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Texas Recruiting Notes 2022 - Idiotic Slapfights Unrelated To 2022 Recruiting


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2 hours ago, TenCarryTom said:

I’m thinking that Jeff Banks may go on to be a head coach in the future and Harris will then coach TE because he is a plus recruiter for us. 

I'd guess that Harris replaces whoever of Banks, Drayton, Coleman, and Milwee leaves first, and in the meantime learns the offense 

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5 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

Are we going to be enjoying the Smeagol dynamic all day? Just curious how much coffee I’m going to need this morning and if it’s going to be a drinking lunch. 

I’d make it a drinking morning and a coffee lunch personally

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(Scipio Tex) Longhorn Recruiting: Meanwhile, out West....

Spoiler

What news of the West? It's time for an update on Western recruiting opportunities.

The ground is still fertile, in-state schools are still vulnerable, and Austin still represents the happiest compromise of Western cool and Southern football passion available. A generous abundance of easy direct flights to every meaningful Western satellite doesn't hurt either.

I've detailed the opportunities before.

For Texas, the easiest wins for elite talent are still out West. Overlay a map of competition vs athlete quality and It's not a hard decision.

So how did the Western recruiting landscape shake out in 2021?

2021 California Top 30 Commitments By Program

USC - 11
Oregon- 5
Cal- 3
Utah- 2
Michigan- 2
UCLA- 1
Notre Dame- 1
Clemson-1
Georgia-1
Texas- 1
Arizona State-1
San Diego St- 1

USC recruiting rallied in a big way. They landed 11 of the Top 30 recruits in California and 5 of the Top 11. In other words, they successfully placed a shotgun in a barrel of fish and pulled the trigger. A meaningful rebound from a disastrous 2020 Trojan class which saw them land only 2 of the California Top 30.

What explains the turnaround? What changed on their staff? It can only be one thing...

ORRR-LAAAANNNNN-DOOOOO! I was told by experts like @Eric Nahlin and @Gerry Hamilton that Todd Orlando wasn’t a difference making recruiter! You may apologize here, gentlemen. In honor of Todd, send that apology on a telegraphed delay from the parking lot.

Oregon continues to harvest California, landing 5 of the Top 30 in ’21 after landing 4 of the Top 30 in ’20. Oregon also did a very good job of poaching the elites in Western satellites like Phoenix, Vegas, and Denver.

Cal did a really respectable job recruiting given their considerable constraints. Constraints like a Cal administration and town actively at war with their football program, not allowing them to work out, meet, or practice. Justin Wilcox out there squeezing a dollar from two dimes in Berkeley.

San Diego State landed a guy because they walked him by the Chi Omega house on Bikini Friday.

Those absent from this list is as telling as those present.

2021 National Recruiting Rankings (PAC relevant)

Oregon- #6
USC- #8
Cal- #28
UCLA- #30
Utah- #31
Washington- #35
Stanford- #50
Arizona State - #53

Arizona State suffered badly from USC’s SoCal resurgence and the work habits of their staff. Herm Edwards signed a 13 man class, was nearly shut out of California after feasting there in ’20 (the Sun Devils signed 6 of the Top 30 in Cali last year), and will be relying heavily on the portal to make up for their failure. You reeeeee-cruit….to win…the game.

David Shaw is on the recruiting ropes at Stanford. A one year blip or a real decline mirroring on-field results? Cal, USC, Michigan, and Notre Dame are beating them for Their Kinda Guys and when Stanford's already narrow recruiting list gets winnowed down, they end up with a 2021 national recruiting class ranked behind Vanderbilt, Memphis, Rutgers, and Cincinnati. Stanford hasn't been the thorn in the Longhorn side that Ohio State, LSU, or Alabama have been, but they've dealt Texas some real blows over the last few years in the Longhorn's backyard. As the athlete portion of the Stanford student-athlete sell diminishes, Texas should eat Stanford's organic, sustainably harvested lunch in both Texas and California.

Washington signed 4 of the California Top 25 last year. In 2021? Blanked. And now their best "I'll develop you to the league" guy is in Austin.

Side note: Big 12 apologists (some of you odd birds still exist) should note that the PAC 12 still out recruited our league despite their half-assed football season, horrific leadership, frequently hostile local governments, and half of their schools having a commitment to football as tenuous as my pledge to eliminate tortilla chips from my diet. Demographics, television sets, and potential still trump ineptitude.

Raising Arizona

Arizona is the best proxy for the other Western satellite states and it continues to steadily churn out real talent.

I explained the newly realized importance of Arizona couple of years ago.

In fact, I wrote that post long before Texas inked superstar freshman Bijan Robinson. There’s a powerful rumor going around that my post is what inspired Stan Drayton to recruit and land Bijan Robinson.

Now, I started that rumor, but let's now dwell on that. The important takeaway is that I'm probably responsible for Bijan.

Here’s all you need to know about the state of Arizona and in-state "competition."

In 2019, Arizona and Arizona State signed zero of the Top 10 players in Arizona.

In 2020, Arizona and Arizona State signed zero of the Top 10 players in Arizona.

In 2021, Arizona and Arizona State signed zero of the Top 10 players in Arizona.

In 2022, early returns show zero of the Top 10 players in Arizona committing in-state.

If anyone can identify the trend, help me out.

These players are going to Oregon, USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas. Arizona HS talent is more mercenary than a 18th century Hessian. And they're all a two hour direct flight away from Austin. You'll note very similar top talent trends in Colorado and Nevada.

Bottom line:

Western recruiting conditions remain extremely favorable. It’s all there for the taking.

Given Sarkisian's California roots, high profile success, and local-boy-done-good credentials, as well as some of his staff's familiarity with the region, it's a good bet that Texas will renew its recruiting efforts out West.

 

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14 minutes ago, Machinator said:

(Scipio Tex) Longhorn Recruiting: Meanwhile, out West....

  Reveal hidden contents

What news of the West? It's time for an update on Western recruiting opportunities.

The ground is still fertile, in-state schools are still vulnerable, and Austin still represents the happiest compromise of Western cool and Southern football passion available. A generous abundance of easy direct flights to every meaningful Western satellite doesn't hurt either.

I've detailed the opportunities before.

For Texas, the easiest wins for elite talent are still out West. Overlay a map of competition vs athlete quality and It's not a hard decision.

So how did the Western recruiting landscape shake out in 2021?

2021 California Top 30 Commitments By Program

USC - 11
Oregon- 5
Cal- 3
Utah- 2
Michigan- 2
UCLA- 1
Notre Dame- 1
Clemson-1
Georgia-1
Texas- 1
Arizona State-1
San Diego St- 1

USC recruiting rallied in a big way. They landed 11 of the Top 30 recruits in California and 5 of the Top 11. In other words, they successfully placed a shotgun in a barrel of fish and pulled the trigger. A meaningful rebound from a disastrous 2020 Trojan class which saw them land only 2 of the California Top 30.

What explains the turnaround? What changed on their staff? It can only be one thing...

ORRR-LAAAANNNNN-DOOOOO! I was told by experts like @Eric Nahlin and @Gerry Hamilton that Todd Orlando wasn’t a difference making recruiter! You may apologize here, gentlemen. In honor of Todd, send that apology on a telegraphed delay from the parking lot.

Oregon continues to harvest California, landing 5 of the Top 30 in ’21 after landing 4 of the Top 30 in ’20. Oregon also did a very good job of poaching the elites in Western satellites like Phoenix, Vegas, and Denver.

Cal did a really respectable job recruiting given their considerable constraints. Constraints like a Cal administration and town actively at war with their football program, not allowing them to work out, meet, or practice. Justin Wilcox out there squeezing a dollar from two dimes in Berkeley.

San Diego State landed a guy because they walked him by the Chi Omega house on Bikini Friday.

Those absent from this list is as telling as those present.

2021 National Recruiting Rankings (PAC relevant)

Oregon- #6
USC- #8
Cal- #28
UCLA- #30
Utah- #31
Washington- #35
Stanford- #50
Arizona State - #53

Arizona State suffered badly from USC’s SoCal resurgence and the work habits of their staff. Herm Edwards signed a 13 man class, was nearly shut out of California after feasting there in ’20 (the Sun Devils signed 6 of the Top 30 in Cali last year), and will be relying heavily on the portal to make up for their failure. You reeeeee-cruit….to win…the game.

David Shaw is on the recruiting ropes at Stanford. A one year blip or a real decline mirroring on-field results? Cal, USC, Michigan, and Notre Dame are beating them for Their Kinda Guys and when Stanford's already narrow recruiting list gets winnowed down, they end up with a 2021 national recruiting class ranked behind Vanderbilt, Memphis, Rutgers, and Cincinnati. Stanford hasn't been the thorn in the Longhorn side that Ohio State, LSU, or Alabama have been, but they've dealt Texas some real blows over the last few years in the Longhorn's backyard. As the athlete portion of the Stanford student-athlete sell diminishes, Texas should eat Stanford's organic, sustainably harvested lunch in both Texas and California.

Washington signed 4 of the California Top 25 last year. In 2021? Blanked. And now their best "I'll develop you to the league" guy is in Austin.

Side note: Big 12 apologists (some of you odd birds still exist) should note that the PAC 12 still out recruited our league despite their half-assed football season, horrific leadership, frequently hostile local governments, and half of their schools having a commitment to football as tenuous as my pledge to eliminate tortilla chips from my diet. Demographics, television sets, and potential still trump ineptitude.

Raising Arizona

Arizona is the best proxy for the other Western satellite states and it continues to steadily churn out real talent.

I explained the newly realized importance of Arizona couple of years ago.

In fact, I wrote that post long before Texas inked superstar freshman Bijan Robinson. There’s a powerful rumor going around that my post is what inspired Stan Drayton to recruit and land Bijan Robinson.

Now, I started that rumor, but let's now dwell on that. The important takeaway is that I'm probably responsible for Bijan.

Here’s all you need to know about the state of Arizona and in-state "competition."

In 2019, Arizona and Arizona State signed zero of the Top 10 players in Arizona.

In 2020, Arizona and Arizona State signed zero of the Top 10 players in Arizona.

In 2021, Arizona and Arizona State signed zero of the Top 10 players in Arizona.

In 2022, early returns show zero of the Top 10 players in Arizona committing in-state.

If anyone can identify the trend, help me out.

These players are going to Oregon, USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas. Arizona HS talent is more mercenary than a 18th century Hessian. And they're all a two hour direct flight away from Austin. You'll note very similar top talent trends in Colorado and Nevada.

Bottom line:

Western recruiting conditions remain extremely favorable. It’s all there for the taking.

Given Sarkisian's California roots, high profile success, and local-boy-done-good credentials, as well as some of his staff's familiarity with the region, it's a good bet that Texas will renew its recruiting efforts out West.

 

Maximum Scipio

2087036324_ScreenShot2021-03-01at10_04_29AM.thumb.png.5a26730795707972ab2a739e04f55872.png

 

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11 minutes ago, Machinator said:

(Scipio Tex) Longhorn Recruiting: Meanwhile, out West....

  Hide contents

What news of the West? It's time for an update on Western recruiting opportunities.

The ground is still fertile, in-state schools are still vulnerable, and Austin still represents the happiest compromise of Western cool and Southern football passion available. A generous abundance of easy direct flights to every meaningful Western satellite doesn't hurt either.

I've detailed the opportunities before.

For Texas, the easiest wins for elite talent are still out West. Overlay a map of competition vs athlete quality and It's not a hard decision.

So how did the Western recruiting landscape shake out in 2021?

2021 California Top 30 Commitments By Program

USC - 11
Oregon- 5
Cal- 3
Utah- 2
Michigan- 2
UCLA- 1
Notre Dame- 1
Clemson-1
Georgia-1
Texas- 1
Arizona State-1
San Diego St- 1

USC recruiting rallied in a big way. They landed 11 of the Top 30 recruits in California and 5 of the Top 11. In other words, they successfully placed a shotgun in a barrel of fish and pulled the trigger. A meaningful rebound from a disastrous 2020 Trojan class which saw them land only 2 of the California Top 30.

What explains the turnaround? What changed on their staff? It can only be one thing...

ORRR-LAAAANNNNN-DOOOOO! I was told by experts like @Eric Nahlin and @Gerry Hamilton that Todd Orlando wasn’t a difference making recruiter! You may apologize here, gentlemen. In honor of Todd, send that apology on a telegraphed delay from the parking lot.

Oregon continues to harvest California, landing 5 of the Top 30 in ’21 after landing 4 of the Top 30 in ’20. Oregon also did a very good job of poaching the elites in Western satellites like Phoenix, Vegas, and Denver.

Cal did a really respectable job recruiting given their considerable constraints. Constraints like a Cal administration and town actively at war with their football program, not allowing them to work out, meet, or practice. Justin Wilcox out there squeezing a dollar from two dimes in Berkeley.

San Diego State landed a guy because they walked him by the Chi Omega house on Bikini Friday.

Those absent from this list is as telling as those present.

2021 National Recruiting Rankings (PAC relevant)

Oregon- #6
USC- #8
Cal- #28
UCLA- #30
Utah- #31
Washington- #35
Stanford- #50
Arizona State - #53

Arizona State suffered badly from USC’s SoCal resurgence and the work habits of their staff. Herm Edwards signed a 13 man class, was nearly shut out of California after feasting there in ’20 (the Sun Devils signed 6 of the Top 30 in Cali last year), and will be relying heavily on the portal to make up for their failure. You reeeeee-cruit….to win…the game.

David Shaw is on the recruiting ropes at Stanford. A one year blip or a real decline mirroring on-field results? Cal, USC, Michigan, and Notre Dame are beating them for Their Kinda Guys and when Stanford's already narrow recruiting list gets winnowed down, they end up with a 2021 national recruiting class ranked behind Vanderbilt, Memphis, Rutgers, and Cincinnati. Stanford hasn't been the thorn in the Longhorn side that Ohio State, LSU, or Alabama have been, but they've dealt Texas some real blows over the last few years in the Longhorn's backyard. As the athlete portion of the Stanford student-athlete sell diminishes, Texas should eat Stanford's organic, sustainably harvested lunch in both Texas and California.

Washington signed 4 of the California Top 25 last year. In 2021? Blanked. And now their best "I'll develop you to the league" guy is in Austin.

Side note: Big 12 apologists (some of you odd birds still exist) should note that the PAC 12 still out recruited our league despite their half-assed football season, horrific leadership, frequently hostile local governments, and half of their schools having a commitment to football as tenuous as my pledge to eliminate tortilla chips from my diet. Demographics, television sets, and potential still trump ineptitude.

Raising Arizona

Arizona is the best proxy for the other Western satellite states and it continues to steadily churn out real talent.

I explained the newly realized importance of Arizona couple of years ago.

In fact, I wrote that post long before Texas inked superstar freshman Bijan Robinson. There’s a powerful rumor going around that my post is what inspired Stan Drayton to recruit and land Bijan Robinson.

Now, I started that rumor, but let's now dwell on that. The important takeaway is that I'm probably responsible for Bijan.

Here’s all you need to know about the state of Arizona and in-state "competition."

In 2019, Arizona and Arizona State signed zero of the Top 10 players in Arizona.

In 2020, Arizona and Arizona State signed zero of the Top 10 players in Arizona.

In 2021, Arizona and Arizona State signed zero of the Top 10 players in Arizona.

In 2022, early returns show zero of the Top 10 players in Arizona committing in-state.

If anyone can identify the trend, help me out.

These players are going to Oregon, USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas. Arizona HS talent is more mercenary than a 18th century Hessian. And they're all a two hour direct flight away from Austin. You'll note very similar top talent trends in Colorado and Nevada.

Bottom line:

Western recruiting conditions remain extremely favorable. It’s all there for the taking.

Given Sarkisian's California roots, high profile success, and local-boy-done-good credentials, as well as some of his staff's familiarity with the region, it's a good bet that Texas will renew its recruiting efforts out West.

 

The difference this year in CA though is that outside of the top 10 or 12, there isn't anyone Texas would want IMO that they couldn't pull an equivalent or better from Texas.  And look at the positions represented there.  Domani Jackson is locked in at SC.  Texas doesn't need RBs or DBs from CA, probably doesn't need OL from there,  so its down to WR (maybe? Seems like we're locked in for a monster haul from Texas this year) or LBs.  They got Murphy and that might be it unless they can pull Williams.  I'll believe MacMillan in burnt orange when I see it.  He's got Notre Dame, 'furd or SC written all over him.  I dont think we'll pull Tuihalamaka and who knows what is going on with David Bailey.

So I just don't see Texas getting much more from California this year.  He's right about AZ though.  I don't know what ASU or Zona is doing in that state but they don't get ANY of the best players from there.  Like EVER.  And the talent base and quality of football is exploding there.

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5 minutes ago, Zhorn96 said:

The difference this year in CA though is that outside of the top 10 or 12, there isn't anyone Texas would want IMO that they couldn't pull an equivalent or better from Texas.  And look at the positions represented there.  Domani Jackson is locked in at SC.  Texas doesn't need RBs or DBs from CA, probably doesn't need OL from there,  so its down to WR (maybe? Seems like we're locked in for a monster haul from Texas this year) or LBs.  They got Murphy and that might be it unless they can pull Williams.  I'll believe MacMillan in burnt orange when I see it.  He's got Notre Dame, 'furd or SC written all over him.  I dont think we'll pull Tuihalamaka and who knows what is going on with David Bailey.

So I just don't see Texas getting much more from California this year.  He's right about AZ though.  I don't know what ASU or Zona is doing in that state but they don't get ANY of the best players from there.  Like EVER.  And the talent base and quality of football is exploding there.

These 9.95ers are pretty good at rankings but with no fall Cali football season, there are probably a ton of misses on the OL and DL. 
 

Until Campbell, Banks, Dewberry commit, they need to be all over OL and DL out west.

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19 minutes ago, LebongJames said:

These 9.95ers are pretty good at rankings but with no fall Cali football season, there are probably a ton of misses on the OL and DL. 
 

Until Campbell, Banks, Dewberry commit, they need to be all over OL and DL out west.

True but the West doesn't produce many top end DL in general, especially Tackles.  OL is different but so far, there doesn't seem to be a ton of top end OL talent in CA this year.  Going to be really tough to project some of these guys too with limited to no season.

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52 minutes ago, Machinator said:

(Scipio Tex) Longhorn Recruiting: Meanwhile, out West....

  Hide contents

What news of the West? It's time for an update on Western recruiting opportunities.

The ground is still fertile, in-state schools are still vulnerable, and Austin still represents the happiest compromise of Western cool and Southern football passion available. A generous abundance of easy direct flights to every meaningful Western satellite doesn't hurt either.

I've detailed the opportunities before.

For Texas, the easiest wins for elite talent are still out West. Overlay a map of competition vs athlete quality and It's not a hard decision.

So how did the Western recruiting landscape shake out in 2021?

2021 California Top 30 Commitments By Program

USC - 11
Oregon- 5
Cal- 3
Utah- 2
Michigan- 2
UCLA- 1
Notre Dame- 1
Clemson-1
Georgia-1
Texas- 1
Arizona State-1
San Diego St- 1

USC recruiting rallied in a big way. They landed 11 of the Top 30 recruits in California and 5 of the Top 11. In other words, they successfully placed a shotgun in a barrel of fish and pulled the trigger. A meaningful rebound from a disastrous 2020 Trojan class which saw them land only 2 of the California Top 30.

What explains the turnaround? What changed on their staff? It can only be one thing...

ORRR-LAAAANNNNN-DOOOOO! I was told by experts like @Eric Nahlin and @Gerry Hamilton that Todd Orlando wasn’t a difference making recruiter! You may apologize here, gentlemen. In honor of Todd, send that apology on a telegraphed delay from the parking lot.

Oregon continues to harvest California, landing 5 of the Top 30 in ’21 after landing 4 of the Top 30 in ’20. Oregon also did a very good job of poaching the elites in Western satellites like Phoenix, Vegas, and Denver.

Cal did a really respectable job recruiting given their considerable constraints. Constraints like a Cal administration and town actively at war with their football program, not allowing them to work out, meet, or practice. Justin Wilcox out there squeezing a dollar from two dimes in Berkeley.

San Diego State landed a guy because they walked him by the Chi Omega house on Bikini Friday.

Those absent from this list is as telling as those present.

2021 National Recruiting Rankings (PAC relevant)

Oregon- #6
USC- #8
Cal- #28
UCLA- #30
Utah- #31
Washington- #35
Stanford- #50
Arizona State - #53

Arizona State suffered badly from USC’s SoCal resurgence and the work habits of their staff. Herm Edwards signed a 13 man class, was nearly shut out of California after feasting there in ’20 (the Sun Devils signed 6 of the Top 30 in Cali last year), and will be relying heavily on the portal to make up for their failure. You reeeeee-cruit….to win…the game.

David Shaw is on the recruiting ropes at Stanford. A one year blip or a real decline mirroring on-field results? Cal, USC, Michigan, and Notre Dame are beating them for Their Kinda Guys and when Stanford's already narrow recruiting list gets winnowed down, they end up with a 2021 national recruiting class ranked behind Vanderbilt, Memphis, Rutgers, and Cincinnati. Stanford hasn't been the thorn in the Longhorn side that Ohio State, LSU, or Alabama have been, but they've dealt Texas some real blows over the last few years in the Longhorn's backyard. As the athlete portion of the Stanford student-athlete sell diminishes, Texas should eat Stanford's organic, sustainably harvested lunch in both Texas and California.

Washington signed 4 of the California Top 25 last year. In 2021? Blanked. And now their best "I'll develop you to the league" guy is in Austin.

Side note: Big 12 apologists (some of you odd birds still exist) should note that the PAC 12 still out recruited our league despite their half-assed football season, horrific leadership, frequently hostile local governments, and half of their schools having a commitment to football as tenuous as my pledge to eliminate tortilla chips from my diet. Demographics, television sets, and potential still trump ineptitude.

Raising Arizona

Arizona is the best proxy for the other Western satellite states and it continues to steadily churn out real talent.

I explained the newly realized importance of Arizona couple of years ago.

In fact, I wrote that post long before Texas inked superstar freshman Bijan Robinson. There’s a powerful rumor going around that my post is what inspired Stan Drayton to recruit and land Bijan Robinson.

Now, I started that rumor, but let's now dwell on that. The important takeaway is that I'm probably responsible for Bijan.

Here’s all you need to know about the state of Arizona and in-state "competition."

In 2019, Arizona and Arizona State signed zero of the Top 10 players in Arizona.

In 2020, Arizona and Arizona State signed zero of the Top 10 players in Arizona.

In 2021, Arizona and Arizona State signed zero of the Top 10 players in Arizona.

In 2022, early returns show zero of the Top 10 players in Arizona committing in-state.

If anyone can identify the trend, help me out.

These players are going to Oregon, USC, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Texas. Arizona HS talent is more mercenary than a 18th century Hessian. And they're all a two hour direct flight away from Austin. You'll note very similar top talent trends in Colorado and Nevada.

Bottom line:

Western recruiting conditions remain extremely favorable. It’s all there for the taking.

Given Sarkisian's California roots, high profile success, and local-boy-done-good credentials, as well as some of his staff's familiarity with the region, it's a good bet that Texas will renew its recruiting efforts out West.

 

Tl;Dr

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(Mike Roach) The Stampede: Can Texas continue to close on elite targets?

Spoiler

The Longhorns continued their hot run on the recruiting trail over the weekend while quarterback commit Maalik Murphy made it to Austin for a visit. The Steve Sarkisian mantra of "All Gas, No Brakes" has been on full display as Texas continues to win big recruiting battles.

Horns247's recruiting staff was out on the road this weekend as both Mike Roach and Nick Harris observed Murphy's workout in Austin and Nick covered the Pylon 7v7 tournament in Houston.

Prospects are starting to cut their lists down, and Texas is making moves with several others behind the scenes. Can Texas add more elite prospects to the 2022 class as the Longhorns head into the spring full steam ahead?

In this week's edition of The Stampede, Horns247's weekly gathering of recruiting intel, we provide feedback from Murphy's workout and some juicy tidbits on Texas targets.

INSIGHT FROM MAALIK MURPHY'S QUARTERBACK TRAINER
Danny Hernandez is one of the most well-known quarterback trainers in the country. Based on the west coast, Hernandez trains southern California’s best passers year after year. A member of the renowned QB Collective group, Hernandez focuses on mechanics and body movement from quarterbacks.

His list of prospects is long and distinguished, and just in the past few years he’s had players like Jake Garcia (Miami), Miller Moss (USC), Bryce Young (Alabama) and DJ Uiagalelei (Clemson). His current high school list includes players like elite 2023 Los Alamitos (Calif.) quarterback Malachi Nelson and Texas commit Maalik Murphy. In fact, Hernandez has been tutoring Murphy since the 4th grade.

Hernandez accompanied Murphy to Austin and put him through his paces during a workout on Saturday at Del Valle High School before Murphy was able to take in Austin for the first time.  In talking with Hernandez, you can tell how much he loves his prized pupil, and he paid him high praise saying that he has as strong of a set of physical tools as anyone else he’s ever worked with.

Hernandez said that Maalik is aware of the disadvantages of not starting a big number of games, but the two are working to mitigate those disadvantages.  

Throughout all of the COVID-19 quarantine, Hernandez said that Murphy requested to meet several times a week over Zoom to work on the mental part of his game. The two looked through a ton of film to talk about coverages and defensive alignments. Hernandez said that Murphy was able to grow leaps and bounds during that time from a mental perspective.

Hernandez also talked about how coachable Murphy is. “He’s kind of a perfectionist. He can throw a 65-yard dime and turn around and ask immediately how he can do it better.” Hernandez talked about how Murphy comes from a great family with a strong support system which keeps him grounded and humble. Because of that, Hernandez feels that Murphy is suited to be a leader.

“He can fit in with any group of people,” he said. “You can put him with the prep school kids or the hood kids and everyone in between and he just fits in. He’s really comfortable in his own skin and can exist just about anywhere.”

After spending two weeks in a row around Murphy, I’ve been able to get a decent idea of what he brings to the table. He still has to develop into the player everyone thinks he’s going to be, but his level of physical talent combined with the intangibles and work ethic usually leads to good results on the field.

RECRUITING NOTES
This 2022 class is really starting to crank up. Yesterday, Texas landed a huge defensive weapon in Bryan Allen Jr. After connecting with several sources over the weekend, we’ve got some notes on several priority recruits which could paint the picture on how this class could pan out.

— Let’s start with what we know on elite Ponchatoula (LA.) safety Jacoby Mathews. I mentioned over the weekend that Texas was in a sneaky good position for him. Texas, Florida and LSU are likely the three schools at the top for him, but it sounds like Mathews has expressed to those around him that Texas and Florida are the main competitors. I spoke with a few sources over the weekend who even felt that the Longhorns might have the slight edge in this recruitment.

It also helps that Terry Joseph has an advantage with his Louisiana roots.  Joseph knows Ponchatoula head coach Hank Tierney well having worked in the Louisiana high school system and that’s providing a plus for Texas at the moment. As for a timetable, while one source told me it could be a marathon, another told me that it wouldn’t surprise them if this recruitment was shut down sooner rather than later.  Allen is already in the fold and we’ve got Crystal Ball picks in for Bryce Anderson.  If Blake Gideon can close those two plus Mathews, that would be an elite safety haul.

— It sounds like Texas A&M is the leader for Fort Bend Marshall wide receiver Chris Marshall, but Texas seems to be closing the gap a bit. A month ago, the Longhorns didn’t seem to be in the immediate picture for the big Houston pass-catcher, but Nick talked to him this weekend and got the idea that Texas is making some noise there. I still think that it will take a bit to overcome Texas A&M in this race, but the Longhorns are now within striking distance for Marshall and currently hold a ton of momentum on the recruiting trail. The Longhorns hold two receiver commitments already and it seems they might only take four or so as of now. Marshall is a big priority for Coleman and Texas moving forward.

— Texas is still pursuing Spearman (Texas) athlete Brenen Thompson, but the race might have just become a little tougher. Ty Simpson committing to Alabama triggered a Clemson offer for Austin Westlake passer Cade Klubnik. Klubnik and Thompson have talked about playing with each other at the next level and Clemson has been strong in its pursuit of Thompson. If Clemson lands Klubnik, that will make the pursuit of Thompson much tougher. Oklahoma was previously thought of as a threat for Thompson but seemed to back off. Now, the Sooners are re-engaging for the speedster.

—Nick and I both spoke to sources near Atascocita offensive lineman Kam Dewberry. His timeline was a bit up in the air, but the more we talk to him, the more we get the idea that this recruitment could go a long way. Texas has been able to do a good job getting back into this race from where they were, but Kyle Flood will need to run a marathon to reel him in. Conversely, one recruitment that seems to be speeding up is that of Arlington Bowie’s Devon Campbell. When I saw Campbell a few weeks ago, he talked of cutting to a Top 10 in the summer, but he released a Top 8 over the weekend. A spring commitment favors Texas a bit as Austin is one of the few places he’s been in person.

— Elite cornerback Denver Harris recently released a Top 4 that included Texas with Texas A&M, Alabama and LSU. I wrote last week that the race is really close, and while that’s still the case, one source I spoke with over the weekend told me that they were growing more confident in Texas landing Harris. We are working to get an update there, but Harris doesn’t talk much. That said, Texas is re-establishing inroads at North Shore which will be vital for the Longhorns moving forward.

— I can’t stress how big the win of Bryan Allen was this weekend. When the four-star Aledo safety first decommitted from LSU, I was told his entire focus was on the SEC. In fact, it sounded like he was headed to Texas A&M from the jump, but Texas was able to flip the script quickly. This also helps Texas with his younger brother Jaden Allen. The 2024 cornerback already holds 5 offers and is showing strong ability starting for Aledo as a freshman in the state title game.

 

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12 minutes ago, Zhorn96 said:

True but the West doesn't produce many top end DL in general, especially Tackles.  OL is different but so far, there doesn't seem to be a ton of top end OL talent in CA this year.  Going to be really tough to project some of these guys too with limited to no season.

We have a few offers out to CA OL, but if we can land our share of elite in state Oline and DLine talent we should never be hurting at those positions to begin with. I am hoping we take 6 OL this year and let Flood remake that room as fast as he possibly can. I still say Sark would be really smart to give Mike Sherman a call for some sort of off field staff role. Special Assistant to the Offensive Coordinator/Minister of Hawaiian Shirts. 

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4 minutes ago, Machinator said:

(Mike Roach) The Stampede: Can Texas continue to close on elite targets?

  Reveal hidden contents

The Longhorns continued their hot run on the recruiting trail over the weekend while quarterback commit Maalik Murphy made it to Austin for a visit. The Steve Sarkisian mantra of "All Gas, No Brakes" has been on full display as Texas continues to win big recruiting battles.

Horns247's recruiting staff was out on the road this weekend as both Mike Roach and Nick Harris observed Murphy's workout in Austin and Nick covered the Pylon 7v7 tournament in Houston.

Prospects are starting to cut their lists down, and Texas is making moves with several others behind the scenes. Can Texas add more elite prospects to the 2022 class as the Longhorns head into the spring full steam ahead?

In this week's edition of The Stampede, Horns247's weekly gathering of recruiting intel, we provide feedback from Murphy's workout and some juicy tidbits on Texas targets.

INSIGHT FROM MAALIK MURPHY'S QUARTERBACK TRAINER
Danny Hernandez is one of the most well-known quarterback trainers in the country. Based on the west coast, Hernandez trains southern California’s best passers year after year. A member of the renowned QB Collective group, Hernandez focuses on mechanics and body movement from quarterbacks.

His list of prospects is long and distinguished, and just in the past few years he’s had players like Jake Garcia (Miami), Miller Moss (USC), Bryce Young (Alabama) and DJ Uiagalelei (Clemson). His current high school list includes players like elite 2023 Los Alamitos (Calif.) quarterback Malachi Nelson and Texas commit Maalik Murphy. In fact, Hernandez has been tutoring Murphy since the 4th grade.

Hernandez accompanied Murphy to Austin and put him through his paces during a workout on Saturday at Del Valle High School before Murphy was able to take in Austin for the first time.  In talking with Hernandez, you can tell how much he loves his prized pupil, and he paid him high praise saying that he has as strong of a set of physical tools as anyone else he’s ever worked with.

Hernandez said that Maalik is aware of the disadvantages of not starting a big number of games, but the two are working to mitigate those disadvantages.  

Throughout all of the COVID-19 quarantine, Hernandez said that Murphy requested to meet several times a week over Zoom to work on the mental part of his game. The two looked through a ton of film to talk about coverages and defensive alignments. Hernandez said that Murphy was able to grow leaps and bounds during that time from a mental perspective.

Hernandez also talked about how coachable Murphy is. “He’s kind of a perfectionist. He can throw a 65-yard dime and turn around and ask immediately how he can do it better.” Hernandez talked about how Murphy comes from a great family with a strong support system which keeps him grounded and humble. Because of that, Hernandez feels that Murphy is suited to be a leader.

“He can fit in with any group of people,” he said. “You can put him with the prep school kids or the hood kids and everyone in between and he just fits in. He’s really comfortable in his own skin and can exist just about anywhere.”

After spending two weeks in a row around Murphy, I’ve been able to get a decent idea of what he brings to the table. He still has to develop into the player everyone thinks he’s going to be, but his level of physical talent combined with the intangibles and work ethic usually leads to good results on the field.

RECRUITING NOTES
This 2022 class is really starting to crank up. Yesterday, Texas landed a huge defensive weapon in Bryan Allen Jr. After connecting with several sources over the weekend, we’ve got some notes on several priority recruits which could paint the picture on how this class could pan out.

— Let’s start with what we know on elite Ponchatoula (LA.) safety Jacoby Mathews. I mentioned over the weekend that Texas was in a sneaky good position for him. Texas, Florida and LSU are likely the three schools at the top for him, but it sounds like Mathews has expressed to those around him that Texas and Florida are the main competitors. I spoke with a few sources over the weekend who even felt that the Longhorns might have the slight edge in this recruitment.

It also helps that Terry Joseph has an advantage with his Louisiana roots.  Joseph knows Ponchatoula head coach Hank Tierney well having worked in the Louisiana high school system and that’s providing a plus for Texas at the moment. As for a timetable, while one source told me it could be a marathon, another told me that it wouldn’t surprise them if this recruitment was shut down sooner rather than later.  Allen is already in the fold and we’ve got Crystal Ball picks in for Bryce Anderson.  If Blake Gideon can close those two plus Mathews, that would be an elite safety haul.

— It sounds like Texas A&M is the leader for Fort Bend Marshall wide receiver Chris Marshall, but Texas seems to be closing the gap a bit. A month ago, the Longhorns didn’t seem to be in the immediate picture for the big Houston pass-catcher, but Nick talked to him this weekend and got the idea that Texas is making some noise there. I still think that it will take a bit to overcome Texas A&M in this race, but the Longhorns are now within striking distance for Marshall and currently hold a ton of momentum on the recruiting trail. The Longhorns hold two receiver commitments already and it seems they might only take four or so as of now. Marshall is a big priority for Coleman and Texas moving forward.

— Texas is still pursuing Spearman (Texas) athlete Brenen Thompson, but the race might have just become a little tougher. Ty Simpson committing to Alabama triggered a Clemson offer for Austin Westlake passer Cade Klubnik. Klubnik and Thompson have talked about playing with each other at the next level and Clemson has been strong in its pursuit of Thompson. If Clemson lands Klubnik, that will make the pursuit of Thompson much tougher. Oklahoma was previously thought of as a threat for Thompson but seemed to back off. Now, the Sooners are re-engaging for the speedster.

—Nick and I both spoke to sources near Atascocita offensive lineman Kam Dewberry. His timeline was a bit up in the air, but the more we talk to him, the more we get the idea that this recruitment could go a long way. Texas has been able to do a good job getting back into this race from where they were, but Kyle Flood will need to run a marathon to reel him in. Conversely, one recruitment that seems to be speeding up is that of Arlington Bowie’s Devon Campbell. When I saw Campbell a few weeks ago, he talked of cutting to a Top 10 in the summer, but he released a Top 8 over the weekend. A spring commitment favors Texas a bit as Austin is one of the few places he’s been in person.

— Elite cornerback Denver Harris recently released a Top 4 that included Texas with Texas A&M, Alabama and LSU. I wrote last week that the race is really close, and while that’s still the case, one source I spoke with over the weekend told me that they were growing more confident in Texas landing Harris. We are working to get an update there, but Harris doesn’t talk much. That said, Texas is re-establishing inroads at North Shore which will be vital for the Longhorns moving forward.

— I can’t stress how big the win of Bryan Allen was this weekend. When the four-star Aledo safety first decommitted from LSU, I was told his entire focus was on the SEC. In fact, it sounded like he was headed to Texas A&M from the jump, but Texas was able to flip the script quickly. This also helps Texas with his younger brother Jaden Allen. The 2024 cornerback already holds 5 offers and is showing strong ability starting for Aledo as a freshman in the state title game.

 

Some pretty good (qualified) sunshine from Roach here. 

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IT

Spoiler

By: IT Staff

- At the Pylon 7 on 7 tournament over the weekend, IT spent some time with former A&M linebacker Donnie Baggs. Baggs was a three-star recruit from Clear Springs who became a Cowboys UDFA signing after his days in College Station. Baggs was signed by Mike Sherman, but spent most of his career under Kevin Sumlin.

The first person he mentioned when he learned IT covered the Longhorns was Jeff Banks. “That guy right there...he is something. The energy, the intensity he coaches with. We went from Coach Polian over special teams, who is much more reserved, to Coach Banks [laughing]. What makes Banks different, along with his intensity, is he’s going to rip you when you mess up, but then he’ll come back and explain why he did. You know he really cares.”

This aligns with what IT has heard from Texas sources. The guy is a maniac in special teams meetings. He can cram an hour‘s worth of coaching in a 15 minute presentation. He acknowledges both the good and bad of a particular play and he’s 100 mph at all times.

RECRUITING

S Bryan Allen Jr, Aledo (TEXAS):

The four-star safety was supposed to announce today, but he couldn’t wait any longer. Eager to join UT’s 2022 class, Allen verbally pledged yesterday.

“I picked Texas because it felt right and I want to be a part of getting Texas back to a national spotlight,” Allen said. “(Our class) may go down in history.”

BJ Allen has thought about Sunday since he was 12 years old.

DB Bryce Anderson, Beaumont West Brook:

While the 2022 class is trending nicely, Texas continues to set the pace with Anderson. The golden triangle product dropped his Top 5 over the weekend.

IT asked the four-star for one word that best describes each program for him.

“LSU: DBs

Texas A&M: Family

USC: Education

Michigan: Atmosphere

Texas: Is just Texas.”

After Anderson watched BJ Allen commit to Texas over the weekend, it might’ve only strengthened Anderson’s thoughts on the Horns. Wherever Anderson decides to commit, expect him to emerge as a class leader.

DB Jacoby Mathews, Ponchatoula, LA

At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, the composite five-star athlete can play on both sides of the ball, but his future might be on the defensive side. Whether it’s safety, or more likely linebacker, you take his talent and figure out his best spot later.

Mathews says Florida, Texas, Michigan State, Memphis, Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, Miami, and LSU are recruiting him the hardest. And he knows what he’s looking for.

“I’m looking for a school that trusts me to be a good example for their program,” Mathews said. “And trusts me to go win games on Saturdays. Most of all a school with a great communications program.”

As IT first reported Sunday, Mathews’ high school coach also coached Terry Joseph. Add in that Bryce Anderson has a growing friendship with the versatile prospect, and the Longhorns are beginning to trend favorably with Florida being the current slight favorite according to a source.

OL Kam Dewberry, Humble Atascocita

While Dewberry grew up a Texas fan, his favorite school starting the recruiting process was Ohio State. While Dewberry speaks with Ohio State regularly, and the family would like to make a student visit to Columbus, IT believes Ohio State will likely fall into the “too far from home” category at the end of the day. Oklahoma, however, does not fall into that category. The Sooners have a legit shot. Texas A&M also has a legit shot, and has been the favorite of one key family member. Texas is likely running third to Texas A&M and Oklahoma currently, according to a source close to the recruitment. The Longhorns need to “show” Dewberry and family what Texas football will be on the field this season. While Dewberry could move his commitment timeline up, this is one battle that could potentially go all the way to the December signing period. At this point, that would be a positive for UT.

For those wondering, IT still feels good with where Texas sits for Devon Campbell (Arlington Bowie), Kelvin Banks (Summer Creek), and Connor Robertson (Austin Westlake). Texas is also in a good spot for Cole Hutson (Frisco) and still in it for Neto Umeozulu (Allen).

WR Jordan Hudson, Garland (OU)

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and staff are all in on trying to flip Hudson from rival Oklahoma. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound elite WR prospect continued to pose for pictures with the Horns down over the weekend, but a source very close to Hudson said people should continue to pay attention to Hudson’s recruitment. IT first reported that Hudson’s mom would like to see her son at Texas, and we are not backing off that nugget after speaking with a source on Saturday.

WR Chris Marshall, FB Marshall

One source over the weekend believes Marshall could pick Texas at the end of the day, but IT believes from speaking with a second source Texas A&M is the favorite in this recruitment and the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder picking the Longhorns would be fall into the upset category, as of today. While there’s some noise he could be nearing a decision, Marshall himself denies that as do others at Marshall high school. He wants to have a legitimate process. This one could go the way of Troy Omeire’s recruitment when factoring for Sarkisian’s usage of wide receivers compared to Jimbo Fisher’s lack of production at Marshall’s position. This is another recruitment UT fans will want to play out slowly.

LB Harold Perkins, Cy-Park:

Info over the weekend on Perkins was interesting. There is one source that still believes Perkins will end up Texas A&M at the end of the day. Another source think Texas is a legitimate option due to the work of Jeff Banks and Steve Sarkisian. The entire Texas staff is working this one. While USC is trying hard to be in the hunt long term, Texas is battling LSU, Texas A&M, Alabama and maybe Florida — but Florida sources are acknowledging UF is a long shot.

WR Kevin Coleman, St Mary’s (St. Louis, MO)

In speaking with a source close to Coleman over the weekend, Alabama has an advantage over Texas and Arizona State currently. What provides Texas with an opportunity to upset the Crimson Tide is Sarkisian’s offense at Alabama. Alabama was a lock for Coleman prior to Sark taking the Texas job. Coleman wants to take visits, and UT will definitely get one when visits are restored, but if Coleman was picking today the smart bet would be on Bama.

CB Denver Harris, North Shore:

Texas ace recruiter Jeff Banks is becoming a key part of the Harris recruitment. In fact, Banks spoke with Harris’ mom on Saturday and the conversation was said to have been very positive. This is another ‘all hands on deck’ recruitment. The same source said while Harris’ mom prefers he stay close to home, Alabama is the one school she would be fine with her son attending farther from home. The appeal of Alabama is there with Denver and mother.

Defensive line recruiting: With the staff not quite having the same foothold on instate defensive line recruiting as some other positions, expect to see more players being evaluated and offered nationally.

Of the new offers, Khurtiss Perry (Park Crossing, Montgomery, AL) is engaging in positive conversations with the Longhorns, but he is from the state of Alabama, and is wanted by Alabama and Auburn. If you guys don’t hold your breath, IT won’t either for the composite #64 player in the nation.

Staying in the state of Alabama, Texas is inching closer to offering 2022 DE/T Justice Finkley of Hewitt-Trussville High. The composite #130 player in the nation wouldn’t be an easy pull, either, but would be worth the flyer.

Domonique Orange (North Kansas City) is another that is speaking regularly with defensive line coach Bo Davis. Oregon is currently considered the top competition for the 6-foot-4, 300-pounder. If Texas wins out, the Orange House nickname creates itself.

Texas also continues to have very positive dialogue with Brophy College Prep 2022 DT prospect Zac Swanson with the competition being out-of-state Pac-12 powers, and potentially Oklahoma.

The staff is also beginning to recruit a defensive line prospect out of the Tar Heel state, which IT will talk about at a later date if an offer gets close.

In-state, Texas is still receiving positive feedback from Kristopher Ross with a decision set for March 23rd. USC is the sleeper in this recruitment due to a strong family connection in L.A.

Texas quarterback commit visits Austin: Maalik Murphy was in Austin for the first time since attending Junior Olympics track and field events during his youth.

Photos of Murphy touring Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium with current Longhorn Bijan Robinson made the rounds on Saturday. The doors were unlocked, and no coaches were present. A precedent set by other Big 12 institutions means so long as there was no face-to-face contact with the coaches, no violation of the dead period recruiting rules occurred.

“It’s cool,” Murphy said Saturday of Austin. “It’s a great atmosphere. Everybody is nice. The food is great. I couldn’t be happier.”

Before he saw the sights and sounds of the Forty Acres, Murphy and quarterback trainer Danny Hernandez spent Saturday morning working at the indoor facility at Del Valle High School. Ohio State commit Caleb Burton, who was decked out in Buckeyes gear and is still recovering from an ACL injury suffered in the first game of the 2020 season, was one of several local receivers running routes for Murphy and a handful of other quarterbacks.

As usual, Murphy made the drills look easy. It’s par for the course for Murphy when there are no pads on. Still, he knows the effort he puts in during workouts will be beneficial for Junipero Serra High School's six-game spring season.

“I’m ready to prove it to myself that I can get out there and do what I do best.” Murphy said. “That’s be a leader, be a great teammate, and then be a great student to my coaches. On the field, being able to listen, and not letting anything get to my head. Really go out there and ball out, lead my team, and hopefully get us a couple of wins.”

The current knock against Murphy, for all of his superlatives, is that he simply has not showed off his ability in live games. For every clip of him hitting a receiver in stride anywhere on the field, there’s doubt about his ability to do it behind an offensive line with pass-rushers screaming down on him.

This isn’t lost on Murphy. He knows there is plenty to prove for him in the upcoming season without any “gimme games,” starting with Long Beach Poly on March 12.

“With a shorter season with less time, there is no room for error,” Murphy said. “No room for mistakes. Really need to get out there and be efficient immediately. There’s not enough time to warm up or have bad games. I’ll get out there and do what I do and succeed. Got to succeed.”

It’s an opportunity Murphy is ready to take advantage of. He spoke Saturday about how he wants to win for Serra, a team he has admired since he was four years old.

“I know that I can do it,” Murphy said. “I’ve had a couple of opportunities and might not have made the best out of each one, but it’s all good. It’s a new season. A new year. I’m ready to do it.”

 

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Just now, Kanly said:

Eyes of Texas back in the news. Hope this doesn't blow back on recruiting too much.

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/03/01/ut-eyes-of-texas-donors-emails/

Nothing in it is terribly surprising or new - other coaches will probably send out a fleet of screenshots, but Sark can just say "none of us were here for that and the issue is settled" and lowkey point at aggy's Sul Ross statue videos/OU frat racism shit/literally the whole history of every SEC school.

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9 hours ago, Reese Bennett said:

Not to brag, but I played a little DT way back in the day as a 230 lb double team collapsing fat kid, so I'm pretty much an expert on this stuff. The one thing I look for in DT highlight films is if they chase down a play away--it's something I rarely had the energy to do. This guy checks that box in a big way. Do want.

I like the motor, but man there was at leas 4-5 plays that would be no doubt late hits at the next level. Needs to rein in his aggression a bit.

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1 minute ago, texifornia said:

Nothing in it is terribly surprising or new - other coaches will probably send out a fleet of screenshots, but Sark can just say "none of us were here for that and the issue is settled" and lowkey point at aggy's Sul Ross statue videos/OU frat racism shit/literally the whole history of every SEC school.

And to think, I walked my ass all the way over into the football board to give my opinion on it, because I could imagine texifornia et al spraying rag over anyone bringing it up here. I'm such a fool.

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24 minutes ago, Machinator said:

IT

  Hide contents

By: IT Staff

- At the Pylon 7 on 7 tournament over the weekend, IT spent some time with former A&M linebacker Donnie Baggs. Baggs was a three-star recruit from Clear Springs who became a Cowboys UDFA signing after his days in College Station. Baggs was signed by Mike Sherman, but spent most of his career under Kevin Sumlin.

The first person he mentioned when he learned IT covered the Longhorns was Jeff Banks. “That guy right there...he is something. The energy, the intensity he coaches with. We went from Coach Polian over special teams, who is much more reserved, to Coach Banks [laughing]. What makes Banks different, along with his intensity, is he’s going to rip you when you mess up, but then he’ll come back and explain why he did. You know he really cares.”

This aligns with what IT has heard from Texas sources. The guy is a maniac in special teams meetings. He can cram an hour‘s worth of coaching in a 15 minute presentation. He acknowledges both the good and bad of a particular play and he’s 100 mph at all times.

RECRUITING

S Bryan Allen Jr, Aledo (TEXAS):

The four-star safety was supposed to announce today, but he couldn’t wait any longer. Eager to join UT’s 2022 class, Allen verbally pledged yesterday.

“I picked Texas because it felt right and I want to be a part of getting Texas back to a national spotlight,” Allen said. “(Our class) may go down in history.”

BJ Allen has thought about Sunday since he was 12 years old.

DB Bryce Anderson, Beaumont West Brook:

While the 2022 class is trending nicely, Texas continues to set the pace with Anderson. The golden triangle product dropped his Top 5 over the weekend.

IT asked the four-star for one word that best describes each program for him.

“LSU: DBs

Texas A&M: Family

USC: Education

Michigan: Atmosphere

Texas: Is just Texas.”

After Anderson watched BJ Allen commit to Texas over the weekend, it might’ve only strengthened Anderson’s thoughts on the Horns. Wherever Anderson decides to commit, expect him to emerge as a class leader.

DB Jacoby Mathews, Ponchatoula, LA

At 6-foot-1, 205 pounds, the composite five-star athlete can play on both sides of the ball, but his future might be on the defensive side. Whether it’s safety, or more likely linebacker, you take his talent and figure out his best spot later.

Mathews says Florida, Texas, Michigan State, Memphis, Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, Miami, and LSU are recruiting him the hardest. And he knows what he’s looking for.

“I’m looking for a school that trusts me to be a good example for their program,” Mathews said. “And trusts me to go win games on Saturdays. Most of all a school with a great communications program.”

As IT first reported Sunday, Mathews’ high school coach also coached Terry Joseph. Add in that Bryce Anderson has a growing friendship with the versatile prospect, and the Longhorns are beginning to trend favorably with Florida being the current slight favorite according to a source.

OL Kam Dewberry, Humble Atascocita

While Dewberry grew up a Texas fan, his favorite school starting the recruiting process was Ohio State. While Dewberry speaks with Ohio State regularly, and the family would like to make a student visit to Columbus, IT believes Ohio State will likely fall into the “too far from home” category at the end of the day. Oklahoma, however, does not fall into that category. The Sooners have a legit shot. Texas A&M also has a legit shot, and has been the favorite of one key family member. Texas is likely running third to Texas A&M and Oklahoma currently, according to a source close to the recruitment. The Longhorns need to “show” Dewberry and family what Texas football will be on the field this season. While Dewberry could move his commitment timeline up, this is one battle that could potentially go all the way to the December signing period. At this point, that would be a positive for UT.

For those wondering, IT still feels good with where Texas sits for Devon Campbell (Arlington Bowie), Kelvin Banks (Summer Creek), and Connor Robertson (Austin Westlake). Texas is also in a good spot for Cole Hutson (Frisco) and still in it for Neto Umeozulu (Allen).

WR Jordan Hudson, Garland (OU)

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and staff are all in on trying to flip Hudson from rival Oklahoma. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound elite WR prospect continued to pose for pictures with the Horns down over the weekend, but a source very close to Hudson said people should continue to pay attention to Hudson’s recruitment. IT first reported that Hudson’s mom would like to see her son at Texas, and we are not backing off that nugget after speaking with a source on Saturday.

WR Chris Marshall, FB Marshall

One source over the weekend believes Marshall could pick Texas at the end of the day, but IT believes from speaking with a second source Texas A&M is the favorite in this recruitment and the 6-foot-3, 195-pounder picking the Longhorns would be fall into the upset category, as of today. While there’s some noise he could be nearing a decision, Marshall himself denies that as do others at Marshall high school. He wants to have a legitimate process. This one could go the way of Troy Omeire’s recruitment when factoring for Sarkisian’s usage of wide receivers compared to Jimbo Fisher’s lack of production at Marshall’s position. This is another recruitment UT fans will want to play out slowly.

LB Harold Perkins, Cy-Park:

Info over the weekend on Perkins was interesting. There is one source that still believes Perkins will end up Texas A&M at the end of the day. Another source think Texas is a legitimate option due to the work of Jeff Banks and Steve Sarkisian. The entire Texas staff is working this one. While USC is trying hard to be in the hunt long term, Texas is battling LSU, Texas A&M, Alabama and maybe Florida — but Florida sources are acknowledging UF is a long shot.

WR Kevin Coleman, St Mary’s (St. Louis, MO)

In speaking with a source close to Coleman over the weekend, Alabama has an advantage over Texas and Arizona State currently. What provides Texas with an opportunity to upset the Crimson Tide is Sarkisian’s offense at Alabama. Alabama was a lock for Coleman prior to Sark taking the Texas job. Coleman wants to take visits, and UT will definitely get one when visits are restored, but if Coleman was picking today the smart bet would be on Bama.

CB Denver Harris, North Shore:

Texas ace recruiter Jeff Banks is becoming a key part of the Harris recruitment. In fact, Banks spoke with Harris’ mom on Saturday and the conversation was said to have been very positive. This is another ‘all hands on deck’ recruitment. The same source said while Harris’ mom prefers he stay close to home, Alabama is the one school she would be fine with her son attending farther from home. The appeal of Alabama is there with Denver and mother.

Defensive line recruiting: With the staff not quite having the same foothold on instate defensive line recruiting as some other positions, expect to see more players being evaluated and offered nationally.

Of the new offers, Khurtiss Perry (Park Crossing, Montgomery, AL) is engaging in positive conversations with the Longhorns, but he is from the state of Alabama, and is wanted by Alabama and Auburn. If you guys don’t hold your breath, IT won’t either for the composite #64 player in the nation.

Staying in the state of Alabama, Texas is inching closer to offering 2022 DE/T Justice Finkley of Hewitt-Trussville High. The composite #130 player in the nation wouldn’t be an easy pull, either, but would be worth the flyer.

Domonique Orange (North Kansas City) is another that is speaking regularly with defensive line coach Bo Davis. Oregon is currently considered the top competition for the 6-foot-4, 300-pounder. If Texas wins out, the Orange House nickname creates itself.

Texas also continues to have very positive dialogue with Brophy College Prep 2022 DT prospect Zac Swanson with the competition being out-of-state Pac-12 powers, and potentially Oklahoma.

The staff is also beginning to recruit a defensive line prospect out of the Tar Heel state, which IT will talk about at a later date if an offer gets close.

In-state, Texas is still receiving positive feedback from Kristopher Ross with a decision set for March 23rd. USC is the sleeper in this recruitment due to a strong family connection in L.A.

Texas quarterback commit visits Austin: Maalik Murphy was in Austin for the first time since attending Junior Olympics track and field events during his youth.

Photos of Murphy touring Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium with current Longhorn Bijan Robinson made the rounds on Saturday. The doors were unlocked, and no coaches were present. A precedent set by other Big 12 institutions means so long as there was no face-to-face contact with the coaches, no violation of the dead period recruiting rules occurred.

“It’s cool,” Murphy said Saturday of Austin. “It’s a great atmosphere. Everybody is nice. The food is great. I couldn’t be happier.”

Before he saw the sights and sounds of the Forty Acres, Murphy and quarterback trainer Danny Hernandez spent Saturday morning working at the indoor facility at Del Valle High School. Ohio State commit Caleb Burton, who was decked out in Buckeyes gear and is still recovering from an ACL injury suffered in the first game of the 2020 season, was one of several local receivers running routes for Murphy and a handful of other quarterbacks.

As usual, Murphy made the drills look easy. It’s par for the course for Murphy when there are no pads on. Still, he knows the effort he puts in during workouts will be beneficial for Junipero Serra High School's six-game spring season.

“I’m ready to prove it to myself that I can get out there and do what I do best.” Murphy said. “That’s be a leader, be a great teammate, and then be a great student to my coaches. On the field, being able to listen, and not letting anything get to my head. Really go out there and ball out, lead my team, and hopefully get us a couple of wins.”

The current knock against Murphy, for all of his superlatives, is that he simply has not showed off his ability in live games. For every clip of him hitting a receiver in stride anywhere on the field, there’s doubt about his ability to do it behind an offensive line with pass-rushers screaming down on him.

This isn’t lost on Murphy. He knows there is plenty to prove for him in the upcoming season without any “gimme games,” starting with Long Beach Poly on March 12.

“With a shorter season with less time, there is no room for error,” Murphy said. “No room for mistakes. Really need to get out there and be efficient immediately. There’s not enough time to warm up or have bad games. I’ll get out there and do what I do and succeed. Got to succeed.”

It’s an opportunity Murphy is ready to take advantage of. He spoke Saturday about how he wants to win for Serra, a team he has admired since he was four years old.

“I know that I can do it,” Murphy said. “I’ve had a couple of opportunities and might not have made the best out of each one, but it’s all good. It’s a new season. A new year. I’m ready to do it.”

 

Big fan of the news that Banks is taking on a bigger role in Harris' recruitment. Time to earn that million dollar salary. 

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1 hour ago, Vertigo said:

We have a few offers out to CA OL, but if we can land our share of elite in state Oline and DLine talent we should never be hurting at those positions to begin with. I am hoping we take 6 OL this year and let Flood remake that room as fast as he possibly can. I still say Sark would be really smart to give Mike Sherman a call for some sort of off field staff role. Special Assistant to the Offensive Coordinator/Minister of Hawaiian Shirts. 

Sherman is all about the breaks, though.

 

mikeshermansleeping.jpg

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6 minutes ago, UncleBuck said:

And to think, I walked my ass all the way over into the football board to give my opinion on it, because I could imagine texifornia et al spraying rag over anyone bringing it up here. I'm such a fool.

You were correct.

Donors: "We're so fucking mad. No more money."

Admin: "Lol, okay. We're firing Tom Herman, gimme buyout money"

Donors: "...............okay"

Who hold the cards? Pointing out that order of operations to recruits will be easy af, and on the recruiting board, that's really as far as we need to go. 

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Horns 247 / Nick Harris / Texas entering crowded mix for four-star wide receiver Chris Marshall

 

Spoiler

Texas entering crowded mix for four-star wide receiver Chris Marshall

NickHarris
 

HOUSTON — This past weekend, some of the best skill players in the state of Texas and from around the country flocked to C.E. King in Houston for Pylon's 7-on-7 tournament. One of a good handful of teams representing Houston was FAST Houston Supreme as their squad featured the likes of Jaydon Blue, Jaylon Guilbeau, Kevin Coleman, Chris Marshall and more.

Marshall, who saw a huge recruiting rise during his first season playing football last fall, is in his first 7-on-7 season and some could say that so far it has been more than successful. He has turned heads with freakish grabs and physical play on the outside as he continues to be a matchup nightmare on the circuit.

"Really loving this team, we're just bonding," Marshall said. "We're becoming a family and getting better every day. On the circuit, there's a lot of competition so we're just coming out and getting better every day. I'm trying to just improve on my route running and stuff like that."

On the recruiting side of things, Marshall continues to hear from multiple Power Five programs across the country as he has been able to maintain contact with the majority of the 21 schools that have offered. Since the new staff has been brought on at Texas, wide receivers coach Andre Coleman has made Marshall one of his top targets as the Longhorns continue to push hard into the spring.

"I talk to Coach Coleman and we have great conversations about the family there, what they want from me when I get there and stuff like that," he said. "I feel like a high priority for them right now."

However, Texas A&M has been the school with all of the buzz in the recruitment as they currently hold three Crystal Ball Predictions and have done a consistently great job at recruiting the big-bodied wideout.

"It's been real good with them too," he said. "Them two (A&M and Texas), that's another school I feel like I'm a high priority for. I'm just taking it day-by-day."

With his recruitment still being relatively young, Marshall plans on taking his time with the process and exploring all of his options moving forward.

"When we get a chance to take some visits, that's what I'm gonna be doing, but I'm in no rush to make a decision," he said.

USC, Arizona State, Texas A&M, Texas and Oregon are schools that Marshall mentioned as ones he will want to visit when the NCAA dead period is lifted. As of now, the current NCAA dead period is set to expire on May 31 barring another extension.

At 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, Marshall is the No. 185 ranked recruit in the country for the class of 2022, according to 247Sports Composite. He is the No. 23 wide receiver in the country and the No. 31 recruit in the state of Texas.

 

 

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29 minutes ago, UncleBuck said:

Is she a McAggee? Seems like she'd be an aggy. 

 

(last post from me here on this topic. sucks this topic will probably derail this thread)

Being a thin-skinned loser who blames reporters for our donors being racists and then tries to have the last word as he runs away seems pretty aggy to me but what do I know, and please keep that shit out of here 🤣 

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Just now, Teryor said:

Being a thin-skinned loser who blames reporters for our donors being racists and then tries to have the last word as he runs away seems pretty aggy to me but what do I know, and please keep that shit out of here  

Sir, we sometimes joke about Aggy on here. Sorry it rubbed you the wrong way (I'm not). Had you replied back in the first place, I'd have just given you the middle finger back there. It's not thin-skinned, it's letting you know I saw your middle-finger and disagreed with it. 

Carry on.

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