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ShaggyBevo RIP

ShaggyBevo RIP 3868

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On 3/27/2019 at 5:21 PM, Vertigo said:

Some gold in this clip:

Herman: "Michelle was like, what am I supposed to make for dinner for a supermodel and the worlds sexiest man/Oscar winner?" I was like, "He's kind of a normal dude, throw on some steaks."

Blew his opportunity to say, 'I'm sure whatever you make will be alright, alright, alright.'

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South Austin
South Austin

Fuck these rankings. Did we make it through the day without one of our players suffering from organ failure or getting cancer?

EuroHorn
EuroHorn

Checks schedule. No Maryland.  

Machinator
Machinator
Machinator

Machinator 32099

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Tom Herman post-scrimmage quotes - 3/30/19


Opening statement: Really, really fun to watch us go out and play football. We didn’t script any scenarios today. I wanted a lot of these young guys to feel what it’s like to have to, as best we could, simulate game-like atmospheres. The ones played 51 snaps, the twos played 54 so it was pretty even. Offense certainly go the better of the defense today and made some really big plays. It would have been even worse, but the defense did force two turnovers which was good to see.

Injury update: Chris Brown is actually being evaluated right now at the hospital for some lung issues. He came in not feeling great. The doctors want to be cautious. Nothing certainly life-threatening but we needed to get him evaluated at the hospital. Sam Ehlinger, we ruled out mumps. That test came back negative. We’re still trying to figure it out. He’s got a lot of swelling and soreness in his throat. Just trying to figure out what that is, but again we don’t believe either of these will keep these guys out for too long of a time. BJ Foster is still improving. If he stays on track symptom free, we hope to have him back Monday. Marqez Bimage should be able to be in live contact some on Monday. De’Gabriel Floyd had an MRI late yesterday afternoon. We should have the results of that. We did the bone scan a while back to rule out any kind of stress reaction of stress fracture in any of the vertebrae. Now, we’re going to do an MRI on the spinal cord, spinal column and see what’s going on in there. Keondre (Coburn) played the whole scrimmage today. That was good to see. I saw him make some plays. Excited about the direction. We’ve got to do a better job as coaches. We got a little tired after 51 plays. We shouldn’t be as tired as we were. They went back to back practices and they practiced really hard yesterday. That was probably part of it, but we’ve got to be able to sustain some of those longer drives a little bit better. I think that will come as we stop installing and just start playing football.

On Bru McCoy: No (he didn’t practice) because he’s still non-contact today. If everything progresses, we think Monday he should be back.

On getting Casey Thompson first team reps: Casey was pretty nervous yesterday. I think that affected him a little bit, but today he looked good. He’s got a long way to go, but for a guy who’s never taken a snap in the game to be running with the first team offense, I thought he operated it well and made some really good decisions. Looked good.

On Roschon Johnson’s usage: Just Casey with the ones and Roschon with the twos.

On Malcolm Epps: Great. He probably had the most big plays of the receiving group. Keaontay (Ingram) and Jordan (Whittington) had some big plays. Kirk Johnson had a big play. Running back group was fairly explosive today at times, but Malcolm… if you cover him one on one that’s a tough matchup.

On Brennan Eagles’ progress at ZWR: Good. Because he’s so physical, those guys out there at Z do a lot of perimeter blocking. A lot of our flare screens, a lot of our bubble screens, a lot of our perimeter runs go to the field quite a bit. He’s doing a really good job of that. A little bit, as you saw with (Devin) Duvernay’s numbers last year, it’s a little bit harder to get the field receiver a ton of catches. They’re not going to gobble up the catches that an H or an X might. We’ve had conversations about let’s formation it so we do get him in places we can get him the ball a little bit more. That will come as we stop installing the offense. Next week we’ll have some different personnel groups. We’ll put two backs in the backfield and have a little 20 personnel package, 21 personnel package, 12 personnel package. You’ll see a little bit more creativity there. Today was our base offense, basically. Not really gameplanning for anything. Brennan’s done a great job.

On safety: I think I saw Coach Naivar out there. DeMarvion (Overshown). Josh (Thompson) is playing nickel with the ones. DeMarvion and… who was the other safety with the ones? We’ve got four of them out with Caden (Sterns), BJ (Foster), Chris Brown, and Brandon Jones. I think the guys that we’ll probably count on the most, those guys that are getting the reps – Josh Thompson and DeMarvion (Overshown).

On balancing struggling against the style of defense that has given him the most fits: We’re going championships with great defense. We’ve got a chance, if we can plug a few holes here and there like a couple of o-linemen and we’ve got to make sure in our quarterback situation we have depth there, this has a chance to be a pretty good offense. Hopefully, better than it was even last year. When the defense does have success, I know that it’s real. Any time I see them have success I’m happy because that’s how you win championships.

On the redshirt freshmen o-linemen during scrimmage situations: It shows up in two areas. One, in experience in terms of quality depth with the two o-line. These guys were reading cards all last fall trying to figure out their left from their right. Then you get all the movement, different fronts, blitzes. The game is really fast for them right now, but they’re progressing as you would think redshirt freshman offensive linemen would.

On the defensive line and Ta’Quon Graham: Malcolm (Roach) is a guy that probably shows up the most. Ta’Quon is having a good first seven practices. It’ll be a battle at nose guard. Now with Keondre back, I think that will be a good battle to watch here for the next eight practices. We’ve got depth there, good. One thing, Rob Cummins aggravated his knee again. He chipped a little bit of articular cartilage off Wednesday. He’s going to have that scoped again on Monday.

On the turnovers from the scrimmage: One was an interception, a great play by Jeff McCulloch. The other was a bad snap that got fumbled and put on the ground. The defense recovered it.

On what he’s seen from Denzel Okafor, Tope Imade, and Derek Kerstetter: I do (like what I’ve seen). The guy that will push those three is Junior (Angilau) right now, who’s on our campus. Did you guys know Christian Jones had a high ankle sprain? It was worse than we had thought. He’s been out since he did that. Right after spring break. We thought Christian would be another one that could push those guys. Hopefully he’ll get back here in the next couple of days. Pleased with the progress. We’ve got a long ways to go. You can tell there is a marked difference in experience level and savviness with (Sam) Cosmi and (Zach) Shackelford versus the other three. They’re on pace, they’re on target. I’m pleased with their progress.

On ball security during the spring: The reason last year’s team, and especially last year’s offense won ten games and a Sugar Bowl championship and played for a conference title in 14 games with zero plays of over 50 yards, the reason is we only turned it over 11 times in 14 games. That’s less than one a game. We possessed the ball, and we grinded drives out.

On ball security this spring compared to last spring: Really good.

On what WR stood out today: Malcolm (Epps).

On the young receivers: Devin’s been back practicing. We limited his reps today. Our target was about 20-25 reps for him. It’s been good to see all those guys have to get reps. Al’vonte Woodard made some good plays today now that you ask me. We see Malcolm, Brennan (Eagles), Josh (Moore), and Jordan (Pouncey), those are all really young guys. Devin and Collin (Johnson) have played a lot of football. You never want to say that a guy doesn’t need spring practice because we all need practice any time you have an opportunity. I don’t think those two guys have to prove to us anything in terms of their ability level and their commitment to this team. It’s been good to get these young guys a lot more seasoning.

On Cade Brewer and Reese Leitao: Reese rolled his ankle. Maybe it was high ankle. I don’t know a lot of the difference. I think one is rotated one way, one is the other. He fought through a little bit. He practiced both yesterday and today. We limited his reps today. Cade’s been doing great. We’re going to miss Andrew Beck. He was a two-time captain that was first-team all conference, and a guy that’s probably going to get drafted. Cade’s played a lot of football, unfortunately, as a true freshman. You can tell he’s added a lot of strength and mass. I think he’s 255 now. He played at 235 his freshman year, 230 maybe. There’s no doubt we’re going to miss Andrew. I tried to tell anybody that would listen he’s going to test great. I fought really hard to get him invited to the combine. I want to say how proud I was of him and what he was able to do at the pro day.

On Joseph Ossai and how he changes what Texas can do on defense: I think you’ll see us bring him a lot more than we have in the last three or four years on first and second down because he can rush the passer and he’s physical enough to hold up in the run game off the edge. His development has been great. This is a guy who I think lead the team in tackles in the Sugar Bowl. That kind of springboarded him, gave him a lot of confidence I think. He shows up quite a bit at practice.

To the fans: I want to address our fans and let them know the spring game is two weeks away. Last year’s atmosphere was as good as anybody around here can remember. Night game, it was exciting. It was buzzing. We want to make sure we make it even better this year. We’ve got a concert for our fans. Again, it’s a night kickoff. It’s going to be a heck of a time. These guys, they’ve been working really hard for Texas. One of the ways I feel like our fans can show their appreciation is to be present, be loud, have a good time, and make a weekend out of it. You’ll get a chance to see Ludcaris play.

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Walden Ponderer

Walden Ponderer 12639

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I'm looking forward to seeing what Herman is talking about with going 20 and 21 personnel. We already knew if Ingram could add some weight and keep his quicks he'd be good, but it sounds to me like Whittington is making himself at home as a RB. Could be some interesting things they can do with 2 back sets to drive opposing DCs nuts.

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Slacks

Slacks 6918

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I'm looking forward to seeing what Herman is talking about with going 20 and 21 personnel. We already knew if Ingram could add some weight and keep his quicks he'd be good, but it sounds to me like Whittington is making himself at home as a RB. Could be some interesting things they can do with 2 back sets to drive opposing DCs nuts.
Motion the RB/HB/TE/ to get a favorable match up with a big/slow LB, because teams are going to try to load up to stop the run... And then let Sam determine the play based on the box and the coverage. Think Patriots or Chiefs... They're pretty good at it.
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bluto

bluto 4947

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something else to consider is ingram was at the very least a willing if not effective blocker on sam power sweeps last year so having him lead for another back is an interesting proposition. along with snacks mentioning the motion factor for either of the backs. 

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victory88

victory88 5676

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I'm hoping Herman gets this offense clicking and scoring 40 points a game.  No excuse why a team like ou has always had high powered offenses while we hope we can get more than 1 first down the last 8 years.  I remember defenses used to shit their pants playing against us from 04-09.  We've got skill players, we've got a QB that can run and throw, and we're finally getting depth and actual development on the OL.  It's time for Herman to let this offense loose.

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satyanash

satyanash 14771

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Chip Brown: Insider notes galore from Texas' first scrimmage of spring

AUSTIN, Texas — Talked to a few sources who were allowed in to watch the Texas Longhorns' first significant scrimmage of spring football on Saturday, and here's what they said:

— It was a big day for the offense, which got the better of the defense.

— First and foremost, there were a lot of anticipated starters being held out of the scrimmage, including Sam Ehlinger, Collin Johnson, Devin Duvernay, B.J. Foster, Caden Sterns, Anthony Cook and Brandon Jones. Tom Herman said after the scrimmage safety Chris Brown was at the hospital being evaluated for a lung issue that was not considered life-threatening.

— Linebacker De'Gabriel Floyd (stingers) is still being held out of action. But Keondre Coburn was full-go in contact in the scrimmage.

— The first-team defensive line was: Malcolm Roach and Ta'Quon Graham at defensive end and Gerald Wilbon at nose tackle.

— The second-team defensive line was: Jacoby Jones and Moro Ojomo at defensive end and Keondre Coburn at nose. But there were several times when the line shifted and Ojomo was at nose.

— The third-team defensive line was: Jamari Chisholm and Peter Mpagi at end with D'Andre Christmas-Giles at nose.

— At first-team linebacker: Joseph Ossai at B-backer, Dele Adeoye at MLB and Jeffrey McCulloch at Rover

— At second-team linebacker: Byron Vaughns was at B-backer, Cort Jaquess at MLB and Luke Brockermeyer at Rover

— The first-team unit in the secondary had Jalen Green at left cornerback and D'Shawn Jamison at right cornerback, and Josh Thompson at nickel with DeMarvion Overshown and Montrell Estell at safety.

— The first-team offensive line remained the same as it has been since the start of spring: Samuel Cosmi at left tackle, Tope Imade at left guard, Zach Shackelford at center, Derek Kerstetter at right guard and Denzel Okafor at right tackle.

— The second-team offensive line had a couple of wrinkles (namely because second-team right tackle Christian Jones is out right now with an ankle injury): early enrollee freshman Tyler Johnson was at left tackle while redshirt freshman Reese Moore, who had been lining up at second-team left tackle was at right tackle. Junior Angilau was at left guard with J.P. Urquidez at right guard and Rafiti Ghirmai at center.

— Cade Brewer was the first-team tight end.

— At receiver, the first team had Brennan Eagles at Z, Joshua Moore in the slot and Malcolm Epps at X (and Epps apparently had a big day ... more on that in a second).

— With Ehlinger out with illness (flu-like symptoms), the quarterback duties were pretty much split between Casey Thompson and Roschon Johnson with Thompson getting the bulk of the reps with the first-team offense. I was told both had ups and downs but that their mistakes tended to be missing receivers rather than turning the ball the over. Both also had significant runs in the scrimmage.

— At running back, it was a big day for both Keaontay Ingram and Jordan Whittington. Both caught passes to keep the chains moving, and both scored touchdowns on the ground (with Whittington scoring twice on the ground). Kirk Johnson also had a long run late in the scrimmage against the second-team defense in which Johnson hit it up inside and then bounced out to the sideline. One source said it seemed like Ingram and Whittington, who got the majority of reps in the scrimmage, "were trying to one-up each other." "One scored, then the other. Then, it seemed like Ingram was really picking it up as the scrimmage went on. He had a long run and almost scored on a wheel route, but Casey Thompson barely overthrew him. But then Whittington had a long touchdown run against the first-team defense, so it was an impressive showing by both."

— I'm not hearing much about Daniel Young in the scrimmage. Not sure if he got reps or not. Checking on that.

— At receiver, I'm told it was a big day for the 6-foot-6 Epps, who was matched up against the 5-foot-10 Jamison at cornerback for much of the scrimmage and made at least three big catches down the field.

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Machinator

Machinator 32099

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Posted (edited)

IT scrimmage notes

 

By: IT STAFF

We've talked to a number of sources, all of them know football very well. This is an amalgamation of those exchanges.

Tom Herman told the reporter pool that the offense out-played the defense on Saturday morning. Fact check: True. This is mainly attributed to the slew of injuries on the defense, specifically the defensive back-field.

They ran over 50 plays each with ones vs ones and twos vs twos (note the second-team defense played a bunch of walk-ons in the secondary).

QUARTERBACK

As we know, Sam Ehlinger missed the scrimmage and there's a chance he'll miss a portion of this upcoming week with a non-severe illness as well.

This was a good opportunity for Casey Thompson to get some reps with the first-team, and against the first-team.

Said Herman, "Casey was pretty nervous yesterday. I think that affected him a little bit, but today he looked good. He’s got a long way to go, but for a guy who’s never taken a snap in the game to be running with the first team offense, I thought he operated it well and made some really good decisions. Looked good."

From everything that I gather, Thompson still has a long way to go and is still far too quick to tuck and run. He also isn't as accurate as Roschon Johnson. Thompson threw a pick on Saturday, but that was because of a great defensive play more so than a poor decision. So at least he isn’t proving to be too turnover prone.

I heard both quarterbacks struggled for the most part. Johnson's main issue, besides being a true freshman, is the second-team offensive line. I had a couple people wonder how he would look behind the first-team OL. They don't think he would have struggled as much. He showed good accuracy on short passes and is a better running fit than Thompson, though not quite as fast.

The bottom line here is neither guy is ready to be the back-up should Ehlinger get hurt, but obviously there's a long way to go until September.

RUNNING BACK

"They're fast, all of them. This is a noticeably better position group than last year."

Kirk Johnson was the first running back mentioned by two people. In the past we've downplayed what we've heard because of his injury history and also because some can't fathom that an NFL caliber running back didn't play last year. With his unfortunate injury history, I don't think it's that far-fetched that Herman brought him along very slowly.

"Kirk, I've been saying he's a monster. Healthy Kirk is ridiculous. He's healthy and when he is, he looks like he always does."

Said another, "Every time I see Kirk he impresses me. He and Keaontay both looked real good running it."

Back to the first source, I asked who is better between Kirk and Keaontay. "Kirk is neck and neck with Keaontay. Keaontay is more nuanced, but Kirk has great vision and is explosive. He's a great running back."

If Kirk Johnson is healthy this year, he's going to shine. Book it.

We've devoted a lot of words to Jordan Whittington since his arrival. Here's a few more, "Jordan looked fast, a little young as a runner. His inexperience shows at times. He's still getting things down. He has the speed, but isn't quite as assertive as the others. He tries to run inside but instinctively wants to bounce it. Still see some of that with Keaontay too."

Rate the top-four: "Slight edge to Ingram over Kirk, then Jordan and Daniel Young. Daniel's fine, he's just different than the others. More of a bowling ball and not the game-breaker.”

WIDE RECEIVER

"It's probably the best position grouping on the team. Tons of guys who can make a play and the younger guys are really coming on."

Herman singled out Malcolm Epps and he was mentioned by our guys too. “I don't know for sure how good Epps is overall, but he's dominant in one on one situations. Jamison has done well covering guys but he doesn't have a chance when the ball is thrown up to Epps. It takes guys like Holton Hill to defend him and who has those? Clemson? Bama?"

Epps was mentioned unsolicited by another. "Malcolm Epps is a man-child. They have a lot of big target WR/TE that will be problems."

I asked if Epps was doing anything after the catch. "Yes! He falls forward and gets five yards." Epps made a lot of plays and has sticky hands. They're still working him at Collin Johnson's XWR.

We've been hearing good things about Brennan Eagles throughout camp. "Good spatial awareness, smart player. When the quarterbacks scramble he works to get open like a veteran." He's also likely the best blocker at the position for his reliability as much as physicality.

I asked about Josh Moore because he's been relatively quiet. "He just hasn't been targeted that much; he's good. It's harder for these quarterbacks to get him the ball than throwing it up to the bigger guys."

TIGHT END

I didn't hear too much from this position. That's kind of how it goes unless you have a certified stud.

Cade Brewer had a nice reception after a solid route where he beat Jeffrey McCulloch.

True freshman Jared Wiley is one I check in on frequently. "Wiley looks good, he's bringing his ass when he blocks. He's not a blocker like Beck but he's coming along and we know he can run routes and catch."

OFFENSIVE LINE

The two best have been Sam Cosmi and Zach Shackelford. No surprise there, but this is also a bit of a defensive line update because each struggle with Malcolm Roach when he's lined up on them.

Encouragingly, they also need to do a better job of locking on to McCulloch in the run-game. That's good news because of concerns at linebacker.

Overall Cosmi has been good, though. He's still one of the only offensive lineman I can recall being called "fast" instead of quick. I heard that again this weekend. He’s quick to be sure and strong as ever.

Red-shirt freshman Junior Angilau wins his share. He knows his assignments, plays hard, and can move his feet, but he's nowhere near a finished product. Pretty encouraging about his raw materials though. Our guy predicted him to follow in Patrick Vahe’s place and it might come to be.

Derek Kerstetter at right guard has been called "solid" while I continue hearing the same things on Denzel Okafor we’ve been hearing. He's two different players when it comes to pass blocking (poor) and run blocking (good).

Herman mentioned red-shirt freshman Christian Jones suffered a high-ankle sprain. I think he's done for the spring. Bad luck.

The second-team offensive line really struggles against the second-team defensive line. That should come as no surprise, as all of those defensive linemen will see significant snaps in big games this season.

The staff needs to find another back-up center option for next season. It's doubtful Rafiti Ghirmai will be ready next season should he be needed.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Some of these guys were mentioned in the previous section so you already have an idea. Roach is a stud and the best player on defense. He may take a play off every now and then or line up incorrectly but he's been very tough to block. On Saturday they bumped him inside quite a bit as Joseph Ossai assumed his stand-up defensive end role.

When not in the back-field, Roach and Ta'Quon Graham have done a good job of occupying blocks and keeping the linebackers clean.

Gerald Wilbon is probably the best nose tackle as of now but he isn't the dog that Poona Ford or Chris Nelson were. Keondre Coburn flashes and has more upside.

Jamari Chisholm has been playing nose with D'Andre Christmas out. He's looked really good, but he's also been going up against a very green Ghirmai.

I asked again about Jacoby Jones. It sounds like he has the chance to be a force in 2020. "He looks good, just light in the ass. He'll whip some lesser competition but then struggle with the typical good OU offensive line. Give him a year.”

LINEBACKER

All the positives I hear at this position centers around Joseph Ossai at B-backer and Jeffrey McCulloch at Rover.

The sophomore Ossai is exactly what they're looking for at the position. "He's so long, so quick, and he's tenacious. Still not as technical as he needs to be. He hasn't been as disruptive as Roach but he's making a lot of plays. He might be the fastest linebacker.”

I mentioned how high some are on him and wondered if he's a three-year player. "I think so. He'll break out this year and then kill it as a junior."

McCulloch was the first name mentioned by one source. "McCulloch looked great." I asked what stood out. "He made an instinctive interception and return. Looks like the best overall linebacker to me. Good at everything, nothing elite." Yeah, we'll take that.

The feeling is McCulloch is playing well now but can still improve. They're confident they can win with him. My suspicion is we’re all going to remember why he was so highly rated out of high school.

At the other linebacker spot, Ayodele Adeoye had a solid scrimmage and is probably the odds on favorite to start the season at Mac. "He's gaining confidence and making faster reads. He'll always be a bit of a liability as an athlete, though he can run well in a straight-line." I asked about him getting mismatched like we saw all too often with Anthony Wheeler last season. "I don't think they plan on letting him outside of the box."

I heard some more exciting stuff on Marcus Tillman. "He's playing well, still unrefined but he belongs. He's a quick learner and the more they challenge him the better he gets. Sometimes guys get overloaded but he picks things up quickly." Could he be with the ones at some point this upcoming season? "Maybe so. I could see that."

DEFENSIVE BACKS

One bystander, "The back end is really beat up. They had a walk-on with the first-team at safety to give you an idea. With their typical depth, that's telling. Overshown is built different and hits!"

This grouping is too banged up to offer much useful information. It's unfortunate that Chris Brown experienced his illness (allergic reaction I think) but he'll be fine and should be back this week. He is playing well and pushing for real playing time.

Jalen Green is making a move to own the field corner position. That battle may be won this spring. He's playing well and is much more physical than Boyce.

Edited by Machinator
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HtownHorn

HtownHorn 14917

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Spoiler

I’m told that two members of the class of 2018 are doing perhaps more with their recent opportunities than some might have expected.

Both cornerback D’Shawn Jamison and safety DeMarvion Overshown have stepped in to starting roles and are exceeding all expectations in doing so.

Jamison, who moved into a starter’s role with the absence of Anthony Cook, has made breaks on the ball that no other corner on the roster even comes close to making, I am told. Jamison also doesn’t shy from contact despite his smaller stature.

To be clear, I’m not here saying Jamison will wrest a starting spot from either Cook or Jalen Green. However, Jamison definitely could make things interesting and might even get a look in dime coverage in the second half of the spring because of his play thus far.

Overshown is a headhunter. I’m told he has concussed at least one walk-on. He is playing faster and faster the more reps he gets.

It’d be hard for anyone to unseat three-year starter Brandon Jones or All-Big 12 returnee Caden Sterns at either safety spot, but Overshown is making an impact in practice.

**

I’m told guard Junior Angilau has had a tremendous spring thus far. It’s going to be hard to keep him out of the starting lineup when Parker Braun arrives.

That means Tope Imade may be the one who ends up the back-up guard.

**

I’m told Ta’Quon Graham is “taking the next step”.

Graham, a junior, started playing really well toward the end of last season and has apparently carried that momentum into spring ball.

**

This is a mouthful but worth repeating.

Keaontay Ingram may be “the best player” on the offense, according to one person I trust.

Whole lot of "I'm tolds"

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Bodacious Bevo

Bodacious Bevo 3609

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OB scrimmage notes from Alex Dunlap

Spoiler

Details from the day have been hard to come by, but here are a few thoughts and nuggets I was able to gather after poking around some sources through the weekend:

As Anwar reported in his transcription, backup RT Christian Jones missed the scrimmage, so my first question was how the second unit shook out in his absence. The curiosity came from wondering whether or not JP Urquidez would bump out to tackle after practicing all spring inside at guard. That apparently was not the case as the starting unit from left to right was LT Tyler Johnson, LG Junior Angilau, C Rafiti Ghirmai, RG JP Urquidez and RT Reese Moore.

This came as a surprise to me as Reese Moore seems about as left-tackle-like as a tackle prospect can be. He's long and leaner than most with nice feet and smooth kick in pass-pro while Tyler Johnson is a freshman early enrollee who technically has a little bit of a work ahead of him before being ready for action.

To me, this signals one of two things: One theory being, that Herb Hand knows that Reese Moore is the better option during this spring to move into one of the tackle spots should injury occur to either starter (Samuel Cosmi or Denzel Okafor) so he might as well get him work at RT as well, so Moore has that experience should it be needed in the future. Or second, maybe Hand thinks he has his stud LT of the future in Tyler Johnson -- not Reese Moore -- and we should be anticipating Moore having a chance to play at either position moving forward when his number is called.

The word on the QBs was that neither one of them (Casey Thompson or freshman early enrollee Roschon Johnson) was at Sam Ehlinger's level, of course, but that Thompson clearly is far ahead of Johnson (and anyone would probably expect this). Thompson has great touch and throws a very pretty and catchable football, but consistency continues to be an issue. If he can bottle up his best throws, Texas has a very good football player in him. Johnson on the other hand is still trying to get in the flow and can make some pretty bad decisions. While Herman said that Malcolm Epps was a receiver who stood out in the scrimmage, I was told that the player who Thompson seemed to have the connection with might be slot WR Joshua Moore. It makes sense, as they practiced a lot together last year with the backups. It should be noted that Collin Johnson was out at practice, but from what I can gather, was not a full-go for scrimmage activities.

On the defensive side of the football, Keondre Coburn looks to be back which is good news for the defensive line. And that's the unit that needs good news on defense the second-worst of all this spring behind the linebackers. All the while, the safety position (and DB room in general) has gone from cup-runneth-over status to thin, thin, thin in the drop of a hat. With starters Brandon Jones and now Caden Sterns set to miss the remainder of spring football, Demarvion Overshown will get all the run some fans were clamoring for to start spring ball and more ... by necessity. The word is he made some plays in the scrimmage and is continuing to impress. How he's utilized in the fall while also getting in players like Sterns, Jones and B.J. Foster will be one of Todd Orlando's most challenging puzzles.

Thankfully for the defense at both levels, it seems like CB Anthony Cook and DE Marquez Bimage look poised to get back to full action sooner than later.

 

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BigHorn'13

BigHorn'13 3454

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On 3/29/2019 at 2:10 PM, Machinator said:

Fortunately the struggles on the o-line are not based on individual ability. Individually they aren't lacking strength or athleticism (to at least be above average) but they are lacking cohesion. That's too be expected early in camp with new starters. They are struggling with unit assignments, with picking up blitzes, and with Roach regardless of where he lines up. 

Late to the party.

This is my concern, dude. Manufactured depth on the OL seems logical until you actually start scrimmaging. Works out (usually) just fine at literally any other position. OL are too interdependent. 

I know. I know. We all trust Hand. I got it. 

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SydneyCarton

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12 minutes ago, Bodacious Bevo said:

OB scrimmage notes from Alex Dunlap

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Details from the day have been hard to come by, but here are a few thoughts and nuggets I was able to gather after poking around some sources through the weekend:

As Anwar reported in his transcription, backup RT Christian Jones missed the scrimmage, so my first question was how the second unit shook out in his absence. The curiosity came from wondering whether or not JP Urquidez would bump out to tackle after practicing all spring inside at guard. That apparently was not the case as the starting unit from left to right was LT Tyler Johnson, LG Junior Angilau, C Rafiti Ghirmai, RG JP Urquidez and RT Reese Moore.

This came as a surprise to me as Reese Moore seems about as left-tackle-like as a tackle prospect can be. He's long and leaner than most with nice feet and smooth kick in pass-pro while Tyler Johnson is a freshman early enrollee who technically has a little bit of a work ahead of him before being ready for action.

To me, this signals one of two things: One theory being, that Herb Hand knows that Reese Moore is the better option during this spring to move into one of the tackle spots should injury occur to either starter (Samuel Cosmi or Denzel Okafor) so he might as well get him work at RT as well, so Moore has that experience should it be needed in the future. Or second, maybe Hand thinks he has his stud LT of the future in Tyler Johnson -- not Reese Moore -- and we should be anticipating Moore having a chance to play at either position moving forward when his number is called.

The word on the QBs was that neither one of them (Casey Thompson or freshman early enrollee Roschon Johnson) was at Sam Ehlinger's level, of course, but that Thompson clearly is far ahead of Johnson (and anyone would probably expect this). Thompson has great touch and throws a very pretty and catchable football, but consistency continues to be an issue. If he can bottle up his best throws, Texas has a very good football player in him. Johnson on the other hand is still trying to get in the flow and can make some pretty bad decisions. While Herman said that Malcolm Epps was a receiver who stood out in the scrimmage, I was told that the player who Thompson seemed to have the connection with might be slot WR Joshua Moore. It makes sense, as they practiced a lot together last year with the backups. It should be noted that Collin Johnson was out at practice, but from what I can gather, was not a full-go for scrimmage activities.

On the defensive side of the football, Keondre Coburn looks to be back which is good news for the defensive line. And that's the unit that needs good news on defense the second-worst of all this spring behind the linebackers. All the while, the safety position (and DB room in general) has gone from cup-runneth-over status to thin, thin, thin in the drop of a hat. With starters Brandon Jones and now Caden Sterns set to miss the remainder of spring football, Demarvion Overshown will get all the run some fans were clamoring for to start spring ball and more ... by necessity. The word is he made some plays in the scrimmage and is continuing to impress. How he's utilized in the fall while also getting in players like Sterns, Jones and B.J. Foster will be one of Todd Orlando's most challenging puzzles.

Thankfully for the defense at both levels, it seems like CB Anthony Cook and DE Marquez Bimage look poised to get back to full action sooner than later.

 

I'm shocked, SHOCKED, that OB as a news outlet seems to be completely out of the loop and at odds with what has been consistently reported everywhere else. Casey Thompson being ahead of Johnson in performance, RJ backing bad decisions and being turnover prone, the DL being a real depth issue. These are all pretty much the opposite of what was reported by 247 and IT. 

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Goodman

Goodman 3274

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37 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:
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I’m told that two members of the class of 2018 are doing perhaps more with their recent opportunities than some might have expected.

Both cornerback D’Shawn Jamison and safety DeMarvion Overshown have stepped in to starting roles and are exceeding all expectations in doing so.

Jamison, who moved into a starter’s role with the absence of Anthony Cook, has made breaks on the ball that no other corner on the roster even comes close to making, I am told. Jamison also doesn’t shy from contact despite his smaller stature.

To be clear, I’m not here saying Jamison will wrest a starting spot from either Cook or Jalen Green. However, Jamison definitely could make things interesting and might even get a look in dime coverage in the second half of the spring because of his play thus far.

Overshown is a headhunter. I’m told he has concussed at least one walk-on. He is playing faster and faster the more reps he gets.

It’d be hard for anyone to unseat three-year starter Brandon Jones or All-Big 12 returnee Caden Sterns at either safety spot, but Overshown is making an impact in practice.

**

I’m told guard Junior Angilau has had a tremendous spring thus far. It’s going to be hard to keep him out of the starting lineup when Parker Braun arrives.

That means Tope Imade may be the one who ends up the back-up guard.

**

I’m told Ta’Quon Graham is “taking the next step”.

Graham, a junior, started playing really well toward the end of last season and has apparently carried that momentum into spring ball.

**

This is a mouthful but worth repeating.

Keaontay Ingram may be “the best player” on the offense, according to one person I trust.

Whole lot of "I'm tolds"

Fuck Burton but I love that update. 

In HS reminded me of the honey badger, hope his positive trend continues. He's a great dude who loves fb. Fatterson tried every trick in his book to get him, it was close. He's another player ignored by his dream school of lsu, we have a few of those. This lsu games the next few years will be interesting. 

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Burt Macklin

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1 hour ago, Machinator said:

IT scrimmage notes

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By: IT STAFF

We've talked to a number of sources, all of them know football very well. This is an amalgamation of those exchanges.

Tom Herman told the reporter pool that the offense out-played the defense on Saturday morning. Fact check: True. This is mainly attributed to the slew of injuries on the defense, specifically the defensive back-field.

They ran over 50 plays each with ones vs ones and twos vs twos (note the second-team defense played a bunch of walk-ons in the secondary).

QUARTERBACK

As we know, Sam Ehlinger missed the scrimmage and there's a chance he'll miss a portion of this upcoming week with a non-severe illness as well.

This was a good opportunity for Casey Thompson to get some reps with the first-team, and against the first-team.

Said Herman, "Casey was pretty nervous yesterday. I think that affected him a little bit, but today he looked good. He’s got a long way to go, but for a guy who’s never taken a snap in the game to be running with the first team offense, I thought he operated it well and made some really good decisions. Looked good."

From everything that I gather, Thompson still has a long way to go and is still far too quick to tuck and run. He also isn't as accurate as Roschon Johnson. Thompson threw a pick on Saturday, but that was because of a great defensive play more so than a poor decision. So at least he isn’t proving to be too turnover prone.

I heard both quarterbacks struggled for the most part. Johnson's main issue, besides being a true freshman, is the second-team offensive line. I had a couple people wonder how he would look behind the first-team OL. They don't think he would have struggled as much. He showed good accuracy on short passes and is a better running fit than Thompson, though not quite as fast.

The bottom line here is neither guy is ready to be the back-up should Ehlinger get hurt, but obviously there's a long way to go until September.

RUNNING BACK

"They're fast, all of them. This is a noticeably better position group than last year."

Kirk Johnson was the first running back mentioned by two people. In the past we've downplayed what we've heard because of his injury history and also because some can't fathom that an NFL caliber running back didn't play last year. With his unfortunate injury history, I don't think it's that far-fetched that Herman brought him along very slowly.

"Kirk, I've been saying he's a monster. Healthy Kirk is ridiculous. He's healthy and when he is, he looks like he always does."

Said another, "Every time I see Kirk he impresses me. He and Keaontay both looked real good running it."

Back to the first source, I asked who is better between Kirk and Keaontay. "Kirk is neck and neck with Keaontay. Keaontay is more nuanced, but Kirk has great vision and is explosive. He's a great running back."

If Kirk Johnson is healthy this year, he's going to shine. Book it.

We've devoted a lot of words to Jordan Whittington since his arrival. Here's a few more, "Jordan looked fast, a little young as a runner. His inexperience shows at times. He's still getting things down. He has the speed, but isn't quite as assertive as the others. He tries to run inside but instinctively wants to bounce it. Still see some of that with Keaontay too."

Rate the top-four: "Slight edge to Ingram over Kirk, then Jordan and Daniel Young. Daniel's fine, he's just different than the others. More of a bowling ball and not the game-breaker.”

WIDE RECEIVER

"It's probably the best position grouping on the team. Tons of guys who can make a play and the younger guys are really coming on."

Herman singled out Malcolm Epps and he was mentioned by our guys too. “I don't know for sure how good Epps is overall, but he's dominant in one on one situations. Jamison has done well covering guys but he doesn't have a chance when the ball is thrown up to Epps. It takes guys like Holton Hill to defend him and who has those? Clemson? Bama?"

Epps was mentioned unsolicited by another. "Malcolm Epps is a man-child. They have a lot of big target WR/TE that will be problems."

I asked if Epps was doing anything after the catch. "Yes! He falls forward and gets five yards." Epps made a lot of plays and has sticky hands. They're still working him at Collin Johnson's XWR.

We've been hearing good things about Brennan Eagles throughout camp. "Good spatial awareness, smart player. When the quarterbacks scramble he works to get open like a veteran." He's also likely the best blocker at the position for his reliability as much as physicality.

I asked about Josh Moore because he's been relatively quiet. "He just hasn't been targeted that much; he's good. It's harder for these quarterbacks to get him the ball than throwing it up to the bigger guys."

TIGHT END

I didn't hear too much from this position. That's kind of how it goes unless you have a certified stud.

Cade Brewer had a nice reception after a solid route where he beat Jeffrey McCulloch.

True freshman Jared Wiley is one I check in on frequently. "Wiley looks good, he's bringing his ass when he blocks. He's not a blocker like Beck but he's coming along and we know he can run routes and catch."

OFFENSIVE LINE

The two best have been Sam Cosmi and Zach Shackelford. No surprise there, but this is also a bit of a defensive line update because each struggle with Malcolm Roach when he's lined up on them.

Encouragingly, they also need to do a better job of locking on to McCulloch in the run-game. That's good news because of concerns at linebacker.

Overall Cosmi has been good, though. He's still one of the only offensive lineman I can recall being called "fast" instead of quick. I heard that again this weekend. He’s quick to be sure and strong as ever.

Red-shirt freshman Junior Angilau wins his share. He knows his assignments, plays hard, and can move his feet, but he's nowhere near a finished product. Pretty encouraging about his raw materials though. Our guy predicted him to follow in Patrick Vahe’s place and it might come to be.

Derek Kerstetter at right guard has been called "solid" while I continue hearing the same things on Denzel Okafor we’ve been hearing. He's two different players when it comes to pass blocking (poor) and run blocking (good).

Herman mentioned red-shirt freshman Christian Jones suffered a high-ankle sprain. I think he's done for the spring. Bad luck.

The second-team offensive line really struggles against the second-team defensive line. That should come as no surprise, as all of those defensive linemen will see significant snaps in big games this season.

The staff needs to find another back-up center option for next season. It's doubtful Rafiti Ghirmai will be ready next season should he be needed.

DEFENSIVE LINE

Some of these guys were mentioned in the previous section so you already have an idea. Roach is a stud and the best player on defense. He may take a play off every now and then or line up incorrectly but he's been very tough to block. On Saturday they bumped him inside quite a bit as Joseph Ossai assumed his stand-up defensive end role.

When not in the back-field, Roach and Ta'Quon Graham have done a good job of occupying blocks and keeping the linebackers clean.

Gerald Wilbon is probably the best nose tackle as of now but he isn't the dog that Poona Ford or Chris Nelson were. Keondre Coburn flashes and has more upside.

Jamari Chisholm has been playing nose with D'Andre Christmas out. He's looked really good, but he's also been going up against a very green Ghirmai.

I asked again about Jacoby Jones. It sounds like he has the chance to be a force in 2020. "He looks good, just light in the ass. He'll whip some lesser competition but then struggle with the typical good OU offensive line. Give him a year.”

LINEBACKER

All the positives I hear at this position centers around Joseph Ossai at B-backer and Jeffrey McCulloch at Rover.

The sophomore Ossai is exactly what they're looking for at the position. "He's so long, so quick, and he's tenacious. Still not as technical as he needs to be. He hasn't been as disruptive as Roach but he's making a lot of plays. He might be the fastest linebacker.”

I mentioned how high some are on him and wondered if he's a three-year player. "I think so. He'll break out this year and then kill it as a junior."

McCulloch was the first name mentioned by one source. "McCulloch looked great." I asked what stood out. "He made an instinctive interception and return. Looks like the best overall linebacker to me. Good at everything, nothing elite." Yeah, we'll take that.

The feeling is McCulloch is playing well now but can still improve. They're confident they can win with him. My suspicion is we’re all going to remember why he was so highly rated out of high school.

At the other linebacker spot, Ayodele Adeoye had a solid scrimmage and is probably the odds on favorite to start the season at Mac. "He's gaining confidence and making faster reads. He'll always be a bit of a liability as an athlete, though he can run well in a straight-line." I asked about him getting mismatched like we saw all too often with Anthony Wheeler last season. "I don't think they plan on letting him outside of the box."

I heard some more exciting stuff on Marcus Tillman. "He's playing well, still unrefined but he belongs. He's a quick learner and the more they challenge him the better he gets. Sometimes guys get overloaded but he picks things up quickly." Could he be with the ones at some point this upcoming season? "Maybe so. I could see that."

DEFENSIVE BACKS

One bystander, "The back end is really beat up. They had a walk-on with the first-team at safety to give you an idea. With their typical depth, that's telling. Overshown is built different and hits!"

This grouping is too banged up to offer much useful information. It's unfortunate that Chris Brown experienced his illness (allergic reaction I think) but he'll be fine and should be back this week. He is playing well and pushing for real playing time.

Jalen Green is making a move to own the field corner position. That battle may be won this spring. He's playing well and is much more physical than Boyce.

Still don't get the playing Okafor at tackle thing. He doesn't have the feet to pass block at OT. Is the staff really going to wait til he gets killed against LSU to realize this when it's been obvious for years? Kerstetter is probably an average G or RT. Okafor could significantly improve if he's moved inside.  Will be interesting to see what happens at RG between Kerstetter, Okafor, Imade, and Angilau once Braun gets here to take over at LG. 

Green taking over field corner is good news. If he can't be out Boyce, we're in trouble. I'd like to see jamison overtake Boyce by the fall too, otherwise our depth at CB could be an issue. 

 

35 minutes ago, HtownHorn said:
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I’m told that two members of the class of 2018 are doing perhaps more with their recent opportunities than some might have expected.

Both cornerback D’Shawn Jamison and safety DeMarvion Overshown have stepped in to starting roles and are exceeding all expectations in doing so.

Jamison, who moved into a starter’s role with the absence of Anthony Cook, has made breaks on the ball that no other corner on the roster even comes close to making, I am told. Jamison also doesn’t shy from contact despite his smaller stature.

To be clear, I’m not here saying Jamison will wrest a starting spot from either Cook or Jalen Green. However, Jamison definitely could make things interesting and might even get a look in dime coverage in the second half of the spring because of his play thus far.

Overshown is a headhunter. I’m told he has concussed at least one walk-on. He is playing faster and faster the more reps he gets.

It’d be hard for anyone to unseat three-year starter Brandon Jones or All-Big 12 returnee Caden Sterns at either safety spot, but Overshown is making an impact in practice.

**

I’m told guard Junior Angilau has had a tremendous spring thus far. It’s going to be hard to keep him out of the starting lineup when Parker Braun arrives.

That means Tope Imade may be the one who ends up the back-up guard.

**

I’m told Ta’Quon Graham is “taking the next step”.

Graham, a junior, started playing really well toward the end of last season and has apparently carried that momentum into spring ball.

**

This is a mouthful but worth repeating.

Keaontay Ingram may be “the best player” on the offense, according to one person I trust.

Whole lot of "I'm tolds"

Great analysis from Bobby. Nevermind that Overshown doesn't have to beat out either Jones or Sterns. Joker is wide open with Foster moving to Nickel. All Overshown has to do is prove he's one of the best 11, and he'll see the field plenty.

3 minutes ago, BigHorn'13 said:

Late to the party.

This is my concern, dude. Manufactured depth on the OL seems logical until you actually start scrimmaging. Works out (usually) just fine at literally any other position. OL are too interdependent. 

I know. I know. We all trust Hand. I got it. 

I don't even know what your point is about all this anymore. The 1st string OL in every report has been Cosmi-Imade/Angilau-Shack-Kerstetter-Okafor.  We lost three starters and we're like three weeks into spring practice. Of course they're lacking cohesion right now. It has nothing to do with Hand's supposed philosophy of moving guys around, which isn't even happening right now.

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Burt Macklin

Burt Macklin 19096

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10 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

I'm shocked, SHOCKED, that OB as a news outlet seems to be completely out of the loop and at odds with what has been consistently reported everywhere else. Casey Thompson being ahead of Johnson in performance, RJ backing bad decisions and being turnover prone, the DL being a real depth issue. These are all pretty much the opposite of what was reported by 247 and IT. 

Eh. The only site consistently reporting RJ is out-dueling Thompson is IT, and they have a three year investment in sunshine pumping Roschon, so they're not gonna stop now. Based on RJ's senior film and his throwing mechanics at the All-Star practices, I highly doubt he's already performing better than Thompson, unless Thompson is just playing extremely poorly. 

I like RJ a lot, but he's going to take time to get things right. 

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Bodacious Bevo

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26 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

I'm shocked, SHOCKED, that OB as a news outlet seems to be completely out of the loop and at odds with what has been consistently reported everywhere else. Casey Thompson being ahead of Johnson in performance, RJ backing bad decisions and being turnover prone, the DL being a real depth issue. These are all pretty much the opposite of what was reported by 247 and IT. 

Dunlap is super high on Thompson overall. Has been since last year. So take that into account when he reports on him. 

Also even if there is some stuff that's inconsistent in there, I feel like OB's report is pretty realistic and in line with expectations rather than super optimistic.

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