Before I get to some notes on uncommitted guys, I’ll throw out a couple quick health updates on current members of the 2011 Longhorn recruiting class.
Texas OT pledge Josh Cochran suffered a concussion early in last week’s game and was forced to sit out the second half. It was the first concussion of his career, and the good news is that Cochran is fine. He reported to us on Thursday night that a CAT scan came back clean (they did one for precautionary reasons since he was having headaches a day or two after the concussion) and he’s been approved to return to action this week in a big game against Whitehouse.
As for update earlier in the week, but for those that missed it ...
The MRI results on Greenlea’s injured knee (suffered last week) did show an ACL tear and the future Longhorn lineman will be on the shelf for at least 5-6 months. Greenlea was scheduled to have surgery either this Thursday or next (October 7) but he’s in good spirits and ready to take on the challenges of rehabilitation. Greenlea, who also tore a patella tendon during his freshman year, will still graduate in December and enroll at Texas in January.
Best of luck to Greenlea and Cochran in their rehab and return to action, respectively. (Suchomel)
******
A quick update on top 2012 wide receiver Cayleb Jones, who was at UT’s game last weekend for an unofficial visit.
Obviously, the game didn’t turn out the way the Longhorns were hoping as they attempted to impress a handful of top players that were in attendance, but Jones said he’s not going to get too hung up on any single game.
“It doesn't really matter to me that they lost,” Jones said. “It’s the beginning of the season. It’s not a conference game. It does count against them (with their record) but they'll be solid in the future.”
As is the case with any situation, there are two ways (at least) to view things, and the same is true with UT’s offensive struggles through the early part of the year. As far as recruits are concerned, on one hand, players may want to go to an offense that’s lighting up the scoreboard. On the other hand, players with confidence, like Jones, can also look at it from the viewpoint that they can come in and contribute right away.
“For any freshman, coming into a university, you look at it if you could definitely help them out if your teammates are struggling,” Jones said. “It opens up and opportunity and opens windows for guys to come in and perform. “But a lot of teams go through tough times. They have a fresh group of guys, lots of seniors that will come through.”
Prior to the visit, Major Applewhite and Bobby Kennedy were at Jones’ and Austin High’s game last week against Cibolo Steele. During the unofficial visit to Texas, Jones talked to Applewhite and Greg Davis, discussing UT’s and Austin High’s season.
Jones is on his way back after missing some action with a knee injury (damaged never, fluid trapped in his growth plate), and he’s expecting to be back to 100 percent next weekend after Austin High enjoys an off week this week.
“I went to therapy a bunch last week. I’m feeling a million times better,” Jones said.
As for upcoming visits, there have been reports that Jones would be at the Texas-OU game this weekend, but that’s not the case. He’ll be lying low this weekend and Jones has no visits on his calendar for the immediate future.
******
UT commitment Christian Westerman and his family made their way from Chandler (Az.) to watch the Horns’ game last weekend, and Westerman said the entire family really enjoyed the visit.
“I definitely liked seeing how the fans really love their team. That was really cool,” Westerman said. “I liked seeing how the stadium was filled out. Even when things were going bad, they were still very supportive. They were still throwing up the hook ‘em, doing cheers. Fans of most teams would have given up, but they were still rooting up their team on.”
Westerman and his family came in on Saturday morning and went back on Monday. During the visit, he spent some time talking to the UT coaches about one another’s season.
“We just talked about how we're both doing. They just apologized for the game and said they’ll improve off of this,” Westerman said.
When watching UT games, Westerman said he focuses in on the offensive line, and he feels like the current Texas line will continue to improve but he also thinks he can come in and help the line make progress next year.
“I mainly watch the guys I'll be competing against next year,” Westerman said. “How I look at it, I can hopefully step in and get some playing time right away.”
Westerman committed to Texas back in April, and he’s never backed off that decision despite continued attention from other schools. Westerman said he and his entire family “still love Texas” and he’s still a firm commitment, and most schools have given up at this point. In fact, his commitment is so solid that his family spent time last weekend looking at houses in the Austin area (his entire family plans to move to Austin after Christian graduates).
The 6-5, 288-pound Westerman said he feels like he’s played at a high level this fall, increasing his quickness and his ability to get on his blocks quickly. As for his future at Texas, no ideas for early playing time have been discussed, and Westerman said the Texas coaches have simply talked to him about taking care of his business, coming in prepared and letting the chips fall where they may. Westerman and Texas OL coach Mac McWhorter have struck up a strong relationship, and the blue-chip tackle said McWhorter’s presence and honesty had a lot to do with him making an early decision.
“He's just a really down to earth guy,” Westerman said. “He’s really easy to talk to. He’ll talk to you like a coach, but it’s also like a friend. I’m sure things will change and he’ll get tougher (once Westerman’s on campus), but he’s definitely a down to earth guy.” (Suchomel)
************************************
Denton (Texas) Ryan defensive end Mario Edwards has been ripping though the competition this year and although he was already high on many 2012 recruiting boards he has seen his stock rise.
Last weekend Edwards made his way to Austin for his first game day. He was able to tour the facilities. He was able to see the Texas players up close and personal. And he was able to sit down and talk to with both head coach Oscar Giles.
Edwards has stated before the Longhorns were at top of his list, and before his visit he said he was looking forward to seeing Muschamp and the defense in action. On Saturday, the Longhorns let him know he was a top priority for them as well.
He was able to experience a lot of things on his visit, but there was one thing that stood out about his trip to Austin.
“What really was the big thing for me was talking to Mack Brown, the man who runs it all, and him telling me he wants me to be there to play for him,” Edwards said. “That was the big thing for me.”
Edwards was in Austin with three Denton Ryan teammates ? Dominique Banks. (Howell)
************************************
As I will often do during the football season, I had a chance to speak with an NFL scouting buddy of mine over the weekend. Although he wasn’t at the Texas-UCLA game in person, he did see the game and he also caught one of Texas’ early games in person. Here’s a look at his thoughts on a few of the Texas NFL prospects and other random issues:
UT’s senior prospects
On Sam Acho: “Interesting guy. I laugh sometimes when they bounce him inside because he might end up being a linebacker here for a 3-4 team. He’s not the athlete that Sergio Kindle was, but he’s a more valuable player because he’s much more versatile and but can still come after you off the edge. He’s one of their top prospects.”
On Chykie Brown: “Texas doesn’t have a better looking kid in a uniform in their entire program. He’s like the Bruce Campbell of cornerbacks. There are going to be some people that ignore a lot of what he’s not because of what he could be with a little more polish. Sometimes it just takes kids a little more time to figure everything out. I know some people are down on him, but I want to see what he looks like later in the season. He’s not a talent you give up on.”
On Curtis Brown: “I’m up and down on him. I know he’s a good player and I know he can cover well enough to be a good player in the NFL. He’s just someone I’d like to see more activity from when the ball is in the air. He doesn’t always play with his eyes up when the ball is on the air and that’s going to get him in trouble. Also, he needs to be more aggressive against the run and be able to finish plays because you don’t want to be a guy that offensive coaches try to find.”
On Kyle Hix: “Number one, I think he needs more work in the weight room. He really needs to make a serious commitment to getting stronger and I think he can have a lot of success here. I’m impressed that he’s adjusted so easily from the right to the left side. You better believe that’s a nice little feather in his cap. He did a good job with the pass rusher from Tech, but I wasn’t impressed at all with him, so I don’t know what to take from that. He just needs to be better more consistently. He’s a good player, already, but he won’t be everyone’s cup of tea”
On Michael Huey: “I’ll say this about him, he’s a better player than the guy I saw last year. When he gets good pad level and can get on a guy, he’ll move some space, but he’s possesses some athletic limitation. I don’t know if he can do all of the things they always ask him to do or that you’d want him to be able to do, but he’s got a chance and I wouldn’t have said that last year.”
On James Kirkendoll: “He’s a nice little player for them, but I don’t have to tell you or anyone else that he’s going to have a little bit of an uphill battle because he’s not a big guy and doesn’t do a lot that catches your eye. You have to be able to play special teams to make a team if you’re him and he doesn’t return kicks for them and he’s going to have limitations as a coverage guy because he’s kind of a slender guy that doesn’t really have a junkyard dog mentality as a player. If you’re going to be a buck-eighty, then you’ve got to be that kind of a guy.”
Note: I forgot to ask about Eddie Jones. My bad.
Junior prospects
Note: My source hadn’t watched a lot of the underclassmen, so he only commented on a few players that he felt comfortable going on the record about.
On Keenan Robinson: “There are times when he really jumps out at you and you can’t help but notice him. From an athletic standpoint, he has it all. I mean he can do a lot of things and he’s definitely stronger in traffic than I remember him from last season. He’s not ready yet, but he’s not far away. Will (Muschamp) will get that boy ready, don’t worry.”
On Aaron Williams: “His fingerprints are all over every game he plays in. I thought he was brilliant last week against UCLA because he found a way to be the best player on the field without even taking his coverage into account. The difference between him and the other guys is that if teams don’t throw his way, he’ll find a way to kick their ass some other way. He’s one of my favorite guys I’ve seen from Texas in a while. He’s the real deal.”
Oh, a few other things…
On the Texas offensive line: “I think they need more athletic linemen. That’s maybe the thing that stands out the most. When you see the level of athletes that they have everywhere else, it’s strange to see that part of the program not match up the last few seasons. There’s not one thing wrong with their approach that wouldn’t be helped out significantly with bigger, stronger, more athletic players. They’ve got too many guys that have holes in their games. Where are the guys that turn your head?”
On Garrett Gilbert: “He’s pressing, you can see that, but he’s going to be fine. He’s just a fraction late at times, but it’s coming along. I think he needs something good to happen for him. He needs some players to make some plays for him because when his confidence picks up, the game will slow down.” (Ketch)
************************************
Finally, here’s a confirmed list of 2012 prospects that will be attending the Texas/OU game this year as guests of the Sooners:
Rockdale linebacker Derek David
Aledo running back Jonathan Gray
El Campo defensive lineman/offensive lineman Joey Hunt
Dallas Skyline athlete Thomas Johnson
Texarkana offensive lineman John Michael McGee
Waco Midway safety/linebacker Shakiel Randolph
Oklahoma City Heritage Hall running back Barry Sanders Jr.
Haltom offensive lineman Halapoulaati Vaitai
Texas OT pledge Josh Cochran suffered a concussion early in last week’s game and was forced to sit out the second half. It was the first concussion of his career, and the good news is that Cochran is fine. He reported to us on Thursday night that a CAT scan came back clean (they did one for precautionary reasons since he was having headaches a day or two after the concussion) and he’s been approved to return to action this week in a big game against Whitehouse.
As for update earlier in the week, but for those that missed it ...
The MRI results on Greenlea’s injured knee (suffered last week) did show an ACL tear and the future Longhorn lineman will be on the shelf for at least 5-6 months. Greenlea was scheduled to have surgery either this Thursday or next (October 7) but he’s in good spirits and ready to take on the challenges of rehabilitation. Greenlea, who also tore a patella tendon during his freshman year, will still graduate in December and enroll at Texas in January.
Best of luck to Greenlea and Cochran in their rehab and return to action, respectively. (Suchomel)
******
A quick update on top 2012 wide receiver Cayleb Jones, who was at UT’s game last weekend for an unofficial visit.
Obviously, the game didn’t turn out the way the Longhorns were hoping as they attempted to impress a handful of top players that were in attendance, but Jones said he’s not going to get too hung up on any single game.
“It doesn't really matter to me that they lost,” Jones said. “It’s the beginning of the season. It’s not a conference game. It does count against them (with their record) but they'll be solid in the future.”
As is the case with any situation, there are two ways (at least) to view things, and the same is true with UT’s offensive struggles through the early part of the year. As far as recruits are concerned, on one hand, players may want to go to an offense that’s lighting up the scoreboard. On the other hand, players with confidence, like Jones, can also look at it from the viewpoint that they can come in and contribute right away.
“For any freshman, coming into a university, you look at it if you could definitely help them out if your teammates are struggling,” Jones said. “It opens up and opportunity and opens windows for guys to come in and perform. “But a lot of teams go through tough times. They have a fresh group of guys, lots of seniors that will come through.”
Prior to the visit, Major Applewhite and Bobby Kennedy were at Jones’ and Austin High’s game last week against Cibolo Steele. During the unofficial visit to Texas, Jones talked to Applewhite and Greg Davis, discussing UT’s and Austin High’s season.
Jones is on his way back after missing some action with a knee injury (damaged never, fluid trapped in his growth plate), and he’s expecting to be back to 100 percent next weekend after Austin High enjoys an off week this week.
“I went to therapy a bunch last week. I’m feeling a million times better,” Jones said.
As for upcoming visits, there have been reports that Jones would be at the Texas-OU game this weekend, but that’s not the case. He’ll be lying low this weekend and Jones has no visits on his calendar for the immediate future.
******
UT commitment Christian Westerman and his family made their way from Chandler (Az.) to watch the Horns’ game last weekend, and Westerman said the entire family really enjoyed the visit.
“I definitely liked seeing how the fans really love their team. That was really cool,” Westerman said. “I liked seeing how the stadium was filled out. Even when things were going bad, they were still very supportive. They were still throwing up the hook ‘em, doing cheers. Fans of most teams would have given up, but they were still rooting up their team on.”
Westerman and his family came in on Saturday morning and went back on Monday. During the visit, he spent some time talking to the UT coaches about one another’s season.
“We just talked about how we're both doing. They just apologized for the game and said they’ll improve off of this,” Westerman said.
When watching UT games, Westerman said he focuses in on the offensive line, and he feels like the current Texas line will continue to improve but he also thinks he can come in and help the line make progress next year.
“I mainly watch the guys I'll be competing against next year,” Westerman said. “How I look at it, I can hopefully step in and get some playing time right away.”
Westerman committed to Texas back in April, and he’s never backed off that decision despite continued attention from other schools. Westerman said he and his entire family “still love Texas” and he’s still a firm commitment, and most schools have given up at this point. In fact, his commitment is so solid that his family spent time last weekend looking at houses in the Austin area (his entire family plans to move to Austin after Christian graduates).
The 6-5, 288-pound Westerman said he feels like he’s played at a high level this fall, increasing his quickness and his ability to get on his blocks quickly. As for his future at Texas, no ideas for early playing time have been discussed, and Westerman said the Texas coaches have simply talked to him about taking care of his business, coming in prepared and letting the chips fall where they may. Westerman and Texas OL coach Mac McWhorter have struck up a strong relationship, and the blue-chip tackle said McWhorter’s presence and honesty had a lot to do with him making an early decision.
“He's just a really down to earth guy,” Westerman said. “He’s really easy to talk to. He’ll talk to you like a coach, but it’s also like a friend. I’m sure things will change and he’ll get tougher (once Westerman’s on campus), but he’s definitely a down to earth guy.” (Suchomel)
************************************
Denton (Texas) Ryan defensive end Mario Edwards has been ripping though the competition this year and although he was already high on many 2012 recruiting boards he has seen his stock rise.
Last weekend Edwards made his way to Austin for his first game day. He was able to tour the facilities. He was able to see the Texas players up close and personal. And he was able to sit down and talk to with both head coach Oscar Giles.
Edwards has stated before the Longhorns were at top of his list, and before his visit he said he was looking forward to seeing Muschamp and the defense in action. On Saturday, the Longhorns let him know he was a top priority for them as well.
He was able to experience a lot of things on his visit, but there was one thing that stood out about his trip to Austin.
“What really was the big thing for me was talking to Mack Brown, the man who runs it all, and him telling me he wants me to be there to play for him,” Edwards said. “That was the big thing for me.”
Edwards was in Austin with three Denton Ryan teammates ? Dominique Banks. (Howell)
************************************
As I will often do during the football season, I had a chance to speak with an NFL scouting buddy of mine over the weekend. Although he wasn’t at the Texas-UCLA game in person, he did see the game and he also caught one of Texas’ early games in person. Here’s a look at his thoughts on a few of the Texas NFL prospects and other random issues:
UT’s senior prospects
On Sam Acho: “Interesting guy. I laugh sometimes when they bounce him inside because he might end up being a linebacker here for a 3-4 team. He’s not the athlete that Sergio Kindle was, but he’s a more valuable player because he’s much more versatile and but can still come after you off the edge. He’s one of their top prospects.”
On Chykie Brown: “Texas doesn’t have a better looking kid in a uniform in their entire program. He’s like the Bruce Campbell of cornerbacks. There are going to be some people that ignore a lot of what he’s not because of what he could be with a little more polish. Sometimes it just takes kids a little more time to figure everything out. I know some people are down on him, but I want to see what he looks like later in the season. He’s not a talent you give up on.”
On Curtis Brown: “I’m up and down on him. I know he’s a good player and I know he can cover well enough to be a good player in the NFL. He’s just someone I’d like to see more activity from when the ball is in the air. He doesn’t always play with his eyes up when the ball is on the air and that’s going to get him in trouble. Also, he needs to be more aggressive against the run and be able to finish plays because you don’t want to be a guy that offensive coaches try to find.”
On Kyle Hix: “Number one, I think he needs more work in the weight room. He really needs to make a serious commitment to getting stronger and I think he can have a lot of success here. I’m impressed that he’s adjusted so easily from the right to the left side. You better believe that’s a nice little feather in his cap. He did a good job with the pass rusher from Tech, but I wasn’t impressed at all with him, so I don’t know what to take from that. He just needs to be better more consistently. He’s a good player, already, but he won’t be everyone’s cup of tea”
On Michael Huey: “I’ll say this about him, he’s a better player than the guy I saw last year. When he gets good pad level and can get on a guy, he’ll move some space, but he’s possesses some athletic limitation. I don’t know if he can do all of the things they always ask him to do or that you’d want him to be able to do, but he’s got a chance and I wouldn’t have said that last year.”
On James Kirkendoll: “He’s a nice little player for them, but I don’t have to tell you or anyone else that he’s going to have a little bit of an uphill battle because he’s not a big guy and doesn’t do a lot that catches your eye. You have to be able to play special teams to make a team if you’re him and he doesn’t return kicks for them and he’s going to have limitations as a coverage guy because he’s kind of a slender guy that doesn’t really have a junkyard dog mentality as a player. If you’re going to be a buck-eighty, then you’ve got to be that kind of a guy.”
Note: I forgot to ask about Eddie Jones. My bad.
Junior prospects
Note: My source hadn’t watched a lot of the underclassmen, so he only commented on a few players that he felt comfortable going on the record about.
On Keenan Robinson: “There are times when he really jumps out at you and you can’t help but notice him. From an athletic standpoint, he has it all. I mean he can do a lot of things and he’s definitely stronger in traffic than I remember him from last season. He’s not ready yet, but he’s not far away. Will (Muschamp) will get that boy ready, don’t worry.”
On Aaron Williams: “His fingerprints are all over every game he plays in. I thought he was brilliant last week against UCLA because he found a way to be the best player on the field without even taking his coverage into account. The difference between him and the other guys is that if teams don’t throw his way, he’ll find a way to kick their ass some other way. He’s one of my favorite guys I’ve seen from Texas in a while. He’s the real deal.”
Oh, a few other things…
On the Texas offensive line: “I think they need more athletic linemen. That’s maybe the thing that stands out the most. When you see the level of athletes that they have everywhere else, it’s strange to see that part of the program not match up the last few seasons. There’s not one thing wrong with their approach that wouldn’t be helped out significantly with bigger, stronger, more athletic players. They’ve got too many guys that have holes in their games. Where are the guys that turn your head?”
On Garrett Gilbert: “He’s pressing, you can see that, but he’s going to be fine. He’s just a fraction late at times, but it’s coming along. I think he needs something good to happen for him. He needs some players to make some plays for him because when his confidence picks up, the game will slow down.” (Ketch)
************************************
Finally, here’s a confirmed list of 2012 prospects that will be attending the Texas/OU game this year as guests of the Sooners:
Rockdale linebacker Derek David
Aledo running back Jonathan Gray
El Campo defensive lineman/offensive lineman Joey Hunt
Dallas Skyline athlete Thomas Johnson
Texarkana offensive lineman John Michael McGee
Waco Midway safety/linebacker Shakiel Randolph
Oklahoma City Heritage Hall running back Barry Sanders Jr.
Haltom offensive lineman Halapoulaati Vaitai
