Texas Recruiting Notes 2021

[RGBIII 22840]

25 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Yeah we definitely have a silent commit in the bag. Probably Brooks.

 

Agreed on Brooks. He took a virtual visit Friday 

[Elmer_Fudd 22332]

247 is doing another rankings update May 15th and looks like we'll get some BOMC.  Article talks about LB's moving up and Blackwell is listed.  Andrew Jones and Williams are mentioned as well.

https://247sports.com/college/texas/Article/College-football-recruiting-2021-linebackers-146373517/

Edited May 10, 2020 by Elmer_Fudd

[cdain3 3454]

A linebacker that sheds blocks? I'm sold.

[Elmer_Fudd 22332]

Wonder if Williams and Blackwell was a situation where the staff took whoever wanted to commit first or if they'll still try to get Williams?  Cooks has a spot no matter what IMO.

[Elmer_Fudd 22332]

1 minute ago, cdain3 said:

A linebacker that sheds blocks? I'm sold.
 

Orlando would have offered this kid in October in the middle of his Sr year after he had already committed somewhere.

[randygilman 643]

Would Charlie have recruited Morice Blackwell?

[trythisathome 971]

6 minutes ago, randygilman said:

Would Charlie have recruited Morice Blackwell?

3 days before NSD? Maybe. 

[Dondrysdale1 370]

I have a feeling Cooks is coming soon

[Getafix 28857]

This made me laugh ... (it's addressed to Roach):

 

 

[Fud 9559]

19 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Wonder if Williams and Blackwell was a situation where the staff took whoever wanted to commit first or if they'll still try to get Williams?  Cooks has a spot no matter what IMO.

Probably moved on from Williams to take Blackwell 

[closetohumping 17484]

2 hours ago, Fud said:

The realist final two were Strong and Franklin 

 

2 hours ago, Newy25 said:

Our final realistic final three were Art Briles, Jim Mora and Strong. Of that list most people were happy with the hire. Some of us wanted Briles because we did not know of his pro-rape platform at the time. But he refused to be interviewed and wanted to be offered the job without an interview. I recall most people on Shaggy being totally fine with the hire. 

His coordinator selection was an entirely different story. 

I remember those names.  Jimbo was a name also but allegedly Korn Ferry didn't clear him.  What I remember was Briles didn't want to interview, David Shaw said no multiple times, not sure about Mora, would be surprised if he shot us down.  I liked Franklin more than Charlie, personally.  And with all that, there was the rumor that Powers wanted to hire the first minority HC here at Texas.

[Sock Monkey 722]

How many LBs do we want in this class? Would we have room for Terrence Cooks and Andrew Jones if they both wanted to commit, assuming, Clayton Smith projects as an WDE? It's easy to forget that we already have Derrick Harris Jr.

[victory88 5672]

Nice to see we have a linebackers coach that actually recruits and evaluates.  Like someone mentioned, Orlando would have told every prospect we’re waiting till November to offer to whiff on everyone to then pick up some unheard juco guy and then try to figure out which safeties to move to LB for depth.  That moron is going to ruin USC’s depth.  

[Pato del Muerto 52639]

1 minute ago, Sock Monkey said:

How many LBs do we want in this class? Would we have room for Terrence Cooks and Andrew Jones if they both wanted to commit, assuming, Clayton Smith projects as an WDE? It's easy to forget that we already have Derrick Harris Jr.

Yes

[TommyGufano 6021]

1 minute ago, Sock Monkey said:

How many LBs do we want in this class? Would we have room for Terrence Cooks and Andrew Jones if they both wanted to commit, assuming, Clayton Smith projects as an WDE? It's easy to forget that we already have Derrick Harris Jr.

Harris may well end up as an edge rusher as well. Lot of poster here don't love the idea of him playing in space. And he wears size 16 shoes or something like that, so he may well have some growing left to do.

Will be interesting to see which/how many of these guys end up spinning down from the positions listed on their 247 pages

[victory88 5672]

Just now, Sock Monkey said:

How many LBs do we want in this class? Would we have room for Terrence Cooks and Andrew Jones if they both wanted to commit, assuming, Clayton Smith projects as an WDE? It's easy to forget that we already have Derrick Harris Jr.

I think Harris and Smith will be more hands on the ground like Ossai with the ability to drop back.  We need to take as many LBs as possible.  Mitchell is a transfer candidate.  Who know with Overshown,  I can see him having a huge year and declaring or I can see him not buying in fully and grad transferring next year.  Gbenda has already been suspended once and Tillman is coming off an acl year.  We don’t exactly have too many options at LB.

Take Harris, Smith, Blackwell, Jones, and Cooks and let them sort themselves out.

[UDontKnow 10451]

12 minutes ago, victory88 said:

I think Harris and Smith will be more hands on the ground like Ossai with the ability to drop back.  We need to take as many LBs as possible.  Mitchell is a transfer candidate.  Who know with Overshown,  I can see him having a huge year and declaring or I can see him not buying in fully and grad transferring next year.  Gbenda has already been suspended once and Tillman is coming off an acl year.  We don’t exactly have too many options at LB.

Take Harris, Smith, Blackwell, Jones, and Cooks and let them sort themselves out.

More important to note for Gbenda is that he is a possible medical retirement due to his cardiac issues.

EDIT: It's Mpagi, not Gbenda, who doesn't project to LB. My bad.

Edited May 10, 2020 by UDontKnow

[texifornia 57195]

1 minute ago, UDontKnow said:

More important to note for Gbenda is that he might become a medical retirement candidate due to his cardiac issues.

That's Mpagi not Gbenda.

[LTtxfan 49378]

1 hour ago, EZ$ said:

For this class to be legendary, the Brockermeyers will have to be in it. 

For whatever it's worth:  Current article behind a paywall on ESPN supposedly picks  Brock to Texas..

[westexhorn 2020]

 

[futureman 22559]

1 hour ago, EZ$ said:

For this class to be legendary, the Brockermeyers will have to be in it. 

they’re in it. 

[Elmer_Fudd 22332]

41 minutes ago, TommyGufano said:

Harris may well end up as an edge rusher as well. Lot of poster here don't love the idea of him playing in space. And he wears size 16 shoes or something like that, so he may well have some growing left to do.

Will be interesting to see which/how many of these guys end up spinning down from the positions listed on their 247 pages

Yeah Harris looks like an edge rusher.

https://mobile.twitter.com/yaahboidj/status/1241115104663474176

[Elmer_Fudd 22332]

Also, Ford was the only LB we took last class, so it wouldn't hurt to take 3 if possible.  Blackwell, Cooks, Williams/Jones.

[Elmer_Fudd 22332]

LSU is about to land a 4* RB.  Not sure how that affects LJ or how many they are taking.

[LTtxfan 49378]

41 minutes ago, victory88 said:

Nice to see we have a linebackers coach that actually recruits and evaluates.  Like someone mentioned, Orlando would have told every prospect we’re waiting till November to offer to whiff on everyone to then pick up some unheard juco guy and then try to figure out which safeties to move to LB for depth.  That moron is going to ruin USC’s depth.  

 

[texifornia 57195]

https://247sports.com/Player/Jardin-Gilbert-46085087/

[Cairn Horn88 8287]

2 hours ago, Fud said:

I liked Williams better, but Blackwell is a fine replacement for him. Can play in space, which is what matters the most. 

“Can play in space” so.....Space Cowboy!

[Fud 9559]

54 minutes ago, westexhorn said:

 

Yeah, I don't buy that 40 time 

[Elmer_Fudd 22332]

Have to like that Herman is focusing mainly on the in-state guys, and that the class as of now is all Texas kids.  Once things open up we are going to see a ton of comitted kids visiting other schools and decommits, and most will be kids who've never visited the current school committed to and/or a long ways from home.

[Burt Macklin 19053]

3 hours ago, Fud said:

The realist final two were Strong and Franklin 

I know Franklin was one of UT’s candidates, but I don’t think he would’ve come here over Penn State considering his connections there and the fact we weren’t willing to break the bank at that time. 

2 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

A few comments on this commitment. The 9.95'rs were all over this one, weren't they? Also, I'm wondering whether this is a clear example of the staff starting to prioritize speed over size as they saw Baylor do really well with that formula. Mack did the same thing starting in the early 2000's. Finally, Herman indicated he was going to quit being so enamored with stars and trust his evaluations more in the future. This would be another example of that because of his size? 

Hutzler/Ash have been killing it on LB evaluations. Every guy they’ve offered is the exact kind of LB you need in today’s game. We’re finally going to quit letting schools like Baylor, TCU, and ISU take those guys and beat us with them while we take a guy like Adeoye who’s 245 lbs in HS and a top 100 rated recruit that never does anything. 

2 hours ago, Fud said:

If you go back and try and figure out Strong's ten worst losses, you realize just how shitty an era that was. 

 

1 hour ago, UDontKnow said:

More important to note for Gbenda is that he is a possible medical retirement due to his cardiac issues.

EDIT: It's Mpagi, not Gbenda, who doesn't project to LB. My bad.

I’ve missed @Katfid54 around here lately. Thank you for this. 

[JOSEYWALES66 1805]

1 hour ago, victory88 said:

Nice to see we have a linebackers coach that actually recruits and evaluates.  Like someone mentioned, Orlando would have told every prospect we’re waiting till November to offer to whiff on everyone to then pick up some unheard juco guy and then try to figure out which safeties to move to LB for depth.  That moron is going to ruin USC’s depth.  

In all fairness to Orlando, if you telegraph every LB blitz from the outskirts of Temple, do you really need to have top talent? 

[SimkinsMan 4421]

6 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Have to like that Herman is focusing mainly on the in-state guys, and that the class as of now is all Texas kids.  Once things open up we are going to see a ton of comitted kids visiting other schools and decommits, and most will be kids who've never visited the current school committed to and/or a long ways from home.

Agreed, if ever there were a year to focus on Texas kids ... this is the year.

[Elmer_Fudd 22332]

Blackwell is in the ESPN 300 and the speculation on the upcoming 247 rankings is he could be in the 92-91range. which would currently be in the #160-220 range nationally.  That just leaves Rivals having him at #84 in the state.  This weeks Rivals updates should be interesting.

[Coach pop a bitch 5501]

1 hour ago, LTtxfan said:

For whatever it's worth:  Current article behind a paywall on ESPN supposedly picks  Brock to Texas..

ESPN

Brockermeyer has a top five of Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, LSU and Texas as of now. He has a ton of ties to Texas, as his father and grandfather both played for the Longhorns, and a few other family members attended the university as well.

The No. 1-ranked tackle in this class also has a twin brother, James, who is an ESPN 300 prospect, and the two have said they would like to go to college together. Texas is the natural guess for both of them, but Alabama and Clemson are very much in the picture. Brockermeyer has said it's almost more difficult to go through the recruiting process with a twin brother because they're trying to find the right fit for two people rather than one.

Their recruitments might be affected by the restrictions caused by the coronavirus, so it might still be a little early in predicting. It does seem as though Texas, Alabama and Clemson have the best shot.

Prediction: Texas

Edited May 10, 2020 by Coach pop a bitch

[NYBevo 1699]

3 hours ago, Fud said:

It appears that Baylor/Aranda really wanted him 

This was a "no" Baylor couldnt ignore

[HtownHorn 14793]

So Blackwell and Cooks for the 2 LB positions, with Harris and Smith for the Jack. Leaving room for maybe 1 more in Williams or Jones.

[cochamps 1879]

6 minutes ago, Coach pop a bitch said:

ESPN

Brockermeyer has a top five of Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, LSU and Texas as of now. He has a ton of ties to Texas, as his father and grandfather both played for the Longhorns, and a few other family members attended the university as well.

The No. 1-ranked tackle in this class also has a twin brother, James, who is an ESPN 300 prospect, and the two have said they would like to go to college together. Texas is the natural guess for both of them, but Alabama and Clemson are very much in the picture. Brockermeyer has said it's almost more difficult to go through the recruiting process with a twin brother because they're trying to find the right fit for two people rather than one.

Their recruitments might be affected by the restrictions caused by the coronavirus, so it might still be a little early in predicting. It does seem as though Texas, Alabama and Clemson have the best shot.

Prediction: Texas

Thanks for posting, but it sounds like a WAG.  As I would expect from them.

[Coach pop a bitch 5501]

Just now, cochamps said:

Thanks for posting, but it sounds like a WAG.  As I would expect from them.

Yup. 

[Burt Macklin 19053]

22 minutes ago, JOSEYWALES66 said:

In all fairness to Orlando, if you telegraph every LB blitz from the outskirts of Temple, do you really need to have top talent? 

Based on his recruiting, Orlando didn’t think you needed linebackers at all. 

12 minutes ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Blackwell is in the ESPN 300 and the speculation on the upcoming 247 rankings is he could be in the 92-91range. which would currently be in the #160-220 range nationally.  That just leaves Rivals having him at #84 in the state.  This weeks Rivals updates should be inaccurate.

FIFY

[Tex Pete 20558]

15 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

Strong never put in the effort to distinguish the good four stars from the bad. His classes performed way worse than their rankings.

 

That’s because he’s an idiot. 

[Getafix 28857]

 

Horns 247 / Gabe Brooks / Commitment analysis: What Texas gets in Morice Blackwell

 

Spoiler

Commitment analysis: What Texas gets in Morice Blackwell

GabeBrooks
 

Morice Blackwell, 2021 LB, Arlington (Texas)

Recruiting: Blackwell committed Sunday morning to Texas, which originally offered the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex standout Feb. 1. Blackwell picked the Longhorns over more than a dozen other offers, including Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Utah, Houston, San Diego State, SMU, and Tulsa.

Rankings: The industry-generated 247Sports Composite rates Blackwell as a strong three-star recruit who is ranked No. 32 nationally among 2021 outside linebacker prospects, as well as No. 67 overall regardless of position in the state of Texas for his class. The 247Sports rankings consider Blackwell a high three-star with a grade of 88, which puts him 35th nationally among 2021 outside linebackers and No. 61 overall in the Lone Star State's 2021 class.

Blackwell is the ninth commitment for the Longhorns in the 2021 cycle. Texas is now ranked No. 12 nationally on the 247Sports Composite Team Recruiting Rankings, which puts the Longhorns atop the Big 12 Conference recruiting race.

Stats: Blackwell finished the 2019 season with 128 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, two sacks, two interceptions, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and two defensive touchdowns (both fumble returns). That performance earned him Texas District 4-6A Overall MVP accolades.

Blackwell's breakout 2018 sophomore season saw him register 112 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception (returned for a TD), and two forced fumbles. He also produced three safeties in 2018, earning district Defensive Sophomore of the Year honors.

Evaluation notes: Blackwell has lined up all over Arlington Martin's defense and produced terrific numbers for the past two seasons. He could become a box safety in the right scheme, but given the style of today's game and his frame length, Blackwell likely best suits an off-line linebacker role that will allow him to play in space and roam in pursuit.

In the 6-foot-1, 195- to 200-pound range, Blackwell owns a lean, athletic build with good length that should help him continue to gain some mass in college. He will need to add some more good weight to combat college-level blockers in the run game.

Having said that, his pursuit ability is outstanding. He shows plenty of range and his straight-line speed when closing on a target is one of his best traits. Blackwell shows the ability to provide the big hit when the opportunity arises, and he's unafraid to crash in-the-box traffic to make plays against the run.

Blackwell's participation in track and field is limited but encouraging. He owns a personal record of 11.60 in the 100 meters, a number that suggests he can improve his top-end speed, though his functional play speed is good. He also owns a 5-10 mark in the high jump.

Moving around the formation could be one of Blackwell's best characteristics as he projects to the next level. To do so effectively, he will need to hone his coverage skills, as the majority of his playmaking in high school has been downhill, forward-oriented action. There's a bit of literal stiffness to him at times, but that's not surprising for a player of his length who's asked to attack in most situations.

Blackwell could get on the field early on special teams, where he has thrived for Arlington Martin, and where his frame and play speed shine. He has the potential to provide an early impact as a special teamer, with the long-term ceiling of becoming a multi-year starter with aspirations beyond the college level.

Barton Simmons, 247Sports Director of Scouting: "The thing that jumps off the film the most about Blackwell is his length and upside. He plays a lot of safety and he was extremely productive in the 2019 season but his body type and range are two of the traits that caught our attention in a rewatch of his film."

 

[NorLa Horns 1458]

9 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

Based on his recruiting, Orlando didn’t think you needed linebackers at all. 

 

No. Orlando knew he needed LBs. High quality fast LBs. 

He just seemed to think the LB fairy was gonna drop them in his lap. 

His scheme worked when he had Malik and Johnson. 

He lost them. And lost his flexibility. And was unable or unwilling to adjust other areas to let talent at other positions make up for the deficiencies at LB. 

That's how you get fired

[LTtxfan 49378]

43 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

Hutzler/Ash have been killing it on LB evaluations. Every guy they’ve offered is the exact kind of LB you need in today’s game. We’re finally going to quit letting schools like Baylor, TCU, and ISU take those guys and beat us with them while we take a guy like Adeoye who’s 245 lbs in HS and a top 100 rated recruit that never does anything.

I’ve missed @Katfid54 around here lately. Thank you for this. 

 

 

[TommyGufano 6021]

 

 

 

[texifornia 57195]

Aaron Willis to Tennessee

 

[RGBIII 22840]

46 minutes ago, SimkinsMan said:

Agreed, if ever there were a year to focus on Texas kids ... this is the year.

Don’t tell that to Jimbo

[RGBIII 22840]

58 minutes ago, Fud said:

Yeah, I don't buy that 40 time 

I don’t buy any recruits 40 time

[texifornia 57195]

6 minutes ago, TommyGufano said:

 

 

 

So does aggy just not want to compete for any instate kids or nah?

[Bevo14 8382]

9 minutes ago, TommyGufano said:

 

 

 

The first 5 are shoved to the side of the screen and the horns have a dominating presence. Texas lock.

[RGBIII 22840]

Roach interview with Smith

Clayton Smith is down to six.

The four-star outside linebacker from Texarkana (Texas) High is ready to narrow down his field as he closes in on deciding what schools he will officially visit. Texas made the cut along with LSU, Oklahoma, Oregon, Florida State and Kentucky.

The Longhorns have been making Smith a priority since Chris Ash took over, and Smith is feeling the love.“I love Texas,” he said. “It’s the fan favorite. I’ve talked with coach Giles, coach Herman and coach Ash on several occasions. They’ve let it be known I’m the number one guy on the board. I just love them.”

Chris Ash has been a big factor in this recruitment with several ties to Smith and his family, but Smith said his relationship with Texas defensive line coach Oscar Giles really cements his interest. The staff is pitching Smith on being a hybrid pass rusher, and he said Giles gave him a clear vision for his fit on and off the field at Texas.

I love the way coach Giles broke it down to me with the role that I would play in their defense. To him it’s more than just football. You can tell he’s meaning business. He doesn’t just want me to come and just be an athlete at the University of Texas. He wants me to come, play at UT, go to the league and come back with a story to tell for the other people that were supposed to go to Texas. The way he broke it down to me, he has a vision. He made that really clear.”

Smith wants to take his visits before making his decision public at the All-American Bowl. He will have to cut one school off this list to fit all of his visits in, and he knows of four schools that will definitely get visits as of now.

“I want to take all of them, but I haven’t really decided which ones I’m going to take. I know Oregon, LSU, Texas and Oklahoma will get visits right now,” he said.

At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, Smith is ranked as the No. 8 outside linebacker in the nation and No. 16 overall prospect in Texas, according to 247Sports Composite.

Edited May 10, 2020 by RGBIII