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Texas Offseason 2025 - Archmania Is Upon Us


Vertigo

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2 hours ago, Vertigo said:

Kicking off the offseason with the realization that we are going to have so much media coverage, even us sickos may get tired of it. Transfer portal will shake things up a bit, but as of today here is where we stand.

Offense:

QB- Obviously the conversation begins and ends with Arch Manning, the heir apparent to the Manning family legacy will begin his journey to what we can only hope will be the first overall pick in the draft whenever he decides to leave.

OL - There will be some intrigue with the offense as there is more upheaval on that side of the ball than we have had since Sark's first season. 4 out of 5 offensive lineman depart including Kelvin Banks and Cam Williams, two guys who will hear their names called early in the draft. Also, Jake Majors and Hayden Conner. Two guys who just refused to get passed up on the depth chart on their way to being multiyear starters. While the tackle spot seems in danger of the most drop off, Trevor Goosby showed well when thrust into action in some of our toughest games and has me feeling like we will maintain a high level of play on the left side. On the right, Brandon Baker seems like he has the inside track on the job, and while he has shown high potential this season, it is now time to put it on tape in the spring. He will have to fend off guys like Jayden Chatman and possibly Nick Brooks. The interior of the line is interesting as the staring lineup will likely feature some combination of DJ Campbell, Cole Hutson, and one of Neto, Nate Kibble, Daniel Cruz, or Conner Robertson.  It should be an interesting spring on the inside, but my hope is that we see a large increase in physicality up the middle in the run game. 

RB - CJ Baxter's status will be one to watch as we progress into fall camp. I am not banking on a return to 100%, but is an 85% CJ better than our other options? On the surface I would say yes, especially in pass protection, but we have some intriguing options. Tre Wisner will be the bell cow in the spring, and will figure prominently into the mix next season. Beyond that, I am expecting a big jump from Jerrick Gibson. The fumbles are what held him back, but I think another offseason of development could ultimately rectify the situation. He has shown really good interior vision and patience on inside zone that we really need. Will James Simon come in and challenge? He is the one freshman I am watching to see if he can make an impact. 

WR - It is a bummer to lose Golden, but I have huge expectations that Ryan Wingo can turn himself into a true WR1 this offseason. Pairing him with Deandre Moore will give a solid couple of options to Manning in the passing game. We still need a jetpack guy who can take the top off of the defense, but in the absence of that I will be curious to see which of the freshman receivers start pushing to get into the rotation. Parker Livingstone (aka Jaggy McJaggerson per ctj) has been a guy with some buzz in camp. If our top three indeed becomes Wingo, Moore, and Livingstone, then I expect a lot more downfield 50/50 balls next year as we will have elite size on the outside and a QB who likes to push the ball downfield. 

TE - Another room with many unanswered questions. We are hearing great things about Jordan Washington, but is he ready to carry the load by himself to replace Gunner Helm as the every down TE? Time will tell, but this may be another area where we see a portal addition. However, if Spencer Shannon shows that he can be a force in the blocking game, One freshman I am very intrigued with is Nick Townsend. He might be too good to keep off the field. 

Defense:

LB - Anthony Hill, Liona Lefau, Brad Spence, and Tyanthony Smith are going to make for a nasty LB rotation next season. This could be the strongest position group on the defense. I expect Hill to be a finalist for some serious hardware next year, and Lefau is proving to be a guy that is just always around the ball and a very sure tackler.

DL - Who is going to be the guy to make the Vernon Broughton off the top rope out of nowhere jump this offseason? My money is on Alex January. That being said, the portal additions are filling some much needed depth, especially Cole Brevard. While we still need to add another body or two at this spot, I am very curious to see how Melvin Hills is progressing. I am also hearing very good things out of Justus Terry. I have a hunch that this freshman class of DTs will factor into the mix as the season progresses. Sharma looks like a walking sectional sofa, Terry is rocked up like he is 30 years old with some serious twitch, and Myron Charles may be the nastiest and most disruptive of the bunch.

EDGE - Another position with some ridiculous depth. Member when we had a 4i as our "edge rusher"? I member.. But now we have Collin bad mothafucka Simmons and a returning Trey Moore on the weak side. Combine that with the Westlake lovers dream team of Burke and Vasek on the strong side to pair with incoming freshman Lance Jackson. Every time Vasek gets on the field he is disruptive. He has an insane win rate and I am looking forward to him getting more run this season. He just needs to add another 10-20 pounds. Someone put him on the Ethan Burke beefcake 3000 diet. 

DB - After the roller coaster of holding onto Manny Muhammed, I am feeling pretty good about or DB room. There will be some real competition for the field side corner, but my money is on either Kobe Black or Wardell Mack to lock it down. Seems like the staff trusted Black slightly more this season, but I feel like Mack is a more natural cover guy. Gilbeau will continue to run the nickel, but don't rule out them doing some exotic stuff like putting Jelani McDonald in the nickel against run heavy teams like Vandy and Kentucky. 
 

S - Andrew Mukuba is the prime example of how impactful elite safety play can be. And who knew two years ago that we would be celebrating the return of Michael Taafe, but here we are. Taafe and McDonald should make for a solid tandem, but who will fill out the rotation? Can Derek Williams return to form after injury? Does Jordan Johnson-Rubell break into the rotation or does he start getting squeezed by guys like Jonah Williams and Zelus Hicks? Time will tell, but we have the pieces to be very good in the back end once again. 

K - Burt Auburn needs Jesus. 

P - Bouwmeester is going to be an immediate upgrade for next season. It seems like the only time we uncorked a 50 yard punt was when we were on the opponents 40 yard line. 

Run game is a question.. Does Sark/Flood return to more IZ. Do the RBs allow for that? Goosby showed well in pass pro, but he had his issues in the run game. More traditional LT. I say that as a compliment to Banks’ overall game. TE blocking has been mediocre to sketchy the last few years. Would be nice to have a reliable blocker there in 2025, that would really help the run game. The deep ball will return and I am sure Sark is drooling over that. That should also help the run game 
 

WR room has talent, but an experienced #1 would add some confidence. It would be nice to give Arch someone that is proven. I have full confidence in Wingo getting there, just not sure it will be by the opener. 

Mack has been working at NB. Love to him force the coaches to find ways to get him in games. The CB spot opposite of Muhammad is TBD. Kobe is the odds on favorite, but will another young buck emerge 

I agree on everything you said about Vasek, but he has to find away to stay healthy. As the old saying goes “the best ability is availability”. 

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On 1/22/2025 at 2:10 PM, Vertigo said:


OL - There will be some intrigue with the offense as there is more upheaval on that side of the ball than we have had since Sark's first season. 4 out of 5 offensive lineman depart including Kelvin Banks and Cam Williams, two guys who will hear their names called early in the draft. Also, Jake Majors and Hayden Conner. Two guys who just refused to get passed up on the depth chart on their way to being multiyear starters. While the tackle spot seems in danger of the most drop off, Trevor Goosby showed well when thrust into action in some of our toughest games and has me feeling like we will maintain a high level of play on the left side. On the right, Brandon Baker seems like he has the inside track on the job, and while he has shown high potential this season, it is now time to put it on tape in the spring. He will have to fend off guys like Jayden Chatman and possibly Nick Brooks. The interior of the line is interesting as the staring lineup will likely feature some combination of DJ Campbell, Cole Hutson, and one of Neto, Nate Kibble, Daniel Cruz, or Conner Robertson.  It should be an interesting spring on the inside, but my hope is that we see a large increase in physicality up the middle in the run game. 
 

So - fewer or more false starts?

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Not sure what position Clark interviewed for at Texas…

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LaAllan Clark, a defensive ends coach at Southern University last season, joined the Ohio State coaching staff in early 2023 and will be a defensive line graduate assistant.

Clark, who played defensive end at Grambling State and Northwestern State, began his coaching career at Prairie View A&M in 2019. He is originally from Baton Rouge, La.

 

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Who had Tre Wisner having the season he had, rushing for 1,000 yards? 
 

Who had Gunner Helm being one of the best TE’s in the country and Vernon Broughton becoming an NFL player and one of the best surprise on this team??
 

who had Cam Williams becoming a first rd draft pick and Michael Taaffe a walk on being an All-American? 
 

I’m saying all that to say maybe everything we’re looking for could possibly already be in the Texas program. 
 

Why can’t Spencer Shannon or Jordan Washington have become a compete TE?

Why can’t January be the next Byron Murphy?? 

why can’t Brandon Baker become the next 1st round tackle? DJ Campbell make a Vernon Broughton type jump? 
 

why can’t Kaliq Lockett or Jamie French have a Jeremiah Smith type freshman season? And Why can’t Aaron Butler or Ryan Niblett be that Isaiah Bond? 
 

I will say I do hope we don’t pencil in starters and let the players battle it out this spring. Specially at Nickel, Gilbeaux is a 2 year starter still making Freshman mistakes. I hope McDonald or whoever is given the opportunity to get that spot . 
 

I think the battle at corner between Black, Wilson and Mack will be a great one as well as the interior O-Line 

Edited by D3zii
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Would love to get a recovery update at some point for CJ Baxter and Christian Clark, although it may yet be a little early for that. Also interested to see if Wisner can put on some additional weight over the offseason. He's currently listed at 200 lb. Another 10 lbs might be the difference for him and he should be feeling the heat with the incoming talent and Baxter's possible return.

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11 minutes ago, South Austin said:

And when Sark talks about it at the presser.

He's very intentional with his practice and that's what we like around here. Schematically he's built to hit the celly a little more level of comfort than Quinn was, and that's not a knock on Quinn but Arch has a high level of intensity with his celly. He understands what we are trying to do and WHY we are trying to hit the celly. 

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Netflix has announced an exciting addition to its 2025 lineup with the release of a groundbreaking documentary series chronicling the legacy of the Texas Longhorns. Titled Unveiling the Longhorns’ Legacy, the series promises to offer an unprecedented look into one of the most storied programs in college athletics.

...

Unveiling the Longhorns’ Legacy is not just a sports documentary—it’s a celebration of the traditions, passion, and excellence that define the University of Texas. From the burnt orange and white uniforms to the electrifying “Texas Fight” chant, the series will immerse viewers in the unique culture that makes the Longhorns a beacon of pride for the state of Texas.

 

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45 minutes ago, texifornia said:

https://surlyx.com/Horns247/status/1883540429976805570?t=Wq1wng1h22Oo2JDTxaNb8A&s=19

@immamac, trying out the surlyx add-on, and clearly botched it. When in the process should I add the "surly" to the link?

you gotta do it in the url bar before copy/paste otherwise it will paste as the x.com link.

https://surlyx.com/Horns247/status/1883540429976805570?t=Wq1wng1h22Oo2JDTxaNb8A&s=19

 

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2 hours ago, Elmer_Fudd said:

Of note for the opener at tOSU this coming season, Jim Knowles has been hired by Penn State for its new DC.

So they’ll likely be replacing both coordinators 

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