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(From Anwar)
Texas football coach Tom Herman took an active role in the offensive play-calling during his team’s season-opener against Maryland.
As you might remember, Texas trailed Maryland 14-7 heading into the second quarter. The Longhorns had only 49 offensive yards and were 0-for-3 on third-down conversations. After Herman decided to take a more active role in the second quarter, Texas scored 15 points, narrowed its halftime deficit to 24-22, and compiled 225 offensive yards heading into halftime. However, Texas eventually lost in the season opener.
Texas compiled 478 offensive yards against Tulsa, followed by 394 yards against USC this past week. The Longhorns are not compiling arcade-like offensive numbers. However, everyone associated with the program believes this offense has improved each week.
In case you missed it, Texas offensive coordinator Tim Beck praised his offensive line for getting stronger each quarter as the contest against USC progressed when I asked about that unit on Wednesday.
“I think more confidence, stronger. I thought our running backs ran hard. Those were tough yards. Nothing was easy in that game. Our tight end play … you watch [Andrew] Beck block their number 45 [linebacker Porter Gustin], that was like a circle drill for four quarters. Two guys beating each other up all day long. It was bloody.”
I spoke to multiple people associated with the program this week, and I asked if Herman was still actively involved in calling plays.
The answer may or may not surprise you.
From what I was told, Herman has not relinquished his role in being “heavily” involved in the offensive play-calling.
Not only has Herman remained actively involved, I do not anticipate his role will change this season based on the conversations I had with multiple people in the know.
Now, it is important to remember that Tom Herman has gone out of his way to characterize the offensive play-calling as a collaborative effort. Herman has stopped short of taking any credit for being the primary play-caller. Instead, he says each coach on the headset is involved.
Obviously, that leads to multiple questions.
I asked multiple people associated with the program to give me a basic understanding of what Herman is saying when he talks about the involvement of everyone on the staff.
Here is how it was explained to me.
Let’s say Texas is facing third-and-2. Herman might ask Herb Hand what does he like based on what he has been seeing throughout the game. Texas could face third-and-7 and Herman could seek Beck’s input. If Texas is in the red zone, Herman might ask one off his assistants for an idea.
Since Herman leans on his offensive staff for input during each game, that is why the play-calling is described as a collaborative effort.
In my opinion, speculating about Beck’s future at Texas after this season is very premature.
Beck is viewed as one of the strongest recruiters on staff. Herman has gone out of his way to defend Beck in public. Behind closed doors, I have been told Herman is pleased with Beck’s role as his right-hand man. I think we need to see how the offense performs this season before making any assumption about Beck’s future at Texas.
As of this moment, Herman is working with Beck, and his other offensive assistants, to call plays this season.
It is very unlikely the current setup will change this season.
******
The backup quarterback remains the most popular position on most teams.
Texas offensive coordinator Tim Beck and Herman were questioned multiple times by reporters about their decision not to play Shane Buechele against USC this last week. Beck was peppered with multiple questions about his decision not to play Buechele after Wednesday’s practice, was asked about Sam Ehlinger making the wrong decision on an end-around play, and lack of fourth-quarter points this season.
I asked around about Buechele this week and the decision not to play him against USC is pretty simplistic.
--- The first thing I was told is this staff has the upmost respect for Buechele. The coaches understand and respect the sacrifice he is making for his team. Buechele is a former starter who lost his job to a younger player. Obviously, that is not the easiest pill to swallow. However, Buechele has gone above and beyond to support Ehlinger, and is very involved on game days.
Everyone associated with the program understands his sacrifice, and from what I was told, the decision not to play Buechele was made in the best interest of this program.
--- During a conversation I had this week, one person told me they did not see a scenario where Buechele, a backup, should have played. USC recovered Daniel Young’s fumble and attempted a field-goal midway through the third-quarter, when Texas had a 9-point lead against a team that scored with ease in the first-quarter. In the fourth-quarter, USC drove down to Texas’ 25-yard line with nearly three minutes remaining, and it took a sack by Charles Omenihu to end that drive. After that scoring threat, the staff chose to keep Ehlinger in the game for the game-ending drive.
--- I was also told that everyone associated with the program believes Ehlinger needs as many reps as possible until he becomes a finished product. Until Ehlinger becomes a polished quarterback with no wrinkles, they believe the sophomore needs every game rep he can get.
One person told me it is not like Ehlinger has West Virginia quarterback Will Grier’s resume. Ehlinger is still learning on the job, and they believe he needs every game rep possible until every question mark is removed.
--- This is where it gets a little interesting.
I asked one person associated with the program if there is any chance Herman does not want to burn Buechele’s potential redshirt season in case he wants to find happiness at another program after this season. Herman comes across as the big, bad, wolf, at times, but there is a layer a compassion under his tough outer shell.
If you remember, former Texas defensive back John Bonney walked into Herman’s office prior to the season and announced he was transferring to Texas Tech. As a reported in a previous War Room, Herman would have been within his right to question whether Bonney spoke to coaches at Texas Tech while still on scholarship at Texas. He had the right to limit Bonney’s choices as a grad transfer (new rule change does not occur until October). In addition, Bonney was on Herman’s leadership council and Herman could have begged the player to stay.
However, Herman decided he wanted Bonney to be happy and refused to stand in the way of his player leaving the program. In other words, you cannot put it past Herman to have a hidden motive and just not say it in a public setting.
A person close to Herman told me he does not believe that is Herman’s main motivation right now, but quickly added that he would not put it past the head coach.
From I was told, Herman has a deep respect for Buechele, and will play him if Ehlinger sustains an injury. Buechele is the No. 2 quarterback, and the only way Cameron Rising sees the field this season is if the top two passers go down.
However, I was told that Herman is going to do what is right for Texas, and he will “Do right by Buechele because he’s been awesome throughout the entire journey.”
From what I can tell, everyone associated with the program comprehends what every reader on Orangebloods understands. Buechele loves Texas and is going to put his teammates first. He will support the Longhorns and wait for an opportunity to play this season. That being said, nobody knows what the future holds, and there is a possibility a few people in the program are very sympathetic toward Buechele and will not waste his eligibility unless completely necessary.
--- While discussing Buechele this season, one person compared the situation to Denzel Okafor’s.
So far, Okafor has not played a snap this season. Okafor has not been on field goals, or worked his way into the rotation. Nobody associated with the program wants to burn a potential redshirt year for Okafor unless it is 100 percent necessary.
In addition, there have been talks behind the scenes about potentially redshirting receiver John Burt to get one more season out of him. Burt has been injured this year, and the medial staff will decide on Friday if he plays against TCU this weekend.
--- Lastly, it is important to remember that Herman said players he intended to redshirt would likely see the field later this season. If you are not seeing guys on the field right now, wait until later this year to see whether they will play. I get the feeling more Longhorns will be in the rotation later this season.
******
(From Suchomel)
Texas already has one commitment from last weekend (one and counting, if you’re paying attention to social media), and it sounds like last weekend couldn’t have gone much better with the other three official visitors.
In checking around, I heard nothing but positive reviews on how things went for five-star RB Trey Sanders, five-star athlete Bru McCoy and Rivals250 receiver Marcus Washington.
McCoy himself told OB that the visit was impressive, and his family was equally impressed. With USC being Texas’ main competition, one would think that seeing the Longhorns take care of the Trojans in convincing fashion (and sending USC to its second straight lopsided loss). Publicly, McCoy has said that one game won’t impact his decision, but he did admit this week that if USC continues to struggle and if there’s a shake-up in the USC staff, he could eliminate the local team altogether.
One source I spoke with this week said he feels Saturday’s game made a much bigger impact on McCoy than he’s letting on publicly. In fact, this person told me he thinks USC is already close to playing its way out the race. I’m not quite sure I’d go that far, but if the Trojans struggle in conference play and if Texas can build on the momentum it established last week, this one is looking about as good as UT could have hoped coming into last weekend’s visit.
As for Sanders, the nation’s top back, a big part of the challenge for Texas was to impress Sanders’ family. Texas accomplished that, from what I’m told. In fact, I heard Sanders’ dad was sporting UT gear when the family flew home following the visit.
Washington has always felt like a guy who was being undersold as far as UT’s chances, largely because he never talks so it’s hard to get a true read on what he’s thinking. Ohio State was believed to be the leader this summer, but word is that the Buckeyes are focusing elsewhere. In-state Missouri will always be in the mix but people who spent time with Washington this weekend feel like the Longhorns may be the team to beat coming out of the weekend. Having his teammate and big UT supporter Mookie Cooper on campus with Washington certainly helped. Similar to the situation with Sanders, I heard Washington was rocking UT gear on his way home from his visit.
Out-of-state recruiting can be a bit of a roller coaster ride, especially with high profile players like the guys above who want to take their visits, but Texas did everything it could have wanted to at least give the Longhorns a fighting chance for the three uncommitted official visitors. Will it pay off in the long run? We’ll see, and there are still a lot of things that could impact these decisions, but I expect Texas to be in the mix down to the final wire for all three guys.
******
Texas linebacker commitment Marcus Tillman was on campus for last weekend’s game and the Orlando Jones product) said it was everything he was hoping to experience.
“I thought everything was great, especially having a big game like USC. It was part three of the trilogy, a great atmosphere,” Tillman said. “It was probably the number one top game I’ve been to out of all my visits.
“It was great being part of a new record. 103,000 people there, that’s crazy. It was a great game, great atmosphere. The coaches did well, players did great. Thirty-four unanswered points, that’s what I like. They didn’t give up.”
Tillman said he hung out with several recruits during the game and interacted with some fans who recognized him and the other prospects. The attention and knowledge from the fans didn’t go unnoticed by Tillman.
“I talked to some of the recruits, some of the ones who aren’t committed, trying to get them to commit. Trey, Bru, I knew Derrian was going to commit, he told me before he got there he was going to do it.
“Me and Gabe (Floyd), we’re trying to get Bru and Trey here. I think we’ve got a good shot.”
Tillman said he’s hoping to come back for either the West Virginia or Iowa State games. During last weekend’s visit, he was able to connect with the UT staff, and Tillman thinks he’ll have a chance to play early once he gets to Austin.
“I talked to the whole coaching staff. The only person I didn’t get to talk to was Coach Herman because he was so busy. All the commits did come in and took a picture so we got to say hi to him then, but I talked to all the other coaches,” Tillman said. “Coach Orlando was like, next year is going to be you, big time. I think I’m going to play a lot because they don’t have a lot of linebackers coming back next year. He told me we have to talk more so we can set up my official visit.”
And what does Tillman think he can bring to the UT defense?
“I know I’m going to work hard. I was raised to work hard. The school I go to, everything is earned and not given,” Tillman said. “Coming from Florida, that’s all we do is work and work. And I’m bringing some intensity and dog to Texas, and some leadership.”
******
I mentioned above that 2020 St. Louis Trinity Catholic athlete Mookie Cooper was one of the visitors on campus last weekend, and Cooper told OB he was blown away by the energy in the stadium. Perhaps equally important, Cooper said he liked what he saw from the UT offense.
“The offense, I felt like it’s kind of balanced. They’re not a super run team, not a super pass team, but they use both. I felt like the offense was good, made some really good plays, made some good play calls,” Cooper said. “It feels like I could fit in there. I know they could get me open.”
Cooper said he doesn’t have an official list of favorites (he’s planning to release one soon) but said UT would definitely be in his top five. A couple weeks ago, he took an unofficial visit to see Illinois play and Cooper said the difference between the experience in Champaigne and Austin was noticeable.
“It was just like it was two levels of football, comparing Illinois to Texas, as far as the tradition of football, the amount of fans that came out to support, just the football environment,” Cooper said. “And the football itself, it was just different.”
Does Cooper feel more comfortable playing under the bright lights at a place like Texas, or in a smaller environment like the one Illinois presents?
“As a kid, I always wanted to play on a big stage in front of a lot of people,” Cooper said
******
Five-star 2020 offensive lineman Justin Rogers made his way down from Michigan for last weekend’s game, and said he liked what he heard from the UT coaches. Interestingly, Rogers said he’s being recruited by both Herb Hand and Oscar Giles.
“Really, I’m talking to the defensive line coach and the offensive line coach. They’re both talking to me,” Rogers said. “They’re trying to see what side of the ball I want to come in and play.”
And what side of the ball would Rogers prefer?
“I’d say defense. Right now, they have me playing everything. They have me playing linebacker and defensive end so I’m really everywhere. It feel like I’m explosive, know how to read offenses,” Rogers said.
The 6-4, 314-pound Rogers is keeping an open mind right now and said he hasn’t eliminated anyone from his list. He wants to take his time, but said Texas will definitely be considered.
“I’m definitely looking at them now,” Rogers said. “They’re trying to get that program back how it was.”
Might go to Tennessee this weekend but not sure.
******
Texas linebacker commitment De'Gabriel Floyd has spent more time on the UT campus than I did when I was a student at Texas. The California native was back again last week for the USC game and said he loved his first experience in seeing a Texas game in person.
“It was something else. As soon as I stepped through the tunnel onto the field, I just felt the energy of the fans,” Floyd said. “Just seeing the coaches, the players, how zoned in everybody is, how supportive everybody is, it just felt right. It felt better than any of my other trips. I felt like I was in the game, like it’s time to go. That gave me a desire to want to play, want to perform on that stage.”
Floyd went into the locker room after the game and said the team was pumped up about the win, but the coaches made sure to point out that there’s still a lot of work to be done.
“They were pretty excited. The team was fired up about the win, but at the same time, they knew the job wasn’t done,” Floyd said. “Coach Herman made sure to pinpoint this wasn’t a conference game. The goal isn’t to beat USC, the goal is to win conference championship. The win is great, but it’s back to work this week.”
Floyd said his next trip to Austin will probably be for his official visit. Like Tilman, he said several of the fans in the student section recognized him and voiced their support.
“I didn’t expect that. Every time I walked past the student section, me and the recruits, it was ‘Hook’em, let’s go Gabe, can’t wait ‘til you’re here next year.’ Literally I’d hear them, have no clue who they are, and they’d be saying my name, shaking my hand, talking to me like they know me,” Floyd said. “That made me feel really comfortable. I’m excited, haven’t even been around, and people are like ‘He’s that guy.’ It’s pretty exciting, and humbling at the same time.”
Floyd has been one of UT’s most vocal supporters and active recruiters ever since he gave his commitment in late March. That being said, Floyd had been paying attention to UT’s slow start to the season, and he said the win over USC answered any questions he might have had.
“This game did. The last game did some, although I felt like we shouldn’t have been in a fight with Tulsa. I saw the defense come together (against USC), making plays like they make in practice, but this win just sealed the deal,” Floyd said. “Texas, I can’t even describe it how I feel.
“Gary Johnson, that was my biggest highlight of the game, all the plays Gary made,” Floyd said. “That’s me next year, God willing.”
******
Last weekend saw Texas host a huge number of recruits. This weekend, with it being an earlier game, it looks like it will be a much smaller showing.
Odessa Permian ATH Peyton Powell did tell Rivals that he’ll be taking an official visit (I need to confirm that). Texas QB commit Roschon Johnson and 2020 teammate Jaylen Garth will be there. Texas commitments Peter Mpagi and Jared Wiley will be there, as will a handful of Austin-area prospects like Chux Nwabuko and Latrell McCutchin. We’ll update the list on Friday as more prospects respond.
******
(From McComas)
A week after hosting some of the state’s best 2019, 2020, and 2021 prospects on unofficial visits, Shaka Smart and the Longhorns are back to focusing on one official visitor. This weekend, Texas is hosting Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, New Hampshire) 2019 prospect Kai Jones.
Jones recently took an official visit to Syracuse after taking his first official visit to Florida State. From what we’ve heard, the Longhorns and Seminoles are the two teams in the best position to potentially land Jones.
A native of the Bahamas, Jones’s size (6-9), length, and motor attracted many high-major programs to make a move and offer him during June and July. However, he’s being recruited by Texas as a wing/forward, and has a surprising amount of skill for someone that’s relatively new to basketball, and has the size he does. Jones is very high on academics, which should help Texas’s case. It’s likely Jones makes a commitment and signs before the first period and November ends.
As for Will Baker, he still isn’t saying much publicly, despite our efforts, about recruiting and his recent visits. But we talked to someone recently that was around him during his recent unofficial visit, and it sounds like Baker really, really enjoyed being around current and former Texas players. Shaka Smart was at Westlake yesterday.
*****
A few team tidbits to pass along:
--- Continue to hear that Kerwin Roach II is progressing well, and remains on track to be ready to go once the season begins. In fact, it sounds like Roach is progressing a little quicker than expected.
--- Matt Coleman’s shooting work in the gym this offseason continues to show, and it sounds like he’s shooting the ball noticeably better in the mid-range and behind the arc. And from what I continue to hear about Courtney Ramey, I’d be stunned if he doesn’t make an impact this season, and if he and Coleman aren’t on the floor together a lot.
--- So far, so good for Andrew Jones as he gets acclimated to being a student-athlete again.
--- CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein was at UT’s practice today and this was one of his observations:
The more I hear about Hayes, the more I think he’s on the Jericho Sims path. At the very least, it sounds he’s capable of providing a quality presence for around 10 minutes a night. He’s a terrific athlete at his size.
--- The proof will be in the results this season, but it would be difficult to find someone that doesn’t believe this is Shaka Smart’s best roster, chemistry, and will be his best team at Texas. (McComas)
