(From Anwar)
The idea for a march to the Texas State Capitol stemmed from a team meeting on Monday.
Coaches and players met via Zoom earlier this week. There was no agenda. Longhorn coaches were determined not to run the meeting. This was not going to be a token gesture by the staff. From what I was told, the only goal was to let players talk about the murder of George Floyd, and share their thoughts. No filters. No censorship. Just raw emotions.
Everyone inside the building was prepared for what was about to occur. Players were talking to each other in group texts as they watched nationwide protests. Coaches were sharing thoughts with each other throughout the weekend. They were also exchanging videos, quotes, and memes, as the subject matter resonated with so many members for Texas football coach Tom Herman’s staff.
Once the call started, there was a non-stop conversation for three-and-a-half hours.
Yes, they spoke for three-and-a-half hours.
From what I was told, there was a wide range of emotion.
Some players voiced anger over the murder of George Floyd. Others were sad. Several players shared the negative encounters they had with police officers during their lifetime. Others were simply sad and emotional. There were a lot of topics discussed, and nobody held back, according to my sources.
After several hours, the conversation shifted to action. Players began contemplating what actions they could take to send a message. They wanted to use their platform to bring awareness to a topic that was affecting their daily lives.
That is when they began discussing having a march.
“A locker room brings a lot of people close. Every race. It doesn’t matter what color you are,” Texas defensive back Josh Thompson said on Thursday. “Everyone is going to have love for each other. We feel like we have the power for that. Each of us has millions and millions of followers combined. We just wanted to voice our opinion about what’s going on in today’s time, and actually not just talk about, like we said in the team meeting, be about it. We ended the meeting with that because we were doing a lot of talking. Back-and-forth arguing with each other. No arguing, but voicing what’s on our mind.
“I forgot who it was, but he said let’s just not talk about it, but be about it. We all got a group message together. Who wants to come out? We took that to a level we needed to. It was about what can we do? Who do we need to talk to? We know we have the power to do so. We’re all athletes. We have good, quality, connections with a lot of people. We just wanted to use that to our advantage and come forward today. It doesn’t matter what color you are on this team, we’re all tired of it. We’re all brothers at the end of the day.”
I began hearing about the possibility of a march earlier this week. Everyone inside the building was on board with the players marching. However, the staff decided to add a few things to the plans.
The biggest concern inside the building was player safety. Nobody wanted players to have their march disrupted by troublemakers, and put these guys in a bad situation. Everyone was aware of the violence occurring during recent protests that were originally supposed to be peaceful. The last thing they wanted was an athlete hurt. They also wanted to avoid negative headlines.
One of the first steps from the staff was to contact the Austin Police Department and ask for help. Herman and his staff wanted their players to march with a police escort to avoid any problems from outsiders. They chose to march during daylight hours to make the situation safer for players.
In addition, the staff requested members of APD to participate in this march and interact with Longhorn players on Thursday. The thought process behind it was there are players on the team who have never been able to ask police officers questions and learn more about their job. Some have only interacted with police officers during a negative encounter – speeding ticket or otherwise – and not in a comfortable setting. Everyone hoped this situation could break down some walls between African-Americans and police officers.
I do not want to be a prisoner of the moment, but I witnessed several positive interactions between both sides.
It began when APD’s Jeremy Bohannon addressed the Longhorns before the march. For full disclosure, Bohannon and I are friends. I coached my son’s YMCA basketball team two years ago. As I was walking out of the Y, I noticed Bohannon walking in wearing an Austin PAL T-shirt. As many of you know, I am a huge boxing fan, which prompted me to stop him and ask about the local organization. That is how our friendship began, but I had no clue Bohannon was attending the march, or intended to speak.
Bohannon’s speech was very emotional and moving. He was honest and transparent. There was passion and pain in his voice. Bohannon apologized for not speaking up in the past, but vowed to change that going forward. There was a ton of sincerity in his voice. It was the message those players needed to hear.
During the march, I witnessed players and officers talking to each other. Out of the respect, I did not listen to those personal conversations. However, I heard one officer tell a player “That is not correct, and let me tell you the truth …” during the march. I also saw officers interacting with staff members. Heck, one player asked an officer to ride his bike, and enjoyed himself for several minutes. On the surface, it was a little thing, but the goal of positive interactions with police officers was being achieved.
One important planning aspect of the march was keeping it under wraps.
Players did not promote the march on social media. Nobody wanted to inform the public of the march and give troublemakers enough time to plan a disruption.
In addition, the media was not notified of the march. There was not a press release issued. This was not going to be a photo opportunity. The last thing they wanted was for the march to lose its meaning by doing something for the cameras. This was for the players.
When I learned about the march earlier this week, the discussion surrounding player safety lasted 10 second because it was a no-brainer. That is why I waited until the march began to start a live a broadcast. It gave outsiders less of chance to ruin something the players planned.
Once the group arrived at the capitol, Kevin Washington (director of player development) was the first to speak. Texas safety Caden Sterns shared his heart, and several players hugged him as he cried. Players, staff members and police officers took a knee for nine minutes (the amount of time Derek Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck). Washington ended the march with a prayer, and everyone walked back to campus.
I asked Herman for an interview, and he declined. Herman told me today was not about him, but his players. He did not want any attention. The only reason Herman spoke at the capitol was because he was put on the spot by Washington. Herman was initially hesitant, but said a few words before turning the floor back over to Washington.
“I think everybody is hurt,” Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger added. “As a family, we’re hurt together, and it’s important for everybody on this team to know that every single person has each other’s back. We’re not going to stop until there’s change. I can speak for myself, but I’ve got my teammates’ back through whatever. And that will never change.”
I will have more in The Sunday Pulpit.
******
(From Suchomel)
It’s been a fairly slow week in terms of actual recruiting news, aside from the announcements from JD Coffey and Ishmael Ibraheem that they’ll be announcing their decisions on June 15. I did check with a couple local sources this week to get the pulse on they feel Texas fits in with some of the Longhorns’ key in-state targets. We’ll check on some of the Horns’ out-of-state offers next week. Let’s go position by position …
QUARTERBACK
Commitments (1); Needs (0)
Jalen Milroe – Committed – Milroe was an early commitment for Texas and it looks like he’ll be the only quarterback taken in this class after some early flirtations with guys like Garrett Nussmeier (LSU commitment) and Sawyer Robertson (Mississippi State commitment). Other schools continue to recruit Milroe, including Alabama and Miami, so Texas will have to do a good job of keeping Milroe content, but the Rivals100 member has given no indication that he’s interested in those other overtures.
RUNNING BACK
Commitments (1); Needs (1)
Jonathon Brooks – Committed – The Hallettsville product was one of the least surprising commitments of the class when he announced his decision in May. Stan Drayton did a good job of identifying Brooks early and making him a priority target. Once that happened, no other schools really had a chance. Brooks isn’t the most highly-ranked back on Texas’ board, but there’s a feeling by some in Austin that the Longhorns may have found a real hidden gem here.
Camar Wheaton – A source close to Wheaton told me last week that the five-star back had begun to cut down his list internally, but he hadn’t even told those around him which schools were still in the mix. In talking to a source in Austin this week, Texas has every reason to believe it’s very much still in the mix in this one and there’s some cautious optimism that the Longhorns will be major factors in the long run. I’m told Stan Drayton has done a really good job in this one in showing Wheaton that he could be a very good mentor should Wheaton wind up in Austin. Oklahoma is still a major threat, although Texas hiring Jay Boulware (who was recruiting Wheaton while at OU) should only help Texas. Wheaton doesn’t really show his cards, even to those recruiting him, but I’m told Texas feels it’s in a very competitive position right now.
LJ Johnson – There’s a lot of A&M buzz with Johnson but I’ve never heard that directly from him, and one person I spoke with this week said Johnson continues to give Texas every reason to believe they’re very much in the race. Whether or not the confidence coming out of College Station is legit or misguided confidence on their part is tough to decipher, but I was told by a source this week that Johnson has been very receptive to Texas’ contact and recruiting efforts.
WIDE RECEIVER
Commitments (1); Needs (2 or 3)
Ketron Jackson – The Royse City talent just released a top 7 that included Texas, and I’ve heard through the grapevine that there’s confidence on the UT side of things about where Texas stands in the long run. Jackson has openly admitted he grew up a fan of the Longhorns, so that has to weigh in UT’s favor. Arkansas, which got a visit from him just before COVID-19 hit, is going to be a factor in this one TCU is another team to watch closely.
Theodore Knox – He’s been a tough one for me to crack in terms of getting him to open up so I don’t have a great feel on what he’s thinking, but Knox has hinted that he could be close to a decision and the recent buzz has been centered on Mississippi State. Texas recently made Knox’s top seven, but it feels like there’s work to be done in this one.
JJ Henry – Texas recently put an offer on the table for the incredibly productive Henry, which could certainly shake things up. But it’s probably a bit too early to proclaim any huge shift based on that offer since Henry wants to take some visits before making any sort of commitment. If Texas continues to push and can eventually get him on campus, which seems like a strong possibility, the Horns’ chances will increase quite a bit.
JoJo Earle – Earle is committed to LSU, but Texas is going to continue to push here and I’m told there’s some confidence the Longhorns could eventually shake things up a bit, especially since Earle committed to LSU without ever having taken a visit. If Texas can chip away and get him back on campus in the fall, this one could get interesting.
TIGHT END
Commitments (1); Needs (1)
Juan Davis – Committed – The jumbo athlete gave Texas a very early pledge and has never looked back. Another good early evaluation by the UT staff, Davis has seen other schools like Texas A&M come in with offers of late but he’s locked in.
Landen King – When King decommitted less than a month after giving UT a pledge, that left a hole in this class that may be tough to fill if Texas does want to take two tight ends. King could always return to the fold, but that seems highly unlikely. There’s been a lot of confidence coming out of Auburn since the minute he decommitted and that’s the likely landing spot based on everything I’ve heard.
Dametrious Crownover – Crownover doesn’t say much but Texas did make his top 11 last month. That being said, his brother is at A&M so all signs point to Crownover winding up in College Station.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Commitments (1); Needs (3 or 4)
Hayden Conner – Committed – Conner’s locked in and is one of the key names on UT’s commitment list. With the way offensive line recruiting has been so up and down, getting him on board early was a huge development for Herb Hand.
Tommy Brockermeyer – Nothing really new to report here, but my gut tells me the longer their recruitment goes on and the longer visits are shut down, it’s working in UT’s favor. Texas is obviously making Tommy and brother James a huge priority, including regular meetings with Herb Hand and the rest of the staff. You all know the story here … Texas has a ton to offer and a ton of history with the family, but the lure of a program like Alabama is very appealing as well.
James Brockermeyer – He recently cut his list to four (Texas, Alabama, LSU and Auburn). Like Tommy, I think James is genuinely undecided as of now. If Texas can convince him the program is heading in the right direction and if he doesn’t get too caught up in the lure of playing in the SEC, it should be enough to swing things UT’s way. But those are some big “ifs.”
Savion Byrd – Texas continues to make Byrd a priority in its efforts, but the intel on Byrd is all over the map. SMU sources think they’re in the lead. An Austin-source told me this week he wouldn’t be surprised if Byrd had given some behind-the-scenes declaration to the SMU staff that he wanted to go there (wouldn’t shock me at all), but there’s some thought that Byrd will wind up at a Power 5 school when it’s all said and done. If that’s true, it’ll likely come down to Texas, OU or LSU.
Bryce Foster – Not much new to report here, although I heard through the grapevine this week that at least one person in Austin feels UT’s biggest competition is A&M. Interesting, because most of the buzz I heard from a couple different sources just prior to COVID-19 hitting was that Oklahoma had surged into the lead. This one has seemed to stabilize a bit as things have gone quiet of late … as I’ve said before, Foster strikes me as a guy who is completely undecided and likely won’t have a clear answer until he takes his official visits.
Erick Cade – He doesn’t get a lot of mention (mostly because he doesn’t do a lot of interviews) but when I spoke to him last week, he mentioned that he’s still in contact with Herb Hand. It did sound like a few other schools were ahead of the pack though and Texas would have to close that gap to have a chance. Alabama, LSU and Arizona State were the schools he mentioned first.
DEFENSIVE LINE
Commitments (2); Needs (2 or 3)
Jordon Thomas – Committed – A big head-to-head win over Texas A&M, Thomas joins presumed DL Ja’Tavion Sanders to give Texas a heck of a one-two punch to start things off along the defensive line.
Ja'Tavion Sanders – Committed – It’s hard to believe he’s been committed for 9 months. It’s been so long, people sometimes forget just what type of talent Texas has in place with him and Billy Bowman. Sanders has stayed rock solid with his pledge and there’s no reason to think things are going to change, which is key because he’s a guy the Longhorns need in this class.
Shemar Turner – One of the top targets left on the board, the competition for Turner is going to be tough. I’m told those on the 40 Acres like their position, but they understand they have to overcome some of the SEC hoopla in terms of development and the NFL Draft. Also, a source indicated Tom Herman has some connections with the family in this one that should help Texas in the long run.
Marcus Burris – Barring a complete turnaround, this one’s pretty much done. In fact, I’m a little surprised he hasn’t pulled the trigger on his OU commitment yet.
Ikechukwu Iwunnah – A recent offer, Iwunnah is keeping an open mind since he’s really been unable to go see any campuses. That being said, his UT offer meant a lot to him and he said he sees a lot of benefits to staying close to home. He wants to be patient with the process but if Texas continues to push, there’s a good chance he winds up in the class.
Jonathan Jones – He’s a lot like Iwunnah in that he’s a recent offer and his Texas offer, Texas seems to be the best one on his list and he was thrilled in describing the emotions of getting the UT offer. But, he also wants to take his time and doesn’t want to rush into a decision.
Landon Jackson – He made a bit of a surprise commitment to LSU and while there’s some thought that Jackson could be a guy Texas could get back in with at some point, that seems unlikely to me based on my prior conversations with Jackson.
LINEBACKER
Commits (2); Needs (1 or 2)
Derrick Harris – Committed – One of the Horns’ early commitments in this class, Harris chose Texas over Texas A&M and he’s never looked back.
Morice Blackwell – Committed – One of the more underrated players in this class from what my eyes see, this was a nice grab by new LB coach Coleman Hutzler.
Terrence Cooks – He released a top 12 recently and Texas made the cut, as expected. I’ve had Cooks pegged for this class for a while and I haven’t heard anything to change my opinion, especially after he told me the last time we talked how much his mom likes UT and they’re in contact with the UT staff pretty much every single day.
Clayton Smith – Here’s a guy who many (myself included) thought Texas might be in the lead for, and if not UT the team to beat was probably LSU. Turns out, Smith had been in love with OU all along and gave the Sooners a commitment. Based on his post-commit comments to Rivals, he seems like he’ll be tough to flip.
DEFENSIVE BACK
Commits (1); Needs (4)
Billy Bowman – I’ve got Bowman listed as a DB, but he’s a guy who could still play on offense at the next level. Pound-for-pound, he ranks right up there with any player in the state and that’s saying something because there’s so much top-shelf talent in the state this year.
Ishmael Ibraheem – The top corner on UT’s board and the top corner in the state, Ibraheem is set to announce his decision on June 15. Anything other than Texas will be a huge shock.
Deuce Harmon – Aside from Ibraheem, he’s the only in-state corner Texas had as a clear take. Harmon committed to Texas A&M but did tell me he still wants to take his official visits, and sources have indicated that Texas will continue to recruit him. If that one doesn’t work out, look for Texas to go out of state in its pursuit of a second corner in this class.
JD Coffey – He’s in the same boat as Ibraheem in that he’ll decide on June 15 and Texas looks very, very good here.
Andrew Mukuba – The next guy on the board behind Coffey, Mukuba’s a local product who really likes Texas, but there’s been a lot of Clemson buzz of late. When I talked to him a few weeks ago, Mukuba said he wanted to be committed before his senior season which could help UT’s chances since he can just pop down to campus to walk around any time. He’s also close with Coffey and Ibraheem, so Texas could get some juice in this one in a couple weeks if things go as planned. Guys like Jonathon Brooks and Billy Bowman have reached out as well.
Devin Lemear – A new offer, Lemear seem very intrigued by the UT offer but when I talked to him this week, he said he’s in no hurry to make a decision. He’ll be a guy to watch closely, especially if Mukuba winds up elsewhere. If Texas pushes here, I like UT’s chances against schools like Baylor, Texas Tech and a few others.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Commits (1), Needs (0)
Isaac Pearson – Committed – In maybe the biggest surprise moment of the class, Texas picked up yet another Aussie punter and this dude couldn’t be more thrilled with the opportunity in front of him.
******
(From McComas)
On Wednesday evening, Texas Athletics Director Chris Del Conte spoke to members of The Headliners Club in Austin, via Zoom. A few notes from that conversation:
Del Conte went into a little detail about a recent three-hour football team meeting. He described UT staff and student-athletes as hurting. As he’s often done, Del Conte mentioned his job is to listen and serve. Sounds like he and his staff are really encouraging everyone to make their voices heard, and without disclosing too many details, it sounded like a very productive, emotional meeting.
As for the football season, Del Conte reiterated he is 100% expecting fans to be in attendance at Texas games this fall. How many fans? The UT AD wants to have that decision made by August 1 and is giving it as much time as he can to gather as much information before a formal decision.
Currently, Texas is coming up with or already plans for 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%. Earlier today, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced professional and college teams can operate at 50% fan capacity. Who knows what is allowed two months from now when Del Conte aims to make a decision? But he again made it clear he expects a football season with fans.
When asked about the schedule length, Del Conte stated Texas is planning for its full 12-game regular season schedule. While he’s completely convinced there will be a college football season with fans, he was asked about the status of the athletic department if there wasn’t a football season. He said it would be devastating to the department because of the huge financial losses for an athletic department that is self-sufficient.
Along those lines, one source made a good point to me in a conversation about football season’s return. As he put it, new UT Interim President Jay Hartzell is very much a supporter of UT athletics, and it’s an especially important time for everyone to be on the same page and unified about bringing student-athletes back on campus and working towards an eventual season.
It might seem like a given, but that’s not the case at all major universities, Michigan has made headlines recently, where there could be some internal divide amongst the athletic department and university’s top decision-makers as everyone tries to navigate these difficult times. Texas isn’t experiencing any of that type of divide or internal turmoil. As the same source said, if there was a divide at a place like UT right now with the athletic department and president butting heads, it would create major issues and significantly hinder an already complicated process.
