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Texas Recruiting Notes 2021

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Hiphopopotamos

Hiphopopotamos 20873

Posted
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2 hours ago, UncleBuck said:

This is what it is. 

This is what Herman is recruiting against:

amRIthJ.jpg

 

Hopefully Cosmi/Ossai/Sterns can have the kind of seasons that vault them into Round 1 and help to eliminate draft mediocrity (misery) as a recruiting narrative. 

 

 

(*these numbers might be off by a couple because of transfers)

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1 in coaches were made aware late last night 

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Burt Macklin

Burt Macklin 19024

Posted
Posted (edited)
17 minutes ago, Bevo14 said:

If there is a season, I expect us to do well enough to sort all of this shit out. I imagine a lot of these recruitments are more piss than normal. On paper I think this team is better than the 09 team. It's better than the 08 team too if you include the coaching staff. I'm still not that confident there will be a season though.

This is an absurd take. The difference between Colt and Sam alone completely invalidates any comparison of the two. The 09 roster was better. 

9 minutes ago, Hiphopopotamos said:

This is what Herman is recruiting against:

amRIthJ.jpg

 

Hopefully Cosmi/Ossai/Sterns can have the kind of seasons that vault them into Round 1 and help to eliminate draft mediocrity (misery) as a recruiting narrative. 

 

 

(*these numbers might be off by a couple because of transfers)

Whether it’s talking about needing to win or getting negative recruited because of a lack of draft picks, it all comes down to the same thing.
Herman and Co. need to put it all together this year and have a good season.  If that happens, then we’re going to have some high draft picks and a lot of guys drafted overall. All the negative recruiting will get completely undercut if we just win this year. Plus, a lot of programs have invested a large amount of time into their negative recruiting pitches against UT. If UT answers those questions, then we’re gonna see a wave of recruits come in.

If not, then we’re fucked and the only question will be whether we rip off the band aid in 2020 or 2021 and for the third time in 7 or 8 years we’ll be talking about coaching searches, transition classes, and holes on the roster because of all the attrition. 

Edited by Burt Macklin
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satyanash

satyanash 14485

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Eric Nahlin: Corona compounds ‘crootin conundrum

Quote

Corona and “recruiting” tail during spring break is much more desirable than corona affecting the recruiting trail during the spring evaluation period. Though, some programs that have created momentum during these unprecedented recruiting times may beg to differ. Despite landing some solid commitments over the last month, Texas hasn’t been one of the schools able to manufacture momentum at this time.

Following a disappointing season, Tom Herman revamped his coaching staff with new faces, many of which, particularly on defense, were new to the region. That’s okay we thought, those new coaches intended to hit recruiting hard. For as long as they were allowed, they did just that. Texas was very proactive in hosting recruits on campus. Chris Ash was flying all over the country seeking defensive backs. Jay Valai was gaining ground rather than back-pedaling with instate targets, primarily Ishmael Ibraheem. Jay Boulware was getting Texas in the door with players he knew while at OU. Etc.

The Coronavirus put an end to those much more personal interactions, and worse, to travel in general. On first blush, prospects not being able to visit campuses may seem to affect schools equally, but that’s not the case at all. The reason Texas recruiting should never be down for long, and why it should recruit at a very high level with just a bit of positive program perception, is because of the school and location itself. UT has inherent recruiting advantages few others do.

While you may not win kids purely by selling the school, you’re going to get the attention of a lot of them, and parents nearly unanimously understand the value of a Texas degree. The chain of successful Texas recruiting has been broken. It should go something like this.

- Texas shows interest in a recruit
- Kid is either very interested, interested, or lukewarm, but will visit regardless
- Prospect shows up to campus to get more acquainted with the school and coaches
- Depending on priority level, recruit is given the full school treatment, meeting tutors, perhaps a professor, and gets a tour of campus
- Depending on priority level, recruit gets a lot of one on one time with his position coach and/or Herman.
- Recruit and parent interest level increases noticeably

Now, post-visit, the very interested recruit may be on commit watch, the interested one is now very interested, and the lukewarm prospect has interest. Maybe some new targets picked up on offer. Another unforeseen negative is Texas was being more selective with instate offers, instead choosing to fish for national elites. The spring would have presented the opportunity to truly make up ground with any instate prospects who felt slighted by inattention or lack of offer.

Also, the staff would have been able to do more homework on players it was still getting to know. More viable targets would have been unearthed. Absent increased familiarity with the school and new staff, the narrative reverts to the stagnation of the tail-end of the 2020 cycle rather than the new-ish car smell of some really good coaching hires. Without spring ball, the staff isn’t able to build excitement around a talented team led by one of the most recognizable stars in college football.

Texas, through some fault of its own, as well as the bad luck of the pandemic, has become an easy target for negative recruiting at the same time OU and LSU are up. Where do they go from here? Texas may have an out card that doesn’t require catching a break on the river. Win. With the record number of early commitments it’s very possible, perhaps likely, that we’ll see a frantic season filled with flips.

It’s common for less-heralded players with the potential to earn better offers down the road to commit to a safety school. This cycle, under these circumstances, we’re even seeing really good players electing to lock up a spot. Many of them still intend to make up for the visits they lost this spring during the football season. As we’ve mentioned, due to the hiring of two brand new coordinators, not being able to have a proper spring practice bloc inordinately hurts Texas as well. If that hurts the on-field product, then the class will stagnate.

For now, there isn’t too much reason to be concerned about recruiting. The 2021 class finish will depend on what kind of fall Herman has, in every sense to the word.

 

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UncleBuck

UncleBuck 6454

Posted
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16 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

Herman and Co. need to put it all together this year and have a good season.  If that happens, then we’re going to have some high draft picks and a lot of guys drafted overall. All the negative recruiting will get completely undercut if we just win this year.

Exactly. It appears this is the year to make up ground on the draft discussion. The rest is to Just Win Baby. 

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texifornia

texifornia 56961

Posted
Posted (edited)
28 minutes ago, satyanash said:

Eric Nahlin: Corona compounds ‘crootin conundrum

 

Classic Nahlin.

Pull an "oh I'm just so above it all"...

Quote

For now, there isn’t too much reason to be concerned about recruiting. The 2021 class finish will depend on what kind of fall Herman has, in every sense to the word.

...After spending the weekend ugly crying all over his own message board.

Edited by texifornia
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JFKFC

JFKFC 4879

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37 minutes ago, Bevo14 said:

 On paper I think this team is better than the 09 team. It's better than the 08 team too if you include the coaching staff. 

My goodness. I've been reading college football message boards for a long time. I don't know if I have ever disagreed with a post more than I disagree with this one. 

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NoName

NoName 16351

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19 hours ago, LetYourNutsHang said:

Lol. Don’t know where to start, but you start off by saying he was joking, then follow that up with justifications for labeling him psychotic. Which one is it? Also, telling someone to chill and then proceeding to write a novel? You’re all over the place

i think the football board is more your speed

 

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Goodman

Goodman 3273

Posted
Posted (edited)
42 minutes ago, Bevo14 said:

If there is a season, I expect us to do well enough to sort all of this shit out. I imagine a lot of these recruitments are more piss than normal. On paper I think this team is better than the 09 team. It's better than the 08 team too if you include the coaching staff. I'm still not that confident there will be a season though.

All up to our OL and playcallers this year. We will be very good, tough to say better than the 09 team but I do think this is the best team since. 

Edited by Goodman
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NoName

NoName 16351

Posted
Posted (edited)
18 hours ago, RGBIII said:

Ahhhh its a Futureman sock...

We Got Him GIF

Capture.PNG

in a move that shocks no one, futureman is a piece of shit who shows for the umpteenth million time why he is the most ignored user on this site.

edit: somehow it seems even worse that this isn't his sock and is just some idiot that futureman reps to keep around.

 

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futureman

futureman 22462

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55 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

This is an absurd take. The difference between Colt and Sam alone completely invalidates any comparison of the two. The 09 roster was better. 

 

2019 sam vs 2009 colt:

sam had more td's, fewer picks, higher qb rating, more rushing yards, more rushing td's.  sam is clearly the better quarterback.

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UncleBuck

UncleBuck 6454

Posted
Posted (edited)
10 minutes ago, Dbeasy said:


Does this include transfers out from Texas to other programs like Elliott at Missouri? It should. Transfers due to coaching changes distort data

Ask that question to Joe Recruit. He dgaf. 

But a good question for us. 

Edited by UncleBuck
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Thiefery

Thiefery 4995

Posted
Posted
15 minutes ago, Getafix said:

Wiltfong predicts Bama for the brothers Brockermeyer (in his predictions for Top 10 uncommitted recruits article, which includes Tommy).Confidence level 6.  Then hedges a bit and says Texas possible, wouldn't be a shock.

this sounds just like his brief write up from a couple weeks ago.

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Orange&White

Orange&White 5528

Posted
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1 hour ago, Burt Macklin said:

This is an absurd take. The difference between Colt and Sam alone completely invalidates any comparison of the two. The 09 roster was better. 

Whether it’s talking about needing to win or getting negative recruited because of a lack of draft picks, it all comes down to the same thing.
Herman and Co. need to put it all together this year and have a good season.  If that happens, then we’re going to have some high draft picks and a lot of guys drafted overall. All the negative recruiting will get completely undercut if we just win this year. Plus, a lot of programs have invested a large amount of time into their negative recruiting pitches against UT. If UT answers those questions, then we’re gonna see a wave of recruits come in.

If not, then we’re fucked and the only question will be whether we rip off the band aid in 2020 or 2021 and for the third time in 7 or 8 years we’ll be talking about coaching searches, transition classes, and holes on the roster because of all the attrition. 

I know there are people on this thread that have some fascination with the thread hitting 1000 posts.

This year, we might actually get 1000 variations of this quoted post.

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Fondren & Main

Fondren & Main 6718

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22 minutes ago, BornOrange said:

08 and 09 had Will Muschamp as the defensive coordinator.

That alone makes those coaching staffs better until the current one proves otherwise.

We will see what happens w/ Ash.  His ideologies seem inline w/ Muschamp's.  I wasn't overly disappointed w/ that hire like everyone else.  His philosophy seems to be to play assignment football and not try to outsmart the other side like Orlan_o.

I think we saw what our defensive athletes are capable of in the Alamo Bowl too.  Just need to unleash them on our opponents and crush them.

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Getafix

Getafix 28620

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Posted (edited)

247 / Steve Wiltfong / Where the 10 best uncommitted 2021 prospects are leaning

 

Spoiler

Where the 10 best uncommitted 2021 prospects are leaning
BySTEVE WILTFONG
 

With the pandemic we are seeing prospects committing to programs and locking in a spot at a historic rate here in the 2021 cycle, but the majority of the elite names are still on the board.

The updated Top247 dropped Wednesday afternoon — a defensively-focused reform — and 10 of the top 11 prospects are undeclared regarding their college future. Ohio State's Jack Sawyer, the No. 5 player in the class, is the only committed prospect in the top 10. 


With that, 247Sports assesses each of those recruitments as we do our monthly heat check on where these coveted five-stars are potentially leaning. A new wrinkle this time is the addition of confidence levels on a 1-10 scale for Crystal Ball picks. When applicable, I'll include that with each of these predictions. 

J.T. TUIMOLOAU, DE
Prediction: Ohio State (Confidence: 5)

Top247 Ranking: 1

High School: Sammamish (Wash.) Eastside Catholic

Ohio State continues to pick up steam on the 247Sports Crystal Ball forecast including predictions from my colleague Brandon Huffman and myself. The opportunity to be coached by Buckeyes defensive line coach Larry Johnson and the player development under his watch is a huge factor for Tuimoloau. Huffman has said in the past this one is expected to go till February so we’ll see if the pulse changes, if proximity becomes a factor, etc. USC, Washington, Oregon, Stanford and Alabama are among the other programs pushing.

KOREY FOREMAN, DE
Prediction: USC (Confidence: 2)

Top247 Ranking: 2

High School: Corona (Calif.) Centennial

While the 247Sports Crystal Ball favors USC, my gut is telling me LSU and Georgia could be in better position with Korey Foreman. The contact with Ed Orgeron and Kirby Smart and their respective staffs is constant. “I think he’s going to go South,” one college coach with knowledge of the recruitment said. USC has a lot going in this recruitment with proximity, a new energetic coaching staff on the defensive side and the relationship with the Trojans budding star defender Drake Jackson whose father trains Foreman, but the recent NFL Draft was also reminder to Foreman of what conference put out the most picks. A one-time Clemson commit, Foreman is keeping them under reconsideration and Alabama, Oregon, Arizona State and Oklahoma are a few of the other programs chopping wood here.

JC LATHAM, OT

Leaning: Ohio State (Confidence: 6)

Top247 Ranking: 3

High School: Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy

Like Foreman, JC Latham's recruitment seems to have really tightened up. Ohio State is the 247Sports Crystal Ball favorite including my forecast, and LSU has always been considered a major challenger. Things are picking up with Alabama, who beyond its top-notch development of offensive lineman, can now point to Evan Neal — a fellow IMG Academy product who started all 13 games this past season as a true freshman. Seeing Neal do so well has made an impression on Latham. Beyond these schools, Latham is keeping in touch with a handful of other programs including Oklahoma.

LEONARD TAYLOR, DT

Prediction: Florida

Top247 Ranking: 4

High School: Miami (Fla.) Palmetto

Here's one where I haven't made an official Crystal Ball selection. Florida is the favorite, but Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn and LSU are plugging along in this recruitment as well. The Gators have long been considered the team to beat and the buzz still favors the program in Gainesville, but Taylor has built strong relationships with those other schools.

CALEB WILLIAMS, QB
 
Prediction: Oklahoma (Confidence: 10) 

Top247 Ranking: 6

High School: Washington (DC) Gonzaga

The top-ranked quarterback in the country recently dropped his final three of Oklahoma, LSU and Maryland. Barring a dramatic shift in momentum, it would be surprising to see the five-star Williams land anywhere other than Norman where it seems the Sooners are nearing a surge of their own on the recruiting trail. Lincoln Riley and his staff got the last visit in early March and the Williams family has said a number of times they want to take the family and their private group of coaches down to Baton Rouge to check out the Tigers one more time before deciding.

EMEKA EGBUKA, WR
Prediction: Ohio State (Confidence: 😎

Top247 Ranking: 7

High School: Steilacoom (Wash.) 

Confidence continues to grow regarding my forecast in favor of Ohio State for Egbuka who dropped his top four last week that also included Clemson, Oklahoma and Washington. From this four, I view the in-state Huskies as the biggest challenger when at one time it seemed like it was the Tigers.

SMAEL MONDON, LB

Prediction: Georgia (Confidence: 6)

Top247 Ranking: 8

High School: Dallas (Ga.) Paulding County

I like the Bulldogs here for the prized in-state five-star linebacker, but Mondon has great relationships with coaches at Auburn, Florida, Oklahoma and Tennessee as well. He originally planned to make a college decision following his senior season but because of the coronavirus pandemic recently said he hasn’t ruled out making the call sooner. A couple people close to Mondon ultimately thought he’d choose the Bulldogs but nobody said it was anywhere close to a done deal. Mondon likes the family feel at Auburn, and his relationships are strong with all the programs mentioned.

JAMES WILLIAMS, S

Prediction: Georgia (Confidence: 😎

Top247 Ranking: 9

High School: Opa Locka (Fla.) Western

Williams has a top three of Alabama, Clemson and Georgia, but the buzz, momentum, flavor has stayed with the Bulldogs for much of the process and nobody is saying anything different this month. We’ll see if the Crimson Tide or Tigers can ultimately change the arrow on this one.

TOMMY BROCKERMEYER, OT

Prediction: Alabama (Confidence: 6)

Top247 Ranking: 10

High School: Fort Worth (Texas) All Saints Episcopal 

My prediction remains with the Crimson Tide for both Brockermeyer and his twin brother, center James Brockermeyer. They were scheduled to take two official visits to Tuscaloosa, the only program that was set to get more than one trip before the pandemic hit. I think the success the SEC power has had in the NFL Draft is what gives Nick Saban and his staff the edge for the Brockermeyers. With all that being said, with all the family ties to Texas (dad, Blake, was an All-American in Austin), who could be surprised if they choose the Longhorns in the end? LSU and Auburn are also finalists. A decision does not seem imminent.

XAVIAN SOREY, LB
Prediction: Alabama

Top247 Ranking: 11

High School: Graceville (Fla.) High 

No Crystal Ball prediction here, but the buzz I’m hearing continues to favor Alabama for the linebacker prospect from the Sunshine State. Sal Sunseri and Charles Kelly are doing a good job recruiting Sorey for the Tide in a location where they’ve had a lot of success. I view Georgia as the biggest challenger to the tide with Florida in it, too.

Bonus nugget! I wouldn’t be surprised to see Sorey and Terrion Arnold at the same school too. I currently have Arnold forecasted to Alabama but many others are trying to make a move there, too.

 

 

Edited by Getafix
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satyanash

satyanash 14485

Posted
Posted

Mike Roach: Thoughts on Texas targets in Top247 defensive update

Quote

—Tommy Brockermeyer is experiencing a slow slide, but it’s understandable at this point. It’s not so much him dropping as others moving up and losing out on his junior season with injury isn’t helping him rise. He’s still in the Top 10 nationally, and he looks primed to come back for a huge season, and I still think there’s a chance he can end up as the top player in the country depending on how well he plays.

—Ja’Tavion Sanders slipped one spot due to movement around him in the Top247. He’s still in the top half of five-star territory at No. 16 if he can hold his position throughout the year. As of now, it appears he’s ascended as high as possible, but holding strong there is good news. If he can produce a strong senior season, he could move into the Top 10 territory.

—Like Sanders, Billy Bowman’s one spot jump didn’t generate a ton of movement, but he held strong at No. 37. Like Sanders, Bowman needs to only remain in striking position of five-star territory and put together another stellar season for the Raiders. If he does that, he can end up a five-star in the Top247.

—The biggest jump Texas fans should pay attention to is that of Desoto DL Shemar Turner. With one of the biggest jumps in the Top247, From his previous spot of 231 to No. 67, Turner is now moving into elite company. A scheme-versatile defensive lineman capable of disruption from the end position in an odd front or the interior in an even front. Texas is chasing Alabama right now, and they need to turn it up to add another piece to their defensive front.

—Jalen Milroe hung tight in the Top 100 dropping two spots to No. 97. This was a defensive update so Milroe only moved down as a result of others moving up. Next month’s offensive ranking should tell us about where Milroe can go heading into his senior season.

—Texas target Andrew Jones jumped from outside of the Top247 to No. 160. Another momentous leap for a Texas target in these rankings. I’ll be interested to see the way Jones’ recruitment plays out. As a smaller ‘backer, he’s a perfect fit for the Big 12, but Texas just recently offered and has some work to do to get in the race.

—Texas commit Jordon Thomas missed a lot of time last season due to an injury, so seeing a slight drop from No. 162 to No. 167 isn’t surprising. Thomas’s future really depends on how he rebounds from his injury and plays during his senior season. His junior year should have set the table for him, but it feels like his ranking could go a long way in either direction depending on how this season plays out.

—Austin LBJ safety Andrew Mukuba saw a small jump from No. 208 to No. 202. For a prospect fairly new to playing defensive back, he’s holding strong in a good position. Mukuba is expected to continue to grow at the position, and he could be a big riser this fall.

—Denton Guyer cornerback Deuce Harmon saw minimal downward movement. At this point of his recruitment, he’s flown as high as he can with his athleticism. The next step will be a special year on the field to push Harmon into the Top 200.

—Dallas Kimball cornerback Ishmael Ibraheem took one of the biggest tumbles. While Ibraheem has a tremendous frame and a skillset that can be developed, but a lack of athletic context and questionable ball skills led to his fall. He can rebound this year, but he will have to climb to re-gain Top 100 status.

—Morice Blackwell didn’t make it to the Top247, but he was granted four-star status. Blackwell finds himself in striking distance of the Top247 and another productive season should continue his rise. Blackwell falls in line with the new wave in linebacker evaluation, and his continued production will only help his rise.

—Texas commit Derrick Harris dropped out of the Top247 and was moved to a three-star prospect. The biggest issue our evaluators saw with Harris was a junior season that didn’t improve greatly on his sophomore season. Harris’s position was also moved to weak-side defensive end. In the future, he will be categorized as an “Edge” as 247 moves forward to adapting with the fluidity of football positions. Harris’s drop wasn’t too low, and he can rebound back to four-star status with a strong senior campaign.

 

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Burt Macklin

Burt Macklin 19024

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Goodman said:

All up to our OL and playcallers this year. We will be very good, tough to say better than the 09 team but I do think this is the best team since. 

definitely agree with the last part. This is by far our best roster since 09. There’s really no excuse to not make the playoff. We’re the most talented team in the conference, and 11-2 with a conference title would likely get us in. 

1 hour ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Wow, 247 bumped Andrew Jones up to #160 in the nation.

Jaydon Williams is a 4* as well.

Ibraheem dropped to a low 4*.

I hope we can get Williams back in as the third LB in our class. I expect LSU will end up having Jones as a take, so I doubt he’ll be a realistic option for us. 

1 hour ago, Ricky's one-hitter said:

The common denominator is the player personnel department set up by Tom.

Tom’s system can evaluate. Tom can't close.

FIFY. I don’t think we give him enough credit for having a damn good player personnel department in place from Day 1. A lot of our early offers have been extremely on point. 
 

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Ricky's one-hitter

Ricky's one-hitter 9114

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, Burt Macklin said:

I don’t think we give him enough credit for having a damn good player personnel department in place from Day 1. A lot of our early offers have been extremely on point. 

Yeah, that's entirely correct. My entire point is that Tom should get all of the credit for the good evals. He should also get all of the blame for the inability to close on the top of the board. 

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Mdhorn

Mdhorn 5949

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Dbeasy said:


Does this include transfers out from Texas to other programs like Elliott at Missouri? It should. Transfers due to coaching changes distort data

Then there are guys (Poona) that went un-drafted but are still playing on NFL teams.  That was pretty poor evaluation by scouts. 

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Pato del Muerto

Pato del Muerto 52498

Posted
Posted

Maybe Alabama and Ohio state and LSU put more players in the league and in higher rounds because the best prospects go there?  How many Texas prospects has Texas wanted badly, who would have been drafted as a longhorn, but chose to go to those other places?

or are we thinking that okudah and chaisson and others wouldn’t have been drafted had they chosen Texas?  

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SydneyCarton

SydneyCarton 48106

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Maybe Alabama and Ohio state and LSU put more players in the league and in higher rounds because the best prospects go there?  How many Texas prospects has Texas wanted badly, who would have been drafted as a longhorn, but chose to go to those other places?

or are we thinking that okudah and chaisson and others wouldn’t have been drafted had they chosen Texas?  

Chicken/egg. And it doesn’t matter, improvement. Does Brandon Jones go higher than the third? Maybe. Do those prospects go pro at Texas? Maybe. As High? Who knows. The real problem with that list is the fact that Baylor is getting more 3 stars drafted in higher rounds than Texas with what is perceived (and in reality) inferior talent. You throw that into the mix with the sheer number of players for other schools and it’s a pretty compelling argument that Texas does less with more. Other schools are doing more with more, and other schools are doing more with less. 

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NoName

NoName 16351

Posted
Posted

Max Olson @ The Athletic: Spring with the Brockermeyer brothers: Pausing recruiting visits, pushing trucks

Quote

The Brockermeyer brothers can go wherever they want for college. Their father doesn’t know what else they need to see at this point. They’ve already visited Texas, Alabama, Auburn, Clemson and LSU multiple times. Blake has been to every school Tommy and James are considering except LSU. He’s hoping to make up for that at the Texas-LSU game in September if he’s not coaching — and if that game gets played. They have no idea when they’ll be allowed to start taking visits again.

“It’d be great to go visit these schools one more time, but from what I can gather, I don’t think they’re gonna let anybody on campus this summer, it seems like,” Blake said. “I don’t blame ’em. I’m not really honestly sure I really want to get on an airplane and go visit these places anyway.”

He’s already given the boys his advice on the pros and cons of each school, already laid out the things they need to think about. As long as the twins are happy with their destination, he’ll be happy. It’s all in their hands now.

“They’ll make up their mind whenever they do,” he said. “I mean, I’ve asked ’em a couple different times what’s their plan, and they don’t seem to really have a great answer. So I just figure one of these days, whenever they decide it’s time, it’s time.”

Quote

 

The Brockermeyers have done Zoom meetings with Alabama and Texas that practically made them feel like they were part of the team, chats that dug into the positional instruction they give their players. They were impressed by Alabama’s new strength and conditioning staff giving them a presentation on how they’ll run their program. Texas got noted Minister of Culture Matthew McConaughey to call them on Zoom and chat with the entire family. “Pretty smart, really,” Blake said. “I’m surprised more schools don’t do that.”

Tommy and James have had the offensive line coaches who are recruiting them send over O-line drills they can work on. That’s how intentional they’re being about this. They’re using their recruitment not to gain attention and followers but to get access to more instruction and drills. Not too many recruits think like that. And it’s all going to pay off down the road.

 

 

Spoiler

 

Spring with the Brockermeyer brothers: Pausing recruiting visits, pushing trucks

brock-1-e1589945677711-1024x683.jpeg
By Max Olson May 20, 2020comment-icon@2x.png 4 save-icon@2x.png

Where are the Brockermeyer brothers going? Right now, they’re going to the park. Or a tennis court. Or a friend’s home gym. Or out in the street to push their dad’s truck.

Tommy and James Brockermeyer, two of the top offensive line recruits in the country, are still taking their time on making a commitment. They’ve noticed these are wild times in recruiting. Their 2021 peers are scrambling to lock in pledges; twice as many recruits made commitments by mid-May as had at this time of year during the previous cycle. “I think a lot of kids are panicking,” their father, Blake Brockermeyer, said. “I’m sure you’ll see a million decommitments at some point.” He doesn’t know where his boys are going or when they’re deciding. All they’re focused on these days is getting better.

Tommy is the nation’s No. 1 offensive tackle prospect and is ranked No. 4 overall in the 247Sports Composite. James has risen up to become the No. 1 center in the class. The twins from Fort Worth (Texas) All Saints’ Episcopal have had the same top five since December: Texas, Clemson, Alabama, LSU and Auburn. They were supposed to take their official visits this spring, as sort of the cherry on top of their long recruiting process, and arrive at a joint decision after those trips. The NCAA recruiting dead period put that on hold.

In the meantime, they’re training with their father, an All-American tackle, first-round NFL Draft pick and Hall of Honor inductee at Texas who started more than 100 games in the NFL. Blake Brockermeyer has plenty of time on his hands right now, too. He has loved spending it on his sons.

SMU’s coaching staff went back into the office on Monday, but Blake couldn’t. The Mustangs’ defensive quality control analyst was furloughed for May through July. He’s not sure what will happen on Aug. 1. If his time on staff has come to an end after two years, he can live with that. “I’ve coached all my kids most of my life,” Brockermeyer said. “The last two years, I’ve really missed out on a lot of that stuff.” The father of four considers this time off a blessing. He’s been able to focus his energy on a passion project: getting Tommy and James ready for college. Together, they’ve worked hard to put together quite a spring training program.

“This is a chance for them to really evolve and elevate their football IQ and their development in the weight room and also in their techniques,” he said. “It’s been great. I don’t know if they’ve had as much fun as I’ve had.”

This week, it’s offensive line drills and running on Tuesday and Thursday. Lifting workouts on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Truck pushing on Wednesday and Friday. They’re putting in two- to three-hour sessions in the afternoons, five days a week. They were even doing two-a-days for the first couple weeks, before realizing how long this shutdown might last and wisely refining their strategy.

Dad got creative when it came to embracing the fine art of pushing his Ford truck around. He had never tried this before, but he was intrigued by some videos he saw on Twitter. They gave him an idea: What if he could install a handle on the back of his truck? “I just kinda reached out on Facebook to people and said, ‘Hey, does anyone happen to know a welder?’ ” Blake said. He connected with a local one who quickly figured out how to create what he needed. The result: a black pole with taped-up handles and a bar that he installed onto his trailer hitch.

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This allows Tommy and James to get into an O-line run fit, keep their hands and elbows inside where they need to be, sink their hips to lower their center of gravity and push the truck like they would a defensive lineman. The bar lets them work on their lifting technique — “like grabbing underneath the shoulder pads of a D-lineman,” Blake says — for run blocking. Some days they’ll push it slightly up a hill. Others they’ll push the truck for 10-20 yards and then run for another 10-15 yards. They keep those sessions quick, usually no longer than 20 minutes. They’re functional, and they’re definitely physical.

“We’ve kinda just been wingin’ it,” Blake said. “I don’t really know exactly if we’re doing it the right way. But I know my kids are getting some good work against something that’s heavy.”

They’re getting in a lot more work on O-line drills at the neighborhood park and tennis court: inside zone, outside zone, gap scheme runs, a blend of different pass protection techniques. And thanks to their older brother Luke, a second-year linebacker at Texas, they lucked out on finding a weight room. One of his Longhorns teammates, walk-on defensive back Turner Symonds, lives two blocks away and has welcomed them to come over and use his home gym. Blake added to it by borrowing some weights and equipment from All Saints’, so they’ve got more than enough.

He says he never has to worry about Luke. Texas strength coach Yancy McKnight shipped the Longhorns everything they need. Luke’s diligently following their thorough workout program and is in great shape. But for the twins Tommy and James, Dad’s in charge. Good thing he’s a certified strength coach. Brockermeyer helped run All Saints’ strength program during his 12 years there before taking the SMU job in 2018, so he’s diving back into that role and coming up with a program for his linemen.

“It’s been fun to watch them have really incredible gains in the last six weeks,” he said.

Tommy Brockermeyer, the 6-foot-6, 288-pound tackle, missed his junior season after having surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder. He completed his rehab in late January. Dad is still being careful not to push him too much in workouts, but he’s fully healthy and he’s ready to hit someone. “It’s gonna be very scary when he does,” Blake said. “Because he’s worked very hard. He was behind in the weight room, obviously, but his stuff has really gone crazy as far as the numbers.”

The work Tommy and James are putting in right now isn’t so much about their senior year at All Saints’. For them, this spring and summer are about getting a head start on 2021. Blake is serious about getting his sons ready for college now because after two seasons working with SMU’s defensive line, he has learned a lot of ideas and ways to attack offensive linemen. He’s also arrived at a conclusion: The quality of offensive line play in college and the NFL isn’t what it used to be. Brockermeyer played left tackle in the NFL from 1995 to 2003 and is amazed by how much has changed. “D-linemen have gotten a lot better — a lot better,” he argues. He’s determined to give Tommy and James many more tools to defeat pass rushers.

“Being an O-lineman is like being a pitcher. If you’re just gonna give a guy the same two high hands to the middle of the chest like you used to, then you’re gonna get away with it some. But against elite rushers, you will get exposed quickly,” Blake Brockermeyer said. “You have to give ’em different sets, different hands. It’s amazing the different stuff you can do. I did some of this when I played, but the hand stuff is new. So that’s all we do. They’ve never punched me with two hands down the middle of my chest once this whole summer, and they won’t. With O-linemen, it’s gonna become an independent hand game, and you’ve got to be ready for counters and long-arms and different stuff.”

One thing that comes easy for his boys during all this training: eating. Brockermeyer says they’ve put quite the dent in his wallet this spring. The three football players drink a combined 12 bottles of Orgain protein shakes a day, so the family gets six cases delivered each week. They go through eggs at such a prolific rate that his wife, Kristy, is going to the grocery store almost daily. “They eat all day long,” Blake said. Keeping good weight on them has been no problem. A favorite spot of theirs is Joe T. Garcia’s, a famed Fort Worth Tex-Mex restaurant. They get a takeout order of fajitas for 10 and throw those down with ease. The family went back to the restaurant on Sunday night to celebrate their oldest son, Jack, graduating from Rice.

“We stuffed ourselves,” Blake said. “That night, I woke up at like 2 a.m. to turn off some lights and James was downstairs eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and drinking a protein shake. I’m like, ‘Damn, dude! How can you eat that?’ ”

Tommy was always a naturally freaky athlete. James Brockermeyer’s rise required serious dedication. He has gained close to 115 pounds since he got to high school and has grown into his center role. He starts and ends each day with giant peanut butter sandwiches and a protein shake. He consumes a small jar of peanut butter pretty much daily. One of Blake’s buddies coached at Auburn and told him former Tigers lineman Braden Smith would buy seven jars of peanut butter on Sunday nights and eat a jar every day of the week. Whether that was a true story or not didn’t matter to James; he took it literally. Now he’s 6-foot-3, 273 pounds and a four-star recruit.

“James has basically built himself like a cyborg,” Blake said with a laugh. “He’s made himself who he is.”

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From left to right, James, Blake, Luke and Tommy Brockermeyer at a Longhorns practice.

The Brockermeyer brothers can go wherever they want for college. Their father doesn’t know what else they need to see at this point. They’ve already visited Texas, Alabama, Auburn, Clemson and LSU multiple times. Blake has been to every school Tommy and James are considering except LSU. He’s hoping to make up for that at the Texas-LSU game in September if he’s not coaching — and if that game gets played. They have no idea when they’ll be allowed to start taking visits again.

“It’d be great to go visit these schools one more time, but from what I can gather, I don’t think they’re gonna let anybody on campus this summer, it seems like,” Blake said. “I don’t blame ’em. I’m not really honestly sure I really want to get on an airplane and go visit these places anyway.”

He’s already given the boys his advice on the pros and cons of each school, already laid out the things they need to think about. As long as the twins are happy with their destination, he’ll be happy. It’s all in their hands now.

“They’ll make up their mind whenever they do,” he said. “I mean, I’ve asked ’em a couple different times what’s their plan, and they don’t seem to really have a great answer. So I just figure one of these days, whenever they decide it’s time, it’s time.”

The boys have logged on for lots of recruiting Zoom chats during this shutdown, and these coaching staffs have gotten creative. The Brockermeyers have done Zoom meetings with Alabama and Texas that practically made them feel like they were part of the team, chats that dug into the positional instruction they give their players. They were impressed by Alabama’s new strength and conditioning staff giving them a presentation on how they’ll run their program. Texas got noted Minister of Culture Matthew McConaughey to call them on Zoom and chat with the entire family. “Pretty smart, really,” Blake said. “I’m surprised more schools don’t do that.”

Tommy and James have had the offensive line coaches who are recruiting them send over O-line drills they can work on. That’s how intentional they’re being about this. They’re using their recruitment not to gain attention and followers but to get access to more instruction and drills. Not too many recruits think like that. And it’s all going to pay off down the road.

This spring hasn’t gone like the family initially planned, not at all. But when Blake thinks back on all this time spent training and learning, all this time spent together as a family, he recognizes just how fortunate the Brockermeyers are.

“Honestly,” he said, “this is better than any plan we could’ve had.”

(Photos courtesy of Blake Brockermeyer)

 

 

 

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