normally okay posters being absolute dipshits. 

Not much difference than discussing the old coaches vs the new. It’s a valid discussion. 

[USNALonghorn 5,024]

22 hours ago, Tex Pete said:

I am the above poster. I know what Wylie was doing here. I don't know what he is doing at OU, but his whole philosophy is bad. 

We have sucked for years. Coaching is the primary blame for us, and S&C is just one item on our list.

OU isn't beating other teams because of their great S&C program. The Big 12 has rolled over for them almost since its inception, regardless of S&C coaches. OU also isn't winning any games that actually matter.  They've looked like children in the playoffs. They've been humiliated by teams that DO have good S&C programs and that take care of all the small details.

Exactly. It's not hard to cruise through the Big12 when Texas has been self-sabotaging for the past decade. Having an overachieving Baylor or ISU as the only challengers, a guy like Lincoln Riley can easily limp his way to the playoff only get skullfucked by Alabama or 2019 LSU. 

[FreeHorn 1,307]

2 hours ago, Machinator said:

Omeire: https://www.instagram.com/stories/troyomeire/2528181390852283086/

I’m guessing that’s first team offense going through install. 
 

I could live with that starting lineup with J. Whit being the most likely next receiver up. 
 

Gotta see if Troy comes back without losing athleticism and if he looked good in fall camp cause he is real or because our DBs were suspect last year. 

Edited March 13, 2021 by FreeHorn

[TommyGufano 6,021]

1 minute ago, FreeHorn said:

I’m guessing that’s first team offense going through install. 
 

I could live with that starting lineup with J. Whit being the most likely next receiver up. 
 

Gotta see if Troy comes back without losing athleticism and if he looked good in fall camp cause he is real or because or DBs were suspect last year. 

Thompson-Bijan-Wiley-TO-J Moore-J Smith

That who you had?

[FreeHorn 1,307]

2 minutes ago, TommyGufano said:

Thompson-Bijan-Wiley-TO-J Moore-J Smith

That who you had?

Yes Sir. 
 

Wiley was enough to make me happy. Cade Brewer is definitely going pro in something other than football. 
 

I’m sure things could change after spring ball but I would like this lineup, especially if we move Moore inside to help him versus the press. 

[Elmer_Fudd 22,109]

4 minutes ago, TommyGufano said:

Thompson-Bijan-Wiley-TO-J Moore-J Smith

That who you had?

I could go for this.  With Whittington and Dixon getting lots of snaps as well.

[FreeHorn 1,307]

5 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

I could go for this.  With Whittington and Dixon getting lots of snaps as well.

I was really high on Washington coming out of high school. I’m guess it’s now or never for him to show up and start making an impact. 

[Elmer_Fudd 22,109]

11 minutes ago, FreeHorn said:

I was really high on Washington coming out of high school. I’m guess it’s now or never for him to show up and start making an impact. 

Forgot about him.  Yeah I'd put him at #6/somewhere in the 2nd unit.  It's probably now or never for guys like him,  Woodard and maybe Lewis.