Brought to you by ...
On the football scheduling front, Texas will play TCU on Thanksgiving in 2012. That schedule will become final next week. According to my sources, there are still some scheduling points that remain up in the air, but it doesn't appear that UT's Turkey Day game in 2012 is one of them. The Longhorns will play the Horned Frogs in Austin.
And it appears there have been no objections - up to this point - about Texas playing every year at home on Thanksgiving and rotating opponents through from year to year. The time of the game on Thanksgiving could be interesting after the NFL's new television deal included NBC outbidding the NFL Network for the Thanksgiving night NFL game.
ESPN always felt good about putting Texas-Texas A&M up against a game on the NFL Network because it was cable vs cable, and viewers had more access to ESPN. But cable vs network TV could cause Texas, the Big 12 and ESPN to rethink things about when UT's Turkey Day game might be played beginning in 2013.
I'm told Texas-TCU will be Thanksgiving night next season, and any scheduling concerns about the NFL going to NBC on Thanksgiving won't be addressed by UT, the Big 12 and ESPN until at least the 2013 season. (BROWN)
******
My sources say West Virginia is going to come to the Big 12 for the 2012 season rather than wait until the 2014 season (under Big East bylaws) because it believes the courts in Rhode Island, where the Big East is based (Providence, Rhode Island) have no jurisdiction over any potential move by the Mountaineers. And if the Big East decided to sue West Virginia over its planned early departure for the Big 12, WVU officials believe the Big East would have to sue in the state of West Virginia, where judges are elected.
WVU officials believe the judges would feel such pressure to side with West Virginia that the Mountaineers would get a favorable ruling. We'll see if both sides work out a settlement before it comes to that. But nonetheless WVU will be in the Big 12 next year, whether or not it is still working out legal differences with the Big East in court. (BROWN)
******
I'm not hearing anything right now about Major Applewhite in regards to possible interest from Will Muschamp about Florida's OC gig or from Houston about the Cougars' head-coaching vacancy.
Oddly enough, it's Greg Davis that is being reported as a candidate to possibly replace Charlie Weis on Muschamp's staff at Florida as well as a possible target of Gene Chizik to replace Gus Malzahn as Auburn's OC. I have not been able to independently gauge the depth of interest in Davis from either Muschamp or Chizik, but there was a lot of respect from both Muschamp and Chizik for Davis when they were all at Texas. (BROWN)
******
Marquise Goodwin was asked if he was surprised by the transfer plans of WR Darius White. Goodwin said he was surprised. On reports that Darius White was bad-mouthing Texas to recruit Dorial Green-Beckham. "I didn't hear about it, and that's none of my business," Goodwin said. (BROWN)
******
Early practice reports are that RB Joe Bergeron (hamstring) and Malcolm Brown (turf toe) are running well and appear to be getting over their injuries. Mack Brown said Thursday he expects everyone to be healthy for the bowl game against Cal except for S Christian Scott and redshirt freshman WR John Harris. (BROWN)
******
Things had gone quiet of late between Texas and Corey Coleman, but that changed this week and it sounds like things could once again be heating up.
Coleman, the speedster from Richardson Pearce, got a call from Darrell Wyatt on Tuesday. He was told an offer could be heading his way.
"He said he's going to offer me and everything is going to happen really soon," Coleman said. As for what changed ... "He said a spot might be opening up."
Coleman, who has been committed to Baylor since May, hadn't heard from Texas in several weeks. He was previously told by UT more than a month ago that an offer could be close, but there had been no contact since then. When I spoke with Coleman early last week, he had pretty much written Texas off. Now, with the Longhorns back in the mix, Coleman is anxious to see where things will go.
Texas has told him they like him at receiver. If the Longhorns do offer, Coleman said he's still ab bit unsure of how strong his interest would be.
"I don't really know. I still like Baylor a lot. I'm very loyal to them," Coleman said. "They (Texas) haven't offered yet so I'm not sure what that would do."
Coleman is scheduled to visit Baylor on January 9. He's also planning to visit Cal, but has not set a date on that trip. (Suchomel)
******
The Coleman update could very well be connected to the situation with Thomas Johnson.
In case you've been living under a rock the past few weeks, a brief recap. Johnson has mentioned to other Rivals.com reporters that he's considering the possibility of taking other visits. This week, rumors again surfaced, including one that had Johnson decommitting from Texas and opening the lines of communication.
We were able to communicate with Johnson via text on Thursday night and we asked if the talk of him decommitting were accurate. "That's false," Johnson said.
So, Johnson is still committed to Texas. But based on sources we spoke with on Wednesday and Thursday, there has been some communication between Johnson and the Baylor coaches. Where things will go from here is still up in the air.
The Texas coaches did talk to Johnson on Thursday about the latest round of rumors. They again talked to Johnson about their policy of not having commitments take official visits to other programs. In a nutshell, Texas basically told Johnson that if he does take other visits, his scholarship offer may not remain open.
"The ball's in his court," one source close to the situation told us. (Suchomel)
******
Speaking of commitments and other visits, we've mentioned for a while that there's been some talk of UT DE Hassan Ridgeway taking other visits.
What we haven't mentioned is that Ridgeway had directly told another Rivals.com reporter off the record that he was considering other visits. We can put that out there now because Ridgeway told us this week that he's made up his mind ... no more visits.
"That's it. I'm not taking any visits," Ridgeway said in our conversation discussing his official visit to Texas. "I was going to go on a couple. I was scheduled for a couple but I'm not doing that any more. I was going to visit A&M, but I'm not going to do that." (Suchomel)
******
It won't be a shock if the new Texas A&M coaching staff puts out some feelers on a few Texas commits, and one would figure they'll start with the two pledges from Brenham (Malcom Brown).
Texas A&M's d-line coach was by Brenham last Friday (A&M does have two commitments from the school ... side note, there's a chance neither makes it to College Station due to grades). We're told A&M's efforts will have little to no effect on Brown and Cole.
"(The visit) didn't do him much good, even though he tried to talk," our source said. "Both Tim and Malcom left school early and after the weekend they had in Austin, they would sign today." (Suchomel)
******
There's been a lot of talk about UT's chances with Mario Edwards shooting up after Edwards' official visit to Texas. Still hard to say where this one will land, but we can safely say Texas made a strong impression over the weekend.
One person who had a direct conversation with Edwards during the visit said Edwards told him flat out that he's pretty sure he's coming to Texas. Another person who spent the weekend hanging out with Edwards told us on Sunday "we'll get him."
The challenge for Texas will be to maintain momentum as Edwards takes other visits. The five-star defender and Florida State commitment will be at Oklahoma this weekend, he'll visit FSU in January and he's also talked about possible visits to LSU and Southern Cal.
Texas has put itself in a solid position, but can the Horns maintain their spot as the shine from the UT official visit wears off? Time will tell. (Suchomel)
******
Things remain very quiet between Texas and Daje Johnson. Silent, in fact.
Johnson said he hasn't talked to the Texas staff in a couple months. The Texas coaches had told him they'd evaluate their options after the regular season ended, but Johnson has yet to hear an update on where he stands. If the Longhorns do come calling, Johnson said he still has an interest.
"If they end up calling me, I'd still have an interest," Johnson said. (Suchomel)
******
Early on, Tatum quarterback and Texas commitment Jalen Overstreet received some key advice. He was told not to try and play like anyone else, but to just play his game.
It is easy to see he has been successful, and has been successful for a very long time. So what exactly does it mean to “play his game?”
“I don’t even know how to put a stamp on it exactly,” Overstreet said. “I know I love playing and love competing and being on the field. That’s it. I just love being out there. I really don’t know how to explain my game. Just get it done. It may be a different way every game, but I just try to get it done.”
He has certainly gotten it done throughout his career and there is a lot of preparation that goes into getting it done on a weekly basis. There is a lot of film work and daily practices, and then on game day he turns it on.
“As soon as I get off the bus, it’s time to start thinking about the game,” he said. “There’s not too many conversations. I just get my mind right. I think about how we’re going to make whatever field we’re on our field.
“I just watch everyone. I don’t really listen to anything crazy. I like calm music. I don’t like a lot of loud or crazy music. I just sit back and listen and watch. I just think about how the game is going to go.”
Next fall, Overstreet will bring that calm, cool demeanor to Texas and he is looking forward to the opportunities ahead.
Overstreet grew up a Texas Longhorn fan. It’s something he has trouble explaining. His great uncle played at Oklahoma, his father at Baylor, his uncle Stephen at TCU, his cousin at Tennessee, and countless other influences could have pulled him in a different direction. But it has always been Texas for Overstreet. So when the Longhorns offered him a chance to play quarterback it was a special moment.
“It was exciting,” he said. “I had other offers but I was waiting for the right team to come along and when they do you just know and I just knew.”
The Tatum standout mentioned co-Offensive Coordinator Bryan Harsin and his honesty as a big reason why he chose the Longhorns in our latest update. Texas head coach Mack Brown also left a lasting impression.
“He’s a great man. He told me as long as I want to be a quarterback at Texas I will never not be a quarterback unless I make the decision. The only reason I wouldn’t be a quarterback there is if I decided I didn’t want to be a quarterback there anymore.”
Kansas, Baylor and Texas Tech also offered Overstreet at quarterback while Michigan and Arkansas offered at receiver and Missouri offered at safety. Alabama also liked him at safety.
Overstreet knows he has some work to do, but he is ready to do it and he has big plans in mind once he arrives in Austin.
“I’m coming in with the intent to play. I want to be that school’s quarterback and not just for a package. I want to play,” Overstreet said. “It’s never been my dream to go somewhere and just be happy because I’m there. I want to contribute and be a big part of that team and I’m excited for Coach Harsin and that staff to develop me into a really good quarterback and polish me. I feel like I have a lot of raw tools for it, but I want them to mold it the right way.” (Howell)
******
Even though the Horns have already signed four players for the 2012 class, they’re on the trail checking in on 2012 players in addition to recruiting current commitment Cameron Ridley. Ridley’s status, which we posted about in the war room last week, still remains the same. He’s a Texas commitment and UT still expects to get him. As for other 2012 prospects, Rob Lanier traveled up north recently to get a look at Brewster Academy (NH) power forward Jakarr Sampson. I caught up with Sampson briefly to talk recruiting this week.
“Yeah, I’ve been talking to Texas a little lately”, said the 6-8, 220-pound power forward from Akron, Ohio.
Even though Texas has yet to extend a scholarship offer, it’s something that could happen.
“I think that’s something they’re in the process of talking to me about,” Sampson said of a possible offer. “Rob Lanier has come to see me and the UT coaches have talked to my coach.”
In addition to being recruited some by Texas, Sampson listed offers from Kansas, Louisville, Baylor, Florida, Providence, St. John’s, and Pittsburgh. So far, he’s taken one official to Baylor and visited Pittsburgh unofficially.
“Really, I don’t have a timetable,” stated the four-star prospect about a possible commitment. “I’m probably going to make a commitment in the spring. I’m taking this real slow. Location doesn’t affect me at all.”
Sampson hasn’t gotten to really communicate a lot with the Texas coaches, and said it’s the “getting to know each other” process. Would he be interested if Texas came through with an offer?
“Oh yeah, I’d definitely be interested,” he responded about his UT interest.
Sampson described his game like this:
“They’ll see a 6-8 forward that can put the ball on the floor, rebound, push it on the fast break with a lot of energy. Someone that can lock up the two through five positions. Yeah, I take pride in my defense. I’m still working on my jump shot. It’s come a long way.”
Obviously, this will be a name to follow. Also, keep an eye on Sam Cassell Jr. of Notre Dame Prep up in Baltimore. I heard that Rob Lanier checked in on the son of the former NBA player. The younger Cassell is an emerging 6-4 combo guard in the 2012 class that is starting to gain some attention. (McComas)
This post was edited on 12/15 11:13 PM by Suchomel
On the football scheduling front, Texas will play TCU on Thanksgiving in 2012. That schedule will become final next week. According to my sources, there are still some scheduling points that remain up in the air, but it doesn't appear that UT's Turkey Day game in 2012 is one of them. The Longhorns will play the Horned Frogs in Austin.
And it appears there have been no objections - up to this point - about Texas playing every year at home on Thanksgiving and rotating opponents through from year to year. The time of the game on Thanksgiving could be interesting after the NFL's new television deal included NBC outbidding the NFL Network for the Thanksgiving night NFL game.
ESPN always felt good about putting Texas-Texas A&M up against a game on the NFL Network because it was cable vs cable, and viewers had more access to ESPN. But cable vs network TV could cause Texas, the Big 12 and ESPN to rethink things about when UT's Turkey Day game might be played beginning in 2013.
I'm told Texas-TCU will be Thanksgiving night next season, and any scheduling concerns about the NFL going to NBC on Thanksgiving won't be addressed by UT, the Big 12 and ESPN until at least the 2013 season. (BROWN)
******
My sources say West Virginia is going to come to the Big 12 for the 2012 season rather than wait until the 2014 season (under Big East bylaws) because it believes the courts in Rhode Island, where the Big East is based (Providence, Rhode Island) have no jurisdiction over any potential move by the Mountaineers. And if the Big East decided to sue West Virginia over its planned early departure for the Big 12, WVU officials believe the Big East would have to sue in the state of West Virginia, where judges are elected.
WVU officials believe the judges would feel such pressure to side with West Virginia that the Mountaineers would get a favorable ruling. We'll see if both sides work out a settlement before it comes to that. But nonetheless WVU will be in the Big 12 next year, whether or not it is still working out legal differences with the Big East in court. (BROWN)
******
I'm not hearing anything right now about Major Applewhite in regards to possible interest from Will Muschamp about Florida's OC gig or from Houston about the Cougars' head-coaching vacancy.
Oddly enough, it's Greg Davis that is being reported as a candidate to possibly replace Charlie Weis on Muschamp's staff at Florida as well as a possible target of Gene Chizik to replace Gus Malzahn as Auburn's OC. I have not been able to independently gauge the depth of interest in Davis from either Muschamp or Chizik, but there was a lot of respect from both Muschamp and Chizik for Davis when they were all at Texas. (BROWN)
******
Marquise Goodwin was asked if he was surprised by the transfer plans of WR Darius White. Goodwin said he was surprised. On reports that Darius White was bad-mouthing Texas to recruit Dorial Green-Beckham. "I didn't hear about it, and that's none of my business," Goodwin said. (BROWN)
******
Early practice reports are that RB Joe Bergeron (hamstring) and Malcolm Brown (turf toe) are running well and appear to be getting over their injuries. Mack Brown said Thursday he expects everyone to be healthy for the bowl game against Cal except for S Christian Scott and redshirt freshman WR John Harris. (BROWN)
******
Things had gone quiet of late between Texas and Corey Coleman, but that changed this week and it sounds like things could once again be heating up.
Coleman, the speedster from Richardson Pearce, got a call from Darrell Wyatt on Tuesday. He was told an offer could be heading his way.
"He said he's going to offer me and everything is going to happen really soon," Coleman said. As for what changed ... "He said a spot might be opening up."
Coleman, who has been committed to Baylor since May, hadn't heard from Texas in several weeks. He was previously told by UT more than a month ago that an offer could be close, but there had been no contact since then. When I spoke with Coleman early last week, he had pretty much written Texas off. Now, with the Longhorns back in the mix, Coleman is anxious to see where things will go.
Texas has told him they like him at receiver. If the Longhorns do offer, Coleman said he's still ab bit unsure of how strong his interest would be.
"I don't really know. I still like Baylor a lot. I'm very loyal to them," Coleman said. "They (Texas) haven't offered yet so I'm not sure what that would do."
Coleman is scheduled to visit Baylor on January 9. He's also planning to visit Cal, but has not set a date on that trip. (Suchomel)
******
The Coleman update could very well be connected to the situation with Thomas Johnson.
In case you've been living under a rock the past few weeks, a brief recap. Johnson has mentioned to other Rivals.com reporters that he's considering the possibility of taking other visits. This week, rumors again surfaced, including one that had Johnson decommitting from Texas and opening the lines of communication.
We were able to communicate with Johnson via text on Thursday night and we asked if the talk of him decommitting were accurate. "That's false," Johnson said.
So, Johnson is still committed to Texas. But based on sources we spoke with on Wednesday and Thursday, there has been some communication between Johnson and the Baylor coaches. Where things will go from here is still up in the air.
The Texas coaches did talk to Johnson on Thursday about the latest round of rumors. They again talked to Johnson about their policy of not having commitments take official visits to other programs. In a nutshell, Texas basically told Johnson that if he does take other visits, his scholarship offer may not remain open.
"The ball's in his court," one source close to the situation told us. (Suchomel)
******
Speaking of commitments and other visits, we've mentioned for a while that there's been some talk of UT DE Hassan Ridgeway taking other visits.
What we haven't mentioned is that Ridgeway had directly told another Rivals.com reporter off the record that he was considering other visits. We can put that out there now because Ridgeway told us this week that he's made up his mind ... no more visits.
"That's it. I'm not taking any visits," Ridgeway said in our conversation discussing his official visit to Texas. "I was going to go on a couple. I was scheduled for a couple but I'm not doing that any more. I was going to visit A&M, but I'm not going to do that." (Suchomel)
******
It won't be a shock if the new Texas A&M coaching staff puts out some feelers on a few Texas commits, and one would figure they'll start with the two pledges from Brenham (Malcom Brown).
Texas A&M's d-line coach was by Brenham last Friday (A&M does have two commitments from the school ... side note, there's a chance neither makes it to College Station due to grades). We're told A&M's efforts will have little to no effect on Brown and Cole.
"(The visit) didn't do him much good, even though he tried to talk," our source said. "Both Tim and Malcom left school early and after the weekend they had in Austin, they would sign today." (Suchomel)
******
There's been a lot of talk about UT's chances with Mario Edwards shooting up after Edwards' official visit to Texas. Still hard to say where this one will land, but we can safely say Texas made a strong impression over the weekend.
One person who had a direct conversation with Edwards during the visit said Edwards told him flat out that he's pretty sure he's coming to Texas. Another person who spent the weekend hanging out with Edwards told us on Sunday "we'll get him."
The challenge for Texas will be to maintain momentum as Edwards takes other visits. The five-star defender and Florida State commitment will be at Oklahoma this weekend, he'll visit FSU in January and he's also talked about possible visits to LSU and Southern Cal.
Texas has put itself in a solid position, but can the Horns maintain their spot as the shine from the UT official visit wears off? Time will tell. (Suchomel)
******
Things remain very quiet between Texas and Daje Johnson. Silent, in fact.
Johnson said he hasn't talked to the Texas staff in a couple months. The Texas coaches had told him they'd evaluate their options after the regular season ended, but Johnson has yet to hear an update on where he stands. If the Longhorns do come calling, Johnson said he still has an interest.
"If they end up calling me, I'd still have an interest," Johnson said. (Suchomel)
******
Early on, Tatum quarterback and Texas commitment Jalen Overstreet received some key advice. He was told not to try and play like anyone else, but to just play his game.
It is easy to see he has been successful, and has been successful for a very long time. So what exactly does it mean to “play his game?”
“I don’t even know how to put a stamp on it exactly,” Overstreet said. “I know I love playing and love competing and being on the field. That’s it. I just love being out there. I really don’t know how to explain my game. Just get it done. It may be a different way every game, but I just try to get it done.”
He has certainly gotten it done throughout his career and there is a lot of preparation that goes into getting it done on a weekly basis. There is a lot of film work and daily practices, and then on game day he turns it on.
“As soon as I get off the bus, it’s time to start thinking about the game,” he said. “There’s not too many conversations. I just get my mind right. I think about how we’re going to make whatever field we’re on our field.
“I just watch everyone. I don’t really listen to anything crazy. I like calm music. I don’t like a lot of loud or crazy music. I just sit back and listen and watch. I just think about how the game is going to go.”
Next fall, Overstreet will bring that calm, cool demeanor to Texas and he is looking forward to the opportunities ahead.
Overstreet grew up a Texas Longhorn fan. It’s something he has trouble explaining. His great uncle played at Oklahoma, his father at Baylor, his uncle Stephen at TCU, his cousin at Tennessee, and countless other influences could have pulled him in a different direction. But it has always been Texas for Overstreet. So when the Longhorns offered him a chance to play quarterback it was a special moment.
“It was exciting,” he said. “I had other offers but I was waiting for the right team to come along and when they do you just know and I just knew.”
The Tatum standout mentioned co-Offensive Coordinator Bryan Harsin and his honesty as a big reason why he chose the Longhorns in our latest update. Texas head coach Mack Brown also left a lasting impression.
“He’s a great man. He told me as long as I want to be a quarterback at Texas I will never not be a quarterback unless I make the decision. The only reason I wouldn’t be a quarterback there is if I decided I didn’t want to be a quarterback there anymore.”
Kansas, Baylor and Texas Tech also offered Overstreet at quarterback while Michigan and Arkansas offered at receiver and Missouri offered at safety. Alabama also liked him at safety.
Overstreet knows he has some work to do, but he is ready to do it and he has big plans in mind once he arrives in Austin.
“I’m coming in with the intent to play. I want to be that school’s quarterback and not just for a package. I want to play,” Overstreet said. “It’s never been my dream to go somewhere and just be happy because I’m there. I want to contribute and be a big part of that team and I’m excited for Coach Harsin and that staff to develop me into a really good quarterback and polish me. I feel like I have a lot of raw tools for it, but I want them to mold it the right way.” (Howell)
******
Even though the Horns have already signed four players for the 2012 class, they’re on the trail checking in on 2012 players in addition to recruiting current commitment Cameron Ridley. Ridley’s status, which we posted about in the war room last week, still remains the same. He’s a Texas commitment and UT still expects to get him. As for other 2012 prospects, Rob Lanier traveled up north recently to get a look at Brewster Academy (NH) power forward Jakarr Sampson. I caught up with Sampson briefly to talk recruiting this week.
“Yeah, I’ve been talking to Texas a little lately”, said the 6-8, 220-pound power forward from Akron, Ohio.
Even though Texas has yet to extend a scholarship offer, it’s something that could happen.
“I think that’s something they’re in the process of talking to me about,” Sampson said of a possible offer. “Rob Lanier has come to see me and the UT coaches have talked to my coach.”
In addition to being recruited some by Texas, Sampson listed offers from Kansas, Louisville, Baylor, Florida, Providence, St. John’s, and Pittsburgh. So far, he’s taken one official to Baylor and visited Pittsburgh unofficially.
“Really, I don’t have a timetable,” stated the four-star prospect about a possible commitment. “I’m probably going to make a commitment in the spring. I’m taking this real slow. Location doesn’t affect me at all.”
Sampson hasn’t gotten to really communicate a lot with the Texas coaches, and said it’s the “getting to know each other” process. Would he be interested if Texas came through with an offer?
“Oh yeah, I’d definitely be interested,” he responded about his UT interest.
Sampson described his game like this:
“They’ll see a 6-8 forward that can put the ball on the floor, rebound, push it on the fast break with a lot of energy. Someone that can lock up the two through five positions. Yeah, I take pride in my defense. I’m still working on my jump shot. It’s come a long way.”
Obviously, this will be a name to follow. Also, keep an eye on Sam Cassell Jr. of Notre Dame Prep up in Baltimore. I heard that Rob Lanier checked in on the son of the former NBA player. The younger Cassell is an emerging 6-4 combo guard in the 2012 class that is starting to gain some attention. (McComas)
This post was edited on 12/15 11:13 PM by Suchomel
