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Texas Recruiting Notes 2022 - Idiotic Slapfights Unrelated To 2022 Recruiting

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Thanks. I have been on the boards since 1997 when I was a student at Texas. We've spent decades as fans and board patrons feeling powerless to create any real change. The Internet, social media,

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ChonkySalmon666
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I work closely with a certain previously committed 5 star QB's father (hint: its Quinn Ewers, for those who haven't been following recruiting closely like I have) and chatted with him a bit this after

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Treefidy

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5 hours ago, Leanderman said:

Three words about chicken......"Lucys Fried Chicken". 

Lucy’s fucking sucks.   There was one literally 2 driveways down from me on 620, same spot where Iguana grill sat for years.   It was so damn close, we kept thinking “maybe this time it will be ok”.  They tanked after a year or so.  
 

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Machinator

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Gerry:

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Four-star DB Larry Turner-Gooden (Bishop Alemany) informed Inside Texas tonight that he will return to Texas for an official visit October 16th. That is the Longhorns game weekend playing host to Oklahoma State.

The 6-foot-0, 180-pound versatile defensive back has been in Austin the last two days on an unofficial visit with his family.

Turner-Gooden is a "soft commit" to Arizona State.

 

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Elmer_Fudd

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6 minutes ago, Hookem2147 said:

Perroni posted an update tonight that he still feels good about his crystal ball for Kelvin Banks. Banks was telling him how he is looking forward to his visit this weekend and prefers the small town vibe of college station (lol).

Regardless, Perroni or IT is going to look foolish on this one.

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ousux

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Hobbit's gonna be texting the hell out of Anderson during his visit.  Wish there was a way to scramble signals once they enter the locker room but that wouldn't allow recruits to advertise to the world their excitement at being at Texas.  But really, piss off lil bros. Just like their coach, they gotta look up to erebody.  
Cell phone signal plus reliable electricity in general can be quite unreliable in South Africa. Of course jimbo can easily use some of his aggy bucks for a nice satellite phone if he even thinks of it. Hope a herd of elephants crush the hobbit and make all of it irrelevant.
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Masshole Horn

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Pluckers was my go to late night joint when I lived in the Arboretum area. They will properly cook a crispy wing, have quality sauces, and, this is important, mix their own ranch. BWW has shitty ranch. I know the bleu cheese purists may scoff, I like both, but quality ranch matters.

10 hot, 5 bakers gold (with my coupon from the football game), ranch, and a lone star.

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The Athletic: Concerns with Sark at Texas? What’s happening at Georgia? Recruiting mailbag

(it's a bad headline)

relevant bits:
 

Quote

 

Despite turning in some decent recruiting classes for Texas, Tom Herman seemed unable to hold on to some serious in-state blue-chip talent that he should’ve had the inside track on. Specifically thinking of guys like Zach Evans, Quinn Ewers and Tommy Brockermeyer. With the news that Rueben Owens decommitted this week, is this cause for concern with the new Steve Sarkisian regime or just part of the process? — Sam M.

Anyone who has read my stories on a consistent basis knows how I feel about the importance of keeping talent home. It is paramount to success.

But with Texas, it’s a little more complicated than it is for programs in most states. It is literally impossible for Texas, Texas A&M or any other Power 5 program in Texas to truly conquer the state because of the vast amount of land and the high volume of players that make up the Lone Star State. If you’re the head coach at Texas, you’re not going to sign the top five players in the state every year the way you’d expect other programs in other states to do — and even that is a tall task.

I understand the concern early for Longhorns fans who desperately want to break through and win the Big 12 and make the College Football Playoff, but demanding perfection in the state of Texas right off the bat is unreasonable. Yes, Quinn Ewers is going to Ohio State, and yes, five-star running back Rueben Owens of El Campo (Texas) High decommitted from the Longhorns recently. But think about what it takes to completely dominate the state of Texas. It’s a major recruiting priority for Ohio State, Alabama, Oklahoma, LSU and every other powerhouse in the sport. And you have all of the in-state schools fighting over that talent, too.

Don’t get me wrong: Texas has to keep a good portion of the top players in Texas from leaving the state. That’s always going to be true. But after losing out on Ewers — which happened before Sark was hired — Texas replaced him with another high-end quarterback prospect in Maalik Murphy of Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra. Texas also has five prospects committed in its 2022 class who rank in the top 150 nationally. The Longhorns are also firmly in the mix for three other five-star prospects in Texas, and they seem to be trending right now for five-star offensive tackle Kelvin Banks of Humble (Texas) Summer Creek.

And keep this in mind: Of the top 300 players nationally, 45 are from the state of Texas. There is a ton of talent to go around.

I understand the worry if you’re a Texas fan. Watching players decommit and losing out on a prospect like Ewers is tough to watch. If you’re a fan, you want to win all the battles and recruit like Alabama right out of the gate. Everyone knows Texas has the geography to do that eventually — it just takes time.

Texas’ problem has never been recruiting. And even if you think there’s a chance that there is a recruiting problem, give Sark at least the benefit of the doubt before pushing the panic button. Let him sign a class first before you start worrying.

There is enough talent on this team to make the Playoff starting now. It’s one of the most talented rosters in college football. As things stand now, Texas seems destined to sign a top-10 class in 2022. Whether Sark will be successful in the early going will be determined by what he does with that talent in terms of development and game plan, which is something that — for whatever reason — wasn’t working with Herman.

 

Text:

Spoiler

 

Concerns with Sark at Texas? What’s happening at Georgia? Recruiting mailbag

GettyImages-1314238729-1024x683.jpg
By Ari Wasserman Jun 22, 2021 comment-icon.png 87 save-icon.png

Recruiting never stops. Neither do your questions. Let’s get to it.

Note: Submitted questions have been edited for clarity and length.

Despite turning in some decent recruiting classes for Texas, Tom Herman seemed unable to hold on to some serious in-state blue-chip talent that he should’ve had the inside track on. Specifically thinking of guys like Zach Evans, Quinn Ewers and Tommy Brockermeyer. With the news that Rueben Owens decommitted this week, is this cause for concern with the new Steve Sarkisian regime or just part of the process? — Sam M.

Anyone who has read my stories on a consistent basis knows how I feel about the importance of keeping talent home. It is paramount to success.

But with Texas, it’s a little more complicated than it is for programs in most states. It is literally impossible for Texas, Texas A&M or any other Power 5 program in Texas to truly conquer the state because of the vast amount of land and the high volume of players that make up the Lone Star State. If you’re the head coach at Texas, you’re not going to sign the top five players in the state every year the way you’d expect other programs in other states to do — and even that is a tall task.

I understand the concern early for Longhorns fans who desperately want to break through and win the Big 12 and make the College Football Playoff, but demanding perfection in the state of Texas right off the bat is unreasonable. Yes, Quinn Ewers is going to Ohio State, and yes, five-star running back Rueben Owens of El Campo (Texas) High decommitted from the Longhorns recently. But think about what it takes to completely dominate the state of Texas. It’s a major recruiting priority for Ohio State, Alabama, Oklahoma, LSU and every other powerhouse in the sport. And you have all of the in-state schools fighting over that talent, too.

Don’t get me wrong: Texas has to keep a good portion of the top players in Texas from leaving the state. That’s always going to be true. But after losing out on Ewers — which happened before Sark was hired — Texas replaced him with another high-end quarterback prospect in Maalik Murphy of Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra. Texas also has five prospects committed in its 2022 class who rank in the top 150 nationally. The Longhorns are also firmly in the mix for three other five-star prospects in Texas, and they seem to be trending right now for five-star offensive tackle Kelvin Banks of Humble (Texas) Summer Creek.

And keep this in mind: Of the top 300 players nationally, 45 are from the state of Texas. There is a ton of talent to go around.

I understand the worry if you’re a Texas fan. Watching players decommit and losing out on a prospect like Ewers is tough to watch. If you’re a fan, you want to win all the battles and recruit like Alabama right out of the gate. Everyone knows Texas has the geography to do that eventually — it just takes time.

Texas’ problem has never been recruiting. And even if you think there’s a chance that there is a recruiting problem, give Sark at least the benefit of the doubt before pushing the panic button. Let him sign a class first before you start worrying.

There is enough talent on this team to make the Playoff starting now. It’s one of the most talented rosters in college football. As things stand now, Texas seems destined to sign a top-10 class in 2022. Whether Sark will be successful in the early going will be determined by what he does with that talent in terms of development and game plan, which is something that — for whatever reason — wasn’t working with Herman.

How do the following rank in importance to top recruits: how soon they can play, a school’s success rate at getting players to the NFL, and the opportunity to be on a winning team that routinely plays in conference championships/top bowl games/the CFP? — Daniel P.

1. Success rate of developing NFL picks. Nothing is more important than being put in position to land that generational wealth.

2. Opportunity to play for a winning program. This usually goes hand-in-hand with No. 1, but it is very far behind No. 1 in these rankings.

3. How soon they can play. Though a lot is made up of the depth chart and a path to the field during the recruiting process, seasoned recruits understand that true development doesn’t always coincide with playing as a true freshman. Some players really want that, but the programs that are really good at developing prospects have a funny way of reminding highly rated high school players that they have a long way to go before they are game-ready at the Power 5 level.

I have heard some claim Midwestern players are generally under-scouted by recruiting websites like Rivals and 247Sports. The claim gets support from the fact that teams like Iowa and Wisconsin have had pretty poor recruiting classes as far as ratings go, but they consistently have all-conference players and NFL draft picks. Do you think this claim holds any water? — Andre S.

If you’re looking at the 247Sports Composite rankings for the 2022 class, you’ll see that only six of the top 50 players nationally are from the Midwest. You may think that there is some sort of Southern bias when it comes to the recruiting rankings, but it’s an indisputable fact that there is just a higher concentration of elite-level prospects in the South. Because of this, there are more reporters located in that area of the country, which means more eyeballs on prospects. More eyeballs on prospects mean more thorough evaluations. These players camp at the same events and, as a result, are more easily accessible to evaluators.

This isn’t a conspiracy — it’s just fact. There are more good football players in the South, and there is a direct correlation between the access to those players and the strength of the SEC.

I think it’s a good thing that you put solid teams such as Iowa and Wisconsin in your question because it’s important to address that. Yes, these programs have often fielded really good teams despite not having sexy recruiting rankings. As a result, you may think that the rankings are biased and that Midwestern prospects aren’t getting the respect they deserve. But it’s more likely that these programs know exactly what type of prospect they are recruiting, evaluate talent on a fit basis and have done a very good job at developing within their program.

The reality is that the recruiting rankings are getting better and more thorough each year. There are more analysts, more technology and more accessibility to in-person evaluation. It’s honestly surprising how accurate they have become. Are there Midwestern prospects who are misevaluated? Sure, but that also happens in the South. The fact is that the best players — for the most part — happen to live in the South, which is why it’s harder for teams like Wisconsin and Iowa, who primarily rely on regional recruiting, to sign top-tier classes.

You can win a lot of football games recruiting the way Iowa and Wisconsin do. You just can’t win a national title that way.

You’re the AD at Louisiana. Billy Napier has created tons of momentum for the Ragin’ Cajuns (including a top 25 preseason ranking) but is likely to leave when offered the right opportunity at a Power 5 school. Does recruiting necessarily have to fall off a cliff when that happens? Anything you can do now to prepare for that inevitable day? — Hunter P.

Forgive me for falling back on my time as Ohio State’s beat writer, but I’ll use a situation that happened during my time on the Buckeyes beat to answer this question. We all remember now that Urban Meyer left the program a few years ago, and in the time leading up to his retirement, there was a sense that the program was going take a major step back when that inevitable day came. Though Meyer’s situation differs from Napier’s, the premise remains the same: How do you keep your program at the same level when you’re pretty certain the current coach, who is the perfect fit, could be leaving in the near future?

I bring this up because I had a conversation with Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith about this shortly after Ohio State replaced Meyer with Ryan Day. Ohio State could have hired a wide variety of coaches to replace Meyer but decided to go with the offensive coordinator who few people outside of the program were familiar with. Day is a household name in the sport now, but at the time he was a 39-year-old with no head coaching experience. Want to know what Day’s best trait was other than being a bright offensive mind with a knack for developing quarterbacks? He respected his predecessor enough to realize that he shouldn’t change things just to change them. Here’s a good quote from Smith:

“I looked at the other candidates, but one of my concerns was, typically, they want to come in and they don’t go through the learning curve and change some things. We have worked very hard to get to a culture where people have accountability, responsibility. They know their roles, the communication is good between athletic training, academic support, compliance and all the different entities that surround your football program. Management, facility operations. People don’t think of those things, and that’s understandable because they don’t do this for a living.

“Ryan would be more of a ‘tweaker.’ He won’t significantly change things, but he’ll tweak some things. But had I brought in somebody new, having done this for 30-plus years, I’m certain they would have wanted to change something. And we didn’t need to.”

So I’d get my eyes on people right now who are familiar with Napier’s plan. I’d want to identify people who know where he recruits, how he recruits, how he built the culture of the program and, most importantly, someone without an ego who feels he would have to do it his way. Louisiana is a talent-rich state, and a person with a keen eye for that talent can build a really good football program the way Napier has.

I’d find someone who learned from Napier and respects what he has built enough to not change things unnecessarily. The plan is working at Louisiana. If and when Napier moves on to a different job, I’d do everything in my power to keep the program running the same way it is currently.

Georgia has now lost two five-star commitments and one in-state five-star to USC in the span of a couple of weeks. Why is Georgia’s 2022 class diminishing despite the recent opening of an 80 million dollar facility? — Jacob A.

If you refer to the question above that asks me to rank what is most important to prospects, facilities would be way down on that list. A prospect may choose not to go to a school if that school has terrible facilities, but most programs have really nice facilities. It’s a must-have for every top program, but it isn’t the reason prospects are committing to Georgia. There is no connection between the facility and what’s happening in recruiting right now.

Georgia is currently competing to win the recruiting crown, and in order to do that, the Bulldogs have to be involved in some highly competitive recruitments with elite-level prospects who can choose where they want to go. Sometimes programs like Georgia are going to have some rough weeks because it’s so hard to recruit at that level. Georgia is recruiting against Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, USC and everyone else for all the prospects on its board. I would hope you don’t take this two-week stretch and turn it into a reflection on Kirby Smart and his program when it is such a small sample size of what is occurring overall in Athens.

Though a lot is happening this June, remind yourself that recruiting is nuts and what is happening today may not necessarily be the reality in December. Georgia is just fine. Stuff just happens. It is still going to sign a top-five class once the dust settles.

(Photo of Steev Sarkisian: Tim Warner / Getty Images)

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Ari Wasserman is a senior writer for The Athletic, covering college football and recruiting nationally. He previously spent 10 years covering Ohio State for The Athletic and Cleveland.com, starting on the Buckeyes beat in 2009. Follow Ari on Twitter @AriWasserman.

 

 
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NoName

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The Athletic: Texas embraces Steve Sarkisian’s ‘All Gas No Brakes’ M.O. in the Horns’ latest go at restoring the program’s glory

e37S7GHM

 

 

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What others are saying about Texas

Texas’ lack of significant success is not for a lack of talent, at least according to an opposing Big 12 coach.

“To me, there’s not a talent issue there,” the coach said. “I think they’re extremely talented.”

The coach said he believes Thompson and Card can both be “premier players” in the Big 12. Bijan Robinson is “a stud.” Texas’ linebackers and defensive backs “can really run.” And the coach believes that there is sufficient talent on the line of scrimmage.

 
 
Running back Bijan Robinson (left) and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown were named the most valuable offensive and defensive players during the Alamo Bowl in December. (Kirby Lee / USA Today)

“If you look at what they have up front on both sides, that gives them a chance,” the coach said.

The coach cited last year’s three close losses (Texas lost to TCU by two, to Iowa State by three and to Oklahoma by eight in four overtimes) as evidence that the Longhorns “are not that far away.”

“Oklahoma has the best returning talent in the Big 12,” the coach said, “but Texas is close.”

A different Big 12 coach is intrigued with how Sarkisian will import his Alabama offense without the Alabama-level talent. The league is no longer as homogenous as it once was, when everyone except Kansas State ran four-receiver sets. Now all of the league’s teams dabble in 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end) and half of the league’s teams averaged at least 10 snaps per game with at least two tight ends in 2020, according to TruMedia. What Sarkisian did in Tuscaloosa, “looks like a lot of people in our league,” the coach said.

The biggest charge for Sarkisian, the coach said, is winning the games against teams like TCU, which has consistently beat the Longhorns since joining the Big 12, or Iowa State, which kept Texas from the Big 12 title game last year.

“Can you get the culture right fast enough where they’re going to be able to win all the games they need to win to play Oklahoma again at the end?” he said.

 

 

Text:

 

Spoiler

 

Texas embraces Steve Sarkisian’s ‘All Gas No Brakes’ M.O. in the Horns’ latest go at restoring the program’s glory

Bijan-sotp-1024x683.jpg
By Sam Khan Jr. 2h ago comment-icon.png 4 save-icon.png

Editor’s note: This is part of a continuing series previewing the Power 5 and top Group of 5 teams for the 2021 college football season.

During his first public off-campus appearance since taking the Texas job, new coach Steve Sarkisian explained why he made the move.

He shared a story of calling his parents on Jan. 2 to deliver the news to them before it was splashed everywhere. In that moment, his father, Seb, recounted a 22-year-old conversation in which he asked Steve, who was then just beginning his football coaching journey, what he considered the best job in America. Yep, he’d said Texas.

Sarkisian, during his May speech to roughly 250 Houston-area fans and alumni, rattled off other tried-and-true talking points that often accompany the Longhorns’ job description: A rich history with great teams and players. Iconic uniforms. A passionate fan and alumni base. A standard of excellence.

That standard, though, hasn’t been met in more than a decade. It’s why Sarkisian is the Longhorns’ third head coach since Mack Brown’s tenure ended in 2013, with Texas having last played for a national championship in 2009.

“When you take a job like Texas, I think you have to recognize the level of expectations and the standard for which we’re expected to operate,” Sarkisian told The Athletic recently. “That’s why I took the job.”

The former Alabama offensive coordinator steps into a job with significant pressure. Charlie Strong got three seasons before he was fired. Tom Herman got four. After going an impressive 101-16 from 2001 to 2009, the Longhorns are just 78-60 since. Five current Big 12 teams have better winning percentages in that same span.

And though Herman was fired, the job shouldn’t be viewed as a rebuild. The Longhorns went 32-18 the last four years, 7-3 last season (with all three losses by eight or fewer points) and have three top-10 recruiting classes in the last four years. Sarkisian’s charge is to elevate them back to championship contention.

The perpetual question is, “Will Sark get it done?” It’s impossible to know, but Texas leadership is betting six years and $34.2 million that he will.

 

His most recent stop, directing the nation’s second-ranked offense each of the last two seasons in Tuscaloosa, provides optimism. The multifaceted, run-pass option-heavy offense that Sarkisian paired with Alabama’s elite athletes produced three of the top five Heisman Trophy vote-getters in 2020, including the winner (DeVonta Smith), and helped the Crimson Tide to a national championship. The hope is that Sarkisian can bring his offensive magic to Austin.

His past, which includes taking an 0-12 Washington program to 34-29 over five seasons and a USC stint that was cut short in his second season by his alcohol abuse, leaves room for skepticism. He was a coach on the rise before it all came crashing down in 2015, but he hadn’t yet won at the highest level, something he’s being asked to do at Texas.

His time at Alabama and in Atlanta, with the NFL’s Falcons, revived his career. Personally, the 47-year-old Sarkisian said upon his hiring at Texas that he’s doing “great” in his recovery from alcohol addiction.

“When you battle what I battle, you have to work on it every day,” he said in January. “This isn’t just a one-time thing and you take the happy pill and everything’s good all of a sudden, and you never have to work on it. I work on it every day … whether it’s through meetings through a sponsor, whatever that may be. That’s important to me to be the best football coach at University of Texas that I can be.”

The last six months have been standard new-coach fare: Sarkisian hired his staff and took the team through spring football. He also dipped into the transfer portal to shore up roster deficiencies and grew the Longhorns’ 2022 recruiting class to 11 commitments, all of it illustrated with his preferred motto, which the UT Board of Regents filed to trademark in April: “All Gas No Brakes.”

Texas fans hope their path back to national glory is traveled as such.

Roster analysis

Quarterback: With four-year starter Sam Ehlinger gone, the starting job is up for grabs between junior Casey Thompson and redshirt freshman Hudson Card.

Fans who tuned in to the Longhorns’ Alamo Bowl rout of Colorado in December got a glimpse of Thompson’s potential. The 6-foot-1, 194-pound Oklahoma City product was brilliant, completing eight of 10 passes for 170 yards and four touchdowns in less than a half.

Thompson, a 2018 signee, backed up Ehlinger in 2019 and 2020, appearing in seven games. Having had three seasons of practicing and developing, Thompson is confident he’s ready to step in as QB1.

Card, a top-100 recruit and top-five dual-threat prospect in the 2020 class, played briefly in two games last year. Those in and around the program say Card, based on his talent, has the higher long-term ceiling. The question is whether he’s ready to take the lead now.

Throughout the offseason, Sarkisian worked hard not to tip his hand. He repeatedly said that both players are talented and have shined at times and struggled in others. When addressing alumni in Houston in late May, Sarkisian said Card and Thompson are “both very talented guys at different stages in their career.”

“Both put in the work, both study, both prepare, both good leaders, both great workers,” Sarkisian said. “When we go out running, conditioning as a team, they’re in front and they refuse to lose.”

casey-sotp.jpg
 
Casey Thompson played in three games last season, most notably throwing for four TDs on eight completions in the Alamo Bowl win against Colorado. (Ricardo B. Brazziell / USA Today)

Sarkisian said 15 spring practices were insufficient to declare a starter. Once they’ve had the summer to further ingratiate themselves with teammates and master the offense and August training camp begins, it’s time to compete.

What he’s looking for: “Who can move the football team down the field? Who can manage the game? Who can be the leader? Who do guys rally behind?” Yes, Sarkisian said, X’s and O’s and arm strength are important, but those other questions loom larger.

“When the gut feels right, I’ll make the call,” Sarkisian said.

Running back: The Longhorns have one of the country’s potential breakout stars returning in sophomore Bijan Robinson.

A five-star prospect in the 2020 class, Robinson didn’t get the ball nearly enough as a freshman. When he did touch it, he showed why he was such a coveted prospect.

Robinson rushed for more than 100 yards in three of the Longhorns’ last four games despite logging a dozen carries or fewer in each of the three games. In the final two games against Kansas State and Colorado, Robinson compiled 355 combined rushing yards on just 19 carries.

If Sarkisian uses Robinson the way he did Najee Harris at Alabama, it’s easy to picture Robinson reaching Heisman Trophy contender status, like Harris did, either this year or next.

Behind Robinson is junior Roschon Johnson, a former quarterback turned reliable running back since making the position change in 2019. Johnson has been a productive, versatile and physical backfield option.

“They’re really complete players,” Sarkisian said of Robinson and Johnson. “I think what Bijan gives you is that home-run-hitter ability. Obviously, Roschon is a very consistent player and can run it, can pass protect, can catch (and has a) very high football IQ.”

To add depth, the Longhorns added Alabama transfer Keilan Robinson. A four-star recruit from the 2019 class, Robinson averaged 6.5 yards per rush on 39 carries across eight games as a freshman but opted out of the 2020 season. He transferred earlier this month.

Sarkisian said Keilan Robinson provides “a changeup” to Johnson and Bijan Robinson.

“He’s a very versatile guy,” Sarkisian said. “He can run it, but he is also very equipped on some of the loose plays, whether they’re screens, bubbles, jet sweeps, things like that, which are helpful for us.”

The Longhorns welcome another newcomer, four-star freshman Jonathon Brooks, into the backfield. Seniors Gabriel Watson, a former grad transfer from Sioux Falls who played in three games last season, and Daniel Young, who opted out in 2020, also return. “They’ve been working hard, but we’ll see what we can get out of them,” Sarkisian said.

Receiver/tight end: Just two of the Longhorns’ five top receivers from 2020 are back: leading receiver Joshua Moore and third-year sophomore Jordan Whittington.

Moore, who caught a team-high nine touchdowns last season, is a big-play threat. Whittington, a former five-star recruit, had his first two seasons on campus marred by injuries but said this spring that he felt “amazing.” Whittington also drew consistent praise from Sarkisian and teammates for his leadership and performance.

Beyond that duo, the receivers are mostly young and unproven. Troy Omeire could become a factor once fully healthy; he missed all of last season with a torn ACL suffered in training camp but was able to participate with a non-contact jersey during spring football. Redshirt freshman Kelvontay Dixon and junior Marcus Washington could figure into the rotation.

The Longhorns also add much-needed speed to the group with freshman Xavier Worthy. The No. 8 receiver in the 2021 class, Worthy initially signed with Michigan but requested a release from his letter of intent in April and committed to Texas soon thereafter. Worthy ran a 10.5-second 100-meter dash as a sophomore and “may be faster now,” Sarkisian said.

“This offense operates well when guys have either straight-line speed or elusiveness in the open field,” Sarkisian said. “And he definitely provides that.”

On Tuesday, Jake Smith, the team’s third-leading receiver last season, entered the transfer portal. Smith broke his foot during the first day of spring practice in March and had returned to full workouts with the team this month.

Tight end is the deepest position on the roster. Super senior Cade Brewer returns after starting all of last season. He provides experience, can pass protect, run block, run routes, play multiple spots and do it all well.

Junior Jared Wiley provides the team with a superb combination of size (6-7, 255), speed, blocking ability and receiving talent. Third-year sophomore Brayden Liebrock, who played in four games last year, is also back. Three freshmen enter the fray: Juan Davis and Gunnar Helm, who participated in spring ball, plus Ja’Tavion Sanders, a five-star prospect who was the No. 12 prospect nationally and top-ranked athlete in the 2021 class.

After quarterback, tight end is the most important position in Sarkisian’s offense. Having this level of depth and talent will be helpful in his debut season.

“What they help us with is the multiplicity of personnel groupings,” Sarkisian said. “We can adjust and change personnel groupings within games and going into games from a game-plan standpoint, which is helpful for our system.”

Offensive line: Texas lost only one starter from its 2020 offensive line: left tackle Sam Cosmi.

Returning four starters should help the Longhorns improve on a decent showing last year. Texas was one of the better run-blocking units in the Big 12, finishing third in average yards per rush before first contact (2.15, according to TruMedia). The Longhorns were fourth in the conference in pressure rate, allowing quarterbacks to be hit, under duress or sacked on 28 percent of dropbacks (that was 24th best among Power 5 teams).

Derek Kerstetter, who missed spring while recovering from a dislocated ankle suffered late last season, is back practicing. “He’s doing great,” Sarkisian said. “His leadership will be big for us, not just on the offensive line, but I think from an offensive perspective in general.”

Kerstetter has started at tackle, guard and center in his 46-game Texas career but spent last season at center. Sarkisian said, ideally, Kerstetter would occupy one of the two tackle spots.

The other tackle is likely Christian Jones, who started nine games at right tackle and one at left tackle last season. “He’s a talented guy,” Sarkisian said. “He’s starting to come into his own.” Andrej Karic, who started at left tackle in the Alamo Bowl, is also an option.

Junior Angilau and Denzel Okafor are expected to again start at guard. At center, Jake Majors, who started the last two games there in 2020, is the favorite. The redshirt freshman performed well in spring and started the spring game in the middle. Junior Rafiti Ghirmai is also a candidate at center.

Solidifying starters and reliable reserves is a top task for the Longhorns come August.

“We’re going to take our time a little bit here at the start of training camp of just trying to find the best five for us and then the next, two, three, four that can roll in there,” Sarkisian said.

Longhorns returning production
Pass Yds
8
Thompson, 225
Rush Yds
65
B. Robinson, 703
Rec Yds
69
Moore, 472
OL starts
84
Two with 10
Tackles
61
Overshown, 60
TFLs
51
Overshown, 8
Sacks
59
Two with 2
Ints
70
Overshown, 2

Defensive line: This is the defensive group Sarkisian said he feels best about. The Longhorns have significant depth with two returning starters (Keondre Coburn, Moro Ojomo) and five more returning from last year’s two-deep.

Coburn, a two-year starter, won Sarkisian over with his attitude and consistent play this spring. Ojomo is moving to the interior after playing defensive end, and it produced impressive practice results, including three sacks in the spring game.

Veteran T’Vondre Sweat, who hasn’t missed a game in his first two seasons, is back after missing spring with a shoulder injury. Sophomore Alfred Collins and redshirt freshman Vernon Broughton are expanding their roles, too.

“I love the depth and the playmaking on the interior line,” Sarkisian said.

On the edges, the Longhorns will try to replace the 16 tackles for loss Joseph Ossai gave them. LSU transfer Ray Thornton will play a significant role in doing so. Sarkisian liked super senior Jacoby Jones’ spring. Redshirt freshman Prince Dorbah, junior Jett Bush and Alabama linebacker transfer Ben Davis could also figure into the plans.

Texas also welcomes four incoming freshmen and Notre Dame transfer Ovie Oghoufo.

“It’s a deep group,” Sarkisian said. “When you’ve got two waves in there, that’s when you’re really rolling. … This group can be disruptive, they can stop the run, they can create pressure on the quarterback, which makes everybody else’s job easier across the board.”

Linebackers: Coming out of spring, this was the biggest area of concern. Depth was thin with Juwan Mitchell and Ayodele Adeoye hitting the transfer portal and DeMarvion Overshown injured, but things are looking up.

Overshown has resumed working out after missing spring with a shoulder injury. Sarkisian said Overshown looks and feels good, but he will get a better feel for how far along he is when training camp arrives.

“His playmaking ability, we need it,” Sarkisian said. “This defense is predicated on the speed and athleticism of the ’backers, and he’s got a good group of guys in front of him and that should allow him to play the way we want him to play.”

Although Mitchell transferred to Tennessee, Adeoye withdrew his name from the portal this month and is back with the team. After starting 10 games as a redshirt freshman in 2019, injuries limited Adeoye to two games last season and he didn’t take part in spring after entering the portal in January. Still, Sarkisian said Adeoye could be a factor.

“He’s got game experience, and there’s nothing like game experience,” Sarkisian said. “He’s a physical guy. Learning the new scheme is going to be key for him.”

David Gbenda and Jaylan Ford both got loads of reps in spring and should increase their roles after primarily playing on special teams last year.

Texas also welcomes New Mexico State transfer Devin Richardson. He had an impressive freshman season, compiling 69 tackles, three tackles for loss, two sacks and three forced fumbles in 2019 but played only a game in the Aggies’ two-game pandemic-shortened spring season. Once he learns the defense, Sarkisian will assess where he fits.

The difference in outlook at the position today from what it was three months ago is significant.

“We kind of filled the voids of where we felt like we were light,” Sarkisian said. “We feel a lot better about the depth that we have.”

Defensive backs: Texas returns both starting cornerbacks, D’Shawn Jamison and Josh Thompson. Sarkisian said the two seniors were steady, consistent playmakers in spring.

dshawn-sotp.jpg
 
D’Shawn Jamison has played in 36 career games with 19 starts. He had 31 tackles and six pass breakups in 2020. (Ricardo B. Brazziell / American-Statesman for USA Today)

McNeese State transfer Darion Dunn, whom teammates commended for his spring performance, will be a solid rotational player. Sarkisian said sophomores Kitan Crawford and Jahdae Barron and freshman Jamier Johnson flashed during spring and are intriguing players, too.

At safety, B.J. Foster provides the veteran presence of having played in 31 games. Former receiver Brenden Schooler moved to safety, a position he played as a freshman at Oregon in 2016. “I really love the way he comes down and hits,” Jamison said. “He showed that he can cover.”

Sarkisian called sophomore Jerrin Thompson, who started the last two games of 2020, one of the leaders of the group. Freshman JD Coffey III also had his moments this spring.

At nickelback, Chris Adimora and Anthony Cook are competing. Both played all 10 games last season, but Adimora was the starter. “It’s a heck of a battle between two really good players,” Sarkisian said.

Sarkisian would like to find one more reliable cornerback to help the Longhorns play more man-to-man coverages. He would also like his safeties to play at the level of consistency Jamison and Josh Thompson provide, but overall he said he feels good about the secondary.

Special teams: Senior kicker Cameron Dicker could take on a heavy workload this fall. The primary kicker and kickoff specialist the last three years, he could add punting to his duties.

Dicker finished last season as the punter after an injury cut Ryan Bujcevski’s season short. Dicker continued punting this spring, and Sarkisian said Dicker may take on all three specialist roles this season.

“Dicker is a special talent,” Sarkisian said. “(I like) his field goal ability, his kickoff ability and then clearly, this spring, his punting ability.

“We’re going to let them battle. There’s nothing set in stone … but inevitably we have to do what’s best for the team.”

Texas also has an incoming freshman punter, Australian product Isaac Pearson. Sarkisian’s preference would be for someone to beat Dicker out for either punter or kickoffs so that he’s not handling all three duties, but “they’ve got to earn it,” he said.

In the return game, Jamison is tabbed to handle both kickoff and punt returns, which he has done the last three seasons. But the Longhorns would like to mix in some others. Keilan Robinson had return experience at Alabama and is a possibility. “We have some other guys that have the ability to do it, but they’ve just got to get the reps,” Sarkisian said.

What others are saying about Texas

Texas’ lack of significant success is not for a lack of talent, at least according to an opposing Big 12 coach.

“To me, there’s not a talent issue there,” the coach said. “I think they’re extremely talented.”

The coach said he believes Thompson and Card can both be “premier players” in the Big 12. Bijan Robinson is “a stud.” Texas’ linebackers and defensive backs “can really run.” And the coach believes that there is sufficient talent on the line of scrimmage.

Alamo-sotp-scaled.jpg
 
Running back Bijan Robinson (left) and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown were named the most valuable offensive and defensive players during the Alamo Bowl in December. (Kirby Lee / USA Today)

“If you look at what they have up front on both sides, that gives them a chance,” the coach said.

The coach cited last year’s three close losses (Texas lost to TCU by two, to Iowa State by three and to Oklahoma by eight in four overtimes) as evidence that the Longhorns “are not that far away.”

“Oklahoma has the best returning talent in the Big 12,” the coach said, “but Texas is close.”

A different Big 12 coach is intrigued with how Sarkisian will import his Alabama offense without the Alabama-level talent. The league is no longer as homogenous as it once was, when everyone except Kansas State ran four-receiver sets. Now all of the league’s teams dabble in 11 personnel (one running back, one tight end) and half of the league’s teams averaged at least 10 snaps per game with at least two tight ends in 2020, according to TruMedia. What Sarkisian did in Tuscaloosa, “looks like a lot of people in our league,” the coach said.

The biggest charge for Sarkisian, the coach said, is winning the games against teams like TCU, which has consistently beat the Longhorns since joining the Big 12, or Iowa State, which kept Texas from the Big 12 title game last year.

“Can you get the culture right fast enough where they’re going to be able to win all the games they need to win to play Oklahoma again at the end?” he said.

How the Longhorns recruited from 2018 to 2021

texas-1024x659.png

Despite having only one double-digit win in the four-season Herman era, the Longhorns recruited at a high level.

Only five teams have a better four-year average recruiting ranking than Texas (Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and LSU), and that’s including a 2021 transition class that ranked 16th (the previous three classes ranked third, third and eighth nationally).

Texas is one of the eight teams nationally that rank highest in 247Sports’ latest “Blue Chip Ratio,” which calculates the percentage of four- and five-star recruits on rosters as a means of determining which teams have a legitimate shot at winning a national championship.

So if the recruiting rankings have been that good, why have the Longhorns compiled only a 32-18 record in the last four years (which eventually led to Herman’s dismissal)?

The answer is development, or lack thereof. Those five teams that rank ahead of the Longhorns in average four-year recruiting rankings all produced at least a dozen combined NFL Draft picks in the 2020 and 2021 drafts: LSU had 21, Ohio State 20, Alabama 19, Georgia 16 and Clemson 12.

The Longhorns had only nine draft picks in the last two drafts. Five of those picks went in the top three rounds, compared to eight for Clemson, nine for Georgia, 12 for LSU, 13 for Ohio State and 17 for Alabama. As The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman put it, if the rest of the program developed anywhere close to the way Cosmi, the offensive tackle, did — going from three-star recruit to second-round draft pick — Herman would still be employed.

The critical task for Sarkisian and his staff will be to take the ample talent on hand and maximize it.

Transfers to know

The Longhorns took a half-dozen transfers in this cycle and all of them are likely to contribute in varying capacities.

Thornton, Davis and Oghoufo help bolster linebacker depth, but Thornton will likely make the biggest impact of the three. His experience (41 games played at LSU) is an asset, and he gave the offense headaches during spring practice.

Dunn did well enough in spring to show that he deserves regular playing time at corner. At McNeese, he was a first-team All-Southland Conference selection, recorded seven interceptions and 20 pass breakups in his 29-game career.

Keilan Robinson won’t come in and take 15 carries a game with Johnson and Bijan Robinson ahead of him, but his role as the third back will be important, as is his ability to contribute in other ways.

Impact of coaching changes

Sarkisian overhauled most of the staff, retaining only two full-time assistants: running backs coach Stan Drayton and wide receivers coach Andre Coleman.

Sarkisian brought two fellow former Alabama assistants with him to Austin: special-teams coordinator and tight ends coach Jeff Banks and offensive line coach Kyle Flood.

Banks brings extensive recruiting experience in Texas, dating to his time at Texas A&M with Kevin Sumlin. And although Flood also holds the offensive coordinator title, Sarkisian will be the play caller.

“I’ve always done that throughout my career when I was a head coach,” Sarkisian said. “What I like about it is I can really control the game. I can speed it up, I can slow it down if our defense is tired, I can go for it, I can call timeout, I can start counting possessions.”

Flood and Sarkisian have worked together for the last four years. Before their two years together at Alabama, both were with the Atlanta Falcons for two years.

Sarkisian also brought a former Alabama analyst, AJ Milwee, to coach the quarterbacks.

Defensively, Sarkisian tabbed Pete Kwiatkowski to run the defense. The former Washington defensive coordinator runs multiple defensive fronts, alternating mostly between three- and four-man fronts, but in the spring game, Kwiatkowski also sprinkled in formations with two down linemen.

Sarkisian said he likes how good Kwiatkowski’s defenses are in the red zone (they ranked in the top two in the Pac-12 in four of his seven seasons with the Huskies).

Kwiatkowski brought on former Montana State head coach Jeff Choate as co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach. Choate worked with Kwiatkowski at Washington and Boise State. Former Texas, Alabama and NFL assistant Bo Davis oversees the defensive line, and former Longhorns safety Blake Gideon coaches the position he played on the Forty Acres.

Former Notre Dame, Nebraska and Texas A&M assistant Terry Joseph takes the defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach title.

Schedule analysis
Sept. 4
Home
Sept. 11
Away
Sept. 18
Home
Sept. 25
Home
Oct. 2
team-logo-187-50x50.pngTCU
Away
Oct. 9
Dallas
Oct. 16
Home
Oct. 30
Away
Nov. 6
Away
Nov. 13
Home
Nov. 20
Away
Nov. 26
Home

Texas’ early-season schedule is challenging. Sarkisian’s debut comes against one of the top Group of 5 teams of the last two seasons, Louisiana. The Ragin’ Cajuns are a combined 21-4 in that span and are the nation’s 2021 leader in returning production, according to ESPN. This is a team that beat eventual Fiesta Bowl winner Iowa State by double digits last year, so the Longhorns’ season opener will be one to watch. It will also mark the unveiling of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium’s $175 million south end zone renovation, which is scheduled for completion before the Ragin’ Cajuns’ visit.

After that, Texas gets a road SEC game at old Southwest Conference rival Arkansas. The Razorbacks (3-7) were mediocre last season but were improved and more competitive in Sam Pittman’s first season than they were under his predecessor, Chad Morris. Hogs fans will be fired up, and if the Hogs are better than they were in 2020, this, too, could be dicey.

The Longhorns are unlikely to lose to Rice, but the Owls are also improving, as evidenced by their shutout of a ranked Marshall last season.

Beating Texas Tech — which had Texas on the ropes last year — to open Big 12 play is a must for Sarkisian, because the next three weeks are tough. The Longhorns travel to TCU, which has won six of the last seven meetings between the teams, then get Oklahoma in the Red River rivalry (the Sooners have won five of the last six meetings with Texas) before returning home to host Oklahoma State.

Texas’ toughest road game is in Ames, against a loaded Iowa State team to kick off November before the slate lightens up down the stretch.

Final assessment

Sarkisian is inheriting a good roster and a team that, although it didn’t meet preseason expectations in 2020, wasn’t bad. Improvement is and should be expected this year. At minimum, the Longhorns should be able to increase their win total from the seven they tallied last year. They aren’t better than Oklahoma or Iowa State at this moment, so it’s unrealistic to expect the Longhorns to win the Big 12 in Sarkisian’s debut season. But they should at least be in contention for a spot in the title game in the season’s final weeks, nipping at the heels of the Sooners and Cyclones. If the Longhorns somehow get back to AT&T Stadium this season, that would be a huge first step for the program under Sarkisian.

Texas’ national championship odds from BetMGM: +5,000

(Top photo of Bijan Robinson: Jay Janner / USA Today)

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Khan-Sam-HEadshot-031521-.jpg
Sam Khan Jr. is a senior writer for The Athletic, covering college football and recruiting primarily in Texas. Previously, he spent eight years covering college sports at ESPN.com and seven years as a sports reporter at the Houston Chronicle. A native Houstonian, Sam graduated from the University of Houston. Follow Sam on Twitter @skhanjr.

 

 
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Bevo

Bevo 13576

Posted
Posted (edited)
43 minutes ago, NoName said:

I have heard some claim Midwestern players are generally under-scouted by recruiting websites like Rivals and 247Sports. The claim gets support from the fact that teams like Iowa and Wisconsin have had pretty poor recruiting classes as far as ratings go, but they consistently have all-conference players and NFL draft picks. Do you think this claim holds any water? — Andre S.

If you’re looking at the 247Sports Composite rankings for the 2022 class, you’ll see that only six of the top 50 players nationally are from the Midwest. You may think that there is some sort of Southern bias when it comes to the recruiting rankings, but it’s an indisputable fact that there is just a higher concentration of elite-level prospects in the South. Because of this, there are more reporters located in that area of the country, which means more eyeballs on prospects. More eyeballs on prospects mean more thorough evaluations. These players camp at the same events and, as a result, are more easily accessible to evaluators.

This isn’t a conspiracy — it’s just fact. There are more good football players in the South, and there is a direct correlation between the access to those players and the strength of the SEC.

I think it’s a good thing that you put solid teams such as Iowa and Wisconsin in your question because it’s important to address that. Yes, these programs have often fielded really good teams despite not having sexy recruiting rankings. As a result, you may think that the rankings are biased and that Midwestern prospects aren’t getting the respect they deserve. But it’s more likely that these programs know exactly what type of prospect they are recruiting, evaluate talent on a fit basis and have done a very good job at developing within their program.

The reality is that the recruiting rankings are getting better and more thorough each year. There are more analysts, more technology and more accessibility to in-person evaluation. It’s honestly surprising how accurate they have become. Are there Midwestern prospects who are misevaluated? Sure, but that also happens in the South. The fact is that the best players — for the most part — happen to live in the South, which is why it’s harder for teams like Wisconsin and Iowa, who primarily rely on regional recruiting, to sign top-tier classes.

You can win a lot of football games recruiting the way Iowa and Wisconsin do. You just can’t win a national title that way.

I think this answer is all bullshit. Demographics play a role in that there are tall people of Scandinavian descent in Utah and the Midwest. There are more blacks in certain areas. People in the south can exercise outdoors year round. More people play football in the South. However, in general, good athletes can be found anywhere: It is basically a numbers game. So in the Midwest there are always going to be raw athletes who aren't highly recruited and then it is up to the coaches to develop that raw talent.

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Bevo

Bevo 13576

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, Fud said:

I think A&M is the competition for Miller, because I don't think he'll end up being a take for Bama 

Thanks. I forgot that he was looking at Bama. I am sure they are full at rb and they have other guys for the slot. It is possible that the Coleman stuff posted earlier opens up a spot for him at Bama. However, we don't even know if he is interested in playing the position.

I just looked at his HUDL. It is good, but I hate when they speed up the film like that.

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Tex-19

Tex-19 2872

Posted
Posted
Just now, Elmer_Fudd said:

Seems like all Perroni is going off of is the "he likes the small town vibe".

That and his Aggy leaning back before our coaches were hired. To be fair, our mods have also said Banks prefers small towns but obviously that's only one criteria

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Fud

Fud 9552

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, Bevo said:

Thanks. I forgot that he was looking at Bama. I am sure they are full at rb and they have other guys for the slot. It is possible that the Coleman stuff posted earlier opens up a spot for him at Bama. However, we don't even know if he is interested in playing the position.

I just looked at his HUDL. It is good, but I hate when they speed up the film like that.

Bama has two RBs committed, but one is still taking visits, and they're still recruiting other 5* types. One of them, Branson Robinson, is announcing late next month, likely between Georgia and Bama. Miller seems to be one of a dozen contingencies, similar to other position groups for Bama 

A&M doesn't currently have a RB committed, but they took two last class 

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Machinator

Machinator 32099

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Posted

(Eric Nahlin) Weekend official and unofficial visitors

Spoiler

JUNE 25th-27th:

RB Jamarion Miller, Legacy (Tyler, TX)
OV schedule: A&M (June 4-6), Florida (June 11-13)

IT: The Texas staff finally gets its opportunity to make its big move.

OL Cameron Williams, Duncanville (Duncanville, TX)
Recruited by: Kyle Flood, Jeff Banks

IT: We go back and forth on who is more likely in the class, Williams or Jacob Sexton. Right now we’re leaning Williams. He wouldn’t put his Horns down in Norman but I bet we’ll see some Horns up in Austin.

TE Arlis Boardingham, Birmingham High (CA) (June 24-26)
Recruited by: Jeff Banks, Steve Sarkisian
OV schedule: Arizona State (June 18-20) - Canceled

IT: He didn’t visit ASU last weekend (probably was there a bunch during Covid) and we feel he’s the most likely TE in the class. There’s a bit of an Anthony Jones feel to this one in that the staff has put itself in a good spot ahead of the visit and UT could win out in short order after the visit.

DB Bryce Anderson, West Brook (Beaumont, TX)
Recruited by: Sarkisian, Joseph, Gideon, PK

IT: Anderson will take a Saturday/Sunday official visit due to the State 7 on 7 tournament in College Station. We still have UT with the advantage in the recruitment over A&M but the staff has to seal the deal.

LB T.J. Dudley, Montgomery Catholic (AL)
Recruited by: Jeff Choate, Bo Davis, Pete Kwiatkowski
OV schedule: Oregon (June 4-6), UCF (June 11-13)

IT: IT feels the coaches have higher priorities on the board in Jeremy Patton and Sebastian Cheeks, and the staff feels good about each.

CB Jaylon Guilbeau, Memorial (Port Arthur, TX) #AllGasNoBrakes
Recruited by: Terry Joseph, Pete Kwiatkowski

IT: TCU is pushing and A&M runs hot and cold on him. This recruitment has had a weird feel to it since the new staff arrived.

DB Austin Jordan, Ryan (Denton, TX)
Recruited by: Blake Gideon, Terry Joseph, Jeff Banks
OV schedule: Ohio State (June 11-13), Oklahoma (June 18-20)

IT: Guilbeau’s a better corner and a better DB in general but they’re similar in they are on everybody’s board just in case.

DT Jaray Bledsoe, Bremond (Bremond, TX) - unofficial visit
Recruited by: Bo Davis, Steve Sarkisian
OV schedule: Texas A&M (June 4-6), Alabama (June 18-20)

IT: This visit is about jockeying for position and ensuring an official visit this fall. This won’t be an easy recruitment to cover in the fall and we’re here for it. Bledsoe is the type of talent the staff will recruit until the end.

DL Justice Finkley, Hewitt (Trussville, AL)
Recruited by: Bo Davis
OV schedule: Colorado (June 11-13), Michigan (June 18-20)

IT: Finkley and his family profile favorably to the mix of academics and football few schools other than Texas can offer. He’s a high priority for the staff. While he may not be an arc runner he can certainly be a bull rusher and looper.

DL Aaron Bryant, Southhaven (MS)
Recruited by: Bo Davis
OV schedule: Georgia (June 4-6), Texas A&M (June 18-20)

IT: One of the most underrated players in the country. Georgia losing Bear Alexander made Bryant a bigger need for them. His father attended Ole Miss.

EDGE J’Mond Tapp, Ascension Catholic (Donaldsville, LA)

EDGE Keahnist Thompson, Lakeland (Lakeland, FL)
OV schedule: UCF (June 11-13), Miami (June 18-20)

IT: Texas is in a good spot for Finkley and Derrick Brown, and has Jones already committed. at outside linebacker. With Tapp and Thompson the staff is still lining up alternatives and opening new doors. Tapp is similar to Finkley as a player while Thompson is similar to Jones.

 

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Tex-19

Tex-19 2872

Posted
Posted
5 minutes ago, Fud said:

Bama has two RBs committed, but one is still taking visits, and they're still recruiting other 5* types. One of them, Branson Robinson, is announcing late next month, likely between Georgia and Bama. Miller seems to be one of a dozen contingencies, similar to other position groups for Bama 

A&M doesn't currently have a RB committed, but they took two last class 

I think I read that Florida and A&M are his two most likely now that Bama is filling up

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Vertigo

Vertigo 20276

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Posted
12 hours ago, BornAndRaised said:

I'm gonna be honest, what if people are looking at this wrong, and we did have a second back committed... the transfer from Bama? Doesn't have have 3 to play 3?

This has been my thought all along. We really don't need another back. Bijan, Rojo, K. Robinson, Brooks, and Blue. There is no need to fill up our RB room to the point that it makes it hard to pull an elite 2023 guy.

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closetojumping

closetojumping 62619

Posted
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Posted
Just now, RomaVicta said:

He's wrong about the vaccine, but he's not crazy when it comes to his reasons. Sadly.

I get the trust issues.

Can you or someone else link to a credible source on whatever he is talking about regarding Tuskegee? I’ve never heard the story and would like to read whatever it is. 

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NoName

NoName 16351

Posted
Posted
21 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Seems like all Perroni is going off of is the "he likes the small town vibe".

The Bryan College Station MSA population size is almost 250,000 people.

Texas A&M has a student population of over 53,000.

Anyone saying with a straight face that Texas A&M or B-CS has a "small town vibe" is lying through their teeth.

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tokamak

tokamak 6422

Posted
Posted
Just now, NoName said:

The Bryan College Station MSA population size is almost 250,000 people.

Texas A&M has a student population of over 53,000.

Anyone saying with a straight face that Texas A&M or B-CS has a "small town vibe" is lying through their teeth.

Yeah, I've been told that it's...checks notes..."lit". Can a small town be "lit"?

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