"Just a Bit Outside" is brought to you by:
ESM owner Brandon is a longtime Orangebloods member @Elite Sports Memorabilia . Elite Sports Media has THE BEST in Longhorn memorabilia anywhere. You can find memorabilia from UT legends such as Vince Young, Ricky Williams, Sam Ehlinger, Cat Osterman and Ivan Melendez. He also works with current Longhorns such as Quinn Ewers and Xavier Worthy.
Longhorn baseball legend (and yes, he is legendary now) Dylan Campbell is an ESM partner and signed memorabilia ahead of this year's MLB draft. You should jump on this NOW! Mr. 38 will likely be headed to the pros and when that happens, Joe DiMaggio's 56 game streak is surely in jeopardy.
If there is some other kind of memorabilia you're looking for, please reach out to Brandon - he can probably get it.
You can reach Brandon via email at esmsportsut@gmail.com, or on facebook at Elite Sports Memorabilia if you have any questions or would like to place an order.
Social Media
Facebook Elite Sports Mem
Twitter @EliteSportsMem
Tik Tok elite sports mem
IG Elite_Sports_Memorabilia_UT
EBAY STORE:
Ebay Elite Sports Memorabilia UT
JOIN THE GROUP:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/elitesportsmemorabilia/?ref=share_group_link
===========================================================================
I am always leery of people who say they don’t like sports. What’s not to love? The thrill of the competition? The majesty of the athletic endeavors? The group bonding around a shared team?
Admit it, if you’re traveling somewhere and you see someone wearing a Longhorn hat or shirt, you do a Hook ‘Em because even though you may not know that person, you at least share that one thing and there is a bond.
But the biggest reason I’m leery of people who don’t like sports is because they fail to see that sports are really just a condensed version of life.
For example, who doesn’t love new beginnings? They are exciting and thrilling. We are able to project all of our hopes and wishes onto them. Whether it be a new job, a move to a new city, a new school or even just a new flavor of ice cream.
In sports, we have our own new beginnings.
Recruiting brings new beginnings to college football teams. It’s exciting every time a new kid commits as we project all of our hopes and wishes that this kid is going to be the one who brings glory.
The kickoff against Rice brings new hope for Longhorn fans that this is the year the Longhorns will finally be “back.” (Just saying it’s the hope … not jinxing the team like Sam Ehlinger did following the Sugar Bowl win over Georgia.)
We all go into our fantasy football drafts with hopes and dreams of letting our buddies know how much they suck when we win the league.
Sunday will bring new beginnings for the 2024 Texas baseball team. The Major League Baseball draft will determine exactly how much talent head coach David Pierce will have to work with next season.
LSU showed exactly how important a stacked roster is in the new era of college baseball. Yes, they had some very important portal additions, such as Paul Skenes, who pushed them over the top. But the Tigers also had many players they signed and developed who were absolutely critical to their CWS championship.
Dylan Crews is an excellent example of a player who was a first-round draft pick coming out of high school, but decided to go to college to gain experience. Where would LSU have been without Crews? Oh, and it didn’t exactly hurt Crews’ bottom line because he made plenty of money in NIL deals and he will still likely be the number one overall draft pick … maybe number two at worst if Skenes goes first.
First baseman Tre Morgan is another Tiger who was developed at LSU and will still likely be a first-round pick. Shortstop Jordan Thompson was a key piece of the title run as well.
You get the point.
So to that end, @AaronLittleOB and @ZachattheDisch have done me a huge favor while I’m on vacation and put together an excellent breakdown of which Longhorns (current and future) will likely be drafted and how that could impact their decision of whether to go pro or go to Austin.
Either way … there will be some exciting new beginnings for a lot of guys after Sunday.
MLB DRAFT PRIMER
The MLB draft is quite unique when compared to the NFL and NBA. Baseball’s process is 20 rounds, occurs during the MLB season, and is all about leverage. MLB prospects often have a great amount of leverage to use over professional organizations or NIL packages that target a young ballplayer. Draft slot money is negotiated when a player is selected and unlike other sports, players often sign for notably more or notably less than the allotted slot money. Players can choose to return to school after they are selected and can now maximize earnings through the transfer portal and NIL. The players have more leverage and more things to juggle than ever, making the draft process exciting and unpredictable.
Now let’s get into the players you all care about and break down the July 9-11 draft from a UT point of view.
MLB.com Top 250 Prospects
INCOMING SIGNEES THAT WILL GET DRAFTED:
Travis Sykora
The first sweat for Texas fans starts with Round Rock RHP Travis Sykora. Sykora can hit 101 MPH with his fastball and is the 40th-ranked prospect on MLB.com. The odds of Sykora actually making it to UT have gone from impossible to improbable. Some scouts have indicated Sykora could slip to the third or fourth round which would at least put two years in Austin on the table for the flamethrower. The reason that Sykora could slip in the draft is some hesitation about his FB shape. His fastball can be flat (no movement) at times, while the secondary stuff hasn’t fully developed yet per a couple of scouts. Of note, Sykora recently spent time on campus conducting his paperwork and physical so that he could begin training at the Texas facilities. Sykora would be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2025, so it would only be a two-year commitment as opposed to three. Still improbable, but worth mentioning and monitoring on July 10th.
Will Gasparino OF - 75th-ranked prospect
The son of Dodgers scouting director Billy Gasparino, Will Gasparino was a mainstay on the summer showcase circuit and teams have flocked to Harvard-Westlake to see the rangy outfielder. While the bat is a bit of a work in progress, you don’t often see 6’6” outfielders with the projection that Gasparino displays. He does possess raw power and an exceptionally high baseball IQ though, which makes him a very intriguing prep prospect. During the MLB Combine, Gasparino slammed the longest home run by a high schooler (418 feet) and a separate shot that registered as the hardest-hit ball by a prepster (110 mph).
Casey Borba 3B
An exceptionally mature kid from Orange Lutheran that has excelled at both the high school prep level and for Team USA. Last summer, Borba was named to the All-Tournament team as Team USA U18 won gold. Casey has an advanced bat at the plate with great patience and gap-to-gap power.
Coach Eric Borba (OLu) and son Casey Borba lifting the Gold Medal Trophy (Nov. 2022)
Nik Sanders - Catcher
Bit of a wildcard. Sanders is a kid that has immense potential, but there is some risk there as well. Sanders is a catcher that can really hit the ball well and as a catcher that can hit, some team could take a chance on him in hopes that he will sign.
2023 LONGHORNS TO SWEAT
Dylan Campbell (OF)
Everyone projected DC to have a breakout year for Texas and he absolutely delivered. He had a bit of a slow start, but once he got going, he REALLY got going. Some scouts consider him the best pure-hitting prospect among Lone Star State collegians. DC’s profile could be raised higher if he shows that he can play CF, but due to more experienced players in front of him, he has not had that chance at Texas. DC is ranked 171 in the latest MLB Top 250, but there is quite a bit of chatter that he could be drafted in the 4th Round, and if so, it is hard to imagine he returns for another year.
Tanner Witt (RHP)
Tanner Witt is ranked 76th by MLB.com and is perhaps the most fascinating sweat for Texas fans. Witt was on track to be a first-round pick before he tore his UCL in 2022, but a rocky return from Tommy John has the talented righty looking at a wide range of outcomes in the draft. Could a team still look at Witt and absolutely love the physical frame, the character, and the potential enough to pull the trigger in the second or third round? Yes. Could the injury and Witt’s struggles on the mound upon return scare teams off this year? Also yes. Witt has been seen as the most attainable of the major 2023 pieces that are in the draft and that hasn’t changed. This guy bleeds burnt orange, but the risk/reward proposition here is extreme in both directions.
Lebarron Johnson Jr. (RHP)
Lebarron Johnson Jr. (No. 173) could be an awesome bullpen piece for an MLB team one day. I know I would want LBJ lurking in my favorite team’s bullpen in 2027. The stuff has always been there and LBJ grew a ton on the mental side in 2023. Now is likely the best time for LBJ to maximize his leverage and there just isn’t a ton for him to gain from another year in Austin.
Lucas Gordon (LHP)
The Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and the Second-Team All-American seems ready for the professional baseball experience. While it will be an uphill battle for Gordon to reach the Majors, returning for another year would not significantly boost his draft stock and would leave him with less leverage in the future. Not to mention he would be a year older. Gordon is ranked outside the top 250 prospects due to the lack of a big fastball or a great breaking ball, but if a team is able to add velocity to Gordon’s fastball or establish a legitimate breaking ball, perhaps Gordon could make it to the bigs.
Zane Morehouse (RHP)
Morehouse is a player that perhaps a team sees the pure stuff and saves enough money to offer him over-slot money later in the draft. One of the issues with Morehouse though is the lack of leverage due to his age. Coaching staff changes could also factor into this decision…
Garret Guillemette - Catcher
All indications have been that Guillemette has his heart set on the bigs… at the right slot and price of course. The middle rounds can be tricky to predict, but somewhere in the neighborhood of rounds 7-8 makes sense for GG. In 2023 Guillemette showed the ability to drive the ball out of the park with 11 homers and he has all of the intangibles that a team could want in a catcher. There is still room for him to grow on defense and he could improve his pitch recognition against top arms at the plate with another season in college. You could make a strong case in either direction when looking at what would be the best move for him.
Porter Brown (OF)
It’s tough to put Porter Brown in this category or really any category at all. Nobody really has a read on Brown. He could give it a shot in pro ball, he might hang it up and start his career in the medical field (this guy is EXTREMELY smart), or he could come back to Texas. I wouldn’t be holding my breath on Brown returning, but this is a tough one to get a read on.
COULD HEAR THEIR NAME CALLED BUT LIKELY WILL BE BACK AT TEXAS:
Peyton Powell (3B)
Charlie Hurley (RHP)
It has been a long road for Powell to become a consistent starter at Texas. It would be a surprise for him to pass on a full season in the heart of the lineup. Hurley is very tall and has nice movement on his fastball so he can’t be ruled out, but we expect him to be back.
There wasn’t much drama in last year’s draft for Texas fans. This one is a different story. Extreme outcomes in either direction will have a big impact on the 2024 season.
ABOUT THE PHOTO …
Much has been made about the workout photo of the UT quarterbacks looking jacked. I wasn’t on the Overreaction Monday podcast because I am on vacation but my big overreaction is that it definitely matters … just not in the way that most of you would suspect.
Oh sure, it shows that all of the guys are putting in the work they need to do to be ready for the season. And yes, that’s very important. And sure, having a little extra muscle can only help the guys survive the pounding that quarterbacks take, and that’s important too. But the reason I think this photo is the most important is that it shows that the rhetoric about all of these quarterbacks liking each other isn’t just BS and that has an impact beyond just a summertime photo.
Before I proceed, I just want to address @Anwar Richardson 's voice which is ringing in my head recalling all of the summertime things that were such a big deal at the time but really amounted to nothing when the season started. Remember all of the team bonding around ping pong tournaments? How did that season go?
So please take everything I’m about to say with the realization that I don’t believe this should be elevated to anything more than just a summertime fling. But I still think it’s a good sign.
First off, the guys were clearly goofing around when they took the photo. They are all smiling and laughing and having a good time.
I heard, or read someone say a couple of weeks ago that the quarterback room is the most important room in the building because if it’s strong, that filters down to the whole team. If there is division or not a lot of cohesion then that filters down to the whole team as well.
You’re going to have to forgive me for not citing the source. I tried, although not very hard, to look it up and I couldn’t find it. However, as I type this, I want to say that it was Colt McCoy who said it on the on the Green Light Podcast with Chris Long but I am also too lazy right now to go back and listen to confirm.
At any rate, this photo appears to be an excellent example of what Sark has said was a very good quarterback room. To me, if a picture is worth a thousand words, then this photo spoke volumes about the culture of the 2023 Texas Longhorn football team … at least as it stands in the middle of summer.
THE WAY WE WATCH FOOTBALL IS CHANGING …
The ESPN layoffs which have been revealed over the past week hit particularly hard for football fans.
On the NFL side, ESPN let go of the excellent Suzy Kolber, Keyshawn Johnson, Matt Hasselbeck, Steve Young, Rob Ninkovich, and NFL draft guru and college football sideline reporter Todd McShay.
College Football Gameday also took a hit. David Pollock was let go as was Gene Wojciechowski.
Wojciechowski is the one I will miss the most. Very few people can credibly call themselves a storyteller, but he was one who could (not that he ever would call himself that).
His ability to craft words and elicit emotions with the stories he told was second to none. Those pieces were usually the ones I looked forward to the most on Gameday.
I’m not worried about what Wojciechowski will do next - he’s too talented to just sit on the beach. But I do question the wisdom at Disneyworld to let such a man go.
And, at the risk of being callous, I’m not sure how you can justify letting Wojciechowski go while keeping Lee Corso.
I know full well the impact Corso has had on college football. I absolutely loved his schtick and his serious analysis. But watching him struggle these past couple of years has been uncomfortable. Someone should have had the guts to have the tough talk and let Corso go.
MORE REALIGNMENT DRAMA …
The layoffs at ESPN speak to the downturn in television fortunes these days. It also does not bode well for the Pac-12 which has been looking for a new media rights deal for nearly a year now.
The rumors last week were that the framework of a deal has been presented to Pac-12 presidents with the full deal expected to be presented sometime before the Pac-12 media day July 21st.
If the rumors are true, that deal would include a “significant” linear tv package (which means a partner like ESPN or Fox that would put games on television) but it’s also expected to include a streaming partner such as Apple TV or Amazon.
The Pac-12 is likely to look to expand to replace USC and UCLA who have one year left until they mosey on over to the Big Ten. However, the university presidents won’t consider expansion until the new media rights deal is in place and a grant of rights signed.
That has put San Diego State, a rumored target of Pac-12 expansion, in a real pickle (some of which was their own doing).
San Diego State had until the end of June to notify the Mountain West Conference that it was leaving in order to “only” owe $17 million in exit fees. That number doubled to $34 million when the calendar turned to July.
Before that deadline, San Diego State sent a letter to the conference and all of the university presidents in the conference (and that part is key) notifying them that they were considering leaving.
Mountain West bylaws state that in order to leave, notification has to be sent to the conference and all of the university presidents.
Naturally, the MWC took that notification, which was done in accordance with the bylaws, as a notice that the Aztecs were, in fact, leaving the league.
SDSU said, “not so fast my friend” and said they were only considering leaving, it wasn’t an official notice. Two weeks later, SDSU sent another letter saying it had changed its mind and was perfectly happy in the MWC.
Now, the Mountain West has responded to say “too bad.” It standing by the stance that the first letter was an official notice and had begun withholding more than six million dollars in media rights money as a down payment on the exit fee.
Maybe the battle over the exit fee will drag out long enough that the Pac-12 will sign the new deal and offer SDSU a seat at the big boys table. If that happens, then San Diego will gladly just pay the $17 million and call it a day. It that doesn’t happen then we may see this go to court.
Either way - some lawyers are going to make a lot of money.
HAPPY BELATED 4TH OF JULY!
I just wanted to say that I hope all of you had a safe and happy 4th of July.
I had a fantastic evening with family and friends eating BBQ and watching fireworks. Life is good and I am truly blessed.
I also spent a little time perusing the message boards because I don’t think there has been a single day in nearly 20 years when I haven’t logged on at least once.
I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate being a part of this weird and dysfunctional family … first as a subscriber and now on staff.
I also want to thank all of the military members and veterans who have served the country to ensure our freedom. We celebrate our Independence Day because of each and every one of you - past, present and future.
Thank you.
ESM owner Brandon is a longtime Orangebloods member @Elite Sports Memorabilia . Elite Sports Media has THE BEST in Longhorn memorabilia anywhere. You can find memorabilia from UT legends such as Vince Young, Ricky Williams, Sam Ehlinger, Cat Osterman and Ivan Melendez. He also works with current Longhorns such as Quinn Ewers and Xavier Worthy.
Longhorn baseball legend (and yes, he is legendary now) Dylan Campbell is an ESM partner and signed memorabilia ahead of this year's MLB draft. You should jump on this NOW! Mr. 38 will likely be headed to the pros and when that happens, Joe DiMaggio's 56 game streak is surely in jeopardy.
If there is some other kind of memorabilia you're looking for, please reach out to Brandon - he can probably get it.
You can reach Brandon via email at esmsportsut@gmail.com, or on facebook at Elite Sports Memorabilia if you have any questions or would like to place an order.
Social Media
Facebook Elite Sports Mem
Twitter @EliteSportsMem
Tik Tok elite sports mem
IG Elite_Sports_Memorabilia_UT
EBAY STORE:
Ebay Elite Sports Memorabilia UT
JOIN THE GROUP:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/elitesportsmemorabilia/?ref=share_group_link
===========================================================================
I am always leery of people who say they don’t like sports. What’s not to love? The thrill of the competition? The majesty of the athletic endeavors? The group bonding around a shared team?
Admit it, if you’re traveling somewhere and you see someone wearing a Longhorn hat or shirt, you do a Hook ‘Em because even though you may not know that person, you at least share that one thing and there is a bond.
But the biggest reason I’m leery of people who don’t like sports is because they fail to see that sports are really just a condensed version of life.
For example, who doesn’t love new beginnings? They are exciting and thrilling. We are able to project all of our hopes and wishes onto them. Whether it be a new job, a move to a new city, a new school or even just a new flavor of ice cream.
In sports, we have our own new beginnings.
Recruiting brings new beginnings to college football teams. It’s exciting every time a new kid commits as we project all of our hopes and wishes that this kid is going to be the one who brings glory.
The kickoff against Rice brings new hope for Longhorn fans that this is the year the Longhorns will finally be “back.” (Just saying it’s the hope … not jinxing the team like Sam Ehlinger did following the Sugar Bowl win over Georgia.)
We all go into our fantasy football drafts with hopes and dreams of letting our buddies know how much they suck when we win the league.
Sunday will bring new beginnings for the 2024 Texas baseball team. The Major League Baseball draft will determine exactly how much talent head coach David Pierce will have to work with next season.
LSU showed exactly how important a stacked roster is in the new era of college baseball. Yes, they had some very important portal additions, such as Paul Skenes, who pushed them over the top. But the Tigers also had many players they signed and developed who were absolutely critical to their CWS championship.
Dylan Crews is an excellent example of a player who was a first-round draft pick coming out of high school, but decided to go to college to gain experience. Where would LSU have been without Crews? Oh, and it didn’t exactly hurt Crews’ bottom line because he made plenty of money in NIL deals and he will still likely be the number one overall draft pick … maybe number two at worst if Skenes goes first.
First baseman Tre Morgan is another Tiger who was developed at LSU and will still likely be a first-round pick. Shortstop Jordan Thompson was a key piece of the title run as well.
You get the point.
So to that end, @AaronLittleOB and @ZachattheDisch have done me a huge favor while I’m on vacation and put together an excellent breakdown of which Longhorns (current and future) will likely be drafted and how that could impact their decision of whether to go pro or go to Austin.
Either way … there will be some exciting new beginnings for a lot of guys after Sunday.
MLB DRAFT PRIMER
The MLB draft is quite unique when compared to the NFL and NBA. Baseball’s process is 20 rounds, occurs during the MLB season, and is all about leverage. MLB prospects often have a great amount of leverage to use over professional organizations or NIL packages that target a young ballplayer. Draft slot money is negotiated when a player is selected and unlike other sports, players often sign for notably more or notably less than the allotted slot money. Players can choose to return to school after they are selected and can now maximize earnings through the transfer portal and NIL. The players have more leverage and more things to juggle than ever, making the draft process exciting and unpredictable.
Now let’s get into the players you all care about and break down the July 9-11 draft from a UT point of view.
MLB.com Top 250 Prospects
INCOMING SIGNEES THAT WILL GET DRAFTED:
Travis Sykora
The first sweat for Texas fans starts with Round Rock RHP Travis Sykora. Sykora can hit 101 MPH with his fastball and is the 40th-ranked prospect on MLB.com. The odds of Sykora actually making it to UT have gone from impossible to improbable. Some scouts have indicated Sykora could slip to the third or fourth round which would at least put two years in Austin on the table for the flamethrower. The reason that Sykora could slip in the draft is some hesitation about his FB shape. His fastball can be flat (no movement) at times, while the secondary stuff hasn’t fully developed yet per a couple of scouts. Of note, Sykora recently spent time on campus conducting his paperwork and physical so that he could begin training at the Texas facilities. Sykora would be a draft-eligible sophomore in 2025, so it would only be a two-year commitment as opposed to three. Still improbable, but worth mentioning and monitoring on July 10th.
Will Gasparino OF - 75th-ranked prospect
The son of Dodgers scouting director Billy Gasparino, Will Gasparino was a mainstay on the summer showcase circuit and teams have flocked to Harvard-Westlake to see the rangy outfielder. While the bat is a bit of a work in progress, you don’t often see 6’6” outfielders with the projection that Gasparino displays. He does possess raw power and an exceptionally high baseball IQ though, which makes him a very intriguing prep prospect. During the MLB Combine, Gasparino slammed the longest home run by a high schooler (418 feet) and a separate shot that registered as the hardest-hit ball by a prepster (110 mph).
Casey Borba 3B
An exceptionally mature kid from Orange Lutheran that has excelled at both the high school prep level and for Team USA. Last summer, Borba was named to the All-Tournament team as Team USA U18 won gold. Casey has an advanced bat at the plate with great patience and gap-to-gap power.
Coach Eric Borba (OLu) and son Casey Borba lifting the Gold Medal Trophy (Nov. 2022)
Nik Sanders - Catcher
Bit of a wildcard. Sanders is a kid that has immense potential, but there is some risk there as well. Sanders is a catcher that can really hit the ball well and as a catcher that can hit, some team could take a chance on him in hopes that he will sign.
2023 LONGHORNS TO SWEAT
Dylan Campbell (OF)
Everyone projected DC to have a breakout year for Texas and he absolutely delivered. He had a bit of a slow start, but once he got going, he REALLY got going. Some scouts consider him the best pure-hitting prospect among Lone Star State collegians. DC’s profile could be raised higher if he shows that he can play CF, but due to more experienced players in front of him, he has not had that chance at Texas. DC is ranked 171 in the latest MLB Top 250, but there is quite a bit of chatter that he could be drafted in the 4th Round, and if so, it is hard to imagine he returns for another year.
Tanner Witt (RHP)
Tanner Witt is ranked 76th by MLB.com and is perhaps the most fascinating sweat for Texas fans. Witt was on track to be a first-round pick before he tore his UCL in 2022, but a rocky return from Tommy John has the talented righty looking at a wide range of outcomes in the draft. Could a team still look at Witt and absolutely love the physical frame, the character, and the potential enough to pull the trigger in the second or third round? Yes. Could the injury and Witt’s struggles on the mound upon return scare teams off this year? Also yes. Witt has been seen as the most attainable of the major 2023 pieces that are in the draft and that hasn’t changed. This guy bleeds burnt orange, but the risk/reward proposition here is extreme in both directions.
Lebarron Johnson Jr. (RHP)
Lebarron Johnson Jr. (No. 173) could be an awesome bullpen piece for an MLB team one day. I know I would want LBJ lurking in my favorite team’s bullpen in 2027. The stuff has always been there and LBJ grew a ton on the mental side in 2023. Now is likely the best time for LBJ to maximize his leverage and there just isn’t a ton for him to gain from another year in Austin.
Lucas Gordon (LHP)
The Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and the Second-Team All-American seems ready for the professional baseball experience. While it will be an uphill battle for Gordon to reach the Majors, returning for another year would not significantly boost his draft stock and would leave him with less leverage in the future. Not to mention he would be a year older. Gordon is ranked outside the top 250 prospects due to the lack of a big fastball or a great breaking ball, but if a team is able to add velocity to Gordon’s fastball or establish a legitimate breaking ball, perhaps Gordon could make it to the bigs.
Zane Morehouse (RHP)
Morehouse is a player that perhaps a team sees the pure stuff and saves enough money to offer him over-slot money later in the draft. One of the issues with Morehouse though is the lack of leverage due to his age. Coaching staff changes could also factor into this decision…
Garret Guillemette - Catcher
All indications have been that Guillemette has his heart set on the bigs… at the right slot and price of course. The middle rounds can be tricky to predict, but somewhere in the neighborhood of rounds 7-8 makes sense for GG. In 2023 Guillemette showed the ability to drive the ball out of the park with 11 homers and he has all of the intangibles that a team could want in a catcher. There is still room for him to grow on defense and he could improve his pitch recognition against top arms at the plate with another season in college. You could make a strong case in either direction when looking at what would be the best move for him.
Porter Brown (OF)
It’s tough to put Porter Brown in this category or really any category at all. Nobody really has a read on Brown. He could give it a shot in pro ball, he might hang it up and start his career in the medical field (this guy is EXTREMELY smart), or he could come back to Texas. I wouldn’t be holding my breath on Brown returning, but this is a tough one to get a read on.
COULD HEAR THEIR NAME CALLED BUT LIKELY WILL BE BACK AT TEXAS:
Peyton Powell (3B)
Charlie Hurley (RHP)
It has been a long road for Powell to become a consistent starter at Texas. It would be a surprise for him to pass on a full season in the heart of the lineup. Hurley is very tall and has nice movement on his fastball so he can’t be ruled out, but we expect him to be back.
There wasn’t much drama in last year’s draft for Texas fans. This one is a different story. Extreme outcomes in either direction will have a big impact on the 2024 season.
ABOUT THE PHOTO …
Much has been made about the workout photo of the UT quarterbacks looking jacked. I wasn’t on the Overreaction Monday podcast because I am on vacation but my big overreaction is that it definitely matters … just not in the way that most of you would suspect.
Oh sure, it shows that all of the guys are putting in the work they need to do to be ready for the season. And yes, that’s very important. And sure, having a little extra muscle can only help the guys survive the pounding that quarterbacks take, and that’s important too. But the reason I think this photo is the most important is that it shows that the rhetoric about all of these quarterbacks liking each other isn’t just BS and that has an impact beyond just a summertime photo.
Before I proceed, I just want to address @Anwar Richardson 's voice which is ringing in my head recalling all of the summertime things that were such a big deal at the time but really amounted to nothing when the season started. Remember all of the team bonding around ping pong tournaments? How did that season go?
So please take everything I’m about to say with the realization that I don’t believe this should be elevated to anything more than just a summertime fling. But I still think it’s a good sign.
First off, the guys were clearly goofing around when they took the photo. They are all smiling and laughing and having a good time.
I heard, or read someone say a couple of weeks ago that the quarterback room is the most important room in the building because if it’s strong, that filters down to the whole team. If there is division or not a lot of cohesion then that filters down to the whole team as well.
You’re going to have to forgive me for not citing the source. I tried, although not very hard, to look it up and I couldn’t find it. However, as I type this, I want to say that it was Colt McCoy who said it on the on the Green Light Podcast with Chris Long but I am also too lazy right now to go back and listen to confirm.
At any rate, this photo appears to be an excellent example of what Sark has said was a very good quarterback room. To me, if a picture is worth a thousand words, then this photo spoke volumes about the culture of the 2023 Texas Longhorn football team … at least as it stands in the middle of summer.
THE WAY WE WATCH FOOTBALL IS CHANGING …
The ESPN layoffs which have been revealed over the past week hit particularly hard for football fans.
On the NFL side, ESPN let go of the excellent Suzy Kolber, Keyshawn Johnson, Matt Hasselbeck, Steve Young, Rob Ninkovich, and NFL draft guru and college football sideline reporter Todd McShay.
College Football Gameday also took a hit. David Pollock was let go as was Gene Wojciechowski.
Wojciechowski is the one I will miss the most. Very few people can credibly call themselves a storyteller, but he was one who could (not that he ever would call himself that).
His ability to craft words and elicit emotions with the stories he told was second to none. Those pieces were usually the ones I looked forward to the most on Gameday.
I’m not worried about what Wojciechowski will do next - he’s too talented to just sit on the beach. But I do question the wisdom at Disneyworld to let such a man go.
And, at the risk of being callous, I’m not sure how you can justify letting Wojciechowski go while keeping Lee Corso.
I know full well the impact Corso has had on college football. I absolutely loved his schtick and his serious analysis. But watching him struggle these past couple of years has been uncomfortable. Someone should have had the guts to have the tough talk and let Corso go.
MORE REALIGNMENT DRAMA …
The layoffs at ESPN speak to the downturn in television fortunes these days. It also does not bode well for the Pac-12 which has been looking for a new media rights deal for nearly a year now.
The rumors last week were that the framework of a deal has been presented to Pac-12 presidents with the full deal expected to be presented sometime before the Pac-12 media day July 21st.
If the rumors are true, that deal would include a “significant” linear tv package (which means a partner like ESPN or Fox that would put games on television) but it’s also expected to include a streaming partner such as Apple TV or Amazon.
The Pac-12 is likely to look to expand to replace USC and UCLA who have one year left until they mosey on over to the Big Ten. However, the university presidents won’t consider expansion until the new media rights deal is in place and a grant of rights signed.
That has put San Diego State, a rumored target of Pac-12 expansion, in a real pickle (some of which was their own doing).
San Diego State had until the end of June to notify the Mountain West Conference that it was leaving in order to “only” owe $17 million in exit fees. That number doubled to $34 million when the calendar turned to July.
Before that deadline, San Diego State sent a letter to the conference and all of the university presidents in the conference (and that part is key) notifying them that they were considering leaving.
Mountain West bylaws state that in order to leave, notification has to be sent to the conference and all of the university presidents.
Naturally, the MWC took that notification, which was done in accordance with the bylaws, as a notice that the Aztecs were, in fact, leaving the league.
SDSU said, “not so fast my friend” and said they were only considering leaving, it wasn’t an official notice. Two weeks later, SDSU sent another letter saying it had changed its mind and was perfectly happy in the MWC.
Now, the Mountain West has responded to say “too bad.” It standing by the stance that the first letter was an official notice and had begun withholding more than six million dollars in media rights money as a down payment on the exit fee.
Maybe the battle over the exit fee will drag out long enough that the Pac-12 will sign the new deal and offer SDSU a seat at the big boys table. If that happens, then San Diego will gladly just pay the $17 million and call it a day. It that doesn’t happen then we may see this go to court.
Either way - some lawyers are going to make a lot of money.
HAPPY BELATED 4TH OF JULY!
I just wanted to say that I hope all of you had a safe and happy 4th of July.
I had a fantastic evening with family and friends eating BBQ and watching fireworks. Life is good and I am truly blessed.
I also spent a little time perusing the message boards because I don’t think there has been a single day in nearly 20 years when I haven’t logged on at least once.
I can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate being a part of this weird and dysfunctional family … first as a subscriber and now on staff.
I also want to thank all of the military members and veterans who have served the country to ensure our freedom. We celebrate our Independence Day because of each and every one of you - past, present and future.
Thank you.
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