The Longhorns held their second junior day of the year on Saturday, and while it wasn't as action-packed as the event last week in terms of commitments, there was some significant news to report.
Texas extended scholarship offers to San Jose (CA.) Valley Christian RB Kirk Johnson, his brother Collin Johnson (2016), cornerback Jared Mayden (2016) and DT Kendell Jones (2016 ... Jones was offered by the previous staff but the current coaches confirmed the offer again on Saturday).
Let's dive right in to some quick-hitter updates ...
******
You'll have a hard time finding a more physically impressive looking player than Kendell Jones. In his class or any class. Only 15, Jones measured in at 6-4 1/2 and 320 pounds, and he looks like he doesn't have an ounce of fat on him.
Jones, from Killeen Shoemaker, was joined by Shoemaker coach Kevin Ellison.
"Obviously, coach Strong stood out and the coaching staff. I think the University of Texas sells itself," Ellison said. "Most of the schools that offer him, you can see there's a difference between him and a lot of people, the way he looks. They like his film and they like what they see."
Jones moved to Texas from Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina. He likes LSU but said he's keeping everything wide open at this early stage. When he does narrow his focus, expect him to zero in on schools in the area.
"He's a sophomore, so this whole process, it's let him see what he likes and go from there. He's been to quite a few schools. He's going to pretty much stay in this area, but he's been around to Baylor, A&M, places like that," coach Ellison said. "He just wants to go around, look and see. It's like a kid going to a candy store, you see what you like and you'll make a pick some day."
Arkansas and OU have also been trying to get Jones on campus but those visits are unlikely to happen. Coach Ellison on Jones' skill set ...
"He's a work in progress. He's learning. Any time a coach gets a chance to teach and kids are learning and progressing, that's the dream. That's what you coach for. Kids like that don't come around very often," Ellison said.
******
Texas did not extend an offer to Rivals250 OL Conner Dyer but the coaches told Dyers they'll continue to evaluate him. Dyer said the lack of offer was a bit disappointing but he didn't seem too worked up about it.
Dyer on Joe Wickline ...
"He's just very personal and real. He doesn't sugar coat a whole bunch, he's just straight to the point. I like that."
Dyer will be visiting Texas Tech in the near future and will hit LSU sometime over spring break. He admitted he does have one school standing out but chose to keep that news to himself. He'll be narrowing his list down during the summer to three or four schools.
******
Texas extended offers to brothers Collin Johnson (2016 WR), sons of former Longhorn great Johnnie Johnson.
Both players said they're very high on Texas, but they're choosing to keep an open mind.
"I have to keep my options open. Once I commit, it's final," said Kirk Johnson, who measured in at over 6-4. "I want to be known as a man of my word. I like it a lot, but so far I'm going to keep my options open."
"I've wanted to go to this school since I was young," said Collin Johnson. "There are so many other schools out there but this is a great school."
******
2016 Sachse DB Jared Mayden picked up an offer at the end of the day, and he was thrilled to get the news from the Texas staff.
"It feels really good. It feels great that my hard work is paying off," Mayden said.
Mayden measured in at 6-0, 186. Interestingly, he has one other offer right now from Bryant University (Rhode Island) ... can't fault Bryant University for trying.
"Texas is definitely up there. Even out of all the D-I schools that could possibly offer me, Texas is definitely up there," Mayden said.
******
Dallas Prime Prep Academy WR James Proche was told the coaches would utilize him in a role similar to Daje Johnson.
The coaches told him they'll continue to evaluate him this spring and Proche thinks there's a good chance he picks up an offer.
******
Copperas Cove DE Tyrell Thompson is a player that's been on UT's radar for a while ...
"I'm still in the evaluation stage. When I was here before with coach Giles and all them, I was really up there. Now I have to work my way back but I'm not upset about that," Thompson said.
UT told Thompson they'll continue to evaluate him this spring. If Texas was to offer, Thompson said he'd commit on the spot.
******
DE/DT Kingsley Keke was told the coaches will continue to evaluate him this spring, although Keke is hoping an offer could come soon.
"They want me to come back in the spring and to call them next week. Hopefully they'll offer me," Keke said.
Texas is recruiting Keke as a defensive tackle. Keke is planning to visit Oklahoma State on April 5 and possibly OU on March 30.
If Texas was to offer?
"I know it's a great school. If they offered me, anything could happen. I would love to come here no matter what though. I've always loved Texas," Keke said.
******
Rivals100 DT Darrion Daniels liked UT before Saturday, but he said he likes the Longhorns more after the junior day visit.
"It was just the coaches, the way they talked to me, the way they embraced me, that's what I really liked about today," Daniels said.
On coach Strong ...
"I think he's going to flip the whole program. The record now, they're going to make it 10 times better.
"Seeing the talent that Louisville had, they had a lot of talent, but they don't have as much as Texas. Seeing what he did at Louisville, making it as big as it was, I think he'll do a lot better here."
Daniels will make a top five during his senior season and then take visits after the season. He said the only school he knows will make his top five is Oklahoma because the Sooners were his first offer.
******
South Grand Prairie WR Jaelan Austin was told the UT coaches would like him to come back for another visit in the spring and the staff will continue to evaluate him.
Austin said UT is definitely in his top five
******
Baton Rouge (La.) University Laboratory School DB Malik Antoine (2016) says he's still wide open, and he feels a UT offer could come in the future.
His thoughts on the Texas coaches ...
"Coach Strong, they're very friendly. They treat you like you're their family, something that was different than other colleges," Antoine said. "That's what really stood out to me today. I really enjoyed coach Strong and coach Vaughn."
********
UT defensive tackle commitment Bryce English made it in and it seemed to solidify his commitment some (there was talk of English taking other visits as recently as last week) ...
"Texas is Texas, different coaching staff or not. That's how it is," English said.
English did say "a lot of schools are trying to come in" so his situation is worth monitoring moving forward.
*******
Fort Bend Marshall QB J.W. Ketchum said he enjoyed meeting the new staff and he thinks things have improved around the UT program. Texas talked to him only about quarterback during Saturday's visit.
Ketchum said all schools are even on his list. A quote on the difference between the new staff and the old staff ...
"The head coach being more active. He was up close talking, getting to know people. He was more active," Ketchum said. "He's very strong-minded and about business.
"This coaching staff was way more active with the players, getting to talk to you and get to know you better. The other staff was like hello (made the motion that coach went on to the nexst person after that). They (the current coaches) are getting to know you and asking you what you're doing."
Ketchum's mom, Auntreek Rhodes, was very impressed during the visit. She mentioned specifically that she liked how much Texas talked about life after football and becoming a great man and that a degree doesn't mean you can just go out and have success. She cited the current players being there answering questions and how honest they were about what has changed under this new coaching staff.
She used words like "shocked" and that it was unlike anything else she's seen on visits thus far because of the honest, thoughtful discussions the Texas staff had with the prospects.
She also mentioned that they weren't considering Texas as strongly as some other schools before today's visit, but the visit changed that. Now, she's comfortable with her son strongly considering Texas because of what she saw today.
"Other people (recruits) need to come back and see Texas. It's different," she said. "I'm shocked at how different it was. I'm blown away. Strong and these coaches are going to turn this thing around. Get ready for them to win."
Texas extended scholarship offers to San Jose (CA.) Valley Christian RB Kirk Johnson, his brother Collin Johnson (2016), cornerback Jared Mayden (2016) and DT Kendell Jones (2016 ... Jones was offered by the previous staff but the current coaches confirmed the offer again on Saturday).
Let's dive right in to some quick-hitter updates ...
******
You'll have a hard time finding a more physically impressive looking player than Kendell Jones. In his class or any class. Only 15, Jones measured in at 6-4 1/2 and 320 pounds, and he looks like he doesn't have an ounce of fat on him.
Jones, from Killeen Shoemaker, was joined by Shoemaker coach Kevin Ellison.
"Obviously, coach Strong stood out and the coaching staff. I think the University of Texas sells itself," Ellison said. "Most of the schools that offer him, you can see there's a difference between him and a lot of people, the way he looks. They like his film and they like what they see."
Jones moved to Texas from Louisiana due to Hurricane Katrina. He likes LSU but said he's keeping everything wide open at this early stage. When he does narrow his focus, expect him to zero in on schools in the area.
"He's a sophomore, so this whole process, it's let him see what he likes and go from there. He's been to quite a few schools. He's going to pretty much stay in this area, but he's been around to Baylor, A&M, places like that," coach Ellison said. "He just wants to go around, look and see. It's like a kid going to a candy store, you see what you like and you'll make a pick some day."
Arkansas and OU have also been trying to get Jones on campus but those visits are unlikely to happen. Coach Ellison on Jones' skill set ...
"He's a work in progress. He's learning. Any time a coach gets a chance to teach and kids are learning and progressing, that's the dream. That's what you coach for. Kids like that don't come around very often," Ellison said.
******
Texas did not extend an offer to Rivals250 OL Conner Dyer but the coaches told Dyers they'll continue to evaluate him. Dyer said the lack of offer was a bit disappointing but he didn't seem too worked up about it.
Dyer on Joe Wickline ...
"He's just very personal and real. He doesn't sugar coat a whole bunch, he's just straight to the point. I like that."
Dyer will be visiting Texas Tech in the near future and will hit LSU sometime over spring break. He admitted he does have one school standing out but chose to keep that news to himself. He'll be narrowing his list down during the summer to three or four schools.
******
Texas extended offers to brothers Collin Johnson (2016 WR), sons of former Longhorn great Johnnie Johnson.
Both players said they're very high on Texas, but they're choosing to keep an open mind.
"I have to keep my options open. Once I commit, it's final," said Kirk Johnson, who measured in at over 6-4. "I want to be known as a man of my word. I like it a lot, but so far I'm going to keep my options open."
"I've wanted to go to this school since I was young," said Collin Johnson. "There are so many other schools out there but this is a great school."
******
2016 Sachse DB Jared Mayden picked up an offer at the end of the day, and he was thrilled to get the news from the Texas staff.
"It feels really good. It feels great that my hard work is paying off," Mayden said.
Mayden measured in at 6-0, 186. Interestingly, he has one other offer right now from Bryant University (Rhode Island) ... can't fault Bryant University for trying.
"Texas is definitely up there. Even out of all the D-I schools that could possibly offer me, Texas is definitely up there," Mayden said.
******
Dallas Prime Prep Academy WR James Proche was told the coaches would utilize him in a role similar to Daje Johnson.
The coaches told him they'll continue to evaluate him this spring and Proche thinks there's a good chance he picks up an offer.
******
Copperas Cove DE Tyrell Thompson is a player that's been on UT's radar for a while ...
"I'm still in the evaluation stage. When I was here before with coach Giles and all them, I was really up there. Now I have to work my way back but I'm not upset about that," Thompson said.
UT told Thompson they'll continue to evaluate him this spring. If Texas was to offer, Thompson said he'd commit on the spot.
******
DE/DT Kingsley Keke was told the coaches will continue to evaluate him this spring, although Keke is hoping an offer could come soon.
"They want me to come back in the spring and to call them next week. Hopefully they'll offer me," Keke said.
Texas is recruiting Keke as a defensive tackle. Keke is planning to visit Oklahoma State on April 5 and possibly OU on March 30.
If Texas was to offer?
"I know it's a great school. If they offered me, anything could happen. I would love to come here no matter what though. I've always loved Texas," Keke said.
******
Rivals100 DT Darrion Daniels liked UT before Saturday, but he said he likes the Longhorns more after the junior day visit.
"It was just the coaches, the way they talked to me, the way they embraced me, that's what I really liked about today," Daniels said.
On coach Strong ...
"I think he's going to flip the whole program. The record now, they're going to make it 10 times better.
"Seeing the talent that Louisville had, they had a lot of talent, but they don't have as much as Texas. Seeing what he did at Louisville, making it as big as it was, I think he'll do a lot better here."
Daniels will make a top five during his senior season and then take visits after the season. He said the only school he knows will make his top five is Oklahoma because the Sooners were his first offer.
******
South Grand Prairie WR Jaelan Austin was told the UT coaches would like him to come back for another visit in the spring and the staff will continue to evaluate him.
Austin said UT is definitely in his top five
******
Baton Rouge (La.) University Laboratory School DB Malik Antoine (2016) says he's still wide open, and he feels a UT offer could come in the future.
His thoughts on the Texas coaches ...
"Coach Strong, they're very friendly. They treat you like you're their family, something that was different than other colleges," Antoine said. "That's what really stood out to me today. I really enjoyed coach Strong and coach Vaughn."
********
UT defensive tackle commitment Bryce English made it in and it seemed to solidify his commitment some (there was talk of English taking other visits as recently as last week) ...
"Texas is Texas, different coaching staff or not. That's how it is," English said.
English did say "a lot of schools are trying to come in" so his situation is worth monitoring moving forward.
*******
Fort Bend Marshall QB J.W. Ketchum said he enjoyed meeting the new staff and he thinks things have improved around the UT program. Texas talked to him only about quarterback during Saturday's visit.
Ketchum said all schools are even on his list. A quote on the difference between the new staff and the old staff ...
"The head coach being more active. He was up close talking, getting to know people. He was more active," Ketchum said. "He's very strong-minded and about business.
"This coaching staff was way more active with the players, getting to talk to you and get to know you better. The other staff was like hello (made the motion that coach went on to the nexst person after that). They (the current coaches) are getting to know you and asking you what you're doing."
Ketchum's mom, Auntreek Rhodes, was very impressed during the visit. She mentioned specifically that she liked how much Texas talked about life after football and becoming a great man and that a degree doesn't mean you can just go out and have success. She cited the current players being there answering questions and how honest they were about what has changed under this new coaching staff.
She used words like "shocked" and that it was unlike anything else she's seen on visits thus far because of the honest, thoughtful discussions the Texas staff had with the prospects.
She also mentioned that they weren't considering Texas as strongly as some other schools before today's visit, but the visit changed that. Now, she's comfortable with her son strongly considering Texas because of what she saw today.
"Other people (recruits) need to come back and see Texas. It's different," she said. "I'm shocked at how different it was. I'm blown away. Strong and these coaches are going to turn this thing around. Get ready for them to win."
