2023 Spring Practice to Fall Camp Thread - Just hook it to my veins!

[Codaxx 5740]

4 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

"What's the story Sorrell?" 😋

 He kicked that guy's ass last season. If Sorrell played like that every game this year, he would be a 1st round pick. 

Edited July 24, 2023 by Codaxx

[Getafix 28622]

 

 

 

[Getafix 28622]

51 minutes ago, Fud said:

He writes for the Athletic. He’s and Daniel Jeremiah are probably the best of the major site/channel draft guys, and Dane is usually ahead of the curve 

 

The four most widely followed guys - and their hierarchy - 

- Dane

- Daniel

- Danieler

- Danielest

 

 

[Mo Horn 8843]

Do we have dates for the start of camp? I'm assuming next week, or the week after at the latest. 

[BigHorn'13 3363]

I heard August 2nd or 4th per Bobby but cannot remember which one. 

Edited July 24, 2023 by BigHorn'13

[CashMcCoy 3199]

4 hours ago, Mo Horn said:

Do we have dates for the start of camp? I'm assuming next week, or the week after at the latest. 

 

3 hours ago, BigHorn'13 said:

I heard August 2nd or 4th per Bobby but cannot remember which one. 

August 2nd

[billfromlaketravis 11481]

7 hours ago, Getafix said:

 

 

 

Ballsy. Those horns are a lot sharper than they look and Bevo is a large animal. 

[TheAuditor 1036]

11 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Ballsy. Those horns are a lot sharper than they look and Bevo is a large animal. 

Bevo looks like he needs to do some cardio to get in shape for fall camp.   

[ousux 5597]

I heard August 2nd or 4th per Bobby but cannot remember which one. 

Should be nice and cool (mid to high 90's) by then, can't wait.

[texifornia 56966]

13 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Ballsy. Those horns are a lot sharper than they look and Bevo is a large animal. 

Whit's a country kid, he'll be fine.

[Willfully Horn 8017]

Wrong thread

Edited July 25, 2023 by Willfully Horn

[honolulu horn 6158]

I sent my wife that Neyor pic. It'll either get her in the mood for later, or she will no longer have interest in me. It's a gamble. 

[LTtxfan 49188]

1 hour ago, honolulu horn said:

I sent my wife that Neyor pic. It'll either get her in the mood for later, or she will no longer have interest in me. It's a gamble. 

Be careful... it might be both 😬

[BabaYaga 15298]

19 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Ballsy. Those horns are a lot sharper than they look and Bevo is a large animal. 

That has been raised around people and bottle fed since he was a small calf.  Gentle as a puppy.  We used to have one.  They are naturally very gentle minus mom's and their calves.  Not mean, but protective and always alert.  

[honolulu horn 6158]

1 minute ago, BabaYaga said:

That has been raised around people and bottle fed since he was a small calf.  Gentle as a puppy.  We used to have one.  They are naturally very gentle minus mom's and their calves.  Not mean, but protective and always alert.  

similar to your avatar, I guess

[Red Five 40859]

3 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

That has been raised around people and bottle fed since he was a small calf.  Gentle as a puppy.  We used to have one.  They are naturally very gentle minus mom's and their calves.  Not mean, but protective and always alert.  

They apparently hate bulldogs. 

[GringoSalado 1651]

1 hour ago, Red Five said:

They apparently hate bulldogs. 

Can't imagine why that would be.

 

I wonder why bulldogs are called that.

[thunderlounge 7834]

They don’t use the phrase, “bulldog ugly” for nothing. 

[Longhornlove 4829]

On 7/25/2023 at 3:52 PM, Red Five said:

They apparently hate bulldogs. 

Most cattle fear dogs, longhorns are an exception to that rule. They are used in herds to prevent predators away in some instances.

[LTtxfan 49188]

Fall Camp starts in 1 week 🤘

[ousux 5597]

So how is Pom recruiting going this year?

[BurntOrange&White 39933]

4 hours ago, ousux said:

So how is Pom recruiting going this year?

Pretty good, we’re focusing heavily on the talent rich area of Charleston

[The Deuce 1094]

That’s a 12-0 cut right there.

 

[Post Oak 20213]

Thats a good fade. 

[BurntOrange&White 39933]

He should honestly just stay clean shaven....that facial hair is a mess.

[Getafix 28622]

 

Interesting note from FCB - below - plus the two parts of the Insider.  AD Mitchell-palooza.

 

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

Chip Brown (Horns 247)

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

 

The Insider, Part I: AD Mitchell's journey from two-time national champion to Texas
In this week's edition of The Insider, we do a deep dive into AD Mitchell's journey from three-star recruit to two-time national champion at Georgia to Texas.

Chip Brown

 

Spoiler

 

The Insider, Part I: AD Mitchell's journey from two-time national champion to Texas
In this week's edition of The Insider, we do a deep dive into AD Mitchell's journey from three-star recruit to two-time national champion at Georgia to Texas.

Chip Brown
 

I checked in with a team source who said the Longhorns’ best receiver in summer workouts has been Georgia transfer Adonai Mitchell.

After hearing this, I decided it was time to do a deeper dive into Mitchell’s journey and how he went from playing high school football in Missouri City (outside of Houston) at Fort Bend Ridge Point to spending his senior season in 2019 at Cane Ridge in Antioch, Tenn. (as both quarterback and receiver) and committing to Ole Miss before deciding to put off enrolling in college for a year (until after the fall of 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic) and ultimately committing to Georgia and enrolling in Athens in January 2021.

By now, everyone knows about Mitchell catching a touchdown pass in four College Football Playoff games the past two seasons, including the go-ahead 40-yard score with 8:09 left to play in the 2021 national title game against Alabama, as well as the game-winner with 54 seconds to go in a come-from-behind semifinal win over Ohio State last season en route to Georgia’s second straight national title.

‌
Many may not know that Mitchell grew up playing quarterback before getting to high school and deciding to be a receiver. And because of a family move from Texas to Tennessee just before his senior year of high school, Mitchell missed out on some recruiting combines before enrolling for his senior season at Cane Ridge.

Mitchell was flying under the radar and was rated only a three-star prospect out of high school.

But it took Cane Ridge coach Eddie Woods watching Mitchell in just one workout to say to himself, “Christmas has come early.”

“I coached (Dallas Cowboys’ running back) Tony Pollard when he was at Melrose High School in Memphis,” Woods said. “So, I know what explosive athletes look like. And AD came to the first workout and was just killing the drills. So explosive. And then, socially, he fit in with the guys right away. But in the workouts, he had a toughness and work ethic that was immediately apparent.

“He can be the life of the locker room. He’s a personable, fun-loving kid. But when he gets on the field, he loves to work. And when I saw that, coupled with the fact that he's extremely talented, I told our staff, ‘This guy reminds me of Tony from an explosive standpoint.’ AD can move and is twitchy like a small guy, but he’s obviously a big guy. His ball skills are off the charts.”

Because of an injury to Cane Ridge’s starting quarterback, Mitchell played quarterback for the first three games of his senior season before moving to receiver and finishing the year with 28 catches for 417 yards and five touchdowns.

***

The tenacity AD Mitchell showed in helping Georgia win back-to-back national championships has been evident his whole life, according to his father. (Photo: Brett Davis, USA TODAY Sports)
Mitchell’s father, Norman, is the CEO of Bee Busy Wellness Center, a federally-qualified health service center with three locations in Houston. But he’s also a former stand-up comedian who was a regular on television shows in the early 1990s such as the "Uptown Comedy Club," "Showtime at the Apollo" and "Def Comedy Jam" as part of Arceneaux & Mitchell (clips of the comedy duo can be found on YouTube). Mitchell says he and AD’s mother, Darcy, a former model with the Ford Modeling Agency, can laugh about it now, but they never wanted AD to move from quarterback.

“We were like, ‘You wanna play receiver? What a waste,’” Norman laughed. “We thought he had a rocket ard and we knew he was going to be tall. But then you see him now, as a receiver at this level. He could’ve come back and said, ‘I told you so.’ But he’s never done that. He just loves the game and loves what he’s doing.”

AD is the youngest of Norman's four children — all boys — and was always the most tenacious.

“He's got three older brothers and he had to compete with those guys,” Norman Mitchell said. “He's a kid who has the most tenacity of all of his brothers. He's a go-getter. He's a fighter. He’s tough. He’s not going to accept anything lying down. He's gonna fight for what he wants, and I think you see that in his play.”

Woods said when his starting quarterback couldn’t start the season at Cane Ridge due to injury, Mitchell volunteered to play quarterback, starting the first three games of the season.

“AD is just one of those guys who’s like, ‘Coach, put me wherever I can help. I’ll do it,’” Woods said. “He was a great teammate — and has a pretty good arm, too.”

Mitchell has had a chance to show off his arm in college, an opportunity he took advantage of when he threw for a 2-point conversion in Georgia’s 50-30 win over LSU in last year’s SEC Championship Game. (Kirby Smart’s decision to go for two on the play didn’t sit well with LSU as the Bulldogs were up by 25, and the conversion pass gave Georgia a 50-23 lead early in the fourth quarter.)

***

Adonai Mitchell
Originally committed to Ole Miss, Mitchell bet on himself in the fall of 2020 and wound up at Georgia in early 2021. (Photo: Brett Davis, USA TODAY Sports)

Mitchell finished up his senior season in high school in 2019 and still wasn’t committed anywhere. Woods said Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin came to Cane Ridge to see Mitchell go through a track workout “and offered him right there, on the spot.”

Mitchell decided to commit to Ole Miss, but then the pandemic hit in March 2020. And rather than enroll as a freshman in the fall of 2020, Mitchell decided to wait and instead used the time to train more as a receiver.

“He wanted to be as prepared as possible to start college,” Norman Mitchell said. “I was proud of him for wanting to put in that extra work at his craft.”

Mitchell sent out some video links of his workouts to various schools, including one to Georgia. Then-UGA receivers coach Cortez Hankton (now at LSU) saw the video and convinced then-offensive coordinator Todd Monken (now with the Baltimore Ravens) and Smart that Mitchell deserved a scholarship offer.

Mitchell de-committed from Ole Miss and enrolled at Georgia in January 2021. He played in all 15 games as a freshman — starting 12 — and finished with 29 catches for 426 yards and four touchdowns.

As a sophomore, Mitchell suffered a severe ankle injury in the second game of the season against Samford that limited him to playing in just six games, finishing with nine receptions for 134 yards and three touchdowns. But his three touchdown receptions came on the biggest stages — against No. 11 Oregon in the opener, the aforementioned game-winner against Ohio State in the CFP semifinal and in the first half of Georgia's 65-7 rout of TCU for the national championship.

“AD, he was one of the twitchiest dudes I’ve ever seen,” Georgia tight end Brock Bowers said earlier this month at SEC Media Days in Nashville. “He could take one step, then be heading [in] the opposite direction at full speed. He’s just an impressive player. I’m just hoping for the best for him at Texas.”

***

Mitchell's decision to transfer to Texas was a tough one, but the move allows him to be closer to his daughter. (Photo: Taylor Estes, Horns247, USA TODAY Sports)
Mitchell became a father to his daughter, Icylinn, in the summer of 2021. Because Mitchell was going to school, AD’s parents, who had moved from Tennessee back to the Houston area, took Icylinn into their home and began raising her. That would become a significant factor in Mitchell’s decision to transfer from Georgia and become a Longhorn, Norman Mitchell said.

“His decision to transfer to Texas gives him more time to be with her," he said. "She's only two hours away from him now. So, he can jump in the car and roll down here and spend time with her.

“He had her with him for about two weeks this summer, getting to know her and allowing her to get to know him. Those are the things that matter more than anything else in life — that he has an opportunity to watch her grow and learn and be a part of her life.”

Norman Mitchell said AD’s decision to transfer wasn’t easy after winning two straight national titles with the Bulldogs.

“[AD] toiled over it for quite some time," he said. "And, at the end of the day, it was a decision to be closer to his daughter. As a father, of course, I understand that. She's young. She's impressionable. She's learning. I told him, ‘This is an opportunity for you to be there. And if this is what you want, then, by all means, please do that.’ You know, we've all made sacrifices for our children, certainly myself and my wife. And so we understand, recognize and totally respect his decision.”

Fortunately for Mitchell, who definitely has NFL aspirations, a move closer to his daughter was accomplished by transferring to a program with a talented roster and an offensive-minded head coach in Steve Sarkisian with a reputation for helping one player after another reach the next level.

“You've got a quality of coaching over there with the Longhorns that's the same caliber, if not higher, than the caliber of coaching that you have at UGA,” Norman Mitchell said. “You've got a guy [Sarkisian] who also worked with (Nick) Saban. And AD really likes and respects Sarkisian. So, having your son be able to play for guys like Kirby Smart and Steve Sarkisian, it’s just really humbling.”

When asked for his favorite play made by AD, Norman Mitchell laughs while ticking through a highlight reel of big plays, including the 40-yard, go-ahead touchdown catch over 6-foot-3-inch Alabama cornerback Khyree Jackson in the national championship game as a freshman two seasons ago.

“I can tell when he's really, really honed in and focused,” Norman Mitchell said. "When they played in the national championship game against Bama, I saw his face when he came out of halftime. When he came out for that second half, he was like, ‘I want the ball.’ I can see it in his eyes, and I knew for a fact that any ball coming his way, he was going to catch, no matter what. And when I looked at that play, and you run it in slow motion, the 40-yard touchdown pass he caught against Jackson, you watch his laser focus on that ball. And that’s him. That’s who he is. Once he’s laser-focused, that’s it.”

***

Mitchell's impact has been felt on the Forty Acres since he arrived on campus in January. (Photo: Taylor Estes, Horns247, 247Sports)
Longhorn fans got a glimpse of Mitchell’s freakish talent in the Orange-White Spring Game when he soared to make a one-handed touchdown catch on a 13-yard pass from Quinn Ewers.

“We missed it,” Norman Mitchell said, laughing. “We were picking up our niece from the airport and driving to the stadium when our phones and social media started blowing up.”

How has Mitchell’s time in Austin with the Longhorns been so far?

“Man, he loves it,” Norman Mitchell said. “He’s always calling us, bragging on the team. So, he’s like, ‘Man, I think we’ve got another natty [national title] coming.’ He says he believes Quinn is probably going to win the Heisman [Trophy]. He believes that. He thinks Ewers is dynamite. He believes this young man is amazing. He said, ‘We've got some talented receivers in this corps. It's going to be so easy for [Ewers] to find targets.’ So, he's excited about the team. He really is excited about this team.”

Norman Mitchell pointed out that the national title game for the upcoming season will be played in Houston at NRG Stadium. Playing for the national title is all the Mitchell family knows since AD has been a college player.

“What a homecoming that would be for AD. Back where he grew up, back home with his daughter,” he said. “Man, that would truly be amazing.”

 

 

 

The Insider, Part II: Two football nuggets ahead of Texas opening camp

Chip Brown

 

Spoiler

 

The Insider, Part II: Two football nuggets ahead of Texas opening camp

Chip Brown
 

I can’t really say much more than this at this point, but we will know in the next five days if former TCU coach Gary Patterson will be returning to help the Longhorns’ defense as a special assistant in some capacity, according to a source who said the door remains open if Patterson wants to return.

Patterson stepped away from his special assistant role after last season, so he could spend more time with his wife, Kelsey, and their grandchildren. But he told Horns247 at the time, “If I’m bored come August, maybe I’ll see if Sark will have me back.”

We’re almost to August. It could be something. It could be nothing.

Stay tuned.

***

I talked to a team source who gave me one of the better nuggets I’ve heard about quarterback Quinn Ewers’ leadership from summer workouts.

Last Thursday, after two hours of working out in the heat (the high was 106 that day), strength coach Torre Becton had the team do 10 “Longhorn” shuttles, which are grueling shuttle runs concocted by Becton and considered the toughest way to finish a workout.

After finishing the 10 shuttle runs, Ewers said, “Coach, we’ve got 12 games. How about two more?”

And, according to the team source, “After two hours of working out in the heat, no one groaned. No one complained, and the whole team did two more Longhorn shuttles.”

 

 

 

[CashMcCoy 3199]

Quote

How has Mitchell’s time in Austin with the Longhorns been so far?

“Man, he loves it,” Norman Mitchell said. “He’s always calling us, bragging on the team. So, he’s like, ‘Man, I think we’ve got another natty [national title] coming.’ He says he believes Quinn is probably going to win the Heisman [Trophy]. He believes that. He thinks Ewers is dynamite. He believes this young man is amazing. He said, ‘We've got some talented receivers in this corps. It's going to be so easy for [Ewers] to find targets.’ So, he's excited about the team. He really is excited about this team.”

[Fud 9552]

18 minutes ago, Getafix said:

After finishing the 10 shuttle runs, Ewers said, “Coach, we’ve got 12 games. How about two more?”

And, according to the team source, “After two hours of working out in the heat, no one groaned. No one complained, and the whole team did two more Longhorn shuttles.”

Arch would have had the team run 15 

[kevwun 15789]

So Chip has no real info on Patterson coming back and using an offhanded remark made months ago for clickbait?

[Viper 12109]

1 minute ago, kevwun said:

So Chip has no real info on Patterson coming back and using an offhanded remark made months ago for clickbait?

[ousux 5597]

Wow, after reading that stuff about AD...wish we could have had him at least 3 years instead of one and done.

[TexEx15 17531]

No excuses this year.

[NoName 16352]

3 hours ago, Getafix said:

 

Quote

“Man, he loves it,” Norman Mitchell said. “He’s always calling us, bragging on the team. So, he’s like, ‘Man, I think we’ve got another natty [national title] coming.’ He says he believes Quinn is probably going to win the Heisman [Trophy]. He believes that. He thinks Ewers is dynamite. He believes this young man is amazing. He said, ‘We've got some talented receivers in this corps. It's going to be so easy for [Ewers] to find targets.’ So, he's excited about the team. He really is excited about this team.”

 

[Tex Pete 20354]

3 hours ago, Getafix said:

  Hide contents

Last Thursday, after two hours of working out in the heat (the high was 106 that day), strength coach Torre Becton had the team do 10 “Longhorn” shuttles, which are grueling shuttle runs concocted by Becton and considered the toughest way to finish a workout.

After finishing the 10 shuttle runs, Ewers said, “Coach, we’ve got 12 games. How about two more?”

And, according to the team source, “After two hours of working out in the heat, no one groaned. No one complained, and the whole team did two more Longhorn shuttles.”

 

On my HS team, they would have never found Quinn's body. 😂

[Not a cat 5657]

It's all just empty bravado until he writes on a board "everybody that wants to beat bama on 9/9 meet here at 3:00".

[Reese Bennett 3614]

6 hours ago, The Deuce said:

That’s a 12-0 cut right there.

 

Fezco.

[Vito Andolini 9126]

That Norman Mitchell quote is the greatest KoolAid from a fire hose gusher I’ve ever read. Open the spigot baby, I’m drinking it in!

[Sawbonz 27562]

On 7/19/2023 at 2:13 PM, BurntOrange&White said:

Nahlin said that Majors/Hutson will be a major competition at the center position.

[LTtxfan 49188]

[LTtxfan 49188]

10 hours ago, kevwun said:

So Chip has no real info on Patterson coming back and using an offhanded remark made months ago for clickbait?

 

10 hours ago, Viper said:

 

I'm suspicious about this info from FCB too, but Bobby Burton checked a couple sources and says Gare might be considering a return to Texas.  Burton thinks we'll know about Gare by opening of Fall Camp next week.

Per Burton, Gare already said no to working this year in LA for Lincoln Riley...

 

Edited July 28, 2023 by LTtxfan

[Viper 12109]

3 minutes ago, LTtxfan said:

Per Burton, Gare already said no to working this year in LA for Lincoln Riley...

Gotta respect the man's culinary tastes. 

Edited July 28, 2023 by Viper

[Not a cat 5657]

It might be the gummy kicking in, but if we somehow caught lightning in a bottle, Mitchell would pull a Ken Norton jr and win 3 straight titles with 2 different teams.  

I assume with transfer rules being what they were, nobody alive has won 3 straight college football titles, unless there's some really old guy that played for Minnesota from 1934-36.  

[cmontexas 3271]

The Don Gullett

[BurntOrange&White 39933]

Gerry said he saw DJ Campbell at the pool party and it's the first time they have seen him without a wrist brace on since spring.

[pacman 7355]

$$ https://www.espn.com/college-football/insider/story/_/id/38069736/college-football-best-2023-true-freshmen-39-different-skills-traits

Quote

Best mechanics: Arch Manning, Texas
ESPN 300 rank: 5

Manning has excellent footwork and tempo in his drop and very polished throwing mechanics. He's been taught from an early age about the nuances of the position, and it shows as he's one of the more refined passers we have seen at this stage. Manning's one knock is lack of competition in high school, but he won't be rushed into playing time at Texas -- acclimation is needed.

Quote

Best power/contact balance: Cedric Baxter Jr., Texas
ESPN 300 rank: 30

Baxter packs a punch at 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds. He can get that big body downhill with momentum and has posted a laser verified 4.6-second 40-yard dash. The Florida native runs a bit high, but it doesn't stop him from powering through arm tackles and bouncing off defenders in the hole once he explodes upfield. Baxter should push for carries this season after a strong spring and eventually add Bijan Robinson's type of production over his career.

Quote

Best catch and run ability: Johntay Cook II, Texas
ESPN 300 rank: 26

Cook is not the biggest receiver, but he's ultra quick and sudden after the catch. His transition upfield is fluid and explosive. He has that separation burst to make defenders miss in tight quarters. Cook has the third fastest shuttle (4.05) in the entire 2023 class. That time would have been the second fastest in last year's NFL combine. Following a great spring, Cook should be in the rotation this fall.

Quote

Best transition ability: Malik Muhammad, Texas
ESPN 300 rank: 52

Muhammad has great feet with limited wasted steps coming out of his breaks to close or flipping his hips to stay in phase with a faster receiver in man coverage. He boasts a 4.11 5-10-5 shuttle showcasing his rare quickness and change-of-direction ability. His bend and ability to sink his hips in quick movements for a 6-foot defensive back is excellent. Timing and anticipation are two of his physical assets that complement his play in transition. We see an early special teams impact and eventual secondary rotation for Muhammad this season.

 

Edited July 28, 2023 by pacman

[Hermanator 7050]

10 hours ago, Not a cat said:

It might be the gummy kicking in, but if we somehow caught lightning in a bottle, Mitchell would pull a Ken Norton jr and win 3 straight titles with 2 different teams.  

I assume with transfer rules being what they were, nobody alive has won 3 straight college football titles, unless there's some really old guy that played for Minnesota from 1934-36.  

He would be around 107 years old so no there isn't. 

[Hermanator 7050]

20 hours ago, TexEx15 said:

No excuses this year.

I'll believe it when it's on the field. Luckily Bama has lost their depth advantage due to NIL and portal so we will know if this team has what it takes on September 9th. Then we gotta find out if they can maintain it over 12 games. 

[Magus Ossis 2800]

20 hours ago, TexEx15 said:

No excuses this year.

Most all-conference players is only a limited proxy for roster strength. It does not account for crucial holes in talent at specific positions, for depth, or for conference strength. Of course, there should never be excuses. Other teams can have excuses for losing to Texas.

[Not a cat 5657]

43 minutes ago, Hermanator said:

He would be around 107 years old so no there isn't. 

But think of the stories he could tell that none of us could even imagine.  Growing up in the Depression, fighting WW2, watching aggy win a championship...

[Had Enough 2081]

Most all-conference players is only a limited proxy for roster strength. It does not account for crucial holes in talent at specific positions, for depth, or for conference strength. Of course, there should never be excuses. Other teams can have excuses for losing to Texas.

Well yeah but they are saying 16 out of 22 position players are all conference types. That’s a huge number. Those other 6 would have to be significant holes. Then compare to other conference foes none of whom have 11. From what I remember, we probably have 3 times as many as any other conference team.

And, from the 6 not listed, 4 are returning starters, one is replacing a two-year starter we let go, and the other is a very highly sought after LB.

What that does tell you is that we’re the favorite to win the conference and by considerable amount. You win the conference there’s a good shot at a playoff berth. Anything can happen from there.

Just let it flow.