Jump to content

2018 Longhorns Fall Practice/Football Season Thread

Tex Pete

By Tex Pete
in Football

 Share

Recommended Posts

satyanash

satyanash 14,481

Posted
Posted

Bobby Burton: Simple question

Who are the Longhorns' best players? I think there are three clear leaders in the discussion.

DL, Breckyn Hager 
DL, Charles Omenihu 
CB, Kris Boyd

All three are defensive players. That, in itself, should tell us all something. The Horns are likely to once again be led by their defense despite the unit's heavy graduation/NFL early entry. There are two offensive players who are worthy of consideration in that group, but I wouldn't put them in the same category as the three above because of their relative lack of consistency. They are:

WR, Collin Johnson 
WR, Lil'Jordan Humphrey

That being said, I think we all expect the Texas offense to be better in 2018 than it was a year ago. That's not asking much.

**

Texas lost three games last year that the Horns easily could have won had it not been for costly turnovers in game-defining situations, all three from quarterback Sam Ehlinger.

- USC (fumble in OT near the goal line) 
- Oklahoma State (still not sure who he was throwing the ball to) 
- Texas Tech (ill-advised cross-body throw into traffic)

With the QB a year older (and very hopefully a year wiser), Ehlinger's ability to make the right decisions is a focal point. Todd Dodge, the former UT quarterback who was Ehlinger's head coach at Austin Westlake, feels like his former pupil has what it takes to make the transition from gunslinger to rifleman. I spoke to Dodge a while back and he told me that he expected great strides in Ehlinger this year because he equated it somewhat to what happened to Ehlinger in high school. Ehlinger turned the ball over multiple times his first year as a starter at Westlake only to become extremely stingy with the ball the next season. While I think it's fair that there is some focus on Ehlinger for the poor decision/throw against Tech, I don't know how much fault I really attach to him for the loss at USC or Oklahoma State.

Ehlinger should have never been in the game at that point against OSU given what looked like a concussion. Score that one on the coaches as much as Ehlinger IMO. With USC, Ehlinger didn't protect the ball well near the goal line. Yet it was the first game where he ever really got into a scrum pile on the college level. That stuff happens and it's why you don't like playing freshmen. Point is, I'm not sure that type of fumble happens again in his Longhorn career. Is Ehlinger a turnover machine, or can he be effective without risking too much? That's the question that only the season will answer IMO.

**

Sources I spoke with singled out the progress that these three players have made compared to where they were just a year ago.

OL, Tope Imade - I'm told that Texas fans should not sleep on Imade, who has made immense progress. Is he ready to start or overtake an incumbent starter? That's a fair question. I'm told he will get a long look over the next three weeks.

WR, Jordan Pouncey - Odds are Pouncey is a starter as the season wears on, he's a significant addition to the receiving corps; while he is an infinitely more natural receiver than some of his counterparts, I'm told he is not the blocker of some of his counterparts so factor that into his playing time still

DL, Ta'Quan Graham - A lot is expected of Graham and I'm told he's more than held up his end of the bargain thus far.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 3.1k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Popular Posts

horngasm
horngasm

I am curious why anyone thinks we will improve this year? Our best players are gone. OLine will be worse. Our QBs haven't progressed since they set foot on campus. Beck and the bin

ClubWhatever
ClubWhatever

Start watching men's basketball

LTtxfan
LTtxfan

Nutty Gruesome Surly Story https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2792085-ufc-fighter-suffers-gruesome-injury-in-accident-with-power-drill Sorry not football related, but definite SURLY Materia

BigHorn'13

BigHorn'13 3,363

Posted
Posted
49 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

Dude, you don't like Tito's? I'm sad to say I've drank plenty of vodka from all over the world, and Tito's is about as good as it gets. This isn't brown water, where the gap is massive between okay and greatness. For vodka, there's rot gut and then whatever smoothness you can find without a hangover up to $40/handle. If you're spending more than that you're lighting it on fire and less than $20 is guaranteeing pain. Tito's sits firmly in the "fine, smooth, limited pain in some moderation" arena, which should work for any of us.

What thread were we on again?

I bartended for awhile before and during school and there are certain spirits that even the smell of it is vomit inducing. Tito's isn't quite jagermeister level to me but it's up there. I guess if we're talking Texas Vodka, using the same requirements listed above, it's Dripping Springs and it ain't even close. / rant

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
texifornia

texifornia 56,923

Posted
Posted
Quote

WR, Jordan Pouncey - Odds are Pouncey is a starter as the season wears on, he's a significant addition to the receiving corps; while he is an infinitely more natural receiver than some of his counterparts, I'm told he is not the blocker of some of his counterparts so factor that into his playing time still 

Kind of a funny note for a guy who was a high school running back

Link to comment
Share on other sites
kopp0e

kopp0e 1,135

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, thrillhammer said:

it's reasonable to see them win 0 out of 4, 1 out of 4, 2 out of 4, 3 out of 4, or 4 out of 4.  none of these outcomes would surprise me.

Well, by percentages, all of those options are available... But I think winning 3 is more likely than not...

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jack Wilson

Jack Wilson 313

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, BigHorn'13 said:

I'm really hoping he's either has learned the finer points of route running or he's running go routes every play. He could take so much attention off CJ and even LJH with his speed. 

My thinking exactly. I guess it's just that last year our OL was so shitty our QB's didn't have the time to make the deep go-route throws. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Vertigo

Vertigo 20,276

Posted
Posted
3 hours ago, BigHorn'13 said:

I bartended for awhile before and during school and there are certain spirits that even the smell of it is vomit inducing. Tito's isn't quite jagermeister level to me but it's up there. I guess if we're talking Texas Vodka, using the same requirements listed above, it's Dripping Springs and it ain't even close. / rant

Deep Eddy for me,  and it's not close. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Magus Ossis

Magus Ossis 2,798

Posted
Posted

Mack back doesn’t bother me now. If we look soft this year, I’ll change my mind. As crappy as his time got, he is the last Texas coach to win 8 games, let alone any hardware. Minus the soul-crushing psychological surrender he nearly always made to OU, I wouldn’t mind having a lot of those 9 and 10 win seasons back.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Jack Wilson

Jack Wilson 313

Posted
Posted
12 minutes ago, Magus Ossis said:

Mack back doesn’t bother me now. If we look soft this year, I’ll change my mind. As crappy as his time got, he is the last Texas coach to win 8 games, let alone any hardware. Minus the soul-crushing psychological surrender he nearly always made to OU, I wouldn’t mind having a lot of those 9 and 10 win seasons back.

That kind of post will get you negged into oblivion before you can say Jack Robinson--even though, deep down in their hearts, 99% of the Mack-haters secretly agree with you.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Magus Ossis

Magus Ossis 2,798

Posted
Posted
10 minutes ago, Jack Wilson said:

That kind of post will get you negged into oblivion before you can say Jack Robinson--even though, deep down in their hearts, 99% of the Mack-haters secretly agree with you.

Yeah. I probably should have prefaced my statements with some (correct) groupthink cussing about how he fell asleep at the wheel with his hand still in the cookie jar.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
texifornia

texifornia 56,923

Posted
Posted

Deadspin previewed us: https://deadspin.com/dear-texas-get-your-shit-together-signed-nobody-1828166431

It's fine. We really don't have a star player right now (come on Gary Johnson) and that's ok.

Quote

Did you read anything I just wrote?!? Anyway, if you are just joining us, no, Texas can’t make the Playoff.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
PatSolitanojr

PatSolitanojr 518

Posted
Posted
20 minutes ago, texifornia said:

Deadspin previewed us: https://deadspin.com/dear-texas-get-your-shit-together-signed-nobody-1828166431

It's fine. We really don't have a star player right now (come on Gary Johnson) and that's ok.

 

He got so many player positions wrong and  still thinks Ed Freeman is on our team. 

 

What a dumbass. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Bobby_Batronic

Bobby_Batronic 1,994

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, BigHorn'13 said:

I'm really hoping he's either has learned the finer points of route running or he's running go routes every play. He could take so much attention off CJ and even LJH with his speed. 

Well, it would be helpful if he were a complete WR, but perhaps our crack offensive staff has learned to use his gifts for what they are instead of what the staff would like him to be. It’d be nice if he developed into another Shipley, but there’s real value in a guy who can take the top of the defense off on every play. And once that’s established some complementary routes become available for easy completions when the DB’s are worried about getting beat. Or that was the thought with the offensive system he was recruiter to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Rimbo

Rimbo 25,921

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, closetojumping said:

Dude, you don't like Tito's? I'm sad to say I've drank plenty of vodka from all over the world, and Tito's is about as good as it gets. This isn't brown water, where the gap is massive between okay and greatness. For vodka, there's rot gut and then whatever smoothness you can find without a hangover up to $40/handle. If you're spending more than that you're lighting it on fire and less than $20 is guaranteeing pain. Tito's sits firmly in the "fine, smooth, limited pain in some moderation" arena, which should work for any of us.

What thread were we on again?

My limited experience with vodka has been with some Stoli at my parents' 25th anniversary when I was too young to drink, and the time my Russian neighbor's friend was visiting from Siberia and brought some legitimate Siberian amazing shit that he insisted I help them finish.

I'll stick to brown water.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


Football ... Basketball ... Baseball ... Other Sports ... Futbol ... 🤫995🤫 ... Gambling ... Movies & TV ... Music ... Hobbies ... Lulz ... Food & Travel ... Daily Texan ... Business and Markets ... Cloak Room ... Help ... For Sale ... Board Discussion ... Subscribe!... Donate!... Advertise... COOKIE MONSTER!

×
×
  • Create New...