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Texas Recruiting Notes 2021

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1 in coaches were made aware late last night 

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1 hour ago, MirrOlure said:


Maybe it’ll be the reverse of the tired tale of the recruit scorned, now has a chip on his shoulder. We’ll be the 3 star team that the 5 start glamour boys didn’t want to play for, and by golly, we’ll make them pay!

They only have one win over us all time and that was a fluke.  We are billy bob hillbilly Walmart shopper fucks daddy until proven otherwise. 

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satyanash

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(Ian Boyd) Inside the gameplan: Texas' Christmas Eve coaching wishlist

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In the last Scoop, everyone got to hear the names of some targets Texas will be investigating in the pursuit of replacing Tom Herman. Most of the names were already established or obvious with one significant addition, the “scenario 3.5” in which Texas hires a splashy coach with a major resume but nothing quite so magnificent as Urban Meyer’s three National Championship rings. That was Notre Dame’s head man Brian Kelly, who’s about to play for a National Championship for the third time since taking over in South Bend back in 2009.

The other two major candidates at the top of the list included Matt Campbell, who just narrowly missed beating Oklahoma twice in the same season and winning Iowa State’s first conference title since 1912, and four-time Super Bowl winner Gary Kubiak. There isn't currently a consensus on which of these guys is at the top of the Longhorn Christmas wishlist, and Texas fans still hope to be on the "nice" list, but here's an overview of some of the qualifications and strategies we’ve seen from each of these candidates.

Gary Kubiak

We’ve discussed him before. Kubiak is well known for running the closest thing the NFL has to a college-style offense, the “wide zone” offense. Kubiak's system marries the run and pass together by play-action in a fashion akin to the Big 12’s RPO/play-action spread offenses that tie together chunks of the passing game with run schemes like inside zone and counter.

Kubiak’s offense is sort of similar to what Chip Kelly designed at Oregon (or what BYU is running with Zach Wilson), but without the tempo, nearly as much shotgun, and is devoid of option-elements. Texas installed a comparable system this season and finally got it rolling against the beaten up Kansas State Wildcats after reconfiguring the offensive line.

Ideally, Kubiak would hire assistants to help translate the system to the college game, mixing in shotgun or pistol alignments more familiar to quarterbacks like Hudson Card and Casey Thompson and making use of zone-option dimensions. It’s possible Mike Yurcich could even be a fit here. He did bring wide zone to the Texas offense this year after all and likely has more in the playbook Texas didn't get to in year one.

Picturing Kubiak as a college head coach certainly requires some imagination but there are a few traits and skills Texas could be confident in. One interesting quirk to Kubiak’s career is the period from 2017 to 2019 in between stepping down as head coach of the Denver Broncos for health reasons (yeah…) and becoming the offensive coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings. In that time Kubiak helped the Broncos analyze college prospects ahead of the draft and, by all accounts, was very good at it.

Personnel evaluation has often been a strong suit of Kubiak’s and while his offense is famous for the wide zone components, he’s built his career on adjusting the system for different quarterbacks. He coached Steve Young, John Elway, Matt Schaub, and Joe Flacco to seasons throwing for 3900 yards or more and also helped a nearly finished Peyton Manning win the Super Bowl. It’s not unreasonable to imagine Kubiak having success evaluating prospects or adjusting his system for the talent at Texas.

As a head coach and staff manager, his record is solid. For the most part he’d work alongside the offensive staff and hire Wade Phillips to run the defense with very little oversight on his own part. This is more or less what Tom Herman has done and what Charlie Strong did in reverse, the problem for those coaches was their own side of the ball couldn’t carry water for the program when the other side struggled. The hope in a Gary Kubiak hire would be that his offensive acumen, responsible for multiple Super Bowls and helping stir the “is Joe Flacco elite?” conversation, would not allow the offense to fail.

On the other hand, he’s been away from the college game for nearly 30 years and has had two health scares that threatened to derail his career. He might imagine the Texas head coach job as a place where he could take a step back and oversee with less pressure but that’s not how it works. Coaching a college blueblood program is an intense grind. There is less margin for error facing Big 12 teams everyone expects you to beat who are throwing deep every other play in order to up the variance in possible outcomes.

Upside: Really hard to gauge. It’s very rare for a longtime NFL head coach known for pioneering an NFL system of X’s and O’s to step down to the college game late in his career, normally the opposite occurs. X’s and O’s coaches prefer the NFL game because professionals can focus on tactics and not recruiting visits and managing the emotions of 19-year olds. Nick Saban is the exception and Saban preferred the college game because he could exercise tighter control over the entire organization in a way he couldn’t in the NFL. Is that what Kubiak wants? Perhaps Pete Carroll is another comparison but Pete was younger and much more energetic. Herm Edwards is the obvious reference but he’s another example of a coach who’s more of an energetic leader than a tactician.

Downside: One of the closer examples would be Mike Sherman, who had more college coaching experience than Kubiak but came to Texas A&M after a fairly long stint with the pros. Sherman recruited all of the talent responsible for Kevin Sumlin’s initial success at Texas A&M, including five eventual first-rounders on offense. However, Sherman didn’t taste that success because he tried to fit the roster to his own system, notoriously refusing to use Ryan Tannehill's athleticism in the spread. Kubiak is a better coach and more flexible than Sherman and possibly a similarly good evaluator as well.

Verdict: It’d be interesting to see this play out and such a move could foreshadow an increase in NFL coaches coming to the college game in order to have more overall control of the program (and more money in many instances). NFL jobs are increasingly getting snatched up by up and coming college coaches, perhaps we'll see some reverse flow as well. Anyways, before seeing what a Kubiak staff looked like, it’s hard to say this would be a sure thing.

Matt Campbell

There’s a case to be made Matt Campbell is the next Urban Meyer. Campbell got his start at Bowling Green literally the very next year after Urban Meyer left, hired by the leftover staff to learn some of the cutting edge tricks Meyer had brought in (stolen from Bill Snyder). After those two years were up, he had a chance to go work for the New England Patriots but opted to return to Mount Union, where he played a few years prior under the legendary Larry Kehres (11 D3 National Championships at Mount Union). Campbell served as the offensive coordinator while helping to update their offense with spread principles.

He’s always hung out in the Midwest. He loves it there for whatever reason (I like it too, Matt), and has always been rumored to be biding his time before taking over at one of the major Midwestern powers. Those definitely include Ohio State and Notre Dame and then potentially Michigan or Penn State depending on who you ask. Texas is not on that list, obviously, and whether he’d be convinced to come coach diva blue chips and manage boosters in Austin after a career built in small town Ohio is unclear.

Campbell is a great coach who’s helped Iowa State ascend to the annual role of “top antagonist” to the Lincoln Riley Sooners. The Cyclones this season were powered by the following players, all of whom might be drafted.

Brock “pump fake” Purdy: A 3-star from Arizona (holla at ya boy @Scipio Tex) who everyone missed on because he had mono as a junior and played weak and underweight before recovering and breaking out as a senior. Texas A&M, UCF, Boise State, and Alabama got on him late but he stayed true to Campbell.

Breece Hall: The rare 4-star signee for the Cyclones, plucked out of Wichita, Kansas over the local powers and despite (less) interest from some out of state programs like Baylor and Tennessee. Hall was arguably the best skill player in the Big 12 this season and was awarded OPOY on the All-Big 12 team.

JaQuan Bailey: A 3-star from Florida Campbell snuck into his transition signing class despite attention from some other big schools. Bailey enabled their three-man pass-rush to work with his ability to play the edge, duck inside, and then rush the passer on third downs.

Will McDonald IV: An even more explosive and natural edge-rusher than Bailey who Campbell unearthed up in Wisconsin and convinced to come down to Ames. McDonald may be the best pass-rusher in the Big 12 before he’s done.

Charlie Kolar: Matt Campbell found a 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end with some route-running savvy and wiggle and great hands who will play in the NFL some day and he found him in Norman, Oklahoma and convinced him to come to Iowa State. Oklahoma didn’t offer...but still.

Greg Eisworth: The most athletic defensive back in the Cyclones’ three-safety system for three years running now. A former 3-star from Grand Prairie (4-star by some metrics), Eisworth started at Ole Miss but he kept having hamstring issues he felt the staff was mishandling. So he went to a JUCO for a year and then from there to Iowa State.

Xavier Hutchinson: A highly talented, 3-star JUCO wide receiver who started two years at Blinn coming out of Jacksonville, FL. He was solid as a freshman in Brenham, then was snatched up by Campbell and his staff who were desperate for impact wide receivers to help replace Hakeem Butler. ISU fended off late charges from Oklahoma and Nebraska to secure his commitment. The start of the season was a bit shaky when he struggled with press-man coverage as the focal point of opposing defenses... so Campbell adjusted the offense to help him get a release off the line either outside or moving into the slot while one of his three quality tight ends flexed out.

Dylan Soehner: A 6-foot-7, 260-pound 3-star tight end I always had pegged for offensive line who Campbell kept at tight end because of his blocking prowess and good hands. Soehner allowed the Cyclones to cover for a shaky offensive line by essentially alternating between being a sixth offensive linemen and a legitimate (and sizable) target up the seam. He tortured Texas in Austin performing both of those tasks.

Mike Rose: The Big 12's DPOY was a 3-star out of the Cleveland suburbs who’s next best offer was Ball State. He’s started every year since coming to Iowa State and has been one of the best linebackers in the league all three seasons.

Campbell has shown tremendous creativity and capacity for both finding talent and then adjusting to maximize it. The list above simply includes major figures on the 2020 team. Texas fans may vaguely recall Campbell beating Texas with Joel Lanning at quarterback and then turning him into a star linebacker the following season. As a pure football coach he’s as good as you’ll find in the league or arguably the country.

Upside: There’s some Bill Snyder and maybe some Dan Mullen or Chip Kelly to Campbell as a head coach. He’s extremely intense, maybe too intense if you’ve ever seen him react to a call he didn’t like, and highly devoted to his craft. I’m not sure if Texas has ever had a coach quite like him. Campbell knows how to build really good football teams and foster an intense, winning culture.

Downside: I’m not sure if the best fit at Texas is a coach like Campbell, who’s first and foremost a phenomenal steward of intense football culture and strategy. How would he manage the egos and massive resources at Texas? On the other hand, you’ll struggle to find many head coaches that were successful as head coaches at multiple stops before failing to pan out at “the big job.” Is convincing Iowa State they are a legitimate Big 12 contender easier than doing so in Austin?

Verdict: He strikes me as the sort who is most easily optimized at a pure football factory like Ohio State and it seems he thinks the same. In fact, his penchant for finding and developing elite talents while battling recruiting limitations would make him a really good fit at Notre Dame… However, he’s unquestionably one of the best pure football coaches in the country right now and it’s usually a great idea to hire such people.

Brian Kelly

If Kelly is interested in building up one more college program before he wraps up his career, then this hire would probably make the most sense both for Kelly and for Texas.

Kelly has a pretty long and clear record as a head coach now, in some sense he’s Matt Campbell in 10 years after Campbell lands his blue blood job. Coming out of Cincinnati after the 2009 season in which his Bearcats were 12-0 (before the bowl game against Florida where he was absent for the drubbing), Kelly had been a coach known for being ahead in using the spread offense. Go watch their Big East Championship Game comeback against Pittsburgh, it's endless 5-wide offense with Kelly manipulating matchups so they could isolate top receivers.

Since then at Notre Dame, Kelly’s teams have been defined by their ability to recruit NFL offensive linemen and tight ends, then having ebbs and flows based on the ability of their quarterback to consistently hit the typically one standout NFL wide receiver on the roster.

The biggest selling point for Kelly is his tenure as a head coach which spans over 30 seasons at four different programs. He started at Grand Valley State (a Division II team in Michigan) on defense (pure football coach, he's now known for offense) and took over as head coach in 1991. They won consecutive National Championships in 2002 and 2003, leading Central Michigan to hire him. By year three he turned that program around and they were 9-4. Then he left again for Cincinnati to replace Mark Dantonio, who was off to Michigan State. Kelly was 34-6 at Cincinnati with three consecutive 10-win seasons before heading off to Notre Dame.

From 2010 to 2014 the Irish had a solid run with one really great season in 2012 in which they were undefeated (with a road win against Oklahoma) until getting clobbered by Alabama in the BCS Title game. Everything seemed to be going off the rails in 2016, starting with a road defeat against Charlie Strong’s Longhorns, but Kelly hired Chip Long as offensive coordinator and Mike Elko as defensive coordinator the following offseason (both now gone) and the Irish have won at least 10 games in all four seasons since.

Kelly has shown a knack for understanding the programs he’s coaching and effectively running the machine, which is what makes him an attractive option for Texas. They recruit between 10th and 20th in the nation every year and send about five players into the draft every year, often offensive linemen. He’s familiar with both a national recruiting strategy, which is the established Notre Dame method, and yet also loves to focus on different regions for different types of players. Their defense has often been powered by Islanders in the backfield, southerners along the defensive line, and then usually (but not always) Midwesterners at tight end and offensive line.

At Texas he’d probably maintain some of the national strategy but also emphasize the state. National recruiting was likely as much of a “here’s how you win at Notre Dame” emphasis as it was an approach particular to Kelly. While at Cincinnati he focused on Ohio and local areas. Recruiting good players and making the most of them is more or less the Kelly approach, his track record is as someone who ensures high level quality control and vision. This past season the Irish have been much more sophisticated with their offensive strategy and quite different from the 2009 Bearcats, because instead of having multiple good receivers they have multi-year starters at quarterback, all five offensive line spots, and then a lack of a single brilliant wideout.

As a staff manager he’s been pretty solid. His first defensive coordinator was Bob Diaco, who was effective at Notre Dame and left to be the head coach at UCONN. Then he hired Brian VanGorder, which went poorly, but he also fired him four games into 2016 and replaced him with Elko. The Irish only got one year from Elko before he bailed for the Aggie payday and Kelly just promoted linebacker coach Clark Lea. This move seemed overly comfortable and convenient up until the Irish continued to play great defense under Lea, at which point it became obvious Kelly knew what he had in the assistant. Lea is now taking the head coach job at Vanderbilt.

Upside: Kelly is a proven overseer of high level football at a program with big time resources. For Texas to hire him would be similar to when they snagged Mack Brown from UNC (158-48), when Washington hired Chris Peterson from Boise State (55-26), or when Texas A&M pulled Jimbo Fisher from Florida State (25-10). It’s hard to imagine him coming to Texas and failing to win a large number of games, likely setting a floor of 9-10 wins every season with a ceiling of a National Championship once he has things rolling. The limiting factor for Kelly at Notre Dame has always been skill talent, particularly wide receiver and cornerback. They’ve had some NFL wide receivers, although this year they’re in a rebuild mode there, and cornerback has been tough. One of the big sells for Texas would be to never lack for access to NFL talent in those essential positions where Clemson keeps whipping him.

A championship ceiling would be exciting for Texas, but to simply be a team that typically wins 10 games and rolls over the less privileged schools within the league would be a significant step up for Longhorn football. Kelly offers that security.

Downside: It’s hard to see a Kelly hire going too poorly. It is notable he prefers a careful rebuild and might potentially take longer to build up Texas than fans would prefer and would likely have his contract structured in such a way that complaints would be useless until he’d had time to survey the lay of the land and make some adjustments after years one, two, and even three. So the downside is perhaps Jimbo Fisher, who has yet to really win many big games at A&M or seize the day yet has managed to get the Aggies playing good football and has been building the program up for a strong run over the next half-decade. Who's on your Christmas wish list?

 

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satyanash

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Gabe Brooks: Alabama enjoys major 2021 recruiting success in state of Texas

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Alabama's No. 1-ranked 2021 recruiting class features a decidedly Texas flair. The Crimson Tide held the commitments of four Texans for months before signing them during the Early Signing Period. After Wednesday, Alabama counts six Texans in the nation's top 2021 class.

The Tide flipped longtime LSU commit JoJo Earle -- a four-star receiver and top 100 player on the industry-generated 247Sports Composite and Top247 rankings -- on the afternoon of Dec. 16 to sign the electric playmaker. On Wednesday, Alabama added yet another elite piece from the Texas high school football ranks -- 247Sports Composite five-star running back Camar Wheaton. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound speedster narrowed his extensive list of offers to Alabama and Oklahoma entering Wednesday's commitment announcement, with the Sooners perceived as the team to beat in recent weeks.

But Alabama once again proved that it cannot be underestimated on the recruiting trail, especially in Texas. The Crimson Tide has signed at least one Texan in 10 consecutive recruiting classes. This six-player haul from the Lone Star State pushes the Crimson Tide's Texas totals since the 2012 cycle to the following: five five-stars, 17 four-stars, and one three-star (all the way back in that 2012 class).

In Wheaton, Alabama lands the nation's No. 26 overall prospect and No. 2 running back, according to the 247Sports Composite. Wheaton is a top-end burner with speed verified in a track setting (10.6's as a sophomore in Spring 2019). He's at his best as a north-south hole-puncher with long speed that makes him virtually impossible to catch if he gets loose in the open field. Former USC standout and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones II -- also from the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex -- is the player comparison for Wheaton.

Alabama's flip of the 5-foot-9, 170-pound Earle got the Tide a dynamic, high-production playmaker for an Aledo High School team that has won eight state championships since 2009. Earle is a dangerous receiver who can line up in the slot or on the outside, but also provide backfield snaps in different personnel packages. The immediate thought from a comparison standpoint for Earle is Jaylen Waddle, but BamaOnline's Travis Reier suggested an intriguing comp to Texas A&M offensive weapon Ainias Smith. Earle possesses similar playmaking ability and multi-functional versatility from a personnel perspective.

For months, Alabama has counted five-star offensive tackle Tommy Brockermeyer, four-star quarterback Jalen Milroe, four-star linebacker Kendrick Blackshire, and four-star center James Brockermeyer in its 2021 class. According to the 247Sports Composite, Brockermeyer is the highest-ranked Texan as a top five overall prospect in this cycle. Milroe is ranked as a top five dual-threat QB, while Blackshire is a top 10 inside linebacker. James Brockermeyer is the nation's No. 1 center.

And Nick Saban and Co. very well may not be done in Texas. Jaeden Roberts, a big-bodied guard rated as a four-star on the 247Sports Composite, plans to announce his decision on Christmas Day. Roberts was a longtime Auburn commit but did not sign during the Early Signing Period. Alabama has since surged on the 247Sports Crystal Ball leading up to his announcement.

The state of Texas is as wide open as ever to programs from across the country on the recruiting trail. With six Texans in their staggeringly loaded 2021 class, Alabama probably won't be relenting its efforts in the Lone Star State anytime soon.

 

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satyanash

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Eric Nahlin: A Christmas Eve Humidor

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By: Justin, Gerry, and Eric

The Texas Longhorns return to the fabled Alamodome (2017 Royal Rumble) to take on snow skiing and hackeysack school Colorado. Recruiting never sleeps but it does get drowsy. Some names to know in basketball recruiting as the hoops team is off to a solid start. The coaching search is quiet, which is a good thing despite the protestations of the perpetually jaded UT fan.

TEAM

The atmosphere among the team is upbeat and eager to dispatch the Colorado Buffaloes. Hanging 69 points in Manhattan gave this bunch a confidence boost. The lack of practice due to Covid measures and the Buffs awaiting them in the Alamo Bowl seem to have these guys in good spirits. There's been an infusion of youth on the depth chart lately and that might have as much to do with the enthusiasm as anything.

The team will have Christmas off then resume practice on Saturday leading up to the game on Tuesday. Let’s take a position by position status check.

QB: Sam Ehlinger continues to keep the media and UT fans on their toes regarding his status for a fifth season next fall. You won't hear anything from him soon, as he is focused on going 4-0 in bowl games (Buechele started vs Mizzou in Texas Bowl, but Sam played almost all of it). We believe Ehlinger is viewed as a 4th-5th round prospect right now. You might not hear anything regarding Ehlinger’s status until there’s resolution on the coaching front. In the end, he’s keeping his options open ever so slightly. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Casey Thompson get a series or two.

RB: Bijan, RoJo, and Gabe Watson seem to be the most likely to see action with Ingram opting out for injury purposes. We think it will be a long time before Bijan Robinson isn't the starting running back. Roschon Johnson's shoulder seems good to go with the added down time.

WR: This is a game where the slots can excel. Jake Smith, Jordan Whittington, and Brenden Schooler should see targets. With Brennan Eagles flying to the NFL, the outside receiver position is missing a key 2020 piece. Tarik Black, Joshua Moore, and Marcus Washington will see those snaps. Kelvontay Dixon is one of those younger players with added reps recently. Maybe Montrell Estell gets some run. He's said to excited about the opportunity to score touchdowns.

TE: Cade Brewer announced his return for the 2021 season last week, but expect Jared Wiley to start. You should see more Malcolm Epps and Brayden Liebrock in the bowl contest.

OL: (left-to-right) Andrej Karic-Junior Angilau-Jake Majors-Christian Jones-Denzel Okafor would be your starting lineup today, but the backups will see game reps as well. Logan Parr has been mentioned as well at LG, while Jaylen Garth is at RT. One source close to the program described a few players...

Karic: “Mean. Quiet. Relentless."
Angilau” "Experienced. Strong."
Majors: "Smart. Competes through the whistle."
Jones: "Versatile. Adaptable. Learning."
Okafor: “Experienced. Also versatile."

DL: With Ta'Quon Graham missing the bowl game and prompting Moro Ojomo to slide inside, you'll likely see Jacoby Jones and T'Vondre Sweat at SDE. Inside, you've got some beef. Coburn, Collins, and more Sweat. Vernon Broughton has been repping behind Collins, which is a bit odd. You could see more from Sawyer Goram-Welch as well.

LB: With Joseph Ossai headed to greener pastures, Jett Bush and Reese Leitao will occupy the Jack. DeMarvion Overshown and Juwan Mitchell will man the linebacker spots after both announced their return for 2021. David Gbenda continues to makes plays in practice, with Jaylan Ford also garnering praise. Overshown received a draft grade that read “go back to school.” No surprise there. With continued development he’ll get a different grade next year.

CB: Josh Thompson and D’Shawn Jamison are still the 1s, but expect to see more from Kitan Crawford. The freshman from Tyler is flashing more and more in practice. We believe fellow freshman Jahdae Barron might not be 100% (back) but he did practice this week. “Land Barron” may go the same route as the Landlord and enter the portal. Jamison and Thompson received the same NFL feedback as Overshown.

S: This group lost Caden Sterns (early NFL entrant), Xavion Alford (portal), and Montrell Estell (moved to WR), but added Jalen Green. He's only had one practice, but UT needs depth and it might be his best position anyway. Jerrin Thompson is expected to start again and continues to impress the players and coaches with his maturity. BJ Foster might still be hurt (hamstring) but practiced.

RECRUITING MATTERS

Texas continues its pursuit of Cy Fair running back L.J. Johnson. The Texas staff has remained in constant contact with Johnson. This recruitment remains a Texas vs. Texas A&M head-to-head battle with the Aggies now having their entire recruiting class trying to help reel in the 5-foot-10, 205-pound back. Oklahoma running backs coach Demarco Murray began trying to reach out to Johnson again yesterday when the Sooners were told by Camar Wheaton that he was likely headed to Alabama. The Sooners are not expected to be able to beat out the Longhorns or Aggies.

Bryan Rudder WR Keithron Lee could commit any day now. The Longhorns have remained the team to beat with Texas Tech battling hard, especially with the hire of Sonny Cumbie from TCU (the Frogs have been on Lee too). Ole Miss remains in the mix as well.

With former Texas verbal Mookie Cooper entering the portal, questions have quickly popped up if the Longhorns would have any interest in the explosive slot receiver. That remains to be seen, but what IT can say is that Cooper will have serious interest in Illinois if Bret Bielema retains Illini tight ends coach Cory Patterson, the former high school coach for Cooper. Cooper also has interest in Texas, but the ball is completely in the court of the Longhorns.

B-BALL RECRUITING MATTERS TOO

With the basketball team’s early season success and appearance at No. 10 in the recent AP poll, there's a building anticipation of who might be UT's first verbal pledge of 2022. One candidate to watch: Austin Nunez. The 6-foot-2, 170-pound four-star point guard from San Antonio Wagner is the guy with the most burnt orange buzz. His stock is also rising with bigger programs jumping in the mix seemingly each week.

Still, Texas and head coach Shaka Smart were early on his recruitment and appear to hold the lead heading into the new year. "I would say Texas, Arkansas, Texas A&M, Virginia, and Howard are all recruiting me hard," said Nunez, among his 13 offers. "There are others who are too, just not as hard are these schools." Nunez is supremely confident. In the DJ Augustin mold and as the son of big-time AAU coach Lupe Nunez in San Antonio, he uses his ball-handling and savvy to control games from the point. He knows what he can do well. "I think that I can be a guy who can contribute to the team in any way besides just scoring," Nunez said.

The AAU circuit wasn't immune to the pandemic. It hit hoops and recruiting like every other sport. "(Covid) affected our season," said Nunez. "We didn’t get to play as much as we wanted with the talented team that we had. We also had a short amount of time together and that hurt, but I still think this past AAU season taught me a lot. It really sucks that we can’t take any visits to schools and improve our relationships with each coaching staff."

And still, Texas has continued to find ways to attract Nunez to Austin. "Texas has recruited me really well," Nunez explained. "My relationship with the coaches is great, and I like the way they play. I think I fit in well for what they’re trying to do. They stand at a good spot on my list." UT landing in the top 10 for the first time in years has to have made an impression on the four-star guard. g"I have been really impressed with the team this year," said Nunez. "I’ve liked the way Matt (Coleman), Kai (Jones), and Brock (Cunningham) have been playing. Greg (Brown) is exciting. I really like the way Brock has been playing. He’s just a guy that’s going to do all the little things that have helped them win games."

If Nunez were to go out of state for college, Virginia is currently the team to watch over Arkansas. Virginia head coach Tony Bennett has had a pair of Zoom calls with Nunez and family, and the family has taken notice of the National Championship winning coach prioritizing Nunez. Arkansas has also impressed with the attention to detail in the recruitment. Of the in-state schools, Texas has a decided advantage over Texas A&M. Nunez's time frame for making a commitment has slowed from this season to the spring or early summer.

Two more 2022 prospects the Longhorns covet are SG Keyonte George (iSchool Entrepreneurial Academy/Lewisville, TX) and C Vince Iwuchukwu (La Lumiere School/La Porte, IN). The 6-foot-4 George is a prospect that will have the option of going straight to the G-League, and is 50-50 on that option versus going to college for one year. Should George head to college, Texas Tech will be the main competition for any college that invests time into recruiting George. The recruitment of 7-footer Iwuchukwu will very likely lead him to college for at least one year. Baylor has long-time family connections to the father of Iwuchukwu, who served two decades in the military. Texas is in the mix for both, but is not the front-runner like they are for Nunez.

Among the more than 10 other in-state prospects Texas has serious interest in are SG Rylan Griffen (Richardson High), PG Cason Wallace (Richardson High), SF Trae Clayton (iSchool Entrepreneurial Academy) and PF Zuby Ejiofor (Garland High).

 

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Fletch

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5 hours ago, VirginiaLonghorn said:

Alabama vs Texas ... Saban (or will it be Sarkisian?) will showcase his elite Texas talent before their family and friends, and the then current crop of Texas blue chips.  They’ll hammer whatever leftovers we put out there.

Rinse and repeat ...

Urban won’t let that happen 

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RockyMountainHighHorn

RockyMountainHighHorn 895

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13 hours ago, Tex-19 said:

Interesting. Didn't know the 9.95ers were openly saying Kelly's name. Still skeptical he'd leave ND but he'd be a good hire

I posted this in the urban thread but it’ll get lost. The most frustrating thing for me this whole “search” is that Eric Bieniemy is never brought up and isn’t getting a call. Yes nfl to college head coach is risky but he has a college background, even recruiting coordinator and is going to make one great head coach this year. Someone that would run an awesome offense and attract the players to run it would be amazing to see. Might not have any interest in college since many nfl teams will call this year but that’s someone I would have thrown the money at. It is Christmas and fun to wish...

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LTtxfan

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8 hours ago, RockyMountainHighHorn said:

I posted this in the urban thread but it’ll get lost. The most frustrating thing for me this whole “search” is that Eric Bieniemy is never brought up and isn’t getting a call. Yes nfl to college head coach is risky but he has a college background, even recruiting coordinator and is going to make one great head coach this year. Someone that would run an awesome offense and attract the players to run it would be amazing to see. Might not have any interest in college since many nfl teams will call this year but that’s someone I would have thrown the money at. It is Christmas and fun to wish...

Unfortunately Bieniemy would be a disaster for a job like TEXAS.  Staying in the NFL (where he has been since 2013) coaching a smaller market team like possibly Jacksonville or Detroit is his better option... 

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49320

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, RabidM said:

nice burst, good looking player. It looks like he took a nice step forward athletically from his jr year.  Looks to have average top end speed.  Not bad for a late pickup given our circumstances.

https://www.hudl.com/video/3/10348732/5fcb24b1ff026b0360efeae2

He's got C.Brown's flex down too...  

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LTtxfan

LTtxfan 49320

Posted
Posted

SIAP...   As of December 24th

Where Texas sits in the 2021 ESPN recruiting rankings

The latest ESPN recruiting rankings have Texas just outside the top 15 at No. 16 overall with a total of nine ESPN 300 commitments. The class is led by five-star composite athlete Ja’Tavion Sanders. The best player rated on defense is Dallas Kimball’s cornerback Ishmael Ibraheem, who happens to be the only current commit yet to sign. He is expected to sign with Texas come February.

The Longhorns top commit in Sanders projects as a potential All-American at two different positions. He can be utilized as a tight end or even the vacated spot as the ‘Jack’ in Chris Ash’s defense.

The Nine ESPN 300 Recruits

  • Ja’Tavion Sanders (13)
  • Ishmael Ibraheem (113)
  • Derrick Harris Jr (190)
  • J.D. Coffey (200)
  • Terrence Cooks II (211)
  • Jordan Thomas (222)
  • Hayden Conner (259)
  • Jamier Johnson (287)
  • Morice Blackwell (295)

The only Big 12 school ranked ahead of Texas is their biggest rival, the Oklahoma Sooners (No. 12). Oklahoma has nine players in the ESPN 300 as well. They are the only two schools inside the top 30 in ESPN’s rankings.

Big 12 Rankings

  1. Oklahoma (9)
  2. Texas (9)
  3. Oklahoma State (2)
  4. Baylor (0)
  5. TCU (3)
  6. Kansas State (1)
  7. Texas Tech (2)
  8. Kansas (0)
  9. Iowa State (0)
  10. West Virginia (Not ranked in the top 75)
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Coelenterate Fuccboi

Coelenterate Fuccboi 13119

Posted
Posted
35 minutes ago, Mother mopar said:
1 hour ago, EE2B said:

If the details of the shooting haven't been released, how Is it accidental?

“Accidentally shot himself” is not an abundance of detail. I’m sure the specifics of how it occurred will surface.

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Brothahorn

Brothahorn 10087

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 12/25/2020 at 2:51 AM, RockyMountainHighHorn said:

I posted this in the urban thread but it’ll get lost. The most frustrating thing for me this whole “search” is that Eric Bieniemy is never brought up and isn’t getting a call. Yes nfl to college head coach is risky but he has a college background, even recruiting coordinator and is going to make one great head coach this year. Someone that would run an awesome offense and attract the players to run it would be amazing to see. Might not have any interest in college since many nfl teams will call this year but that’s someone I would have thrown the money at. It is Christmas and fun to wish...

EB is not interested in college. He turned down Colorado earlier this year. That's the working of a guy who wants an NFL job.

 

 

 

Edited by Brothahorn
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NoName

NoName 16364

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, Brothahorn said:

EB is not interested in college. He turned down Colorado earlier this year. That's the working of a guy who wants an NFL job.

 

 

 

honestly, why would he go from the hottest OC in the NFL to a college job of any kind?

obv he has some NCAA experience (2 years as a coach at Colorado, 3 years at UCLA then 2 years as OC at Colorado) but he can always go back to CFB if he wants to, there are only a few NFL HC jobs.

side note, had no idea he was such a star at Colorado - Heisman finalist, consensus All American, won a National Championship @ Colorado, made CU's "All Century" team while on the team.

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RGBIII

RGBIII 22840

Posted
Posted

TFB

Spoiler

You may recall that former 4-star DB and FSU DB, Jaiden Woodbey recently entered the portal and after including Texas in his list of possible transfer destination, ultimately picked Boston College.

I recently spoke with someone close to Woodbey and was told the reason why Woodbey chose BC over Texas. Source told me that Jaiden himself said that he had Texas players telling him not to come there. Not as in they were trying to dissuade him from coming because they were afraid of competition but just more of the negative recruiting we’ve seen come from inside the program in the past.

If Herman is retained, this matter will need to be addressed somehow. It has cost Texas multiple players.

It happens to some degree at other schools but it’s excessive and too pervasive at Texas. It needs to be rooted out.

 

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golfclap

golfclap 6903

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Posted

And yet, Texas has very few players in the portal and a pretty good number of players coming back for another year when they could leave for the draft or transfer easily, despite the on-field issues/results with this staff and the overall uncertainty with the program exacerbated by the terrible job Del Conte has done this year. 

Players across the country are hitting the portal in record fucking numbers and despite the dire warnings of “anonymous Texas players” telling a DB not to come — it looks like Texas will sign a CB and a S via that same portal, so perhaps the article should state that Alford was telling players not to come to Texas and take his spot, before he bailed. 
 

relevant:: 

 

 

 

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realgreggym

realgreggym 835

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, golfclap said:

And yet, Texas has very few players in the portal and a pretty good number of players coming back for another year when they could leave for the draft or transfer easily, despite the on-field issues/results with this staff and the overall uncertainty with the program exacerbated by the terrible job Del Conte has done this year. 

Players across the country are hitting the portal in record fucking numbers and despite the dire warnings of “anonymous Texas players” telling a DB not to come — it looks like Texas will sign a CB and a S via that same portal, so perhaps the article should state that Alford was telling players not to come to Texas and take his spot, before he bailed. 
 

relevant:: 

 

 

 

Thanks for some common sense. Every program in the country has kids that are upset with the coaches for a variety of reasons.

Most of the time but not always, its not the coaches fault. Too many kids come to a major program and expect the same treatment

that they received in high school and when it doesn't happen, its the coaches fault. Coaches get too much credit for good things

and too much blame when things go bad.

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Cairn Horn88

Cairn Horn88 8277

Posted
Posted

Alabama's recruiting class now includes the top-ranked players from Texas at these six positions: — Tackle (Tommy Brockermeyer) — Running back (Camar Wheaton) — Wide receiver (JoJo Earle) — QB (Jalen Milroe) — Inside linebacker (Kendrick Blackshire) — Center (James Brockermeyer).

No wonder they are #1....year after year.   We can't keep our own players at home.

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torre

torre 1286

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, realgreggym said:

Thanks for some common sense. Every program in the country has kids that are upset with the coaches for a variety of reasons.

Most of the time but not always, its not the coaches fault. Too many kids come to a major program and expect the same treatment

that they received in high school and when it doesn't happen, its the coaches fault. Coaches get too much credit for good things

and too much blame when things go bad.

Good points.   icymi,  the Thamel column from the Urban thread.   Full article is worth the read.

 

https://sports.yahoo.com/as-college-football-coaching-changes-urban-meyer-isnt-only-one-who-could-jump-to-nfl-022802330.html

Why would the NFL have more appeal than a job like Texas or USC? Few jobs in sports promise to change as precipitously as college football coaching in the next 12 months. The absolute control that so many of these coaches coveted is now waning, with the transfer portal, one-time transfer exemption and Name Image and Likeness rules all shifting the power away from the coaches. This isn’t an endorsement or indictment of that shift, just acknowledging facts.

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BigHorn'13

BigHorn'13 3384

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, realgreggym said:

too much blame when things go bad.

I can't find sympathy for people who make millions of dollars every year. Furthermore, just like a CEO that doesn't know their underlings are about to cost them their job, they should know and should address it before it (whatever it may be) becomes problematic. 

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realgreggym

realgreggym 835

Posted
Posted
39 minutes ago, BigHorn'13 said:

I can't find sympathy for people who make millions of dollars every year. Furthermore, just like a CEO that doesn't know their underlings are about to cost them their job, they should know and should address it before it (whatever it may be) becomes problematic. 

Its not about sympathy. Its about reality. The coaches didn't fumble the ball at the goal line against TCU. Its not the coaches fault that our punter

took an extra 5 steps before having the punt blocked against OU less the coaches told him to take those extra steps. The Iowa State game is a different story.

Coaches at all levels make mistakes. I am not making excuses for coaches but its really easy to be a Monday morning QB. If a young man

decides to commit to another school, sometimes it could be due to the coaches but there may be a number of other reasons why they go elsewhere. 

 

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