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Forget the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys or anyone else preparing for their draft, it is Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian who is now on the clock.
Sark put himself on the clock when he decided to move on from Terrance Brooks, the cornerback who started 13 games last season.
Moving on from Brooks isn’t exactly going to send me into fits of tears. I have been on the record all last season saying that it seemed like every time we saw a Longhorn get seriously burned in the secondary last season, it was number eight in hot pursuit. We saw it again last weekend.
But despite those coverage burns, Brooks was still a starter for 13 games on a team that went to the College Football Playoffs (before it expanded to 12 teams) and was tied for the team lead with three interceptions. So now he’s not good enough to even don a jersey?
Take a look at the latest scholarship board (which is now out of date following the departure of Austin Jordan on Wednesday) and you’ll see that the cornerback room isn’t exactly overflowing with depth.
As of now, Texas is moving ahead with:
Gavin Holmes – Sr.
Manny Muhammad – So.
Warren Robinson – Rs. Fr.
Santana Wilson – Fr.
Wardell Mack – Fr.
Kobe Black – Fr.
That’s one upper-classman, one sophomore and four freshmen. (Note: I’m not listing Guilbeau or Barron because they’re more of the Star or Nickel position as opposed to cornerbacks.)
The decision to move on from Brooks means the CB position NOT defensive tackle, is the position most in need of an upgrade via the transfer portal.
In other words … Steve Sarkisian is on the clock.
WANTED – PASS DEFENSE HELP:
Texas’ pass defense deficiencies have been well documented. The Horns finished 116th (out of 133) in pass defense last season. It’s not hard to imagine another national championship trophy in the case if they had even a serviceable pass defense last season.
Of course, the team’s failures aren’t all on the cornerbacks. The safeties certainly had their fair share of mistakes last season. There was also the lack of a pass rush which gave opposing quarterbacks plenty of time to find open guys.
Sark is confident that pass rush won’t be a problem this season with the addition of Trey Moore from UTSA, Colin Simmons from Duncanville and the continued development of Barryn Sorrell and Ethan Burke (to say nothing of the flashes we saw from Colton Vasek last week).
"Our edge pass rush is real," Sarkisian after the spring game. "We've really tried to address that position, and I think it's paying off for us and will pay off for us in the fall."
The safety room should be much improved as well with the addition of Andrew Mukuba from Clemson and another season of learning from sophomore Derek Williams (not to slight Michael Taafe who will get plenty of playing time as well).
The Star (or nickel back) is loaded with talent with Jahdae Barron back (he was nothing short of a star last season) and Jaylon Guilbeau reportedly looking like he did before injuries.
That leaves … cornerback as the position with the weight of the world on its shoulders to prove it is better than the 116th best pass defense in the country.
Manny Muhammad looks like a future star and has one of the starting positions on lockdown. After that, the Horns need to go shopping.
Gavin Holmes looks, at least to me, to be on par or even slightly behind Brooks so I’m not sure he’s going to be called upon to be a 13-, 14- or 15-game starter next year. Maybe you get something from one of the true freshmen? Lord knows there is real talent there with Kobe Black already on campus. And, like Geoff Ketchum, I absolutely love me some Santana Wilson. It’s possible he comes in this summer and just puts everyone on notice that he’s the starter … but the odds say that’s not likely.
So what are the options? These are the top cornerbacks in the transfer portal as of now. For the record, the window closes on April 30th so time is running out for new names to enter.
TRANSFER PORTAL OPTIONS:
Tacario Davis, CB, Arizona
This is one of the strangest situations we’ve seen in the portal era. Davis entered his name in the portal in late January after Wildcats head coach Jedd Fisch left to take over Washington. However, Davis never transferred and has spent the offseason working out with the Wildcats. He said he wanted to stick around to see how it goes with the new coaching staff.
Arizona plays its spring game this Saturday so we should know shortly after that whether he is going to stay in the portal and transfer somewhere else or if he’s going to stay in Tucson.
Should he decide to transfer, the Longhorns will be a player in his recruitment. Not only do they have a very open depth chart (as laid out above), but they also have an in. Texas linebackers coach Johnny Nansen was the defensive coordinator at UA last year before leaving to come to Texas this winter. Technically, Nansen is also the co-defensive coordinator with Pete Kwiatkowski, but it’s PK’s defense.
That familiarity should pay off if David decides to look around.
Davis would be an immediate upgrade. The 6-4 junior started one season for Arizona and won all-Pac-12 honors by leading the conference with 15 pass breakups. The Athletic has him ranked as the third best player in the portal right now (just behind defensive tackle Damonic Williams – who just wrapped up an official visit to Texas).
Dyoni Hill – CB – Marshall
I don’t believe the Horns have reached out to Hill yet, but they should probably take a look at him (and do so quickly).
The junior cornerback may be coming out of a small school, but he can play. The 6-0, 172-pounder from Gainesville, FL was a track star in high school for Gainesville High (but I won’t hold that against him … Go Buchholz!).
Hill has already visited Indiana and Cincinnati and will be in Miami this weekend. Incidentally, his former defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach at Marshall both coach at The U now). He also has visits scheduled for West Virginia and Missouri.
Cormani McClain – CB – Colorado
There is no doubting that McClain is a talented DB. He was a five-star coming out of high school for a reason.
Now I’m on record as questioning whether he would be a cultural fit with Texas after Coach Prime called out his work habits as a reason he wasn’t playing more last season. (And I know that merely mentioning Prime’s name triggers some of you, but no matter what you think of him, Deion Sanders was never a slacker and I don’t think he tolerates it in his players now.)
Still, you have to hand it to McClain, after being publicly called out by his coach, he came on enough to earn four starts towards the end of the season and finished the year with 13 tackles and two pass breakups.
It should be noted that I am also on record as saying 18-year-olds are, by definition, usually dumbasses and I don’t hold it against them when it takes them a while to figure things out. Lord knows, it certainly took me a year or two before things started to click (and my wife would question whether it ever did click in for me).
Still, it is noteworthy that this five-star talent is looking more at schools like UCF, South Florida and Memphis.
Anthony Johnson Jr. – CB – Western Kentucky
Johnson was the defensive MVP in Western Kentucky’s bowl win over Old Dominion after totaling eight tackles and an interception. He’s now in the portal and looking to upgrade.
The 5-10, 180-pound senior was Pro Football Focus’ fourth highest-graded cornerback last year so he’s got some skills.
However, the fact that he’s a senior may hurt him when it comes to transferring to Texas. UT has rules about students only being allowed to transfer a certain number of credits so that they complete more schoolwork in Austin before getting a UT diploma. It’s part of the reason why Silas Bolden is still in Corvallis, Oregon right now … he’s finishing his degree in order to transfer as a graduate student.
Micah Bell – CB – Notre Dame
The fact that Bell is even in the portal is somewhat of a surprise. The sophomore was competing for playing time at either CB or Nickel for the Golden Domers.
Bell is also a Houston native so that always helps when it comes to Texas recruiting portal players. The chance to come home and play in front of Mom & Pops week in and week out has to be enticing.
He’s not the biggest guy at only 5-10 and 162 pounds, but he is fast. He ran a 10.41 100-meter and 20.89 200-meter in high school. He also posted a 24.5-foot long jump.
The question has to be, is Bell ready to assume a starting role at a premiere program like Texas? If the answer is, not yet, then what are we doing here?
That’s it folks. That’s all of the potential cornerback names I could find that Texas MAY try to go after.
Will Texas be able to find someone actually better than Brooks to replace him? Unless that answer is Tacario Davis, then I’m not sure they will. But of course, Sark certainly knows much more about the situation than I do so I will defer to him.
2024 NFL MOCK DRAFT
This is my third year doing a mock draft as part of this column. I preface this every year … this is not based on conversations with scouts and GMs. This is not even close to how the draft will actually play out ... I leave the real draft prognostications to guys like @Alex Dunlap and @CodyCarpentier . This is just something I do because it is fun to play along as the draft unfolds.
1) Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams – QB – USC
Caleb Williams to the Bears is the obvious no-brainer. Has Williams started shopping for homes yet? Williams had a “down” year last year but he was still phenomenal. Was it his fault that the Trojans had a horrible offensive line and an even worse defense? Take away the three pick game against Notre Dame and he might have still been in the running for the Heisman trophy.
2) Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels – QB – LSU
As it was … Jayden Daniels won the Heisman and now he’ll go number two overall in the NFL Draft. Daniels’ dominance last season was incredible. He showed out with an accurate arm and great legs. But he takes way too many hits when he runs the ball which has me wondering … is this RG3 part deux? I think it may be, especially after reading notes like this.
3) New England Patriots: Drake Maye – QB – UNC
I am seriously tempted to have the Patriots trade down from this pick. I think they may be interested in doing so. But at the end of the day, they need a quarterback in the worst way and when you have the chance to draft one that you think can be a franchise QB, you take it. Is Maye capable of being a franchise quarterback? Absolutely. He has shown tremendous ability during his shortened time playing for Mack Brown. But last season was also a down year with some puzzling throws so the question marks remain.
4) Minnesota Vikings: (TRADE WITH ARIZONA CARDINALS): J.J. McCarthy – QB – Michigan
The Vikings are desperate and they are going to do whatever they can to make sure they get one of the top four QBs. While the Vikings will end up with the last of the top four, I think they may end up with the most successful of the four. McCarthy was never asked to do much in Jim Harbaugh’s 1950s offense, but that doesn’t mean he can’t air it out. Put him in an offense with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockensen … led by Kevin O’Connell … and you’ve got a recipe for success.
5) Los Angeles Chargers: Marvin Harrison Jr. – WR – Ohio State
In this scenario, the happiest person in all of Orangebloods’ land will be none other than @AaronLittleOB (who is the only Chargers fan I know). I do think Harbaugh would love to trade down and stack up linemen on both sides of the ball, but the need at wide receiver is too great to pass up on the best non-QB in the draft. Yes, Harbaugh wants to run the ball but even he knows he needs to give Justin Herbert some weapons as well.
6) New York Giants: Malik Nabers – WR – LSU
The second of the top three wide receivers goes off the board. The Giants are going to give Daniel Jones one more year to prove himself and they’re going to try to give him the weapons he needs to succeed. Nabers is explosive in the pass game and that’s a trait we haven’t seen at the Meadowlands in a long while.
7) Tennessee Titans: Joe Alt – OT – Notre Dame
This is one of the most mocked picks out there. The Titans are in desperate need of offensive line help and they get the top lineman in what is a very deep tackle class. No brainer. The only thing that may throw a wrench in this plan is if Harbaugh takes Alt with pick five.
8) Arizona Cardinals (TRADING THE 11TH PICK GAINED IN THE TRADE WITH MINNESOTA): Rome Odunze – WR - Washington
This is Arizona General Manager Monti Ossenfort’s dream scenario. He gets to wheel and deal and still come away with one of the top three wide receivers.
The little guy with a big head in Arizona needs receiver help in the worst way and now he gets it. I’m not sure if Odunze has the same elite skills that Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers has but there isn’t really anything he can’t do and I think Odunze is tougher than those guys. He fights for the ball and consistently wins those battles.
9) Chicago Bears: Dallas Turner – OLB/EDGE – Alabama
I do think the Bears will nab one of the top three wide receivers in order to give as much help to Williams as possible… I just don’t think any of those players will be available at pick nine. That’s ok, Chicago also needs a lot of help on defense. I wasn’t blown away by Dallas Turner this season but he is still very good and he will help a porous Bears defense.
10) New York Jets: Brock Bowers – TE – Georgia
The Jets are in win-now mode before Aaron Rodgers spins off into whatever universe he occupies when he’s not on the football field. Bowers is a weapon through and through. He can stretch defenses in unique ways. He is headed to a Hall of Fame career as long as he can stay healthy.
11) Atlanta Falcons (VIA TRADE WITH ARZONA): Byron Murphy II – DT – Texas
The first real curve ball of my mock draft has the Falcons taking a Longhorn in the first round for the second year in a row. Atlanta has weapons on the offensive side of the ball but new head coach Raheem Morris will want to beef up the defense. What better way to do that than to beef up the defensive tackle position? It also gives Morris, who was the defensive coordinator for the LA Rams – the heir apparent to Aaron Donald. No, I am not saying Murphy will have the same type of career that Donald had, but he is a similar size and has extreme quickness and will have a damn good NFL career.
12) Philadelphia Eagles (VIA TRADE WITH THE DENVER BRONCOS): Terrion Arnold – CB – Alabama
It turns out, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has a lot in common with Steve Sarkisian. They both love them some DeVonta Smith and they both need cornerback upgrades. Sark has the portal, Sirianni has this draft. I’m honestly going with Arnold because the Eagles have drafted a lot of Tide players in the past and Arnold is a damn good cornerback, when he’s not going up against Adonai Mitchell. But, if it were me, Quinyon Mitchell would be the top CB choice on my board.
13) Las Vegas Raiders: Michael Penix Jr. – QB – Washington
I originally had the Raiders drafting Taliese Fuaga, the offensive tackle from Oregon State. But the more I read, the more I think they may just go ahead and pull the trigger on Penix with pick 13. Is this overdrafting? Maybe. But if he ends up staying healthy, Penix has the skills to be an exceptional quarterback in the NFL. Lord knows we all know what the guy can do after watching the last two bowl games of his career.
14) New Orleans Saints: JC Latham – OT – Alabama
Latham is one of the buzziest names as draft day dawned.
And New Orleans needs offensive tackle help as much as anyone. It’s entirely possible that Latham won’t be available when the Saints pick at 14, but this is a deep OT draft so they should be able to get someone. Latham was a right tackle at Bama but he could probably play on the left side as well as inside.
15) Indianapolis Colts: Brian Thomas Jr. – WR – LSU
I was tempted to go with a defensive back for the Colts but I’m going to give them a wide receiver to pair up with young QB Anthony Richardson (whom I’m still not sold on). Thomas had a heck of a year with Daniels slinging it to him. He is big, fast and has good hands. Those are incredible traits for a receiver.
16) Seattle Seahawks: Troy Fautanu – OT – Washington
New Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb brought with him offensive line coach Scott Huff so both guys know all of the strengths (and versatility) that Fautanu brings to the table (and there is a lot). It helps that offensive line is a big need in Seattle. I may just be projecting this because it makes too much sense and things rarely work out this neatly in the real world but I hope it does.
17) Jacksonville Jaguars: Quinyon Mitchell – CB – Toledo
Mitchell has done nothing but show out ever since the draft process began. He killed it at the Senior Bowl, he killed it at the Combine. He has killed it in interviews. Oh, and he happens to have killed it on the field in real games too, he did not allow a single touchdown in pass coverage last season.
18) Cincinnati Bengals: Xavier Worthy – WR – Texas
The Bengals run defense was really bad last year which is why so many mock drafters have Byron Murphy headed to Cincy (an underrated city in my eyes). Unfortunately for them, Murphy is gone now so they’re going to look to another Longhorn to fill their needs. Ja’Marr Chase is incredible but he needs someone to play opposite of him. Tee Higgins is good but he’s been franchised tagged and has tried to force a trade. So the Bengals step in and nab the fastest player in the NFL to give Joe Burrow an explosive weapon. Oh, and Worthy’s punt return ability is added value.
Just a reminder of why he’s worthy (pun intended) of going this high.
19) Los Angeles Rams: Laiatu Latu – EDGE – UCLA
The Rams need more production coming off the edge and they land what may be the best pass rusher in the draft. Latu will only fall this far because of medical concerns. He started off at Washington where he was incredibly good but retired because of injuries. He decided to play again and transferred to UCLA where he again was very good. Every team considering him will have done their due diligence on his medicals. This projection assumes the Rams are comfortable with the risk.
20) Pittsburgh Steelers: Taliese Fuaga – OT – Oregon State
Bless their hearts, the Steelers are doing what they can to improve their offense. They signed Russell Wilson in free agency and then traded for Justin Fields. No matter who ends up starting at quarterback is going to need to be protected. Last year’s left tackle Dan Moore, Jr. allows far too much pressure to be relied upon again. Fuaga is a mean, nasty player who is really fun to watch. But the NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah is predicting a lot of teams will be trading up for the offensive tackles so there’s a good chance Fuaga is available for the Steelers at 20.
21) Miami Dolphins: Graham Barton – OL - Duke
The Dolphins have a little something going on offense but they need to make sure they keep Tua Tagovailoa healthy and upright. Barton can play either center or guard and the Dolphins could use help in both areas.
By the way, if Worthy is still available, he could very well end up in Miami playing opposite Tyreek Hill. Can you imagine the plays Mike McDaniel will be able to call if he’s got Hill on one side and Worthy on the other?
22) Denver Broncos (VIA TRADE WITH THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES): Bo Nix – QB – Oregon
Is Bo Nix really a first-round talent? Probably not. But the Broncos QB room is currently made up of Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson and Ben DiNucci. Woof! I love Nix’s accuracy and lighting quick processing. He doesn’t have a cannon for an arm but he can make the throws. Oh, and when you know where to go with the ball quickly (like he does) then you can make throws earlier and don’t need to chuck it as far down the field as others have to do. And it’s not like head coach Sean Payton doesn’t know how to utilize a quarterback who may not have the biggest arm but processes the game quickly and gets the ball out to where it is supposed to go.
23) Minnesota Vikings: Jared Verse – DE – FSU
The Vikings addressed quarterback early on and now they find a guy who knows how to get to the quarterback. Verse was incredibly productive at Albany and then he transferred to FSU. The step up in competition did little to slow him down.
24) Dallas Cowboys: Olu Fashanu – OT – Penn State
The Cowboys lost Tyron Smith in free agency and so they go after Penn State’s Olu Fashanu. Fashanu has a great pass pro set he just needs to work on his run blocking. But here’s the thing, he is just 21 years old and got started playing football late. He can get much better.
25) Green Bay Packers: Cooper DeJean – DB – Iowa
Cooper DeJean is one of my favorite players in the draft. He has the ability to play either cornerback or safety, but I think he’ll be a safety in the NFL and should be one of the best. First off, you know he’s tough. He had to be in order to play defense for Kirk Ferentz. He also has 4.4 speed which enables him to close ground and make plays. Oh, and he also happens to have elite skills as a punt returner. He’s going to be a popular player in Lambeau.
26) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Darius Robinson – DL – Missouri
The Bucs like to blitz and get to the quarterback but they could use some more talent to do that. Robinson was a first team all-SEC last year with 8.5 sacks. He has been a buzzy name in the draft process and I think he will definitely go in the first round … if not to Tampa then Detroit and Baltimore both make sense.
27) Washington Commanders (VIA TRADE WITH THE ARIZONA CARDINALS): Tyler Guyton – OT - Oklahoma
The last time the Commanders, née the Redskins, drafted an offensive tackle from OU it turned out pretty well … until it didn’t. Trent Williams was an incredible tackle but hated it in Washington so much that he sat out a year rather than play another down for the organization. But this is a new organization with a new owner, GM, head coach and team name. The Commanders are going to do what they can to protect their new QB, Jayden Daniels, so they trade back into the first round to get Guyton. By the way, all first round picks will get four year contracts and teams then get the option to extend their contract for a fifth year. That option goes away for every other round of picks. That fifth year option will be critical for Guyton who is still learning how to play the position. But the upside for this guy is Trent Williams good.
28) Buffalo Bills: Adonai Mitchell – WR – Texas
This is another one of those situations where I feel like the fit is just too perfect so it definitely should happen but probably won’t. The Bills need weapons to catch passes from Josh Allen and Mitchell is a weapon if ever I’ve seen one. His 40 time at the NFL Combine was incredible (only to be overshadowed by his own teammate who set the record).
29) Detroit Lions: Nate Wiggins – CB – Clemson
Detroit gave up nearly eight yards per pass attempt last season, second worst in the NFL. That’s an unacceptable number for an organization that feels like it can compete for the Super Bowl. Wiggins is tall with long arms which are great attributes in a corner and he’s fast too. I think their Aggie head coach will like his new DB toy.
30) Baltimore Ravens: Amarius Mims – OT – Georgia
I don’t love Mims. I think he’s too yoked up and too stiff. It’s part of the reason he has missed so much time with injuries. But he does have talent and if anyone can get the best out of him it is the Baltimore Ravens.
31) San Francisco 49ers: Kool-Aid McKinstry – DB – Alabama
Oh yeah! The 49ers have pretty two good corners already but they add another good one in McKinstry. McKinstry is smooth and fluid and you know Nick Saban coached him up well at Alabama. He will fit in nicely with the 49ers.
32) Kansas City Chiefs: Ladd McConkey – WR – Georgia
The Chiefs wide receiver needs were already great and that was before Rashee Rice went on a little joyride through the streets of Dallas. I think there is a real possibility the Chiefs could trade up to grab someone but Ladd McConkey will fit in nicely. McConkey knows how to find holes in defenses and get open. Patrick Mahomes knows how to find receivers. Match made in Heaven.
TWEETS OF INTEREST:
Just how important is Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears? They’re looking for taxpayers to pick up more than three billion dollars for a new stadium … and they just happen to be announcing their plans the day before the draft? There are no coincidences, my friends. The Bears better hope Williams is the real deal and they win a lot.
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Nobody questions Williams’ talent … but there are plenty of NFL people who are questioning what’s going on upstairs and whether he will be a successful NFL quarterback.
Bruce Feldman’s NFL confidential article is a must-read.
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For those of you questioning how high I have Xavier Worthy going in my mock draft, I will go back to Feldman’s NFL confidential article.
And again, if the Bengals don’t take Worthy, you really shouldn’t be shocked if the Miami Dolphins grab him at 21.
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The Texas athletics department is leaving the Big 12 in style.
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Texas has fallen behind Stanford in the Director's Cup race ... for now.
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Things were getting chippy at the OU spring game.
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Things have been better on the baseball front over the past week or so, but I’m still not hopeful for this season and I don’t really want to talk about it. So instead, I give you this incredible tweet about Ichiro.
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This is not the pitching coach UT has ... but it may well be the pitching coach UT needs.
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Guys … don’t go messing around with your girlfriend’s sister. In addition to being a really dick move … you never know.
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And finally … after that last tweet, it seems only appropriate to follow up with this one.
I actually meant to post this a couple of weeks ago but forgot. It’s still worth it.
YOU!
Now is your chance to sponsor the column. Our previous sponsor paid for more than three months of sponsorship fees in the first two weeks of signing up. That can be you! Contact Orangebloods' new sales lead, @CodyClearmanOB ( codyclearman@orangebloods.com ) if you want that kind of successful promotion for your business. Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity!
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Forget the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys or anyone else preparing for their draft, it is Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian who is now on the clock.
Sark put himself on the clock when he decided to move on from Terrance Brooks, the cornerback who started 13 games last season.
Moving on from Brooks isn’t exactly going to send me into fits of tears. I have been on the record all last season saying that it seemed like every time we saw a Longhorn get seriously burned in the secondary last season, it was number eight in hot pursuit. We saw it again last weekend.
But despite those coverage burns, Brooks was still a starter for 13 games on a team that went to the College Football Playoffs (before it expanded to 12 teams) and was tied for the team lead with three interceptions. So now he’s not good enough to even don a jersey?
Take a look at the latest scholarship board (which is now out of date following the departure of Austin Jordan on Wednesday) and you’ll see that the cornerback room isn’t exactly overflowing with depth.
As of now, Texas is moving ahead with:
Gavin Holmes – Sr.
Manny Muhammad – So.
Warren Robinson – Rs. Fr.
Santana Wilson – Fr.
Wardell Mack – Fr.
Kobe Black – Fr.
That’s one upper-classman, one sophomore and four freshmen. (Note: I’m not listing Guilbeau or Barron because they’re more of the Star or Nickel position as opposed to cornerbacks.)
The decision to move on from Brooks means the CB position NOT defensive tackle, is the position most in need of an upgrade via the transfer portal.
In other words … Steve Sarkisian is on the clock.
WANTED – PASS DEFENSE HELP:
Texas’ pass defense deficiencies have been well documented. The Horns finished 116th (out of 133) in pass defense last season. It’s not hard to imagine another national championship trophy in the case if they had even a serviceable pass defense last season.
Of course, the team’s failures aren’t all on the cornerbacks. The safeties certainly had their fair share of mistakes last season. There was also the lack of a pass rush which gave opposing quarterbacks plenty of time to find open guys.
Sark is confident that pass rush won’t be a problem this season with the addition of Trey Moore from UTSA, Colin Simmons from Duncanville and the continued development of Barryn Sorrell and Ethan Burke (to say nothing of the flashes we saw from Colton Vasek last week).
"Our edge pass rush is real," Sarkisian after the spring game. "We've really tried to address that position, and I think it's paying off for us and will pay off for us in the fall."
The safety room should be much improved as well with the addition of Andrew Mukuba from Clemson and another season of learning from sophomore Derek Williams (not to slight Michael Taafe who will get plenty of playing time as well).
The Star (or nickel back) is loaded with talent with Jahdae Barron back (he was nothing short of a star last season) and Jaylon Guilbeau reportedly looking like he did before injuries.
That leaves … cornerback as the position with the weight of the world on its shoulders to prove it is better than the 116th best pass defense in the country.
Manny Muhammad looks like a future star and has one of the starting positions on lockdown. After that, the Horns need to go shopping.
Gavin Holmes looks, at least to me, to be on par or even slightly behind Brooks so I’m not sure he’s going to be called upon to be a 13-, 14- or 15-game starter next year. Maybe you get something from one of the true freshmen? Lord knows there is real talent there with Kobe Black already on campus. And, like Geoff Ketchum, I absolutely love me some Santana Wilson. It’s possible he comes in this summer and just puts everyone on notice that he’s the starter … but the odds say that’s not likely.
So what are the options? These are the top cornerbacks in the transfer portal as of now. For the record, the window closes on April 30th so time is running out for new names to enter.
TRANSFER PORTAL OPTIONS:
Tacario Davis, CB, Arizona
This is one of the strangest situations we’ve seen in the portal era. Davis entered his name in the portal in late January after Wildcats head coach Jedd Fisch left to take over Washington. However, Davis never transferred and has spent the offseason working out with the Wildcats. He said he wanted to stick around to see how it goes with the new coaching staff.
Arizona plays its spring game this Saturday so we should know shortly after that whether he is going to stay in the portal and transfer somewhere else or if he’s going to stay in Tucson.
Should he decide to transfer, the Longhorns will be a player in his recruitment. Not only do they have a very open depth chart (as laid out above), but they also have an in. Texas linebackers coach Johnny Nansen was the defensive coordinator at UA last year before leaving to come to Texas this winter. Technically, Nansen is also the co-defensive coordinator with Pete Kwiatkowski, but it’s PK’s defense.
That familiarity should pay off if David decides to look around.
Davis would be an immediate upgrade. The 6-4 junior started one season for Arizona and won all-Pac-12 honors by leading the conference with 15 pass breakups. The Athletic has him ranked as the third best player in the portal right now (just behind defensive tackle Damonic Williams – who just wrapped up an official visit to Texas).
Dyoni Hill – CB – Marshall
I don’t believe the Horns have reached out to Hill yet, but they should probably take a look at him (and do so quickly).
The junior cornerback may be coming out of a small school, but he can play. The 6-0, 172-pounder from Gainesville, FL was a track star in high school for Gainesville High (but I won’t hold that against him … Go Buchholz!).
Hill has already visited Indiana and Cincinnati and will be in Miami this weekend. Incidentally, his former defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach at Marshall both coach at The U now). He also has visits scheduled for West Virginia and Missouri.
Cormani McClain – CB – Colorado
There is no doubting that McClain is a talented DB. He was a five-star coming out of high school for a reason.
Now I’m on record as questioning whether he would be a cultural fit with Texas after Coach Prime called out his work habits as a reason he wasn’t playing more last season. (And I know that merely mentioning Prime’s name triggers some of you, but no matter what you think of him, Deion Sanders was never a slacker and I don’t think he tolerates it in his players now.)
Still, you have to hand it to McClain, after being publicly called out by his coach, he came on enough to earn four starts towards the end of the season and finished the year with 13 tackles and two pass breakups.
It should be noted that I am also on record as saying 18-year-olds are, by definition, usually dumbasses and I don’t hold it against them when it takes them a while to figure things out. Lord knows, it certainly took me a year or two before things started to click (and my wife would question whether it ever did click in for me).
Still, it is noteworthy that this five-star talent is looking more at schools like UCF, South Florida and Memphis.
Anthony Johnson Jr. – CB – Western Kentucky
Johnson was the defensive MVP in Western Kentucky’s bowl win over Old Dominion after totaling eight tackles and an interception. He’s now in the portal and looking to upgrade.
The 5-10, 180-pound senior was Pro Football Focus’ fourth highest-graded cornerback last year so he’s got some skills.
However, the fact that he’s a senior may hurt him when it comes to transferring to Texas. UT has rules about students only being allowed to transfer a certain number of credits so that they complete more schoolwork in Austin before getting a UT diploma. It’s part of the reason why Silas Bolden is still in Corvallis, Oregon right now … he’s finishing his degree in order to transfer as a graduate student.
Micah Bell – CB – Notre Dame
The fact that Bell is even in the portal is somewhat of a surprise. The sophomore was competing for playing time at either CB or Nickel for the Golden Domers.
Bell is also a Houston native so that always helps when it comes to Texas recruiting portal players. The chance to come home and play in front of Mom & Pops week in and week out has to be enticing.
He’s not the biggest guy at only 5-10 and 162 pounds, but he is fast. He ran a 10.41 100-meter and 20.89 200-meter in high school. He also posted a 24.5-foot long jump.
The question has to be, is Bell ready to assume a starting role at a premiere program like Texas? If the answer is, not yet, then what are we doing here?
That’s it folks. That’s all of the potential cornerback names I could find that Texas MAY try to go after.
Will Texas be able to find someone actually better than Brooks to replace him? Unless that answer is Tacario Davis, then I’m not sure they will. But of course, Sark certainly knows much more about the situation than I do so I will defer to him.
2024 NFL MOCK DRAFT
This is my third year doing a mock draft as part of this column. I preface this every year … this is not based on conversations with scouts and GMs. This is not even close to how the draft will actually play out ... I leave the real draft prognostications to guys like @Alex Dunlap and @CodyCarpentier . This is just something I do because it is fun to play along as the draft unfolds.
1) Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams – QB – USC
Caleb Williams to the Bears is the obvious no-brainer. Has Williams started shopping for homes yet? Williams had a “down” year last year but he was still phenomenal. Was it his fault that the Trojans had a horrible offensive line and an even worse defense? Take away the three pick game against Notre Dame and he might have still been in the running for the Heisman trophy.
2) Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels – QB – LSU
As it was … Jayden Daniels won the Heisman and now he’ll go number two overall in the NFL Draft. Daniels’ dominance last season was incredible. He showed out with an accurate arm and great legs. But he takes way too many hits when he runs the ball which has me wondering … is this RG3 part deux? I think it may be, especially after reading notes like this.
3) New England Patriots: Drake Maye – QB – UNC
I am seriously tempted to have the Patriots trade down from this pick. I think they may be interested in doing so. But at the end of the day, they need a quarterback in the worst way and when you have the chance to draft one that you think can be a franchise QB, you take it. Is Maye capable of being a franchise quarterback? Absolutely. He has shown tremendous ability during his shortened time playing for Mack Brown. But last season was also a down year with some puzzling throws so the question marks remain.
4) Minnesota Vikings: (TRADE WITH ARIZONA CARDINALS): J.J. McCarthy – QB – Michigan
The Vikings are desperate and they are going to do whatever they can to make sure they get one of the top four QBs. While the Vikings will end up with the last of the top four, I think they may end up with the most successful of the four. McCarthy was never asked to do much in Jim Harbaugh’s 1950s offense, but that doesn’t mean he can’t air it out. Put him in an offense with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockensen … led by Kevin O’Connell … and you’ve got a recipe for success.
5) Los Angeles Chargers: Marvin Harrison Jr. – WR – Ohio State
In this scenario, the happiest person in all of Orangebloods’ land will be none other than @AaronLittleOB (who is the only Chargers fan I know). I do think Harbaugh would love to trade down and stack up linemen on both sides of the ball, but the need at wide receiver is too great to pass up on the best non-QB in the draft. Yes, Harbaugh wants to run the ball but even he knows he needs to give Justin Herbert some weapons as well.
6) New York Giants: Malik Nabers – WR – LSU
The second of the top three wide receivers goes off the board. The Giants are going to give Daniel Jones one more year to prove himself and they’re going to try to give him the weapons he needs to succeed. Nabers is explosive in the pass game and that’s a trait we haven’t seen at the Meadowlands in a long while.
7) Tennessee Titans: Joe Alt – OT – Notre Dame
This is one of the most mocked picks out there. The Titans are in desperate need of offensive line help and they get the top lineman in what is a very deep tackle class. No brainer. The only thing that may throw a wrench in this plan is if Harbaugh takes Alt with pick five.
8) Arizona Cardinals (TRADING THE 11TH PICK GAINED IN THE TRADE WITH MINNESOTA): Rome Odunze – WR - Washington
This is Arizona General Manager Monti Ossenfort’s dream scenario. He gets to wheel and deal and still come away with one of the top three wide receivers.
The little guy with a big head in Arizona needs receiver help in the worst way and now he gets it. I’m not sure if Odunze has the same elite skills that Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers has but there isn’t really anything he can’t do and I think Odunze is tougher than those guys. He fights for the ball and consistently wins those battles.
9) Chicago Bears: Dallas Turner – OLB/EDGE – Alabama
I do think the Bears will nab one of the top three wide receivers in order to give as much help to Williams as possible… I just don’t think any of those players will be available at pick nine. That’s ok, Chicago also needs a lot of help on defense. I wasn’t blown away by Dallas Turner this season but he is still very good and he will help a porous Bears defense.
10) New York Jets: Brock Bowers – TE – Georgia
The Jets are in win-now mode before Aaron Rodgers spins off into whatever universe he occupies when he’s not on the football field. Bowers is a weapon through and through. He can stretch defenses in unique ways. He is headed to a Hall of Fame career as long as he can stay healthy.
11) Atlanta Falcons (VIA TRADE WITH ARZONA): Byron Murphy II – DT – Texas
The first real curve ball of my mock draft has the Falcons taking a Longhorn in the first round for the second year in a row. Atlanta has weapons on the offensive side of the ball but new head coach Raheem Morris will want to beef up the defense. What better way to do that than to beef up the defensive tackle position? It also gives Morris, who was the defensive coordinator for the LA Rams – the heir apparent to Aaron Donald. No, I am not saying Murphy will have the same type of career that Donald had, but he is a similar size and has extreme quickness and will have a damn good NFL career.
12) Philadelphia Eagles (VIA TRADE WITH THE DENVER BRONCOS): Terrion Arnold – CB – Alabama
It turns out, Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has a lot in common with Steve Sarkisian. They both love them some DeVonta Smith and they both need cornerback upgrades. Sark has the portal, Sirianni has this draft. I’m honestly going with Arnold because the Eagles have drafted a lot of Tide players in the past and Arnold is a damn good cornerback, when he’s not going up against Adonai Mitchell. But, if it were me, Quinyon Mitchell would be the top CB choice on my board.
13) Las Vegas Raiders: Michael Penix Jr. – QB – Washington
I originally had the Raiders drafting Taliese Fuaga, the offensive tackle from Oregon State. But the more I read, the more I think they may just go ahead and pull the trigger on Penix with pick 13. Is this overdrafting? Maybe. But if he ends up staying healthy, Penix has the skills to be an exceptional quarterback in the NFL. Lord knows we all know what the guy can do after watching the last two bowl games of his career.
14) New Orleans Saints: JC Latham – OT – Alabama
Latham is one of the buzziest names as draft day dawned.
And New Orleans needs offensive tackle help as much as anyone. It’s entirely possible that Latham won’t be available when the Saints pick at 14, but this is a deep OT draft so they should be able to get someone. Latham was a right tackle at Bama but he could probably play on the left side as well as inside.
15) Indianapolis Colts: Brian Thomas Jr. – WR – LSU
I was tempted to go with a defensive back for the Colts but I’m going to give them a wide receiver to pair up with young QB Anthony Richardson (whom I’m still not sold on). Thomas had a heck of a year with Daniels slinging it to him. He is big, fast and has good hands. Those are incredible traits for a receiver.
16) Seattle Seahawks: Troy Fautanu – OT – Washington
New Seahawks offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb brought with him offensive line coach Scott Huff so both guys know all of the strengths (and versatility) that Fautanu brings to the table (and there is a lot). It helps that offensive line is a big need in Seattle. I may just be projecting this because it makes too much sense and things rarely work out this neatly in the real world but I hope it does.
17) Jacksonville Jaguars: Quinyon Mitchell – CB – Toledo
Mitchell has done nothing but show out ever since the draft process began. He killed it at the Senior Bowl, he killed it at the Combine. He has killed it in interviews. Oh, and he happens to have killed it on the field in real games too, he did not allow a single touchdown in pass coverage last season.
18) Cincinnati Bengals: Xavier Worthy – WR – Texas
The Bengals run defense was really bad last year which is why so many mock drafters have Byron Murphy headed to Cincy (an underrated city in my eyes). Unfortunately for them, Murphy is gone now so they’re going to look to another Longhorn to fill their needs. Ja’Marr Chase is incredible but he needs someone to play opposite of him. Tee Higgins is good but he’s been franchised tagged and has tried to force a trade. So the Bengals step in and nab the fastest player in the NFL to give Joe Burrow an explosive weapon. Oh, and Worthy’s punt return ability is added value.
Just a reminder of why he’s worthy (pun intended) of going this high.
19) Los Angeles Rams: Laiatu Latu – EDGE – UCLA
The Rams need more production coming off the edge and they land what may be the best pass rusher in the draft. Latu will only fall this far because of medical concerns. He started off at Washington where he was incredibly good but retired because of injuries. He decided to play again and transferred to UCLA where he again was very good. Every team considering him will have done their due diligence on his medicals. This projection assumes the Rams are comfortable with the risk.
20) Pittsburgh Steelers: Taliese Fuaga – OT – Oregon State
Bless their hearts, the Steelers are doing what they can to improve their offense. They signed Russell Wilson in free agency and then traded for Justin Fields. No matter who ends up starting at quarterback is going to need to be protected. Last year’s left tackle Dan Moore, Jr. allows far too much pressure to be relied upon again. Fuaga is a mean, nasty player who is really fun to watch. But the NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah is predicting a lot of teams will be trading up for the offensive tackles so there’s a good chance Fuaga is available for the Steelers at 20.
21) Miami Dolphins: Graham Barton – OL - Duke
The Dolphins have a little something going on offense but they need to make sure they keep Tua Tagovailoa healthy and upright. Barton can play either center or guard and the Dolphins could use help in both areas.
By the way, if Worthy is still available, he could very well end up in Miami playing opposite Tyreek Hill. Can you imagine the plays Mike McDaniel will be able to call if he’s got Hill on one side and Worthy on the other?
22) Denver Broncos (VIA TRADE WITH THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES): Bo Nix – QB – Oregon
Is Bo Nix really a first-round talent? Probably not. But the Broncos QB room is currently made up of Jarrett Stidham, Zach Wilson and Ben DiNucci. Woof! I love Nix’s accuracy and lighting quick processing. He doesn’t have a cannon for an arm but he can make the throws. Oh, and when you know where to go with the ball quickly (like he does) then you can make throws earlier and don’t need to chuck it as far down the field as others have to do. And it’s not like head coach Sean Payton doesn’t know how to utilize a quarterback who may not have the biggest arm but processes the game quickly and gets the ball out to where it is supposed to go.
23) Minnesota Vikings: Jared Verse – DE – FSU
The Vikings addressed quarterback early on and now they find a guy who knows how to get to the quarterback. Verse was incredibly productive at Albany and then he transferred to FSU. The step up in competition did little to slow him down.
24) Dallas Cowboys: Olu Fashanu – OT – Penn State
The Cowboys lost Tyron Smith in free agency and so they go after Penn State’s Olu Fashanu. Fashanu has a great pass pro set he just needs to work on his run blocking. But here’s the thing, he is just 21 years old and got started playing football late. He can get much better.
25) Green Bay Packers: Cooper DeJean – DB – Iowa
Cooper DeJean is one of my favorite players in the draft. He has the ability to play either cornerback or safety, but I think he’ll be a safety in the NFL and should be one of the best. First off, you know he’s tough. He had to be in order to play defense for Kirk Ferentz. He also has 4.4 speed which enables him to close ground and make plays. Oh, and he also happens to have elite skills as a punt returner. He’s going to be a popular player in Lambeau.
26) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Darius Robinson – DL – Missouri
The Bucs like to blitz and get to the quarterback but they could use some more talent to do that. Robinson was a first team all-SEC last year with 8.5 sacks. He has been a buzzy name in the draft process and I think he will definitely go in the first round … if not to Tampa then Detroit and Baltimore both make sense.
27) Washington Commanders (VIA TRADE WITH THE ARIZONA CARDINALS): Tyler Guyton – OT - Oklahoma
The last time the Commanders, née the Redskins, drafted an offensive tackle from OU it turned out pretty well … until it didn’t. Trent Williams was an incredible tackle but hated it in Washington so much that he sat out a year rather than play another down for the organization. But this is a new organization with a new owner, GM, head coach and team name. The Commanders are going to do what they can to protect their new QB, Jayden Daniels, so they trade back into the first round to get Guyton. By the way, all first round picks will get four year contracts and teams then get the option to extend their contract for a fifth year. That option goes away for every other round of picks. That fifth year option will be critical for Guyton who is still learning how to play the position. But the upside for this guy is Trent Williams good.
28) Buffalo Bills: Adonai Mitchell – WR – Texas
This is another one of those situations where I feel like the fit is just too perfect so it definitely should happen but probably won’t. The Bills need weapons to catch passes from Josh Allen and Mitchell is a weapon if ever I’ve seen one. His 40 time at the NFL Combine was incredible (only to be overshadowed by his own teammate who set the record).
29) Detroit Lions: Nate Wiggins – CB – Clemson
Detroit gave up nearly eight yards per pass attempt last season, second worst in the NFL. That’s an unacceptable number for an organization that feels like it can compete for the Super Bowl. Wiggins is tall with long arms which are great attributes in a corner and he’s fast too. I think their Aggie head coach will like his new DB toy.
30) Baltimore Ravens: Amarius Mims – OT – Georgia
I don’t love Mims. I think he’s too yoked up and too stiff. It’s part of the reason he has missed so much time with injuries. But he does have talent and if anyone can get the best out of him it is the Baltimore Ravens.
31) San Francisco 49ers: Kool-Aid McKinstry – DB – Alabama
Oh yeah! The 49ers have pretty two good corners already but they add another good one in McKinstry. McKinstry is smooth and fluid and you know Nick Saban coached him up well at Alabama. He will fit in nicely with the 49ers.
32) Kansas City Chiefs: Ladd McConkey – WR – Georgia
The Chiefs wide receiver needs were already great and that was before Rashee Rice went on a little joyride through the streets of Dallas. I think there is a real possibility the Chiefs could trade up to grab someone but Ladd McConkey will fit in nicely. McConkey knows how to find holes in defenses and get open. Patrick Mahomes knows how to find receivers. Match made in Heaven.
TWEETS OF INTEREST:
Just how important is Caleb Williams to the Chicago Bears? They’re looking for taxpayers to pick up more than three billion dollars for a new stadium … and they just happen to be announcing their plans the day before the draft? There are no coincidences, my friends. The Bears better hope Williams is the real deal and they win a lot.
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Nobody questions Williams’ talent … but there are plenty of NFL people who are questioning what’s going on upstairs and whether he will be a successful NFL quarterback.
Bruce Feldman’s NFL confidential article is a must-read.
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For those of you questioning how high I have Xavier Worthy going in my mock draft, I will go back to Feldman’s NFL confidential article.
And again, if the Bengals don’t take Worthy, you really shouldn’t be shocked if the Miami Dolphins grab him at 21.
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The Texas athletics department is leaving the Big 12 in style.
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Texas has fallen behind Stanford in the Director's Cup race ... for now.
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Things were getting chippy at the OU spring game.
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Things have been better on the baseball front over the past week or so, but I’m still not hopeful for this season and I don’t really want to talk about it. So instead, I give you this incredible tweet about Ichiro.
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This is not the pitching coach UT has ... but it may well be the pitching coach UT needs.
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Guys … don’t go messing around with your girlfriend’s sister. In addition to being a really dick move … you never know.
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And finally … after that last tweet, it seems only appropriate to follow up with this one.
I actually meant to post this a couple of weeks ago but forgot. It’s still worth it.
