Texas Recruiting Notes 2022 - Idiotic Slapfights Unrelated To 2022 Recruiting

[Getafix 28392]

 

FWIW ... from  Roach, in a thread about the weekend. (Cheeks is on his OV.)

 

 

 

Here's what Roach said on 5/27, when he CBed Cheeks to Texas.

****************************************************************************************************

Crystal Ballin: New picks in for the Longhorns
Sebastian Cheeks, LB, Evanston (Ill.) Township

Pick: Texas (Mike)

Confidence: 5

The Longhorns have gone all in on the interior linebacker from Chicago and a perfect storm is forming on the horizon that could allow Texas to take advantage. The Longhorns came into the year behind Midwest powers Michigan and Notre Dame, but things have changed significantly. Credit to Jeff Choate for the work he’s put in on this recruitment connecting with Cheeks and building a strong relationship. I think it’s also important to credit the Texas scheme for doing a good job of showing Cheeks a vision of how he could plugin. At the same time, Notre Dame seems to have backed off a bit while Michigan is in a state of disarray and turnover. Those factors combined are providing Texas with a window in which to strike. Sources are starting to show some real cautious optimism with him, and they could slam the door when he visits this summer. (Roach)

 

[Machinator 32097]

 

[mantis toboggan 847]

1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

There are 3 routes in today's recruiting landscape for Texas to go, now that the SEC has fully invaded the state with a flood of money and corruption, led by and thanks to the mouthbreathing shit heels in College Station. 

1) Georgia/Tenn/ATM route - straight-up slinging money overtly to recruits, handlers, and families. This works on some level, but there are families and recruits that aren't going to be wowed solely by $50k-$200k, depending upon the recruit. This angle also involves character risk. 

2) Bama/USC/Ohio State - do the deals when you have to do them, but don't sacrifice for character and fall back on being a blue blood with a ton of advantages and the longer game for recruits once their career is over. Cherry-pick the portal as you deem appropriate. (Please don't insult this board's intelligence with some pedantic take involving recency bias about why USC shouldn't be listed here, this is who they historically are.)

3) Oklahoma/Iowa State - find your guys and get them every time, avoid the full-blown auctions because they're not worth your time due to the character/culture clash they usually bring to the lunchpail business. Play the portal to your advantage and build classes with it in mind.

4) Texas/Notre Dame/Michigan - be a patrician dipshit without an apparatus for getting guys you need, claim piety, and roll with whoever your blue blood status still enables you to land. This is no longer an option in this state and this has been abandoned by the staff.

It appears that the staff is going to go the route of option 2. It is going to be interesting to see what happens in the clash between that route and the dipshits in-state and invading the state with option 1. NIL's arrival cannot get here soon enough. 

Bear Alexander and his handler are overtly running an auction for visits, commits, and ink. It will finish in the 6 figures for a player that already shows flakiness with transfers and character issues inherent with the behavior I just described. There's a reason Bama isn't pushing for a guy like this. He's a mercenary with risk all over him. Texas will be foolish to even host him on campus at all from here forward. 

Things went well this past weekend, but let's see who all is wowed by straight bankroll and who isn't. I expect Texas to land a stud class, but the DB end can hurt. Brooks is going to sign with Bama. ATM is throwing money at the problem. Texas needs to sign Allen, Anderson, Guilbeau and Harris. A whiff on most of them will suck because they're all elite in some form. I expect Texas to be fine and figure it out. 

This is a big cycle for all kinds of reasons, and it will tell us a lot about this staff's ability to get things done when they need to while still finding their guys who love football and may or may not be 5 stars, but develop either way into animals. 

Could do more but got to get back to legit work. Sorry for typos, I'll proofread and edit this stream of consciousness later.

Info always appreciated. 
 

Ctj or anyone else for that matter, not seeing the distinctions between 2 and 3. Anyone that can expand or clarify?  Is 3 no deals which would mean category 4. If 3 are some deals then what is the difference from 2?

tia 

[Burt Macklin 18988]

4 minutes ago, UncleSonny said:

I'm assuming Jimbo's FSU tenure would firmly qualify as route #1?

I think he was definitely willing to go full #1, but he didn’t really have to for a lot of his time there because he took over FSU during a time period where UF and Miami were both pretty bad, so he was able to lose 4 games in a bad ACC each of his first two years but still win the vast majority of the in-state battles. He was certainly active and willing to play the games with national mercenary recruits while he was there though. 

3 minutes ago, Getafix said:

 

FWIW ... from  Roach, in a thread about the weekend. (Cheeks is on his OV.)

 

 

 

Here's what Roach said on 5/27, when he CBed Cheeks to Texas.

****************************************************************************************************

Crystal Ballin: New picks in for the Longhorns
Sebastian Cheeks, LB, Evanston (Ill.) Township

Pick: Texas (Mike)

Confidence: 5

The Longhorns have gone all in on the interior linebacker from Chicago and a perfect storm is forming on the horizon that could allow Texas to take advantage. The Longhorns came into the year behind Midwest powers Michigan and Notre Dame, but things have changed significantly. Credit to Jeff Choate for the work he’s put in on this recruitment connecting with Cheeks and building a strong relationship. I think it’s also important to credit the Texas scheme for doing a good job of showing Cheeks a vision of how he could plugin. At the same time, Notre Dame seems to have backed off a bit while Michigan is in a state of disarray and turnover. Those factors combined are providing Texas with a window in which to strike. Sources are starting to show some real cautious optimism with him, and they could slam the door when he visits this summer. (Roach)

 

I find it strange that the most common reports are that ND leads for Niuafe and may not have a spot for Cheeks. Cheeks seems like the clearly better prospect to me. He has the explosiveness and agility you want with the frame to add weight. Niuafe is already almost 240 and looking slow for the college level. That rarely gets better moving forward. 

[tokamak 6350]

45 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

That seems to by the staff’s approach. Two and three really aren’t that different depending where you draw the “worth the time” line. It’s not like Oklahoma doesn’t feast on transfers, and this staff is obviously utilizing that option aggressively. It’s the extremely dirty and naïve ends of the spectrum that stand out.

Yeah I don't understand the difference between CTJ's #3 and #4. Seems like there's only 3 options:

1. play the game balls deep
2. play the game but be cool about it
3. don't play the game

Regarding NIL, maybe I just fundamentally don't understand what it is, but I think recruits are being sold a bill of goods there. Not just by us, but by everyone. Starting QBs will do well, plus maybe star WRs, RBs, and DBs. But ain't nobody going to be lining up to pay OL for their likeness or cast 2nd string sophomore DL in HEB ads (when they're open). Am I a dunce and it's actually just a (wink, wink) way to funnel otherwise shady money to players on the team? Like Big Red Autos or whatever OU was doing, but in a gray area instead of strictly forbidden?

Edited June 8, 2021 by tokamak

[RomaVicta 29756]

The BOMC is clearly inflating Ohio State's player ratings. This can only mean that they will all flip to Texas during the season.

Great news!

[Hornlover 8824]

1 minute ago, tokamak said:

Yeah I don't understand the difference between CTJ's #3 and #4. Seems like there's only 3 options:

1. play the game balls deep
2. play the game but be cool about it
3. don't play the game

Regarding NIL, maybe I just fundamentally don't understand what it is, but I think recruits are being sold a bill of goods there. Not just by us, but by everyone. Starting QBs will do well, plus maybe star WRs, RBs, DBs. But ain't nobody going to be lining up to pay OL for their likeness or case 2nd string sophomore DL in HEB ads (when they're open). Am I a dunce and it's actually just a (wink, wink) way to funnel otherwise shady money to players on the team? Like Big Red Autos or whatever OU was doing, but in a gray area instead of strictly forbidden?

Are you sure Red McCombs doesn't need 5 O-Linemen pitching cars?

And The Yellow Rose needs a couple LBs to pitch $5 Kamikaze and Lemon Drop shots.

Oh, and maybe McConaughey needs a couple guys to show up in his Lincoln or Longbranch ads.

For sure Tom Hicks needs to have 4 or 5 dudes on radio commercials somewhere. 

In reality, it's not important that every player gets a NIL contract that pays them to be in commercials. It's getting the players to believe that they can earn much more by being successful at Texas - due to a bigger media market, bigger fanbase, and the exposure available at Texas.

[IDIOTsavant 8437]

17 minutes ago, tokamak said:

Yeah I don't understand the difference between CTJ's #3 and #4. Seems like there's only 3 options:

1. play the game balls deep
2. play the game but be cool about it
3. don't play the game

Regarding NIL, maybe I just fundamentally don't understand what it is, but I think recruits are being sold a bill of goods there. Not just by us, but by everyone. Starting QBs will do well, plus maybe star WRs, RBs, and DBs. But ain't nobody going to be lining up to pay OL for their likeness or cast 2nd string sophomore DL in HEB ads (when they're open). Am I a dunce and it's actually just a (wink, wink) way to funnel otherwise shady money to players on the team? Like Big Red Autos or whatever OU was doing, but in a gray area instead of strictly forbidden?

[NorLa Horns 1458]

24 minutes ago, tokamak said:

Yeah I don't understand the difference between CTJ's #3 and #4. Seems like there's only 3 options:

1. play the game balls deep
2. play the game but be cool about it
3. don't play the game

Regarding NIL, maybe I just fundamentally don't understand what it is, but I think recruits are being sold a bill of goods there. Not just by us, but by everyone. Starting QBs will do well, plus maybe star WRs, RBs, and DBs. But ain't nobody going to be lining up to pay OL for their likeness or cast 2nd string sophomore DL in HEB ads (when they're open). Am I a dunce and it's actually just a (wink, wink) way to funnel otherwise shady money to players on the team? Like Big Red Autos or whatever OU was doing, but in a gray area instead of strictly forbidden?

It's not just ads and the like. 

It's also " appearance " fees. And that's where the money for the other players come from. 

" come meet the Texas o line at big bobs car lot" 

" come see the d-line at this shopping center" . 

This is the answer for every booster that's been pissed texas won't play the game. The guys who don't have the $100 handshake asscess. 

They can stuff cash in these kids pockets all sorts of ways and call it appearance fees. 

Edited June 8, 2021 by NorLa Horns
Bad editing

[Elmer_Fudd 22084]

1 hour ago, BurntOrange&White said:

Nice, we have only 1 guy currently in the top 100.

 

They dropped Blue 179 spots.

Guilbeau went up a bunch.  Winfield dropped a bit.

Is OU not pushing for McClellan?  I'd like to see us go all in on Hero Kanu and McClellan.  

[Jester 382]

41 minutes ago, mantis toboggan said:

Info always appreciated. 
 

Ctj or anyone else for that matter, not seeing the distinctions between 2 and 3. Anyone that can expand or clarify?  Is 3 no deals which would mean category 4. If 3 are some deals then what is the difference from 2?

tia 

If ctj is implying that OU is clean, I'd be pretty fucking shocked.

I think he's just stating they avoid the all out bidding wards and make deals to lock up their targets quickly (where 'deals' are necessary).  That seems to be the main difference to me.  If we're going route 2, it appears we'll get into some bidding wars when necessary (with the caveat that the player doesn't sacrifice the locker room culture).

All of that said, I'm probably wrong with all of the above and you'll never get the time back you took to read this.

[Machinator 32097]

(CJ Vogel) The Latest | Jeremy Patton Post-OV

Spoiler

Just visited Tenaha to catch up with 2022 LB target Jeremy Patton who is fresh off a trip to Austin for his official visit with the Longhorns. I’ll get into the big picture of our interview later this week but wanted to drop some nuggets about his trip now.

*** Patton said he was able to sit down with Steve Sarkisian and Jeff Choate for dinner one night and truly enjoyed his time with each coach.

*** It sounds like Patton came away a big fan of Choate.

*** LB Jaylan Ford hosted Patton this weekend and really helped the visit go smoothly for him.

*** Up next are official visits to Michigan and Baylor. Michigan will be the first real traveling Patton has done out of the ETX/Louisiana area. Austin counts to an extent, though Michigan adds an extra level of distance.

*** Texas did a really good job hosting Patton this weekend. It sounds like Sarkisian and staff made a very strong impression on the talented linebacker. With where things stand in Patton’s recruitment now, I really like the Longhorns chances in the long run.

 

[texifornia 56434]

Connor Robertson clearly made it in

 

[Fud 9543]

21 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Is OU not pushing for McClellan?  I'd like to see us go all in on Hero Kanu and McClellan.  

They are. As is tOSU. And now Bama is recruiting him. 

OU loses in-state priorities from time to time; Josh Proctor, Dax Hill, etc 

[BurntOrange&White 39486]

By: Justin and Ian

We begin our journey in Frisco with a top offensive line target, swing down to Duncanville for another tackle prospect, hit the West Coast for a tight end, and finish in Austin with a newly committed transfer tailback. Get some Notebook.

OL Cole Hutson, Frisco (Frisco, TX) - 2022
Hudl/highlights

How he fits at Texas: Hutson is a big guy at 6-foot-4, 290 pounds, with an ability to drop back in pass protection and move his feet, but he's playing mostly at guard currently and hits his ceiling playing inside in college as well. Where he really excels on film is in 1-on-1 blocks, even against big defensive linemen, turning shoulders and even driving tackles off the ball. He can pull and find targets on the move as well with athleticism which would hopefully allow him to play center at Texas. The Longhorns have searched for years for a center who has the quickness to snap the ball and connect on defensive linemen, including on wide zone plays, while bringing more size and power to the position than your common sub 6-foot-3, scarcely 300-pound centers. Hutson gives them a chance to have such a center, otherwise he's a good prospect at guard with the power and feet to run the full gamut of Kyle Flood schemes. - @Ian Boyd 

Coach says: Strengths: Well-distributed weight with a reasonably toned mid-section. Good flexibility at hips and knees. Balanced in and out of his stance with great initial steps in reach blocks, combo and down blocks. Quick off the snap and fires out low with great pad level. Shows a very good understanding of leverage and gets defenders turned quickly. Feet are quick/nimble enough to allow for solid pulls and climbs to the second level. Makes sure contact on moving targets. Shows great power generation from the lower body and seems to destroy straight-up challenges. Very impressive mauler in the run game. Will dominate in a phone booth and drive the bus. Legs are always moving once engaged. Hand placement in run blocks is great. Shows position versatility at OG and OT but I like him better inside. Pass sets look well coached and doesn't overplay the defender. Doesn't give up the inside gap. Opponent tape looks equally impressive as his own highlights. Film isn't just full of him destroying little guys. I've seen quicker and more agile guys as well as stronger guys but this guy is technical and does everything well enough to be serviceable from day 1.

Areas for Improvement / Concerns: Arm length probably forces him inside. More first step quick than fast. Don't see a lot of zone blocks on his film. I would like to see him stun guys more in the pass game. Would like to see the hands put to better use in pass game. Looks a little slow to flip the hips as he tries to get the outside rusher to run the arc but this is strictly at tackle.

How this affects Texas: The Horns were able to host the Hutsons unofficially over the weekend as they got to hangout with Kyle Flood and watch some NCAA baseball. Cole's father, Scott, is a former Arizona State baseball player, and when he heard the Sun Devils were headed to the Austin Regional, it was like killing two birds with one stone.

Hutson is a natural offensive lineman with the unique skillset to play all the spots. Center might be his most interesting position, but his ability to be versatile and also take on guard and tackle spots is one thing that separates Hutson from the pack. If UT takes five in this cycle, Hutson could easily occupy one spot, while allowing the staff to pursue the Devon Campbells, Kelvin Banks, and Kam Dewberrys of this class. Hutson returns this weekend in the official capacity before embarking on trips to OU and Texas A&M later this month. - @Justin Wells 

OL Cameron Williams, Duncanville (Duncanville, TX) - 2022
Hudl/highlights

How he fits at Texas: Williams is a massive human being, listed at 6-foot-5, 360 pounds and certainly every bit of it. Duncanville usually puts their top guys at guard because the run game and sweeps are such a major component of the offense, but Williams held down right tackle last season with Savion Byrd at guard. Williams is absurdly sudden for such a large human and regularly hits his marks whether you're watching his highlights or investigating how he looks on the highlights of a teammate, but he often doesn't maintain the movement. He'll connect on a defender but then often just lean on them, sometimes restarting his engine to finish the block. There's obvious upside for Williams if he can remake his body and find his ideal playing weight, which would very naturally be safely above 300 pounds. Theoretically, unlocked Cameron Williams could fit at tackle or guard but left or right tackle would certainly be the starting points. - IB

Coach says: Strengths: An absolutely massive human with prototypical height and great arm length. Generally plays under balance. Surprisingly quick off the ball. Hand placement in run blocks is very good. Multiple block types evident on film. Looks to have outstanding hand strength as the defenders have trouble disengaging from his grip. Whips small guys around like rag dolls. Good downfield motor. Always looking for work. Tape against quality opponents looks equally as good. Can't find tape of him losing decisively in pass protection. Good kick step and mirror of the opponent. Very hard to just run past a man this large. Very high ceiling.

Areas for Improvement/Concern: While his first steps are quick and sure, his sustained acceleration and speed fade pretty quickly. Plays flat footed at times. Will engage defenders and stop moving his feet. Frequently gets upright quickly and allows the defender to dictate the leverage leaving him to rely on brute strength to hold or finish his block. Looks a little waist-bendy at times (although not consistently). Not sure I can tell how he's coached to use his hands in pass protection. Can he keep his weight down? Not sure about his being a LT versus a RT.

How this affects Texas: When I tripped to D'Ville in the spring, I asked Williams what was the one offer he'd like to have the most. Answer: Texas.

Shortly after that, UT reached out to the massive offensive lineman and began building a relationship. Now, Williams is set to see Austin on June 25th-27th for an official visit. But he'll have a few stops first. He trekked to Oregon for an official last weekend, is hitting The U this weekend (June 11th-13th), and goes off to Norman for his OU official on June 18th-20th.

Williams is said to like the Sooners and Longhorns right now, and UT continues to chip away at the 6-foot-5, 360-pound monster. Just when you thought Texas was done with Duncanville, they jump back in for one of the largest prospects in the nation. - JW

ATH Arlis Boardingham, Birmingham (Lake Balboa, CA) - 2022
Hudl/highlights

How he fits at Texas: Boardingham is a really smooth athlete, his first three clips on his junior film include a long kick-off return, a sack rushing off the edge, and a touchdown catch where he wins a jump ball in the air and breaks or evades a few tackles to cross the goal line. Most of the things you'd hope a 6-foot-4, 220-pound athlete could do well, Boardingham can handle. What stands out the most is his start/stop and change of direction ability, which translate into some nasty potential as a receiving tight end in the future. Blocking in the box will be new for him, like it is for most collegiate tight ends. He's a dominant blocker flexed out as a receiver on defensive backs but obviously it's a different deal working in the box against ends and linebackers. With his length he might be able to work on the line effectively as an attached tight end but otherwise working as the H-back/move tight end would be fairly straightforward due to his short area quickness. -IB

Coach says: Strengths: A tall and well-proportioned athlete who looks to be more muscular than his height/weight numbers would suggest. Good length in the arms. Hands look big. A fluid, long strider with a track background, he gets up to speed quickly. Shows above average speed in pads. Great explosive lower body given long jump background. He is a gifted route runner with precise first steps and beats the press pretty well (why are they pressing this man?). Very technical in his execution with great eye level, pad level and footwork. Precise (read: sick) cuts with a pretty evolved route tree evident on film. Stacks the defender routinely and uses his body very well to shield. Judges the ball well and adjusts very well to the poorly thrown ball. Catches the ball with sure, soft hands. Fights through contact on contested balls and generally has very good timing on the leaps. Very north-south after the catch and finishes plays really well. Takes on contact to finish runs rather than going out of bounds. Has a great sense for sideline/landmarks. Good scramble drill. A willing blocker, that could be better with top QB play. Looks passionate on offense and defense. Great edge play on defense and explosive on special teams in kick blocks and returns. Is the first player I can recall high-fiving his blocker 20 yards before the score of a defensive TD. He seems like the kind of kid who could be a real difference maker if his attitude is as enthusiastic as his play.

Areas for Improvement/Concern: Blocking on tape is mostly of the opportunistic variety. All tape is at WR and probably translates as a flex-Y. Curious to see what his measured agility score are since he tends to dominate on his straight line explosiveness.

How this affects Texas: Texas offered the intriguing pass-catcher in late February and have stayed in contact with the four-star WR/TE from the west coast. We believe UT projects Boardingham at tight end at the next level.

Boardingham holds 14 offers including Notre Dame, Arizona State, Utah, and Washington. He'll be in Austin on June 24-26th for his official visit, but he'll stop by Arizona State on June 18th-20th before his Austin trip.

Texas doesn't need to take a tight end in this cycle, but with the way Jeff Banks scours the country for them, they could push at any time. We'll check back before his OV to the ATX. - JW

RB Keilan Robinson, Alabama via St. John's (Washington, DC) - 2021
Hudl/highlights

How he fits at Texas: Robinson was a blue chip running back out of D.C. that Alabama signed in 2019, who entered the transfer portal and committed to Texas on Sunday. He played in 2019 at 5-foot-9, 190 pounds or so and ran for 254 yards, mostly in garbage time against New Mexico State and Western Carolina. Robinson has good vision running between the tackles and a lot of acceleration to burst through holes and break away for long runs. He did some return duties for the Tide and was mentioned as a potential RB/WR hybrid. Then he opted out in 2020 and focused on bulking up to compete at running back in the post-Najee Harris era before coming back in the spring of 2021 at a heavier weight. With the extra size, Robinson could be an every down feature back, he was already a potential all-purpose back who could do some work as a receiver in addition to working as a traditional running back. For Texas, he could get into the mix backing up Bijan Robinson but also give the Longhorns some depth and flexibility to experiment with two-back formations. - IB

Coach says: Strengths: A compact and well-proportioned runner. Great footwork out of his stance and presses the hole quickly and decisively. Great vision. One-cut and gone runner who will excel in the outside zone game. Exceptional cut, acceleration and top end speed. Has lateral wiggle evident on film and seems like a slippery menace. Legs move on contact and is always leaning forward. Does not give up on plays and always seems to get something for his efforts. Sark knows him from Alabama so he's a known commodity to the staff.

Areas for Improvement/Concern: A lot of unknowns as there is limited film on this player. Pass protection/receiving are unknown. Hasn't played meaningful football in a while. Build and durability likely different now.

How this affects Texas: When UT snagged the transfer from Alabama, it instantly injected speed into the program. Robinson adds a dimension to the running back room it sorely needed. With Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson, the tailback spot is solid. But adding Jonathon Brooks and Keilan Robinson to the room this offseason, it could prove invaluable for a position short on numbers over the last few seasons. Texas essentially added a four-star ball-carrier with Alabama experience and eligibility. Well done, Sark. - JW

[Fud 9543]

30 minutes ago, Jester said:

If ctj is implying that OU is clean, I'd be pretty fucking shocked.

I think he's just stating they avoid the all out bidding wards and make deals to lock up their targets quickly (where 'deals' are necessary).  That seems to be the main difference to me.  If we're going route 2, it appears we'll get into some bidding wars when necessary (with the caveat that the player doesn't sacrifice the locker room culture).

All of that said, I'm probably wrong with all of the above and you'll never get the time back you took to read this.

OU has had commits/leans bought out from under them over the past five years by various SEC schools 

[Redneck Mutha 7923]

2 hours ago, closetojumping said:

It appears that the staff is going to go the route of option 2. It is going to be interesting to see what happens in the clash between that route and the dipshits in-state and invading the state with option 1. NIL's arrival cannot get here soon enough. 

[Machinator 32097]

 

[texifornia 56434]

Maybe go with this theme for the next OV photo shoot setup and not "Nashville bachelorette party"

 

[Getafix 28392]

 

Bear Alexander supposedly plans to visit us in the next few weeks.  Per Ears.

 

[BurntOrange&White 39486]

Suchomel is saying that Texas might have a slight lead for Junior Tuihalamaka after his OV.

[Sgt. Slaughter 2841]

15 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Maybe go with this theme for the next OV photo shoot setup and not "Nashville bachelorette party"

 

If always thought they should invest in a steadicam and create gifs for recruits.

[texifornia 56434]

For those curious, here were A&M's photo setups

Edited June 8, 2021 by texifornia

[golfclap 6903]

21 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Maybe go with this theme for the next OV photo shoot setup and not "Nashville bachelorette party"

I was thinking CMT's HeeHaw 2021 Revival - but yeah. A boring single color backdrop would've been better than that abortion. 

[BurntOrange&White 39486]

2 minutes ago, texifornia said:

For those curious, here were A&M's photo setups

I'm fairly certain our photo shoots will look a lot different once the south end zone is completed. 

[texifornia 56434]

Just now, BurntOrange&White said:

I'm fairly certain our photo shoots will look a lot different once the south end zone is completed. 

Some of them, probably, but both our Nashvegas thing and aggy's Rogue One knockoff were just conversions of a large empty room with some temporary custom set dressing, which will probably always be a piece of the process.

[BurntOrange&White 39486]

4 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Some of them, probably, but both our Nashvegas thing and aggy's Rogue One knockoff were just conversions of a large empty room with some temporary custom set dressing, which will probably always be a piece of the process.

Someone posted these on IT, it made me laugh...

 

 

[tokamak 6350]

6 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

 

9, 2, 5, 3, 1, 7, 6, 4, 8

[closetojumping 62132]

3 hours ago, closetojumping said:

There are 3 routes in today's recruiting landscape for Texas to go, now that the SEC has fully invaded the state with a flood of money and corruption, led by and thanks to the mouthbreathing shit heels in College Station. 

1) Georgia/Tenn/ATM route - straight-up slinging money overtly to recruits, handlers, and families. This works on some level, but there are families and recruits that aren't going to be wowed solely by $50k-$200k, depending upon the recruit. This angle also involves character risk. 

2) Bama/USC/Ohio State - do the deals when you have to do them, but don't sacrifice for character and fall back on being a blue blood with a ton of advantages and the longer game for recruits once their career is over. Cherry-pick the portal as you deem appropriate. (Please don't insult this board's intelligence with some pedantic take involving recency bias about why USC shouldn't be listed here, this is who they historically are.)

3) Oklahoma/Iowa State - find your guys and get them every time, avoid the full-blown auctions because they're not worth your time due to the character/culture clash they usually bring to the lunch pail business. Play the portal to your advantage and build classes with it in mind.

4) Texas/Notre Dame/Michigan - be a patrician dipshit without an apparatus for getting guys you need, claim piety, and roll with whoever your blue blood status still enables you to land. This is no longer an option in this state and this has been abandoned by the staff.

It appears that the staff is going to go the route of option 2. It is going to be interesting to see what happens in the clash between that route and the dipshits in-state and invading the state with option 1. NIL's arrival cannot get here soon enough. 

Bear Alexander and his handler are overtly running an auction for visits, commits, and ink. It will finish in the 6 figures for a player that already shows flakiness with transfers and character issues inherent with the behavior I just described. There's a reason Bama isn't pushing for a guy like this. He's a mercenary with risk all over him. Texas will be foolish to even host him on campus at all from here forward. 

Things went well this past weekend, but let's see who all is wowed by straight bankroll and who isn't. I expect Texas to land a stud class, but the DB end can hurt. Brooks is going to sign with Bama. ATM is throwing money at the problem. Texas needs to sign Allen, Anderson, Guilbeau and Harris. A whiff on most of them will suck because they're all elite in some form. I expect Texas to be fine and figure it out. 

This is a big cycle for all kinds of reasons, and it will tell us a lot about this staff's ability to get things done when they need to while still finding their guys who love football and may or may not be 5 stars, but develop either way into animals. 

Could do more but got to get back to legit work. Sorry for typos, I'll proofread and edit this stream of consciousness later.

I didn't think this was that confusing. 

Regarding #2, most schools can't do it because they either can't play or they're not a blue blood/near-blue blood program. It's not a portal dependent strategy when the program is stable. The portal generally will benefit these programs as they can always cherry-pick and it also makes it easier to dump out of talent on campus that has proven itself to not be above replacement value. 

Regarding #3, the portal will be a major component for how these programs continue to roster build and/or they will pursue players that they can lock into without having to compete with Bama or Texas that can still get them to a top 5 level of performance nationally. OU is more the former, although they've taken the latter approach on defense the past few years and have been punished when they didn't, while ISU is the latter in exemplary fashion. Programs in this category will do a deal if they have to and don't feel like they're just going to be a hat thrown into the ring and they believe in the player, but bleh overall on it. Auctions don't favor them and usually don't fit the culture, either. If OU were going to be less portal dependent, they'd fit more into group #2, but the recent word and the existing data both point to Riley viewing the portal as worthy of a chunk of his yearly numbers to the tune of 5-8 guys a year. 

People arguing that Texas looks more like #3, sure, that's right now and wasn't the intent of the post. The program is going to try to use most of its numbers on high school prospects and use its brand to grab 1-3 guys a year that move the program further up the ladder towards or within the elite. Up or Out, the bottom 10% will always need to be cleaning their lockers out. 

I was going back and forth on this notion in some depth with a guy involved with it all and if you start trying to just bucket P5 teams into one of the four categories by conference, it becomes pretty easy. 

For example, the Pac 12:

Washington - #3

Washington State - #3

Oregon - #1

Oregon State - #3

Stanford - #2 (we could argue they're #4, but Harbaugh and Shaw have both gotten some shit done when they needed to at Stanford)

Cal - #3

USC - #2

UCLA - #4

ASU - #2 (the only fuzzy one for me because you can argue they're not a "near-blue blood" but they're acting like it and butting heads with the powers across the country for players and starting to pick some of them up)

UA - #3/fucked up/unknown due to new staff

Utah - #3 (they might actually be the perfect example of #3)

CU - #3

 

[lemonandaturd 4285]

21 minutes ago, texifornia said:

For those curious, here were A&M's photo setups

I see aggy made a big ass championship ring for 1939 and two fake big ass rings for 1919 and 1927.  

[Viper 12011]

4 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

I didn't think this was that confusing. 

Regarding #2, most schools can't do it because they either can't play or they're not a blue blood/near-blue blood program. It's not a portal dependent strategy when the program is stable. The portal generally will benefit these programs as they can always cherry-pick and it also makes it easier to dump out of talent on campus that has proven itself to not be above replacement value. 

Regarding #3, the portal will be a major component for how these programs continue to roster build and/or they will pursue players that they can lock into without having to compete with Bama or Texas that can still get them to a top 5 level of performance nationally. OU is more the former, although they've taken the latter approach on defense the past few years and have been punished when they didn't, while ISU is the latter in exemplary fashion. Programs in this category will do a deal if they have to and don't feel like they're just going to be a hat thrown into the ring and they believe in the player, but bleh overall on it. Auctions don't favor them and usually don't fit the culture, either. If OU were going to be less portal dependent, they'd fit more into group #2, but the recent word and the existing data both point to Riley viewing the portal as worthy of a chunk of his yearly numbers to the tune of 5-8 guys a year. 

People arguing that Texas looks more like #3, sure, that's right now and wasn't the intent of the post. The program is going to try to use most of its numbers on high school prospects and use its brand to grab 1-3 guys a year that move the program further up the ladder towards or within the elite. Up or Out, the bottom 10% will always need to be cleaning their lockers out. 

I was going back and forth on this notion in some depth with a guy involved with it all and if you start trying to just bucket P5 teams into one of the four categories by conference, it becomes pretty easy. 

For example, the Pac 12:

Washington - #3

Washington State - #3

Oregon - #1

Oregon State - #3

Stanford - #2 (we could argue they're #4, but Harbaugh and Shaw have both gotten some shit done when they needed to at Stanford)

Cal - #3

USC - #2

UCLA - #4

ASU - #2 (the only fuzzy one for me because you can argue they're not a "near-blue blood" but they're acting like it and butting heads with the powers across the country for players and starting to pick some of them up)

UA - #3/fucked up/unknown due to new staff

Utah - #3 (they might actually be the perfect example of #3)

CU - #3

 

any word on how our "recruiting infrastructure" is coming regarding moving from #4 category to #2?

[closetojumping 62132]

2 minutes ago, Viper said:

any word on how our "recruiting infrastructure" is coming regarding moving from #4 category to #2?

Some folks think the right steps are being taken and some folks think we're trying to solve the right problems with the wrong people and tools. So, you got me. 

Here's how we'll know which is correct. Does Texas sign Evan Stewart? Do they sign Kelvin Banks? These are guys that want to come to Texas. Neither are overtly running an auction, but both are 5 star players that everyone is going to pursue up to the end and if Texas makes it hard on itself, well, I doubt either guy winds up at UT.

[Machinator 32097]

6 hours ago, texifornia said:

https://247sports.com/Player/David-Oke-46114181/

 

[Vertigo 20257]

6 hours ago, tokamak said:

We're not getting Ewers. The $9.95ers are just keeping that alive for clicks.

People seem to feel legitimately pretty good about Manning. Apparently the family likes Sark a lot. Let's be realistic, though - there's at least 18 months left until he can sign, and all the national powerhouses will be recruiting him. If someone told me that we had like a 25% shot at this juncture, I'd feel pretty good about that.

Manning is going to be a slugfest, but fortunately I highly doubt that bags will be a deciding factor in the recruitment. That negates the SEC draw to an extent. I am concerned that BlowU gets into this one, Clemson, and maybe a USC as legitimate threats. 

[Machinator 32097]

Just now, Vertigo said:

Manning is going to be a slugfest, but fortunately I highly doubt that bags will be a deciding factor in the recruitment. That negates the SEC draw to an extent. I am concerned that BlowU gets into this one, Clemson, and maybe a USC as legitimate threats. 

OU is going after Malachi Nelson (it is widely believed that he is a silent to them). USC will be irrelevant in this recruitment unless they get a massive upgrade at head coach.

[Fud 9543]

7 minutes ago, Vertigo said:

Manning is going to be a slugfest, but fortunately I highly doubt that bags will be a deciding factor in the recruitment. That negates the SEC draw to an extent. I am concerned that BlowU gets into this one, Clemson, and maybe a USC as legitimate threats. 

The schools who could potentially hop in outside of Texas and Clemson are Bama and Georgia, unless you're taking Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, etc seriously here, which I'm not 

[Machinator 32097]

(Nick Harris) Checking in on how visits went for Texas targets across the country

Spoiler

OREGON HOSTS MULTIPLE TEXAS TARGETS

Oregon has been a popular destination for recruits from Texas for years and the Ducks are looking to capitalize even more in the 2022 class. They currently have two recruits from Texas committed (DeSoto wide receiver Stephon Johnson and Mansfield Timberview safety Landon Hullaby) and are fishing for more.

The Ducks hosted Plano (Texas) John Paul II four-star cornerback Terrance Brooks and Duncanville (Texas) offensive tackle Cam Williams for official visits as well as Reno (Nev.) McQueen four-star linebacker Robby Snelling.

Texas has been battling Alabama for Brooks, but it looks like Oregon has positioned themselves as a legitimate contender moving forward, according to a report by 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong:

"Don’t sleep on Oregon for Plano (Texas) John Paul II Top247 cornerback Terrance Brooks. He and his parents had a great time in Eugene. Player development is big for Brooks so he and potential position coach Rod Chance dove into that. One source believes the Ducks could at the top with Alabama. Florida, Texas and Texas A&M are also contenders in this recruitment."

Texas recently offered Williams who will take two more official visits to Texas and Oklahoma before making his commitment on July 1. This is set up to be a battle between Texas and Oklahoma, and I don't have any reason to believe that isn't still the case after his visit to Eugene.

“It was crazy,” Williams said about his visit to Oregon. “The campus and coaches and the players and just the environment they make you feel like you’re family.”

Snelling is an interesting case given his potential to be drafted high in the MLB Draft next summer, but he maintains that he plans to play both in college. The buzz surrounding his visit is that the Ducks put themselves in a position to win his recruitment after a weekend that consisted of meeting the football staff and attending the baseball regional tournament in Eugene. Snelling landed a Crystal Ball prediction from Steve Wiltfong this past weekend ahead of his Texas official visit this upcoming weekend.

TEXAS A&M MAKES BIG FIRST IMPRESSION ON TOP TARGETS

If I had to point to one program that had possibly the best weekend, I would have to say Texas A&M. The Aggies hosted double-digit recruits and made big impacts on some of Texas' top targets.

We'll start with Harold Perkins who took his first college visit since blowing up as a recruit early during the pandemic. His time in College Station reportedly went very well and the buzz surrounding his recruitment indicates that the Aggies are in the best position to secure his commitment. The only concern for Texas A&M is that he still plans to wait until January to announce his decision.

Bryce Anderson was also in College Station for an official visit this past weekend for his first of three official visits before making his decision on July 4. Things went well for Anderson and his family as Jimbo Fisher made him one of the bigger priorities throughout the weekend. He was the last one to leave campus after a one-on-one with Fisher late Sunday afternoon. The Aggies have put themselves back in the conversation here ahead of visits to Alabama and Texas later this month.

In looking at some other targets that made trips to College Station, Ish Harris and Bear Alexander are now both trending towards the Aggies following big weekends by both. Harris seems to be a heavy lean while the Aggies are the early favorite to secure Alexander's commitment after his decommitment from Georgia on Monday. He has since landed two Crystal Ball Predictions in favor of Texas A&M since his announcement. Defensive line coach Terry Price has been doing work for Alexander and it is beginning to pay off.

MULTIPLE OFFENSIVE LINE TARGETS TAKE FIRST OFFICIAL VISITS
Five high priority targets on the offensive line took official visits elsewhere this past weekend as Malik Agbo stopped by Miami, Jacob Sexton swung by Alabama, the Humble Hombres of Kam Dewberry and Kelvin Banks took a trip to LSU, and Devon Campbell went out west to see USC.

The most notable development is that things went well for Dewberry and Banks in Baton Rouge despite a recent switch with the offensive line coach at LSU. I would now consider LSU a heavy contender for Dewberry with Brad Davis in the picture, and with Banks I see LSU as a contender but behind Texas at this point. The expectation is that both will return for games in Baton Rouge in the fall.

Texas has been the heavy favorite for Devon Campbell for much of his recruitment, and I don't see his visit to USC this past weekend changing that. That being said, his time in Los Angeles was great and his uncle had great things to say to Steve Wiltfong about the family's time there:

“It’s a beautiful campus, the weather is wonderful. The academics are very prestigious. The coaching staff was very warm and very personable. They were very inviting and I would say very, very truthful as well. I’m pretty tough. I asked a lot of tough questions. At least I think they’re tough and they had no problem answering them. All around the hospitality was off the charts. It was a wonderful experience and it was fulfilling and informative and I’m glad now that he’s had his first official visit and when he goes to OU in two weeks he can now start making comparison.”

QUICK HITTERS
- Things are continuing to trend away from Texas for Omari Abor, and his visit to Ohio State this past weekend pretty much cemented that this will be a race between the Buckeyes and Oklahoma.

- Texas commit Armani Winfield made a trip to Michigan State this past weekend for an official visit, but the Spartans aren't viewed as too much of a threat at this time.

- Former commit Evan Stewart has an array of visits set up for the month of June with his first to Florida this past weekend. Things went well in Gainesville and the defending SEC East champions have put themselves in a position to contend moving forward.

- The recruitment of Sebastian Cheeks is going to be interesting, and his trip to North Carolina adds to the intrigue. Things went well in Chapel Hill, but this is still shaping up to be a Texas-Notre Dame battle.

- Florida State picked up some major momentum in their pursuit for Kevin Coleman, and unless Texas can somehow get him on campus this summer, this race will start to fade out of Austin.

 

[NoName 16271]

I really don't like the All Gas No Brakes background that looks like they picked up the letters at Fredericksburg Trade Days and is staged in a barn after a wedding.

[Machinator 32097]

(Gaby Urrutia - MIami 247) Miami impressed 4-star OL Malik Agbo

Spoiler

One of Miami’s biggest offensive targets - both literally and figuratively - walking around South Florida this weekend on his official visit was Federal Way (Wash.) Todd Beamer four-star offensive lineman Malik Agbo. 

The 6-foot-5.5, 320-pounder left back to the Pacific Northwest impressed with what the Hurricanes, their coaches and the city of Miami had to offer.

“Just seeing how cool everyone is. Everyone is up-beat and all together. Talking about from coaching staff to teammates. Them taking me in, showing me around campus. This is a really cool environment to be in. This is one of the teams where you’re like,’Oh yeah, I want to play for those guys,’” Agbo told InsideTheU following his visit. 

The soon-to-be senior was hanging around with freshman quarterback Jake Garcia and a few other UM players throughout the weekend and that helped him feel at home 3,300-plus miles away from where he lives. 

“They’re focused and fun,” Agbo said. “They said, ‘This is what’s going to happen when you get here.’ Coaches going to treat you right. Nothing is sugarcoated. They’re going to tell you how it is. You’re going to work hard and have fun at the same time too.” 

Agbo got a chance to meet offensive line coach Garin Justice and other staffers and left impressed with them.

“They’re really cool guys. They take you under their wing and show you how it is when you get here. They do everything to help you be the best person you want to be, so that’s what I look at. Most coaches will tell you a whole lot of stuff and some coaches don’t really mean that, but I feel like these coaches mean it and speak it into existence,” Agbo said.

Despite being on the literal opposite corner of the country from the Evergreen State, distance may not be a factor after spending time down in South Florida. 

“It felt good because it’s different, but at the same time it’s like, ‘Okay, if I were to go here this is what I would experience.’ It’s something that fits me, my personality, fits everything,” Agbo said. 

Following the trip Agbo was still taking in all the new experiences he had. He plans on going back home and soaking in the weekend as he continues to move forward with his recruiting process.

“New setting, different weather, just kind of taking that in too,” Agbo said on what he’s leaving Miami feeling about the program. “Now, it’s like I can play here. Fans are all over place. It’s a great town of Coral Gables. It’s small, quiet place to be at - especially the University of Miami. Campus is small so you get from that place to that place easier, so that’s what I really look at.”

Coming up next for Agbo is an official visit to LSU followed by an official visit to Oklahoma. After that, local schools like Oregon and Washington will likely get the lineman on campus for unofficial visits. Agbo plans on pocketing his remaining two official visits for the upcoming season.

“My plan is to take two more visits during the season so I can catch a game or something like that. Just want to see what it’s like on a Saturday night or Saturday game, all that good stuff,” Agbo said.

The industry-generated 247Sports Composite has Agbo rated as the No. 270 overall player and No. 29 offensive tackle.

 

Edited June 8, 2021 by Machinator

[Machinator 32097]

(Blake Alderman - Gators247) 5-star WR Evan Stewart details Florida official visit

Spoiler

The Florida Gators hosted several elite prospect on campus this weekend for the first visit weekend since the 'Dead Period' ended. One of the most highly sought after names visiting Gainesville over the weekend was Frisco (TX) Liberty five-star wide receiver Evan Stewart. This was his first look at UF's campus and the Gators did not disappoint.

"It was fun, it was actually amazing," Stewart said. "I enjoyed it. It was really fun. [The highlight] was probably being around my big brother Baby J [Jaquavion Fraziars]. He showed me around. They were very welcoming and I felt accepting."

The Gators did a good job making the five-star feel comfortable while in The Sunshine State.

"Probably just having to say the vibe I get off the campus. How well I fit in, if I do fit in at all. It felt like home [at Florida]. I felt welcomed and stuff and they all enjoyed themselves and they treated us like family like we've been known each other."

Florida had their QB commit Nick Evers, who also plays on the same 7on7 team as Stewart. Evers has been heavily in his ear since making his commitment and the two spent a ton of time around each other while on campus.

"Me and Nick, we were everywhere together. We just talked about everything. What we liked and all the stuff that was going on. We talked about what our future would be like if we both were able to end up here."

The Gators threw the ball a ton this past season. Being a pass catcher, this is an appeal to the 6-foot, 175-pound pass catcher.

"That was definitely a main option, that was one of the main things I thought about when looking at colleges I choose [to visit]. They threw the ball, and with them doing it a lot, that puts them at a high position compared to other colleges."

Stewart is talking with a ton of schools at this point in his recruitment and pointed out a handful that he's in touch with the most.

"Florida, Texas, Alabama, and then LSU. Texas A&M a little bit."

Stewart had originally planned to take a few official visits in the month of June, but at this point he only has one more set for the summer.

"I only have USC right now," he said of future official visits. "Everything else I am saving for the fall for some games or stuff."

A decision timeline is up in the air as well, as Stewart isn't sure when he wants to be done.

"I don't know to be honest. Summer time is an option, but really any time is an option. There is no telling what goes through my head."

The 247Sports Composite, an industry generated average, current ranks Stewart as the Nation's No. 24 overall prospect in the 2022 recruiting class.

 

Edited June 8, 2021 by Machinator

[Tex-19 2869]

1 hour ago, closetojumping said:

Some folks think the right steps are being taken and some folks think we're trying to solve the right problems with the wrong people and tools. So, you got me. 

Here's how we'll know which is correct. Does Texas sign Evan Stewart? Do they sign Kelvin Banks? These are guys that want to come to Texas. Neither are overtly running an auction, but both are 5 star players that everyone is going to pursue up to the end and if Texas makes it hard on itself, well, I doubt either guy winds up at UT.

You'd sure think Sark and Jeff Banks know how to set it up right. But you know Aggy is going to drop a fat bag on K Banks so we best be prepared

Edited June 8, 2021 by Tex-19

[Tex-19 2869]

nm

Edited June 8, 2021 by Tex-19

[Tex Pete 20136]

1 hour ago, lemonandaturd said:

I see aggy made a big ass championship ring for 1939 and two fake big ass rings for 1919 and 1927.  

Someone should let those recruits know that aggy only won one national championship, and it was during segregation.

[NoName 16271]

6 minutes ago, Machinator said:

(Blake Alderman - Gators247) 5-star WR Evan Stewart details Florida official visit

  Hide contents

The Florida Gators hosted several elite prospect on campus this weekend for the first visit weekend since the 'Dead Period' ended. One of the most highly sought after names visiting Gainesville over the weekend was Frisco (TX) Liberty five-star wide receiver Evan Stewart. This was his first look at UF's campus and the Gators did not disappoint.

"It was fun, it was actually amazing," Stewart said. "I enjoyed it. It was really fun. [The highlight] was probably being around my big brother Baby J [Jaquavion Fraziars]. He showed me around. They were very welcoming and I felt accepting."

The Gators did a good job making the five-star feel comfortable while in The Sunshine State.

"Probably just having to say the vibe I get off the campus. How well I fit in, if I do fit in at all. It felt like home [at Florida]. I felt welcomed and stuff and they all enjoyed themselves and they treated us like family like we've been known each other."

Florida had their QB commit Nick Evers, who also plays on the same 7on7 team as Stewart. Evers has been heavily in his ear since making his commitment and the two spent a ton of time around each other while on campus.

"Me and Nick, we were everywhere together. We just talked about everything. What we liked and all the stuff that was going on. We talked about what our future would be like if we both were able to end up here."

The Gators threw the ball a ton this past season. Being a pass catcher, this is an appeal to the 6-foot, 175-pound pass catcher.

"That was definitely a main option, that was one of the main things I thought about when looking at colleges I choose [to visit]. They threw the ball, and with them doing it a lot, that puts them at a high position compared to other colleges."

Stewart is talking with a ton of schools at this point in his recruitment and pointed out a handful that he's in touch with the most.

"Florida, Texas, Alabama, and then LSU. Texas A&M a little bit."

Stewart had originally planned to take a few official visits in the month of June, but at this point he only has one more set for the summer.

"I only have USC right now," he said of future official visits. "Everything else I am saving for the fall for some games or stuff."

A decision timeline is up in the air as well, as Stewart isn't sure when he wants to be done.

"I don't know to be honest. Summer time is an option, but really any time is an option. There is no telling what goes through my head."

The 247Sports Composite, an industry generated average, current ranks Stewart as the Nation's No. 24 overall prospect in the 2022 recruiting class.

 

what's the relationship with Stewart and Jaquavion Fraziars?

[SydneyCarton 47809]

 

3 minutes ago, Tex-19 said:

You'd sure think Sark and Jeff Banks know how to set it up right. But you know Aggy is going to drop a fat bag on K Banks so we best be prepared

That's...not how this works at all. "How to set it up right." Coaches are by and large not exactly the cream of the intellectual crop, do you think they're who makes this engine go? 

[Tex-19 2869]

Supposedly Bryce is already going back to Aggy tomorrow. Not great

Just like when Sark was first hired, seems like Aggy is trying to race out quick and lock people in before they take other visits while we're taking a more patient approach. We gotta make sure we get guys on campus before they take the Aggy bags

[UncleBuck 6444]

13 minutes ago, Tex-19 said:

You'd sure think Sark and Jeff Banks know how to set it up right

They just gotta say the words. It's up to others to set things up and get it rolling. We'll see where we're at soon enough, I guess, as it's getting thick.

[texifornia 56434]

1 minute ago, UncleBuck said:

They just gotta say the words. It's up to others to set things up and get it rolling. We'll see where we're at soon enough, I guess, as it's getting thick.

You overestimate the enthusiasm of our wealthier alumni.

[BurntOrange&White 39486]

1 minute ago, UncleBuck said:

They just gotta say the words. It's up to others to set things up and get it rolling. We'll see where we're at soon enough, I guess, as it's getting thick.

[Elmer_Fudd 22084]

Looks like Wiltfong lowered his confidence pick on Anderson to Texas down to two.